HOW TO KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN OVERSPENDING
I've Been A Very Bad Girl...
Loooook!
Might as well be honest here on my blog. I've been reviewing my Q1 Financial goals and I'm not where I want to be. While I'm not beating myself up for it, I've had to call myself out, share this with my accountability partner and figure out where I slipped.
To be fair, there were signs I should have paid attention to. I thought it would be great to share a few of them:
You're scared of opening up your statements:
You know you've been bad when your heart races at the thought of opening up your statements because you know you've been "overindulging". You're going to have to suck it up though. My statements serve as a good reality check and I'm not recommending obsessing over them but ignoring them is playing with fire.
That 3 seconds your card's getting swiped in the checkout line:
I guess it doesn't feel the same when you're shopping online because its just you with your oops but in line at the grocery store or Bath and Bodyworks with someone grumpy behind you, 3 secs can feel like 30. If you are worried when your card's getting swiped then you've been spending more than you should.
Buying things you already have:
If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I've been decluttering more than I ever did, hoping to segue into a legit Minimalist lifestyle (the hubby is still on the fence on this one though) If I buy something only to discover that I already have it in my home then that's a red flag. Not knowing means I'm not organized enough to know what's already in my home or I'm shopping impulsively. There might be other reasons I'm not going to get into that on this post but if I find myself buying the same items repeatedly, its time to take a step back.
Your Delivery Man gives you Santa vibes:
If the delivery man at my door sends me into a mental deep dive and I have no clue what's in the box, I'm probably overspending. I had a porch thief steal a package and wasn't even sure what had been stolen. That was a sign SIGN! Yes, we did go a bit crazy when the pandemic hit but it's been a year now, long enough to set personal systems in place that guarantee sensible shopping (more sense, less sentiment). Chances are if your purchases are feeling almost like Christmas gift surprises they weren't that important
Your space feels too small:
Closet space, living space even play space may start to feel too small as more items are added over a period, especially when nothing gets swapped out to make room for the new purchase. you may be overspending without realizing it. A new plant here, new curtains because you're bored with old ones or something kitschy from Etsy. Quarter endings are a great time to review your space and declutter.
2019 was my first time trying the Pennywise challenge and I've recommended it to some of my friends. I haven't tried it since the Pandemic hit though. That was because I underestimated Social media marketing, lol. I'll be starting the challenge again in April (April 1 to April 30)
What are some signs that you are overspending and what do you do to keep your spending under control?
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