What I Learned

What I’ve learned during the Living Well Spending Zero Challenge is I don’t need near as much as I think I do. I don’t need as many conveniences, meals out, and I certainly don’t need more clothes. I realized my previous “cutting back” wasn’t cutting it enough. Although I missed the dinners and the drinks, I felt better about my spending than I had in a long time.

This month I was more aware of every item that went into my cart. I realized I was buying extra tea, when I have a mound of it in my cabinet. I realized how many times I pick up a random DVD from Target. I realized how many dinners a month I actually schedule with friends. Although none of these things are bad, I just don’t need as much of them. I want a simpler life and these purchases don’t always contribute.

This is what I do “need,” a healthy life, a healthy mind, and a healthy pet. The rest are just details.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today is Little Bit of Everything by Keith Urban

Spending Zero Day 18

I miss brunch. Specifically I miss “eggs on the bayou” with a mimosa from Beach Diner in Atlantic Beach. Not eating out has been my biggest hurdle with the Living Well Spending Zero Challenge. My first obstacle came before the challenge even started. As I was trying to make plans with a friend, I realized our normal going for dinner was out, so I planned a walk on the beach instead.

After that bump the first week itself was a breeze. We had plenty of kale, beans, salad toppings, nut butter and organic whole grain bread and we were happy to eat it. We also didn’t have any specific plans involving food. The rest of the month has not been so easy. I love going out to eat and relaxing. Between date nights with Jimmy and regular outings with friends I know my restaurant habit is causing one of the biggest problems in my budget.

I used to never eat out. I felt if I was going to spend money I would rather allot it to something other than food. Then I started working in Key West. Since I flew down for work I expensed my meals. I started small, just eating at my hotel or pick up food somewhere near work, but then I made friends and started to explore the island.

I fell in love with the best food Key West has to offer. From Hogfish Bar and Grill to Louie’s Backyard I knew where to find the best of everything. I loved the time with friends, and my evenings felt like little vacations. The best part was everything went on my company credit card. I never had to actually pay attention to my bill.

When my company found someone who lived closer to the account to cover it, I still craved the fun atmosphere and delicious food I had grown accustomed to. This “craving” lead to more nice meals out at home, and choosing what I wanted to eat with little regard for the price. Initially this wasn’t a bad thing. Jimmy and I went on more dates and I relaxed about spending money. The problem came in when I started caring more about the relaxation than the health of my bank account.

Around the same time I had also become very addicted to the happiness high I got from buying Lilly Pulitzer, and was trying to use my money to invest in continuing education and my new business. Needless to say this became a lethal combination for my finances and I am still working at picking up the pieces.

I got serious about picking them up faster eight months ago. I had stressed over my finances, but not enough to make the drastic changes that needed to occur. As I started to heal mentally and spiritually I stopped relying on outside highs. I began to crave a simpler life and a cleaner living space. I started running more at the beach and stopped buying so many workout DVDs. God became a bigger focus and outside factors weren’t as important in making me happy.

I know with time my cravings for “mini restaurant vacations” will decrease too; it’s just the next step in this journey.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. my favorite song today is How Far We’ve Come by Matchbox Twenty

Photo Credit: http://www.livingwellspendingless.com

Living Well Spending Zero Challenge

Fourteen days ago I started the Living Well Spending Zero Challenge. Yes Zero. Over the past six years I’ve gone from extreme saving, to not spending wisely, to learning to save again. I’m finally getting better at balance, but definitely still feel the repercussions of the between years. Right now Jimmy and I are planning our wedding, paying for regular maintenance on our older cars, and trying to save for a house, which we would love to be near the beach. With so many financial balls in the air there are many days I feel behind. I get frustrated with my spending or lack of resources, and am constantly reworking my goals as unexpected expenses come up.

A few months ago I stumbled on a blog called Living Well Spending Less. I read Ruth’s story and immediately identified with her struggles. When the Living Well Spending Zero Challenge showed up, it fit in perfectly with my happiness project and I was excited for some help and accountability.

The challenge itself is fairly simple, no spending on extras. Extras of course include everything from going out to clothing to prepackaged meals. If you don’t need it to survive, then it’s out. Minimalism is key and the challenge is exactly what I needed to make my “finance month” a success.

