Welcome to the first instalment of my new series: Life and a Budget . Nothing to heavy to start off – just elaborating on a reel I shared on Instagram (@pinkandblueblog) this week pertaining to home decor and the changing seasons.

I was thinking back to when I was a kid, and home decor wasn’t really a big thing. At least, not the same way it is today. Home Sense wasn’t around, there weren’t multiple networks with reno shows (Who remembers Bob Vila or Trading Spaces?) and I am pretty positive there weren’t stores dedicated to selling items to decorate your home. If they did exist, I never saw one. The extent of home decor growing up was really terrible looking fake (now we say faux) flowers/plants, Potpourri (that most likely smelled terrible), afghan’s draped over floral couches, and elaborate drapery. Do we still say drapery?

Fast forward to current time, we are bombarded with ever changing home decor trends, and changing your decor based on the season. Do I do this? Yes. Do I run out to buy new trendy items for my home each season? No. I can’t afford it. It’s fun to scroll Instagram and Pinterest to find inspiration and see what is “in style”. What’s not fun is thinking; “Wow, I wish my kitchen looked like that.” “Look at those built-ins. I would love shelves in my home that look like those.” “Oh, she shared an olive tree on sale for $150? She is 200K followers so I should probably order one too.” Click, add to cart, boom! $150 + tax on something you didn’t even know you wanted.

How many things do you have like this in your home? These impulse purchases because someone told you, “You NEED this.”, or someone with a large following has it, so you think you should have it to. Am I guilty of this? Yup. I hate myself for it. It’s in our nature to compare ourselves to others, but it can be a problem both emotionally and financially.

I explained in my Instagram reel that it’s okay to add one or two items to your home each season, if you can afford it. It’s not okay to spend hundreds of dollars on new decor because you think your home should look like the latest trend. Where are all these items going to go next season? On a shelf to collect dust, because the next time this season rolls around again, these items won’t be “trendy”. You loved it once, you will love it again. That is, assuming you bought it because YOU loved it, not because someone told you, you should.

Spring is upon us, and with that comes Easter. So we have the potential for some Spring decor and some Easter decor. Before you click on that next link someone has shared, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I need this?
2. Why do I want this?
3. Can I afford this?
4. Do I love it for me, or because someone else loved it who influences me?

Just something to keep in mind. You may find you save yourself some $ by asking yourself these questions beforehand.

We all want to have the best of everything but that is not reality for most. Some of us may have a kitchen with two dishwashers, marble counters, gorgrous cupboards and open shelves, and walk-in pantries with hundreds of dollars in labelled containers. Others may not have a dishwasher, live with outdated cupboards and hardware and a stove with burners that don’t all work. Life is expensive. Try not to compare yourself to someone you can’t keep up with.

Live within your means.