The End of the February Shopping Ban

Oh dear god, that was difficult.

I never want to do a shopping ban again. That was probably the one of the more stressful months of my life. I’m not talking, “Oh noes! I have to write a thesis” stressful; I’m talking “I know I’m not supposed to buy it, but now I want to buy it MORE because I CAN’T” psychology torture stressful.

Here’s the thing. On a typical month, I don’t consider myself a big spender. I usually talk myself out of buying stuff. I don’t go looking for gadgets to buy and I don’t usually spend time on retail websites. Yes, I’ll go on Slickdeals a few times a week, but for the most part, looking at shopping sites isn’t on my deal To-Do list.

All that changed while I was on the shopping ban. It was like some hidden streak of masochism rose from the depths of my soul to torment me. Suddenly, I’m looking at wool jackets and sample sales (Yes, I’m looking for one, but very casually. I wasn't actively pursuing this.) I’m thinking about what I want in a perfect travel bag (I blame Yash for that one) and a new daily bag. I’m seriously tempted to buy stuff that I normally would talk myself out of or would have dismissed out of hand. The Boyfriend didn’t help either by dragging me to West Elm and Flying Tiger. How many times did I visit the Muji store for no reason whatsoever? Eddie bloody Bauer was having their ANNUAL 40% OFF SALE!

UGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Added to the fact that it’s been exceptionally busy at work and I suddenly couldn’t go a get myself a second (or third) coffee at work and it was just a shit storm of all the crap that makes Angela miserable. After a week of losing my mind, I ended up picking up a package of instant coffee from the supermarket and bringing that with me to work, but before that, it was hellish. Also, while I was successful at meal prepping 96% of the time, there were a few days where I couldn’t, so it was the super processed, pre-packaged mac and cheese. Healthy, right?

Not only that, but I had a couple of unexpected bills that I didn’t work into my budget (obviously!) You gotta keep up that life insurance policy, which I previously thought was completely covered by my employer. Hint, it wasn't. And then, I needed to get a refill of birth control. (One day, I’ll write an article on how terrifying it was to learn that my new health insurance no longer covered birth control.) Yeah, it was shit show. I know.

But the real question is this: Did I go over my budget?

Unfortunately, yes, I went over by a measly $16.13 and if you count the $16 I spent using a gift card, I actually went over by $32.13. Here are the numbers:

My Feb. Budget		Actual spending
Living Costs	$1,136.54	$1,136.54
Groceries	$350.00	$178.54
Going out	$240.00	$294.95
Cell Phone	$210.00	$210.00
Internet	$45.00	$49.00
NYTimes	$13.00	-
Household	-	$111.90
Entertainment	-	$29.74
Total	$1,994.54	$2,010.67

While I cut down on the cost of groceries, I spent more money going out than I had budgeted. That being said, I was still up by $116.51 because the overall cost of going out and groceries was less than I had budgeted combined. Also, I didn’t pay for my NY Times subscription this month because it was such a short month. I paid the last day of January and today, March 1, completely bypassing my February budget.

However, the leftover budgeting from those categories wasn’t enough to cover my unexpected expenses, as well as a charitable donation and a gift I got for a friend. I also lost a bet and all these fell under the “Household” and “Entertainment” categories.    

So, I fucked up, but did I learn anything?

Yes, I did! I developed a couple of coping mechanisms for this ridiculous Shopping Ban.

1. Make a list of the stuff you want. If you still want after a few weeks, maybe you can get it then (after the Shopping Ban is over.) This was particular useful when I was looking at a packable backpack from Eddie Bauer that was on sale. I really wanted at that moment, but afterwards, I decided that it wasn’t the best fit for what I wanted.
2. If you’re going to be hungry or caffeine deprived at work, bring snacks and drinks. I now keep my desk stocked with microwave popcorn and mediocre instant coffee, which fall under groceries.
3. Stay picky. It’s the best way not to buy useless shit.
4. Reread and rewatch minimalism centric content. It helps maintain focus.
5. If I can’t buy it, have my boyfriend buy it. (Just joking about that bit.)

Now, key question here: will I do this again?

Fuck no. Are you crazy? Did you not read a single word I wrote. Having a stupid ban in place just makes me want to spend more money than I normally would. I will however, incorporate some of the techniques in the future.

But tonight? I’m getting take out.