I have been sliiiightly bad since my spender bender promise, but I have lots of excuses! (I'm really good at coming up with excuses :/).
Here are my 'frivolous' purchases so far this October:

Imagine Vintage Wear: $46 for a skirt and 4 vintage patterns. Seamed stockings were a gift.


Air Canada: $73 for a flight from Edmonton to San Francisco. The rest of the trip was paid with Aeroplan points.

Air Canada: $54 for return flight from San Fran to Edmonton. Again, rest was paid using Aeroplan points.

But truthfully I've been very good so far! Everything else I've spent money on was either essentials (like replacing my glasses, groceries, getting supplies for my sewing class or replacing some things G got in the break-up) or Christmas presents (I've shopped for Bee and my mom, already woohoo!). I didn't buy a single thing in San Fran except for lunch one day. Ian and I didn't get to do much touristy stuff, but we did enjoy Santa Rosa and even a beach date before coming back to home to Edmonton (and snow.)

Amount spent on pre-Christmas spender bender so far: $173

XO Laurie

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Regardless of how awesome it is to live solo - from playing the guitar whenever I want to going to bed at 8 p.m. like the old lady I am - it also means that I rely on me, myself and I to pay ALL the bills. Add in the fact that Christmas is fast approaching (3 months from today!) and I'm starting to feel the wallet crunch already.

So I'm challenging myself to take part in a no-spender bender in the lead-up to the holiday season to scrimp and save for presents, decorations and booze. Especially booze. Besides, I get presents at Christmas so I don't really need to go breaking the bank for myself, do I?

Rules (via Miss Bee Vintage)

• no e-bay/etsy/web shopping.
• You get 3 "free" passes for "emergency" purchases  (something on your wish list you have been waiting for, a deal too good to pass up, that sort of thing).
• You can of course buy necessities and replace broken items, that sort of thing. Use the one in/one out rule. Basically no crappy purchases just because you feel like it.
• Entertainment money does not count in this (movies, date nights, dancing). It's all about "merchandise."
• Basically - no spending and splurging on myself before Christmas.