Melanie is here with an update on her Spending Diet progress, and she is absolutely killing it! – Anna
With the holidays here, the Spending Diet is getting harder and harder. I was hoping to spend my allotted $100 Spending Diet budget on gifts, but that didn’t go as planned. I stuck with my budget of $100 for my Spending Diet allotment and but I also spent an additional $100 for gifts, and that’s not what I intended to do. It’s becoming harder and harder to resist temptation.
I don’t usually go shopping. At all. I stay out of stores to resist temptation, but the holidays have forced me to go into stores (coupons in hand) and actually shop. During a recent shopping excursion, I bought a fleece jacket as gift for myself. I had a coupon, it was a super discount and I used my Spending Diet allotment, but had I not gone into that store, I would have never known about that jacket.
I know what you’re going to say at this point– I could make all the gifts. I’ve told myself that several times. But craft supplies cost money too and as a working girl with two jobs, I have a time budget. There’s only so many hours in the day and making beautiful gifts for almost 20 people isn’t my priority. My budget (and my family!) is my priority. Yes, I’ve planned to make a few gifts, but the majority have been or will be purchased.
And yes, I know that the holiday season isn’t all about consumerism. It’s about spending time with the ones you love, spreading joy, helping others in need and eating way too many holiday cookies. I plan on doing all of the above and spending lots of time with my loved ones (whether they like it or not!), but I also would like to show my appreciation through a token.
This month I’ve been fighting a bit of an internal battle. I want to be giving and I don’t want to be selfish, but I want to stay on budget. I want to save for me and for my future. This month has also forced me to think about my struggle with perfectionism. I try my best at everything in life. My perfectionism has helped me in certain aspects in my life, but with budgeting, my perfectionism often tells me that I’m failing. I managed to save another $1,000 this month and that’s amazing. I’ve saved $5,600 in just 5 months. A couple of years ago, I saved nothing at all. This holiday season let’s all tell perfectionism to get off our backs, ok? We have a budget, but we’re not going to beat ourselves up about it. Can I get an amen?
-Melanie
Month 5 Savings: $1,000
Started the Spending Diet: July 1, 1014
Savings to date: $5,600
How do you let perfectionism go, and be happy with your accomplishments even if they fall short of your goal?
P.S. See all of Melanie’s Spending Diet updates.
P.S. Ready to get out of debt ASAP? Check out the Spending Fast Bootcamp!
After being motivated by this site, I’m also doing a spending diet. Feel free to visit my site for moral support. -Robin
Ugh… Perfectionism rearing its ugly head. I can sooo relate. I’d say give yourself grace, girl. Looks like you are, though… Look at how far you’ve come and how well you’ve done so far and celebrate. My daughter just realized she has a science project due in 2 days – a model of a cell and all of its components… takes a while to do, right? Well, she really beat herself up for waiting until the last minute… she made a list of everything she needed for the project and started it while still beating herself up. I told her how mature she had handled her mistake of waiting- she still picked herself up and started working on it right away- I told her that was great- now move on and try better next time as far as time management but for now- just keep moving and celebrate the small victories!!! So, I’d say when perfectionism rears its ugly head- focus on the good!!! Focus on the achievement, the way you kept your mind on the goal and did your best. Then remember next time how to avoid the slip up.
Thanks, April. I’m trying to remember those small victories!
You’re doing great! It is hard not to be a perfectionist about it. But if you’re like me, you still have a long ways to go to get where you want. So a small, budget-conscious splurge here and there is “allowed”!
No, not really. I’m just trying to not beat myself up about it.
Definitely makes sense not to let the drive for perfectionism win! You don’t want to diminish or minimize all of the awesome progress and savings you have done.
I often set really lofty goals and when I don’t reach them, I’m bummed, but, I have to remind myself that I still did a ton even if I didn’t technically reach my exact goal. So, I think you’re doing great!
Thanks! Yeah, I wonder sometimes if my goals are a bit too lofty, but I’m still trying!