Geek on a Budget: Trying to stick with my Essentials Only Challenge

This morning, I talked myself out of ordering two 9-1-1 Buck and Eddie (Buddie) bookmarks and two mugs: Buck and Eddie and Hen. I wish I'd also found mugs for Hen and Karen, Athena and Bobby and Maddie and Chimney but so far I didn't find any. Both of the bookmarks are so cute but I know I don't need anymore because I have plenty of bookmarks. As well as mugs. But I don't have any 9-1-1 merchandise other than that Preppi 9-1-1 First-aid Kit which I bought a couple of years ago when it was on sale. And since neither FOX (when the show aired on the network) or ABC (where the show now airs) ever released any (or any more in ABC's case) official merchandise, so a lot of fans have created their own stuff. And I've seen so many cute stuff, that I'd like to get.

And not to be forgotten, I also talked myself out of getting a Gilmore Girls Lorelai and Luke mug I saw. Other than the DVDs and a few books (Rory's reading list, cook books, etc.), I also don't have a lot of Gilmore Girls merchandise. But I so want all of the 9-1-1 and Gilmore Girls stuff I found this week. However, since I'm still doing my Essentials Only challenge, none of this stuff is clearly necessities. I just really want them. Overall, I've been really good with this challenge it's just when I see fandom stuff is when I really have to talk myself out of buying anything. This challenge has really helped me see that I want a lot of non-essential stuff. There's nothing wrong with buying non-essentials I just don't want to go over my budget which is what I would do if I bought all the stuff I keep finding.

When this challenge ends, I'm going to look over my fandom merchandise section of my budget and see if I need to increase it or keep it as it is. Because I do love getting fandom stuff but I'm just going to try to stay on budget. It's funny that I don't have a lot of Gilmore Girls and 9-1-1 stuff, despite them being two of my favorite fandoms.

Essentials Only Challenge Update

I thought I would post an update on my Essentials Only Challenge. What have I learned so far from taking this challenge? Well, it's not as hard as the No Book Buying Challenge I tried a while back. To be honest my resolve with that challenge had crumbled at the very start. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset for that challenge. However, this time everything seems to be going rather smoothly. I'm finding it's not so hard to cut back despite seeing a lot of stuff I would like to buy.

As great as this challenge is going, the only problem I've had at the moment is when I go to the comic book store. For some reason my challenge goes right out of my mind as soon as I step into the store. I'm generally good at saying no to purchasing anything that's non-essential even when I go to the bookstore (yeah, I know I should not be going there) and have an arm full of books. I do put them back before I leave despite really wanting to buy them. Perhaps it has something to do with talking myself out of buying them. Regardless, I don't end up buying anything.

Yet, I can't seem to do the same thing at the comic book store. Yesterday, I bought an Ahsoka Tano action figure (which I had on hold from last week) and a hardcover Superman comic book from the 90s.

I think I'm going to let last week (meaning yesterday) slide because counting today I have been on this challenge for 29 days. I have not been buying anything else (aside from the two Funkos I bought last week from the bookstore) that have been non-essentials. When I go to the comic book store this week, I will try my best to stick to my list and to bypass the collectables, which will be difficult. For instance, I did see a Harley Quinn action figure on the counter yesterday. Which of course I wanted.

The lesson I learned so far is that it's pretty easy to not buy non-essential items that is unless you're a true shopaholic. The desire to buy stuff doesn't really go away, you just learn how to get your spending in check. 

Toy Corner: Funko Louise Belcher

No, I did not go off my Essentials Only Challenge, I bought Funko Louise Belcher before I started this challenge (see link). I have three more Funkos that I will eventually post and not to mention my Misty Copeland Barbie doll finally arrived yesterday (the doll had been backordered). I will also be posting that soon.

Now as for Funko Louise, isn't she simply adorable. I love all the Bob's Burgers characters but Louise is my favorite. And once I saw her sitting on the shelf, I knew I had to get her. She's a great little addition to my collection.

Challenge: To Not Buy Non-Essential Items for Six Months

Today, Sunday, May 22, 2016 officially starts my six months of not buying anything that's not essential. I'm not a minimalist, not by a longshot. Plain and simple, I like stuff. But lately I've been buying a few too many items and thought it best to cut back.

A few days ago whenever I told my family and friends I was going to do this, they actually laughed at me. And I mean they really laughed out loud. I guess I can understand their reaction, I hate to admit it but I am a shopper. And I mean a BIG shopper but I don't want to be that anymore. I've tried challenges before and the sad thing is, I have never been able to complete any of my no book buying challenges in the past. But after yesterday's purchases which also included buying four Funkos, I decided I needed to change. I don't want to be a bookaholic/shopaholic instead I want to get a better handle on my finances like I used to.

Which is why I challenged myself to this six month challenge with it ending on November 22nd. I did research and found out some ways to go about doing challenges similar to this one. An important thing to do is to make up a list of exceptions and rules to follow to ensure the challenge will be a success.

Here are a few of the rules I plan to follow:

- No more Funkos with the exception of a Lois Lane figure if one is created and released sometime during the six months challenge.

- No books or magazines with the exception of my weekly comics.

- No new clothes unless something is in dire need of replacing.


At the least this will be interesting endeavor. This is a challenge that I really want to complete, I need to prove to myself that I can actually do it. So with that said, I hereby start my challenge.