Well, at least I'm told that they have power. As I said before, I've never been able to stick with doing one long enough to witness the power. It's always been a time-consuming task and I just haven't seen a quick enough payout for the time I was spending on the darn things, and they've always been abandoned.
So, here we go again. Trying the price book thing...
I spent a good part of a day over Spring Break, just looking up several different price books online. I looked at what people do, how they do it, why they do it. I looked at paper/ pencil Price Books vs. computer spreadsheet Price Books. In the end, I went with the computer spreadsheet method. What can I say? I love Excel! The ability to put in the information, tell it what to do with it (IE; make it do the math for me!), and then to have the ability to sort and manipulate that information... Well! It's just too much fun to pass up! So, armed with the information that I wanted to be able to track, I set up a spreadsheet with the information that I wanted. Here are the column headings that I used:
List: this column is used to mark items that I need to get for the week so that I can sort the information in my spreadsheet and get a condensed list of what I need at the store for a grocery list (hence the heading, "List")
Category: Produce, Meat, HBA, Dairy, etc. This helps by putting similar items together- for comparison and for easier shopping (all dairy is together on the list, all produce is together on the list, etc)
Item: This is for the generic name of the item (not name brand). For easier comparison, I put a broad item name, followed by specifics (ie; pork- boneless chops, pork- loin roast, etc) so that similar products can easily be compared.
Other: This is where I put any other information about the item (like a brand name)
Store: Since all of the stores that I might be shopping at in our area start with a different letter, I just enter the first letter of the store name here.
Date: I guess this is important if you want to know how often a product goes on sale. It can also be used to find the current prices if you enter info from the sales ads before shopping.
Amt: quantity
Unit: pounds, ounces, each, pack, etc.
Price(1): This is the total price of the product. (I didn't realize that I ended up having 2 columns with the heading of "Price" until I was all done and sorting things, so I may change one of these.)
Price(2): This is where I make the spreadsheet do the math for me by figuring out the unit price of the item. This column is technically the "price per unit" column, but the spreadsheet wouldn't do the math if I had text in there with the numbers, so I split it into 2 columns. Hence, the next header...
per unit: per pound, per ounce, each, per pack, etc.
Note: Here I note anything noteworthy (duh!). Some things I've noted so far are:
- if you have to use a loyalty card to get the sale price (I hate these!)
- if there is a requirement like BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free) or 5/$10, etc.
- if there is a limit to how many you can purchase of an item
- if I need a coupon for an item
Armed with the store ads from last week, I entered information. Then, came the ultimate test: using the sort feature. This has got to be one of the best things on Excel! And this is where the coolness of the price book lies. You can sort by 3 columns at a time. So, first, I sorted by "Category". This put all of the items in a department together (something that always irks me about my random, handwritten grocery lists because I end up wasting time traipsing back across the grocery store to pick up something that was in an aisle that I've already been through). Next, I sorted by "Item" and then I sorted by "Price (2)" (unit price). This let me compare the prices of the same or similar items to see what was the best deal. I suppose in the future, I will also have to sort by date, to get the most current prices together. Now comes the functionality of the price book. It turns into a shopping list right before your very eyes! I just went down the "List" column and marked what we needed ( I suppose you could use a letter "O" and that would give you a nice circle to check off for the grocery list). Then, go back to the sort feature and sort by "List". This will put all of the items that you need at the top of your list. Voila! You can print out this portion of the spreadsheet and have a shopping list! At this point, you can also look at the "Store" column of the sheet to see which store you should shop at (whatever appears the most in this column is the store that has the most good deals). Unless you have all the time in the world to hop from store to store, raking in only the best of the deals, but I never have the time, nor the inclination, to do that. By now, I'm sure this is all as clear as muddy water! But it is a system that makes sense to me. If I can figure out how, I'll try to post the actual spreadsheet that I came up with so that all you visual learners out there can see it. Or, if you're just dying to know, I can always email an attachment. In the meantime, trust me. It works and it's cool. Or it will be cool if I can keep up with it long enough to witness the power of the Price Book!
Monday, March 31, 2008
goals...
So, last week, I said, "... it's Spring Break and I always like to plan lots of things to do over Spring Break. It's kinda like the tax return... spent several times over in several different ways before it even gets here!"
So, I should have known that everything wouldn't get accomplished.
Here's the goals that didn't get done. At all.
1. Put the checkbook and debit card away (again!).
3. Get cash out of the bank and actually do the envelopes!
6. Clean off, adjust, and use the exercise bike at least one time! I'm embarassed to say... not even once!
7. Lose some weight.
And here are the things I kinda did:
2. Buy the materials for doing the envelope (cash only) system.
I actually did this twice. Once, finding the standard plastic "13-pocket coupon organizer" that I have used for a "cash only" system in the past, and once with the neato (and more stylish, yet cheaper) "reciept file" that I found in the Target dollar spot (file pockets on the left side, a pad of "list paper" on the right side, a pen stashed in the middle and a black elastic band to hold the stylish cover closed). I don't suppose I get extra points for doing one goal twice, though...
4. Look up menu planning and plan a menu.
I kinda did this. I spent a day looking up menu planning on-line. I found an amazing array of services that will charge you to send prepared meal plans and shopping lists! It seems odd to spend money on something that you're trying to do in order to save money. Plus, after looking at some sample menus, I could see that our tastebuds weren't always on the same wave-lengths. Still, I found some yummy recipes to send to my gmail recipe file. I think that this type of access to recipes and the ability to search by ingredients will be crucial to successfully planning meals based on sales and loss-leaders. Only time will tell. I'll try to keep you posted on how this is working. I also found some forms that I think will work for meal planning or I may just use the week-by-week magnetic calendar (similar to the one shown here) that I still have on the fridge from the last time I was into meal planning. Again, we'll see what works best. So, the only part that I didn't do was actually planning a menu for this week! If I have the time/ energy when I'm done here, that's next on the list for tonight. Luckily, everyone was content with leftovers tonight.
5. Look up ways of doing Price Books. Pick one and try it!
Okay, I really did this one. I looked up several different price books online. I looked at what people do, how they do it, why they do it. I looked at paper/ pencil Price Books vs. computer spreadsheet Price Books. I looked... I figured... Suffice it to say, I did it. More to come on this in another post.
So, that gives me three-and-a-half goals that were completed last week. Can you guess what my goals will be for this coming week? I can sum them up in one phrase: "To be continued..."
So, I should have known that everything wouldn't get accomplished.
Here's the goals that didn't get done. At all.
1. Put the checkbook and debit card away (again!).
3. Get cash out of the bank and actually do the envelopes!
6. Clean off, adjust, and use the exercise bike at least one time! I'm embarassed to say... not even once!
7. Lose some weight.
And here are the things I kinda did:
2. Buy the materials for doing the envelope (cash only) system.
I actually did this twice. Once, finding the standard plastic "13-pocket coupon organizer" that I have used for a "cash only" system in the past, and once with the neato (and more stylish, yet cheaper) "reciept file" that I found in the Target dollar spot (file pockets on the left side, a pad of "list paper" on the right side, a pen stashed in the middle and a black elastic band to hold the stylish cover closed). I don't suppose I get extra points for doing one goal twice, though...
