I just have to say that Day 5 was hard. I did not want to stay home and save money yesterday. I had a bad attitude about it but I powered through, and whew today is 1000x better. There are hard times on this journey but staying focused on the bigger prize helps keep us on track.
With me losing weight I have learned that I am an emotional eater...and since I can't do that anymore I think I transferred those emotions to shopping. I don't have to spend a lot of money but just spending something seems to be soothing, until the regret of spending even a small amount of money frivolously sets in or I have to clean out the closets. My dear, sweet, inspirational hubby said it best today. "I would rather bite the bullet and make these radical changes now and enjoy our money in a bigger way later, than to satisfy our immediate wants and miss out on the bigger things we could have had." And by things he doesn't necessarily mean material possessions or destinations. Even though that surely is one of the perks to controlling your finances and enjoying the smaller things in life. There are other blessings that come with being a good steward of your money. You can help others in need when situations arise. You can bless God's ministry and his servants where before it may have only been a passing thought. You can retire and not be dependent on the government. You can know the joy of living in a paid for home, and enjoy your grandkids instead of working because you have to and the list goes on and on. So when you hit the hard times please power through and realize there is a greater reward at stake and you will be glad you did.
The really great thing about this challenge is the fact that my husband has gotten really excited about us being more aware of our money. When I look at it from his perspective it makes sense. We live a very traditional life. He works long hours in a local plant, while I stay home and mother our children and take care of the home. He views his job as a way to show his love and commitment to us. When we spend carefully it shows that his time and hard work mean something to us and that we cherish his gift of love. So in turn he is more excited to save, and in the long term it means that he can stop working at some point and just enjoy his family with what he worked so hard for.
With me losing weight I have learned that I am an emotional eater...and since I can't do that anymore I think I transferred those emotions to shopping. I don't have to spend a lot of money but just spending something seems to be soothing, until the regret of spending even a small amount of money frivolously sets in or I have to clean out the closets. My dear, sweet, inspirational hubby said it best today. "I would rather bite the bullet and make these radical changes now and enjoy our money in a bigger way later, than to satisfy our immediate wants and miss out on the bigger things we could have had." And by things he doesn't necessarily mean material possessions or destinations. Even though that surely is one of the perks to controlling your finances and enjoying the smaller things in life. There are other blessings that come with being a good steward of your money. You can help others in need when situations arise. You can bless God's ministry and his servants where before it may have only been a passing thought. You can retire and not be dependent on the government. You can know the joy of living in a paid for home, and enjoy your grandkids instead of working because you have to and the list goes on and on. So when you hit the hard times please power through and realize there is a greater reward at stake and you will be glad you did.
The really great thing about this challenge is the fact that my husband has gotten really excited about us being more aware of our money. When I look at it from his perspective it makes sense. We live a very traditional life. He works long hours in a local plant, while I stay home and mother our children and take care of the home. He views his job as a way to show his love and commitment to us. When we spend carefully it shows that his time and hard work mean something to us and that we cherish his gift of love. So in turn he is more excited to save, and in the long term it means that he can stop working at some point and just enjoy his family with what he worked so hard for.
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