January has proven itself to be more of a blessing than a curse.
Still reeling in memories of christmas purchases past,
I found myself feeling the need to
splurge a little less and save a little more.
I did just as I have in times like these before and placed myself on what I lovingly refer to as a
“spending freeze“ ~ in other words, no non-essential purchases until all the bills are paid.
Three days in to my freeze, we received some unexpected, not necessarily welcome news.
My family now operates on a budget $750 a month less than we did before.
At first there was panic.
Then, worry.
Yet, somewhere in the midst of it all,
we found joy.
Joy in a life less hurried.
Joy in the extra moments living with less is now freeing up for us to spend time with one another.
We’re only three weeks in, but. right. now … We are WINNING!
In the best possible way.
It’s an adjustment for sure, one we are still having to learn to deal with, but just like every other challenge –
we will face it and overcome it together.
And … no doubt, learn a lot about ourselves along the way.
Since this new budgeting style will be making itself such a prominent part of our lives, I though it only fitting it should also become a prominent part of what I do here. I plan to share the ways we find to live more, with less.
Look for more on this topic in the posts to come.
Feel free to ask me any questions you may have along the way.
Also shared on Life Made Lovely
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you! We were hit with a similar financial crsis in 2009. We downsized our whole life. We sold our 3600sqft home in suburbia and moved into my husbands grandparents farmhouse out in the country. Gone are the days of mani/pedi Girls Night Outs, expensive date nights, and keeping up with the Jones’. We now spend our time as a family around the fire pit and love harvesting our gardens in the summer and fall. In hindsight, it was the best thing to happen to us. Best of luck! Can’t wait to read about your experience.
Oh Stacy! I’m sorry you are having to go through this. I do know what you are going through though. I had to quit my job while on bed rest with Ethan. It was and still is a struggle for us. I made about more than my husband. Losing my income completely changed our lives. It’s a constant struggle because I have never had to worry about money. Now I have to watch every penny. We were living the high life prior to my pregnancy. Such is life.
What a blessing! Your kids will learn more from this than that $750/month could ever buy. Like KellyNC said, this happened to us in 2009 and we’ve been cutting back continually ever since. It seemed at first like a prison sentence, but we’ve embraced it and are now enjoying making the most of what we’ve got.
My friends and I have all agreed that instead of buying birthday gifts we exchange things we already own, we cut back on phone service and satellite, we changed the way we eat, how much we drive and it has all been a blessing! Instead of ladies’ night out we have ladies’ night in where the ladies all gather at one person’s house and we bring food. It’s fun and less expensive! There are so many creative ways to be poor in money but rich in everything else! Lisa~
We’re still waiting for ours to hit. We know it’s coming soon. Already no bonuses this year makes for a huge pay cut. We are loving YNAB. It’s a budgeting software you can download and also put the app on your phone. It has helped our financial situation better than anything else ever has.
Hey Amy!!! So much fun having lunch with you today
It’s been way too long since we’ve seen each other. You know, we actually got off easy … for awhile there Jimmy’s job was on the chopping block as well. But we eeked by that one. I’m so glad you showed me that app today. I’m so much like you and being able to see the numbers like that at any given time will really help me. {{Hugs!!}}
I think we met when I was going through my year without spending. We learned a lot…and some things we’ve carried with us into the new year. Like experiences last longer than stuff. And being intentional about what you buy exposes a lot of unnecessary, impulse purchases you may never have noticed. And quality ends up being a lot less expensive in the long run. And selling stuff you don’t use anymore can be really fun (especially for the kids). You can do this.
Thanks Debi, I immediately thought of you & your family when I started my freeze. Love to chat with you about it sometime. You are right, experiences are what make memories — not stuff. We’re still making a point to spend as much of our time outdoors as possible (before it heats up!) doing lots of picnics, walks on the river and trips to the library. The kids don’t notice at all, in fact they are enjoying it! In just one month I have realized how incredibly frivolous I was being with my money. Just cutting that part out will help a ton. Thanks so much for your comment, I really appreciate it.
