Yuck.
That is immediately what I think when I think about finances.
I am not on a salary but there is not a lot of wiggle room in my finances. Not a lot at all. Money is not the most important thing in my life, but it is a necessary part of my life. I am pretty good with it, but I kind of fly by the seat of my pants with it too. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to be more accountable and a better saver. There are also certain things I would like to do in the upcoming years. One is attend the She Speaks Conference with Proverbs 31 Ministries. THAT takes money. Money that isn't just hanging around. I need to plan for that. Now since I do not know how much this year will cost, I just have to save and if it works it works if it doesn't, it will next year.
The beginning of the year is never a great time for me to think about finances. I feel like I am just coming up for air from "The BIG Spend" aka Christmas and my son's birthday (two days after Christmas). This quickly is followed by "The NEXT Big Spend" aka my husband's birthday. By March I can breathe again. So saving will really have to wait until March at least in a big way. For now it is enough that I can buy our groceries, pay my credit card (don't judge me here, I always put at least $100), and follow the 52 Week Money Challenge. Which brings me to my bite-sized goals.
FINANCES
1 - Track my spending
I am not a big fan of this, but it does work. I plan on writing down EVERY last time that I spend.
2 - 52 Week Money Challenge
I will be following the 52 week money challenge where I put aside a weekly amount of money starting with $1 for week one, $2 for week two and so on. Yes this is a small way of saving, but I haven't really been disciplined so this will have to do. I admire those people who can save well and make their money work for them. I hope that this will be my first step to getting there.
3 - Change in Food Spending
First, discontinue frozen food purchases that go beyond veggies (I find GREAT deals on these), frozen ravioli (I cannot make them as good as the ones I purchase at Fry's for a great price by the way) and my husband's TV dinners for his work lunch (still cheaper than him buying lunch out. This is more of a LONG term goal. There are many items that I can make on my own without buying their frozen counterparts. This will free up my freezer space for taking advantage of great meat department sales (as I do not have a separate freezer) and hopefully save us more money. The first step is to make a list of what I do buy and find recipes for those items instead.
4 - No New Clothes
I should clarify that this is mainly for me. I really do not buy new clothes. I buy thrift store clothes (well except for bras, socks and underwear), and I find great items and great prices, BUT I am currently wildly overweight for my frame at 170 (see weight/fitness) and until I get that in control, I am not buying anything new. I have plenty of clothes now and other than a much needed pair of running shoes (which my son is splitting with me as a Christmas gift), I will wait until I whittle my figure down into the sizes that I still have (in boxes) waiting for me.
5 - Read Financial Books
My first is Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
I have to admit, I am probably dreading this the most. No offense to Mr. Ramsey. I know this will help. I'm just scared. I thought this would be a good way to start though and I will pick future books when I am finished. I have no timeline for this. I just plan on reading it a bite at a time.
So here is where I stand now. Finances are very important and I plan to revisit these goals often to see how things are going.
Do you have any changes in mind for your own financial goals? Has anything special helped you stay on track?
2014 has been the benchmark time for me. I have thought long and hard about my one word - Surrender. I have also thought about my goals. I chose seven major goals which I will work toward with mini minor goals. I've gone over the first two, time with God and weight/fitness, but my most vulnerable is writing.
For as long as I can remember, I have written. As a small child I drew pictures to tell stories and said them out loud as I drew. Once I grasped words I wrote the story with the pictures. When I was not in the paying attention mood in class (sorry but true), I would write stories to keep entertain myself. When I would spend time at my grandparents home, I would grab my grandma's bike and ride around the neighborhood and imagine great adventures that I would create in my mind. I was a bit of a Walter Mitty (one of my favorite movies growing up from the Family Film Festival starring Danny Kaye not to mention one of my favorite short stories in college). If the outside world was doing nothing for me, and it often did nothing for me, I would create my own.
But at some point, my faith in myself, my belief in what I could do dwindled. As much as I wanted to write and continue to keep these stories alive. I felt I could not. I was sure I simply was not bright enough to be a writer. You see, as much as I enjoyed writing and story telling, every time I mentioned wanting to be a writer, my family would mention that I needed to have a "real job" or at the very least a back up plan. The trouble with back up plans is they often push the real desire, dream and perhaps even God inspired gift into the background until it becomes merely a blur.
I put the dream on a shelf.
I would take the dream off the shelf every now and then. I'd brush it off. Sigh and fantasize for the only moments I would allow, and then slip it back to where it belonged. Far away from my reality.