4. Look up menu planning and plan a menu.
I kinda did this. I spent a day looking up menu planning on-line. I found an amazing array of services that will charge you to send prepared meal plans and shopping lists! It seems odd to spend money on something that you're trying to do in order to save money. Plus, after looking at some sample menus, I could see that our tastebuds weren't always on the same wave-lengths. Still, I found some yummy recipes to send to my gmail recipe file. I think that this type of access to recipes and the ability to search by ingredients will be crucial to successfully planning meals based on sales and loss-leaders. Only time will tell. I'll try to keep you posted on how this is working. I also found some forms that I think will work for meal planning or I may just use the week-by-week magnetic calendar (similar to the one shown here) that I still have on the fridge from the last time I was into meal planning. Again, we'll see what works best. So, the only part that I didn't do was actually planning a menu for this week! If I have the time/ energy when I'm done here, that's next on the list for tonight. Luckily, everyone was content with leftovers tonight.
5. Look up ways of doing Price Books. Pick one and try it!
Okay, I really did this one. I looked up several different price books online. I looked at what people do, how they do it, why they do it. I looked at paper/ pencil Price Books vs. computer spreadsheet Price Books. I looked... I figured... Suffice it to say, I did it. More to come on this in another post.
So, that gives me three-and-a-half goals that were completed last week. Can you guess what my goals will be for this coming week? I can sum them up in one phrase: "To be continued..."
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $1168.67
Take a week when most of the bills are due, add in a mini-vacation, spring break, an eye exam and new glasses, a trip to the dentist, a medical bill paid off, and a car towing & repair bill and you get the above balance. Ugh! At least I know where the money went this time... mostly to things that we needed. I can't say we needed the tickets to Medieval Times or to eat out as much as we did last week, but we sure enjoyed it! And what's life without some enjoyment? At least now we are not in a "big bill" time of month. We actually have very little that is due at the beginning of the month, which is good, given the above balance. All in all, I'm okay with the above balance. Of course, I'd be even better with it if I had pulled out the $1000 for our emergency fund and still had that balance sitting in the account! Still, this is a learning process... a lifestyle change... and changes don't always come easily and they definitely do not change over night! This is progress and improvement and that is what I'm aiming for: To do better than I have been. In that sense, I'm seeing success.
Take a week when most of the bills are due, add in a mini-vacation, spring break, an eye exam and new glasses, a trip to the dentist, a medical bill paid off, and a car towing & repair bill and you get the above balance. Ugh! At least I know where the money went this time... mostly to things that we needed. I can't say we needed the tickets to Medieval Times or to eat out as much as we did last week, but we sure enjoyed it! And what's life without some enjoyment? At least now we are not in a "big bill" time of month. We actually have very little that is due at the beginning of the month, which is good, given the above balance. All in all, I'm okay with the above balance. Of course, I'd be even better with it if I had pulled out the $1000 for our emergency fund and still had that balance sitting in the account! Still, this is a learning process... a lifestyle change... and changes don't always come easily and they definitely do not change over night! This is progress and improvement and that is what I'm aiming for: To do better than I have been. In that sense, I'm seeing success.
belated weigh-in (again)
Weigh-In: 288.3
For a week of spring break with a vacation mentality, not too bad. I certainly didn't watch what I ate (really) and we ate out a lot. I didn't drink my water. I didn't get my exercise (no bus stop= no walking in the mornings). I didn't expect my weight to be as good as it was. Now, spring break is over and so is my time off the wagon. Today I walked and drank my water!
For a week of spring break with a vacation mentality, not too bad. I certainly didn't watch what I ate (really) and we ate out a lot. I didn't drink my water. I didn't get my exercise (no bus stop= no walking in the mornings). I didn't expect my weight to be as good as it was. Now, spring break is over and so is my time off the wagon. Today I walked and drank my water!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Goals...
Last Week:
1. To continue the practice of using cash. Any checks that need to be written can be done so on Monday nights when I do money. The debit card can only come with on trips when absolutely necessary (like the gas station, so I can pay at the pump and get a reciept to use for the Illinois Green Fleets E-85 Fuel Rebate at the end of the year). Does part time count? No... I didn't think so, but it was worth a try. I actually kept my checkbook and bank card home most of the week. They came out on Good Friday and have been busy ever since! They are going back in their drawer! Tomorrow, I am going to Office Max, buying a coupon organizer (for my envelope/ cash system... it's so much easier than carrying around a bunch of envelopes that fall apart after a week of use) and getting cash out of the bank!
2. Assign the "leftovers" in our budget. I've got a pretty good handle on our monthly fixed expenses, but I haven't delved into the scary world of variable expenses yet and that is where the leaks are... where our money disappears because I don't have a good spending plan developed for this part of our budget. So, it's time to study our variable spending, attack and conquer! Last Tuesday night, I took sometime and looked at our budget. I adjusted a few categories of our regular spending to compensate for the reality of the past few months. What I found was not promising in terms of our monthly expenses and my prospects for possibly changing jobs at the end of this school year- especially factoring in that my current job includes medical insurance for my whole family. The cost of prescriptions for DH and Miss B, alone, would be astronomical! I took a quick trip into Variable-Expenses-Land... looking at groceries and what a realistic budget might be for our family to meet our various needs (low-sodium for DH, low-fat for DH and me, healthy for all, edible to the kids (willingly), and easy-to-prepare/ not time-consuming for our sanity (since DH and I both work full-time). I looked at this, but there was nothing concrete done (in writing). I definitely need to do some more work in this area. As I stated last week, I'm going to try to take some time to look at frugal, healthy meal planning this week and I think I will also add looking into a "price book" for grocery and household goods. I've started these a few times in the past, but I've never found a way of doing a price book that makes sense for tracking prices, stores, and dates (pricing cycles) in a way that has made sense and made it easy for me to get the information that I want out of a price book. In other words, I've never stuck with it because it was a huge investment of time (and typing) and it never paid off in a way that made it worth it to me. Still, there are people that swear by their price books, so there must be a way to make it work. I'm going to try to find something that will work this week. So, if any of you do anything like this and it works for you, please share!
3. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings. I kept up the walking on the days when we had school. Sometimes morning schedules and circumstances caused me to shorten my usual morning route so that I would have more time to get things/ kids ready at home. The exercise bike, although in the house, is still sadly neglected (IE- yet to be used). The good news is that it hasn't become a receptacle for anything yet. There are no clothes hanging over the handle bars... no books or mail piled on the seat, so I hold out hope that since it has not found another function to serve in our home that it will remain a piece of exercise equipment and not become another dumping ground for "stuff".
4. Show a real loss on the scale this week! Okay, I kept this goal for the week "because meeting this goal makes me smile". I didn't have a loss this week, but hey... I still weigh less than what it says on my driver's license... that's gotta count for something!
This week (recap):
1. Put the checkbook and debit card away (again!).
2. Buy the materials for doing the envelope (cash only) system.
3. Get cash out of the bank and actually do the envelopes!
4. Look up menu planning and plan a menu.
5. Look up ways of doing Price Books. Pick one and try it!
6. Clean off, adjust, and use the exercise bike at least one time! (Gotta start somewhere)
7. Lose some weight, or as Pianomomof3 says, "Remove some weight" (Since anything we "lose", we might hope to find again and I for one surely do not want to "find" any of this excess weight ever again!!)
I know that is more than my usual number of goals, and some of you that love me may warn against setting so many goals for the week, but actually, I just broke them down into smaller steps, which makes it easier for me to accomplish more. Besides, it's Spring Break and I always like to plan lots of things to do over Spring Break. It's kinda like the tax return... spent several times over in several different ways before it even gets here!
