Low Buy Month: Week Two Reflections

Yesterday marked the end of the second week of my low buy challenge. I found this week to be much more difficult than the first: though I mostly stuck to the rules I set out for myself, I ended up spending more money than I’m proud of. I even had one slip up.

In total, I spent $307.59 this week1– quite a bit more than I spent during Week One. I started off by spending $50 on a gel manicure at my nail salon (including tip). Then, throughout the week, I spent $32.20 on transportation (subway fare and parking) and ~$96.02 on groceries. Two of my monthly subscription services renewed: Netflix at $21.46 (when did Netflix get so expensive?) and PicMonkey, a photo editing website, at $12.99 (since when am I still subscribed to PicMonkey? I unsubscribed immediately after being billed). Most annoyingly, I spent $84.92 on dine-in and take-out food (my second-largest expense category of the week). Finally, my slip up came from spending ~$10 on melatonin supplements.

Although I’m not very happy with how the week went, I won’t say it wasn’t productive. Many of my purchases made me reflect on my spending habits.

First, the nail appointment. I’d already carved this out as an acceptable expense when crafting my rules for the low buy. However, as I was getting my nails done, I gave a lot of thought to whether the purchase was “worth it” and whether I should continue doing my nails regularly. I started getting my nails done every few weeks when I was in law school and under the pressure to look professional and composed. The pressure intensified when I started working in private practice and still follows me today even though I now work in a more casual office. You might think that continuing to do my nails myself at home would be a good compromise, but I’ve never been good at giving myself manicures and when I do they only last a few days as opposed to four weeks. For now, getting my nails done is a luxury that, while pricey, isn’t something I’m willing to give up.

I was also forced to reflect on how much money I spent on dine-in and takeout food this week. For what it’s worth, none of the purchases actually fell outside of the rules I set for the low buy- they were mostly social. While I don’t regret any of the individual takeout purchases, I regret how much money I spent on them collectively. Perhaps moving forward I should try to limit money spent on takeout or dine-in food to only once or twice a week even where exceptions apply. This being said, on days that I spent money on takeout this week, I’m proud of how I minimized my spending in other areas. For example, I took public transportation as opposed to driving downtown, I brought my own lunches to work everyday, and when I got food with friends, I mostly limited myself to coffee as opposed to meals.

I also had to consider the melatonin purchase I made. I’m calling it a “slip” because I wouldn’t define it as a necessary medical or grocery expense. It wasn’t a mistake- I knew at the time of purchase that I would be breaking my rules by buying it. The purchase was driven by a bit of desperation: I’ve been sleeping very poorly over the last few weeks, I’ve tried other things to improve my sleep which haven’t worked, and I know a few people in my life who swear by melatonin. I suppose I could have waited to make the purchase until the low buy is over, but it was relatively cheap and there are certainly worse things I could have slipped up with. As long as it doesn’t lead to a landslide of other slip ups in the remainder of the challenge, I’m willing to make peace with it.

Onward to week three! 

Laura Kate

  1. Not including my car insurance payment, a necessary expense outside of my control for now. ↩︎

Low Buy Month: Week One Reflections

Happy February!

I hope the month is starting off well for you. Personally, I enjoyed a peaceful weekend spent mostly indoors because of the harsh winter weather we’ve been getting in Toronto. I spent Saturday at my grandparents’ house with my cousins, chatting and making crafts together. Sunday was a little warmer, so I went on an 11-kilometre outdoor run, but spent the balance of the day on my couch with Elune curled up beside me.

In other news, I’ve officially finished the first week of my low buy challenge, and I wanted to make a very short post to check in about how the week went. Overall, things went very well, and the fact that I didn’t spend money on anything falling outside of my rules felt strangely empowering. I proved to myself I could go a week without takeout coffee, for one. I felt very strong and in control. In the past, when I’ve tried to spend money within budgets, I’ve failed… so, maybe cutting spending more ruthlessly makes things easier.

Something that made this week easier for me was the fact that I worked remotely three of five workdays: I was only in the office twice. I tend to rely on takeout for either breakfast or lunch when I go to the office (and often both). This week, on my office days, I made sure to pack enough food to tide me over until the end of the workdays. I even brought my own coffee pods for the Keurig machines at the office. I anticipate this coming week will be much more difficult- I work from the office three days in a row, and because I work from the downtown office with an hour commute in either direction, I expect my days will be long.

