Welcoming in a new month with the Saturday Savers Club... This year has seemingly slipped through my fingers. But I suppose the phenomenon of time slipping by with rapidity is a testament to the dynamic interplay between our subjective experience and the objective passage of moments… I’ll get into this later, but first:
February was particularly thrilling with the Club's “No-Buy” Challenge. During it I pushed myself to develop greater discipline in managing my spending habits… The journey is recorded in my weekly updates - here, here, and here. The “No-Buy” initiative commenced on February 1st, extending through February 29, 2024. Here's the breakdown of how it operated: participants were tasked with discerning which expenses to exclude from their daily or weekly spending throughout the 29 days of February. Each individual established their own set of guidelines regarding permissible and prohibited purchases. And, once you’d defined your rules, you simply shared them in a post!
At the beginning of February, I made some pretty, uh, “ambitious” claims… I stated that my goal was to save 50% of normal monthly expenses, roughly equating to £1,000.00. I managed to save 78% of this, leaving £780 in savings. Which, although isn’t perfect, is not all that bad. I was surprised with an outstanding healthcare bill from my time in the Netherlands, as well as the additional costs of applying to exchange a driver’s licence. Both unexpected, but fortunately quickly compensated.
As for my tips for saving goals (budgeting, cost-free alternatives, travel and tourism, and cutting waste)… Being conscious of these tips and structuring them into my daily routine saved me tenfold. I’ll copy them in below, again – in brief.
Tips for saving
Budgeting
•Utilizing YNAB for budgeting has empowered me to take control of my finances, prioritizing essential expenses while allowing for occasional treats.
•Exploring cost-free outdoor activities has become a fulfilling pastime, despite occasional splurges like bike accessories, the joys of exploration outweigh financial constraints.
Travel and tourism
•Investing in a Ridacard and ASVA pass has not only saved commuting costs but also granted access to historic sites, providing long-term benefits that outweigh initial costs. Ditto with ICOM.
•Implementing a structured budget during the "No-Buy" period has cultivated mindful spending habits, particularly regarding food and household products, with the aim of significant savings by year-end.
Cutting waste
•Neglecting proper rotation has led to discarding expired items, prompting a structured budget to foster mindful spending on essentials, aiming for savings in the long run.
•Curbing wastefulness in favour of conscious spending is an ongoing struggle, but the shift towards more mindful habits promises eventual financial gains.
I suppose, being the start of a new month, a new column can be added to the Objectives Table in this progress report. My current balance has jumped somewhat significantly (from 16.592 HBD and 2.000 EDSD), which is really uplifting to see! Also, I’ve designated a little of my earnings towards HIVE: 6.451. And my HP is also worth noting - for the sake of posterity it currently sits at: 177.720.
| Objective | Project | Goal | 03.24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | HBD | 100 | 34.096 |
| Secondary | EDSD | 100 | 3.000 |
As mentioned in my last post, I’ve discovered that structure is everything… establishing a cycle that builds on itself as a means of striving to avoid failure. On HIVE, actively publishing, engaging, voting, scrolling has really awakened a nice sense of rhythm. And, beyond the financial aspect, simply taking the time to really enjoy engaging with interesting communities and people... can add a lot more colour to one's day, if that makes sense? Setting little formulas... creating one's own pace for a consistent weekly minimum, building a helpful little framework. Comments and likes on others' posts is such a rewarding way to "give back".
Hippeastrum reginae - amaryllis - a house-warming gift photographed over two months of growth!
Now, before I sign off, I’d like to a moment to return to my initial statement… about time and the “dynamic interplay between our subjective experience and the objective passage of moments”…
I have a colleague at work is going through IVF presently. She doesn’t mind me divulging this truth with you, as she has been quite public about the process from the offset. Her outstanding confidence and determination have pushed her through the last several months of tests and negative responses... This will mark her fourth and final attempt to fall pregnant and my heart is so sore for her. She’s weary and fatigued… her struggle reminds me that some people are blessed with easier, smoother paths, whilst others have to endure immeasurable adversities. It also reminds me of the fact that it’s all too easy to lose sight of the present moment as our minds wander incessantly towards the uncertain shores of the future.
I mention this anecdote here because, amidst all the chaos and clamour of this bustling existence, taking pause to acknowledge those around you offers us a profound opportunity for awareness. Everyone’s struggling with something... I’ve come to believe that the measure of our lives lies not in the fleeting moments of triumph and defeat, but in the depth of presence and connection that we cultivate along the way. Learning how to show love, express emotions, and understand someone else is an adult responsibility.
Apologies if this stands proud of today’s SSC update. Only, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this of late. My colleague’s journey has really made me refine my idea of what “value” means… what to prioritise, what to aspire to – and what it means to lay out the groundwork for a life imbued with purpose and meaning. Going through something like IVF can be fundamentally transformative. I can't comprehend the ache of what she and her beloved are going through. Perhaps, like my colleague, you are going down a similar road in order bring a child into the world. Perhaps you’re facing an entirely different uphill battle. Or perhaps you’re facing no hardship at all at present, but are aware that others are. The power of transformation affects all of us, whether in micro-actions for incremental progress or greater decisions being made to harness more extreme momentum for change.
This month’s mantra “start small, start today” is somewhat linked to this. (A strange Segway, but there you have it.) Growth, trajectory, tiny steps, little by little. (In case it wasn't obvious, hence the amaryllis.) While this passage may not... uh... directly discuss either savings or financial planning, I've included it here as its themes of value, transformation, and proactive change inform individuals' approaches to managing and prioritising goals...
You can cross-link everything because nothing is really exempt when it comes to making human decisions...
But perhaps this is pushing it hahaha.
Tangent over - back to financials.
The lighthouse at Pier Place, Edinburgh
As always, I still have a lot to learn – and improve upon. I think this month I’ll make my savings goal a little less harsh, and just a little more fun. Starting small, starting today, I think I’d like to implement the following.
1.Establish a budget and calendar that has a system for overflow that includes me, too! (I’ve created a savings pot for a mid-year trip to Norway, having kicked it off with a large chunk of last month's savings. Over the next few months I hope to buy all the necessary gear... Then I'll take my bike, a tent, and kip at the foothills of the Lofoten archipelago for a couple of weeks.)
2.Don’t be vague with reason and amount. (Essentially, I'm trying not to “beat around the bush”. Working on being upfront about how much, and when - helps to plan better. YNAB has been excellent for this!)
3.Don’t go too extreme – will keep to a plan, but make it achievable. (Want to stay on track but not feel deprived. It's okay to splurge on a creme egg here and there. Finding that middle ground will keep you motivated and, well, sane.)
Anyway, until next time, clubbers!
Slaap lekker!
P.S. For those who are interested in joining, let me introduce you to the "Saturday Saver's Club": A delightful weekly gathering of individuals across the Blockchain, with the intention of uplifting each other in our savings endeavours. Intrigued? Simply note your interest in a comment on @susie-saver's latest SSC post.
*Weekly EDSD update posts > source
Thank you 🙏🏼 @iamjadeline
Many thanks @ewkaw 💫 (And the @qurator team!)