Don't mind me - just setting goals

no-buy year | week 26

This post is part of my no-buy series for 2024. To catch up on what you might have missed, click here. If you enjoy The Nook, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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Sticker courtesy of my sweet baby sister.

Okay, I’m six months into this thing and it feels like I’ve done…not a lot.

That’s my perfectionism speaking more than anything, but the truth is I know there’s so much more I could be doing to address my consumption and spending habits. It’s not enough to simply say no to a thing. It’s time for me to say yes to what’s better.

There is grace for what the last three months have brought in our lives. We made a major move to a whole new city in a different county. We downsized quite a bit, which meant selling/donating old, larger furniture and buying new stuff to fit new spaces. We ate out a ton for the convenience of it all. We bought new appliances because the old ones were included in our seller’s contract. Through it all, I have been diligent about asking myself why I want to make a purchase. I’ve tried to be thoughtful, and the amount of times I’ve walked into Target and walked out empty-handed compared to this time last year is significant. I’ve also stopped going to Goodwill altogether. In addition, we’ve adjusted our budget to give away twice as much per month and save more, as well. Lots of money has been spent, but lots of money has been saved, too.

Now it’s time to buckle down.

I keep thinking on what it means to be a consumer and where the process begins for me. It starts not when I walk into a store, but when I log onto my computer. I’m no longer on social media (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter), but I love YouTube and the content there triggers just as much temptation to SPEND! BUY! SNAG! as any other platform. (Maybe even more so because it’s only video content and largely driven by what people are doing in their lives and how to emulate them.) I have to begin caring for my heart here, where I type, if I want to be a thoughtful, considerate consumer in the real world.

So, let’s set some goals.

My first goal is to go back (forward?) to a dumb phone.

The stipulation is that I have to wait until my iPhone goes kaput or gets broken before I purchase another. I’m leaning towards the Light Phone III because of the e-reader screen, updated features (like camera), and its compatibility with our current Verizon account. It has texting, calling, GPS, a simple podcast tool, and a few other necessities, but no app store and no internet. LOVE. I’d like to get the Wise phone because it has a camera, as well, and looks more like a smart phone, but it’s back-ordered at the moment.

I’ve tried all the tips and tricks to locking down my iPhone, but temptation comes calling and I give in every time. I already have an iPad and a Mac, so if a dumb phone is clunky or weird and I can’t get all the memes, photos, group texts…well…that’s kind of the point. I’ll need to be at home on my other devices to access those things, so I’ll be free to just use phone for necessities, not entertainment. Sounds dreamy!

My second goal is to rebuild my Roth IRA.

When we bought our old house in 2021, I took out funds early to use for our earnest money and have never put it back 🥴. Since I no longer work outside the home or have a company 401(k), it’s time to begin re-building my own retirement fund.

At the moment, I have $5235.50 in the Roth IRA. (I use Betterment for all our investments. It’s so easy and accessible for us non-finance folks!) My goal for 2024 is to add an additional $250 per month to get back on track with the retirement forecast. I’ll update as necessary in 2025, but for now $250 is feasible.

Finally, I plan to buy zero (unnecessary) things for myself these next six months. ZERO! UNNECESSARY! THINGS!

Even just typing that sentence was difficult. This is a huge challenge for me because I’m not a big-spender, but boy do I love the dopamine boost of a small daily purchase. The struggle is SO real! The problem is those purchases add up and very rarely do I, or my family, need them.

This goal, too, comes with a few stipulations, but I’m still going to attempt to limit myself much more at the six-month mark than I did at the beginning of the year because I’ve justified too many purchases already.

With the exception of:

• vacations with family/friends (with restrictions)

• birthdays/major holidays

I will not buy anything that is not an absolute necessity. Even if I ruin one shirt, I will not buy another to replace it because I already have enough and can try to get creative. Even if I break a bottle of foundation, I will use whatever else I have in my makeup bag until it has all run out. (Or go makeup-free more often.) I will never be out of all the shampoo and conditioner in this house, HELP US LORD, so we’re good there for a long while. Vacations will also have limits, but I will allow spending for food, any event tickets, and one personal souvenir. (I have a spray tan and wax scheduled before Tybee, as well, because bikini shaving + salt water = NO FUN.)

This updated guideline also means I have to be mindful that I don’t purchase items at Kroger or Lidl under the guise of “grocery spending” (*glances around to see if anyone’s noticed*). Food and home maintenance (not decorative or aesthetic) purchases are allowed, as are clothes for the kids, gifts, and required homeschool supplies because those are family-oriented or simply not for me. Previously-scheduled coffee runs are allowed, as before, but I’m committing right here and now not to make excuses when I’m running errands with the kids and go through Starbucks just because they’re with me and it’s “for the family.” LOL. I’ve done that a lot since January.

This isn’t just about the dollar amount, though. It’s about being honest with myself about how often I make purchases to try and feel better, fit in, or hold onto whatever version of relevant is right now. I’m still susceptible, even at 38, and if I want to live free from those expectations, I have to start defying them.

Here goes nothing. (Literally.)

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