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The second week of Lenten practice in Simplifying the Soul focuses on our relationship with money. That relationship expands, on reflection, to encompass other important and limited resources such as time and energy. Author Paula Huston urges us to practice perspective in the relationship with riches in our lives.
Huston's daily practices around spending include: cutting up a credit card, avoiding advertising, and developing a budget. The habits called into question include worrying too much about money and establishing more credit than needed to deal with the unforeseen. Another tricky habit is browsing the newspaper, magazines, websites, and other media with the result of generating new wants, needs, and a chronic sense of deprivation.
The topic that I found most provocative had to do with budgeting. The author began with a story about her landscaping and the amount of daily maintenance it required. What did that have to do with money? This is where the subject broadened to impulses toward non-monetary spending.
As I considered my own experience , I saw that my impulses include new hobbies and projects, volunteer and work commitments, avenues for learning, and opportunities for entertainment. The siren of advertising extends not only to stuff on sale, but also the "events" section of the paper, the adult education catalog, and dessert recipes featured on the covers of women's magazines.
I used to think that a budget would control my impulse to spend. After writing numbers on paper, the rest would be easy. Intent and reality rarely lined up that well. Nevertheless, I find the budgeting exercise a helpful one. It removes me, for the moment, from the entrapment of impulse and invites me to think and plan.
When I have developed a budget, I am more mindful in the moment of choice. I may still make unwise choices and act on impulse. However, I don't go too far astray before the plan and the effort I put into budgeting (whether to do with money, time, calories, nights out on the town, or work projects) kick in and play a role.
A budget is about recognizing and honoring our wealth and its limits. It is about taking responsibility for what we spend and how we invest and when we splurge. It is about recognizing the consequences of our decisions and taking them into account before acting.
In what areas of life are you most inclined to spend limited resources impulsively? What are the implications of having a too-long to-do list, too many clothes, too many half-read books and magazines? What is the cost of receiving too many e-mails (including Reflections), however valuable they may be? How much of anything is enough? When does it become too much? What do you do next?
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