Uber Frugal Challenge: Day 2

Today is my last day of freedom because classes start tomorrow! No complaints, each quarter is one step closer to my goals. It's really a lie, because two of my classes are online this quarter and one already sent out the coursework. I started on it yesterday so I would be a bit ahead, since we will be gone for four days next week!

I received my email this morning from Frugalwoods. Today's challenge:

Today’s mantra: When you’re working towards a goal, frugality isn’t about what you’re giving up, it’s about what you’re going to gain.

Today’s action: Write your long-term goal on a piece of paper and put it in your wallet.

Obviously, I've gotten pretty detailed into my life goals already. I guess this is why I make honor's list -- I'm a pathological over-achiever/worker-aheader (is that a thing?) 

The mantra today isn't particularly catchy or chantable, but I like it none the less. Probably because it strikes a chord. I am soooo guilty of convincing myself to spend when it will undermine my life goals. I convince myself that $10 on drinks won't really set us back, but then the $10 becomes $80. (True story.) 

I need to remind myself I'm not giving up a Saturday night sitting at a bar drinking too much and eating salty food. I'm gaining financial independence, a ticket to living in my dream locale, and better health. I'm gaining a Saturday night hanging out with the love of my life in our comfortable home, enjoying a reasonable drink or two with no interruptions, and a padded bank account. 

On goals:

Since I already wrote out my longterm goals in great detail, the only other step today is to put a scrap of paper in my wallet. Actually, this would be pointless, since I would never see the scrap of paper. 

I have a better idea!

I have these credit card-sized envelopes, just a few, that I received as part of a stationary set some years ago. I don't typically do cash because I spend cash too easily. I'm going to slide my cards into an envelope, and then write my goals on the outside of the envelope. I have to fiddle with it and look at it each time I go to spend. Genius, no? (Modest , too? Man, I'm a treasure!)  

On the back it simply says "Save!" No long sentences, cuz they are easy to ignore, yo!

In other news...

Yesterday ended up being a super awesome no spend day. Okay, not 100% true. I spent like $1800 but it was paying all of our bills, including the mortgage, for the month. No bills due for the rest of January! Sure, I could have left the cash in savings to gain a few paltry cents of interest, and at some point I might. Right now, though, I want to see money stockpiling all month in the accounts -- not slowly trickling out here and there for bills. Psychologically, I think, this will help fuel my urge to save because I will want to only watch the amount go up. Time shall tell. 

We did our annual NYD tradition of black-eyed peas. Always a cheap dinner option. Not a family favorite, but even my logical, analytical brain can fall for some superstitious tradition. Taking it a step further, we should have awesome luck in 2018 because our first footer was a dark haired man (DS1). Wasn't planned, he just happened to come home from a friend's house yesterday morning :)