1. To continue the practice of using cash. Any checks that need to be written can be done so on Monday nights when I do money. The debit card can only come with on trips when absolutely necessary (like the gas station, so I can pay at the pump and get a reciept to use for the Illinois Green Fleets E-85 Fuel Rebate at the end of the year). Does part time count? No... I didn't think so, but it was worth a try. I actually kept my checkbook and bank card home most of the week. They came out on Good Friday and have been busy ever since! They are going back in their drawer! Tomorrow, I am going to Office Max, buying a coupon organizer (for my envelope/ cash system... it's so much easier than carrying around a bunch of envelopes that fall apart after a week of use) and getting cash out of the bank!
2. Assign the "leftovers" in our budget. I've got a pretty good handle on our monthly fixed expenses, but I haven't delved into the scary world of variable expenses yet and that is where the leaks are... where our money disappears because I don't have a good spending plan developed for this part of our budget. So, it's time to study our variable spending, attack and conquer! Last Tuesday night, I took sometime and looked at our budget. I adjusted a few categories of our regular spending to compensate for the reality of the past few months. What I found was not promising in terms of our monthly expenses and my prospects for possibly changing jobs at the end of this school year- especially factoring in that my current job includes medical insurance for my whole family. The cost of prescriptions for DH and Miss B, alone, would be astronomical! I took a quick trip into Variable-Expenses-Land... looking at groceries and what a realistic budget might be for our family to meet our various needs (low-sodium for DH, low-fat for DH and me, healthy for all, edible to the kids (willingly), and easy-to-prepare/ not time-consuming for our sanity (since DH and I both work full-time). I looked at this, but there was nothing concrete done (in writing). I definitely need to do some more work in this area. As I stated last week, I'm going to try to take some time to look at frugal, healthy meal planning this week and I think I will also add looking into a "price book" for grocery and household goods. I've started these a few times in the past, but I've never found a way of doing a price book that makes sense for tracking prices, stores, and dates (pricing cycles) in a way that has made sense and made it easy for me to get the information that I want out of a price book. In other words, I've never stuck with it because it was a huge investment of time (and typing) and it never paid off in a way that made it worth it to me. Still, there are people that swear by their price books, so there must be a way to make it work. I'm going to try to find something that will work this week. So, if any of you do anything like this and it works for you, please share!
3. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings. I kept up the walking on the days when we had school. Sometimes morning schedules and circumstances caused me to shorten my usual morning route so that I would have more time to get things/ kids ready at home. The exercise bike, although in the house, is still sadly neglected (IE- yet to be used). The good news is that it hasn't become a receptacle for anything yet. There are no clothes hanging over the handle bars... no books or mail piled on the seat, so I hold out hope that since it has not found another function to serve in our home that it will remain a piece of exercise equipment and not become another dumping ground for "stuff".
4. Show a real loss on the scale this week! Okay, I kept this goal for the week "because meeting this goal makes me smile". I didn't have a loss this week, but hey... I still weigh less than what it says on my driver's license... that's gotta count for something!
This week (recap):
1. Put the checkbook and debit card away (again!).
2. Buy the materials for doing the envelope (cash only) system.
3. Get cash out of the bank and actually do the envelopes!
4. Look up menu planning and plan a menu.
5. Look up ways of doing Price Books. Pick one and try it!
6. Clean off, adjust, and use the exercise bike at least one time! (Gotta start somewhere)
7. Lose some weight, or as Pianomomof3 says, "Remove some weight" (Since anything we "lose", we might hope to find again and I for one surely do not want to "find" any of this excess weight ever again!!)
I know that is more than my usual number of goals, and some of you that love me may warn against setting so many goals for the week, but actually, I just broke them down into smaller steps, which makes it easier for me to accomplish more. Besides, it's Spring Break and I always like to plan lots of things to do over Spring Break. It's kinda like the tax return... spent several times over in several different ways before it even gets here!
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $3261.05
Okay... not a bad balance, but not too good considering $1000 of that is ER fund (I know, I know... I NEED to get that out of there before it disappears!) and the fact that the balance includes my paycheck which I'm not due to get until this coming Friday (since we're on Spring Break, they paid us a week early).
Why is it that I always blow money when I have it? And if feels like it's worse this time, because I'm not spending it on any one worthwhile "big ticket item" that we can at least look at, enjoy and have around for a while. There's nothing to point to and say, "That's where our tax return went." It's just trickling away... a meal out here (and there and there), a little trip here, some clothes there... it's painful to look back on, yet virtually undetectable when it's happening. Despite getting in the habit of not carrying my bank card and checkbook, these purchases are sneaking in when I do take them into a store. WHY?!?
Trent, over at The Simple Dollar, recently posted a review of the book, Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. He begins his review by writing:
"I find that time and time again, my greatest opponent when trying to make intelligent and well-reasoned personal finance and time management issues is myself. I’m my own weakness. ... This is a persistent problem for pretty much anyone who strives for something greater in their lives. We rely on their own rational behavior, but are often undermined by our own irrational impulses. Why? ... Predictably Irrational focuses in on this exact question, digging deep into the causes of such irrational steps and laying bare some useful solutions."
(If you struggle with this (like I do) and it interests you, you can read the full review here.)
The title of chapter 6 looks like it could be the story of my life: Chapter 6 - The Problem of Procrastination and Self-Control: Why We Can’t Make Ourselves Do What We Want To Do!
Another article, also by Trent at The Simple Dollar (can you tell I LOVE his blog?), offered up this gem:
"Personal finance is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about emotions and how we piece through the daily dilemmas in our lives. It’s about figuring out our goals and what the most important aspects of our lives really are. Doing a budget and living frugally doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t open our eyes to what our real values are.
The problem is that the average consumer gets emotional fulfillment out of spending. The guilt doesn’t come from the spending, it comes from the bills that come in later. People don’t feel bad about the purchase of a flat panel television - in fact, it’s usually a rush. The bad feeling comes when the credit card statements roll in and the paycheck isn’t big enough to cover it."
The same could easily be said for, oh... I don't know... eating a ginormous serving of S'mores at a Chocolate Cafe. The bad feeling doesn't come as you're eating the S'mores. On the contrary... it's quite a good feeling (endorphin-releasing chocolate paired with a sugar rush from the marshmallows, not to mention the pure pleasure of the smooth, sweet chocolate melting on your tongue...) The bad feeling comes when you step on the scale the following week and see where all that pizza and eating out and chocolate landed you.
