The Spending Hiatus

Camera from Target.

Joslyn over at Simple Lovely is going on a 3-month spending hiatus and now- so am I! I have always thought of taking some "time off" from shopping but I tend to struggle when there is no one to keep me accountable. But now that we've got a little group of no-spenders going on, I feel like it might be a lot easier. So for the next three months, I'm going to try and refrain from purchasing anything but the "essentials"- food, toiletries, etc.

If this spending hiatus goes really well, maybe I'll even save enough to pick up a digital camera at the end of it. I like the one pictured above because of its cute green color (I'm a sucker for cute colors).

I'll be keeping you all posted on the dilemma's I'm sure to run into on the way.

My first dilemma is this: what counts as a non-essential? Obviously food, TP, and toothpaste but does, say, mascara count? For the sake of not going insane, I'm going to say yes to the mascara. But only after I finish my current tube. I think one of my major problems is that I tend to "replace" cosmetics before I'm done with them which is why I own 4 mascaras and like 40 lipglosses. I'd still be cutting back on spending by making myself use stuff up before I replace it.

I'm also wondering if some clothes aren't essential. My only pair of skinny jeans is its last leg (psh, bad, but I couldn't help it) and I have to wonder if a new pair really needs to wait three months. Because really, bootcut jeans don't look good tucked into boots and I have to have boots on for winter (I walk...everywhere). This one is still up in the air though- let me know what you think in the comments. Are skinny jeans an essential if I wear them all the time and my only pair falls apart?

PS I like these skinny jeans a lot.