To cut down my expenses

Today I did a good job in getting control of my bad(and getting worse) spending habit. I saw Cellnique Pro-Sebum Gel selling in Watson for RM168. The Cellnique Pro-Series package includes this Pro-Sebum Gel, bottle of mask and cleansing gel. I thought this was a great deal because the Pro-Sebum Gel itself is selling at RM139 and now for RM168 I got three great items!!!!! I took the pack, read the description at the back of the box, put it back, took it and re-read it again and put in back again...and strolled to some other selves. And then came back to the same stack of this evil package that kept summoning me to buy it but with the strong will at heart, I put it back and rush to the counter and pay my other stuff and leave the evil thing. AAAArrrgggghhhh....I did overcome the urge to buy something. I think I'm marvellous and deserve to reward myself with buying something for myself.

And actually I wanted to go to salon today, to rebond my hair. But I tried to occupy myself with something else. Asked Kin Fai out for breakfast and then went for movie and by the time he sent me home it was already 5pm. Hahaha...another RM300 unspend.

Looks like, I'm doing good in cutting down my expenses. Lets see how can I save more moolah...

1. Cut down the frequency of going to Coffee Bean and Starbucks.
   I'm not a coffee person and certainly not any blended drinks person but .....Sigh....I'll miss lazing my butt at those famous coffee bar. I really enjoy reading mags, observing ppl along the street, and chatting the day off. Usually Kin Fai and me will hang out there to kill the time if we bought midnight movie tickets. But we really has to cut down our visits. I know we're going too often when the barristers started to recognize us and getting friendly with us (and once we even got a free drink, the smoothie of the month). So, now we'll only go there once a month. We can hang out at someplace cheaper like Oldtown Cafe or the conventional kopitiam.
   
   
2. Only going for two movies in the cinema every month
   We both are avid movie goers. Other than Malay or Indian movies, sappy Asian love storie and pathetic teen movies, we never fail to watch every single movie being screen in TGV Ipoh. Tickets are selling as high as RM9 during weekend. So to cut down on this, we must choose which movie that's worth the money and the 'umph' to watch in cinema. Watching DVD is a lot more cheaper and comfortable.
   (but failed this today, paid RM18 to watch Thai's new horror movie 'The Unseeable' which was kinda lame with too many deliberate twists)
   
   
3. No more going to boutique!!!!
   Since I'd had enough of shopping at KL I'd made a solemn promise to myself not to step into anymore boutiques in Ipoh for the next 6 months. And then if I could possibly do this most difficult task of all, I will reward myself with some new clothes and then no more boutiques again for the next 6 months. By year end, I'll(perhaps with Yokie again..hehe) go shop like crazy in KL again. Yayyy!!!
   This definately is the most difficult task of all, I need a massive strong will to refrain myself from entering those shops. I windowshopped through a few boutiques today and my eyes couldnt keep off from the nicely dressed mannequins at the window display. But thanks to Fai who dragged me away from the boutiques danger zone.
   
   
4. No more facial and spa at beauty center
   I pampered myself a lot last year. Signed up a RM500 facial course and tried the whole body massage and spa. I felt like being served like a princess. It's remarkably wonderful and revitalized. But also unnessecary and money was spent lightning fast. So from now on, all the facial and spa-like bath will be all at home. But it's good to reward my tire body and soul with some massage once a while. I'll try to find a good massage service but can't got too addited with this. Perhaps once every semi-annually?
   
   
5. Cut down visits to salons
   I know I'm going to salon too often because I got close with the stylist and even has their phone numbers and even MSN chat with one of my hairdresser. Really need to cut down on this. So I'll only go to the salon once every 6 months, reasonable, right?
   (refraining myself from going to get a hair rebonding, until after CNY.)
   
   
6. Don't buy magazine
   Another addiction that I need to cut off totally. I bought too many magazines, and most of it was unread or just flipped through a few pages. Not only fashion mags, sometimes it's computer mag, science mag, and Chinese/Japanese fashion mags that I can't even read but just look at the fashion trend they featured. So from now on, no more buying mag and finish all the old back-dated mags. I can live without them. I don't even follow the fashion trend in the mags.
   
   
7. Don't buy anymore books until I finished off what I have on my shelf
   And yet another addiction that I can live without. I am soooo addicted to books. Not reading books but buying books. I bought so many and decorated them on my selves. What the ****? Spent few hundreds on those books and not reading them. >_<
8. Cut down lunches and dinners at expensive restaurants
   Which means, no more expensive Japanese food and Western food. But sometimes after a hard weekdays at work, could grant myself some good food but if not, better stick to economy rice and home cook meal.

That's all that I could think off. Please give me more ideas on how to strive through my 2007 Budget Plan.