I meant to put this in the February/March post, but I forgot!
We don't really do Lent in my church -- we recognize the 'season', but we've never done the "give up something for Lent" thing. Still, I know a lot of people do practice abstention for Lent, and so sometimes I'll play along and give up something, too.
This year, as strange as it may seem, I'm giving up CVS for Lent. (Yes, the drugstore.) There's one right next to where I work, and it's too easy to just pop over there for this or that -- "this" usually being Pepsi, and "that" being some kind of chocolate. I have a weird hangup, however, in that I can't only buy pop and chocolate at CVS, so I have to think up something else that's more "drugstore-y", so that it looks like I came into the CVS for the other thing and grabbed a snack while I was there. (I'm actually a very logical person in a lot of ways, but clearly this is not one of them!) So I grab batteries, or makeup, or some kind of first aid thing that I might eventually use one day but don't really need.
Cutting down on the Pepsi and chocolate is definitely something I need to do, but moreso, I'm wasting a lot of money at CVS. So far in 2014 (not including some lottery tickets I bought for a friend's birthday present) I've spent over $400 at CVS. In two months. On nothing. So, yeah, giving that up for Lent.
Lent
March 9th, 2014 at 08:06 pm
March 9th, 2014 at 08:10 pm 1394395832
We're devout. We practice Lent (starting from ashes and fasting, abstaining from meat, giving something up), but we definitely encourage the giving more of oneself aspect. I just made a $300 error in the checking account (and not in our favor, long story). I decided to not make a huge deal about it, and then ended up donating $10.77 (the .77 was the cost to cover the donation) to a friend's online fundraiser for Misericordia. So I think your CVS opt-out made perfect sense for you. What are you doing with the saved funds is the real question?
March 9th, 2014 at 08:37 pm 1394397434
March 9th, 2014 at 09:29 pm 1394400541
March 9th, 2014 at 09:53 pm 1394402013
March 10th, 2014 at 02:05 am 1394417145
I hadn't really thought of the money I'll not be spending at CVS as money I'm saving, but maybe I should. In which case I suppose I could put half of it toward my known upcoming expenses and consider half a snowflake toward my 52 week challenge. I also have a small charitable contribution I've been wanting to make, so I'll pull that out first, I think.
March 10th, 2014 at 06:52 pm 1394477536
My biggest CVS is the candy machine in the cafeteria. It leers at me and says, "come to me - I have M&M's and Cheetos and cheese danish." Shudder shudder.
My nephews have been such sweeties - I cook their regular stuff since they are not even religious (raised as Athiests) but they are interested and not putting me down - Although Ben did say - "Util APRIL - Auntie you guys are nuts". LOL
On the other hand, I had the house blessed, and they were interested and attended.
March 10th, 2014 at 08:22 pm 1394482951