Budget Tip Tuesday: The Temptation to Make Too Much Change

Perhaps you’ve been here before.

Never again will I . . . 

I quit . . . forever!

It’s time to make some changes around here, no one else is  . . . 

Whether it’s pursuing a new path of fitness, an intentionality to our nutrition, disciplining our kids, controlling our calendars, or delving into our finances, change is good! However, if we attempt to make too much change too quickly, our efforts are fruitless and we’re left chasing our tails or worse burnt out.

I often explain it this way. If you are a hard core Diet Coke drinker, say 3-4 a day, and today you declare, “As long as I shall live, I will drink it no more, forever.” Not only will you go through a hard core case of the shakes and mood swings making people flee from your presence for the next 4-5 days, odds are you’ll also end up failing. At the end of the week, you’ll sit in the corner rocking yourself back and forth, murmuring the new Taylor Swift Diet Coke jingle, with smashed cans strewn about you and a 24 pack box that looks like a wild animal ripped into it.

In the same way, if you’re looking to get on a budget for the first time (or maybe get back at it), too many drastic changes will result in a failure to keep at it. Instead I often tell people to look for 1-2 simple ways that they can decrease their spending. Don’t dive into 150 changes at once. Here are some easy (and true life) ways to curb overspending that might be a good fit for you.

• Go on a “Party Fast.” Pampered Chef, Matilda Jane, Thirty-One, Mary Kay, Scentsy, Premier Jewelry . . . I love them all. But some of you have a serious addiction to the party circuit. You are a party girl, not in the drinking out of red cups and yanking up your shirt sort of way, but in the I *have* to buy something even if it’s the cheapest thing in the catalog sort of way. Three Months, six months, a year . . . whatever it takes for you to take a step back and explain to your friends, that you’re not in a party mode right now and while you LOVE them, you can’t come.

• SuperStore Dash. Some of you need to set the alarm on your phone when you go to Target. Wandering the aisles is DANGEROUS business for you. I got it. You need toilet paper. Your baby needs diapers. There’s no milk. But you need to treat these trips like seek and destroy missions, not a pleasure cruise. Get in, get it, and get out. If you need time to yourself to think, go sit on a park bench. 😉

• Don’t Subscribe to Magazines. This can be a dual budget trap. Not only are they an unnecessary expense (you can find most content online or at the library) but typically the driving force of a magazine is to make you want M-O-R-E. They don’t care about your personal health. They don’t want to help you be a better parent. They don’t even want you to improve your finances. Magazines are vehicles for ads: the newest fashion, the best gadget, the most beautiful home, the cutest shoes, the amazing get away vacation. This drives desire that will entangle your soul. Cancel it. Let it lapse. But certainly don’t subscribe (even if my cute kid comes to your door selling stuff for band).

• Learn How to Coupon. You don’t have to be extreme (believe it or not, I’m not). But there are plenty of ways to save without spending your time and emotional resources dumpster diving for old Sunday paper inserts. I have a great opportunity coming up for you on October 28th 6-8 PM, A Royal Coupon Class Sponsored by theCityMoms in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. Learn the best places to find coupons. Get an organizational system that works for you. And maximize the coupons you use whether they’re of a paper or digital variety. This 2 hour class is $12/person and you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a coupon, binder, too.

• Meal Plan. You hear me preach it every. single. Monday. One of the best ways to be intentional with all you have is to meal plan. Begin by opening your cabinets, pantry, fridge, and freezer. See what you have before you write down a single item on your grocery list. Deduce what you can make with what you already have or by adding only 1-2 items. More people get off track in how they feed their face than any other place. It doesn’t have to be gourmet or elaborate. And it doesn’t have to be restrictive, either. Feel free to move evenings around or swap out dishes. You simply must begin where you are by managing what you already have.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Instead institute a small change and roll with it for 30 days before you choose yet another small change and put it into place. Before you know it, you’ll be a sum total of plenty of great small changes and that will yield a great reward.

From my experience, a little bit over a long period of time can add up to . . . well $127K in debt eliminated.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

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