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Over the last 100+ days, I’ve been on an adventure to change my financial fortunes by playing The Frugality Game™.
Well, I’ve reached the end of that adventure and I must admit, I’ve learned quite a bit about my spending habits and, more importantly, myself.
I’ve also learned the value of creating and sticking to a budget or Household Spending Plan.
When I first started off my adventure in Egypt, I wasn’t quite sure how I would manage. Yes, I’ve played through the game in the past, but not in the context of a single individual tasked with all those weighty responsibilities like keeping yourself fed, clothed and alive.
In the past, I’ve always had somebody else there; somebody in close proximity whom I could rely on to tell me when I was doing things horribly wrong. Before, it had been a parent, a friend, a roommate, a girlfriend. Now, it’s just me.
It’s terrifying to come face to face with the realization that you’re completely alone in this, regardless of how many people are telling you they’re there for you.
That’s why I count myself lucky to have The Frugality Game™. Five years ago, I would have burned through excess cash without a second thought about what I was going to do for food, or how I was going to pay my electric bill. I was reckless and irresponsible with my money, and the way that I lived was certainly representative of that fact.
And being recently single, I could have quickly devolved back into those habits. I easily could have justified it to myself. “Hey, I’m single. I’m sad. I need to live my life like I’m the main character in a Conway Twitty song.”
But I didn’t. I know it may sound trite, but working where I do, and having The Frugality Game™ at my disposal really helped me weather the storm. It forced me to look at my spending, and hold myself accountable for my actions.
After beginning the game by entering in my financial numbers in the Egypt section of the game, I began the Envelope System in the Safari. Initially, you make estimates as to how much you think you spend in any of the five major spending categories: Housing, Transportation, Food, Clothing, and Other.
For every purchase you make during the following thirty days, you’ll pull money from the corresponding envelope. The idea, as so eloquently stated in the game, is to run out of month before you run out of money. Typically what you find, however, is that your estimates are off. In my case, wildly off.
But that’s okay, because the next portion of the game, The Caribbean, introduces you to Track Your Spending, a tool that does exactly what its name promises – track your spending.
Over those thirty days is when I really came to realize a disconnection from my perception of my spending to the actual reality of it. I was spending far too much on vices, too much on video games and other frivolous distractions.
Luckily, the “Keep it, Limit it, Lose it” tool comes right after the Track Your Spending section. It’s there that I looked at every individual area of spending, with all the figures I had just input over the last thirty days, and decided what was acceptable, what was not, and what just needed a little cutting back.
It’s quite stunning to have everything laid bare in front of you and make such financially life-altering decisions. It’s intimidating. Once I got over the initial shock of it all, I began the decision-making process.
After going through and cutting, trimming, pruning, and a number of other verbs, I was whisked away to The Philippines, where I began the second iteration of the Envelope System. This time though, I was armed with all the knowledge and information I had spent the last sixty-plus days accumulating.
You know what? I was able to actually stick to the amounts in each envelope. With the better overall understanding of how I spend and what I can realistically hope to save each month, I did a far better job with my finances than I did with my first spin on the Envelope System.
Overall, The Frugality Game has given me a wider, more encompassing understanding of my financial situation. It’s armed me with the knowledge I need in order to control my money, rather than have it control me.
That’s not to say I’m done with the game. After one finishes the initial adventures, all of the fantastic tools become available for use at any time. I’m going to continue tracking my spending, using the Envelope System, and refining my budget with the “Keep It, Limit It, Lose It” tool.
If you’ve just randomly come to this blog, start playing. If you’re a former player of The Frugality Game™, get back into it. It may sound corny or contrived, but it really will change your life.
If you have any questions about the game or my experience with it, or if you just want to discuss your own experience, please leave a comment below.
Thanks, everyone.
Ronnie Carlson
