I recently read The Everygirl’s Post “I Cut 5 Unnecessary Spending Habits for 30 Days and This is What Happened” and realized a few things:
I drink the office coffee every morning, have amassed over $100 worth of Starbucks gift cards (thanks FIL) and can usually expense a coffee here and there as I travel or meet with prospective clients. So I’m good here.
With a 2 year old at home and one on the way, frivolous dining out is a thing of the past. Plus our sweet new kitchen makes cooking really enjoyable and the hubs has really taken on this new hobby, which I love being the beneficiary of!
I meal plan every Sunday and create a corresponding grocery list. Check!
My company pays for my phone - score!
Reviewing this made me think I already do a pretty damn good job of cutting unnecessary spending habits. What I really realized was I need help with my efficiencies of spending.
Someone recently hacked my credit card (G Star, dunkin donuts, walmart, target & bloomie’s got a nice rush that day!). So I was without my main credit card for 48 hours. I never have cash and like racking up reward points. I felt naked and lost. How was I going to pay for lunch? How would I order the baby’s curtain rod & mirror (more importantly, that couldn’t wait 48 hours?! Read below)? My dog walking service already notified me my automatic bill pay was declined; would they float my balance interest free for a few days until I could register a new card? Who were these f*ckers that like to sip their dunkin donuts coffee while perusing online for the latest fashion trends all at the expense of moi?!
Here are my revelations:
I am an instant gratification spender. Being an Amazon Prime member, when I see us running low on various household/baby items, I just place an order. We get packages constantly and I wonder how this company has the current market valuation with all the wasted boxes & shipping expenses. They certainly don’t make much money on us when I order crap every other day and never pay for shipping.
My shopping is all over the place. We don’t have a regular grocery store; I order online Target and pick up in the store one week and Amazon literally the next day; I find myself leaving work 20 minutes early to hit up Paper Source because I need a daily planner now;
My needs and wants are sporadic yet I haven’t figured out how to simplify them. Maybe the truth is I just don’t want to succumb to doing the bulk of my shopping online. I love to shop. I love the shopping experience. But it’s sometimes so damn annoying. For example, we had a grand plan to hit up West Elm to get the window curtain rods for the nursery, after doing an online order pick up in store at Target. Well, West Elm didn’t have said rods in stock, so I had to order online. And the douche store associate was such an assbag he wasn’t willing to help. So I could have saved a few hours schlepping Liv in and out of the carseat and simply bought everything online in the first place. Boring. Watching her face light up as she jumped around the store, rearranging the pillows was priceless.
Ok, end rant.
Here is how I vow to change and in that, perhaps spend less. I need to create ONE working shopping list. Have I mentioned I love lists? And vow to shop once a week. Can it really be that simple? Let’s experiment and commit to this new practice for the month of February (short month, bonus) and see what happens. See if my OCD takes over or if I can manage self-restraint.
Wish me luck!
Xoxo
Niki