This month, I'm feeling REALLY limited on time and money. Between the 4 weddings this summer/fall, multiple family trips and visits, being an advisor to my favorite women of poise and purpose, and figuring out how exactly this parenting thing works I'm well...stressing. So I've made a personal pledge to myself to take a time-out and get some things in order before the end of this month.
Step 1. Schedule a hair cut. I've finally stopped losing my hair (post-pregnancy side-effect) and I look like the dirty hippie I am on the inside but am not allowed to look like at work. And I'll be honest, the vain woman in me makes me be more productive when I look pretty. I'm like Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" I guess. Status: scheduled for the end of the month.
Step 2. Make a budget. I realized the other day I have NO idea what our family income or expenses are now that we have the little guy. Status: I've entered in my income and expenses, as well as our "family" expenses (daycare, groceries, utilities, etc.) split into monthly increments. The big guy is reviewing and entering his info so we can figure out where we can make adjustments for more wiggle room/savings.
Step 3. Figure out how to cut back on the grocery budget without sacrificing the yum. This is a tough one for me, since I really value good food. But, I think with some advanced planning and increased lunch packing for both of us, I can probably get our grocery budget down at least by 25%. Status: Researching online meal planners, calendars, etc. for ideas. I need to cross-reference them with food costs and what the little guy can eat at this point, since I'll probably start packing some real food for him to take to school soon.
Step 4. Figure out how to make more time for me to breathe. Probably the toughest of all, since I've found that I rarely actually sit once I get home every night. I'm hoping that the pre-planning of meals will help a lot with that since I'll be able to plan time for my sewing, which I miss dearly. Status: I'm planning to sew on Saturday since the big guy cleaned out our office where my sewing stuff is located.
I plan to keep track of the websites I'm looking at, and will share them in a few weeks to let you all know what I've learned. [Insert shameless request for suggestion here].
Looking forward to less stress come August!
Step 1. Schedule a hair cut. I've finally stopped losing my hair (post-pregnancy side-effect) and I look like the dirty hippie I am on the inside but am not allowed to look like at work. And I'll be honest, the vain woman in me makes me be more productive when I look pretty. I'm like Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" I guess. Status: scheduled for the end of the month.
Step 2. Make a budget. I realized the other day I have NO idea what our family income or expenses are now that we have the little guy. Status: I've entered in my income and expenses, as well as our "family" expenses (daycare, groceries, utilities, etc.) split into monthly increments. The big guy is reviewing and entering his info so we can figure out where we can make adjustments for more wiggle room/savings.
Step 3. Figure out how to cut back on the grocery budget without sacrificing the yum. This is a tough one for me, since I really value good food. But, I think with some advanced planning and increased lunch packing for both of us, I can probably get our grocery budget down at least by 25%. Status: Researching online meal planners, calendars, etc. for ideas. I need to cross-reference them with food costs and what the little guy can eat at this point, since I'll probably start packing some real food for him to take to school soon.
Step 4. Figure out how to make more time for me to breathe. Probably the toughest of all, since I've found that I rarely actually sit once I get home every night. I'm hoping that the pre-planning of meals will help a lot with that since I'll be able to plan time for my sewing, which I miss dearly. Status: I'm planning to sew on Saturday since the big guy cleaned out our office where my sewing stuff is located.
I plan to keep track of the websites I'm looking at, and will share them in a few weeks to let you all know what I've learned. [Insert shameless request for suggestion here].
Looking forward to less stress come August!
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