Weight... money... the root of the problem (at least for me) seems to be the same: following the path of least resistance, doing what feels good (at the time), instant gratification. When I first began this blog -this journey- I struggled. In the past, I've always thought, "Which problem do I attack first? Weight? Money?" The two areas of my life seemed too overwhelming to tackle at once- even to the point where goals in one area seemed to contradict improvements in the other area (despite the fact that everyone insists that it "doesn't have to cost a lot to eat healthy"). So, I think part of my problem in the past was being paralyzed by feeling like I had to choose between the two goals. And so I tackled none. As soon as I decided to tackle them together, things began to fall into place. And honestly, I think that it's because the roots of these problems are so closely related. There are things about myself- character traits... character flaws...whatever- that lead me to repeat these patterns of behavior. Despite knowing in my head how to manage these two areas, doing with my body didn't always follow. Doesn't always follow. And so, there are things that I must change about myself. That's why I will refer to what I'm doing as a "process", "a change of habits", "a lifestyle change", "a journey", etc. There are many things that I will call it, but I generally do not refer to this as a "diet" or "budget plan". Both of those words are very limiting with negative connotations. They are also words that communicate a temporary state to me (especially "diet") and I do not want these changes to be temporary. I want to develop healthy habits (physically and financially) that will be around for a long time, possibly forever. That is why I also allow myself to make mistakes without allowing myself to get discouraged (well, not too discouraged) by these mistakes. It's because these changes are becoming a part of the rest of my life and I can't forsee being perfect everyday for the rest of my life. Rather than beat myself up or quit when I have a set-back, I try to look at what happened honestly and examine it so that I can try to fix the problem. I realized that when I carry my debit card, it's way to easy for me to spend money without really being conscious of how much I'm spending on a purchase or how quickly those purchases are adding up. So, I 'fessed up, looked at the problem and developed a solution (well, kinda). The solution is helping some, but not as much as I would like, so it's time to re-examine what's going on, why, and what can be done to fix the problem (the rest of the way). And that brings me to goals for this week...
Okay... not a bad balance, but not too good considering $1000 of that is ER fund (I know, I know... I NEED to get that out of there before it disappears!) and the fact that the balance includes my paycheck which I'm not due to get until this coming Friday (since we're on Spring Break, they paid us a week early).
Why is it that I always blow money when I have it? And if feels like it's worse this time, because I'm not spending it on any one worthwhile "big ticket item" that we can at least look at, enjoy and have around for a while. There's nothing to point to and say, "That's where our tax return went." It's just trickling away... a meal out here (and there and there), a little trip here, some clothes there... it's painful to look back on, yet virtually undetectable when it's happening. Despite getting in the habit of not carrying my bank card and checkbook, these purchases are sneaking in when I do take them into a store. WHY?!?
Trent, over at The Simple Dollar, recently posted a review of the book, Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. He begins his review by writing:
"I find that time and time again, my greatest opponent when trying to make intelligent and well-reasoned personal finance and time management issues is myself. I’m my own weakness. ... This is a persistent problem for pretty much anyone who strives for something greater in their lives. We rely on their own rational behavior, but are often undermined by our own irrational impulses. Why? ... Predictably Irrational focuses in on this exact question, digging deep into the causes of such irrational steps and laying bare some useful solutions."
(If you struggle with this (like I do) and it interests you, you can read the full review here.)
The title of chapter 6 looks like it could be the story of my life: Chapter 6 - The Problem of Procrastination and Self-Control: Why We Can’t Make Ourselves Do What We Want To Do!
Another article, also by Trent at The Simple Dollar (can you tell I LOVE his blog?), offered up this gem:
"Personal finance is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about emotions and how we piece through the daily dilemmas in our lives. It’s about figuring out our goals and what the most important aspects of our lives really are. Doing a budget and living frugally doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t open our eyes to what our real values are.
The problem is that the average consumer gets emotional fulfillment out of spending. The guilt doesn’t come from the spending, it comes from the bills that come in later. People don’t feel bad about the purchase of a flat panel television - in fact, it’s usually a rush. The bad feeling comes when the credit card statements roll in and the paycheck isn’t big enough to cover it."
The same could easily be said for, oh... I don't know... eating a ginormous serving of S'mores at a Chocolate Cafe. The bad feeling doesn't come as you're eating the S'mores. On the contrary... it's quite a good feeling (endorphin-releasing chocolate paired with a sugar rush from the marshmallows, not to mention the pure pleasure of the smooth, sweet chocolate melting on your tongue...) The bad feeling comes when you step on the scale the following week and see where all that pizza and eating out and chocolate landed you.
Weight... money... the root of the problem (at least for me) seems to be the same: following the path of least resistance, doing what feels good (at the time), instant gratification. When I first began this blog -this journey- I struggled. In the past, I've always thought, "Which problem do I attack first? Weight? Money?" The two areas of my life seemed too overwhelming to tackle at once- even to the point where goals in one area seemed to contradict improvements in the other area (despite the fact that everyone insists that it "doesn't have to cost a lot to eat healthy"). So, I think part of my problem in the past was being paralyzed by feeling like I had to choose between the two goals. And so I tackled none. As soon as I decided to tackle them together, things began to fall into place. And honestly, I think that it's because the roots of these problems are so closely related. There are things about myself- character traits... character flaws...whatever- that lead me to repeat these patterns of behavior. Despite knowing in my head how to manage these two areas, doing with my body didn't always follow. Doesn't always follow. And so, there are things that I must change about myself. That's why I will refer to what I'm doing as a "process", "a change of habits", "a lifestyle change", "a journey", etc. There are many things that I will call it, but I generally do not refer to this as a "diet" or "budget plan". Both of those words are very limiting with negative connotations. They are also words that communicate a temporary state to me (especially "diet") and I do not want these changes to be temporary. I want to develop healthy habits (physically and financially) that will be around for a long time, possibly forever. That is why I also allow myself to make mistakes without allowing myself to get discouraged (well, not too discouraged) by these mistakes. It's because these changes are becoming a part of the rest of my life and I can't forsee being perfect everyday for the rest of my life. Rather than beat myself up or quit when I have a set-back, I try to look at what happened honestly and examine it so that I can try to fix the problem. I realized that when I carry my debit card, it's way to easy for me to spend money without really being conscious of how much I'm spending on a purchase or how quickly those purchases are adding up. So, I 'fessed up, looked at the problem and developed a solution (well, kinda). The solution is helping some, but not as much as I would like, so it's time to re-examine what's going on, why, and what can be done to fix the problem (the rest of the way). And that brings me to goals for this week...
Belated Weigh-In
Weigh-In: 288.0
Sorry for the delay... car problems kept me away from my computer on Saturday. Sunday, of course, was Easter, which was a whirlwind stretching from Easter baskets at dawn (well... it felt like dawn) to Vegas Showdown at my sister's in the wee hours of the morning (which I won, of course :P). Due to the car problems- van problems to be exact- we took my parents' car to Indiana. Since there was no room in the car for the dogs, our trip was cut short by a day. So, we crammed as much into today as possible... a trip to a Children's Museum (taking advantage of our ACM membership and getting in for free) and a visit to the South Bend Chocolate Cafe (totally not diet-friendly, but soooo worth it!). And now, we're finally home... kids in bed. It's Monday night, so onto Monday Night Money!
Sorry for the delay... car problems kept me away from my computer on Saturday. Sunday, of course, was Easter, which was a whirlwind stretching from Easter baskets at dawn (well... it felt like dawn) to Vegas Showdown at my sister's in the wee hours of the morning (which I won, of course :P). Due to the car problems- van problems to be exact- we took my parents' car to Indiana. Since there was no room in the car for the dogs, our trip was cut short by a day. So, we crammed as much into today as possible... a trip to a Children's Museum (taking advantage of our ACM membership and getting in for free) and a visit to the South Bend Chocolate Cafe (totally not diet-friendly, but soooo worth it!). And now, we're finally home... kids in bed. It's Monday night, so onto Monday Night Money!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $3985.96
I'm okay with this balance. Not thrilled, as I know there is a $1000+ check still floating around out there and I still need to take $1000 out to fund the ER fund. Still, that leaves a bank balance of almost $2000 plus a $1000 ER fund, which sure beats the heck out of the financial picture that I was looking at when I started this blog! I know that we have been eating out too much lately and that there was a little (okay... a lot) of extra spending when we got our tax refund, including a virtual weekend away with DH while the kids were at my sister's. But, the amputation is complete. The bank card and checkbook have not been with me in sometime. They now live at my house and only come out when there is a specific need to spend money (like buying Easter shoes or materials to build a leprechaun trap!). It seems to be going well that way, so we'll keep it like that for a while. Now that things are getting better, I need to work on menu planning and assigning a day for grocery shopping. I think that will be my spring break project.
