Well, here we are. Spending Fast is in the books.
It was a nice time to really refocus on our finances. I was interested in an article I saw on a blog called “When a Spender and a Saver Marry” thinking I was one or the other.
But the truth is, Dan and I are both Spenders. It’s just different. I can nickel-and-dime us to death on little things. He likes quality things, so when he does something, he goes big.
So what to do when a Spender and a Spender marry?
Have regular checks on stuff, I guess.
Friends, this fast wasn’t even that hard. Which is hard. You know? Think of how much more intentional I can be – without it really even pinching – and how much Good in which we could invest money.
It was a good check for me when I just wanted to grab something quickly. I didn’t even have to plan that much more; just make sure I had an orange or sandwich or apple or pretzels for Caleb when we left and I wasn’t sure if we’d be back before he got hungry.
I had been making Caden pack his own school lunch and ended up packing it for him a few times out of guilt that I was making him do it all the way to the end of school. But he didn’t seem to care too much.
On that note, I would like to say that the boys did absolutely fine. I truly need to stop blaming them for things like this. They would ask, I would remind them we’re not buying extra treats, we would pop popcorn or something when we got home and it wasn’t a huge deal. Forgive me, boys. You’re more mature than Mama.
Garage Sales were a big temptation. I saw one of those large, well-made signs that spoke of an area-wide sale last week. And it was in a nice neighborhood. Which means – let’s be honest – nicer stuff. But I just said, “Get thee behind me, satan” and drove on. Win!
Home Accessories and Clothing? Meh. No biggie. First, we’ve weeded through our closets this spring and I’ve been well aware of how much I already have. Also, I think I mentioned a friend gave me some jeans. That was fun. Just watching Him shower me in love in a different way. Community is one big answer to spending less. We don’t all have to go buy the same stuff. Let’s share!
Looking back I think I should’ve included a media limit as well during all this. I think a few times I hopped on Pinterest or Facebook a little more, just transferring my entitlement issues to a different outlet.
But not every time. Most of the time I went to my God and asked Him to come through. He did beautifully, as always. I love how when we take Him up on His Word, He delights to prove Himself faithful.
One of my favorite quotes from Jen’s wrap-up on her Spending Fast Month I cannot relate to:
“We put a chunk of money into adoption savings and gave a few hundred away, because guess what? When you don’t spend money, you have more at the end of the month. This financial wizardry is brought to you free of charge.”
See, we didn’t have a bunch of money left over. Which is fine. It just points out how we have a budget for a reason. And we need to live within it.
I think that’s my biggest take-away. Intentional planning = Kingdom Living.
It’s totally doable. I can take a few extra brain cells and minutes in the morning to plan well for stuff (mostly lunches and snacks) and make sure I have a plan for dinners. If I do, we can do a lot of Good Stuff with the extra. (Eating Out and Treats = our biggest Budget Busters.)
Oh! Another thing that I didn’t account for (and we went ahead and spent the money on) was Gifts. We had a birthday party, graduations, and a few other situations. I have a friend who is even intentional in this area. When she sees something kid-related marked down, she’ll snatch it up (she has a little wiggle room in her budget for this). Then she keeps a tub of gifts and selects the right one for each occasion. (Come to think of it, I think she does this with “adult” gifts as well – candles and things.) That way, even if she’s having a lean month she still can be generous with her loved ones.
Another thing I’ve thought a lot about as I’ve refreshed my mind with some of these money quotes is savings. When I stop to think about it, do I really think that – if I’m intentional about investing my money in others and the Kingdom – God is going to let me fall on my face if I don’t have “enough” savings? I just don’t think so. That’s not His character. Or what His Word says. Rather, it’s a really wonderful way for Him to show up. Provide differently. And obviously. So others see His glory.
A while back, a quote in our group’s study caught my attention:
“If there is anything about me that is communicating to others that I am above them and not right in the middle of them, something is horribly wrong.”
That is my heart. I wanted to make sure and say why I often share mess-ups on here. It is not for pity or because I think God is disappointed in me. It’s just that I never want to come across as having it all together. It’s very important to me.
But last week at group one of my girls had some wisdom. She goes, “I’m very quick, in the name of vulnerability, to share where I struggle or what’s not going well. But when I hear of a young mom having success in patience or something, it can be really encouraging. So I want to appropriately share successes when they are in the right context.”
Friends, I think this was a success. And I enjoyed the “accountability” of sharing it with you. When money isn’t the first thing I go to to meet needs and wants, God and people come through.
Just like He designed it.
Simplicity really is delightful.