Debt Hater: Seriously, somebody stop me!

Co-worker told me about a shoe sale at Steve Madden online, free shipping. I bought three pairs of shoes.

SCREEEECH! Huh?

Yeah, I'm bugging the heck out.

So tonight, I sat down at my laptop and started doing some cakalations (that's how my gram says it. It's Cack-a-lator, not Cal-cu-lator). I went to my spending record spreadsheet and added up every penny I've spent in every category for the last six months and worked out the average for each month.
Next, I am going into my budget and actually budget for all these "miscellaneous" items that I don't actually budget for, but wind up spending money on. I will also make adjustment to things I do spend money on so that my budget for the month is more realistic.
But most importantly, I am going to set up some automatic deposits -- straight outta my paycheck. Single Ma recommended to me that I make a lot of this automatic. If it's gone before I see it, I can't spend it.
That's kind of like, well of course, but understanding something and actually doing it are two different things.
It's been such a relief to see money in my checking account and know that it's not already spent in the coming month. But having that knowledge has woken up that little devil that used to sit on my shoulder, back when I didn't know any better. "You don't have to spent that $950 a month on debt payment anymore! What's a pair of shoes? Come on!"
Get thee behind me Satan!

Seriously, I'm not in trouble. I am not building debt. But I ain't building wealth either, so I still have a problem.

Anyway, my task for the end of this month is to figure out the next steps I need to take with my cash. I need to put that money to work so I'm not blowing it. Don't get me wrong, I plan to have a fun summer and enjoy some things, but I am not going to just blow my was every month and say, "It's ok, because I'm not in the red!" Uh, no.

And PS -- for those wondering -- I did send back those pants from Anthropologie, not because I felt guilty, but because they didn't fit, like I knew they wouldn't. So, really, I'm out $5 because of the folly.

Lord help me.

:-)

DH