I’ve been known to spend money on Stuff (aka junk, crap, Vikings, Yetis, and Owls). I’ve even admitted to a couple of those occasions since the inception of this blog. There’s nothing wrong with a little ‘off the reservation’ from time to time. Really, there’s not. However, for me it’s usually reactive. Not proactive. I stumble across some unanticipated awesomeness, and BOOM! Wallet aflame. Mental angst and situational remediation ensues.
Case in point: Back in December, the Urban Craft Uprising took me and my budget by storm. I was overwhelmed. Caught off guard. I was unaware such a venue for fabulous expenditure existed. I walked in blindly, and left overwhelmed and filled with regret.
This would not happen a second time. This time if I wanted to buy a carnivorous plant terrarium, I would buy a carnivorous plant terrarium. Hold the side of guilt. For the UCU summer show, I would be prepared. And I was. One BFF in tow, a whole day planned, and large discretionary fund later. Prepared, peh. I was ready.
I didn’t know what I was going to buy. Specifically. I was saving for an event rather than a particular purchase. That’s a bit of a departure for me. I save for items. I don’t set money aside to go whole hog on a spending spree, but perhaps I should. This time I did. I signed up for the UCU newsletter and as soon as the summer dates were announced, I set aside $50. When I thought about how much fun it would be to go, I kicked over $20. A few of those moments, plus a little birthday money, and I had more than enough to fully fund my afternoon of reckless abandon. And then some. There was money left over to tuck away in savings. It is a rare occasion indeed when I don’t spend every red cent I’ve specifically put aside for spending.
Why is this news to me? People have discretionary funds!! People I know have discretionary funds!! And they tell me about them. Why am I so late to this revolution? Answer: I dunno. It required a change in thought process. One which I was not making. I’ve only recently discovered the beauty of planning for a spending event. This year, between the December craft show and the Garden Show, I seem to have finally gotten the memo.
This doesn’t mean I spent willy-nilly. Even with a fat account, these are impulse purchases by nature. I didn’t know what I was going to find there. I did know what I ‘needed’, by a very loose definition of ‘need’. Artwork for the newly stripped down Dog-TV Room, T-Shirts for both The Husband and I, a couple incidental reciprocal gifts (if I were to find such a thing). I also knew where I didn’t need to spend. My office, she’s full. Priorities in a loose list, sure. But that’s ok! Because I had a nice squishy budget to accompany that nice squishy list.
I declare the Urban Craft Uprising squelched! I came, I saw, I conquered. I left without being sick to my stomach and doing compulsive mental math. Above all else, I had Fun. Fun talking with artists, collecting cards, oogling very creative booths, spending an entire day, sans baby and partners with my BFF of 14 years. My BFF who loves me and completely understands (but does not judge) my compulsion for crap. I also bought some really cool shit.
How do you splurge? Do you plan for it? Does it always help?
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