Still not buying (much)

When you pay close attention to what you're buying, you start to notice all the things you buy without thinking about it.

Restaurant meals. Extra apples. A magazine. A book.  Lip balm.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy these things in No Buy February. The point of the exercise is to get rid of conspicuous consumption, not all consumption.

But when you're not whipping out that plastic to buy those cute pink gloves (I don't have pink gloves! They're only $15! They match my hat!), or the new Stephanie Plum novel (it's on Kindle! That's not like buying at all!), or the twofer day at the consignment shop (consignment isn't like buying, because someone else already bought it before me!), you start to notice all those nickles and dimes that financial planners are always telling you could put your kid through college.

And they really can. I did finally spend half that forty bucks that was in my purse, but it took nearly three weeks, because I stopped nickle and diming, partially because I was thinking about it, but partly because I simply haven't been going into any stores.

I did have to get a new card reader; mine has vanished without a trace. Otherwise, I'm still good.
Oh, right a recipe:

Marvelous maple oatmeal-raisin cookies
Use the recipe on the box, but substitute 2/3 cup of maple syrup for the sugar, and drain off about 3 tablespoons full of the egg to adjust the amount of liquid).