Intentions List and Spending Rules

Here it is, my start to writing my list of intentions for living a more simple life with less spending. I may need to come back to this post as reference for myself in the future as I go through this journey. I know that having a newborn will make some of these things more challenging, which is why I am giving myself some grace here if I need to modify my rules a bit. I am hoping that since I have so many things from my previous baby that I won’t need much this time around except for the necessities.

Spending Rules

What I can buy:

  • Food and Groceries
  • Household cleaning supplies
  • Hygiene products
  • Makeup items when I run out (I wear very little to begin with)
  • Clothing items if they are absolutely needed and we don’t have anything else we can wear first. (I must also donate one thing for every purchase or clothing or accessory I buy)
  • Buying an item if it wears out (e.g my crockpot finally bit the dust, I will need to get a new one soon)
  • Health related items such as workout classes and doctors bills

What I can’t buy:

  • Excess of take out, coffee shops or fast food (I still would like to take my son out on little dates to get donuts ect.)
  • Clothes and accessories that are not a necessity and if I already have something similar in any of our closets.
  • Books (Use the Library instead)
  • Impulse purchases on Amazon
  • Impulse purchases at Target
  • Impulse purchases at any clothing store

I may need to come back to this list and revise a bit as time moves on, but my intention is to try and comply to these set of rules whenever making a purchase.

Some questions I will be asking myself before I make another impulse buy:

  • Do I really need this?
  • Do I already have something similar to this in my closet?
  • What is making me think I need this?
  • Do I have enough money in cash for this?
  • Is this on my wishlist of items I have saved up for?

It may be strange at first to ask myself so many questions, but in order for me to stay accountable to myself and others, I need to create these paramaters to at least start on this journey. Over time it may become easier, but I will at least have you, my audience watching and reading and hopefully allow myself to continue to being honest with myself and my spending habits.

The more that we can spend less, be intentional with our lives and the items we bring into our home, we can also help with waste and the issues of sweatshops and poor working conditions.

I wont be perfect in this journey an I will more than likely fail at some points, but I at least hope that writing this down will at least help me in my journey on this spending less and enjoying more of what I currently have instead of always chasing down the next new thing.

The Start on Living with Less

I am a mom of one with another on the way and why I am now starting this journey is because in some ways life has come to a head. My husbands work has been so overwhelming for both of us and our busy lives of both of us working full time with a child and two dogs has left us asking for more, or in a way asking for less. It’s not that we can’t afford our current lifestyle or that we are not happy with it, it’s that we we want to simplify our lives while living in this suburban life. It’s about saving more and focusing on our goals and dreams, like retiring early, building an addition on our house and traveling and exploring with our children as they grow up.

I am not going to start out with this massive ban on shopping, but I am going to use this blog as a way to document my journey of living and spending less. It’s so easy to just swipe a credit card and not look at your statements until they are due in a few days and then pay them off. It feels like this endless cycle of spend / pay off and it just repeats. It leaves little for savings and paying ourselves first.

The feeling of guilt already overwhelmed me as I spent $48 dollars to launch this blog on WordPress. Mind you, I did use a coupon and saved 50% off but that is besides the point, we are not bargain shopping here anymore. I am spending with the intention of a need instead of a want, with quality instead of fast production and fashion. I want to support sweatshops less and really be intentional with where my money is going. I want to be intentional with what I am sewing into with the money that I work so hard to gain.

Some things I want to share about myself:

I am not a writer

I don’t claim to be one, or peruse to be one, I merely just want to document and keep myself accountable on this blog. I feel I am always working my grammar and run on sentences, but maybe in some way this blog will help me refine these skills. If people read this wonderful, but if not I am totally fine with this going into the ether and floating in internet space for eternity.

I love to shop

Yes, yes its true, I love shopping. I also love fashion and expressing myself through clothing and accessories. It’s fun researching a new product and then finally buying it and then waiting for it to come in the mail. I enjoy tracking and following packages and looking forward to receiving something during the week. This will be hard for me to break out of but I must share the honest truth if I am going to continue with living and spending less.

I am a highly creative person

My mind is full of colour and worlds outside of the one I live in. I create small messes in piles because I am constantly fluttering to one idea or to the next and I can’t seem to keep a project going for more than a few days at a time. It’s hard for me to commit because I want to create all the things all the time. I am at my best when I am creating, ideating, researching and exploring.

Above all else, I love my family

I can’t express or say this enough. I deeply, truly love my family. The reason this entire blog is starting is because I love my family. I want to leave a monetary legacy behind for my children and I want to be a better mother and role model for my children with finances, spending and living with less. I want to teach my children how to shop their closest, that hand-me-downs are not a dirty word and that sales are not a path to spending less but spending more.

My next few posts will outline my goals for spending less and simplifying, but for now I wanted to set my goals and intentions out on paper. It’s been on my mind for several days now and it feels so good to finally get it out. There is no doubt, this will be a hard journey and I am sure I am going to fail at some points but there has to be a beginning to any journey and this is mine.