My Journey to Abundant Living

In an effort save money I am moving to up north to live with my sister. I should have done this months ago. But the lightbulb finally stayed on when I realized that I truly cannot afford to live here and take care of my son on my own.

I'm not bummed by it, actually relieved. I've decided to be out of my apartment by Sept. 1st so I am trying to get rid of junk and sell as much furniture as I can. Today I sold a dresser for $35. Not bad considering I got it for free. I plan to sell my couch/love seat, one of my tvs, vcr, stereo and bookcase. We'll see how it goes. The other stuff I am going to freecycle or donate to various agencies.

As hot as it gets in Florida I guess this wouldn't be a bad idea!

So I really did finish my certification to start taking calls for Virgin Mobile...just waiting on my background check. This evening I got a phone call from WESTAT. I had almost forgotten that I had put in an applicaiton with them but I'm GLAD they called. She said everything was in order and they would give me a call when a training opened up.

I checked their website and they pay $8.25 an hour! WOO-HOO! Only thing it's outbound calls for data collection. I dont like rejection but I'll tell myself that its not personal. And they pay weekly so I WILL NOT COMPLAIN!

I'm really excited about these work from home opportunities! Cha Ching!

by Tom Kubistant, Ed.D

1. The Law of Self Determination
-You become what you think about, if you improve the quality of your thinkng, you will improve the quality of your life.

2. The Law Dynamism
- There is no neutral gear: Either you are progressing or you are regressing. If you aren't actively choosing to be positve, you are actually choosing to be negative.

3. The Law of Belief
- Your beliefs define you realities. Focuse on that which you can control.

4. The Law of Attraction
-You are a living magnet. You attract that which you are. You also attract that which you need to beome.

5. The Law of Correspondence
- Your outer world is a mirror of your inner world - as within, so without. There are no crisies, only gifts and opportunities.

6. The Law of Prospiros
- Prosperity and spiritual awareness are intrinsically linked. Purity of purpose is both the beginning and the end. Ethics before economics: Do the right thing at the right time.

7. The Law of Action
- Whatever can be conceived and believed can be achieved. Do instead of try. Persistence is the hallmark of belief.

8. The Law of Work
- Do what you love, and the money will follow. Every task is a test of your character. Going the extra distance is the only shortcut to success.

9. The Law of Service
- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Giving something back is putting it back there for others. Service is the essence of humanity.

10. The Law of Accumulation
- Little things build up to become big things. Everything you do counts. How you do everything matters.

I dont think I'm this good...

For example, one of my all-time favorite penny pinchers is Louise Meyer of Washington, D.C. She won the first Penny Pincher of the Year Contest in 1997 by writing about how she put solar cookers on her roof and used them to fix chicken, rice, stuffed peppers, even pasta.

To solar cook, all you need is a sunny day, water-resistant, aluminum- laminated cardboard, a clear plastic oven-roasting bag, and a dark pot with a tight-fitting lid. To find out more, visit the website for Solar Cookers International (www.solarcookers.org), a nonprofit organization.

Rest of the article

While I have somethings that I do every day...I've never written them out. I wonder if it would help?

The thing about loving all things free is that it has led to me having an abundance of crap! But I couldn't resist. I ordered 10 to pass on to friends.



Call 877-UNSTUFF to get yours.

Ugh.

I have been waiting for about 2.5 months for my GRE fee waiver to come through. I was super excited because I thought I'd be saving $130. Well my application for graduate school was DUE JUNE 1st. Classes start August 27th. It's JULY and I have no friggin' waiver. So I had to go into my bank account and spend $140 to register for the test, I'm taking it Wednesday. Granted this is not a splurge, I need to take this exam but it was money I had not planned to spend and I was angry. But the important thing is that this speeds up my application review which means I can go ahead and lay down concrete plans for the fall.

Now I have $57 until next Friday. Which is fine, I have half a tank of gas which should last me all week, I have food to each, my son has food and diapers. And I can't pay any bills until Friday anyway. I just dont like surprises.

I realize more and more every day that most folks are only a paycheck away from being homeless. Myself included. It seems that I can't get ahead, or can I?

