Even the best have their struggles

I have lived on a budget ever since I jumped on the Dave Ramsey bandwagon years ago.  Whenever I pay bills or get paid, I pull out my Excel spreadsheet and start checking bills off. Check, check, check. 😀

But there are times like today were I’m struggling to stay on the bandwagon. I have been “blue” for a couple of weeks and this past weekend, the shade of blue has become a “royal” blue shade. I as sit here and write, I am having the urge to go out and do a little retail therapy.

If you follow Dave Ramsey’s bandwagon, retail therapy is a huge no-no. What I would be buying is NOT a NEED but a WANT….to fill in the void I am feeling. Rational me knows that whatever I buy, no matter how much I buy, that void will still be there and then it will be accompanied with guilt from wasting money on things I don’t need nor had the money for. I know I don’t have the money for because I budgeted my money, I told my money where to go, and the stores I want therapy from is not on that budget.

Let me tell you, the force is strong with this one (retail therapy urge)!!

Uh oh! What now?

Lunch came and it reared up it’s ugly head! Instead of going to the gym, my head screamed, ‘To the store!!!!”

I read a few months ago when I started to go to the gym – Never miss the Monday workout – start the work week right. If a person didn’t do their first workout on Monday, the chances it would be pushed off again the next day increased.

I didn’t want that so I headed to the gym on my lunch. Victory! I didn’t cave into the retail therapy urge. But the end of the work day is creeping up and the voice in my head grows louder and louder.

Even with my accounting background, getting geeked up about budgets and spreadsheets, even I struggle at times with spending. I’m not perfect nor have will power of steel. I stumble at times.

How am I going to deal with this struggle?

A few options:

1. Go home after work and try to keep my mind busy at home. I may overeat, trying to fill the void that triggered the retail therapy urge.
2. Allow myself $5-$10 to spend and see if that satisfies the urge. Sometimes withholding with an iron fist makes things worse. Maybe I’ll cruise over the Goodwill and find a shirt or two that fit that allowance.
3. Go home and write in my journal, trying to figure out my I’m so down lately, been so blue. Maybe getting it on paper will help the void. Or maybe I’ll go home and talk to a friend about what I’m feeling.

Do I know which option I am doing? Not yet and probably won’t until I’m walking out the office door.

Wish me luck!