May 18, 2015

if there’s one big thing i’ve learned thus far during my may spending freeze, it’s this:

i am really good at collecting crap.

without any real effort at all, junk begins to pile up & our home feels like it might bust at the seams. i spend money on crap i’ll rarely use because it feels good to buy stuff. the thrill of that new thing begins to fade so i replace that dull feeling with another new shiny toy & of course, the cycle continues.

i’ve learned a lot about myself during this may spending freeze & actually, quite a bit more than i thought i might. 

for example, it’s been hard to challenge what we need versus what i want. 

i’ve also learned that “consumer” is a large part of my identify, which in itself has been difficult to swallow. 

i’ve had quite a few wins so far, though.

i resisted the urge to buy new sheets after a large hole appeared in our fitted sheet. as i was sorting through donations from a friend, i found a lovely new set of blue sheets that matched our bedding & fit our mattress perfectly. win win!

i’ve organized & purged almost every corner of our home. it feels good to have more space to breathe.

the junk i collected from my organization/purging spree was put into a yard sale. my efforts paid off when at the end of the weekend, we made over $500 towards our europe trip. yay!

i’ve also been able to enjoy what we already have. i’ve read books & enjoyed a glass of iced tea on our patio.

& perhaps the biggest win is the time i’ve saved from not shopping. i knew i would save money during our spending freeze, but i never thought i’d save so much time from not shopping. it takes an incredible amount of time to drive to target, wander the aisles, buy that unneeded item, check out, drive home & put it somewhere to collect dust.