Something you should know about me is I love me some good coffee.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact I got hooked on frappuccinos as a pre-teen (I know, they’re basically a milkshake… don’t come for me.)
Quite literally everyday from the time I started driving at 16 until I graduated from college, I drove myself to Starbucks and treated myself to a Caramel Frap and a pastry.
I knew it was not cheap, and I also knew my Doctor would probably tell me I needed to cut down on my sugar intake. But at the time, I didn’t care enough to make any changes.
After college though I decided (or I guess my bank account balance decided for me) that I needed to cool it on the daily Starbucks runs. Fast forward to 2017. I had become obsessed with cutting our budget to only “bare necessities.” So I decided on cutting out all coffee from anywhere that wasn’t my little Black & Decker coffee pot.
The pendulum had swung in the total opposite direction and instead of having a healthy relationship with money, my obsession with saving every penny lead me to give up things that brought joy to myself and my family. When I started my blog I asked myself “is this really the advice I’d want to give to other moms?” Does making space for the things you love in your budget make you less committed to your financial goals? Or, are you actually ensuring you stick with it long enough to see your goals become a reality because you’re allowing for the things that bring you joy?
So in no particular order, here are some words of wisdom I want to pass on to you that you may not expect to hear from someone who teaches you to be mindful with your money:
- You can’t frugal your way to a wealthy life. I’ve never met anyone that became a millionaire by spending hours finding ways to save pennies. Do your best to save where you can but don’t waste too much time chasing pennies.
- Sometimes it makes more sense to just donate something instead of trying to sell your used items to make a few bucks. There are certainly a lot of variables here but I think we’ve all been there where you try to sell some of your kids toys online and spend way too much time taking pictures and responding to people only to be no-showed 7 times and finally make the sale for a whopping $5. What if you donated it instead, felt good about blessing someone else, took the write off and had more time freed up to do something more valuable with your time?
- Your clothes should make you feel powerful. When you feel powerful you will show up for your work/business and family more powerfully, and I believe that greatly impacts your income. So if you haven’t worn something you feel good in since college, it’s time to make a reasonable investment in actually feeling good in what you’re wearing.
- If I had to do it all over again I would focus more of my energy and attention on increasing my income instead of solely trying to decrease expenses. If you have decided to be a full time stay-at-home mom and don’t have any desire to bring any side income in, this isn’t for you. You can do a lot for your family by cutting expenses and intentional spending. But for everyone else, don’t get so focused in on cutting expenses that you forget what a powerful tool your income is.
- Buy the coffee. Or the date night. Or the brunch with friends. Or whatever it is that brings you the type of joy coffee brings me. Plan for it, and don’t feel an ounce of guilt for spending.
Because a life without good coffee (or date nights, or brunch with friends) is not a life I want to be a part of anyways.
I’d love to hear what surprised you! Share in the comments!
<3 Krista