Happy February!!! Is it just me, or do January’s feel like a whole year in and of itself? I remember feeling that way last year, and this year was no different. Anyways, with it being a new month, I thought I’d share my goal for February with you today, which is…going frugal. Last year, I ended up going frugal the month of September, and although it was a struggle, it was just what I needed at the time.
Prior to that month, I felt like I was always looking for something to purchase, and once that item arrived, I was looking for something else to purchase, and the cycle went on and on. I love shopping and discovering new things, but it was getting to be too much. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly in that same boat right now, but I have been making some excessive purchases here and there.
So this February, I’m going frugal. No “treat yo’self” presents, no buying things on a whim. Of course I still have to buy things like gas, grocery and other expenses, but other than the essentials, I don’t need to be spending money. If you were looking closely on my budget spreadsheet above, you may have noticed that there were some transactions that were already posted for February. And that’s because I’m obsessed with Afterpay. Having the opportunity to break up a purchase into 4 easy payments has changed the way I shop. So, those purchases you see are from purchases that I made in the last couple of weeks, and I still have to make payments during the month of February. I’m not cheating and buying new things, I promise!
Last time I did this, there was so much clarity because I wasn’t constantly looking for the next whatever it was I thought I needed. As much as I have enjoyed exploring online, browsing, and bookmarking things I may potentially want to buy in the future, I want to keep that to a bare minimum this month. I may get antsy and start looking at things near the end of the month, but the first few weeks I don’t need to spend time browsing. It’s not allowing me to sit back and be content with what I have, which is also something I look to gain this month.
Contentment. Now that I think about it, my current shopping habits haven’t allowed me to be content with what I have. I need to sit back and take a look at all that I have, not all that I don’t. I’m going to have to go through all of my stuff this month because a new carpet is going into my room, and it should sober me up to see all the things I have!
So, there’s my reasoning for why I’m trying to not spend anything this month. I’ve been thinking more of the things I need to save for long term rather than short term, and I think going frugal is going to help me get there. Getting clarity, saving some money, being content with what I have, that’s what I hope to experience this month of February. If you’re looking for a goal for this month, I hope this little post inspires you to set one, you got this! We got this!