I’ve done a no-spend week, a shopping ban and now, I’ll be doing a low-buy year from March 2020. Personally, I don’t think there’s a time-frame to when you can add new goals to your list for the year. I had a moment where I realised that, perhaps, I had spent a bit too much when I quit my job (celebrations, lol). And while it wasn’t a mistake – I realised that I don’t like looking back and having nothing to show for where my money is (yes, experiences and memories are priceless but so is financial security).

Anyways, the idea came about from watching content creator Style Apotheca over the last year or so, where she’s been chronicling her recovery from a shopping addiction. While I’ve done numerous shopping or spending related experiments, this felt like it could genuinely be a lifestyle change for me.

I’ve very recently started working out again and I’m making lifestyle changes that are going to improve my health. So I’d like to do the same to my bank account. There’s already been progress so far, as I’ve gone from a three to four online purchases a month to barely one every six months. But I could always improve and saving is a priority for me now.

So how have I prepared for this?

• I compiled a list of my expenses
• I examined where I tend to spend the most
• And outlined why I want to spend less and where my time/resources are going to go to

I don’t have that many expenses overall, and the debt that I do have is there to help my credit rating. Looking back, I usually spend a lot of money on Ubers and food. Now that I’ve started working out and actually getting my steps in, I’ve started walking around more (especially when running errands). Sometimes, I don’t have the luxury of spending too much time on travelling because meetings and deadlines. But I know I have to prioritize my overall health for my own quality of life.

But the main takeaway from this project is that I’m not making lifestyle changes from a place of guilt or shame anymore. The 30 x 30 bucket list I wrote was a tool to implement change and have fun. I’m constantly evolving and learning about my own triggers. If I know better, I’ll do better.

If you’re interested in topics like these, check out how minimalism improved my mental health or seven inexpensive ways to treat yourself.

Hope this was helpful.

x A