#low spend

Having a budget and then also updating and checking the budget can be a very 'on the nose' thing.

This month I have spend almost 540 euros on miscilannious stuff such as clothes, dvds and books. That is around 135 euros per week! Typing this out makes me realise how insanely high that number is. Then I wonder why at the end of the month the bank balance is a bit low.

I spend 260,62 euros on food this month. That is around 66 euros per week. And I'm just one person. I don't know if that is too high or too low. The prices for food have gone up, we all know that all over the world. I will try for October to lower the food budget to around 50 euros a week. I have a stocked pantry/fridge so I'm sure that will work well.

To be fair; I also saved money this month. I set aside 1000 euros for my future and this month I finally reached my Big Savings goal. If I would lose my job this year, I have breathing room to work with that and that makes me sleep better at night.

The little savings goals this month came around 270 euros, which is on the low side but I'm almost finished with all those small goals for the year too so one last push and I'm there!

I did find out that 'lifestyle creep' is indeed a real thing. I am working more hourse since May and it's showing in my spending. I am able to save more (set aside that 1000 euros) and then I still have enough left over to life from, more then I earned montly in the beginning of the year. A lot of the pressure has gone away so that sort of gives me a free card to just spend on all the fun and pretty things....

And that is fine at some point, I do earn money and I do deserve some nice things. But 135 euros per week on nice things?! That feels too much. I'm not an influencer :D

I think for October I will do a Low Spend for dvd's and books. And a No Spend for clothes. I should probably do that for the rest of the year because I really have clothes enough. I can wear a different dress ever day for at least 2 weeks I think..... Yes, I also know how insane that sounds. It's clear I have clothes enough.

It's been over a week since I blocked all the online stores I like shopping at. It still feels weird. I still get things popping up in my head like 'A new sweater would be nice for Fall.' Or ' a black dress for Fall is a must'... While I already have sweaters and a black dress.... My brain is a bit obsessed with buying for sure.

As you can see, not very exciting but needed.

Good work socks are the small blessings in life.

And I needed a black cardigan because Fall is suddenly here, even though it's still August. (Also, when did it become 'normal' to spend 26 euros on an item that is branded in the store as basic?! 26 euros for 1 black cardigan... Maybe I am getting old but that is insane.)

I also bought something fun! A book with pictures of animals that you complete by sticking the correct sticker in the right place.

I'm using little tweezers to help me get the stickers off and you need to take your time so they line up nicely but it's fun for now. The book was 8 euros but it has 15 different animals so I'll be busy with it for a while. So in my eyes that is a good deal. (I swear I still have my online shopping stores blocked, I bought these items at the market today, in cash.)

Like, I like all the different steps to online shopping. The searching, the browsing, the adding to my wishlist, the thinking about what items I want to buy this month and then next month....

I ordered 3 diamond paintings on AliExpress but then decided to cancel 2 and just keep the one I really wanted.

And I think for now, at least the first two weeks of August, I will block the webshops and just try and be glad with what I have.

@chained-to-the-mirror

Ps; the diamond painting I decided to order.

A large part of this is my own spending. Specially in March because it’s my birthday month I spend more on things I want like books/clothes/home decor. 

Part of it is probably also the cost of food and everything else that has gone up. I see it in my yearly bills. Some of them have gone up with 20 or 25 euros, others just with 5 euros but it’s still a huge amount of you add them all up. 

And honestly, I know that earning more money for me wouldn’t solve it because I always feel that I have not enough. That’s just how my brain works. So even if I was a millionaire I would probably still feel that I don’t have enough money to live. 

So, I think in April I will dial down on the spending. No watching Etsy/Ebay/zalando/Bol/...... all the sites I like to look at and then spend on in a weak moment. I have enough stuff for now, I feel like my house is feeling more like a home every day and I don’t need to add stuff to it. 

If my math is right, and I don’t buy anything extra much, I should be able to only spend 1340 euros this month. That also includes the 375 euros in savings I plan to do this month. 

Now let’s hope that nothing super expensive comes up like it did in January with that whooping 1300 euros bill. 🤞🤞🤞

Not had my paycheck yet so I don’t know what it will be but usually, it is more than 1300 (at least the last few months it is, last year my lowest income was 1100 euros and that was a bit of a stretch to make it work, I’m always grateful I have savings).