I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately- and I know Kristen B. has too, as her grocery posts show us.
Sometimes, things just aren’t going to work out. Sometimes, you’re going to be over on your grocery budget, or you’re going to spend too much from the entertainment budget- or new Star Wars ears are going to come out and you literally might die if you don’t have them. (Win a pair of my get ’em or die ears here).
So my tip today is…don’t beat yourself up if you miss a coupon, or you go over budget. Should you note that? Yes. Should you make up for it in other areas? Yes.
Should you crawl on your knees across a path of broken glass and barbed wire while you lash yourself with the whip of shame for not saving 50cents? Of course not.
Give yourself grace and patience and stick with it. Being too hard on yourself is a disaster waiting to happen- not only will your mental health deteriorate, but you’re much more likely to throw your hands up and say PFFT, forget this mess, I’m going to just live in debt forever.
The biggest money mistake you can make is giving up. The best tip I can give you is no matter what is thrown at you- just keep plugging away. Save your dollars where you can and let go the nickel that you missed out on. It’s over, it’s done. You’re doing your absolute best and sometimes those pennies are going to slip through our fingers. It’s ok.
You can do it. Especially in times like these, give yourself a little grace. Tomorrow is another day and it’s mistake free, friend.