Weekend Plans

Friday, A Little Bit of Everything—and a Lot to Think About

We finally made it to Friday! 🙌 And I am so glad!

I had already decided that this weekend, I am not going to do much of anything. No running errands. No shopping. No spending money I don’t have. 😂 I am perfectly content to stay home with Mr. C and hopefully knock out a few things that have been sitting on our to-do list.

One of those things is getting back to cleaning the sunroom.

That room gets SO hot, so with the weather finally starting to cool down a little, I think this weekend might be the perfect time to get back there and start working on it. I really need to go through my big, tall cabinet that is packed with craft supplies. I also have a pile of things that need to go to Goodwill, and thankfully, those are already separated and just need to be loaded into the vehicle.

My goal isn’t to completely finish everything this weekend. I know that cabinet may take me two sittings, and that’s okay. I just want to start it, make some progress, and hopefully get one more thing checked off our list.

Small steps still count.

Speaking of small steps, I also need to wrap Savannah’s birthday present that Brody has here at the house. I bought some pretty light green wrapping paper because green is her favorite color. And then I got to thinking…

Why buy more wrapping paper when I already have some?

I’m going to use that same green paper for Whitney’s birthday gift when I take it to her on the 19th for our company picnic. Whatever is left over, I’m going to save for Christmas. Add a red bow to it, and suddenly that green wrapping paper is Christmas wrapping paper! 🎄

It’s just another little reminder to use what you have instead of automatically buying something new.

Those little choices really do add up.

Maybe you’re saving two or three dollars here and a few dollars there. It doesn’t seem like much at the time, but that’s still money you’re not spending. And those little savings can build up faster than you think.

I’ve talked off and on for years about my cash envelope system. I know it’s not the way everybody does things, but it works for me. I don’t necessarily have a perfect rhythm to how much I put away, but I do know one thing:

I want to be more intentional about saving.

Every two weeks, I want to make sure that something goes into savings. No excuses. No “I’ll do it next time.” Something needs to go in there.

After everything we’ve been working on financially, I really want to start building that cushion back up. Even if it starts small, it’s still a start.

And sometimes, I think that’s the whole point.

Small steps. Big savings. One decision at a time.

This morning I also stopped by the bank and deposited some cash so I could get money over to Aaron for his commissary. And while we’re talking about real life, I have something else on my mind this morning.

Last night I went out to see Grandpa Kendall, my stepdad. I stayed about 30 minutes, and honestly, my heart broke.

I know he’s been on hospice. I know he’s not doing well. I know that we are at a point where there isn’t going to be a miracle recovery.

But last night he told me something I didn’t know.

Two weeks ago, he went outside and fell off the porch. He hit his head on one of the steps and lay there for hours and hours—through the day and into the night—before two men finally found him.

They even called MedFlight. He told me they didn’t think he was going to make it. So we are blessed with another day with him. 

And somehow, I didn’t know any of this had happened.

Nobody called to tell me.

I know there aren’t a lot of ties there anymore, other than the fact that he loves my boys. But I couldn’t help feeling like someone could have called and let me know what he was going through.

I asked him, “Kendall, do I need to start coming out here more often to see you?”

And his answer stopped me in my tracks.

He said, “Well, it depends on how many times you want to see me alive before I die.”

Okay.

Okay, Kendall.

I hear you.

Sometimes people don’t need a big speech. Sometimes they just need you to show up.

So I am going to do better about that.

I’m going back out Saturday. I’ll probably take him something to eat and spend some time with him. He told me his nurses come three times a week and stay with him for several hours, which makes me feel a little better knowing he’s not completely alone.

But I still need to go see him.

And I think I need to reach out to my boys, too. Kendall didn’t want me to tell them what was going on, especially Aaron, but I have a feeling that Aaron, Trevor, and Blake all need to know. They may not be able to physically be here—Blake is in Texas, Trevor is in North Dakota, and Aaron is three hours away—but I think they deserve the chance to know what is happening with someone who has loved them.

Life is funny.

I started this post thinking I was going to talk about staying home this weekend, cleaning my craft cabinet, wrapping presents, saving money, and trying not to spend money I don’t have.