Last year, I began to really think about dreaming again. I was asked that question that so many of us are often asked, "If money were no object, what would you do right now." I heard a little voice in my head whisper one word...
Just as quickly. I dismissed the idea. But not completely. This year I will write. I will focus and I will do my best to reignite that craft and that joy of my heart.
To start I will simply just write. I will set my time, set my space, and set my focus back on that part of my life that I love. For me. For God.
I don't expect any of this to be easy, but I just did the hard part. I admitted it. Next is to put it all into action and begin.
Goal number one in writing is:
Write daily for an hour for the next 30 days.
Stay connected to the COMPEL website (I joined in November and have really loved it so far, but life kind of got in the way. I am recommitting).
I would also one day like to go to the She Speaks conference with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Financially this is way out there in goals, but I am saving my pennies and I have decided if it doesn't happen this year, it will happen next year. I am patient, and I have a BIG GOD.
Do you have a desire in your heart that you put on the back burner? Are you dusting off any old beloved activities? I'd love to hear about them.
Another goal for 2014 is to get a handle on weight and fitness. This week I began working with "The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer" to go along with my reading of "Never Say Diet" both by Chantel Hobbs.
So here is a bite-sized look at the upcoming four weeks (including this one):
1- Go to the gym five days a week and do 30 minutes of cardio each day and three days of circuit training (I belong to Planet Fitness and they have a nice 30 minute circuit section for this).
2- Do not diet. Just be sure to eat breakfast each day. Don't worry. I will be worrying about food intake later. Too often I have tried to do it all at once and failed miserably. This time I am going to focus on one thing at a time. Consistency in working out and not skipping meals is my first step.
3- Starting January 14th - Begin Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study with "Made To Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. I have already downloaded the book to my Kindle (I have the book floating around the house somewhere), I picked up a "Craving God" devotional (only $5 right now) at Family Christian Store, and last night I ordered the Made To Crave Journal and Conference Call Bundle. It is an investment, but worth it for me (and I did save quite a bit on the devotional). I have participated in the conference call portions of all the studies that I have been in, and it has been invaluable for me. I need all the extra support and motivation I can get.
4- Measure myself. BLECH. This is all a part of my goals. As much as I want to look at the scale constantly, I know that it will depress me. So I have promised to weigh in once a week and measure as well. The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer has a place for all of that so I am using it to keep me honest. :)
How are you working on your goals? Are you breaking them down? Do you have any fitness goals for this year? Any suggestions for how to stay committed?
*Remembering a MOST lovely view in Carmel from our 2nd honeymoon.
So for 2014, I really want to make a stronger effort in my relationship with the Lord. I know that I need time with Him. I see the results when I am kind of floating about on my own. It can start off okay, but then a storm of some sort hits and BLAMMO!!!!! I'm knocked on my tushy.
The thing is I know that spending time with God isn't going to keep the storms away. They will still come, but I will see them for what they really are...TEMPORARY. I will also see myself for who I am...A LOVED CHILD OF GOD.
Now...before I get with the planning, I do want to celebrate the victory I have had with my time with God.
This year I joined two online Bible studies with Proverbs 31 Ministries. The first was with Lysa Terkeurst's book "What Happens When Women Say Yes To God." It was so eye opening for me! I really do feel that I received so much direction from God through that study. I definitely drew closer to God, developed a stronger prayer life, and I learned new ways to study God's word via verse mapping (pretty awesome!!!!).
I also joined the online Bible study with Proverbs 31 Ministries that used the book "A Confident Heart." This was such a big one for me. On the outside, I look like I have it all together. On the inside...YIKES. I really had a hard time with my place in His world. I am still a work in progress here, but what a blessing this study was to me as well. I learned so many things and the most important was with how I compare myself to others. Renee shared how a friend told her that when we compare ourselves to someone else, we compare out insides to someone's outsides. Talk about a losing battle! This was my first time also being involved in the online study with special Facebook groups too. What a great way to study! It was nice getting a chance to open up to one another on an even deeper level.
I was also getting up extra early in the morning to spend time with God in prayer and study. That kind of slowed down, but I am going to recommit. For now, I am going to get up 20 minutes early and stick with that and increase my way up to an hour early. I love my sleep so this has been a challenge. That is why I decided to go for 20 minutes. It is a small start, but I am looking forward to making it. :)
Do you spend time reading and studying the Bible? Do you follow a routine? What works for you?
PS --- I am starting another study soon. The book for this one is "Made To Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. I am really looking forward to it!
