I spent money.
I know, Jensen, I know.
It wasn’t much but it was something I could have waited to buy and was not set forth in the law of my budget. But self-compassion and all that. I made a mistake, it happens. I had a moment of weakness and now I know I need to change my strategy. (And no, beating yourself up about things is not a good strategy.)
New strategy: wait to buy. I got out of the habit of saving for purchases, and now it’s time to get back to it. If I see something I want (but don’t need) I will wait no less than one calendar day to purchase it. That will ensure the novelty of the item has worn off and I can look at the item objectively.
I’m trying to reframe my perspective on consumerism. It’s tough when everything shouts at you to BUY! BUY! BUY! YOU WILL MISS OUT IF YOU DON’T BUY ME! Consumerism is really a cruel game “They” play on us to make some money, and it’s ever present on billboards, commercials, magazines, and internet ads. It’s everywhere. I’LL NOT HAVE IT!
That’s right Jensen, they did it again. But let’s strike back at them by not buying their pretty things!
New strategy: gratitude. I have what I need right now, and I love what I have. I am thankful for all that I do have, and won’t waste time looking at what I don’t. This is important to have in every facet of life. I have a job that I like (mostly). I have good friends. I have an awesome sister I get to blog with. My old clothes really aren’t that old and are super cute. Gratitude.
Yes, Jared, it IS a legit strategy, isn’t it?
To get a kickstart this whole F*#! consumerism thing, I shall challenge none other than THE WEEKEND. It’s a pretty hard challenger, but I think I can do it. I’m laying it all out: I’m going to have a no spend weekend. That’s Friday night through Sunday night. That means free fun and entertainment where I can find it and limited eating out (I have one pre-scheduled dinner with a long lost friend and a roller derby class I’ve budgeted for that will be the only allowed exceptions.) Let’s do this.
This should be a fun mini-challenge to get me motivated to really stick to my budget and make it work. I officially invite you to join me! It’s just one weekend, let’s see what we can do!
Happy challenging!
-WCD
PS – If you’re challenging the weekend too, keep us updated in the comments. We’d love to hear how you’re doing!
So how’d you do?
All in all, I did alright! I ended up going out with friends, but managed to only spend extra money on lunch, which was super tasty and enjoyable. So while I didn’t exactly get a $0 spend weekend, I definitely downsized my usual weekend spending – and that was pretty much the point. It definitely motivated me to see what else I could do and gave me lots of ideas to try (which I will keep you all posted on here on the blog!)
Anyone else take the challenge? How’d you do?
Love it. I spent some $ at the pharmacy yesterday, but I had actually planned on it for over 2 months and only went about $30 over budget. I had a lot of fun picking stuff out, but I will admit…now that I have it home, I probably didn’t need it all. For me the best way to avoid spending is to write down EVERYTHING. Thanks as always for another good post!
Oh great reminder! I always have to make a grocery list and never shop hungry!
I’ve started a habit of adding things to my Amazon cart, but not actually buying the item. Like you said, it gives me a chance to think about whether I really need it or just want it. And honestly, after seeing some items sit in the cart for weeks and weeks, I almost feel like I’ve been able to use them and the novelty wears off (without actually spending the money).
Another great tip! I will definitely try this as Amazon is my weakness! It has way too much awesome stuff available.
I need to do this too!
Please keep us posted on how you do!
This was vacation weekend. Everything was budgeted for, and it made spending more relaxing. But a spending freeze is often helpful for re-jiggering the mindset. Hope it went well.
Thanks! I’m impressed you were able to budget on a vacation – that can be so hard! Awesome inspiration 🙂