Time is money

If time is money, that means that when we chose to spend our money on things/people/stuff/food/ fill-in-the-blank-here that means we're also choosing to spend time away from what we love in order to pay for what we chose to spend our money on.  So if we manage our money poorly, we're managing time poorly.

Thanks to TheSimpleDollar.com for pointing this out to me. 

I've also learned that if you don't value your time, you don't value your money or your stuff.  I never thought the two were so closely related. 

If time is money, and I have exchange my time for money, then a penny saved is a penny earned-- and probably a couple of minutes too.  This perspective on time and money management is making me rethink everything I choose to spend my time-- money on.  I'm thinking that I need to make sure that I spend both time and money wisely and focused around what I love instead of frivolous things I think I need.

Here's an example:  Starbucks.  One grande per week.  $4.55 for 52 weeks is literally a day and half of work for me.  I don't want to work a day and a half to drink Starbucks.  I'd rather work a day and a half to go on a great date with my husband or save for a vacation.  Starbucks out.  A penny saved is a penny earned.  Well, $236. 60 worth of pennies!  :)  I've been going through my head and thinking of all the ridiculous stuff that I spend-- waste-- my money on, and those things are out too.

I broke down my entire budget by how many days I have to work in order to pay for certain things-- like the mortgage, electricity, etc.  It's making me rethink how I spend all of my money.  I'd like to be able to spend my money on what I chose to spend it on.  I'll get there.  Baby Steps.  Realization is the biggest part of the battle. 

At this point, I'd like to give a shout out to my Creator for helping me to see all of this and answering my prayers.  You're an Amazing God.  Thank you for caring for me!

Cutting the fat

I've learned many things through the process of nursing my son.  One of the lessons that I learned while pumping was this:  every drop counts.  Every drop of breastmilk works with other drops of breastmilk to make a meal.  So there were days when I'd see drops, and I learned about economics through milk.  I never understood the quote, "A penny saved is a penny earned."  Because to me, it seemed like I had one wasted penny-- and why did ONE penny really matter.  But now I really know.  One penny, put with other pennies makes many pennies, which makes the money of my life.  And if I waste one penny, I'm wasting other pennies and that affects my goals and dreams, because there are less pennies to work with. 

My husband and I have always spent WAY too much money on groceries.  It's food after all, and I need to eat right?  So it's okay to overspend on the budget because it's food.  Wrong.  Although, I did operate for 10 years with this ideology.  And got fat doing it!  I'm now operating under the premise that every penny counts.  Even at the grocery store... and really this is the first time.  Most of my friends know that I've been into couponing, and I've gotten some really great deals!  But I've never made myself stay within budget, and even in couponing, I've wasted pennies. 

TIME TO CUT THE FAT!!

Well no more!  We resolved to stick to a number at the grocery store, and it's significantly less than what we used to work with.  We've cut out things that we used to do slowly.  For example, we used to eat out often, but with a toddler, that's really impossible.  So we cut that out.  Then last weekend, I planted a garden of beans and peas, and basil.  Obviously I could do more, but I'm operating with baby steps.  Next, I'm learning-- so is my hubby-- to cook with what we have instead of using recipes.  Recipes are just springboards for changing them to meet the ingredients we have at home. 

USING BEANS

Next, I'm learning to cook new recipes or use things I haven't used before.... like beans.  I've always used canned beans.  Now it's time to start using dried beans.  Yesterday, Greg soaked them for me, and then I made them the quick cooking method.  We'll now see how they work added to all sorts of meals this week.  I'm really excited to see what we come up with.

A state of Joy

I've been wondering for years when I would feel joy.  I'm not talking just happiness, but the pure bliss that comes from unadulturated joy.  I feel snippets of this joy at various times in my life.  When I think back to the moments in my life where I have felt pure joy, it has always been fleeting, and almost--with the exception of the birth of my son, and the day I married Greg--always related to nature.  Like the time that I was on a bike ride with Greg and I got stuck out in the POURING rain.  Or the times that I sat on the beach at Warren Dunes, MI, soaking in the sunshine and running down the big sand dune.  Almost all of the joy that I have felt in my life is when I feel small and I feel the great bigness of God-- and how I am as tiny-- or tinier--as a grain of sand. 

Dictionary.com defines joy as:

"1.the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

2.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

3.the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4.a state of happiness or felicity."

 

I often think that I would like to feel joy constantly.  But looking at the above definition, it would be nearly impossible to constantly feel joy.  And yet, that is what Christians are called to.  It is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  When our eyes are not focused on ourselves--because we can't possibly create joy within ourselves-- none of us are that exceptionally good or satisfying, nor can we be the cause of keen pleasure or delight constantly, nor will we always feel glad, or festive gaiety.  However, when we focus on Christ, and what he has done for us, it is possible to be joyous.  Which makes me think that if I want more joy in my life, I'd better start thinking about my Creator more often!   

 

 

The Hairbrush

Last night when I was getting my son ready for bed, I was brushing his hair, and he said, "WHASIS?"  which I translate roughly to "What's this?"  I said, "It's a brush." and then I put his hand around the brush, and my hand around his hand and proceeded to show him how to brush his hair.  He yanked his hand away from mine and said, "Idoit."  And commenced to brush his hair.  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised.

First Trip to the Beach

I don't know why I'm this way, but I dread new things.  Maybe dread is a strong word.  Too strong.  Okay.  I don't dread new things.  I don't like the unknown about something.  Unknown=dangerous for me.  I don't know why either.  I'd never taken Gregory to the beach, but I knew I was ready to take him.  So I decided I was going to take Gregory to the beach when my friend Pam invited us. 

We went to a private beach near our home, and so that cut out on commuting time. 


First he was just sitting in the sand, picking it up with his fingers.  I was nervous he was going to try to eat it, but he decided that he didn't like the texture-- so he didn't try.  Horray!

Then he saw the water, and started crawling towards it.

and stopped to play with the shovel I gave him.

and found a seeweed.

Overall it was a really good visit to the beach, and I'm glad we went.    I'm also glad we did something new.  And I'm thinking we'll have more trips to the beach.  :)  It was definetely fun, and worth the effort!  :)

I need an outlet

My name's Lisa.  I'm a wife, mother, and full time teacher.  Learning to juggle all these hats hasn't been easy for me, but I'm learning.  I decided to blog because I want to share the tidbits of what I learn everyday, in the hopes that others will benefit from my learning.