Spending Pressure

I was so excited when our day care payment for our oldest went away this year. We were also winding down on the number of diapers purchased for our 2 year old as she  was in the process of potty training, so man, did it feel like we were getting a weekly financial bonus. I’ve noticed though that with the shift to these older ages, I’m feeling more pressure to spend money on things for them. Here is what I’m observing for my spending expectations:

• August – Back to School shopping
• September – School pictures/buy extra theme day outfits for the sports teams local to your area because they happen every week and it feels weird to send them in the same outfit every time (I know that’s my own inner dialogue) 
• October – Halloween costumes(pre-made, not homemade because who has time in a 2 working parent household to make costumes)/candy/review the Amazon Holiday Catalog that is mailed before Halloween and spend money on early Christmas presents
• November – Buy Christmas presents during all the pre-holiday sales
• December – Christmas – buy more because things are on better sale and maybe return the gifts I already purchased or just keep them because they are past return date or I don’t feel like dedicating time to a return line

The rest of the year continues in similar fashion with each month having some holiday that our society tells us we should spend money on. None of this feels aligned with me. I want my kids to have a happy childhood and not be the “weird kid” if we choose to live more simply, but my intuition is saying to pause and reflect before I simply hand over my money.  

Here’s a few reflections:

• Our society grooms us to spend. And especially today, every media source you watch or scroll on gives you an opportunity to instantly make a purchase. Be aware of what you are consuming. 
• Note that nothing that I listed above in my seasonal spending list is about spending money on donations to those in need. Giving Tuesday falls after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. – What if instead we planned for and gave first? Would our hearts be a little bigger for others and would we stay better within our budgets when it came time to shop for our own loved ones?
• I don’t need to spend for every holiday. For example, Halloween as it is today, is not my jam.  I like the creativity of the homemade costumes and decorations, but generally speaking the gory & spooky things that are glamorized during this season, creep me out. If it’s a holiday that doesn’t fill my cup, do I really need to spend money extra on it?
• Make a budget and stay on budget – generally speaking our extra income goes to travel and at some point my husband and I would love to remodel our kitchen. Both of these things are important to me. Blowing my fun money on the “extras” of every season will not help me reach my goals.

It seems simple, but in the hustle and bustle of today’s world as a parent, and as an adult in general, it’s so easy to “add to my cart” and to mindlessly spend. The line between needs and wants becomes incredibly blurry unless we keep focused on it. So the next time you go on Amazon to purchase something that you think you or your kid NEEDS delivered in 2 days to your home, pause and see if that item really is a need or if it is a WANT. Fight the pressure to spend for instant gratification and instead, be intentional. 

On that note, I’ll go unsubscribe to the 8000 marketing emails that I receive every day 🙂