Apr 26, 2017

This post is due to me finally getting some of my big to-do’s checked off my list!  Though with every project in my house now I try to make sure I’m still practicing my habits of spending less.  Because World Market is apparently my weakness anymore and I had to dramatically create less in my online shopping cart. My journey isn’t really for me to live with nothing, it’s just to help me make sure that I’m living life with intention and not just excess.  And I thought I would share some ways I’ve helped shape my habits of excess!

Stop organizing.

Or really be careful what you are organizing.  I know this can seem a bit counter intuitive, but it’s important to be able to differentiate between organized and less.

This was a  b i g  mistake I made last year (and actually just recently too!) as I stocked up on lots of vintage finds to help organize lipsticks, jewelry and other odds and ends I had lying around, when really I should have spent my energy tossing out the majority of the items.  I needed organizers because the lippies and bracelets hadn’t been touched for months.  I didn’t need to be organized. I needed less.

Organize only what you truly need.  And I usually try to wait on buying organizers. It can be a bit frustrating to live through a mess, but typically if I still have the items through all the disorganization and frustration then I actually need them.

More boxes for more stuff is the exact opposite of spending less.

Make more wish lists.

One of the best cures to endless amounts of spending – wish lists.  It’s so easy these days to see S A L E that sometimes our lists and wants become so filled with sales and ways of ‘saving money’ that we are doing anything but.

While sales aren’t necessarily bad, the endless amount of excuses to spend are.

Start making wish lists of things you really want. Like a new vanity, camera upgrade, or kitchen redo.  Each time you hover over that Sephora checkout think about those wish list items and decide what you want more. It works (almost) every time.

Learn how to stay still.

I have such a hard time with staying still and doing nothing else.  And I’ve noticed that when I do try to sit still I try to fill a void with some online shopping. Old habits die hard I guess. So lately I’ve been making a conscious effort of just staying still. No idle Instagram scrolling or shopping. Just me.

You can call this meditation if you want, though staying still for me seems to have maybe less meaning and structure than meditation.  It’s the acceptance of no movement and being ok with that.

Know what you value.

I’ve heard me say it before and I’ll probably keep saying it because for me this is what really opened my eyes for living with less.  Less doesn’t mean always saying no and depending on someone else’s definition of a perfectly 32 pieced curated closet to make yours.  Less is knowing what you treasure and what you can do without.  If you truly value and use all 23 pairs of shoes stashed in your wardrobe, I say keep ’em! But I would also venture to say you probably don’t need all 23 but maybe a trimmed down 16.

The point is to make your own rules for spending less and mold advice given to what works for you.

Make yourself uncomfortable.

Because sometimes we get a bit too ok with life.  And while I’m an absolute routine person, I also know routine can make me complacent and doesn’t necessarily challenge me.  Growth happens when we step outside of our comfort zone and routine and try something new.  Even if it’s just a bit.

Challenge yourself with a budget or a no buy month and see what you can learn outside of your comfort zone.

Spending less is not always a simple check list of this and not that, but rather trial and error of what works best for you.

What are ways that help you spend less?