And somehow, here I am talking about how quickly life can change and how important it is to make time for the people we love.

Maybe that’s what being intentional really means.

Not just being intentional with our money.

Not just being intentional with our homes.

But being intentional with our time.

Because money can be saved.

Craft supplies can be organized.

Wrapping paper can wait.

But time with the people we love is something we don’t get back.

So this weekend, I’ll probably still clean that cabinet. I’ll still wrap those presents. I’ll still try to save a few dollars.

But I’ll also make sure I take some time to go see Kendall.

And maybe that’s the most important thing on my weekend to-do list.

Please send prayers our way for Kendall. I know he’s not going to get better, but I’m praying for easier, more comfortable, more pain-free days than not. ❤️

And as always, thank you for stopping by my blog and spending a little bit of your time with me.

Karen

Working on being debt free!

 

Friday Thoughts: Taking Control of My Money, One Small Step at a Time

So, let’s see…today is finally Friday, August 28th.

I don’t know why, but time seems to be flying by lately. I honestly cannot believe we are already at the end of August. Where did the month go?

And speaking of time flying, I have only 16 saves left to reach my goal at work for this month, and I have today and Monday to get them.

How doable is that?

I’m hoping VERY doable! 😂

I will be so happy if I make my goal. I really will.

Lately, I’ve been struggling at work, and I know it isn’t necessarily the job itself. A lot of it is me getting stressed. My anxiety goes up, I start overthinking things, and then suddenly I feel like I can’t save anybody.

But I’ve noticed something about myself.

When I slow down, listen to the member, have an actual conversation with them, and try to figure out what their problem is instead of immediately thinking about the save…that’s when I do my best work.

Nine times out of ten, if someone will allow me to have that conversation with them, I can usually find a way to save them.

And honestly, we have really good benefits with the attorneys. But I also understand the other side of the conversation. With the economy the way it is and the price of EVERYTHING going up, a legal plan isn’t necessarily a necessity. It’s nice to have, and it can be very valuable, but it’s something people can decide they simply can’t afford right now.

That makes my job harder sometimes.

So, I’m reminding myself to breathe, slow down, listen, and have the conversation.

One member at a time.

Getting Serious About Christmas

While we’re talking about money, I’ve been thinking a LOT about my finances lately.

Last week, I went online and ordered a Christmas gift for all 12 of my grandkids.

Yep. Twelve.

And let me tell you, it felt really good to get that started!

I wanted to get ahead of the game instead of waiting until November or December and suddenly realizing I still had twelve Christmas gifts to buy. Everything should start rolling in fairly soon, and that means one big part of my Christmas shopping is already handled.

I also finally bought something for myself that I’ve been looking at ALL YEAR.

A shirt and a jean jacket.

I’ve looked at them over and over again and kept telling myself, “Nope. You don’t need it.”

But eventually I decided that I really wanted them, and I ordered them.

And you know what?

I’m okay with that.

I also picked up a few Christmas gifts for other family members—a couple of pairs of sweatpants for Mr. C, a nice pair of fleece pants for Trevor, and a leopard-print gift box with all sorts of goodies for Melissa because I think she is going to love it.

So, Christmas is officially underway at our house!

And I’m pretty proud of myself for getting started early.

The Credit Cards Had to Go

Now let’s talk about something that was a little harder.

Yesterday, I might have cut up all my credit cards.

Might have.

Okay…I did.

And it might have brought a little tear to my eye.

But it was past time.

I have been thinking a lot about retirement lately. I would really like to be able to retire within the next five years or so, and if that’s going to happen, I have to get serious about my spending.

I can’t continue doing the same things I’ve always done and expect a different financial outcome.

I’ve learned something about myself:

If I have a credit card available, I’m going to use it.

That’s just the truth.

And if I keep doing that, I’m never going to get myself completely out of the financial hole I’ve created.

So yesterday, I made the decision that enough was enough.

I also had a Chime account where I put about 20% of my paycheck. That was my disposable-money account. It was the money I could use for fun, save for a trip, or spend on something I wanted.

And I cut that card up too.

Was it easy?

Nope.

Was it necessary?

Absolutely.

