The Nothing New Fund

DAY 121

Is there use for a used Milkyway Midnight candy bar wrapper (plastic/paper)? Bought it and ate it...bad for me, bad for the landfills. In a moment of weakness, I purchased the evil chocolate and will have to contribute $1.01 to my Nothing New Fund.

Anytime I buy something new or that is outside my boundaries for that particular Motivation Month, I put that dollar amount into a separate fund to be donated at the end of the year. In addition, if there is a special coveted item that I really want or almost buy, that amount goes in as well.

For example, I collect the blue and white Starbuck's mugs with the cities on them (being discontinued). I was in San Francisco in April and I had the SF mug ON THE COUNTER in the BART station ready to be added to my collection (that I put back)...so that counts as a $10.95 contribution...As a reward, I ended up with a much cooler souvenir in being open to meet an amazing woman name Esther on the bus...more about her later and my shift in thinking on souvenirs in general....

Anyway, I also had to add the $350 worth of roofing supplies to get my leaky porch roof fixed and a few other smaller items that are starting to ramp up the total in the special account. Reminder: lucky me that these are the kinds of choices I *get* to make....lucky (blessed) that I rarely have to worry about my basic needs of food, clothing and shelter...

I have not decided where I will donate the money yet...

So...what one "Nothing New" aspect can you add to your life? Maybe not for a year, but one month? one day? What could you give up or change that would be challenging (some pain) AND do-able (not so far out that you can't sustain it long enough to learn something) and that has some level of financial implication?

In the end, I have a feeling my lessons learned are going to be about "needs" and wants"...

Have a Nothing New Day! Kristin