Nearing the End

We're on our final days of the NoLoBuMo challenge. There is a ton of food that I'm craving right now, because I can't have it (mmm, psuedoMexican). My right glove has a giant hole in the index finger and I can't replace it. A few of my windows are still curtain-less because we haven't gotten around to making our own curtain rods. And I could *really* go for a McDonald's iced coffee.

But our budget is in really good shape, partially because of all of the stuff we didn't buy. I lost five pounds. I reacquainted myself with some local businesses I haven't bothered to support in awhile. And I've gotten lots of helpful advice and tips and ideas and lentils from people reading the blog.

Overall, I think it was a great success, and I really learned a lot. Really, for the first time, I had to stop and evaluate every single purchase. There was suddenly a speed bump between "I need new curtain rods" and handing over my check card at Wal-Mart. In that way, that level of thoughtfulness is very similar to beginning a gluten-free diet. Like there was no more mindless spending for us this month, someone on a gluten-free diet can't just eat mindlessly. Every bite, every package, even when it's an item you've bought a hundred times, must be checked and rechecked, because your health depends on it. Our finanical health depends on thoughtful spending in exactly the same way.