not buying it - week 16 - 18

i fell behind posting so i'll try to catch up...been a lot of weaknesses these past few weeks. still overall, spending less than usual.

clothing
-using old pants to make field bags for the kids for nature hikes
-patched 2 dresses that had holes in them

food
-harvesting food from the garden: zucchinis, onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots
-eggs and milk from our backyard
-yogurt and cheese made from milk

household
-reusing plastic bags for trash bags

utilities
-shutting down power strips whenever possible
-making sure lights and fans are off when we are not in the room (kids are bad about this upstairs and it's driving me crazy!)

gifts
~hand made card for my mom and son's b-days
~wrapped gifts using packing paper (gifts were purchased)

exercise/self improvement
-hooping
-weeding
-knife throwing
-walks in the woods

homestead
~mom and dad picked up a ton of quart canning jars at a garage sale and gave them to me
~was given a wooden bookshelf that we are stripping and refinishing for jaden (we are hoping to move her out of our room and into her bigger sister's room soon)

education
~requested books from the library to get started on our summer semester of school
~sewing bags for the kids to hold nature study equipment (journals, paint, charcoal, pencils, containers for storing specimens, etc)

weaknesses
~took wwoofers out to dinner a few times (sushi once, american cuisine once)
~purchased gift cert and subscription for beading for my mom's b-day
~purchasing a bow for son for his b-day
~purchased ice cream cake and cheesecake and candles for b-days
~purchased a blender (tried finding at thrift store first)
~purchased new phone for home (ours died)
~bought some shirts, pente board game, baskets and wooden bowls at thrift shop (kids have destroyed all my nice clothes, bowls are all chipped and breaking, baskets are for making gift baskets for my business and for stashing things here)
~purchased 3 more dairy goats, excellent milkers at low prices from a reputable source
purging
~throwing out the over abundance of cardboard boxes (recycling and using for paths)