Spending Fast in Full Effect

The Spending Fast is in full effect! Here are the logistics:

Goal:
- Only buy things that are needs (i.e food, gas, diapers, baby things, etc.) and don't buy things that are "wants" (clothing, jewelry, things of excess, eating out, etc.)

Guidelines/Tips to get us there:
1) Before each purchase, ask:
- Do I NEED this?
- Can I get by without this?
- Do I already have this? Something like this? Similar? What do I have that would suffice?

2) Make things (i.e birthday gifts, homemade cards, presents, etc.)

3) Define 'checkpoints' where we can spend our "don't ask, don't tell" money. (roughly $25.00 each pay period). Checkpoints are up to the individual.

4) Allowed to spend gift cards and the extra that spills over. For example, we received a $25.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble. The Blueray movie we wanted was $28.00 after tax, so we paid $3.00 extra. (We agreed this is allowed.)

5) One date night a week to go out and eat. (We always share, so we really won't be splurging here anyway.)

I don't know how we'll do, but it'll be exciting to see how far we can go--and how much we can save!