Can Clutter Include My Finances? 8 Strategies for getting Simply on Track.
So as I wrap up April having made great progress in further decluttering my basement and garage I have been discussing May’s challenge with my writing partner Asta. Could it be that our financial lives can become cluttered and need organizing as well?
So I set off to explore this idea in my own life. For starters I have two credit cards. One I am paying off and has beacoup Skymiles I will be using this year to visit friends in far away places, the other has a zero balance and is from my all time favorite bank USAA. I don’t need two cards so what to do? The Delta Skymiles card is the oldest and financial advisors tell us to keep our oldest accounts open for maximizing our credit rating so,
1) I will close the second card account.
Next I have 2 savings accounts. Again one is with my bank and the other an online account where I have an investment account.
2) Close second savings account online.
I have a small cash savings and yet still have credit card debt.
3) Take half of my savings and apply it directly to credit card balance today.
I tend to spend cash on hand without a whole lot of thought.
4) Carry a notepad to record all expenditures for the month of May to see where the leaks are in my spending.
I want to set up a regular savings plan after the credit card is paid off to realize my goals of overseas travel, and purchase of a sailboat.
5) Create a written goal ledger complete with amounts needed by specific dates for next 5 years. Back track to calculate how much money per month will be required to save to meet these goals.
I still have items I own (or rather they own me) which are not leading me to my purpose or supporting my goals.
6) Determine the place place to sell these items be it Ebay or Craigslist and take photos and get them listed this month and put that money directly towards debt payoff.
Now that I have decluttered much of my household I will need to review my insurance needs.
7) Contact homeowners insurance company for review.
I like to get a massage at least once a month to maintain my health and sanity. Some months I get more than one. I also like to get a monthly pedicure. I have calculated the savings if I schedule them every six weeks instead of four. The money saved will be $260. 00 annually. Now this may not seem like much but it is 2/3 of the cost of a Japan Rail 7 day ticket or the cost of 3 nights in a 3 star hotel in a small but, scenic European town.
8) write on calendar the weeks for massages and pedicures for the year and bank the savings at the beginning of each month after debt is paid in full.
So I am off to put these ideas to work for me and I will follow up with how it all went in May.
51 Things I have learned in Life
51 Things I have learned in Life
- A smile goes a long way.
- Don’t poop your pants after your 2nd year it cuts down on quality sandbox time with others.
- Eat your veggies so you’ll grow up strong and healthy.
- Make friends easily you will need some.
- Question authority when it seems unreasonable…you know you have to pee now even if it is five minutes after recess.
- Respect the lesson. Listen and incorporate the information.
- Art teaches you how to understand many other things.
- Sharing resources is just plain a good idea.
- Don’t be afraid to be the new kid. Be yourself.
- Boys will like you, yeah some will be icky but appreciate them for their good taste.
- No you may not grow up to be a mathematician but you will use math daily, so make it your friend.
- External ugly is temporary, internal ugly is forever.
- Learn a foreign language or two even if you suck at it in the beginning.
- Wear clothes which reflect your personality not someone in a magazines.
- Befriend nerds for they shall inherit the world of cyberspace and beyond.
- Be nice to the hot guy because he may also be very sweet.
- Take responsibility for your actions and your life.
- Get a job you love to go to and teaches you something.
- Don’t be afraid to get a different job which teaches you something else and pays more even if you have to work harder.
- Live at the beach even for one season in your life.
- Go to community college if you aren’t sure what you really want to do with your life.
- Start a business doing something you are better at than your acquaintances.
- Learn to grow food.
- Learn to cook from scratch if you love Chinese food take a class.
- Don’t take no for an answer when yes is what you want.
- Continue to learn in your chosen profession.
- Grow a tree from seed of your favorite fruit.
- Find meaning in the universe that makes you a better person.
- Shop at thrift stores for clothes that look good on you and have them altered to really fit you. This small matter will make you look at though you are wearing the clothes not the other way around.
- Volunteer to help in your community and on projects to help others, even at work.
- Forgive others and most importantly yourself.
- Be a tourist in your own county and picnic often.
- Visit the elderly. Take flowers in jars from your garden to the local low income nursing or pensioners home.
- Take in a stray.
- Write hand written thank you notes.
- Walk your local parks and enjoy the scenery.
- Have a hobby working with your hands, it frees your mind.
- Talk to strangers when waiting in lines.
- Compliment people freely.
- Pay cash, trade or barter whenever possible.
- Save up and take a trip.
- Move to a foreign country even for a few months. It changes everything.
- Go back to school and learn something you always wanted to learn.
- Improve your outlook and commit to happiness.
- Appreciate all you have already.
- Show your love.
- Get to know your representatives and express your concerns.
- Declutter your life. Live in the present not with boxes of memories.
- Have a purpose.
- Set goals. Small ones and big ones on a timeline.
- Read.
Zen Life 