Not spending money - self talk

It would be fun to record my conversations with my self sometimes. They can be quite rational and encouraging or they can be hard, tough love. I bet it would sound interesting to outsiders LOL

Yesterday was a money self talk day. I am trying to project if I can get my savings goals and my LOC actually all taken care of by Dec 31.

I go through spurts of great attention to money detail, to those of little attention besides the $ balance at the end of the month. Right now I am on the great attention phase.

So at home yesterday was just  DS1 and myself. DH and DS2 were gone a scout camping. Technically it was just me home most of the day. DS1 had gone to a........gathering...the night before and they tented there on the friend's farm, so they didn't have to drive home. a smart option.

When it came time for lunch, DS1 was out like a light so it was just me. and oh my, but I wanted to go get something for lunch. Not healthy. Fast food. A Mc D burger was calling me. and then, the self talk began!

Did I have enough WW points to make this work? yup it was doable.

Did I have money in my grocery jar? yup I did.

But it would be about $10. And gas to get over and back - about $2.50 to $3 depending on traffic.

I had food in the house. I just didn't want it. I hemmed and hawed for what felt like forever. I had my keys in hand at one point, a frying pan on the stove at another. You would think I was deciding something important.

What did it for me was that $10. All I kept thinking was I could tuck that $10 (if any was left at the end of the week in the jar) into my snowflake and throw it down on a savings goal.

So what? $10. big whoop. treat yourself, the little shoulder devil said.

So you treat yourself, said the shoulder angel. And then next week? cuz like you won't have this fight again? $10 a week saved would net you 22 x $10 = $220. wouldn't it be nice to whap down $220 on a debt or savings goal?

But that's only if you actually did find $10 a week, said shoulder devil.

It was quite funny.

I ended up having a bowl of soup and a salad and I didn't die from not getting what I wanted. It took a bit for that urge to go to pass, but it passed.

For supper I vowed to do the same without the exhausting battle. I found a chicken breast in the freezer, cooked it up with a little olive oil and spices. I had fettucine noodles. I made laughing cow alfredo sauce. I had the urge for garlic bread. We had a couple of hamburger buns that were getting a little dry for burgers but would be great to make 4 pieces of garlic toast. I had one piece and DS had 3. And I survived, without spending money.

But wow, that is just one snapshot of one day. I don't win all the battles, but I win some of them :-)

Source: http://shakingthemoneytree.blogspot.com/2012/08/not-spending-money-self-talk.html

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