The Freeze Is Over!
February 1, 2020 “Spend freeze January” wrap up Okay so here it is February 1st and our “buy me” alarms have rung. What did you buy? Did you find things on that list that you didn’t really want after all? How much money have you saved or paid on bills this month since you couldn’t buy “stuff?” It has been a long month, especially when making personal growth changes. I decided not to buy any of the things on my list. I’ve waited this long and I really don’t need them at the moment. I will keep the list handy as the things I added I will be getting for my house; we are just not ready for them yet. I went through several changes in thinking over this month. I have really changed my priorities after seeing money actually stay around a little longer. Lol! I guess that happens when you don’t spend every dime on crap you don’t need or really want. I think I have a slightly better relationship with money. In the first week I bought a calendar that I felt really guilty about since I didn’t make it 4 days without spending money. This calendar turned out to be what I needed to make changes throughout the rest of the month. As a family, we are eating better, healthier foods. I love sitting and figuring out our meals for the week on Saturday, it has become a family affair. I set the calendar out on the table and start looking up recipes and the kids join in with ideas, it’s great. My son has eaten more food this month than he has in forever. There has been less fighting with him to eat and he has added new foods to the calendar for us to try each week. My children have also added their school/home needs to the list for me to buy as I see fit instead of texting me every day that they need something. By not shopping every day for groceries, I’m not stressed about figuring out dinner and having to shop after work every day. In week 2 I was doing well with the spending part but instead of spending money I started paying extra on bills because it was stressful seeing money in my account. How stupid is it when seeing a balance in your account that you don’t have to spend stresses you out? I can’t explain my poor relationship with money. I have read several books about it, but I can’t change the stress level around seeing money in my account. It’s almost like I think I have to spend it before it’s gone except it’s only gone when I spend it, wrap your head around that one! I’ve been trying for years to figure it out. It’s this ass backwards way that my brain thinks that led me to come up with my next strategy on not spending my money. In week 3 my anxiety around money continued to grow and I started thinking about things I wanted. I really wanted my hair done, and I love shopping at Duluth Trading. I didn’t do any big spending but the racing thoughts of the money available in my account was growing. I did screw up and I bought I giant container of cheese balls. Because I really needed cheese balls! After a handful I remembered how much I really don’t like how cheese balls make me feel but it also kicked my brain into focus mode. I knew by the end of the week, if I didn’t figure something out, I was going to fail at my first “better me” challenge. In week 4 sitting my room staring at this giant cheese ball container (my failure) I came up with a strategy that I thought might work for me. I was and still am determined to change my relationship with money. This is not going to happen overnight, so I needed a way to spend my way to saving and that’s what I did. Sitting there I thought about what I value. Believe it or not the cheese balls didn’t come into thought! I thought about my kids, camping, freedom to travel, and fixing up my house. I looked back at the cheese balls and decided, to start buying what I truly want. By setting up accounts labeled with their purpose and labeling their debit cards with their purpose I am able to spend money every day on time with my kids, my house, my freedom, etc. It’s been 2 weeks now that I have been dividing my money each day (that is how I get paid) into the separate budgeted accounts that align with my goals and priorities, time with my family, monthly expenses, freedom, and savings for future. I have reduced my stress and saved more in the last 2 weeks than I have my entire life. We have accounts for each thing we have prioritized. It may be as little as $5 that goes in but, it all adds up and will grow as I get better at this. When we are ready to go see family in April, the money will be there because I budget it every day. The best part is that when I open the app to check my account, there’s no money to spend and since I shop on Saturdays, there’s no reason to go to the store any other day. I have money to spend whenever I want in my mad money account and maybe I’ll get my hair done but I’m not as much of a rush. I feel like I have made this huge accomplishment in just a few simple steps. After over 20 years of trying to adult. I feel like I have finally found a process that will work for me without feeling like I am giving up control on how I want to spend my money. I actually feel like I have given myself the ability to have more control over where I spend money instead. I find myself asking if I would rather that item or freedom. That simple question lets you decide how much that item is really worth. I want time and since I can’t get more of that, I want more freedom to spend the time I have the way I want to. If you enjoyed this challenge please join me this month where I tackle budgeting my way! https://www.lissasmith.me/how-much-does-my-life-really-cost?/(opens in a new tab) Read the full article