For now, my goals are:
1. To continue the practice of using cash. Any checks that need to be written can be done so on Monday nights when I do money. The debit card can only come with on trips when absolutely necessary (like the gas station, so I can pay at the pump and get a reciept to use for the Illinois Green Fleets E-85 Fuel Rebate at the end of the year).
2. Assign the "leftovers" in our budget. I've got a pretty good handle on our monthly fixed expenses, but I haven't delved into the scary world of variable expenses yet and that is where the leaks are... where our money disappears because I don't have a good spending plan developed for this part of our budget. So, it's time to study our variable spending, attack and conquer!
Onward and upward!
I'm okay with this balance. Not thrilled, as I know there is a $1000+ check still floating around out there and I still need to take $1000 out to fund the ER fund. Still, that leaves a bank balance of almost $2000 plus a $1000 ER fund, which sure beats the heck out of the financial picture that I was looking at when I started this blog! I know that we have been eating out too much lately and that there was a little (okay... a lot) of extra spending when we got our tax refund, including a virtual weekend away with DH while the kids were at my sister's. But, the amputation is complete. The bank card and checkbook have not been with me in sometime. They now live at my house and only come out when there is a specific need to spend money (like buying Easter shoes or materials to build a leprechaun trap!). It seems to be going well that way, so we'll keep it like that for a while. Now that things are getting better, I need to work on menu planning and assigning a day for grocery shopping. I think that will be my spring break project.
For now, my goals are:
1. To continue the practice of using cash. Any checks that need to be written can be done so on Monday nights when I do money. The debit card can only come with on trips when absolutely necessary (like the gas station, so I can pay at the pump and get a reciept to use for the Illinois Green Fleets E-85 Fuel Rebate at the end of the year).
2. Assign the "leftovers" in our budget. I've got a pretty good handle on our monthly fixed expenses, but I haven't delved into the scary world of variable expenses yet and that is where the leaks are... where our money disappears because I don't have a good spending plan developed for this part of our budget. So, it's time to study our variable spending, attack and conquer!
Onward and upward!
Prelude
Monday Night Money is coming (after the kids are in bed) but I was reading some blogs in the mean time... "blog-surfing", as I saw someone refer to it. I found quite a few more financial blogs to check out and enjoy, so look for some additions to the "Money-related Links" in the near future. Anyway, as I was "blog-surfing", I came across this article: Your Tax Dollars at Work: $42 Million Just to Mail Out Tax Rebate Reminder Letters. I just couldn't help posting it here. $42 MILLION!!! Can you believe our government?! Sadly, I can. Just last week, when the glorified postcards came out, I was lamenting the waste to one of my co-workers. They recieved 4 different notices at their house- one for her, one for her boyfriend, one for her high school-aged son, and one for her ex-husband (that has been living in the Netherlands for almost a year now!) But now, seeing an actual dollar-amount spent for this, I'm just sickened! Who here thinks that $42 million could be spent on more worthwhile endeavors? Sheesh!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 03/15/08
Weigh-In: 287.0!
Yay! I've finally surpassed my previous low! It's taken a while, with some yo-yo-ing during and following the time when everyone in my family was sick and my "funk", but I finally did it! So, I'm really happy! I've gotten to walk most days this week and have even added an extra block on a couple of days as time in our morning schedule allowed. I also tried really hard to listen to my body this week. If it said I was full, I stopped eating (what a concept!). So, seeing a loss of 2 pounds this week makes me feel less guilty about not cleaning off and using the exercise bike that I've been intending to bring back into the house for a few years and finally did last weekend!
So, let's take a look at my goals for this past week- at least the weight loss ones...
1. Eat out less. We've been doing way too much of that lately. It's not good for our budget or our health. Yup! I did this. Although I did eat out a two times, I tried to make a better choice on Wednesday night and last night I filled up on a salad before my main course came so that I didn't eat as much of that.
2. Get back to drinking more water and less diet coke. Yup! I did this too. The only time I had caffeine this week was on Thursday at lunch when I thought that it might help my killer headache. It didn't, so I had to follow it up with some Excedrin as soon as I got home.
3. Amputate connections with my bank account (IE; debit card and checkbook) and only carry cash. Yup! I did this! I got cash out at the store on Monday night and promptly put my checkbook and bank card in a drawer for the week. It was fairly painless except that I forgot to write a check for Princess Tippytoes preschool and I didn't have it with me to do when I remembered.
4. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings. As I said above, I got half-way there... keeping up with the walking, but not getting the bike cleaned off, adjusted and used. So, we'll continue this goal for next week.
5. Show a real loss on the scale this week! Yup! Yay! I did this! Still, I like this goal and I will keep it for next week because meeting this goal makes me smile :)
Yay! I've finally surpassed my previous low! It's taken a while, with some yo-yo-ing during and following the time when everyone in my family was sick and my "funk", but I finally did it! So, I'm really happy! I've gotten to walk most days this week and have even added an extra block on a couple of days as time in our morning schedule allowed. I also tried really hard to listen to my body this week. If it said I was full, I stopped eating (what a concept!). So, seeing a loss of 2 pounds this week makes me feel less guilty about not cleaning off and using the exercise bike that I've been intending to bring back into the house for a few years and finally did last weekend!
So, let's take a look at my goals for this past week- at least the weight loss ones...
1. Eat out less. We've been doing way too much of that lately. It's not good for our budget or our health. Yup! I did this. Although I did eat out a two times, I tried to make a better choice on Wednesday night and last night I filled up on a salad before my main course came so that I didn't eat as much of that.
2. Get back to drinking more water and less diet coke. Yup! I did this too. The only time I had caffeine this week was on Thursday at lunch when I thought that it might help my killer headache. It didn't, so I had to follow it up with some Excedrin as soon as I got home.
3. Amputate connections with my bank account (IE; debit card and checkbook) and only carry cash. Yup! I did this! I got cash out at the store on Monday night and promptly put my checkbook and bank card in a drawer for the week. It was fairly painless except that I forgot to write a check for Princess Tippytoes preschool and I didn't have it with me to do when I remembered.
4. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings. As I said above, I got half-way there... keeping up with the walking, but not getting the bike cleaned off, adjusted and used. So, we'll continue this goal for next week.
5. Show a real loss on the scale this week! Yup! Yay! I did this! Still, I like this goal and I will keep it for next week because meeting this goal makes me smile :)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Mantras, Motivation, Moving Ahead...
