Spend Less Challenge Accomplished!

I completed my spend less challenge today on the eve of Canada's birthday! AND I am $90 under budget even after spending almost $200 on repairing and tuning my husband's bike. My best budget-trimming tricks were:

• I rode my bike with the kid which prevented me from going into stores.
• I consciously made an effort not to buy clothes, toys and doodads for the house.
• I used my 30 day list and made do without.
• I tried to fill my time doing things for others.
• I spent time reading ZenHabits and incorporated minimalist ideas in my home and my way of being.

free art

 

 

 

I'm not sure if I believe that it takes 21 days to break a habit, but I can say that after a month of spending less on "stuff" and keeping "junk" out of the house, it has almost become automatic to ask myself, do I really need this? and almost 99% of the time, the answer is no. I don't need it if it's on sale, and I don't need it if it's free. It's freeing to say no. Less shopping means more time for strawberry picking, bike riding, chatting with friends, making bird-houses, singing Oh Canada, baking muffins, blowing bubbles, and writing.