Over the past 3 months you’ve seen me post on specific things that can break a budget- everything from fast food to gasoline to candy. The past few weeks I’ve talked more about an idea of saving money rather than cutting something specific from your budget. We often do things to save money, yet still keep up with the same extravagant ways of living. Thus, we’re putting a band-aid on our budget instead of fixing the things in the budget.
I’m not suggesting that everyone should be self sufficient by living on a farm with no electricity or running water, growing their own food, and having horse drawn wagons for transportation. That’s just not realistic. But, do we really need huge homes with fancy cars, expensive cable packages and a larger variety of store bought products that hairs on our heads? No. Nor do we need to eat out frequently, take our kids to Chuck E. Cheese every month, or stop at Sonic for happy hour 3 times a week. Our American lifestyle is marked by an extravagance that we’ve come to accept as normal and feel we’re entitled to. Reality is that this extravagance isn’t normal and we’re not entitled to it. There’s a happy medium between the self sufficient farm and living a life of extravagance.
When you first begin to coupon and learn ways to save money, it’s empowering to keep within your means while still buying everything you’ve always bought and do everything you’ve always done. It’s a great first step to live within your means, but it’s important to not let couponing become a band-aid for the extravagance behind your budget. If you’re living just within your means there is no cushion for unexpected expenses-or even Christmas purchases- without cutting back on your lifestyle. When unexpected expenses hit you suddenly need another band-aid to cover up the problem.
It’s human nature to enjoy nice things, conveniences and going out. Yet, it’s important to decide what makes you happy. Does spending $100 to hire a sitter, eat a steak dinner and catch a movie really make you happier than trading sitting services with a friend so you can visit with your spouse at the coffee shop for a few hours? Is an expensive media package really worth the cost over a simpler one for the happiness it gives? Does buying yourself a new shirt make you any happier just because Mrs. Jones has a new shirt that looks like she paid $50 at the department store for? She may have paid $5 off the clearance rack! Some of the wealthiest people I know (some even millionaires) live in normal houses, drive average cars until they quit running, use coupons and shop at thrift stores. One even irons her tissue paper to reuse it! These people know what makes them happy and they don’t feel like they have to spend a bunch of money keeping up appearances to make other people happy.
As we head into the new year, I encourage you to take a look at your lifestyle and identify some expenses and habits that you can cut back on or live without that may be above and beyond necessary. What truly makes you happy? Chances are good you’ll find things you could cut from your life and budget without missing them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Things That Can Break the Budget And How to Avoid Them series. Please let me know what sort of topics you’d like me to cover on Thursdays in the new year!
Thank you for challenging & pushing us to think outside the box!
I’ve really enjoyed these budget posts! They have really opened my eyes to the little things that we never think about. Thank you so much for these posts! Have a blessed new year!
Thank you both. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing to remind myself and my husband to keep strong in our frugal endevours. It’s good to know that these posts are helpful to others.