My Spending Experiment August 2022

I’m doing it………

I recently finished reading Cait Flanders’ “The Year of Less”. This book recounts Cait’s year-long “shopping ban” month by month.

I loved this book because decluttering, minimizing, simplifying and organizing makes me very happy. 😊 I think I have always been a bit of a minimalist, even as a little girl.

I have noticed a pattern in myself. In the spring/summertime, I generally have a desire to get rid of things and reduce spending. Last year I participated in a decluttering challenge and got rid of over 300 items from our home!

While listening to this book (I am a HUGE Audible fan), I started to feel that familiar desire to get rid of things and spend less. Both of these always make my spirit feel lighter. Also, we are saving for a special family trip and I am very motivated to make that happen as soon as we can.

So, I’ve decided to do a spending experiment of my own. I have thought about this many times before, but always found a reason not to. I am generally pretty mindful about my spending already; however, I really want to bring it to another level along with keeping better track of our bank balance.

I am going to do this experiment from now until the end of 2022 and then evaluate. After completing my list of what I will spend money on and what I won’t, I felt lighter and relieved somehow.

Below is my list of things that I will and will not purchase during this time, along with a few questions I want to get in the habit of asking myself before pulling out cash or a credit card.

Things I will purchase Things I will not purchase
– Consumables – groceries, cleaning products, toiletries, personal care items, gasoline, vitamins & supplements
– Health care practices – colonics, chiropractor, massage
-1 haircut
– 2 bras
– Frames for family & Mother’s Day photos
– Eating out – prioritize & limit
– 12-Step donations
– Gifts for others
– Meaningful experiences
– Books – except on Audible – already paid for membership
– Clothes – except the 2 bras
– Footwear
– Home décor
– Accessories
– Clothes/shoes for the kids unless they really need them

I also want to get in the habit of asking myself the following questions before committing to a purchase:

  • Do I/we really need this?
  • Will this truly spark joy?
  • Why do I want to purchase this?
  • Will this still mean something/be important in 6 months?

I know there will be things that pop up outside of my lists above. It’s impossible to think of everything and any situation that may arise. However, I plan to filter whatever comes up through these questions and if it is something that meets the purchase criteria, I will first see if I can borrow the item or buy it second hand and check out coupon codes and deals for items and experiences.

Another part of this experiment will be decluttering and organizing. My goal is to spend one hour each week decluttering and organizing different areas of my home. I will be tracking this in my Powersheets Goal Planner.

I’m excited to see where this experiment takes my family and I.

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW:

What is an experiment that you have tried or have thought about trying in your life?

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