Losing all that weight!

Remember our horrible spare room? We put some work into it today!

We got up early this morning, because we were supposed to go to a couples workshop at our church--but when we got there, the doors were locked and the parking lot was deserted. D'oh! We must've written the time or date down wrong (or they cancelled it and didn't tell us, which is possible. Our minister is not much for the remembering).

Since we were up, we decided to do some cleaning, as we're having some friends over tomorrow, and we were in the mood to make a dent. We tackled the far corner and got together a half-dozen trash bags and a few boxes full--maybe 7 trips down in the elevator?

We were on a roll! While Fiancé sat and rested a little, I went through his whole wardrobe and we got rid of stuff that he never wears anymore, or that doesn't fit, or that is so ghastly I wanted to be ill. That was another 3-4 trashbags, plus a carful of Salvation Army donations.

Because we were donating goods, we're required to get documentation on the condition and value for next year's taxes, right? Our SA warehouse was very nice* and wrote us a blank receipt, with everything marked "good condition," for us to put our own valuation. So that's about a grand of deductions right there! (To be fair, it included some very nice work clothes and a lot of housewares.)

I love clearing things out. And with my newly frugal habits, I have some hope that we won't just buy stuff to replace what went out the door. Things fit on the shelves now, and I want to keep it that way!


While we were cleaning, we both came across some reminders of bad financial decisions in our pasts. Fiancé once bought a shirt that looked great on the mannequin--but didn't bother to try it on. I love him dearly, but he really shouldn't wear that shade of green. So the shirt in the closet still had the price tag attached!

I found a pair of loafers that reminded me of many mistakes I made during college: 1) trip to NYC ($50 train ticket each way); 2) shopping spree in SoHo (said $215 designer loafers); 3) overdraft fee due to shoes ($25) and 4) finance charges on overdraft ($lots). They're nice shoes, and very comfy, but they are the single most expensive piece of clothing that I have ever purchased--and that includes my prom dress and wedding dress. Combined.

This round of cleaning, we both kept our reminders. Maybe once we don't need them, we'll throw them out. (Actually, I never want to get rid of the shoes. They're fantastic shoes. Maybe I can just toss the guilt.)


*Read: lazy.