Kate performs new feats of restraint!

New Year's resolutions are not my thing, but I am a huge sucker for new years. New months. New beginnings. I actually love Monday, because it is so full of potential for the rest of my week (go ahead, mock). I spend Sunday evenings with two calendars charting our activities. I spend the end of each month doing web searches for fun stuff to do the next month. I love fresh starts.

This year, Ryan and I decided to do something different with our annual fresh start. A financial spending freeze from January 1 to March 31 (and then we'll evaluate). No money shall be spent unless it is a "necessity" or for Rory. Groceries are good, eating out is a no-no. Coffee at home (the reason for the quotes on necessity) is grand, coffee out is verboten.

Guess who cracked first? I'll give you a hint. It was not me. Fortunately, we're a team, and good decisions were made.

Why do such an exercise? Mostly,  Ryan just likes anything that means we're saving more money, and I felt like I had some attitudes and habits I wanted to get out of. I think we all know how I like to host fancy French dinners and wear fancy things out to fancy events while sashaying on fancy shoes. And I grew concerned that my sense of entitlement to these things was becoming a problem, that I was setting a poor example for Rory, and it just seemed like a good time to do it.

The rules are
1. No eating out.
2. No buying alcohol (wine...argh!)
3. Rory's activities (dance, birthday) go on as planned, with an eye for economical options
4. Cheaper options whenever possible (for instance, I now buy margarine instead of butter).
5. No movies, no entertainment that costs money. The exception to that being my singing lessons, since they are cheap and important to me.

I know, it seems like a lot of exceptions. I'm not interested in being a monk or making my life intolerable.

And so far?

It's been really great. The biggest side effect of this project really surprised me.

Gratitude.

My friend Christie came back from Germany with a bottle of wine for me. Made my whole day and Ryan and I enjoyed a relaxing evening drinking it while Rory was at her grandparents. A huge treat.

I checked my Starbucks card and found five dollars on it, and a free drink once I spend that. TWO coffees out with friends! I was over the moon.

My voice teacher wrote down the wrong date and didn't show. FREE lesson!

And the second side effect is pretty fun, too. Creativity.

Ryan's birthday falls in the middle of our spending freeze,  and I have a really fun idea for his present. Instead of a $200+ French dinner for our monthly friend dinner, I'm making pasta and everyone is bringing add ons for a pasta bar. I have lots of wax leftover from Christmas candle making, so I invited people to bring over empty jars and make some candles. Still being social. Just more at home. And more thrifty.

I really thought this would be more of a struggle for me, but it's been fun. I like seeing our bank account getting fatter. I like developing new habits and ways of thinking about this stuff.

Now I just need to figure out how to make housework this rewarding...