No-Spend Month {Round 2}: Week 4

It’s MARCH and I can spend MONEY again!! Ohhhh happiness!!  :)

 

 

Honest to goodness, I really and truly don’t spend that much “fun” money on a monthly basis.  We keep a really tight budget normally…but there’s something about knowing you can’t spend *any* money for a while that suddenly makes you want to spend it…know what I mean? 

This whole month was a great exercise in discipline and so, so good for me spiritually.  So many of the things I wanted to spend money on – while really good, quality things, and mostly for my house and my family…are things I didn’t really need (obviously, because we only paid for the true necessities this month and we survived just fine). 

It also was a good exercise in *delayed* gratification…you know, the exact opposite of what our culture preaches.  Knowing that you can having something someday, but just not right now, is extremely hard as an American {sad, but unfortunately very true}. 

Delaying or going without also forces creativity and frugality…and makes you appreciate what you do have SO much more!  That whole phrase, “necessity is the mother of invention?”  Totally true of no-spending month, too.  :)

This will definitely be something we continue in the future, especially as our children get older.  I can see it opening up SO many valuable conversations about wants vs. needs, waiting and saving for things we really want, having financial goals, and talking about the physical abundance we have here in America. 

So yes…down to the nitty gritty.  My husband has asked that I not share specific financial details about what we were able to accomplish this month, and so of course out of my immense respect for him I’m not going to share that here.  But…good, positive financial things were accomplished.  :)

Basically? We are smiling, not crying, at the end of these long short four weeks of February. And that, my friends, is a very good thing!

 

Of course, I am only human and now that it’s March and my {very small} monthly “fun money” budget is restored, OF COURSE I went out and went shopping!  I showed lots of restraint but it was so nice to be able to browse Target clearance racks again without whizzing by them and trying to convince myself they didn’t really exist! ;)

I picked up two pumpkin tea towels for 88 cents each {you guys, the fall obsession is VERY REAL here! lol}, this adorable little pot for $1 {total Ikea hack! Can’t wait to put a cute little potted plant in it and watch it die because I kill anything green} and this GORGEOUS calendar I have hanging from my bulletin board {I needed a new one and this one was only $2.98! yay!}. 

 

 

My mom and I also took a little trip to some antique/consignment stores yesterday.  I found this little weathered bird for $4 {love!!}, a vintage wooden rolling pin for $3 {I’ve been looking for a while so this was super exciting!} and some clear glass Pyrex for 50 cents and $1.   All the colored Pyrex was either really damaged and scratched or very overpriced…so unfortunately no fun, colorful pieces came home with me…but that’s okay.  :)

 

 

 

And if you follow me on Instagram {I’m blessedlifeblog and I’m private but only because I like having the option to look at your info and make sure you’re not an axe murderer first! haha!} you know that yesterday Luke and I were able to go on a “date.” He’s been asking for a week, ever since Chris and I went out, and we went to Panera for a cookie, then Toys R US to spend some Christmas money on a Toy Story alien he’s been wanting, then Goodwill and found a Toy Story Memory game for 99 cents.  We had such a fun time giggling and being silly and pulling all the strings of the toys and buttons in the Toy Story aisle.  It’s amazing what a wonderful day can be had and cherished for only $3! :)

 

 

Unfortunately, this is a *terrible* time of year to sell kids’ clothes {at least here in CT}.  Nobody is buying winter OR summer right now and so I didn’t have as much luck as I was hoping for.  My balance at the consignment shop is a measly $5 after four whole weeks!  LOL!  I will still work on selling old kids’ clothes as we get closer to spring. 

 

Recap:

Grocery budget: Stayed on budget!  I had ONE dollar left.  lol

Consignment Fund: $63 {wanted to hit $100 but I will be able to sell summer stuff more successfully when the weather gets a little warmer}.

 

Bottom line: we WILL do this again next year…and you should too!  Only positives…no regrets.  :)

Thanks for following along on my journey!