Today, I was filling some time between work and picking up my husband by going through the inbox on my Gmail account. One of the things that I love about Gmail is the nearly unlimited space. I never have to throw out any emails, which works quite nicely with the "Search" feature. I have quite a few e-zines that I subscribe to. I get them, read them, keep them and then, when I'm looking for information on a particular topic, I just type in what I'm looking for and voila! All of the emails and articles that relate to that topic pop up! I love this feature so much that I've opened up a second Gmail account just for my recipes. If I come across a recipe that I like, I just send it to this account. I also include other important information that I may search by (kinda like tags)... slow cooker, breakfast, Christmas, low-calorie, etc. Then, say I have chicken, carrots, and rice that I want to use up and I know that it's going to be a long, busy day, so a crockpot dinner would be ideal. I just type "chicken carrots rice crockpot" in the search box and Voila! It brings up all the recipes that fit this criteria! But, I digress... that's not what I really came on here to write about. I just love Gmail so much that I can't help gushing!
So, what I really came to write about was something that I read in an old email that came across during this foray into ancient email-land. I had written to a diet buddy from Sparkpeople several years ago regarding my mantra about making changes in my life: "Improvement is improvement!" It's kind of a twist on something that Flylady says: "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family". Things don't have to be perfect for them to be an improvement or a blessing. It also comes from working with the students that I do (kids on the autism spectrum) For them, even little bits of progress are improvement. If I looked at the "big picture" and didn't see them achieve it, I think I would get totally burnt out in this job. But, I can look at where they were and where they are now and celebrate the little successes. In our classroom, we celebrate the small things a lot! In fact, one of my biggest joys in this job has been from something that is so simple, we take for granted that our "normal" kids will do it with in the first year of their life. I had a set of twins, both with autism, that I had been working with for at least 3 years. After working with them for 3+ years, they finally called me by name! I tell you, when I heard them say my name, my heart melted and they could have just about anything they asked for! It just made me so happy because I am a person to them now. Before I was just a tool they could use to get what they wanted, but now I am a person, and that is a huge breakthrough for them!
Another mantra or philosophy that I have adopted is: "Life's too short to waste calories on eating things that I don't like!" (unless it's something good for me and I'm setting an example for my kids). I've decided that it's not worth it if I don't enjoy it...like pie crust...I don't usually care for it, but I used to always eat it because it was part of the pie. Now, if I don't feel like it, I don't eat it because, what's the point? I'll admit, it took a while to be able to "waste food"! Afterall, we were brought up to be members of the clean-plate-club! But, then I got to wondering, "why?" So, I quit.
I guess the point of all of this is that we don't have to do it all at once. As the song says, "little things mean a lot". They can add up to big changes... big improvements..."Babysteps" as FlyLady and Dave Ramsey call them. I think that it is important to still enjoy the things that we like, just in moderation. I know if I deprive myself, I will not stick with a diet! But if I can make small changes- like fat free cool whip instead of regular, or half a piece of pie instead of a whole piece, then I am likely to follow through and keep moving ahead. And that's what this is all about... moving ahead and keeping moving.
So, what I really came to write about was something that I read in an old email that came across during this foray into ancient email-land. I had written to a diet buddy from Sparkpeople several years ago regarding my mantra about making changes in my life: "Improvement is improvement!" It's kind of a twist on something that Flylady says: "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family". Things don't have to be perfect for them to be an improvement or a blessing. It also comes from working with the students that I do (kids on the autism spectrum) For them, even little bits of progress are improvement. If I looked at the "big picture" and didn't see them achieve it, I think I would get totally burnt out in this job. But, I can look at where they were and where they are now and celebrate the little successes. In our classroom, we celebrate the small things a lot! In fact, one of my biggest joys in this job has been from something that is so simple, we take for granted that our "normal" kids will do it with in the first year of their life. I had a set of twins, both with autism, that I had been working with for at least 3 years. After working with them for 3+ years, they finally called me by name! I tell you, when I heard them say my name, my heart melted and they could have just about anything they asked for! It just made me so happy because I am a person to them now. Before I was just a tool they could use to get what they wanted, but now I am a person, and that is a huge breakthrough for them!
Another mantra or philosophy that I have adopted is: "Life's too short to waste calories on eating things that I don't like!" (unless it's something good for me and I'm setting an example for my kids). I've decided that it's not worth it if I don't enjoy it...like pie crust...I don't usually care for it, but I used to always eat it because it was part of the pie. Now, if I don't feel like it, I don't eat it because, what's the point? I'll admit, it took a while to be able to "waste food"! Afterall, we were brought up to be members of the clean-plate-club! But, then I got to wondering, "why?" So, I quit.
I guess the point of all of this is that we don't have to do it all at once. As the song says, "little things mean a lot". They can add up to big changes... big improvements..."Babysteps" as FlyLady and Dave Ramsey call them. I think that it is important to still enjoy the things that we like, just in moderation. I know if I deprive myself, I will not stick with a diet! But if I can make small changes- like fat free cool whip instead of regular, or half a piece of pie instead of a whole piece, then I am likely to follow through and keep moving ahead. And that's what this is all about... moving ahead and keeping moving.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Oh yeah... goals for this week...
1. Eat out less. We've been doing way too much of that lately. It's not good for our budget or our health.
2. Get back to drinking more water and less diet coke.
3. Amputate connections with my bank account (IE; debit card and checkbook) and only carry cash.
4. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings.
5. Show a real loss on the scale this week!
That's it. I'm going to keep it at 5 because 5 is my favorite number and I think it's do-able number of goals to keep.
2. Get back to drinking more water and less diet coke.
3. Amputate connections with my bank account (IE; debit card and checkbook) and only carry cash.
4. Clean off and start using the exercise bike and continue walking in the mornings.
5. Show a real loss on the scale this week!
That's it. I'm going to keep it at 5 because 5 is my favorite number and I think it's do-able number of goals to keep.
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $3005.39
Like sands through the hourglass... so are the dollars of our tax refund.
Actually, it's not all gone yet, but I do have to admit to some extra spending. A new console for the entry way that will actually make it a functional entryway (where we can actually hang up coats instead of just tossing them on and over chairs)... growing kids and a 40% off clearance sale at Kmart (that's 40% off the already reduced clearance prices)... a trip to IKEA to use a gift card... a night at a hotel while the kids were away... it's really easy to make money disappear. So, the rest is getting saved. We are going to "cash only" and the bank card and checkbook are getting left at home! Actual spending of the tax refund is now on hold until after my husband's dentist appointment and we get an idea of how much that will cost. As for my goals that I listed last week, here's an update:
1. Develop a list of needs and wants and prioritize that list to determine what to do with our tax refund. I did this on the back of March's calendar/ budget sheet. The list is way longer that the money will last, but I was thinking that it would be a good idea to keep such a file on the computer desktop so that we would have a prioritized list for when we do have some extra money to throw at something besides debt.
2. Complete the calendar/ budget sheet for March. Done. It's a fairly painless process and I find that I don't mind doing it at all.
3. Assign the leftovers... what will I do with the money that's left over after paying bills? This step is also on hold until after DH's dentist appointment.
4. Remove the bank card from my wallet/ checkbook! Do not carry my bank card or checkbook with me! Obviously, from the difference in the balance between last week and this week, that didn't happen. Checking-in tonight gave me a good reality check and I realize that this is an amputation that needs to take place immediately! It will happen tonight.
And.... my one, true goal for last weekend: making room for and bringing in the exercise bike. Check! Done! Look! (Okay, I was going to post a pic, but the camera batteries are dead, so don't look... just trust me). It's sitting in the living room in front of the windows, between the couch and a chair. It's not the best piece of interior decorating that I've ever done, but it will do for now (at least until we get the electricity taken care of in the family room and I can move it in there- another item on the "where to spend the tax refund" list).
