Whether you’re paying off a large amount of debt or have a lofty savings goal, staying focused for the long haul can be a challenge. In order to make noticeable progress toward your goal, you have to keep at it day in and day out. Some goals (like ours) are years in the making. That’s a lot of days of being focused!
If you’re like me, some days you’ll feel energized and ready to sprint toward your goal. You’re willing to give up whatever is necessary to reach your goal and you don’t let anything stand in your way. You see your financial journey as a race that you’re winning. You don’t even get discouraged when haters mock you and are eager to see you fail.
Then there are other days. Days where you don’t want to pack another sack lunch as long as you live. Days where you want to eat steak instead of meatless spaghetti. Days where you doubt that your sacrifices will ever really make a difference.
It’s normal to have days where saving money (and all that it entails) makes your grumpy. You’re just plain sick of saving and scrimping.
I was having one of those days yesterday. While my idea of splurging isn’t going to the mall (what’s that?) and buying new shoes or designer handbags, I really wanted to pay someone to clean my kitchen, do the laundry, and make dinner last night. If takeout were an option, I surely would have splurged for that, but the 40 minute drive with hungry, grumpy kids didn’t sound like it would improve the situation (and that wouldn’t have solved the laundry or messy kitchen either).
In my case, my patient husband handled the kids (who happened to be extra exhausting) when he got home while I channeled my frustration into cleaning up the kitchen and living room. It’s amazing how quickly a clean house can change my outlook and motivation.
Here are some ideas to help you keep focused even when you want to splurge:
Look at How Far You’ve Come
Normally we want to look forward, but it’s beneficial to take a look back every now and then to see your progress. When you are tempted to splurge, take a look at how far you’ve come. You will be inspired by your own success and you won’t want to wreck what you’ve done.
Also, be sure to remember the “why” of your goal. A solid “why” behind your goal can be really powerful!
Focus on Something Else
Wracking your brain for another way to reduce your spending or yet another way to earn money– though sometimes energizing– can also be exhausting. When you’ve taken frugal to the limits, it’s healthy to give the money-saving side of your brain a break.
While your tendency may be to break out of your frugal habits, try diverting your focus with a good alternative that doesn’t involve spending. You could get lost in an inspiring book or do some cleaning and organizing around the house.
Make a List
Depending on your personality, making a list might just make your day. I am a natural list-maker. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, one of the best ways for me to “take a load off” is to make a list. Trying to hold all my “to-do”s or grand ideas in my head hurts my brain sometimes. Getting it all out on paper helps me relax and deal with life more rationally.
Lists aren’t limited to groceries or “to-do”s. You could even make a list of things you would love to splurge on right now. Once you’ve written down the things you want to spend money on, you might find you’ve got the urge out of your system.
Indulge in a Little Splurge
I’m giving you permission (not that you need my permission) to a little splurge every now and then. When you realize there are seasons to save and seasons to spend you will learn to give yourself grace. You can’t do everything all of the time. It’s okay to simplify. For me a simple splurge on cold cereal or store-bought bread can lighten my load and turn my outlook around.
Reassess your Goal
When a goal is overly ambitious either in scope or time frame, it can be more frustrating than fruitful. If your goal is too far out of reach. You might consider breaking it down into more manageable chunks. Having a more attainable goal (even if it is only a piece of the greater goal), will help you to stay focused instead of falling into a funk.
I’m thankful that my grumpy days are few and far between. I’m blessed with a husband who also has a positive outlook and rarely gets in a funk.
What About You?
- What keeps you going when you’re sick of saving and want to splurge?
- What helps you resist the urge to splurge? (Ha– that rhymes!)
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I’ve ask my husband to wait until the next paycheck if there’s something frivolous he wants to buy. He usually forgets about it. We each get 5% of our tax return to spend on ourselves, no questions asked. The other 90% goes towards major household improvements.
Ack. This hits right home! We purchased our condo in February after 5 LONG years of paying off our debt, saving our emergency fund AND saving for our home. I thought I was going to be able to spruce up the house, decorate a bit and put in a garden….and then life started hacking away at us! This has been the most expensive year of my life!! Car problems for both me and hubby, weird bills from our new HOA AND now hubby needed knee surgery, welp – in addition to moving costs, 2 appliances for our kitchen and several visits from repair guys. There’s only so many place I can cut, ya know?! So I bought a curling iron. Didn’t need one, could’ve gone without it but I wanted to spend a little fun money ($10). And now I’m back to the money saving grind, in addition to looking for a part time job to help dig us out of this hole.
