Early in our marriage I saved so much money, that I nearly ruined our finances. Nothing inspired me to spend like a 40% off coupon or a dollar bin of yarn.  I’d head into the salvage stores just to see what kind of good deals I could find.  At Walmart, I always checked the clearance rack even if we didn’t have clothing needs.  If I found a good deal, I bought one in every size and color.

This past Saturday, I sat in a craft show with my Mom with nearly my entire stash of fabric out on tables for all to see.

It was a good way for me to declutter, repent of all that spending, and get a head start on next year’s emergency fund mad dash.  While I sat there visiting with Mom, I thought a lot about what I spent on and what I could have done with the money instead (like saved it!)  Of course, I’m benefitting from hind sight and not being too hard on myself, since I used to have a sewing business and saved a lot of money making all my girl’s clothes when they were young.  Going forward, though, things are going to be different!

I’ll be listing the fabrics I have left on Etsy or Fabric Destashing for Those Who Aren’t Cray Cray  and sending it all the proceeds to the emergency fund. Then I’ll be looking for more things to declutter that might help us reach our goals.

Today, I started unsubscribing from the emails that tempt me with their really good deals.  It’s a temporary move until we get our emergency fund in shape. I’ll be needing 80% off area rugs again one day, and when I do I’ll know where to sign up for the deals.

Do really good sales tempt you to stock up on stuff you probably don’t need? How do you decide when to buy and how much?