(no subject)
McKenzie and I had a little talk about money this afternoon. I wrote before (in a locked entry) that our finances are fine, but we'd like to be saving more, and also neither of us can realistically expect to ever make significantly more in our jobs. The cold, hard truth is that the most realistic way for us to make an impact right now is for me to stop fucking shopping. Sigh. I love shopping. I love buying new shit. I know I have too much shit and the hippie in me hates this about myself, but god dammit, it's so fun.
I'd stop short of calling myself a shopaholic, because I don't spend beyond my means, and I don't buy anything just for the sake of buying something -- but I definitely buy WAY more than I need. Usually clothes. I have enough clothes. I know this. I just love adding to the collection. Not having or planning for kids makes it easier to spend selfishly, that's for sure. But it's still not ideal. So...how to cut back...
In weight loss, the best way to change your habits is to write down everything you eat. So maybe I'll go back to writing down everything I buy for starters. I have done this in the past, when finances were tighter and it was more of a necessity. I'm kicking an idea around in my head of trying to go for a whole month without buying anything at all beyond essentials. Groceries that I use in the short term, transportation costs, utilities and other bills...and no more. No etsy, no modcloth, no Saturday Market...a month. Can I do this for a month? Maybe start off with a week? Heh. I really do want to try this. The question is, when do I start? Certainly not next week, because Falcon Ridge. Shopping the vendors at Falcon Ridge is always a highlight for me. And then after that, we have our cruise...and they'll have a casino, and I'll want to play craps. Maybe that won't cost money...but it likely will. And then after that, I'm going to Hong Kong in a month...and possibly Turkey...see, this discipline shit is HARD.
I will start by writing everything down. I'm sure there's a simple app I can use. That way I can do something productive toward this goal even with Falcon Ridge and a bunch of other travel thrown into the mix. Then, as I take my baby steps, I'll see how close I can get to zero non-essential spending, and how long I can sustain it. My hope is that just being slightly more conscientious will make a difference, but it may well be that cold turkey is the best way to go...I'm just not quite there yet. So. Let the great experiment begin!
I'd stop short of calling myself a shopaholic, because I don't spend beyond my means, and I don't buy anything just for the sake of buying something -- but I definitely buy WAY more than I need. Usually clothes. I have enough clothes. I know this. I just love adding to the collection. Not having or planning for kids makes it easier to spend selfishly, that's for sure. But it's still not ideal. So...how to cut back...
In weight loss, the best way to change your habits is to write down everything you eat. So maybe I'll go back to writing down everything I buy for starters. I have done this in the past, when finances were tighter and it was more of a necessity. I'm kicking an idea around in my head of trying to go for a whole month without buying anything at all beyond essentials. Groceries that I use in the short term, transportation costs, utilities and other bills...and no more. No etsy, no modcloth, no Saturday Market...a month. Can I do this for a month? Maybe start off with a week? Heh. I really do want to try this. The question is, when do I start? Certainly not next week, because Falcon Ridge. Shopping the vendors at Falcon Ridge is always a highlight for me. And then after that, we have our cruise...and they'll have a casino, and I'll want to play craps. Maybe that won't cost money...but it likely will. And then after that, I'm going to Hong Kong in a month...and possibly Turkey...see, this discipline shit is HARD.
I will start by writing everything down. I'm sure there's a simple app I can use. That way I can do something productive toward this goal even with Falcon Ridge and a bunch of other travel thrown into the mix. Then, as I take my baby steps, I'll see how close I can get to zero non-essential spending, and how long I can sustain it. My hope is that just being slightly more conscientious will make a difference, but it may well be that cold turkey is the best way to go...I'm just not quite there yet. So. Let the great experiment begin!