Stacy, your attitude about the unwelcome news is inspiring. I’m looking forward to reading more about how this shapes you and your family. (Not that I’m looking forward to you guys having such a large income cut…but you get what I mean…
Thanks Audrey! When we moved here and downsized to a one income family, we knew we were going to be making do with less. To be honest, we never really did that. Now it’s time to come clean and start living the way we should have 3 years ago … thanks for the encouragement and for reading my blog!
Wow, I can totally relate to this post. One of my new year’s resolutions was to save money. We declared a “spending freeze” this month. I didn’t go to Super Target for 21 days (I usually go at least once or maybe twice a week.) We are staying at home more and going out less. It’s been a huge blessing. We are taking care of things at home and enjoying the slow pace as opposed to being tired from always being on the go. We’re saving money and enjoying a better quality of life. Thanks for sharing
Way to go Michelle! I did the exact same thing last year and do you know I made it all the way until April!!! without going to Super Target! Also a favorite spot of ours. It’s a lot like dieting, at first I stayed away, then as time went on I slid back in to my old habits … Target is one the bills I am working really hard to pay off
Looks like we’re in a similar state on the home front as well, Good Luck to us both!
well, i have no doubt you will make it all happen beautifully.
i’ll be honest tho…maybe i shouldn’t say, as to all the others here are leaving positive comments…i KNOW it’s going to be hard. there’s no doubt about it. i would be at a loss. it’s okay to feel overwhelmed or down. that’s only human nature. i guess what i’m trying to say is, you are justified with every emotion. both good & bad.
love you sweet girl. i know your attitude towards life is so uplifting to read. there’s no question, i will once again learn from your gracious & courageous spirit.
xoxo
kellie
Another one of those times when I so wish we lived in the same cul-de-sac!! I could use some girl talk, some sweet tea and a real good friend. Thanks for keeping me grounded, I know every day wont be sunshine and roses, but we’ll do the best we can. Thankfully, I have friends like you who have opened my eyes to the little bit of revenue I could be generating from here … stay tuned to see how that plays out! Love ya lady <3 XOXO
Wow, good luck with your budgeting, and congratulations on winning so far!!
Thank Holly! I know there will be tough days ahead but for now, we’ll keep on celebrating small victories.
Hi Stacey,
I am totally new to your website and blogging in general, but it is amazing that I am reading your post at this time of my life! I am just about to return to work next week after a beautiful year spent at home with my baby daughter. Living in the UK this meant that for the past few months I was not paid at all (statutory maternity pay runs out around 40 weeks after leaving work) and our family budget suffered hugely. But we coped! We did manage to find ways around the shortages and to be honest we just found out what we need and what we don’t! Previously we were just buying far more than our actual needs were!
There is so much more to life than money and it is difficult when the budget gets cut, but usually it is all about small adjustments.
In a way I am looking forward to going back to work but then I wish I could return just part time and not full time. I would straight away swap part of my salary to spend more time with my little girl… Unfortunately it is not an option just yet. So, this may sound a bit strange: but I envy you in a way
My first step in saving exercise was shopping for better deals on bills such as electricity, phones, broadband. It is amazing that we could save loads by just changing suppliers. These were much better savings than ones achieved in a careful weekly supermarket shopping.
Best of luck to you and your loved ones! I am sure you’ll be fine and if you are open to your kids about the nature of the necessary cut backs, I am sure they will only learn how to appreciate things so much more in life.
Hey there, Friend! We are in the same boat over here. Having given up a full time job to pursue my own design business this past year was a huge financial burden. While it was at times stressful, having family was the bright spot. With a great attitude and a little creativity, you can really make the best of any situation. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to live richly. It’s times like this that we will look back on and realize how much stronger we are because of our struggles. You have such a wonderful spirit and outlook–I know you will get through this!
Totally know what your going through. We had the same situation over the summer and are now beginning to put money back in our savings. It really did bring the family closer together. It made my husband and I work more as a team and enjoy the little things in life.
This to shall pass.
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