In total, I spent $194.53 this week.1 The vast majority of this came from necessary expenses: $167.21 in groceries and $9.90 on transit (bus fare- I didn’t have to top up the gas in my car this week). My monthly subscription to the AppBlock app also renewed at $9.03 and I purchased a sandwich after an 11km long run for $8.39 at a café (while opting to make my own post-run coffee at home). 

Throughout the week, I also kept track of everything I considered spending money on. Some notable items included a bowl and sifter for making matcha at home (even though I can make matcha lattes perfectly fine by my own standards without them), ink for my printer (which I actually do need to purchase after this low buy month is over), and the book “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin (which I instead placed a hold on at my local library). If I wasn’t doing this Low Buy challenge, I’m sure I would have at least purchased the matcha equipment and the book, so I know for a fact I’ve saved some money already. 

On top of abiding by the rules of my low buy challenge, I also took some steps to improve my financial literacy this week. For context, I’m not completely new to this- in around 2022 and 2023, I read a handful of books and listened to some podcasts to try to get a handle on personal finance, but not all of what I learned seemed to stick. This week, I completed a (relatively short and free) online course in Canadian personal finance offered through McGill University. I was familiar with about 60% of the content in the course, but the other 40% was helpful information I either hadn’t encountered before or hadn’t absorbed. I also re-read a book about the FIRE (financial independence retire) movement early called “Playing with FIRE” by Scott Rieckens and am re-listening to an audiobook about general personal finance for Canadians called “Wealthing Like Rabbits” by Robert Brown.2 I also made an appointment with my bank in a few weeks to talk about opening a new savings account (a FHSA) and start investing some of my savings.

Onward to week two!

Laura Kate

  1. Not counting necessary expenses outside of my control including my rent, tenant insurance and chequing account fee. ↩︎
  2. My quick reviews- I wasn’t impressed with “Playing with Fire” but “Wealthing Like Rabbits” is great. ↩︎

Announcing My Low Buy Month

A few posts ago when reviewing my goals for the new year, I noted that money is something I definitely need to work on my relationship with- and that is exactly what I plan to do. I have decided to deem the next four weeks a low buy month.1

No Buy and Low Buy challenges have become increasingly common in the last few years. A “no buy” is a self-imposed challenge wherein a person commits to not purchasing anything other than truly essential items (for example, groceries, housing costs, and insurance) for a period of time. A “low buy” offers some flexibility for non-essentials depending on the rules that the participant sets. For instance, a person participating in a low buy might allow themself to buy takeout coffee once a week where a no buyer would insist on always making their own coffee at home.

There are many reasons why people participate in no buys and low buys; two of the most common being to save money and to break bad spending habits. Personally, I think the low buy will be helpful for me because I didn’t meet my financial goals in 2025. I think it’ll be good for me to keep a close eye on my spending and develop an awareness of where my money is going and how I can save more of it. 2026 is the year I turn thirty, which feels crazy- certainly a time when I need to take my personal finances seriously. This year, I want to improve my financial literacy, budget, start investing and make plans for saving for retirement and buying a home. I have a lot to learn. Depending on how my low buy goes, I may extend it or change some of its rules.

Speaking of rules, here are the ones I’ve decided to impose for my own low buy:

  1. Track my finances every single day. I’m doing this in a physical notebook for the time being- I know a lot of budgeters track their expenses digitally in apps or spreadsheets. I’m hoping this turns into a habit I can keep up with moving forward.
  2. Buy essentials. While I don’t plan to set limits on the amounts I spend on essentials, I am hoping to try to eventually reduce the costs of some of them- for example, by renegotiating insurance terms.
  3. Do not buy physical non-essential items (including new clothing, homewear, books and hobby supplies). If something comes up that I want to buy, I will record it on a wishlist.
  4. With respect to beauty or hygiene products, replace used up items. So, for example, I wouldn’t allow myself to buy a new tube of mascara unless I finish my old one. One further note about beauty expenses- I get my nails done once a month. I already have cash set aside to cover the cost of my nails this month, so I can still go to my nail appointment.
  5. Do not purchase takeout food or dine in at restaurants unless one of three exceptions apply: (1) I am with another person and getting food is part of a social experience, (2) I am getting food after finishing a long run, or (3) I am out on a solo date (max once a week). Incidentally, one of my greatest pleasures in life is taking myself out for iced oat lattes at cafés- I don’t want to give this up!
  6. Pay for existing monthly subscriptions, but when I’m charged, I will really consider whether I need to continue subscribing to the services at all. If not, I’ll unsubscribe.
  7. Buy experiences– I will not limit myself when it comes to paying for experiences (such as admission costs to museums and parks or class fees).
  8. Buy gifts– If I need to purchase any gifts this month, I can spend without a particular limit in mind.

