Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11 (Gulp) Recap of No Spend Challenge
The last time I posted a weekly update I was feeling a bit blah about weekly updates.
So I decided I would make them every other week.
Well, that gota little bit away from me as I mentioned in my last post with some emotions. But I am back and ready to tell you how we have been doing!
So, how have we been doing with not spending?
Not good, friends, not good.
Nick has been traveling a ton. Lots...oodles. It's been awesome for him. He was specially selected for a special project at work and we are all super proud of him. We know it's only one year (the project has him traveling a lot but there is a definite end date so we know this isn't forever, whew!). Still though, I can know it is only one year but when we are in the thick of it things are hard.
For one I do not do good with having to do EVERYTHING around here. Usually he comes home and helps me with the kiddos or something. I haven't actually been able to pin point why it's different but it is when he isn't home. So anyway, I do not like cooking food when Nick is gone.
The first week he was home meant that I bought way too much take out and fast food. We all felt gross on top of missing Nick. Thankfully when Nick got home he identified this for me and took me to Costco to buy whatever I wanted to make this month easier. We stocked up on all kinds of organic convenience foods (nuggets, burrito bowls, anything, everything). I don't normally buy this kind of stuff but that stuff came out of our grocery budget so it wasn't really considered extra spending and it's really helped me since then to not go out at night when I don't want to cook.
The second week Nick was gone was not cool. I was not sleeping well and I was up all hours at night so I got to thinking about everything. And by everything I mean like "ooh, that sweatshirt I've ALWAYS wanted is finally on sale! I need that." and "Emma is going to need new ballet tights soon and if I spend $50 I get free shipping...score!" Thinking about those types of things.
Anyway, that being said I purchased clothes, coats for next year, leotards, whatever. I bought way too much. Granted, it is stuff that we need and we have the money and whatever! But the point of this year was to not be just mindlessly shopping and getting stuff that we are going to need in the future. We are just supposed to be concentrating on the here and now...concentrating on what we have and using what we have rather than always seeing gaps around the house of things we need to buy.
So that being said, we did get way off track (well not WAY off track, but off track enough) but we have now come back around.
Today I am taking the kids out to eat at a restaurant they have been BEGGING to go to. Is it a needed expense? Absolutely not. But Nick is out of town, it's something we've been looking forward to and kids eat free today.
I figure that is a somewhere in the middle compromise. I can stay the course and treat them a teeny bit here and there. At least that's my plan when Nick is out of town. These kids miss their daddy something fierce and it's sometimes hard coming up with things that excite them to get them out of their funk.
So that is it for now. So sorry it's been so long since my last no-spend post. I'll be better and you can look for them every two weeks from now on.
Be blessed, friends!