Week 4 Expenses:
Groceries: $60.00
Christmas Presents: $27.50
Groceries: $7.43
Total for week: $94.93
Total for No Spend Month: $2235.25
Total without Christmas Spending: $1894.78
Total Savings, depending on which total you prefer: $264.75 ($605.22)
Woo Hoo! I’ve completed No Spend Month! I took a survey from friends and coworkers, asking whether or not I should count Christmas spending in my expenses for No Spend Month. I had two people tell me that I shouldn’t count it because I am Christmas spending is pulled from funds already allocated to Christmas. Two people told me that I had to count it on principle, and one was flat out against doing No Spend Month during December at all.
Thus, I am posting both results. Technically, either way, I managed to save at least my goal of $650.00, because Christmas spending isn’t affecting my overall budget since the money is already set aside. The only difference is that I was planning to count ALL spending from the get go.
I’m so glad to be done with it. It’s been a trying month. Greg said, “I don’t really know why it should end.” I get what he’s saying. I agree that, just because the challenge is over, I shouldn’t just go willy nilly with spending. That would be like going on The Biggest Loser and going straight home to a month-long nacho binge. No, the real benefit to this exercise is becoming more aware of not only where you spend the most of your money, but where you get urges to spend your money. I’ve realized just how often I want to go out for dinner or how often I find excuses to go to Target, Costco, the mall, etc. for things I don’t need.
That all being said, however, I reeled when Greg suggested continuing the kibosh on spending. It’s a freedom thing. I love not spending, but I need to know that I can if I want to.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: goals, jolie, money, no spend month
