the 15-day challenge

i've been spending way too much money lately. this is something that has really been on my mind. i can spend much less and still live very comfortably. most of the things i spend my money on are a waste anyway. so to combat this, i've created a little challenge for myself. for the rest of the month (the next 15 days), i will live on $182.53. my bills for the month have already been paid, so the $182.53 is solely for food, gas for my car and for whatever else.

it really shouldn't be that hard. when you do the math, it comes out to just over $12 a day. i could probably spend even less (and hopefully will do so), but for now it's a good challenge for a few reasons. #1 it challenges me to really think about what i'm spending my money on. i think all too often i spend my money on stupid crap (a red bull here, a bag of beef jerky there) that i truly don't need. giving myself a set limit will force me to really analyze my expenses. #2 i know i can do it. i lived on a third of that in ecuador each month last year. #3 solidarity. my neighbors in el arbolito, ecuador lived on an average of $2 a day. i think i can live on ten times that. ecuador has been on my mind a lot lately and this is a concrete way i can put people in my thoughts and daily actions. #4 i need to start saving. i have a lot of things i want to do over the next few years and it's not gonna happen if i'm broke as a joke. i need to have some self control for once in my life and save my money so i can do the things that are really important to me.

i'd go on, but i feel like those reasons are good enough. i'm gonna put post-its around my room and office to remind myself of this challenge. maybe even tattoo it on my hand (no worries, mom. not a real one.)