Help me I'm poor..

I'm not really poor. I just love that part in Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig is a comedic genius.

I'm not poor, but I AM on a strict budget. "Yeah, yeah we're all on a budget," you say. No - I'm really on a budget. I'm on the type of budget where you cringe when people ask you to go out to eat...where you want to throw a fit in the ground beef section of HEB because a pound of hamburger meat is $3 and you were hoping it was fifty cents...the kind of budget that makes you wonder which of your organs are actually vital, and how much you could get for the non-vital ones. I'm fresh-out-of-college-and-recovering-from-shopaholism poor. 

It's true - I'm a recovering shopaholic. I'm the girl with a walk-in closet overflowing with clothes that I never really loved and never really looked great on me...plus there are four Rubbermaid bins full in the hall closet. Luckily, I was taught at a very young age that credit cards are the worst kind of addictive drug, so instead of going into debt, I just lived beyond my means and scrambled to make ends meet at the end of the month. 

And now I'm paying for it. (No pun intended.) I'm growing up and realizing what's worth it and what's not. I really want to travel and see the world, but I can't afford a trip to London with my friend Allison AND a new wardrobe every season, so I'm learning to compromise. Texas doesn't have seasons anyway. My 4-year-old pea coat will do just fine for those 10 cold days - good thing I bought a classic one!

When I look back at my New Year's resolutions, they all come down to one thing: growing up. Living life the way it was meant to be lived, and not the way People Magazine tells me it could be lived. I'm not a reality show star, so I need to stop living like it! (Those people all go bankrupt at least once anyway.)

Here are some steps I've taken to grow up financially:

• Get rid of cable. It sounds crazy, I know. How will I know what happens between the Gorgas and the Giudices on Real Housewives of New Jersey?! What will become of the relationship between Kris Jenner and her kids on Keeping up with the Kardashians?! (Don't act like you don't have embarrassing shows you love.) The truth is, I was just wasting time - I don't care to keep up with the Kardashians. And when I do, there's always the Internet and hysterical recaps by Ashley at Pink, Blonde, Texas. And the Giudices are one of those bankrupt reality families, according to People Mag. For the rest, I have Netflix and a lot of really good books.
• Save for what you need and then see what you want. This one sounds so elementary when I type it, but I was in the habit of buying the five pairs of new heels that I've worn maybe once and THEN worrying about how to pay the electricity bill. Now, I have a strict budget set aside for the necessities (tithe, bills, rent, car payment, car insurance, etc.) and anything extra at the end of the month goes into savings and a travel fund. That way when the time comes for the big London trip, I won't have to worry about how poor it's going to make me. 
• Budget groceries. You know what's hard? Being on a grocery budget AND trying to eat healthy AND being allergic to everything. I would love to live off of 10 cent peanut butter sandwiches, but that probably wouldn't be healthy and I can't eat gluten. How much does your milk cost? $2? $3 for a gallon? Mine is $6. So grocery shopping on a budget is a real challenge for me. I go to the store with a list of 15 things and sometimes I only leave with five of them. I have to prioritize. I have to find food that will go a long way. I can't buy bleu cheese and whatever specialty nuts I want anymore. But it's possible and it's kind of fun. (So if you see me at HEB with a confused look on my face, I'm not lost. I'm trying to do math in my head.)
• Use cash. Dave Ramsey says this all the time. Buy with cash. I withdraw $50 per week to be used on gas and groceries. (Yes, total.) It's a lot harder for me to overspend when I can look in my wallet and see how much I actually have left to spend. 
• Plan. Think about what you have coming up! Does your oil need changed soon? Do you have a long drive in the near future that will require a lot of gas money? Are there birthdays or special events in the next month? Most gift-giving events aren't a surprise. I've already done most of my Christmas shopping for my family and now I won't have one huge bill in December. Space your buying out over the year. The same goes for meals and clothing. Will you need a dress for a friend's wedding in three months? Start looking now - chances are you'll be less likely to make an impulse buy on an ugly, overpriced taffeta sack if you know you have plenty of time to find something better.
• Get creative. My parents gave me a sewing machine for my birthday last year and I'm finally getting acquainted with it. I've already done some hunting for discount fabrics and am planning some custom pieces that will combine my love of fashion with my slim clothing budget. Creativity can also help my cashflow in the kitchen. It's a new challenge to concoct something from what is already in my fridge and pantry.

I'm part of what I call the "complaineration": a generation of whiners.  So rather than join the masses who bemoan their situation, their jobs, their coworkers, etc., I'm going to rejoice in my blessings and take on (and defeat!) the challenge that my hardships bring. It's time to grow up.