Not Buying It
Many of you have heard about my spending reform activities. If you haven’t, the short version is ‘no spending of any expected income for 1 month‘ (see the complete rules). Not spending for 40 days starting in August 2008, No-Spend November in 2009, and Don’t-Spend December for 2010.
It was something that I thought I would do over and over but… well.. I stopped. I succeeded in my tasks, followed all the rules, and pulled it off in 3 somewhat unique ways. So why stop? It’s tough to quite explain unless you’ve done something like this yourself. When I was interviewed for a Time Magazine blog I was asked what was hardest part. I referenced an entry from December 14th of that year that hit on it pretty well.
It was an interesting experience wandering around the store. There were so many things I wanted. Lucky Charms, juice, candy, extra pie pans (just in case I need them). But every time I looked at something I thought about the $46.36 in my pocket. I had to make it last. This has been a huge mental fight for me. I refinanced my house and thus got to skip a payment, received a bonus from the state, got a promotion at work that will go into effect in two paychecks, and I can’t spend any of it!!! December is a real challenge, but I know that after this month, I’m going to be proud that I pulled it off, and anything that I buy for myself will be much more rewarding. I just keep reminding myself that I am really lucky. I don’t HAVE to do this. But there are plenty of people that do.
Simply put, it is an emotionally draining experience. By the end of it, I started feeling hopeless and consumed by the limitations I set upon myself. I decided that unless I was already in a strong place in my life, I wasn’t going to do it. This is intended to be a challenge, not punishment.
There’s a few great things that I took from this experience.
- The first is that I can do this. Even though I set the rules, they were tough. More than I thought I could handle at times. But I can do it.
- You can’t just get by with what you need, sometimes you actually need to get things that you want. It’s not selfish, it’s just life.
- People are really important. If spending a little money here or there gets you some time to be with them, let yourself do it.
Whatever happens, I keep those things in my head. I am proud of my accomplishments and I feel no need to prove myself once more. I get to set the rules you see. So this was just a new one.
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- Not a lot here, perhaps that will change
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I agree! During a 39 month unemployment (yikes!) I learned to really discern between “wants” and “needs” – skills that I keep with me in my financial toolbag that I can pull out and put to use when it makes sense. It helps me reign in when I do decide to spend money that I do so with full intention to use and enjoy what ever it is I’ve purchased or paid for. The spending of money is an investment in my living a satisfying and joyful life. 🙂