Like sands through the hourglass... so are the dollars of our tax refund.
Actually, it's not all gone yet, but I do have to admit to some extra spending. A new console for the entry way that will actually make it a functional entryway (where we can actually hang up coats instead of just tossing them on and over chairs)... growing kids and a 40% off clearance sale at Kmart (that's 40% off the already reduced clearance prices)... a trip to IKEA to use a gift card... a night at a hotel while the kids were away... it's really easy to make money disappear. So, the rest is getting saved. We are going to "cash only" and the bank card and checkbook are getting left at home! Actual spending of the tax refund is now on hold until after my husband's dentist appointment and we get an idea of how much that will cost. As for my goals that I listed last week, here's an update:
1. Develop a list of needs and wants and prioritize that list to determine what to do with our tax refund. I did this on the back of March's calendar/ budget sheet. The list is way longer that the money will last, but I was thinking that it would be a good idea to keep such a file on the computer desktop so that we would have a prioritized list for when we do have some extra money to throw at something besides debt.
2. Complete the calendar/ budget sheet for March. Done. It's a fairly painless process and I find that I don't mind doing it at all.
3. Assign the leftovers... what will I do with the money that's left over after paying bills? This step is also on hold until after DH's dentist appointment.
4. Remove the bank card from my wallet/ checkbook! Do not carry my bank card or checkbook with me! Obviously, from the difference in the balance between last week and this week, that didn't happen. Checking-in tonight gave me a good reality check and I realize that this is an amputation that needs to take place immediately! It will happen tonight.
And.... my one, true goal for last weekend: making room for and bringing in the exercise bike. Check! Done! Look! (Okay, I was going to post a pic, but the camera batteries are dead, so don't look... just trust me). It's sitting in the living room in front of the windows, between the couch and a chair. It's not the best piece of interior decorating that I've ever done, but it will do for now (at least until we get the electricity taken care of in the family room and I can move it in there- another item on the "where to spend the tax refund" list).
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 03/08/08
Weigh-In: 284 or 289, depending on the scale...
Personally, I like the 284, but that reading was on a scale in the fitness center at the hotel, not the regular scale that I use every week. Still, I wanted to weigh myself first thing this morning since it was my regular weigh-in day and time. By the time I got home at 2 pm this afternoon and stepped on my regular scale (just after eating lunch), the scale said 289. Still, I won't complain. This week has been good (except for too much eating out and/or on the go). Things are slowly getting back to normal and my funk is disappearing. The kids are at my sister's for the weekend (THANK YOU wonderful sister!) and so far, I've enjoyed some quality time with my husband without the distractions and interruptions of kids- something severely lacking in our two-working-parent household with young children. Now that DH is at work for a few hours, I also plan to work- on the house- getting things back to a liveable state and making room for and bringing in the exercise bike! I know, I've written about that before, but that is my one, true goal this weekend. Anything else I get done is just icing on the cake. So, instead of sitting on here and typing (minimal, if any, calorie burnage), I'm getting off the computer, playing some loud obnoxious music, and cleaning and organizing to my heart's content (or at least until I have to go pick my DH up from work).
Personally, I like the 284, but that reading was on a scale in the fitness center at the hotel, not the regular scale that I use every week. Still, I wanted to weigh myself first thing this morning since it was my regular weigh-in day and time. By the time I got home at 2 pm this afternoon and stepped on my regular scale (just after eating lunch), the scale said 289. Still, I won't complain. This week has been good (except for too much eating out and/or on the go). Things are slowly getting back to normal and my funk is disappearing. The kids are at my sister's for the weekend (THANK YOU wonderful sister!) and so far, I've enjoyed some quality time with my husband without the distractions and interruptions of kids- something severely lacking in our two-working-parent household with young children. Now that DH is at work for a few hours, I also plan to work- on the house- getting things back to a liveable state and making room for and bringing in the exercise bike! I know, I've written about that before, but that is my one, true goal this weekend. Anything else I get done is just icing on the cake. So, instead of sitting on here and typing (minimal, if any, calorie burnage), I'm getting off the computer, playing some loud obnoxious music, and cleaning and organizing to my heart's content (or at least until I have to go pick my DH up from work).
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
:) :) :) :) :)
I got to walk today! And it felt so good! Breathing in the clean, cool air... taking a break from the morning rush of "we've got to hurry up and get everyone ready and get out of the house"... just me and the birds. Ahhhh...
I have vowed that there will be a loss on the scale this week. Walking is one way to help me get there, but even more importantly, it's a nice chance to step back from the day, look at what needs to be done, and organize my thoughts... or to think of nothing at all :) I've never been one to enjoy exercising. Aerobics? No thank you! But I do enjoy physical activities and I find that I always feel better when I'm doing them on a regular basis. So, I was thrilled to be able to start up my morning walks again. There was no fresh-fallen snow to trudge through or newly-formed ice to worry about. Everyone was healthy enough to allow me to be away from home long enough to squeeze in my walk after Miss B got on the bus. Ahhh... What a great way to start my day!
I have vowed that there will be a loss on the scale this week. Walking is one way to help me get there, but even more importantly, it's a nice chance to step back from the day, look at what needs to be done, and organize my thoughts... or to think of nothing at all :) I've never been one to enjoy exercising. Aerobics? No thank you! But I do enjoy physical activities and I find that I always feel better when I'm doing them on a regular basis. So, I was thrilled to be able to start up my morning walks again. There was no fresh-fallen snow to trudge through or newly-formed ice to worry about. Everyone was healthy enough to allow me to be away from home long enough to squeeze in my walk after Miss B got on the bus. Ahhh... What a great way to start my day!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $5609.45
I'd like to say that this large balance is due to us being really good about spending (or not spending) our money. But, I have to credit Uncle Sam with this one. Our tax return came through! Now comes the fun job of sitting down and figuring out exactly where all of this money will go. It's not that I don't have any idea of where to put it (or what to put it toward), it's that I have too many ideas about where to put this money! So, it's time to crunch the numbers and prioritize. I'll let you know how things come out. I also need to do my March budget/ calendar tonight. I've come to the realization that I really need to narrow my focus and step up my budget plan. Now that I've got a good grasp of the monthly bills (and the ability to pay the rent and car payment earlier in the month, thanks to the tax refund), I need to sit down and "assign" an expense to each penny (according to Dave Ramsey). I don't know if I can get it down to the penny, but some assignation needs to be done and I've got to get back into the envelopes or, at the very least, ONLY carrying cash with me. I've decided that my bank card is my downfall, so we are parting ways... at least having a trial separation. The bank card is moving out of my wallet/ checkbook and into a new home. So I guess- to take a cue from my sister's blog- my money goals for this week are:
