It's the little things...
This year I have made a promise to myself (and my bank manager) to be more mindful with my money. It can feel like I'm living from one pay-check to the next. While that's life, the daily grind of paying those unavoidable bills can wear you down over time.
These are things I think about when I realise that 50 is just around the corner, I still have a mortgage to pay off, and around 15 years of working life left...yikes. We don't need to constantly treat ourselves, but to never buy something frivolous and fun can get a bit monotonous. Yet those mortgage repayments beckon. Why is it we are so generous with other people, but not so good at looking after our own mental and monetary wellbeing?
These are things I think about when I realise that 50 is just around the corner, I still have a mortgage to pay off, and around 15 years of working life left...yikes. We don't need to constantly treat ourselves, but to never buy something frivolous and fun can get a bit monotonous. Yet those mortgage repayments beckon. Why is it we are so generous with other people, but not so good at looking after our own mental and monetary wellbeing?
So I had a think about those things that make me happy and cost a minimal amount of money or are free. Sometimes it's as simple as using the good towels (those guest towels) or taking out the good china and crystal instead of saving it for that special occasion that never seems to come about.My promise to myself this year is to find ways to treat myself, without breaking the bank. It's getting out those crystal champagne flutes when my girlfriends come over for that Friday drink, or putting those new sheets (still in the packet after a couple of years) on my bed. It's lighting that expensive candle I got as a beautiful gift or using that lotion I've been saving for some special day.
It's tidying up my house, so I can sit down and relax with a well deserved, guilt free cuppa. It's making sure I get to the gym I pay fees to, because while the process is pretty horrible, the feeling at the end of the workout is pretty great.
It's cleaning out my closest so that I know everything in there fits, is in good order and is something I love to wear. It's organising my work-clothes for the week (so I can get an extra five minutes in bed each morning).
It's making a decision to not buy one item of clothing (except for new gym shoes as mine are about to fall apart) for the next 6 months. Yes Mum, I know you've heard this one before, but this time it's in writing, out there on the internet, for anyone to see. See you later shops...sometime in September...sigh!
And most importantly it's keeping in touch with family, and not letting months go by between phone-calls. These are the things that make me happy. Here are some of the other things that make me happy...
Around the $30 mark
Pots of Colour (will last 3-4 months with a little bit of love and care...and water)
Night Light Display (my previous set of lights lasted nearly two years). Every night, at dusk, these lights bring a smile to my face.
A scented candle (a few months of enjoying the perfume before I actually light it)
Around the $20 mark
Movie with friends (take your own sweets)
Around the $12 mark (monthly)
My Netflix subscription - is there any other way to view a TV series other than binge-watching?
Free
Flowers from my garden
Flowers from my mum's garden
A diffuser I got for my Birthday
Using that Christmas/Birthday present I've been saving for a special occasion
Free...with a little bit of elbow grease
Clean sheets and a freshly made bed
Clean Car
So this is my mission - no clothes shopping for 6 months, and the challenge of finding things that make me happy for minimal cost. I'll let you know how well I stuck to the challenge later in the year.
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