Admittedly, the past few days have been pretty easy for us as far as spending goes. We're actually up by $8.00, go figure. We didn't intentionally plan to go AWOL right after our biggest holiday of the year, but I am really thankful that we did.
On the one hand, if you're going to re-brand your lifestyle, just doing it cold turkey might be the only way that you'll ever make the leap. But some may feel like it's such a huge change that planning for it isn't such a bad idea. I feel like we got the best of both worlds by impulsively starting the day after Christmas. We ripped the band-aid off, but conveniently, with a few cash gifts from generous relatives still un-spent and leftovers in the fridge.
Obviously I don't want to put anybody into one single category. We all come from different social, religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Maybe every day of the year is the same for you. Then pick one and go. The important thing isn't having a cushion starting out, it's that you're starting. But if I could give any advice to the few reckless souls who might find themselves following in our footsteps, it would be to wait until your most boisterous and merry day of the year, enjoy the hell out of yourselves, and then pretend that Ash Wednesday happens every day for the next year. Because starting strong with some good things to eat or new toys to keep the kids busy, or even some extra money to put toward a debt takes the sting out of the initial realization that you're not a wayward consumer any longer.
On the one hand, if you're going to re-brand your lifestyle, just doing it cold turkey might be the only way that you'll ever make the leap. But some may feel like it's such a huge change that planning for it isn't such a bad idea. I feel like we got the best of both worlds by impulsively starting the day after Christmas. We ripped the band-aid off, but conveniently, with a few cash gifts from generous relatives still un-spent and leftovers in the fridge.
Obviously I don't want to put anybody into one single category. We all come from different social, religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Maybe every day of the year is the same for you. Then pick one and go. The important thing isn't having a cushion starting out, it's that you're starting. But if I could give any advice to the few reckless souls who might find themselves following in our footsteps, it would be to wait until your most boisterous and merry day of the year, enjoy the hell out of yourselves, and then pretend that Ash Wednesday happens every day for the next year. Because starting strong with some good things to eat or new toys to keep the kids busy, or even some extra money to put toward a debt takes the sting out of the initial realization that you're not a wayward consumer any longer.
"The life that I aspire to live
No man proposeth me,
Only the promise of my heart
Wears its emblazonry."
-Henry David Thoreau
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