My goal with this challenge is to prove to myself that I can save more, live simpler, and want less. I have a nice head start, but I think this is the push I need to keep getting better.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today is Money, Money, Money by ABBA

Monograms And Dollar Bills

My friend Misty introduced me to a new “game” that’s perfect for anyone wanting to save for Mai Tais or vacations! I was raised in a household that promoted only spending cash, living below your means, and rarely using credit cards. Twenty-eight years later I value those lessons, but have a hard time being disciplined. Starting when I moved to Atlanta and didn’t have access to my bank from home I became incredibly reliant on using my debit card, and then later credit cards. Now I rarely carry cash, which in all honesty is probably a terrible habit when you are trying to save.

While visiting friends in Clearwater, Florida this weekend, my lovely friend Misty asked if I had any dollar bills with L’s on them. I was incredibly confused and had to admit that I likely didn’t have a single dollar bill in the entirety of my purse. I also hadn’t noticed the large letter on the dollar bill in years, which she had to point out to me and our other friends at the table (it’s to the left of the face and in a circle in case you were wondering). Misty then went on to explain that she has been saving dollar bills with her last initial on them for her vacation fund and has managed to save over two hundred dollars in less than a month. By saving the L’s she started using cash more often, which has made her pay more attention to her spending and given her a nice start to her vacation fund.

Maybe it was the excitement of saving your “monogram” on the dollar bill or the thought of vacation, but by the end of the night all of us couldn’t wait to save!

I hope this helps you save for your next seaside soiree!

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today is Meanwhile Back At Mama’s by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Beautiful Motivation

The best thing about Coastal Living magazine is it keeps me motivated. This weekend I was craving shopping. I crave shopping like some people crave chocolate, and picking up necessities at Target wasn’t going to cut it. Luckily for me, and my bank account, Coastal Living arrived just in time. All it took was a glance at the beautiful cover and I knew nothing I could buy would make me feel as good as being able to one day see that view in person.

I love to travel and I love calling Jacksonville, Florida my home. I am unbelievably happy in Florida and I want to keep it that way. My shopping habits cause stress and could possibly ruin the life I want to have. I love my blue jean shorts and Lilly Pulitzer dresses, but adding more of them to my closet will just be more. I will be taking away from the trips Jimmy and I could take together and the home I hope to one day share. One more dress or pair of shorts isn’t going to make my life better, but meaningful moments in beautiful places will.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today is Better Together by Jack Johnson

Saving for I Do

While flipping through the new Athleta catalog I stare at beautiful new workout capris, matching sports bras, and casual summer dresses that I can’t wait to put in my closet! I stop myself and debate on what buying these items will actually mean. Now when contemplating purchases I not only think of mai tais, but also wedding guests. I have no idea where our wedding will be located, but I do know each guest will be expensive. Jimmy and I both have sizable families and lots of friends that we want to include in our wedding. Although mai tais and peace are great motivators to save, not being able to have my friends at my wedding is a great extra push to watch my spending.

I don’t want a lavish wedding, but even the simple beach weddings can cost a great deal if you want a fun party for a lot of people to go with it. I am reading books like Budget Weddings for Dummies and blog posts that discuss where to save and where to splurge. The problem is how do I know who is right? I read mixed messages about wedding coordinators, cost of all inclusive venues, and caterers. There are millions of opinions and billions of dollars spent on having the “perfect day.” I am not a wedding expert and I feel like I’m swimming in information. Although I have been in a lot of weddings and a part of planning many of those weddings, I still find myself quite unprepared. Pinterest is helpful and dangerous all at the same time. Within thirty minutes you can blow your budget by $50,000 taking in all the beautiful ideas.

I thought I would be better prepared, financially stable, and wiser when I got engaged, at least this is what I assumed at the age of nine about my late twenties. I don’t feel any of those things most days.

This is what I do know. I want a great wedding and a great honeymoon, but at a price I’m not nauseated at years down the line. I eventually want a beach home that includes a room for Jimmy’s surf stuff. Spending extra money on a single day will not help me get that or the extra mai tais in my future. I’m excited about my wedding, but also about my life to come, and I want to be financially prepared for fun after I say I do.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song of the day is I Do by Colbie Caillat

You Can Have Anything You Want ...

