My Life In Numbers

Weight: 147.3 lbs.

Fat: 37%

Money spent eating out: 4 per week x $100 = $400 x 4 weeks per month = $1600

 

In the last year I have gained 14.3 pounds and accumulated a ton of debt doing it.  Our lifestyle is killing us and bankrupting us at the same time and it has to stop or the universe will stop us tragically.  After the reality check the numbers gave me I knew we needed to do something drastic to reset our habits. And that is exactly what this is, a habit.  We have become used to going out all the time and not denying ourselves anything so when we try to say no it feels like a terrible punishment instead of the responsible healthy decision it would be.  

 

We are accumulating approximately $2000 per month in credit card debt to fund our unhealthy lifestyle.  I had heard of various takes on the theme of a no spend month, and I even made a half hearted attempt at a Frugal February once, but we never stuck to anything for any length of time (not even a full week).  This time is different, we are about to run out of room on our cards. It was a forced wake up call, either stop the runaway train or smash into the rock wall ahead.

 

We have had a wonderful holiday season starting with a trip to Bend, Oregon over Thanksgiving to be with our family to a dinner out planned in advance for New Years Eve.  We decided to do a soft start to No Spenduary starting today, day after Christmas, to get in the swing of things before it was game on. We had made plans with friends prior to our “aha moment” and decided to keep them and truly enjoy the two outings before January.  We are celebrating New Years Eve Saturday December 29th, so it’s our official start of no spending on Sunday December 30th. We have had so much fun, and now it’s time for a break.

 

I have been reading Anna Newell Jones Debt Free Living and a blog called Mrs Frugalwoods to get inspiration and practical advice from people who are actually living the lifestyle I aspire to.  I really love Anna because she was in debt like me. In other words, she likes to spend. When she referenced Chipotle burritos and Target trips as her unexpected budget busters I related so big time.  Mrs Frugalwoods is cool because they started their journey in order to reach their goal of living on a homestead rather than in response to a financial crisis.

 

So, what does No Spenduary mean for my family?  Number one, NO going to a sit down restaurant. If friends we rarely see call, then we can go.  However, we can’t initiate the event and that only works once per person and is not valid for my two best friends who I am seeing right before the official start date.  I know this seems soft and ripe for abuse, but we agreed that our biggest problem is going out just the two of us and we didn’t want to miss social events within reason.  Our goal is to, in the future, go out occasionally the two of us but have most outings be a social event with friends and family. Number two, no random purchases. This includes anything not essential for survival in the month of January.  Number three, no credit card spending. I think a great strategy will be to be extra thrifty in the beginning to prepare for the fact that I don’t really know how to budget. This is a learning experience and I plan to take what I learn this month and apply it to my plan for Frugal February.  

 

Ready for a change,

Lisa