The downside of budgeting

Well did the title strike your attention? You definitely read it correctly; I am positive there is a downside to budgeting. I know I sound like a crazy person right now but hear me out! Throughout this whole process, I have changed a lot about my spending habits and learned to cut certain things out, which hasn't been a problem. However, if you take budgeting to an extreme, it can actually have a negative impact on your life.

I read something recently that talked about how budgeting can put a damper on your life in ways that you might not realize.  The things it talked about I actually resonated with me as I've experienced a lot of them.. When you first start out budgeting, or just trying to save money, some people take things to extremes. You NEVER go out to eat, you NEVER go to a movie, you NEVER buy that shirt that your desperately need, and you never see your friends.  Because as we all know, friends = money! So, where is the line? When do you start sacrificing your happiness and personal life for money?  Some people learn the hard way, as I have in the past.  

Budgeting to such an extreme can lead to binge shopping, binge eating, as well as ruining relationships in your life. Sounds harsh I know, but I've seen it happen.  Don't get mad quite yet, I definitely understand you can see friends without spending money. There are just a lot more triggers to spend money when other people are around, understandably.

Once you start budgeting and it actually makes you unhappy, or makes you miss important people and events in your life, then it's gone to far.  You have to just start small and work from there.  Create a realistic budget that doesn't fully stop you from doing things you enjoy, it will just be an adjusted version. Don't stop going to see movies with friends, just go less often and maybe suggest going for a walk or a bike ride one day instead.  You get a lot more quality time walking or biking then you do in a movie theater anyways. 

Do you think budgeting can be taken too far?

I choose to bike!

Does everyone remember that time I was on the fence about purchasing a bike? If you don't you can give that a read here.  Well my friends, I choose to buy a bike! I know for me, the expense had a lot to do with it.  But wouldn't you know, I got a bike at Costco for a steal and I'm so glad I did!

With us having such gorgeous summers here, why not spend my weekends checking out the beautiful river valley and getting some exercise at the same time.  I'm taking it out for the first time today and it's going to be fun yet entertaining at the same time; for the person going with me at least.  I haven't ridden a bike for years, so I imagine I'm going to look like a 3 year old on a tricycle. Bring on the bandaids!!

Living below the line - The finish line

After all is said and done, I lived below the poverty line for 5 straight days. Monday to Friday night, and I must say, it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do!  I had to live off of $8.75 over 5 days, or $1.75 a day for food, which means anything I was ingesting.  I wasn't able to accept anything from anyone, and believe me that wasn't easy.  If I were to do it again, there are definitely things I would do differently.

Some may think it's crazy that only 5 days affected me so much, but it was two fold. The first was emotionally.  It is such a weird feeling knowing that others in the world were starving like I was, but for their whole lives, not just 5 days.  There are millions of people out there without the basic needs of a human being, yet most of us can spend more than $8.00 on one meal alone.  I don't think we really put that into perspective too often.  It definitely helped me change my spending habits and how much food I buy.  I really don't need as much as I thought I did.

The second was physically.  Turns out I don't do well on only 600 calories a day without my basic nutrients.  The first night alone I was a few minutes from passing out running half a field.  Through the 5 days, I definitely learned a ton about my body, in terms of what I can and cannot handle.  Taking in so few calories, I wasn't able to do much of anything. I had very little energy and sleeping seemed to be my only option in terms of activity.  By day 2 I was going home every lunch hour to nap/rest and it did wonders, when before I started this project, I never napped at home even once on my lunch hour.  I also noticed how moody I was.  I'd say I wasn't the nicest person to be around last week.  It's amazing how much your mood and attitude is related to the food you eat. I noticed I was snapping at people more than normal, and little things tended to bug me which normally wouldn't.  The third thing I noticed with my body was my brain function.  As funny as it sounds, I felt dumber.  Brain food really is a thing you guys! Along with a co-worker of mine, I noticed that I was stumbling over my feet more, I was forgetting what I was saying, and I had a harder time thinking in general.

All in all, I'm very glad I did it.  I raised over $250 and my team raised over $2000 in total towards poverty.  I had amazing support from all those around me, and I can't thank them enough for being there for me.  It also makes me feel proud that I was able to make even the slightest impact for others that are less fortunate.  We all need that sometimes; to step back from our daily lives and think about others in the world and things we are doing in our daily lives that would be easily be changing. 

Would any of you be willing to do something like this?