You can have anything you want, but you can’t have everything. Growing up my dad would regularly repeat this line to emphasize life is about choices. For everything you choose something else must be sacrificed, whether it be time, money, or other opportunities. I often remind myself of this phrase when I ask “what do I want?”

Until a few years ago I was an excellent saver. At the time I felt guilty for not saving more, but looking back I was quite impressive. On a limited income I was able to save almost half of what I made. I became even more impressive with saving when I became a consultant dietitian. As a consultant I would send invoices for payment and sometimes the checks would take over a month to arrive. Because of the possible delay in payment, I lived well below my means and always had plenty of money in savings in case it had to pay the rent. At that time I would also compare anything I might purchase to a cruise. I was going through a difficult depression and the only thing that would offer glimmers of happiness was a vacation. Particularly ones that took me to other beaches and out to sea. I would occasionally buy myself new items from Lilly Pulitzer, but it all stood the “cruise test” before making it into my shopping bag.

Financially I was doing incredibly well, but mentally I was falling apart. Things got worse when I found out my boyfriend’s family wasn’t thrilled by all the vacations we were taking and I had to be cut off from my regular cruising. I started looking for other areas to find pieces of happiness and dove head first into becoming one of the top customers for Lilly Pulitzer. In case you are unfamiliar with the brand, becoming one of those top customers means you are regularly spending a small fortune. The beautiful atmosphere of the store and the fantastic girls that worked there kept me coming back for more.

I realized I had a problem after spending over $700 on sale merchandise that I had passed up on previous visits. My friend Betsy taught me that if you didn’t love an item enough to pay full price for it, then it certainly wasn’t worth buying on sale. I hadn’t loved any of those items enough before and I definitely wasn’t waiting on baited breath for anything to come into a cheaper price range, I simply wanted the emotional high of buying pretty Lilly items. Since there was no new stock I made do with what was available.

Although it’s been two years since I first recognized the problem my spending still needs significant improvement. My income has decreased twice, and although I have tried adjusting my budget I haven’t always been successful. I still love going out for nice dinners and want to buy everything I’m coveting. I’ve also started several businesses, which any entrepreneur knows takes a chunk of money. Because I felt guilt over my investing, I would restrict my spending only to what would benefit my business. After long periods of denying myself I would hit a wall then overindulge. The guilt that comes with that is never worth the purchases, but I also haven’t gotten myself to stop this toxic behavior.

I now find myself surround by things I thought I wanted that are now causing the clutter in my apartment. I would love to just get rid of everything except I need to pay bills and feel guilty not selling what can be sold. I also need someone with no attachment to my stuff to help me make decisions on everything I need to part with. Expensive or unused purchases are the hardest for me to give away or sell, but that doesn’t make them useful to my lifestyle now.

This weekend I decided I needed to start a new plan. I started again debating what do I want? Do I really want stuff? Where do I want my time and resources to go? So far this is what I’ve decided. I want to live in a clutter free environment. I want my apartment to be a place of joy and relaxation and not a place of stress. I want to enjoy drinks and dinners with friends. I want to go to Hawaii and eat the amazing fresh fruit. I want to travel to the real French Polynesia, not just the recreated version in Disney World. I want to speak fluent French. I want my beautiful home on the beach. I want to not stress over my every purchase and I want to live my life more carefree.

With these “wants” in mind I’ve created a new plan. I am starting with “Do I want this more than Tahiti?” If I think the answer might be yes I am following up with a second question: “Do I want this to take a spot in my apartment?” And then lastly: “Is this going to bring me peace?” I think the last is the most important question. My goal in life is to be content. Fighting constant battles with guilt and stress makes contentment far out of reach.

Yesterday I started this change with putting motivating beach pictures on the home screen of my iPad. Today I returned $120 worth of stuff to Nordstrom that I wasn’t in love with and started seriously using my budget app on my phone. By tomorrow I am planning to have several items up for sale on eBay. I know this will not be easy, but in the long run it will definitely be worth it.

Until next time,

Kaycee

P.S. My favorite song today is Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby, definitely a classic!