How it's going ....3 weeks in

 I said I would share how the no spend 60 days is going. As in life there are wins and there are the opposite of wins so here we go. Because I am a glass half full, face to the sunshine kind of girl, let's start with the wins.

1.   I haven't stopped at the Starbucks by my office for almost 3 weeks!  I usually do that 4 times a week because I am lazy leaving the house and don't get breakfast or a morning cup of something handled at home.   And because a cup of something is better with a scone or croissant with ham and cheese, my costs were about $11 per Starbucks visit.  So I saved $132 by making my drink of something at home and brought fruit from home and a mini bagel.  I also saved a bunch of calories as my homemade tea with a bit of honey is much healthier. WIN

2.  I also have been bringing my lunch instead 3 times a week hitting up the deli by work for a small sandwich, chips and drink at $12 per stop.  $108 saved and also calories. I've been making delicious sandwiches or bringing healthy leftovers. WIN ( except yesterday when I got a fast food cheese burger and diet Dr. Pepper and sat in my car listening to my audible book.  I'm not apologizing for any of that.)

3. I've planned meals out before I hit the store and although I don't do the super impressive kind of Sunday meal prep, I do have an idea of what I'm making for dinner at the beginning of the day.  Also not picking up easy fast dinners out of shear unwillingness to think about what is for dinner ONE MORE DAY.  This saves money in our budget and calories for me (Don't tell any of my people that they are eating healthy, they will revolt) WIN

Okay now the spending part.

1. Covid left my sense of taste totally altered, I tried to make a box cake a couple of times and all I tasted was chemicals. Because sometimes you just need cake, I had to find a solution. So inspired by my incredible baking and cooking girlfriends and with encouragement, I got a new cookbook by the genius girl at Half Baked Harvest.  Decided to make a cake but didn't have even a sheet pan the recipe called for or a whole bunch of the baking ingredients.  It took a trip to Target and the grocery store to gather all the stuff and I dove in to make my first from scratch cake.  $50 worth of cake making stuff and a couple of hours of talking to myself and the cookbook, it was done in all her messy glory. A gigantic 3 layer rectangle shaped cake that was so full of chocolate and love I thought I would lose my mind. Yes she went on Instagram because I was damned proud and oh what a difference from box mix cakes.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cookbook/half-baked-harvest-super-simple/

HOWEVER, because it was a $50 cake and a $25 cookbook, it doesn't go in the no spend column. Plus my 40 year old Harvest Gold hand mixer that I got as a bridal shower gift in 1980 died as I was making the frosting and I currently am obsessing about homemade cakes and needing  a stand mixer.  The cake ingredients will be used as will the cookbook so it's a life win but not money saver at this point.

2.  I did not buy anything from Old Navy for 3 weeks.   This has been not super helpful go to self soother kind of shopping lately when I'm feeling down, stressed or life anxiety .  That has saved me about $100 because I never get one Old Navy thing, I find outfits and lots of pieces of cute but not long lasting clothing.   AND I live so close to an Old Navy I could have my son hit the back of the store with a football...or close to it.  I also am trying to commit to less waste in clothing and things that I honestly don't need. However, I love cute clothes...really really love cute clothes.  So I ordered a great basic top pattern from a small independent pattern company. And I ordered some wonderfully mismatched fabric to make a top.   Total was about $55.  But again the pattern will be used again as will even the scraps from the fabric, I have a plan for all of it...

https://picking-daisies.shoplightspeed.com/ruby-star-society-rise-grow-in-shell-with-metallic.html?id=59810168

https://sewhouse7.com/collections/printed-paper-patterns/products/copy-of-the-remy-raglan-top-paper-pattern

So at the end of 3 weeks, I saved $340 plus many calories and I spent $130 but now have a LOVELY cookbook, baking ingredients and a pattern I will use and made a good cake (took  some calories back).  Did I succeed in total no spending? NO... Did I do better ..a whole hearted YES. I didn't spend $200 that I might have with my now almost gone habits that feel like I'm breaking.  I  returned to knit on a  sweater project I put away in a basket for months, organized and cleaned out a dresser, donated a bag of clothing and jewelry.... and got through 3 weeks of the ups and downs that happen. I cleaned out my social media more, took Twitter off my phone and did some serious work on plotting what do I want to do with my next best years and some how  I will make it happen contemplation. I read a bunch of The Midnight Library (book in hand) and listened to  The Four Winds on Audible ( goodness you need to read or listen to this book you all.)  And have decided to let my hair grow wild for the next year (that was my Valentine's Day decision gift to me, but to be clear, I will get it colored for now), let's see how that goes. I am putting that whole bit of life in the WIN column. Plus $200 is nothing to shake a stick at, it's a good amount of intentional good changes and in 3 more weeks it's $200 more worth of change and I'll take that to the bank all day long.