If I look though at how I was with money 5 years ago, this would have spiraled me out of control, what’s a little more debt, right?! But now I put on my big girl pannies, write my lists and get to work. Guess I’m really going to have to earn that garden I want! Solidarity sister, solidarity. You’re making it work and kicking butt! Keep at it!
That does sound like an expensive year!! I’m glad you’re at a point where all the expenses didn’t make you spiral out of control! Enjoy beautiful curls with your new curling iron! 🙂
I was having one of those days yesterday. My oldest daughter fell off the monkey bars at school on Wednesday and needed me to get her early. Yesterday I sent her to school knowing she had sprained her arm and told her no monkey bars. She took me too literally and used another bar, reinjured her arm and I had to go back and get her. While waiting for all doctors opinions on whether the arm was broken or not broken, I drove all over town trying to find a sling that would fit a child’s arm to remind her not to swing on any bars! After an hour, everyone was hungry and grumpy. We had already been to the doctor twice (the youngest had her well check up) and I was at my whits end. I “knew” that as soon as I got home the doctor would call and we would immediately have to go back and I didn’t want to fix lunch and I already was making dinner for a neighbor (and my kitchen was and still is a mess), so I took the kids to Chik Fil A and we all had chicken nuggets with fry sauce and fruit. And it was glorious! I took the money from the grocery budget (because I’m under there and it’s gotta come from somewhere) and I don’t regret it at all. I still made dinner for the neighbor (albeit half an hour late), and we now have a sling to help the elbow heal more smoothly, and I have high hopes of getting the kitchen cleaned this morning because otherwise I don’t have time for it to happen! We all have those days, weeks, and months! I think we sometimes just pay for a convenience and let it be. Saving and paying down debt are great, but not to the detriment of our sanity! The great thing is that my kids thought lunch was the coolest ever because we never do things like that. So it was a party. And I loved that! It made the stress level go down another notch.
Yikes! Poor girl! That’s definitely a valid reason for eating out in my book. I love how keeping those special splurges to a minimum really makes them special.
Unfortunately, this post came a w days too late. I had some medical expenses come up this month which irritated me. I thought my student loan would be gone in six months, but now it will be seven. I was disappointed. I want it gone! I was goi to buy a new iPad when I was done, as a reward. Well, I bought a new iPad a few days ago. I don’t regret it. It was actually nice to have a “cheat” month on my budget. I think I’ve been sticking too close to my budget and not allowing for little splurges. I guess that got the best of me. Either way, I’m so happy with my new iPad, my medical bills are being paid, and I’ll get back to it next month
I like to “splurge” at garage sales. The browsing and maybe buying a little something nice for myself is relaxing, while only costing $10 or so.
Love this! My daughter has been asking when we can go to garage sales again. We don’t have them out here in the boonies! 🙁
Oh, I can empathize with those days! I think it’s especially hard when you’ve been at it for awhile – in your case, for example, you’ve been in law school mode (which is financially challenging) and then you have to spend several years to pay off the loans. Sometimes I just give myself a break and try to keep the splurge to a minimum. For example, this past weekend after church we decided to take our kids to the local children’s museum, which we already had a membership for, so that was free. I had packed lunches for the kids, but my husband and I split a $6 footlong from Subway. Physically I could have eaten a PB&J too, but mentally and emotionally I really needed a footlong. 🙂 Now, if I did that every Sunday, or whenever life was hard, it could become a problem, but we rarely get something like that and in the grand scheme of things I think it was okay. I knew we would be eating beans and rice later in the week and all would return to normal.
Perfect example Jenni! And now I’m craving a foot long! 🙂
I would also add that you can focus on someone else. Try to do something kind or helpful for another. I will often write a letter to an elderly relative, send an encouraging text to a friend, or make my husband’s favorite supper. By thinking about someone else, I am not thinking of myself and my desire to splurge.
Yes! This is one of my go-to responses (and advice to others) for “feeling down” generally, but I haven’t tried it as a way to stave off the itch to splurge. But you are right– when we want to splurge it’s because we are thinking of ourselves. Thinking of others should curb that! 🙂 Thanks Sarah!
I completely agree. If you are always looking forward you only see what you haven’t accomplished and if you never look back you don’t realize how much you have already done. If you don’t enjoy life in your journey they you become resentful and likely give up along the way. You are doing better than you think most of the time. Stay positive. The satisfaction of seeing a nice bank account is greater than the need to spend once you start to see it build up. Doesn’t mean I can’t spend $50 so my wife and daughter can have a pass to go play at the local attraction. We have all worked hard together to get where we are at. Enjoy your successes in life!
I agree– it’s important to find joy in the journey!