Some of these rules might seem very permissive, however, my most problematic expenses tend to be nonessential physical items and takeout. As long as I have a plan for addressing those costs, I think the low buy will be worthwhile. Of course, I expect that there will undoubtedly be expenses that come up throughout the next few weeks that don’t neatly fit into any of the categories I listed. When they do, I am hoping to use my best judgement to determine whether or not to spend money on them, keeping the spirit of the low buy in mind.

To keep myself occupied throughout the month, I am hoping to do some early spring cleaning and decluttering around my apartment- the tidying bug came early for me this year. I am also hoping to post mini updates about how the low buy challenge is going to keep myself accountable.

See you in February!

Laura Kate

  1. For clarity- I anticipate my low by to run from January 26 – February 22. I was originally going to make it the month of February, which is exactly 4 weeks long, but then I got excited and wanted to start the project sooner rather than later. ↩︎

De Mello Coffee & Fig Trees

Happy Sunday!

I’m currently drafting this from De Mello Coffee, a café in midtown tucked inside the colourful strip of stores on Yonge Street.

A few years ago, I purchased a copy of the Toronto Café Passport. The Passport provides a list of recommended cafés and coffeehouses in Toronto; mostly independent stores as opposed to chains. When I purchased the Passport, I was going through a low point in my life and wanted to start a personal project to cheer myself up with. I had a vision that I would take myself on little adventures around the city by making a point of trying out a bunch of the listed cafés. For whatever reason, I didn’t get around to doing it at the time. But, yesterday, I was leafing through the Passport again and thought I might try resurrecting this idea.

The Passport is a quirky little book. I don’t have the most recent edition and I’m not sure when mine was released. Skimming through its pages, I noted that several of the coffeehouses listed have closed, some have relocated, and others have evolved into larger, more well-known chains (I questioned why Aroma Espresso Bar, for example, was listed among the others).

Anyway- the Passport is how I ended up drinking an iced oat latte at De Mello on a Sunday morning. De Mello is a small coffeehouse chain with a handful of locations in Toronto, as well as one shop in Kingston (Ontario) and one in Korea. Although De Mello opened its first location in 2013 (at 2489 Yonge Street, where I am), the brand is totally new to me. The shop is eclectically decorated with street art on the walls and umbrellas and posters on the ceiling. It’s clearly very well-loved in the midtown community: though it’s relatively early in the morning and bitterly cold outside, it’s quite busy. I’m sitting in a seating area at the back of the store amidst a large group of runners who have pulled a few tables together and are chatting loudly. There are also a few women, like me, on their own and working on their laptops. While I would certainly return to the café, I wouldn’t hold my breath about using it as a peaceful place to work (if I can find a seat at all).

I wish I were more of a coffee sommelier so that I can give a review of De Mello’s coffee itself, but unfortunately, I’m not. I also doubt an iced oat latte is the best drink to have when judging the quality of a coffee. What I will say is that my drink is pleasant- it strikes a good balance with the proportions of milk and coffee. I also like whatever oat milk that they use.

Something I’m thinking about as I write this is a recent trend I’ve been seeing online (“2026 is the new 2016”) where users have been posting pictures from 2016 to reminiscence on life ten years ago. Personally, in 2016, I was nineteen and twenty: an adult, but only just. I was in the middle of my undergraduate studies, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in psychology (and a women’s studies certificate). I wanted to be a writer. I had bright red hair that I dyed and cut myself into an asymmetrical bob. My hobbies all revolved around creative pursuits- I kept a blog, regularly made art, took pictures and made videos. My life was documented meticulously on the internet (though, much of it has been deleted now). I was an avid reader. I hated exercising- I wasn’t a runner, and, in fact, I hadn’t even purchased my first fitness tracker yet. I was just introduced to minimalism as a lifestyle, and was fascinated by it. I dreamed of living alone in an apartment in the city. In so many ways, I’m very different from the person I was in 2016; but in so many others, I’m exactly the same. In many respects, I am living the life that I dreamed of back then.

A portrait of me, taken in or around 2016

This conversation reminds me of a passage from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, where the protagonist Esther talks about her life and its possibilities like a fig tree:

“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet”.

I often romanticize my early twenties because at that time it felt like I had an endless number of possibilities in front of me when considering my life ahead. My fig tree was full of ripe, purple fruits. Then I chose to go to law school. I plucked a fig off of my tree, and others ripened and fell. 

