Impulse spending, begone!
2022 was the first full year of running my own biz (!!) and it was thrilling, but also like really realllllly expensive. There are just so many things to think about: insurance, taxes, packaging … the whole shebang. It’s wild to see how the sausage gets made, because you’re the one making the sausage.
As it was my first full year in biz, I felt like I was running to catch up the entire damn time. I wasn’t really focused on being profitable, and more on “can I even make this work?” So we did alright (we meaning just me, I’m my only employee. chic!), but it certainly wasn’t a banner year in terms of income. But of course, that didn’t stop me from spending like I usually do. Which, in hindsight? Not the best.
What this long ass intro brings us to is my top tier resolution for 2023: Less spending on little stuff — the stuff I impulse buy and don’t actually need (or honestly want, after the thrill of purchasing has worn off) — and more saving for the big stuff (travel! a lakehouse! etc.).
So how to curb my impulse spending, which is as natural to me as breathing? Enter: A SPREADSHEET!
This was not a long, thought out process. I made this, as I do everything, on a whim. But the goal is every single time I want something — literally anything that is not groceries or rent is going on this list — I must add it to the spreadsheet. Then I cannot buy said thing until the very end of the month. When I’ll go back through the spreadsheet and see if I even still want the thing to begin with. If I still want, I’ll check if I have the budget, and then finallllly allow myself to buy it.
What the spreadsheet covers:
The Item
Cost
Why do I even want this?
Do I already own something similar I could use up instead?
Is it a want or a need?
How long will it last?
I love the idea of being able to look over the month and see how much I saved by not just buying every single tiny thing that I want, then regretting it later. Plus, I’m hoping it will help with the whole thing where I get to the end of the month and inevitably go, “where the hell did all my money disappear to?” Instead, I’ll have a spreadsheet of exactly what was purchased and what wasn’t. Win!
Will I have the self-control to keep this up all year long? Who can say!
Hey, Kelly here. Welcome to The Landline. Dial in for gentle deep dives into anything and everything I'm obsessing over at the moment (mostly sane, always silly). Grab your Diet Coke, wind that phone cord around your finger, and let's get to it.