Welp, it's officially 2026, which means it's time to try and reinvent myself again. I'm trying something a little different this time. I want to save some money, and set some more realistic goals. Part 1 is implementing a low buy. I'm sure it's not the most novel idea, but I did snag the rules from a Youtuber I follow - Diaries of Creativity. I tweaked the rules a little bit, but I'll list them below for anyone who wants to try it themselves.

I also made myself a Bingo card for 2026. Nothing too lofty, just some fun things I want to try to bring joy into my life this year. I also stole this from a creator, however it was on TikTok and I deleted my account so I don't have the link (if I find it I'll add it here). I tried this for the first time last year and I really enjoyed having a physical reminder of my goals, and getting to mark them off was really satisfying.

2025 was hard. This is my first post, so I'm not going to get into the gory details right off the bat. But I experienced death, loss, and some rude awakenings about myself and how I function. It wasn't all bad though; I discovered some new hobbies, travelled, and finally got the diagnosis I was begging for. This blog kind of fits into a cozy little crevice of the results of 2025 in a way. I wanted to go back to something that felt safe and nostalgic. It's no MySpace, but I'm hoping it'll scratch that itch. I also needed somewhere that I could brain-dump a bit without alienating everyone who follows me on social media. This is likely to be more intimate, and my hope is that it can resonate for even just one person. I hate social media, but it's so hard to pull away from it thanks to the algorithms digging their nasty little claws into my neurodivergent brain. If you manage to join me here, thank you. I just ask that you bear with me while I figure out what the purpose is (if I ever do). I'm going to be talking a lot about birds, and other special interests, and what it's been like having a brain like mine. If any of this sounds interesting to you, great. If not, thanks for passing through. Seriously. If this isn't your vibe, you're allowed to just click off and find something else :)

So welcome to Bird Brain. I hope you stay a while. And if you do, let me know by signing my guestbook.

Low Buy Rules 2026:

  • No new books, I have to go through my physical TBR
  • 2 pieces of clothing/month max (preferably thrifted!)
  • Can only eat out/order takeout 3x/month max
  • No new games until I finish my backlog
  • Try to sell things to counter the costs of items
  • No grocery shopping without a list!
  • $30 a week rolling budget for physical items (what I don't spend goes into the next week to encourage savings/no impulse buys)
  • Create a wishlist so I have to be more intentional with my "fun" purchases
  • No new craft supplies unless I use up the stuff I have first (within reason - if I run out of a thread colour I can probably buy more)

    • My wishlist already includes a PS5 and Sony XM5 noise cancelling headphones, and it's only the 2nd... wish me luck!