There are some figs I’ve been okay with losing- for example, for most of my childhood and teenhood, I wanted to pursue music, and I no longer dream about this. And though there are fewer figs on my tree today than there were ten years ago, some fruits have remained clinging to its branches- artist, academic, writer– that haven’t fallen, even after all this time. I find myself constantly thinking about pivoting and picking a new fig. I know there is a way to get a taste of all of them, but it will involve compromise. And the older I get, the more set in my routines I become and the more intimidating the prospect of change seems. 

This all makes me wonder how my life will pan out from here, and where I’ll be ten years in the future, when 2036 is the new 2026.

I’m struggling to end this blog post. I hope you’re happy with the figs you picked in life, or, if you’re not, I hope you find that there are still plenty to choose from in the branches above you.

With love, 

Laura Kate

Life in Eluneyland

So, major life update. On December 12, 2025, I adopted my first cat- a sweet, six-year old tabby named Elune.

Elune was born in a shelter on May 20, 2019 (she’s a Taurus). For the first few years of her life, she lived with a couple in Toronto, but they surrendered her to the shelter when they started having kids. She was five at the time. Elune lived with a foster for ten months before I submitted my adoption application. The application process went very quickly- after a phone call with the shelter, a video meeting with her foster and a signed adoption agreement, she was mine.

Elune got her name from her first owners. I think the name originated from World of Warcraft (there is apparently a moon goddess named Elune in the game). I didn’t want to change it because she’s had the same name her whole life, and I loved the nickname possibilities: Luna, Loonie, Loon and Lunetta, among other things (though, she’s mostly Baby to me).

Elune is a sweetheart who wants nothing but love and attention (on her own terms). From the day that I brought her home, she has slept with me in bed every single night. She’s not a lap cat, but she loves to be around me and have me in her line of sight at all times. She’s taken to nestling beside me on the couch when I’m quietly reading or working on my laptop. She’s very friendly with visitors, if a bit hesitant at first: she never hides and is always happy to socialize. She’s curious, attentive and very smart: I bought her a puzzle feeder and she learned how to solve it right away. She’s also playful- right now, her favourite toys are a wand toy with ribbons and a laser pointer. When I turn on the laser pointer, she makes an adorable chirping sound as she chases the red light around the room. Elune also loves sitting on towels, which has resulted in my mom calling her a “beach baby”. She spends most of her time during the day sleeping on a throw blanket on my couch beside the window basking in the sun. She’s very well-behaved for the most part (though, sometimes when she gets overstimulated she tends to get a little bit “spicy”- we’re working on it). 

It’s taken me a while to post about her, in part because the first month post-adoption was very difficult for me. I was struggling with major post-adoption blues. Post-adoption blues (or, puppy blues) is a common feeling among people who adopt new pets. It can result from the sudden imposition of new responsibilities and a loss of freedom after adopting a new pet. 

I spent the first week after adopting Elune in tears almost every day. What bothered me wasn’t necessarily the added responsibilities of being a pet owner,, it was the fact that there was another presence in my apartment. I have lived alone for the better part of seven and a half years. Suddenly having another presence in the apartment was something I needed to adjust to. As I mentioned, Elune likes to be around me or have me in her sight at all times- I felt like I had a little shadow following me around all the time (I’d traded in all of my beloved alone time for Elune time). I also felt like she was taking over my space: I was leaving toys and towels all around the condo for her, and constantly playing relaxing cat music out loud. 

I was also totally preoccupied with her and worried about being a good cat owner. I spent a lot of time and energy online researching how to take care of her. The preoccupation made it very difficult to keep up with my housework, stick to my routines, or even sleep. According to my Garmin, my “body battery” and “sleep scores” for the second half of December were in the gutter. As a Type A person, a creature of habit and someone with a history of anxiety, I was having a really difficult time coping with all the changes that came along with a new pet. It wasn’t something I ever expected to experience or had been warned about.

And then, unexpectedly, I got sick with the flu. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I spent two weeks “mostly in bed, taking a variety of medications, binge-watching House, M.D. and surviving on Oreos and Fudgesicles”. The illness forced me to slow down and take things easy, and, importantly, gave me the opportunity to really bond with Elune. While I was sick, she was so sweet and attentive and I really appreciated her presence in the apartment. I got to spend more time with her, learn more about her and develop our relationship. I think we’re friends now (at least- she’s my friend. I hope she feels the same way about me).

Now, one month after adopting her, I can confidently say that I feel like I’m over the hump of post-adoption blues. I love her and I’m so happy to have her in my life.

With love, 

Laura Kate