1. Develop a list of needs and wants and prioritize that list to determine what to do with our tax refund.
2. Complete the calendar/ budget sheet for March.
3. Assign the leftovers... what will I do with the money that's left over after paying bills?
4. Remove the bank card from my wallet/ checkbook! Do not carry my bank card or checkbook with me!
I'd like to say that this large balance is due to us being really good about spending (or not spending) our money. But, I have to credit Uncle Sam with this one. Our tax return came through! Now comes the fun job of sitting down and figuring out exactly where all of this money will go. It's not that I don't have any idea of where to put it (or what to put it toward), it's that I have too many ideas about where to put this money! So, it's time to crunch the numbers and prioritize. I'll let you know how things come out. I also need to do my March budget/ calendar tonight. I've come to the realization that I really need to narrow my focus and step up my budget plan. Now that I've got a good grasp of the monthly bills (and the ability to pay the rent and car payment earlier in the month, thanks to the tax refund), I need to sit down and "assign" an expense to each penny (according to Dave Ramsey). I don't know if I can get it down to the penny, but some assignation needs to be done and I've got to get back into the envelopes or, at the very least, ONLY carrying cash with me. I've decided that my bank card is my downfall, so we are parting ways... at least having a trial separation. The bank card is moving out of my wallet/ checkbook and into a new home. So I guess- to take a cue from my sister's blog- my money goals for this week are:
1. Develop a list of needs and wants and prioritize that list to determine what to do with our tax refund.
2. Complete the calendar/ budget sheet for March.
3. Assign the leftovers... what will I do with the money that's left over after paying bills?
4. Remove the bank card from my wallet/ checkbook! Do not carry my bank card or checkbook with me!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 03/02/08
Weigh-In: 290.3
First, let me preface this with a big SORRY. Things have been crazy around here (see last post for a condensed version) and on top of the craziness, I'm beginning to see that I'm in a funk. It's not depression... that's a long-lasting, chemical-imbalance-induced kinda thing. But, this weekend, I think I've finally recognized that I'm in a definite funk or have a case of the blues or whatever you want to call it. Is it the weather (we just had our 35th measureable snowfall this winter)? Is it the fact that things at work have me questioning- for the first time since I began teaching- whether I still want to teach (and, if I do, do I still want to teach in the autism program that I developed for our school district)? Is it the fact that everyone in my family has been taking turns being sick for the past month (including my husband who ended up in the hospital last weekend)? Is it the fact that Miss B is having a tough time in school right now- possibly due to ADD- and I don't know how to make it better? Is it the jerk at the theater today that basically told me that I'm a bad parent for bringing my kids to see a live, stage musical (in my kids' defense, they were very good, the girls sat with me and only occassionally whispered questions that were directly related to the show)? Is it the fact that there wasn't a sitter for choir practice tonight, and so I had to leave practice to come home with the kids (the "oldest child" in me hates to bow out of responsibilities)? It's probably a combination of all of these things.
Many years ago, I read a book called, Pursuit of Happiness (or something like that) when I was doing a teaching experience at a residential behavioral school. The whole school was based on Glasser's Reality Therapy and Control Theory (now called Choice Theory- guess Control wasn't PC), and this was one of the books they had the students read. I wish I could find it so I could share it with you and read it again for myself, but I've scoured Amazon and, even though they have a b'zillion titles relating to the "pursuit of happiness", I can't find the one that we used. Part of the book basically stated that we all have pictures in our minds of how things are supposed to be. If these pictures match our reality, we are happy. When the pictures in our minds don't match the way things really are (or when they don't match other peoples' pictures), that's when we have problems. It's very easy for me to picture the way things should be in my mind- an ideal- but there is no way that my reality can live up to all of those ideals, so something gives. This causes a domino-effect, as one area of my life doesn't match my ideal, I feel bad (guilty) about it. I get a bit down and my motivation/ energy level decreases, leading to a shortfall (or discrepancy between pictures) in another area, causing an even lower motivation/ energy level and... it's a vicious, downward spiral until I'm in a full-fledged funk. So, that's where I am right now. Some of these things that have happened this past month were in my control. Most were not. But, the other important thing I learned from this book is that we have a choice. We are in control of how we react to the events in our life. So, although I feel like this right now, I have a choice about what I'm going to do about it. Not that making those choices is always easy, but I can choose to take positive steps to get myself out of this funk. I can choose to clear space in my living room so that I can bring the exercise bike in the house and start using it (exercise raises endorphin levels and all that stuff). I can choose to continue making healthy choices about my food, taking my vitamin and drinking my water (all of which help my level of energy and general feeling good about myself). I'm proud to say that through all of the crap this past month, although I have gained a bit back from where I was (last week, when I didn't get to write a "Weigh-In" post, I was at around 294 lbs), I still weigh less now than I did a month ago. So, things are moving in the right direction again- even my mood. I plan to keep it that way.
First, let me preface this with a big SORRY. Things have been crazy around here (see last post for a condensed version) and on top of the craziness, I'm beginning to see that I'm in a funk. It's not depression... that's a long-lasting, chemical-imbalance-induced kinda thing. But, this weekend, I think I've finally recognized that I'm in a definite funk or have a case of the blues or whatever you want to call it. Is it the weather (we just had our 35th measureable snowfall this winter)? Is it the fact that things at work have me questioning- for the first time since I began teaching- whether I still want to teach (and, if I do, do I still want to teach in the autism program that I developed for our school district)? Is it the fact that everyone in my family has been taking turns being sick for the past month (including my husband who ended up in the hospital last weekend)? Is it the fact that Miss B is having a tough time in school right now- possibly due to ADD- and I don't know how to make it better? Is it the jerk at the theater today that basically told me that I'm a bad parent for bringing my kids to see a live, stage musical (in my kids' defense, they were very good, the girls sat with me and only occassionally whispered questions that were directly related to the show)? Is it the fact that there wasn't a sitter for choir practice tonight, and so I had to leave practice to come home with the kids (the "oldest child" in me hates to bow out of responsibilities)? It's probably a combination of all of these things.
Many years ago, I read a book called, Pursuit of Happiness (or something like that) when I was doing a teaching experience at a residential behavioral school. The whole school was based on Glasser's Reality Therapy and Control Theory (now called Choice Theory- guess Control wasn't PC), and this was one of the books they had the students read. I wish I could find it so I could share it with you and read it again for myself, but I've scoured Amazon and, even though they have a b'zillion titles relating to the "pursuit of happiness", I can't find the one that we used. Part of the book basically stated that we all have pictures in our minds of how things are supposed to be. If these pictures match our reality, we are happy. When the pictures in our minds don't match the way things really are (or when they don't match other peoples' pictures), that's when we have problems. It's very easy for me to picture the way things should be in my mind- an ideal- but there is no way that my reality can live up to all of those ideals, so something gives. This causes a domino-effect, as one area of my life doesn't match my ideal, I feel bad (guilty) about it. I get a bit down and my motivation/ energy level decreases, leading to a shortfall (or discrepancy between pictures) in another area, causing an even lower motivation/ energy level and... it's a vicious, downward spiral until I'm in a full-fledged funk. So, that's where I am right now. Some of these things that have happened this past month were in my control. Most were not. But, the other important thing I learned from this book is that we have a choice. We are in control of how we react to the events in our life. So, although I feel like this right now, I have a choice about what I'm going to do about it. Not that making those choices is always easy, but I can choose to take positive steps to get myself out of this funk. I can choose to clear space in my living room so that I can bring the exercise bike in the house and start using it (exercise raises endorphin levels and all that stuff). I can choose to continue making healthy choices about my food, taking my vitamin and drinking my water (all of which help my level of energy and general feeling good about myself). I'm proud to say that through all of the crap this past month, although I have gained a bit back from where I was (last week, when I didn't get to write a "Weigh-In" post, I was at around 294 lbs), I still weigh less now than I did a month ago. So, things are moving in the right direction again- even my mood. I plan to keep it that way.
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