And strangely enough, there’s actually a sense of relief that comes with knowing I now have to rely on what I actually have, not what a credit card says I can spend.

That’s a pretty big mental shift.

Back to the Cash Envelope System

I also want to get back to something that worked really well for me before: my cash envelope system.

I haven’t done it in forever.

And that’s one of my biggest problems sometimes.

I can start a good habit, do really well with it, and then somehow life happens and I get out of the habit.

Learning new habits is hard for me.

It’s doable, but it’s hard.

So I’m starting again.

September is right around the corner, and I’m setting a goal to put $40–$50 into my cash envelope savings every month, depending on what I can afford.

It may not sound like a lot, but I’ve learned that small amounts really do add up.

There were times before when I was only putting $10 or $20 away each payday, and guess what?

It added up.

So I’m not going to look at $40 or $50 and think, “That’s not enough.”

Instead, I’m going to think, “That’s $40 or $50 more than I had before.”

I also want to rebuild my emergency fund to $1,000.

I’m going to treat that as a separate little side quest.

I’m not going to beat myself up if it takes longer than I want it to. I’m just going to keep working toward it.

Slow progress is still progress.

And Then There’s New York…

Because apparently I can’t talk about money without talking about a future trip. 😂

My coworker Shelby, who is also my friend, and I are planning a trip to New York in November of 2027, around Thanksgiving weekend.

Yes, I know that’s over a year away.

But that’s actually one of the things I like about planning ahead.

I already have a pretty good idea of what I think I’ll spend on the trip, other than the hotel.

Right now, I’m estimating around $320 a night for the hotel room.

I’m probably not going to seriously work on that part of the budget until after the first of the year, but I’m keeping it in the back of my mind.

Because if I know a trip is coming, I can plan for it instead of putting it on a credit card and worrying about how I’m going to pay for it later.

That’s the whole point of what I’m trying to change.

A Few More Financial Pieces

I’m also almost finished paying off my car.

I only have about $270 left, and I’m planning to have that paid off in September.

That feels GOOD.

One less monthly payment.

I also thought I had canceled my Joint Chiropractic membership last month.

Apparently, I didn’t.

Well…let me rephrase that.

I turned in my cancellation information, but apparently it didn’t get turned in properly because I’m still looking at that $80 charge for September.

So I’m going to rewrite my cancellation letter and get it back over there.

I’m not interested in paying another $80 if I don’t need the service.

That $80 can go toward something else.

In fact, I’m planning to move that $80 over toward our Starlink bill, which is about $85.

And yes, I do think Starlink is better than what we had before.

But am I going to upgrade to the $130 plan just because I could?

Nope.

Not right now.

We don’t use a tremendous amount of Wi-Fi at our house. We use it for the television, my laptops, and the things we need it for, but I don’t feel like I need to pay for more than we actually use.

And I think that’s another part of my new financial mindset:

Just because I can spend it doesn’t mean I should.

That may be one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn.

A Fresh Start

I don’t expect to magically become a perfect money manager overnight.

That’s not realistic.

I’m still going to want things.

I’m still going to see something in a store and think, “Oh, I want that!”

I’m still going to want to travel.

I’m still going to buy Christmas presents.

And every now and then, I’m probably going to buy myself that shirt and jean jacket I’ve been staring at for a year. 😂

But I want to do those things differently.

I want to plan.

I want to save.

I want to pay cash.

I want to stop depending on credit.

And most importantly, I want to start preparing for the future I say I want.

If I really want the possibility of retiring within the next five years, then the choices I make today matter.

So here I am at the end of August, getting ready to start September with a few new goals:

16 more saves at work.

Pay off the last $270 on my car.

Cancel that chiropractic membership once and for all.

Put $40–$50 a month into my cash envelope savings.

Work toward rebuilding my $1,000 emergency fund.

Start planning for that future New York trip.

And, most importantly…

Learn to live on what I have instead of what I can borrow.

It’s not going to be easy.

But I know it’s doable.

And sometimes a fresh start doesn’t happen on January 1st.

Sometimes it happens on an ordinary Friday in August when you finally decide you’ve had enough of doing things the old way.

Here’s to making better choices, one paycheck, one envelope, and one small step at a time.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by. Cheers, Karen.