With my brother-in-law having lost his job, he & my sister were interested in the coupon/deal shopping that I do, where I save 50 - 100% on groceries and never pay for things like toothpaste, floss, shampoo, etc.
So recently she called me to tell me how they'd done with their CVS shop, and at some point in the conversation she mentions that, "and next month, for our 31 days thing, we're going gluten free, in honor of you."
I said, uh, ok...what 31 days thing?
She said, the one I had told her about (when we were visiting with them after Christmas), where you give up something for 31 days. This month, she says, we gave up soda. In March, they're going to give up sugar."We sacrifice something for a month, isn't that what you told us?"
What I was talking about was a "31 Days of Nothing" challenge, where you try to spend the least amount of money as possible for January.
To save on gas, stay home. Eat from your stockpile/freezer. No eating out. No shopping except for necessities like baby formula, milk, produce. No books, clothes, toys, or any other impulse buys. No manicure/pedicure or haircuts. Nothing spent on entertainment.
It was about frugalism, saving money, learning to handle money more wisely.
I guess that could be considered as sacrifice by some, lol.
It reminded me of that game "Telephone Line", where a person tells another person a secret, and that person tells another, and so on, and then the last person tells what he/she heard, which is usually nothing like what it started out as, only minus about 10 people, lol.
Another thing I said to my BIL while we were visiting was about how any time I try to save for a new roof or heat/air system for the house, something happens. I get a little put back and there'll be a dental emergency, or a vehicle will break down, or something else will come up. No joke, it never fails.
So I was doing my finances the other day and we had $1600 in checking, with a paycheck due this week. I decided I would pay the couple of bills already due, then the rest when this week's check came in, and put $1k into savings for an emergency fund. (I didn't even dare say it was for a roof or heat/air system.)
Didn't matter, same effect.
A day later my oldest son calls me up and tells me he lost his financial aid at school. Long story, but I felt like they kind of screwed him, so we gave him the money.
Not only that, over the course of the past year I put away $20 from every paycheck into savings for Christmas. I did it every time, and it built up all the way to Black Friday, when I started spending the heck out of it. Worked out great.
So this year I started my Christmas Savings fund again and stuck $20 in one savings account, and then I stuck another $20 in another savings account for an emergency fund.
I've already ended up having to spend out of that emergency fund twice!
What the heck is up that? Does anyone have any idea? Have you ever heard of someone(s) who absolutely just can not have an emergency fund, or be able to save for big repairs on their house?
What do I/we need to do to break this curse, I wonder??
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