I have spent the past five months or so developing my financial literacy, as well as becoming an advocate for financial responsibility and financial minimalism. Yet, I am human. I mess up. And let me tell you, the month of March has been one huge mess up.
At the first of the month, I was away. I had just spent the entire month of February tracking every single penny, and I was on VACATION. There was no way I was paying attention to my grocery hauls and coffee runs. So, a week into Florida, I found myself having to transfer $500 from my savings to my checking to pay for my monthly expenses. I needed to pay off my credit cards, too. I realized I had lost my damn mind. In February, I CONTRIBUTED that same $500 to my savings account through diligent tracking, as well as learning to say no. The past two weeks, I’ve felt guilty and embarrassed for not being able to take my own advice. Allow me to make an analogy.
Hi, my name is Sally. I have been on a strict diet for an entire month. I have been using MyFitnessPal to track my calories, every meal, every day. I have been walking on the treadmill for thirty minutes each morning and lifting for an hour every other day. I was able to lose a pound a week. However, I went on vacation last week. On our first full day, I decided to gift myself a cheat day. I really wanted some ice cream at this cute local spot on the beach. So, in the spirit of vacation, I had a medium cone. It was wonderful. Later that day, my boyfriend and I went out to eat. I ordered a heaping bowl of fettuccini. It was more than wonderful. Let’s just say I’d been craving some carbs. The next day, I woke up feeling like garbage. I was bloated, and I felt like all my progress had been erased. I was really upset, so at breakfast, I had a chocolate chip muffin. I did not want to track my calories because I knew I was screwed… I’d just ate a 600-calorie chocolate chip muffin. In fact, I didn’t track my calories for the rest of the trip. When I returned home the following week, I realized I had gained 6 pounds.
Sally and I are not so different. Being lenient with money is the same as being lenient with calories. It is easy to get off track, but even easier to stay off track. I have been in this situation with my fitness journey and my financial journey. My hope is that you can use my failure as a reality check, as motivation to hop back on the same horse that not only bucked us off, but then proceeded to stomp on us with its gargantuan hoof.
At the beginning of this month, I was helping my dad fix up the aforementioned condo in the Sunshine State. On multiple occasions, I thought to myself, “Oh hell, life is too short. I’m on vacation.” For example, I found myself buying countless snacks. My dad went home after a week, and my boyfriend came down to celebrate our last undergraduate Spring Break.
We don't drink, but we LOVE to eat out. Why, oh why, is this habit so expensive? I love dates, so I've justified this to myself as spending money on quality time and investing into our relationship. This makes me feel better. I have to say, treating us to lunch or picking up the coffee bill is far more rewarding than spending on shoes or scrunches.
When I decided to become a minimalist, I knew the first thing I had to leave behind was my shopping addiction. I grew up spending so much money on clothes. It was quite comical how large my closet was. I was a classic case of a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear. On a whim, I found myself purging. I took bags of clothes to the donation bins at church. I sold bags of clothes at Plato’s Closet and posted pieces on Poshmark. After about four months of dedication, I was left with a relatively small wardrobe. Now, when I spill Ranch dressing on an article of clothing, I notice. I have five pairs of pants, and one of them has rips, which means I can’t wear them in a professional setting, let alone around elderly family members...
I’m limited, and voluntarily so. Now that I have a one in, one out policy with clothing items, I’m a minimalist. Right? Wrong. Over the course of the past month, I have only bought one piece of clothing: a pair of gym shorts. I purchased these because I accidentally left all my shorts at our condo in Florida. However, I’ve managed to spend my money elsewhere.
With many things in life, we say goodbye to one thing, but find ourselves saying hello to another. I’ve really managed to get my shopping addiction under control. I no longer feel compelled to buy a new dress for every occasion. Shoot, Kate Middleton, a literal princess, repeats outfits. Yet, I find myself craving to swipe my card at Target for home decor, at Speedway for Diet Coke, at Powerhouse for energy drinks, or at Leo’s for sweet potato fries. I truly believe this urge has manifested because of my spending spiral. It’s time to put an end to the March swiping Madness.
I encourage you to join me as I create a budget and track my spending again. It will be painful at first, but over time, as with any habit, it will become second nature. Good luck!