Each day I talk about one thing that makes my life easier as a neurodivergent mother raising neurodivergent kids while going back to school full time in my 40s.

I've spent an enormous amount of time judging myself for my spending habits. Not that I spend a lot (I can't afford to as a student), but even when I was making a lot of money at the height of my career as a voiceover artist, I somehow still felt guilty and sometimes icky after a purchase - especially if it was one I judged as frivolous. A lot of it has to do with the fact that owning a lot of "stuff" (or as I like to call it now, inventory) doesn't fit with my values as a citizen who believes in doing her part to lessen her carbon footprint. *

But then reality slaps me in the face.

As a student, I can really only afford to shop sales. And when I do, as I mentioned in this post, I use the Jordan Page technique of buying one item now and two for later (of something I use religiously, not stuff that just happens to be on sale), for long term savings. The extras go into my Home Store, also discussed in the post linked above. So having extra stuff in my house is my current reality.

To combat impulsive sales, however, I use the 24-hour Rule.

The 24-Hour Rule

The basic rule is this: when I feel like I am being marketed something that I really want, I can put it in a cart or take a picture of it and wait 24 hours.

Whatever you want will always be there tomorrow with the same discount if it's online.

What I learned is that sometimes, if you create an account and you don't purchase right away (wait a few days, if you have the strength), companies will send you coupons for even steeper discounts because they want your sale, obvs.

And at the end of the day, I have to ask myself, "Is my life going to be ruined if I have to wait 24 hours for this thing?" The answer is always no. Why?

Because if it were something I really really really wanted, I would have done all the research about the product over the span of more than 24 hours. You don't look at houses online for a couple hours and then make an offer to buy without getting all the information, and hopefully, an inspection. Research and planning take time.

The unexpected outcome of waiting 24 hours

As it turns out, I don't usually buy what I put in the cart 24 hours earlier. What I learned is that the ADHD side of my brain is constantly searching for novelty, and simply putting something flashy in a cart is enough for now to satisfy that need. After 24 hours, the novelty has usually worn off and the more logical side of myself takes over and realizes we don't really need that thing. Like...at all.

How much money has this saved me?

Probably a thousand bucks this year so far. It's only February.

What techniques do you use to stay on top of your budget?

-Jaren

*For more on that, you can check out the reviews of my book, Talking Trash: My Year In Zero-Wasteland