Oh goodness… we’re into the LAST week of January 2019 already?! How in the world did that happen already? My WORD for this year is INTENTIONAL.
Intentional everything… Time with family. Friendships. Spending. SAVING. Health. Living. Planning. Etc.
The first thing on my list for 2019 was my SPENDING. 🙈 I seriously love shopping and clothing… all the things but WHY?! I have more than I'll ever need. I realize that seasons change and styles change, however I'm not purchasing anything that trendy that won’t take me from season to season or even year to year if it had to. While it's completely normal to add a few new things each season, I was adding new things weekly. I'm embarrassed to even type this. The worst part is that I would then go through and have hoards of garbage bags full of things to donate that were essentially like brand new. What on earth was I doing?! Up until the end of December that was still very much real life. And sadly I'm passing the same horrible habits on to my children. They love clothes as much as I do… their wardrobes are fit for about 3 kids each. It's insanity.
Think of the amount of laundry with wardrobes of that size. Think of the money spent. While we generally don’t purchase things unless they are on sale – then we'd purchase loads more because it's “such a good deal.” It's a vicious cycle. But again, why?! So I'm over hear digging deep on that one – reading, learning and NOT shopping. {If you're an over shopper/spender – I highly recommend “To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop“ … Definite eye opener.} I'm proud to say there have been no clothing or unnecessary purchases since the beginning of January. {my debit card is thanking me}
Next up is SAVING. Not just saving as in putting aside money in our accounts or retirement but actually taking a look at our finances. Have you done that lately? If you haven’t, you should. We were paying $108 for DirecTV service which is ridiculous when you look at the package we had. That's where I started, researching options for television and found that for $40/month we could have essentially the same service?! WHAT?! I made a call to DirecTV to cancel our service and suddenly the $108 has gone down to $44.99/mo. Are you kidding me?! Needless to say we won’t make a switch for another year now but consider the savings just from a little research and a phone call.
Then our annual insurance statements arrived in the mail… like with everything else the premiums had gone up. I'm not the one who handles all the insurance stuff in our house so that was handed over to Ben. Again, a call to our insurance agent’s office and a little shopping around of our policies and we are saving nearly $1,000/year.
Ohhhhh…. But it doesn’t stop there. Our phone/internet bill was nearly $100 for the two services. I gave the company a call and simply stated that I was looking to save on our bill as I thought what we’ve been paying is too much. I was transferred to Savings/Retention and voila… $49.98 for the next two years. What in the ----?! Like I didn’t even have to use my mom voice. Yes, it took nearly a half hour from start to finish but I'd say the savings are totally worth that small bit of time.
I'm now on to researching cell phone service… stay tuned. $305/month for our family seems a little steep if you ask me. Going to dig deeper into that. {If you've got thoughts or have tried & loved something for less money, please let me know!}
We have also gone back to a wholesale club membership which we haven't had in years. The savings already with respect to our grocery bill has been noticeable. I mean that's if you walk into the club and stick to your list. AND be sure to sign up for their app if they've got one which allows you to “clip" coupons that may be relevant to your purchase and they are automatically deducted with your purchase once your membership card is swiped. Just a few more dollars in your pocket.
All these little things have added up to HUGE savings for us already this year and it's only January. Don't wait to take a look at your current statements & what your paying- be proactive. Call your service providers today to see what better rates they can offer you. It's literally that simple. For far too long I think most of us have just felt like the price is just the price – generally that's not the case. I know it’s a little scary to call but you'll be happy you did. And what’s the worst they tell you, "no – we aren’t able to do any better." Perhaps then it's time to look for a new provider if there are alternatives for that service.
Another very important item on my list this year are Family & Friends. We all get so busy with our own lives that we don’t have time for anything else or so we tell ourselves. I've found within the last six months or so that MAKING time does the soul good. Coffee with a girlfriend; family dinners; date nights; dinner with friends…. MAKE TIME. I'm intentionally making sure that I plan something with a friend{s} at least once a week. It can be tricky in between work schedules, kid schedules, etc. but do it. ❤
Exercise/Health are way up there on my list, too. It often, again, seems to be one of those items that gets shoved to the bottom when life gets crazy. We've replaced the treadmill that died last winter and workouts are back at top priority. Not just for physical health but for mental health.
I could go on and on forever…. I feel like the years just keep passing by… our kids are going to be gone in like five minutes… and then… {our future} Ben has these grand plans for us to move south and then… And then what I keep asking?! This is his plan because he has been in the landscaping business in WNY for the past 20+ years which means snowplowing in the winter. Some years that isn’t so bad, other years that’s totally awful. Regardless he’s just about over New York state winters BUT… what’s next.
Ben’s a dreamer and a go-getter. That is what makes Ben who he is. He is literally not afraid of anything or to go anywhere. That is why in Ben’s mind moving south is just the next step. Yep… find a house, pack up your shit & off we go. That literally scares the F&CK out of me. Like – hey, I’ll be hiding over here while you pack it all up, move away, make sure it’s all going to work & then I’ll be along for the ride. I am SO not the risk taker. Perhaps that’s what balances us out?! I don’t know. I can literally feel the anxiety in my chest as I write this blog post, no joke.
So there is all that… our youngest is in eighth grade. What do our plans look like? Do we want to move away as soon as she graduates? Do we want to see what her college plans may be before we decide to pack it up… these are all things we are trying to navigate. Again, my map of all of this looks WAY different than Ben’s. And I may be slightly facetious in saying that Ben hasn’t thought about this – he just doesn’t always express stuff as outwardly as I do. He tends to keep a lot of stuff inside until I am about ready to explode with fear/frustration/anxiety/etc… and then he’s like whoa, lady…. Back up the bus. Again – perhaps not always the best way to communicate but I am the overthinker, over planer and regardless of all my planning, things will still be f-ed up and Ben is much more mellow, quiet & it always works out. Hmmmm…. {perhaps I need to take some lessons}
In the meantime… we need to be living life… intentionally. A move south isn't going to happen on it's own. And the last fifteen years have flown by, I can only imagine how quickly four/five will pass by.
Not to mention raising teenagers. Sighhh. Navigating the yearly meeting with the guidance counselor for course planning; the dating scene; all the convos about drugs/alcohol; etc. You've got to be on it. I swear I feel like I am going to wake tomorrow and they'll be done with college?!
Clearly something happened when I turned 40... that HOLY s&^% I am really a grown up with nearly two almost adults... and what does the next stage of our life look like. Time to start living less out of habit and more out of intent.
Do you have a word for the year? How is working in your daily life?
Are you looking to organize your life & start living intentionally? Orderly by Danica can help you put your plan into action? Call 585.749.3493 or email today.