We have officially made it half way through the year. Can you believe it? I can’t!
At the beginning of this year, I set out to complete a year of LOW spending; you can read about my goals here. I know the trend generally is a NO spend approach, but I truly did not feel that was realistic and I did not want to set myself up for failure.
To Recap: I gave myself a year to spend as little as I could. I would check off days on my Skylight calendar (shout out to them, they’re amazing!) and earn a star for each day I didn’t spend money on a non-necessity. I had a list of rewards I could redeem my stars for.
This is how my year is going so far:
January:
I had no spending for 25 days. The first day I had friends in town from out of state, so we went to lunch and to McKay’s. A couple of the days I was sick, so I sent my husband to pick up takeout for dinner. Other times, I hate to say, I was too lazy to cook or was craving something. I also started planning for my son’s birthday party (I start early).
February:
I don’t know what it was about February, but it was a harder month for me. We have gone through some illness and weather that left me trapped at home and exhausted, so cooking was not at the top of my to-do list. My parents went back to Florida for the season, which always makes me a little sad. One thing I noticed during this month however was that I am less likely to spend money on something truly frivolous. I am more mindful of that. Being stuck at home you start to realize all the little things around the house that need to be fixed, cleaned, organized, etc., so I did purchase some things for the house. I also did more planning for my son’s birthday party. I make most things, so I started getting the supplies for that. It seemed every time I made a purchase this month, I had a purpose. All I can do is try to do better the next month.
March:
The first week of March I reached enough stars to get a reward. I traded them in for an order from Comfrt (another shoutout to a product I highly recommend). Technically, I placed my order in February so I could get a limited edition item, but I traded in my stars and it has been the only reward I did. March overall was a better month than February; the bulk of the things I bought were for my son’s birthday. He also got new leg braces for his bigger feet, which meant he needed bigger shoes.
April:
Looking back on April, I spent more than I thought I would or should have spent, and I was a little disappointed in myself. I had to get new glasses which is a higher priced purchase, but unfortunately necessary.
May:
May was another month that wasn’t too bad. I am still chipping away at things for my son’s birthday; I know it sounds so ridiculous, but I slowly accumulate things as time goes on. It is about this time that I have to admit, keeping track of the stars and rewards is less important to me. It is more of a habit and mindset by this point, which makes me happy.
June:
And here we are. I know June isn’t over, but I have still kept track of spending. So far things have been going well. At the beginning of this month I had to go out of state for medical appointments for my son, so there is an expense in that. It is the month of my son’s birthday — FINALLY! I am mostly kidding as celebrating him is something I truly enjoy.
What have I learned?
I have learned a thing or two so far this year. Low spending has become more of a habit for me. I was always a chronic impulse shopper. Walking through the impulse items near the register was so fun for me, and yes I would cave. That has been happening less and less. A lot more thought goes into purchases now. I think for a minute if something is truly needed. This has, of course, helped with the financial side, but it has also helped with unwanted clutter in my home. If I don’t need it or have a place for it, I don’t get it. I also have really enjoyed shopping sales. It is rewarding to know you’ve gotten a better deal. If you’re looking for me in a store, you’ll find me in the sale section. I also plan more for my grocery shopping. That doesn’t make me hate it any less, but at least I spend less. I have also found my appreciation for coupons.
