January Spending Freeze

The big announcement was made yesterday at our weekly family meeting...January there would be a spending freeze! Outside of the food we'll need and of course the regular bills and giving that are already set in place like utilities and garbage, etc. The kids took it well. We'll see if over the weeks to come they'll still be sitting so comfortably in this concept.

Why you ask are we setting the credit cards aside to stop any extra spending?

Well, there's really a variety of reasons that one day in early December I mentioned to Kenny my idea. He was in full agreement. We have oh so much to be grateful for and the resources to take care of our family well beyond the basic needs of life. Our kids don't get their every whim and desire meet, but sometimes it feels like that.

Often spending is so much easier then not spending. It's easier to go out to dinner instead of making dinner at home and even extra hard to think ahead and have the items needed to make dinner at home.

It's easier to run to the local toy store and purchase a gift for the next birthday party, then to think outside of the box for items that we may already have on hand. What could we make your friend for their birthday? What creative "kit" could we put together with things we have here at home?

It's easy to grab that little $5 something that we "need" or toss in a fun treat while at the grocery store.

When the kids need new clothes or shoes usually those needs are quickly resolved with a purchase.

It's so easy to add Showtime for $9 this month so we can binge watch season 8 of Shameless instead of waiting for it to arrive on Netflix in who knows how many months.

Amazon Prime! Oh, you monster! It's so easy just to pop in my cart whatever item we "need" and have it arrive on my doorstep in a day or two.

It's fun to spend the weekend going to the movies or hitting up other local activities. My favorite hobby of "lunching out" will be put on hold for other non-spending activities this month.

The kids even have their own stash of cash that when the whim calls they can spend it on what ever item that their Mama won't use her cash on to purchase. I want there to be more thought next time we need or want to buy something, go somewhere, do something. Thought into what it may cost or if we really need to do or purchase that. I want the kids to see and have a bit of appreciation for what we spend our money on.

Trust me, we aren't even truly BIG spenders over here. We sit on and do talk through big purchases and say no to a lot of things. I constantly feel like I battle society on the things we need to have. The things my kids see their classmates have. The title wave of the need for this new thing or that new thing. Whatever the next cool item is or the phone that our 10 year old so desperately thinks he needs.

We've chosen to start 2018 a bit more purposeful when it comes to spending. Teaching the whole family a little lesson on waiting, wanting, wishing and needing.

Looking forward to the end of the month and how our spending freeze shakes out.