I’ve been listening to a lot of audio books lately. Since I don’t have as much time as I used to do read, it is a wonderful way to make room for my book cravings because I listen as I washing dishes or cleaning or breastfeeding my daughter. But a few weeks ago, I was also able to go to the library with both my babies and check out a few hard copy books, which I have been reading or skimming where I have time.
One book, in particular, has been especially enjoyable–The One Page Financial Plan by Carl Richards. It is fun and easy to digest, but one suggestion that stuck out to me is to go on a spending cleanse. He suggests it both as a way to get back on the right financial track but also as a way to really see where you are spending money and examine your money habits.
I love this idea… in theory… but it is actually hard to do! Of course, we all know that doing the hard things are usually better for us. Choose Coke or water with every lunch? Well, most people would prefer the taste of Coke but we all know that water is better for us. We also recognize (logically) that spending mindlessly, even on small purchases, will throw us off track with our financial goals, but we often to it anyway. We rationalize and we compartmentalize.
What I appreciate about this suggestion to try a money cleanse is that Richards doesn’t insist that it has to be anything extreme. Even if it is just one or two days where you buy absolutely nothing, it is worth it to try the experiment. Sometimes we need to set up something very intentional, like a two-day money cleanse, to begin us down a road toward better money habits.
Even though it is the holiday season and a time when I’m usually buying more, I am going to set up two days this month where I buy nothing. In fact, this experiment is probably all the better to do in a month where it is far too easy to buy left and right without thinking.
Oh, I forgot a stocking stuffer for Aunt June. And while I’m at it, I guess I can buy another one for my dad–he usually doesn’t have quite as many gifts as everyone else.
That outfit is so cute–maybe I can buy just one more gift for my baby girl. (No matter that she already has two gifts under the tree and she is only nine months old.)
As Richards says, “[T]his approach can help you cut out the nonessentials and get crystal clear about how you really want to spend your money and time. It may seem extreme, but it can shock you out of a rut you may have been in without even knowing it.”
I encourage you to try this challenge and see what it does for you. What might you discover about yourself, your habits, and your money? I’ll complete my challenge and let you know how it went for me.
