Nothing for me (Week 45)
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."
As colorful as you might find that rascal Oscar Wilde, the simple fact of his spendy lifestyle was that he ended up declaring bankruptcy, and selling off the rights to The Importance of Being Earnest. Even when he was at his poorest, Oscar found ways to keep us his collection of china and purchase an angora suit. Imaginative, yes, but the brilliant writer ended up having to part with it all. With that grim reminder, I decided to make the second week in December all about spending nothing.
Okay, almost nothing. We still need to eat, so just to keep my bank statement at $0.00 for the week, I asked Val to do the grocery shopping. Other than that, I chopped my spending like a newly elected politician and became a financial monk for seven straight days.
With Christmas shopping fever in full tilt, I discovered the joy of parking my credit card in its wallet sleeve while the madness raged all around me. My inbox filled with tempting offers from bicycle shops, outdoor gear retailers, stereo shops, and all the other merchants vying for my attention. What a delight to throw them all in the trash without even a glance.
I should mention that I am a johnny-come-lately to the scene. Many people have touted the benefits of spending nothing for extended periods, some for as long as a year. Beyond just saving money, the practice forces you to re-evaluate your relationship with stuff, and to consider how much happiness it's likely to bring you. Another upside is decluttering your life, and welcoming the freedom that comes with a more spartan existence. I got a vague notion of that during my seven days, but clearly longer would have been better.
One of my guilty pleasures is the out-of-office lunch. Being surrounded by several dozen fine lunch places doesn't help. Of course, it is a needless expense, so I also made sure to pack a lunch each day of my spend-nothing week. There's all kinds of upside with this one, part of which is the inevitably healthier lunch I bring to work as opposed to the burger and fries I might otherwise be throwing down.
I discovered one sure-fire way to make sure I couldn't open the wallet and give in to temptation. I simply left my wallet at home. Outta sight, outta mind, and my MasterCard suffered the indignity of being completely abandoned in darkened isolation.
Toward the end of the week, I connected with my two sisters and the topic of Christmas presents came up. How about we don't exchange? It took so little effort to make 2019 a year of abstinence within the family, and I know they share the satisfaction that comes with not having to shop for your family. The annual angst and anxiety over getting that perfect thing is something won't trouble us one iota this year. Oh, the thrill of it!
So, Oscar old chum, living within one's means is hardly as boring as you say. I can even imagine ways to make it exciting.
NEXT WEEK: Freecycling!
As colorful as you might find that rascal Oscar Wilde, the simple fact of his spendy lifestyle was that he ended up declaring bankruptcy, and selling off the rights to The Importance of Being Earnest. Even when he was at his poorest, Oscar found ways to keep us his collection of china and purchase an angora suit. Imaginative, yes, but the brilliant writer ended up having to part with it all. With that grim reminder, I decided to make the second week in December all about spending nothing.
Okay, almost nothing. We still need to eat, so just to keep my bank statement at $0.00 for the week, I asked Val to do the grocery shopping. Other than that, I chopped my spending like a newly elected politician and became a financial monk for seven straight days.
With Christmas shopping fever in full tilt, I discovered the joy of parking my credit card in its wallet sleeve while the madness raged all around me. My inbox filled with tempting offers from bicycle shops, outdoor gear retailers, stereo shops, and all the other merchants vying for my attention. What a delight to throw them all in the trash without even a glance.
I should mention that I am a johnny-come-lately to the scene. Many people have touted the benefits of spending nothing for extended periods, some for as long as a year. Beyond just saving money, the practice forces you to re-evaluate your relationship with stuff, and to consider how much happiness it's likely to bring you. Another upside is decluttering your life, and welcoming the freedom that comes with a more spartan existence. I got a vague notion of that during my seven days, but clearly longer would have been better.
One of my guilty pleasures is the out-of-office lunch. Being surrounded by several dozen fine lunch places doesn't help. Of course, it is a needless expense, so I also made sure to pack a lunch each day of my spend-nothing week. There's all kinds of upside with this one, part of which is the inevitably healthier lunch I bring to work as opposed to the burger and fries I might otherwise be throwing down.
I discovered one sure-fire way to make sure I couldn't open the wallet and give in to temptation. I simply left my wallet at home. Outta sight, outta mind, and my MasterCard suffered the indignity of being completely abandoned in darkened isolation.
Toward the end of the week, I connected with my two sisters and the topic of Christmas presents came up. How about we don't exchange? It took so little effort to make 2019 a year of abstinence within the family, and I know they share the satisfaction that comes with not having to shop for your family. The annual angst and anxiety over getting that perfect thing is something won't trouble us one iota this year. Oh, the thrill of it!
So, Oscar old chum, living within one's means is hardly as boring as you say. I can even imagine ways to make it exciting.
NEXT WEEK: Freecycling!
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