THE JOURNAL

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THE JOURNAL

My BIG Challenge

I put it out there on instagram that I am thinking of doing something crazy.  And most of you said, yeah, you are crazy.  But I have decided to commit to it anyway!  Because I like a challenge!  SO today I am here claiming my BIG Challenge so I can be held accountable!  I plan to share my progress along the way too!

MY BIG CHALLENGE- A NO SPEND YEAR!

I am challenging myself to not spend money for a year!  That’s right.  A year!  Now obviously there has to be rules and reasons and I am outlining them below in case you are curious!

 

THE WHY-

My life seems to always be about STUFF.  It is either frustration of having too much everywhere or the feeling of never having enough.  Last year I completed a BIG PURGE of our house. I got rid of most of my own stuff and a lot of my family’s stuff too.  And as I purged I learned a few things about myself.

-I am easily influenced into purchases by others.  If I see someone post this awesome item, I will be tempted to buy it.

-I buy things I love even if they have no place in my home. (big problem!)

-I tend to go through collection phases and buy a lot of things in those collections (frames, scrapbooking supplies, throw pillows, newborn props, organizers, etc)

-I am always searching for the next “project” aka reason to spend money.  On New Years day alone I almost purchased stuff for about 4 projects, all of which were unnecessary although they would have been cool.

It was eye opening as I purged this past year because I saw the wasted money.  I saw the emotional side of my buying.  And I thought to myself, I could have done so much more with that money!  There are also seven of us in this house and it can begin to feel suffocating if we don’t keep our clutter under control.  So this year, I am going to change things!

 

Also, I feel called to do this.  In fact, when the idea popped in my head, I immediately thought- NO!   I can’t do that.  It would be too hard.  And I thought of several things I wanted that I won’t be able to buy.  And the fact that I fought it so hard, only made me realize why I needed to do it more!  I have struggled a lot quite honestly with buying my happiness.  It isn’t a pretty thing to admit, but it is true.  So I decided to find my happiness elsewhere.

 

THE RULES-

I am not going to be spending money on Clothing, shoes, home decor, or anything materialistic at all for myself this year.  This also includes spending on my kids if it isn’t truly a need.  My husband is going to be my anchor and help me with this.  Obviously if I have a need throughout the year, I can fill it, but only if I truly have a NEED and he agrees.  I also have friends as accountability partners too.

I am allowed to spend money on travel, meals with family and friends, and experiences.  Because those are the things I want to fill my life with.  I am hoping to replace my craving of stuff with a craving for experience.  Because we all know those mean so much more in life!

 

 

THE HOPEFUL OUTCOME

I am hoping after a year of no spending that I will see why I am so tempted to spend money they way I am.  I am hoping over the course of the year I will break the emotional ties to my spending.  And I am also hoping to feel more at peace with what I have and not constantly crave more.

I am thinking a side benefit will be appreciating gifts more.  I am usually the kind of person that if I wanted something, I bought it.  In fact, this past Christmas, I purchased all my own gifts for my husband (at killer deals on black friday).  It was just easier for him and me.  But the thrill of surprise and gifting was gone.  SO hopefully this will allow him some ways to surprise me and for me to truly appreciate gifts from him.

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