This week, my mood got a little better.  So did my energy.

 It was just too hot and muggy last week.

I meant to do a recap of week four of our “no spend month,” but I just didn’t have the energy. Between prepping for my daughter’s birthday party and a mini trip, not to mention my mood, it just wasn’t happening.

I must admit that the last week was hard and almost counter productive, especially having a birthday party and road trip. I caved an had two coffees “out” to get some “me time.” Each coffee was only $2.18. It didn’t exactly break the bank, but was still counterproductive. 

I also spent money on both the party (obviously) and the trip.

I will say I was more mindful of my purchases. I shopped my shed first to find supplies for the birthday goody bags (from my mom or sales).All I needed to buy was a couple packs of candy and that’s it.

I also decided to bake cupcakes instead of just buying from the supermarket. Instead of spending over $30, I spent about $12 on supplies.If I wasn’t in the “no spend month,” I would have just bought the cupcakes without a second thought and wouldn’t have really dug in the shed for goody bag items.

One thing I did before my road trip was to prep coffee and dinner at home instead of stopping for some along the way. It was tedious, especially since I had to get everyone ready alone while Pat was at work, but it saved so much in the end.I also brought way more snacks then I needed, just in case since I usually end up buying something on the road. I can’t say I know an exact amount of money that we “saved” during the “no spend month,” but we were able to budget in a birthday party and a mini vacation well.I call that is a win in my book. 

It really isn’t easy, especially when unexpected emergencies come up or an extra outing happens because it’s just too hot in the house. I will say that it is a fun challenge because it forces you to get creative, plus makes you second guess your purchases with questions such as:

“Do I really need this or is this something I am just buying on impulse?”

“Do I have something similar already at home?”

Or

“Let me put this item back and if I really want it, I get it next week.”

I definitely want to redo the “no spend month” at some point in the fall. If you didn’t join me this time, maybe next time you will. 😉