Authorized expenses for 2019

Hello!!!

As you may already know, 2019 will be a goal oriented year for us...  short and long terms!

Last week, I decided to embark upon a year of tying up loose ends.  I will get back later on which loose ends I mean but first, I needed to clear my objectives, which you can find here, and then come up with a list of authorized expenses.

Reminder.

But before I actually list our authorized expenses, remember that this is not a no spend year but rather a smart spend year.  Doing our no spend November was very enlightening and it allowed us to see where we spend our money, what we have a hard time saying no to, what really matters to us and why we act the way we do.  Or at least, allow us to begin to understand why we act the way we do. This year, we want to figure it all out. 

With that intention in mind, we decided to come down with a more goal oriented budget that actually reflects our lifestyle.  We also decided ahead of time which non monthly budgeted stuff  really matters to us and that became our authorized expenses for 2019.   In that list, we basically listed things we "need" and stuff we like to do that is more in tone with our ideal life.   

November made us realized that we have triggers, and they are not the same for my husband and I, that send us doing activities or buying things that reminds us of our old self - and then we mostly regret it and are upset at ourselves.  We have came so far in the last 5 years... it is time to finally put an end to this and start the life we really want - instead of holding on to old patterns and habits that sets us back and delay us in living our perfect life. 

And now the list... 

1) Budgeted life expenses like rents, utilities, food, toiletries, coffee shop, car related expenses. 

   

Yes, we have a coffee shop budget - it is important to us and aside from walking in nature and reading books from the library, this is another hobby we have and the only one that cost us money. 

2) Usable stuff

     a) candles, incense and essential oils

     b) notebooks to replace filled ones - reading books from the library, I do take notes. Lots of them.

3) Razor for my husband - looking for one more sustainable and ecological to replace an old one.

4) Improvement to our living room - we decided to stay put for 3 years and as a result, we need to make the living room a little more "livable" and add comfort to it with minimum expenses.

    a) 2 meditation cushions that we can sit in to meditate or for any other reasons

    b) 2 cushions for our very uncomfortable futon

    c) 1 plant

5) Trailer tent and any camping/hiking gear that is essential but I forgot to list - not being in the season is hard to remember what we needed as everything is put away in the locker

This is what we want to do full time in a few years so we are slowly gearing up...  And it is also part of our dream life!!! 

6) tattoos - one each - we have been planning those for a while...

7) tanning bed - essential for me with MS as it is the best source of Vitamin D in the winter when you live up north like I do. - I really do not go that much and only 3 months per year ( February to April) and once or twice a week.

8) Knitting and embroidery material - I have no "stack" to use up as I buy as I need and when I post my monthly challenges, you will see why I need to allow this.

9) Outings - we are allowed to

     a) go to restaurants for celebration, when on a day trip or special occasions 

     b) go to the movies no more than once per season

     c) go to the SPA no more than once per season

     d) go camping - as much as we want and can afford to! This is our dream life!!!

     e) 1 week long trip in nature that could not be camping but needs to be nature bound

     f) day trips/road trips as needed

     *** but we do have to remember that any money spend on those will be less money put in the emergency fund,  savings, and towards our ultimate goal in 3 years. 

10) We can buy gifts for other people and accept gifts.  However, between each other, we cannot buy gifts for any reason - that is something I could see us doing!  We can only buy gifts for each other on our birthdays, mother/father's day, our anniversary and for Christmas. And there again, keeping in mind that any money spend on that that is not "perfect life goal oriented" will slow us down...

11) Finally, because our house is already filled with barely the minimum, aside for clothes for me, we can replace what brakes down if we can't do without.  This of course, will be a judgment call.

In resume 

This is what we can spend our money on and do for 2019.  It is all oriented towards spending a life more in nature and less at the mall and in the city... where we are no longer really comfortable and get our energy drained... This should help us finally get unconnected from the hyper materialistic society we live in.  Not that we are really attached to it anymore but there seem to be some triggers, like I mention before, that make us vulnerable and push us back into our old patterns. 

As you can see, there are no money allowed for clothes and books...  our weaknesses. Also, both our mind are set on following the one in / one out principle. 

Stay tune for my following posts about the monthly challenges - these will keep us busy and be healing and oriented towards nature.

What are your plans for 2019???

Care to share?

If you liked what you read, please share...  

Chloe 💜&✌