love, peace, & quarantine: a journal entry for week 6
quarantine journal week whatever
Recently, and when I say recently, I mean since the quarantine begin, I joined a Facebook group that features African American bohemian inspired design interiors. I am obsessed OB-damn-sessed with this aesthetic! It is very Justina Blakeney or as I like to envision it - early Freddie Brooks from A Different World meets Denise Huxtable with a pinch of Jaleesa Vinson. Eccentric meets eclectic meets practical.
This first Saturday in May, my friend Meisha and I took the opportunity to roll close to hour north on a mini road trip to the Dirt Cheap in Picayune (pick - a - yoon), Mississippi. We normally roll there once a quarter or so, and this was our first trip since December.
My eighties heart and newly inspired Afro bohemian heart exploded with joy walking inside.
Mud cloth pillows in black and gray and white, my personal color scheme. Giant plant leaves for styling floral arrangements, and huge flowers.
A whole freaking caboodle. Yes, a caboodle.
And hold your seats, Jean Nate body spray.
shopping list
My list was a bunch of odds and ends that I did not want to pay full price for "if" I didn't need. *insert shopping list* I left more stuff behind and have monumental amounts of remorse about another pillow, and a nubby throw and a literal metric ton of Iman makeup, because I had gone over budget close to 300%.
I did not do too badly considering most of the stuff on my list wasn't there.
LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES! LIES!
I did terribly. 300% over budget!
But to be honest, besides some random orders off Amazon, and quick trips to the stores - this was the first time I had been "shopping" shopping since quarantine.
I should have known my original budget would have been insufficient. And I implemented none of the tips and tricks I use to fight my tactile nature. I love the touch of things. The more texture something has the more I want to physically and mentally fondle it.
My mind has a "touch it, buy it" default. So, one of the rules that I use to combat that mentality is to not touch things. I am like a toddler I feel the world through my hands, and this is so hard.
First rule broken the moment I walked in because the soft, and textured pillows were right up-front waiting on me like a hug.
Second rule broken; I did not inventory my purchases before tossing them up on the counter to be rung up. Or say, "You know I changed my mind about that..." when there were a couple of things that I could and probably should have put back.
Another rule that I broke was I did not put space for contingency purchases in my budget. I normally add ten percent for taxes and ten percent for thoil things. Thoil is a word I learned from former personal finance guru, Gail Vaz-Oxlade and it basically means 'you can afford the purchase, but you can't see yourself paying the asked for price'. I did not leave room for things that are on sale, or something I've been lusting after or some close out bargains that I can't pass by or just items to stock up on like a brand of face wash I like.
Last rule was of course I did not stick to the list. 75% percent of my purchases weren't on my list. I should blame myself for knowing my new obsession and not making a more expansive list too.
I want y'all to learn from my first shopping trip post A.C.
Have you been outside in the wide world?
Have you gone shopping?
Are you a chronic budget buster like me?
