Hello, yeah, it's been a while.
Not much, how 'bout you?
What does a song by England Dan and John Ford Coley have to do with saving money? Nothing, except that the opening lyrics are hello, yeah, it's been a while...and it has. I used to do wallet watches more often in 2013 & 2014, but in 2015 we paid off some debt, I settled into my spending patterns and didn't really need to be overly careful.
Entering February, I'm coming off of an international vacation and a solid three months of increased spending getting the shore house up and running. In March, we re-open the house and have more stuff to do throughout the spring and in April, taxes are due. I could stand to watch the ol' wallet this month.
I'm not freezing all spending in February, but I am watching my wallet. My rules:
1. Wallet watch lasts from February 1 - February 29
2. Do not purchase any shoes, apparel, accessories, or home goods.
3. No Amazon shopping.
4. Mind the food and household spending - use the food in the freezers and pantry.
5. No purchasing beauty products or makeup unless something runs out and there is not a feasible substitute.
6. Approved spends: hair cut and color, tip for my massage (set aside in January), weekend away February 12-14, M-F Dunkin Donuts coffee
7. I must track spending and share how I did on Friday, March 4.
Do you want to get in on this? This is not a spending freeze unless you want it to be. Otherwise, this is a wallet watch. In the wallet watch, you make the rules - maybe you want to spend $10 less on coffee, $20 less at the grocery store, pay off $50 more on a bill, save a certain amount for an upcoming vacation, or see how little you can spend period. Your watch, your rules. Whatever goals you set for yourself, be realistic.
If you're planning to do a Wallet Watch in February, maybe you can join me by sharing or posting your results on March 4?
