Hobbies that Double Up as Spending Freezes
Disclaimer: I am not advocating these measures as some people might find these extreme and unnecessary which is true for some. I do them because I can and feel comfortable with it. It is important that no matter what circumstances we are under , we still feel some level of comfort.
To be living in arguably one of the beautiful and rich
countries has its perks. Transportation is easy, essentials are abundant and
accessible, living standards are high. Dubai is doing pretty well dealing with
the global pandemic. We may not be suffering as greatly as other people in
other parts of the world are, but this global crisis undeniably turned many lives, mine
included, into spiral. Faced with trials that's never before seen in this
lifetime, but not unfamiliar, my survival mode has gone straight to red alert. So
what has someone like me, who has not seen a pay check in a while, have been up
to? Doing what I am taught to live –
lead a frugal life.
Frugality can mean differently to many people. There are
factors that are to be considered i.e. obligations and responsibilities,
priorities, role in the family, family income bracket, generational wealth or
the lack of it to define how one qualifies as frugal.
Reading up for this topic, I came across a term for what I
have been engaging in: spending freeze. Apparently, it is sort of a challenge to
oneself to stop spending on unnecessary expenses for a specified period of time,
either to save for something else, or to assess one's personal finances. For me
though, the time is unspecified or until it's needed, and mainly for survival.
Here are my hobbies that double up as a spending freeze:
Jogging.
Stopped spending on: commutes.
Because of the pandemic, virtual runs have been popular. By virtual, it means there is no designated
track and start time, therefore it's also free. Just register online to an
event ( I always participate in the Super Sports events), design your track in
your own neighborhood or indoors, record your run on the days of the event with
pictures and GPS screenshots, then post it to your socials tagging the event
organizers.
To me, this is literally running an errand, sometimes walking
with a friend (note: still physical distancing) to the grocery store, the
pharmacy or the bank, anywhere within five to ten kilometers distance.
Amount saved: 2 dirhams on bus fare, at least 20 dirhams on one-way
taxi trip.
DIY Haircut.
Stopped spending on: salon haircut.
I consider this a newly acquired hobby. That's how all
hobbies start, right?😁. I admit that my first haircut made me feel
impoverished, haks. It gives me the same feeling arts and crafts gives –
crappy. But after watching many videos, I am getting the hang of it. I even got
myself layers, well, unintentionally but it worked!💇
Amount saved: 70 dirhams every 4 to 6 months.
 |
| My whipped coffee☕. Food delivery has also been omitted from my vocabulary. |
Home Cafe.
Stopped spending on: cafes.
Whipped coffee and orange iced tea are my concoctions born
out of scrimping. Equal parts of instant coffee, sugar (or 2 parts, it depends)
and water whipped until just creamy enough and not meringue texture like the popular
dalgona, added with milk, more water and a dash of vanilla powder worth 2 dhs
that lasts me months, is my preference. Another baby that I'm proud of is my
orange iced tea that's a mix of a quarter slice of orange poured with hot water,
lipton tea bag and ice!😋.
Amount saved: 19 to 21 dirhams per drink.
Collecting giveaways, samples, goody bag and gifts.
Stopped spending on: skincare.
One advice I read about spending freeze is to eat through
your pantry and that's right if you're someone who doesn't keep track of what's
in the kitchen cupboard. This can also apply to your bathroom and bedroom
cabinets by filtering through items you might have been keeping unused. Now is
the best time to try that sunblock you got for free from buying your
moisturizer before or that Bath & Body gift set you received last Christmas. I have been living off of my last December’s
goody bag and holiday gifts for my supply of body lotion, toner and
moisturizer. Be careful though, if you develop allergies or if they're expired,
don't use them. It's not worth saving money for.
Amount saved: around 200 dirhams.
Gifts in cash and in kind.
Stopped spending: days stressed and sad.
Accept them with sincere gratitude. As I've written in my post What I Eat in a Day | Furlough Edition, to these thoughtful people in our lives that never fail to encourage
us, that don't hesitate to extend their hand, and restore our faith back in
humanity, return the favor to them in whatever capacity you can, a heartfelt thank-you and best of all, a simple prayer. We
can't always be just in the receiving end and we can't always depend on
them as that is abusive.
Saved from: wrinkles, dark circles, fine lines, headache, chance
of getting sick...
Other measures such as comparing prices, checking for
alternative cheaper brands, movie nights at home, repurposing old fabrics, etc will all
reflect substantially in your budget. Usually, under ordinary circumstances, the
money saved from the spending freeze would ideally be better deposited in a separate
savings account so you can see its growth and feel more rewarded. In my case, the
rewards are felt in seeing my lifeline being extended.
Any endeavour like a spending freeze will be successful if
we keep in mind our goal in doing it and the results of doing it. I, personally
would keep doing all of these even after I get out of this rut (still not sure
about the haircut, though) since I've been doing it for a while now and just
have gotten used to them. What I first decided to do as a means to survive is
now slowly becoming a lifestyle.
Previous Post:
My 2020 Planner Recalibratd: New Ways It Serves its Purpose Now
Articles about Spending Freezes:
Eight Steps to Implement a Spending Freeze from developgoodhabits.com
Spending Freeze from happyhumblehom.com
Sites about Financial Literacy:
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