Starbucks, I Am Breaking Up With You
It has been a fifteen year love affair. One my husband, and so many of my friends never truly understood. They couldn’t see the love I felt from 16 oz of your frothy foam, with a hint of caramel sauce to awaken my senses. Nor the yummy-ness of a chocolate chip cookie that tastes like, almost, homemade. Or why when I am home with my children all day, it feels like a tiny reprieve to hit up your drive through, take a moment to enjoy bliss, and talk to someone else who is over six and doesn’t whine my name at every single opportunity.
There was a down side to our dance. It didn’t nourish a local economy, although it did employ many of my friends. It nourished my spirit, but not really my health. It stole from my wallet at every opportune moment. Thousands upon thousands of dollars over the years. WOW. And what did I get for it? A muffin top.
So today I am officially breaking up with you. For good. There cannot be a taste here or a drink there, I know what will happen. We will begin our relationship again. This breakup is final. No more ‘second tries’. I ordered my last drink yesterday, and it was good. But there will not be one today.
Why you say?
I am joining Little Eco Footprints on her Our {more or less} No Spend Month, for the month of April in spending only on needs and not on wants. She has a bit better of a set up than I do at the moment. A pantry chock full of dry goods and a membership to a CSA for the year already paid. I am not in the same boat, so I took a few days to really decide how this could work for us in our circumstances.
Here is where we will spend money in April:
1-Gas, but as the weather warms I vow to ride a bike with a buggy attached locally. And my husband has a long commute, but we are trying to reduce that one more day a week too.
2-The Garden. It must be done. It will save us money in the summer and all through the winter if I get this going strongly. It will save us even more next year.
3-Food. We buy only organic and all natural, so this is a big expense. I am spending the month of April scouring easy, simple, cost effective recipes, and also lining up a bunch in order of what veggies will be ready to harvest at what time. Not to mention the Easter Bunny comes in April, some chocolate is a must.
4-Bills. Duh.
5-Kids activity costs. Right now they are in a few things that will end in May. They will not be doing them in the summer, to many free and warm things to do! My son is registered for t-ball, if he needs cleats before May, he will get them.
The rest will be a month of withdrawal. No eating out. No Starbucks. No vacations. Simplifying my grocery budget. No school supplies for crafts, we will use what we have. No fabric goodies to sew. No Starbucks. No thrift store wanderings. Sigh.
Actually I am really excited about this. I wanted to get it solidified before April 1st rolled around so that I was mentally ready for the challenge. I think it is good to take a look at how little one can live on, especially after reading all the simplicity books I have had my nose in over the last six months or so. How little could we actually live on? How much money would we actually be able to save by being mindful of not spending on every whim?
Not to mention the benefits to the planet if we can curb our consumption habits.
This is with the full knowledge, that not a single thing I spent money on in the month of March made me happy. Minus the garden, cause yes, I get more enjoyment, peace, excitement over that little plot of land than I ever could have imagined. Which is why it is still on the spend list.
And don’t worry about my husband, he just bought himself a toy that should keep him quite busy through April too. And May. And June. So he is not ‘not’ getting anything, while I get my garden. He will be riding around on a VStrom motorcycle while I toil away in my dirt.
(Yes, I have a love/hate relationship about the motorcycle. But I am trying to live without anxiety, he is a grown up, he can make his own choices. I would be sad for his children if anything happens, to grow up without a Dad, and sad myself of course too. But I would be sad for him just as much for having a passion he can’t enjoy. What do you do?)
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March 30th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Awesome! You will have more time to spend preparing your gardens.
I need to get on that train. We will be in Denver/Boulder this week/weekend, so I’ll have to start when we return, I think I’ll try.
I read one blog where a few people tool the money they would spend on going out to eat, buying unnecessary things, etc. each time they were tempted, and set it aside. At the end of the month they gave that money to a charity cause. I may do that and put the money I would be spending in my Africa fund. Thanks for the inspiration!
xo
March 30th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Awesome idea Tessa! Do it for a couple months here and there and you just might get to Africa before you know it!
Jen
March 30th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Good for you Jen! When I was in grad. school at Naropa, I did something very similar, a month of what I called “non-consumption,” spending money only on food and tickets to local bands’ shows(which were very important to me at that time). It was very illuminating and empowering. Of course, I had no children, and was in downtown Boulder, very east to walk and bike everywhere, etc. I hope you learn a lot, and enjoy it, and reduce your ecological footprint while you’re at it!Sorry that you have to give up your daily moment of bliss (in the form of your grande caramel beverage), but I hope you find many new, less guilt-inducing, moments of bliss!
April 1st, 2011 at 5:16 am
Yay!! I’m so pleased you are joining me.
Today was day 5 – and I have to admit, I broke it twice!? On exactly the same thing – chocolate. The first time I didn’t even realise. i was having an especially stressful day at work and headed straight for the box of charity chocolate and bought one (not even fair trade). I didn’t even register that I had broken the challenge until I got home. And then today, I did it again, but this time knew exactly what was doing. I’m dissapointed, but am telling myself I just have to learn from the experience.
Good luck
April 8th, 2011 at 8:32 am
We are having the to motorcycle or not to motorcycle conversation in our household at the moment. At the moment the bank balance is on my side and that is sure hard to argue with! Good luck and remember Mend and Make Do!