So tell me if you are inclined about your WIN column, your thoughts on changing habits  and  I'm also here with love and "I get it" for the stuff that feels like the opposite of a win.  Take a look at it a little differently with the light shining on it and you will see  that even the not wins sometimes are working in your favor as you head to living your next best years. In spite of it all.  I got you, we got this.  

Live Wildly

B

p.s.  A big huge shout out and bunch of love to Texas, you all have my heart as you clean up and come to reckon with hard things.   From me to you, I love your face to the sun attitudes and truth telling about the hardships.  May you heal and grow .

Less and More....letting go and what you get

It has come to my own attention that I may or may not have some hoarding like tendencies.  Not stacks of newspapers so high you need pathways through the house kind of hoarding but clearly  I have stuff I don't need , won't ever use or don't need multiple numbers that thing.   I also have come to see that when I'm anxious, bored or stressed I have turned to internet shopping.  Not big purchases but many small ones.  For instance, I have enough handmade goats milk soap from a lovely maker to last me a year. It gives me strange comfort in strange unsettling times.  I also have a healthy supply of skin care products (all natural and handmade) in my cabinet, more than I need for the time being.   And I keep a my favorite candles stocked on my candle shelf (also handmade and seriously salted grapefruit scent is important to my life...)  I also do more Old Navy shopping that is needed, grabbing a couple of tops when I feel like I need a lift.  And a generous book stack that will see me through many many years I mean months.

While none of this is complete budget busting or unreasonable on it's face, I have a serious serious financial goal.  I've been building my credit and it's been working, having raised my credit score more than 20 points in the last year.  I have a life plan that requires savings, discipline and getting totally real with my own excesses even in the small spending I do with great enthusiasm.  Nothing huge but more small purchases than I reasonably need.  And  I've got a stash of embroidery kits, knitting projects, sewing projects and enough supplies to open a smallish shop. I have way more than I need of most everything and the weight of it is weight I don't need.  So...time for a goal and a plan.

Obviously, a no spend 60 days is in order, that should be long enough to establish new habits. This means making my lunch and getting up 15 minutes early to whip up a smoothie on the way to work.  Small changes that will pay off in both health and finances.  $15 a day spent grabbing food out is $300 a month and that looks like something worth saving when I look at it from a bigger picture.  I want something that will only happen if I get better at spending less, I want to feel better by eating food... that will only happen if I eat better food ( I don't care how it looks, drive through food isn't the food that will support your health, I know that, I just get late and it seems faster and I tell myself next week I'll do better, ugh). I want my house and life less cluttered and that means continuing to clean out what I've collected and NOT ADDING TO IT!  

So here is my plan.  My change habits and thinking and self soothing momentary spending and wasting plan.  60 days to change routines, mindset and actions. 60 days to financial, emotional and actual health improvement, 6 months to meet my big major goal. Change for a good reason.

1.  Make a clear budget that allows for only essentials to be replaced when I actually run out.  No more hoarding....

2.  Use what I have. Read the books, make  and create, do the gorgeous projects in my to do box. Mend, upcycle and make clothes, take my creative maker girl out of hiding shake off my big ideas and let my style reflect my spirit. Old Navy can't do that.   

3.  NO QUICK DRIVE THROUGH FOOD OR DRINK!!!   (remember $300 a month saved, feed my body what it needs to be happy and well. ...easy motivation) this is hard, I know it will be a struggle.  UGH...

4. Purge closets and drawers and boxes...donate what can be donated and empty out clutter and unneeded  stuff...don't look at it too long, don't get emotionally attached to all the things...It will feel better to keep what really matters.

5. Read the books, then trade books with friends... find used copies or borrow... time for a library card 

What I'm working for is learning to be fine without large stacks of soap, extra books, Old Navy tees and more projects than I can possibly ever complete.  Fewer clothes that work better, cleaned closets and corners. Let go of what isn't feeding my goal and major financial plan.  Live without soothing by mindless online purchases, wasting money ( and life space) and filling up on the things I absolutely know are meaningful.(and to be transparent, a salted grapefruit candle once a month, a girl needs good smells)...60 days and I will let check in at 30 and share  how it's going. Heck if it gets rocky, we can talk about that too...that's how you do it, with love, support and a good plan.  I'll be accountable and honest with myself and let you know what works, what is struggle and success feels like...

Here's to being frugal, thoughtful with money and stuff but mostly here's to making good plans. I got this.  If you want to chat about your extra stuff and goals for yourself, let me know. I'm here.

Love Wildly

Barbara