February Wrap
Two months down, ten to go!
Follow me on social media: @frugallivingal
February is officially over, and not a moment too soon. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found February a bit of an odd month - seasonal depression reaches its pinnacle as the universe spits in the eye of single people everywhere (I love you too, Valentine’s Day). But it’s not February’s fault, it didn’t do anything to us, it simply exists. And yet it still sucks. Sorry February.
Anyway!
Turning back to the topic at hand, with another month over, it’s time to look back at all the things achieved these last four weeks. Though I’m sharing the lessons I’ve learned as a frugal living gal, I encourage everyone to take a brief pause and reflect on the month.
We all have projects, goals, and hobbies we’re working on, even moving the needle a tiny bit deserves acknowledgement. And if for no other reason, celebrate the transition to March and give yourself a little mental hug. You’ve done it, friend. You made it to a new month. I see you doing your thing, way to go!
Did I achieve my goal?
Yes, I indeed saved half of my income over the course of February. I can’t believe I’ve achieved my goal, two straight months in a row. I’m pretty proud of myself *she writes as she high fives herself on her couch, alone* - wooo!
Much like last month, after taxes, benefit deductions, RRSP matching by my employer and at source charity donations, I was able to save and invest half of my pay in various financial vehicles and my emergency fund (see here for a complete breakdown).
With the remaining amount, I paid to live - aka rent, groceries, gifts, health/wellness, transportation, pet supplies, taking my dad out for breakfast AGAIN (he’s so demanding), and a wide range of probiotic supplement purchases that I don’t want to talk about. All in all, a decent month of savings and not spending a ton.
Unlike January, I wasn’t flush with Christmas gift cards. Surprisingly, it didn’t make much of a difference. And somehow I was able to glide through the month with at least a quarter less anxiety, which is a win!
In reflecting back on the month, more lessons were certainly learned. Let’s dive in!
Lessons Learned
1) There’s Always Something
One lesson that always seems to reappear right when I forget it is life’s inexplicable way reminding you that crap happens: there’s always something. For me, this took the form of car troubles. Ah yes, who doesn’t giggle with glee when your car starts to make noises that make you question: “can a car even make that sound?!” The short answer is: yes they certainly can!
Though my little Nissan Versa has been a delightful friend these past 8 years, it let me know recently that it’s no longer in the prime of its life. I purchased my little black hatchback used roughly 8 years ago when I moved back from Toronto. Moving to a car obsessed community like Kitchener-Waterloo, I knew I’d have to bite the bullet and buy a gas guzzler. With the help of my dad, I was able to purchase my beautiful 2011 compact hatchback (love you dad!). And I have been a car human ever since.
The problem with my hatchback babe started a few weeks ago. I did what any sane driver would do, I simply ignored the other worldly sound coming from my car. It seemed like the right, dignified, and adult thing to do. Alas, after many days of ignoring the noise, I decided to take her to my mechanic to assess the damage. It was not good news: she is slowly dying.
With my Nissan likely entering her twilight year, I couldn’t help but be struck by life’s utter randomness. Sure, my car could have gone to the car-graveyard many moons ago, but it also could have lasted another few years. This event reminded me of the fundamental truth that in life, there’s always something.
We all think that the unthinkable won’t happen. We all underestimate the likelihood that something bad will happen. Some of us are luckier than others, but life’s surprises will always find us. For me, it was my car, for someone else it might be their job, the loss of a family member, or health challenges. In the end, life likes to kick you in the shin from time to time to remind you that you’re still alive.
To offset these shin kicks, emergency funds are essential. Building a fund for the unknown is something I once scoffed at, now I’m glad I’ve been socking away a little bit every month to account for the unaccountable.
As I venture forward in my saving quest, I must acknowledge that though it’s challenging at times, I’m grateful I’m (re)learning some important lessons. Anything can happen in this life, and I’m glad I have a just-been-kicked-in-the-shin fund.
2) Fear Has No Place
Truth be told, though I tend to do things a little differently (I am saving half of my income this year, after all), fear has historically played a major role in my life.
Before this challenge, I was scared to make the necessary behavioral changes to reposition my finances. Why? Simply put: fear of judgment. I was afraid that my family and friends wouldn’t be supportive, that people would judge the crap out of me, and that I would become a toothless, village outcast (teeth play a large role in my nightmares, please feel free to psychoanalyze). And the fear hasn’t evaporated just because I’m now saving money.
This month put into sharp focus for me that fear really truly stops us dead in our tracks. It stops us from pursuing our goals, dreams and desires. And for me, the fear of perceived judgment from others has been crippling.
What I learned this month, however, is that we overestimate the amount of time, energy and effort we think others devote to judging us. Experience is the true teacher, and having prioritized this frugal way of life over the last two months, I can categorically say that people don’t care.
Literally, no one has cared. Repeat: No. One. Cares. I laugh about it now, but this was rather shocking to uncover. We’re conditioned in weird ways to think that people will judge us for the decisions we make, when the truth is no one cares. Everyone is more concerned with their own life and experiences. For me, most if not all of my friends and family have been wildly supportive of my goal and the changes I’ve made towards reaching it.
All of this is to say, when venturing into the unknown I’ve learned that fear has no place in my journey. I know I will have days where I’ll doubt myself and my ability to stay the course, but fearing what other people think of me is irrational and really a waste of time.
So! I’m going to keep employing everything I’m learning and go after my dreams of becoming financially independent. One step and lesson at a time.
And as a reminder, nothing matters more than your experience and dreams. Live the life you feel you’re meant to. I’ll be right there cheering you on.
3) Progress IS Progress
Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight, perhaps it was the weather, but this month I was feeling pretty impatient with life and my savings journey. I caught myself a few times wishing I was closer to my goal of saving boatloads of cash. I became discouraged and started barrating younger Jill for not having saved more when she was in her way-ward youth. I don’t know about you, but I can whip myself into a self-deprecating frenzy from time to time.
Reflecting on these moments, I realize that discouragement in any form is pretty gosh darn toxic. It’s especially toxic when someone is actually taking steps to align themselves with where they ultimately want to go.
We aren’t perfect, us humans. We will have days that are tough and challenging, but if we’re doing the work, that needs to be acknowledged. Did you make a small amount of progress? Amazing! Did you do or change something that moves you in the direction you ultimately want to go? Then it’s progress!
Building on the momentum of actions taken, of effort invested, of the choices made that moves you in the direction you want to go is the most important thing. Sure there will be roadblocks (as mentioned above, there’s always something), but it’s about acknowledging what you have achieved that gives you the wherewithall to figure out ways to work around roadblocks or face them head on.
Never underestimate the acknowledgement of progress, because if you’ve progressed - if you learned something, if you made a slight change, if you tried something new - it IS progress.
Now let’s get out there and crush March - we’ve totally got this!
A special thank you to those who contributed to my Buy Me A Coffee or shared a post! Your support means the world to me - truly.
For those with a dollar to spare, I’ve set up a Buy Me A Coffee account for folks to contribute to here and there. For those frugally focused, I would be incredibly grateful if you were to share my work with your networks and folks you think would enjoy my journey (via email, social media, or homing pigeon).
Your readership means everything to me. Whether you're able to contribute or not, I’m so glad you’ve joined me on this journey!