Heyyo! As y’all know, I spent this past year taking a long, hard look at my spending habits – especially clothes! Well, it’s officially been 12 months since I began my spending fast. So what’d I learn after 12 months of selective buying?
Let’s find out!
- Not spending is easy when you’re poor. This is self-explanatory, but I really didn’t struggle all that much with not buying things – because I didn’t have the money to buy things. Although I did finally got the ‘Miscellaneous’ section of my budget under control this year because of the fast, so that’s exciting.
- Spending fasts lead to minimalism. I’ve been on a passionate mission to get rid of everything I own all year. Not buying things made me realize how much crap I had…I didn’t need to buy new body lotion all year because I already owned so many kinds, for instance. I also donated nearly 4 plastic bins’ worth of stuff that was either useless to me, not loved by me, or did not fit me. It felt nice.
- Go cheap on the basics. I had to buy a new Target cardigan and socks to replace my 2-year-old Target cardigan and socks…$30 well spent in my opinion. What is important is that I didn’t allow replacing necessities to cause an online shopping binge or a splurge I couldn’t afford. Cheap things work for a while, you can make them last for 1+ years if you take care of them. The other bonus of going cheap is that if you do stain something (ahem, tomato sauce is the bane of my existence), then it’s easy to replace.
- No one is watching you. I mentioned this in the last spending fast update, but no one ever said anything to me about wearing the exact same outfits every week. Who knows if they thought about it, but also, who cares?
- Mindful spending should always be the goal. The spending fast definitely made me think more about impulsive buying and whether or not I am just bored. Becoming cognizant of exactly what I own and need has made me feel much more stable, even while I try to pay down tons of debt. I have what I need, quite a bit of what I want, and no desires to add to the clutter.
- But it’s okay to buy things sometimes. After reading one of Money After Graduation’s latest posts, I was struck by a quote of hers: Don’t apologize for the things you need to do (or buy) to survive. It’s okay to buy things sometimes, and it’s okay to need things…just make sure you’re being mindful.
I enjoyed my spending fast, and while I’m not going to be as strict going into the new year as this past one, I plan to continue spending mindfully. I’ve got a new-found respect for the purchases I do make, and I appreciate gifts far more, and those are both things I’d like to keep with me in 2017. In conclusion, I leave you with this wonderful graphic from And Then We Saved from her spending fast.
Happy New Year readers!
-ECD
Another great post to reflect upon!