Before I post this, I want to be clear: good financial management isn’t simply about depriving yourself of things you want to get. It’s about being intentional with the way you spend your money. But, at times, you can intentionally set up challenges for yourself. So. Now that that’s out there …
Big congrats to Rachel and Doug (Rachel blogs at the marvelous Small Notebook), on the completion of their “No Spend Month.” Really impressive.
You can read her wrap-up of the month here: No Spend Month Update: The Final Day, but I especially like this bit, where she talks about how they wanted to celebrate the end of the month:
Should we go out for coffee? No, the coffee at home tasted better. Did I want a milkshake? No, I had a better smoothie at home. See, that’s the problem with No Spend Month. It makes going out and spending money not seem like quite as much fun, because the money doesn’t go very far.
Stopping spending is like going without sugar. It’s kind of hard at first. Have you ever given up a soda habit? I really like root beer, but there have been seasons when I’ve stopped drinking it. Later if I treat myself to a root beer in a tall frosted glass, it never tastes as great as I hoped. It’s too sweet. Yes, it still tastes good, but it’s not as satisfying as it once was.