March Low Buy Check In

Happy April! Here is my update for March:

Items purchased:

- Lululemon yoga pants (replacement)

- Lululemon t shirt (replacement, though not totally necessary)

- Knix yoga pants (replacement)

- Everlane cardigan (replacement)

Items used up:

- Cetaphil face wash

- Lush body spray

Items decluttered/discarded:

- Jade roller

- 2 pairs of shoes

- 1 hoodie

- 3 pairs of compression socks

- 2 sports bras

- 2 pairs of shorts

- 1 cardigan

- 1 pair of pants

- 1 heated blanket

- 7 pairs of scrub pants

- 5 pair of underwear

27 items total

Reflecting on the last two months

I knew going into this low buy challenge that I would end up purchasing some items that I had been putting off while I was unemployed (like shiny new yoga pants and an Everlane cardigan that I had been eyeing for about two years).

I gotta say, the way I've set up my budget and now seeing how much less I'll be paid as an RN in Newfoundland compared to BC, I sort of feel guilty buying those items, but I also know that it wasn't endless purchasing just because now I had a job, it was really just a few things and it'll all be ok. Plus, I am seeing how long I can go without replacing my blundstones that I sold in BC, and so far... it's been 6 months! I wanted to see if I could make it through the winter without them and well now it's April and I haven't bought any boots! I've been just getting more use out of my 2 pairs of Doc Marten boots instead... small wins haha.

BUT, again, seeing my paychecks and thinking about how hard I had to work for them and knowing that my main goal is to save money so we can pursue other things and eventually not need to work traditional jobs. I AM MOTIVATED.

Right now my budget is set up so that I save 40% of my paychecks (this is an extreme goal for now, but we want to save for another down payment). You can imagine that this doesn't leave a ton of extra money once our bills are paid. But my goal is to have $25,000 saved. Having a number helps keep me motivated in times of weakness too.

I actually keep a bank account named "Wants" where my extra income (usually 20% of my paychecks) goes into and that is for all unnecessary purchases such as clothing, hair cuts, travelling, literally anything that is not a "necessity" to keep us fed and sheltered and transported.

The suggestions for savings that I have always followed are 20% for savings, 30% for wants, but when I have a savings goal I flip it so that I still allow some money for fun things but I am more effectively saving during that time.

Anyways, that's it for this check in.

Thanks for stopping by!