Uber Frugal Month: Day 15

Halfway through January and our big spending temptation is now behind us. I woke up this morning glad to be in my own bed and reunited with the kids, but sad that I couldn't walk out the front door and down to the ocean or into the woods.

I did take a few minutes to update screen savers and phone lock screens with some photos from the trip. These will in turn help keep our goals firmly in the center of my consciousness, I hope! As for the rest of this Monday, my goal is to earn some money, catch up on homework, and work on some items that serve our goal of moving west.

Today’s mantra: Frugality mutes the noise of unnecessary desire and consumption and instead focuses us on our priorities.

Today’s action: Write down all the reasons why you to spend money and reflect on whether they’re valid or not.

Today's UFM challenge from the Frugalwoods is a doozy! I definitely need to do this, although I never realized it until I read the email. So, here are the reasons I spend money:

• To pay for the necessary bills: Housing, utilities, food.
• To pay for the "necessary" luxuries: internet for work and entertainment. A car for the feeling of freedom as well as the ease of errands.
• To escape from stress, boredom, whatever. A trip to a restaurant or bar, for example, is easier than making our own entertainment.
• Attempts to overcome feelings of inadequacy. It seems everyone is better at being an adult than I am -- better clothes, better physical conditioning, better homes, better vacations. Where do I fit in?
• Fear of mortality. Weird, I know. But when I really think about it sometimes the only reason I go out and spend money is to "be seen," thus not dying alone and forgotten in a cave somewhere. This may be an introvert issue, since I have been taught to feel guilt over not always wanting to be part of a crowd.
• Trying to regain things I lost in childhood thanks to a combination of my own decisions and also being brought up by a paranoid, neurotic, control freak. 
• Attempts to buy the happiness, love, joy of those I love -- kids and spouse primarily. Or, to try and buy the respect I will never fully get -- mother, primarily.

There are more. I know there are more but I can't bring them to the surface just yet. I will be revisiting this post, I know. In fact, I am making a note of it right now, as this exercise needs much further work.