I
hate the word “budget”. I mean REALLY hate it. The main reason for this is
probably because I suck at setting a budget and sticking to it, so the word
just reminds me of my probable failure. So, I would like to first say that I am
not doing the budget thing. Nope, we are calling this by a different name
because the “b word” is too discouraging. Some people refer to it as a
“spending diet”, but I also hate diets so that won’t work either. So, let’s
just say that I am practicing financial control. After all, in many other
aspects I am a control freak - we’re talking borderline OCD here - so I can
work with the term “financial control”.
Now,
it isn’t like I have some obscene amount of compiled debt. I have some personal
debt, more than I would like, more than I could pay off in three months. Being
in debt makes me feel sick, actually physically ill, so really for me this is a
health issue. I have some, shall we say quirks, which make my life a little
interesting. I battle with depression and also struggle with anxiety attacks.
Money issues tend to cause my anxiety to flare up to epic proportions, which is
misery for everyone in my household. I am medicated, which helps; however, like
my doctor so often reminds me, medication is a stepping stone but it is not a
solution. So, in an effort to make myself a little healthier, and to make my
life a little less frantic, I am setting out to gain control over my personal
spending habits, and maybe simplify my life in the process.
Some
people wouldn’t classify my spending as problematic. I don’t spend large
amounts and make big purchases. I am a light spender… but I am also a frequent
light spender. Twenty dollars here, ten dollars there -lots of little splurges
adding up before I have a chance to catch up. It is time for the madness to
stop! So, here is my list of things I will be doing in an effort to get things
under control - so I can get back to feeling less like a slave to the plastic
cards in my wallet, and more like a healthy and sane (or saner) person.
1. Accountability. This is the big one!
Having someone that I answer to about my spending is key. This will be my
husband primarily. Not that I want him policing me on my spending, because that
would just create a whole new batch of problems, but someone that occasionally
asks me how things are going, or has access to my spending info so I can’t
pretend that I haven’t spent money. Posting this is also a big part of it. Its
one thing to tell yourself you’re going to change your spending habits, but
telling other people means it is public knowledge.
2. The receipt basket. This is part of the
whole accountability thing. I am setting a small basket on the kitchen counter.
Every time I spend money the receipt goes in the basket, right where I can see
it. There’s no ignoring how often I spend money, because the more I spend, the
higher the receipts will pile.
3. The envelope system. Gag. I hate doing
this. Plastic is just so much more convenient. It is also so much easier to
lose track of what you spend. So, cash it is. This will involve that dreaded “b
word” that we won’t mention. After dividing my monthly income into the
envelopes they will be hidden away. The cash comes out when I need it. This
will help prevent impulse buys while I am out and about.
4. Amazon and I will be taking a break in our
relationship. I love Amazon! It is my drug of choice! The best (or worst)
part of it all: my credit card information is conveniently saved onto my
account, so I just click and say goodbye to my money without having to think
twice. This is why I have deleted my credit card information from my account. So
even if I think about slipping I will at least have to retrieve my credit card
and enter my information manually. Hopefully that will be enough of a delay to
make me think twice about what I am doing. In general though, I think it is
better if I just avoid visiting the site altogether. So, I’ve decided we need to
take a break. Don’t worry Amazon, it’s not you, it’s me.
5. Get organized. This is multi-faceted.
One step will be meal plans, or at least sort of. Honestly, our schedule is a
bit of a gong show so scheduling meals is kind of futile. But I can make a
rough list of meals for the week to pick and choose from, and make sure I have
what I need for each so I don’t have those last minute trips to the grocery
store or the impulse to order pizza at five o’clock. Another aspect is avoiding
small, unexpected expenses by stocking up my car, stroller, diaper bag, etc. For
example, making sure I have water and snacks in them all so I don’t end up
being out with hungry kids who are screaming for something to eat, which leads
to buying snacks (this is especially important since my kids eat like little hobbits).
6. Rise and shine. Ugh. I am so not a
morning person. I feel like throwing my phone through the window when my alarm
goes off in the morning. However, getting up earlier and giving myself time to
get ready for the day before I get the kiddo off to school will give me a
better start to the day. Normally I don’t get myself ready until after I’ve
taken him to school. However, if I’m actually ready, and by that I mean not
still in my pajamas with yesterday’s mascara smeared across my face, then we
could actually walk to school. It is only about a fifteen-minute walk with the
kids, and it will save on gas, not to mention that I could probably use the
exercise. More money, less cellulite.
7. Avoid temptation. The mall is a pretty
obvious choice here. However, there are places that are probably just as bad or
even worse than the mall when it comes to impulse buying. For example,
Superstore. Oh, how I love Superstore. Everything I need is under one roof.
There’s no running from store to store with both kids when I need more than
just groceries. Everything in one place, all expenses on one receipt… which
means I can pretend that all I bought were groceries and household items even
though I may have a few things in there that I picked up in the clothing
section. It doesn’t help that the kid clothes are just so dang cute and cheap
(I like buying clothes for my kids much more than buying clothes for myself).
So, although the groceries may be a bit cheaper there, it might be worth it to
shop at a regular grocery store. I may spend a bit more on the groceries, but I
will probably save a lot in the end because I won’t have the temptation to
spend on other non-essentials.
8. Sell, Sell, Sell. It is time to clear
out all the junk that we really don’t use or need. I got a start on this
already by taking our excess strollers (three to be exact - yes I know that is
ridiculous) to the consignment store. Also, I am starting to sell stuff online
(thank you Kijiji). The money can go towards paying down some of that debt.
9. Get tips from the spending savvy. This
involves finding blogs, websites, etc. that include tips on saving money in
every aspect possible. I have already found a few that seem to be a good match
for me, so I will try to make it a habit to browse these rather than browsing
Amazon or ModCloth.
10. Give myself a break. Let’s be
realistic, if I go too extreme here I am going to snap. So, I will set aside
money each month for little extras. When that money is gone, it is gone and
there’s no more fun money. This will be so I can maintain things like the
traditional Tim Horton’s Thursdays with the kids, or my giant Diet Coke when I
fill up the car with gas.
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