Some money spent...

It had to happen eventually! I went shopping today and bought things...

My eldest daughter is moving into her first flat at university and is needing to equip the kitchen so we went into the city today to go shopping for her. We started in several thrift shops and I was pleased to see she was happy to purchase things she needed for a fraction of the cost - we managed to pick out a great selection of items for not very much money and once getting them home and washed up they looked like new. We couldn't find everything in the second hand places and some things I preferred her to buy new so we headed off to Kmart and she had a very satisfying shop. It made me wish there had been something like that around when I was starting out! 

While thrifting I came across 3 different books in different shops - one I was after as it is the second in a trilogy I have been recommended to read, one was a book I had seen in store over Christmas that looks like a new release so I couldn't pass it up and the other was an impulse buy for $1.00. I also bought a large wooden serving bowl for $3.00 - the one thing I probably don't really need but I couldn't leave it behind...

I bought a new large new frypan that I had been meaning to buy for a while. It was a Kmart price however we have tried one of these out before in the smaller size. I have been impressed with it so felt it was a good purchase at much less that what it would cost in a kitchen specialty store.

I needed to get my haircut so while at the mall I went and had this done and managed to get it cut for free as I had filled my loyalty card and was able to redeem it. That was the best bargain of the day! 

We needed groceries so went and got these before coming home - I had my first shopping list and menu plan for the year so this worked well and I saved $50 on my budget.

I took a bag of items to the recycle store where they can be used by others so I definitely had more things leave my house than enter it (other than my daughter's purchases but she will be taking them to her place soon).  I feel pleased about having my haircut as it has made it feel "new" again after not being cut for a while and the fridge and pantry have been replenished again!

So - on tallying my spending I got 3 books worth around $75.00 total for $9.00, a $3.00 bowl, a frypan for only $24.00, a free haircut and saved $50 on my weekly shop so I thought I did ok.

Have I justified my spending enough?

All in all I got to spend some time with my daughter and most of my spending was required and only some on impulse so I won't be too hard on myself. I have learnt again that going near the shops is a dangerous thing as the temptation to spend money I may not have chosen to is always there. I will need to get back on track and find things in my house that I can get the sense of new from. 

Time for a gin and tonic with a sprig of mint from my garden. I need to put my feet up so I can plan some ideas for what I can do over the next few days for little or no cost!