The Big Spend

A casual experiment.

It seems as of late that I have become too big for my financial britches. Getting paid once a month instead of bi-weekly means that I am often faced with a giant sum of money that needs to be quickly broken down and distributed before I get it in my head that I have money than I do.

Usually, I’m very good about this. I consult the spreadsheet, I do the math, I move the money from one place to the other. Maybe because it’s winter or maybe because I have been at home a lot these days and haven’t left the house much, but it seems like every time I do, I spend money like I used to when I had a full-time job with a paycheck that came right as rain every two weeks, like clockwork.

Adjusting to this new way of living is an ongoing process and with anything new, there are bound to be errors. Spending diets and the like are generally not for me; I like to think that I have a decent handle on what I can buy and how I buy it. Something feels off and so I need to recalibrate. Instead of buying things willy-nilly, I’m going to try spending big chunks of money only once a month instead of every time I feel like it. Technically, this is a spending diet, I guess. Instead of dropping $50 and $60 here and there because I feel like it or because I want something or because I feel bad and haven’t left the house in a while, I will be a little more mindful about what I do.

Let’s call it the Big Spend: if I’m going to buy something new that costs a considerable amount of money, like shoes or ten books I won’t read until the summer or whatever, I can only do it once a month. I’m not sure that this will even save me any money, but it’s a nice way of holding myself accountable for the stuff that I buy and considering whether or not I actually need it.

This month, I’ve probably already made my purchase, but I’m making the rules here, so I’m going to start fresh. Maybe I’ll buy new glasses. Maybe I’ll get a plane ticket and go somewhere warmer for a few days. Maybe I’ll look at what I’ve done for the past few weeks, touch all the things in my house and realize that I don’t need anything after all.

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