Did my Husband Break my No-Spend?
March Mid-Month Update
Two more weeks in the books! This update will be brief since I’m already running behind. This year seems to be going by so fast!
How it’s Going
Since the last update, I had to bite the bullet and purchase printer ink for my inkjet. I held out as long as possible, which resulted in some of my California Pen Show photos having a green tint. I ended up keeping them as they were, but I had to purchase a set of cartridges, setting me back a little over $100. Ouch. However, considering they typically last me more than a year, it stings less.
On a brighter note, Kirby seems to be feeling better. She finished her steroids today and appears to be her usual self again. Fingers crossed she stays this way. For now, I’m still saving the extra cash I earned in LA, just in case she shows any signs of pain again.
My husband has been bad about his spending. I went to Dromgoole’s to sort out scheduling for a journal club meetup and saw they had the Esterbrook exclusive Toyo T-190 toolboxes in stock. My husband has a small collection of these toolboxes for music gear storage, and he’s a big fan of Esterbrook. I couldn’t resist sending him a photo. His response? “Buy it.”
I’ll admit, a pang of guilt hit me at the register. Despite technically falling within the rules of the no-spend challenge (it’s a storage item, not exactly stationery, and not even for me), I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was letting everyone down. It felt like I’d found a loophole to indulge in a purchase at my favorite store. Driving home, I felt the tightness of anxiety in my chest, and I was eager to offload the box to my husband. He, on the other hand, was thrilled with his new acquisition and promptly filled it with gear.
The beginning of March was expensive for us overall. We ended up buying a new TV because our old Samsung had a corrupted main board we couldn’t easily repair. We couldn’t access any of the menus or change inputs, and it would power cycle randomly. Thankfully, we snagged a refurbished model on sale, so that helped a bit. Our focus over the next two months will be minimal spending and paying off two major debts. Starting this week, my husband will begin working 12 hour night shifts until the end of April. With my evenings free, I plan to devote more time to my fiction writing, with a goal of publishing at least one book before August. I’ll be ramping up my productivity-focused co-working streams on Twitch to keep me from vegging out on the couch watching K-dramas.
Using my Stuff
I’m still stuck in the never-ending cycle of journaling catch-up. Moving into an undated notebook was supposed to make things a little easier, but nope, I’m still behind, as usual. I did, however, make this rad sandworm out of washi tape to commemorate the release of Dune 2. My friend Teresa’s sandworm inspired it, and I had a lot of fun tearing tape and being creative with the project. I encourage everyone to add a fleshy washi tape sandworm to your journals!
Drawing inspiration from Penguinscreative, I’ve begun using stamps in my journal to motivate me to do workouts. Last year, I acquired a set of cute penguin stamps from Taiwan Creative Expo and this is the perfect situation to use them. For each day I complete a workout, I stamp a penguin in the monthly calendar section of my journal!
Temptations
There are several events coming up that will test the resolve of my stationery no-spend:
Illustration Taipei begins on April 3rd, just days after my quarterly budget receives a $100 replinishment. With my friend Judy offering personal shopping services for the event, and an impressive lineup of artists attending, the allure is undeniable. My strategy is to be intentional with my purchases and focus on exclusives or limited items I know I’ll use. I’ll split tapes with friends to optimize savings, and Judy has offered to hand deliver my purchases in August to save on shipping costs.
Yoseka Stationery Fest - Yep, I’m going! Thanks to some friends, I found employment for the show! I can’t announce yet who I’ll be working for, but hopefully soon. While I’m thrilled about this stationery extravaganza, I’m also aware of its potential to majorly test the resolve of my no-spend commitment. I’m doing my best to save up as much of my allowances as possible for this show and look for potential opportunities to earn more ahead of time. Who else is going? Maybe we can keep each other accountable.
I just love the poster for the stationery festival! Art by @ameruu San Francisco Pen Show - Ever since I found out that Aun is a confirmed exhibitor for this show, I’ve been even more excited and afraid for my wallet. I purchased a glass pen from Aun when I was in Kurashiki last year, and this pen has blown me away with how well it writes. I definitely want to get another one from them, hopefully with a slightly broader nib. A quality glass pen is an amazing way to use your inks, especially if you have an extensive collection.
My Aun glass pen, when I got it and using it to do some journal catch up. I hope I can get another one!
What I’ve Learned
I wish I could report that, two and a half months into my no-spend challenge, I have been cured of all desires to buy stationery.
I have not.
The desire to acquire new stationery items still lingers, persistent as ever. I find myself fighting the temptation, especially as my focus shifts towards non-stationery items or those that are stationery-adjacent. It’s a slippery slope, rationalizing purchases under the guise of being non-stationery items, and therefore exempt from my budgetary restrictions. Yet, deep down, I know this contradicts my overall goal of saving money to facilitate a career change.
The practice of revenge spending also adds another layer to things. My husband is not on a no-spend. Witnessing him indulge in new purchases, relishing the dopamine rush of enjoying new things, makes it harder for me to stay strong. However, I am doing my best to stand firm in my commitment to fiscal responsibility, resisting the impulse to spend just for the sake of parity.
Totals
No new stationery purchases, aside from the printer ink, which falls under replenishment.
As always, you can monitor the tracker here, or copy it and use it yourself if you’d like!
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I enjoy comments and feedback, so let me know what you think of my progress so far! If you’re also on a no-spend or low-spend, let me know how it’s going!
I also have a little tip jar! Any tips or paid subscriptions directly go into my “quit my job to write full-time someday” savings account.
Oh, that makes sense. Sounds like you’ve got it figured out. You’re an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your story. It’ll pay off. :-)
It’s really good that you’re sticking to your plan. It’s interesting that your husband doesn’t have to. You must have separate finances even though you are married. It seems that you both should be on the same page to make it work. Just a thought.