Just Plain Joy

JANUARY

Resolutions:

1. Spend less than $2/day.

2. Bring lunch to work.

3. Drink coffee at home.

4. Buy only used clothes.

SPEND LESS THAN $2/DAY

If you have been following my blog this month, you might already know that I took the No Spend Month challenge and tried to limit all my discretionary spending to less than $50 (not including gas, groceries, utilities, mortgage). I hadn’t planned to start my happiness project by focusing on money, but it was out of necessity to pay off holiday charges and increasing utility bills.

I already use the budget software Mvelopes, but in order to reduce my spending to $50 per month I needed a more specific action item. I also wanted to be able to track my daily progress. I decided that if I spent less than $2, I would get a gold star for the day.

Sticking to my daily budget was a challenge, but it wasn’t impossible. A few minor setbacks at Starbucks and a haircut were the only expenses that  I considered frivolous. But, even those were not regrettable.

Although it wasn’t the way I intended to begin my happiness project, I realized it was a good starting place. Money is a necessary means for obtaining food, shelter, and clothing – our basic needs. Anyone familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, or with any common sense, understands that meeting our basic needs is necessary to achieve our full potential. By starting the year debt-free and financially stable, I would be able to focus my energy on pursuing even greater happiness.

BRING LUNCH TO WORK

When I wrote 7 Tips for Staying Out of Debt, I realized that by keeping track of where I was spending my money I could find areas where I was overspending. One of the areas where I overspend is “Eating Out.” There are two main reasons why I eat out – convenience and socializing. I find that when it comes to lunch I eat out more often for convenience.

This resolution required a little more planning and reminded me that often “time is money.” I learned several lessons the first time I took the No Spend Month challenge, and several of these lessons revolved around choice. In this case, I could either take the time to make a lunch or spend the money to buy one.

Bringing my lunch to work made me get creative about making a meal with what I had available. Sure, I frequently brought frozen meals. But a double victory was when I used what I had and brought my lunch!

This month I had the privilege of meeting Jeremy Seifert, the producer of DIVE. One of the shocking statistics mentioned in the movie, which is all about dumpster diving and food waste in America, is that we throw out 96 BILLION pounds of food each year. A passing comment that Jeremy made during his presentation was that we have the luxury of eating whatever we “feel like” This comment made me take pause because so often I open the frig and think there isn’t anything to eat. I decided that binging my lunch to work was as much about saving money as it was about saving food.

DRINK COFFEE AT HOME

Another area where I overspend is buying coffee. I admit I am a Starbucks junkie. I rattle off my adjective-laden order. I own a collection of Starbucks tumblers. I ogle over the seasonal Starbucks bears. And, I overpay.

I could have made the resolution to “Stop spending money at Starbucks” or “Quit buying coffee at coffeeshops,” but I wanted to positively frame my new habits. So, while “Drink coffee at home,” doesn’t exactly capture my desire to stop paying for overpriced coffee, it is a step in the right direction.

What do I love about Starbucks? The consistency, the color green, the lighting, the specialty drinks, free wi-fi, my gold card, the clean restrooms. Lots of other coffee shops have these amenities too (maybe not the color green), and I love them as well! I’m not sure I’m ready to give up coffee shops this year, but I will continue trying to spend less by drinking my coffee at home.

BUY ONLY USED CLOTHES

In the spirit of keeping these resolutions positively framed, I chose the wording “Buy only used clothes” instead of “Don’t buy new clothes.” But basically the idea is to spend less on clothing, which is another area where I overspend. And I am a sucker for online shopping, particularly from Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Title Nine.

Another reason for this resolution is to maintain simplicity. After my daughter was born, I culled through my wardrobe and bought several great pieces that are timeless and high-quality – clothes that fit and flatter. I feel good about the clothes I have and am trying to be mindful that sometimes having too many options can be stifling – an observation I make in the post “I Need” vs. “I Have.”

In the post 25 Frugal Things I Do, I mention practicing retail therapy only at the Goodwill or other thrift stores. I have a great local consignment shop that takes a lot of my hand-me-downs in exchange for store credit, so when I feel the need to browse I’ll make a trip there and try to bring along some items I no longer wear. This month I’m happy to report that I have $18 in store credit and have purchased no clothing.

Read more I’ve written about My Happiness Project Here:

My Happiness Project: Getting Started

My Happiness Project: New Years Resolutions