Early Monday morning I notice that my son is BURNING up. I take his temp and its 101. I freak out because in the 6.5 mos he's been alive he's never had a fever. Trip to the ER...motrin and tylenol later, we are back home. But I had to take Monday and Tuesday off to be with him. Not that I'm complaining. I'm not particularly thrilled with my job and he's sick so I want to be with him. Now I'm frantic about the ER bill. Granted I have insurance but I already owe the hospital like 2gs that I have no way of paying back right now.

I guess I need to get out of my rut. Stop saying "I'm going to" and DO. I need to be a lot more proactive about my financial situation. It's not going to fix itself.

I've been reading a lot of books lately on how to live simply/frugal and I came across this image. Is MacGyver not the true icon of making the best of what you have in any situation?

My challenge for the month of July is to truly keep an honest account of where my money goes. I've been keeping the reciepts and plan to open an excel spreadsheet to keep a running tab. Then I found this article

Spending your money in accordance with your priorities helps you lead a more authentic life. You will feel less inner conflict when your money reflects who you truly are and what you value on the inside

I am really bad when it comes to taking care of my clothes. My laundry room has turned into a closet of sorts, clothes are still in the dryer...overflowing in the hamper...it's not funny anymore. And I dont wanna get started on my closet. This makes finding clean,unwrinkled clothes to wear everyday an adventure. And I know it costs me money because I'm probably re-washing clean clothes. sigh.

So I got these tips from one of my favorite blogs "Frugal for Life"
How do you wash clothes less often?
- Hang up your work clothes right when you get home
- Air dry your clothes by an open window or hang outside
- Hang in the bathroom while you shower and get ready in the morning

One step at a time!

In my quest to simplify and live an abundant life I did a search on Amazon for some good books. I came across "A Simple Choice - a practical guide for saving your time, money, and sanity by Deborah Taylor-Hough. The reviews on Amazon were pretty good so I picked it up from the library (saving money!) So far so good. Will provide a review when I'm done.

I have passed my basic certification for WEST!! I am now training to work for Virgin Mobile! I am sooooooooooo excited! But its a lot of information...and I have 10 days to complete the certfication.

But I see dollar signs...talk about motivation!

So I'm ready to being my training for West! WOO-HOO! I'm so excited...this is the perfect opportunity for me, as long as I can get my son in the bed around 8-9pm every night so I can have quiet to work the phones!

I'm so happy that tomorrow is a holiday, I have no plans really so we'll be in the house. Which is cool because I dont have much gas and dont get paid til Friday. I wanted to go see fireworks but its supposed to rain all this week and I dont wanna be caught in the rain with a baby in a crowd.

I have 2 letters to mail off to Experian and TransUnion for the duplicate Target listing. I really need to stop procrastinating and get my hardship letters out. I hate collection calls...and I hate even more that I can't pay anything right now. *sigh* But I know it wont always be like this. My situation is TEMPORARY!

So I got emails from Westat (www.westat.com) for an IVR...it was pretty easy, just read from a script...I had to do the West IVR again. Got an email saying it was incomplete. Hopefully I hear something this week. I went back to Westat's website and they pay by the hour! Woo-Hoo! and they pay more if you work weekends!

So I spent allllll day yesterday researching and apply for telecommuting gigs. Waiting to hear back. Who knew there were so many opportunities. But there are also a lot of scams out there so I was careful about the ones I applied to. American Express is hiring put only folk who live in Austin/Dallas/Houston not fair! That would have been really nice. But I'll keep my eyes open for something that pays decently.

In other news...I'm thinking about going back to school full-time. The only way I can make the type of money I need to is to go back to school. And if I go part-time I'll be there forever. This way I can spend more time with my son and focus on school. Granted I'll be broke...but aren't I now?

I also requested some books from the library on simple living. I know there are creative ways to live within my means and not look homeless,lol.

I've come to a crossroads of sorts. Since I am a single mom who has to work I have to put my son in daycare. I pay his sitter $400 a month and I'm not entirely pleased with her care. I mean he's not abused but she hadn't been feeding him the way I instructed and she doesn't engage him the way I'd like. She has anywhere from 4-5 kids in her care each day. I wish I could just stay at home with hm and enjoy this time in his life. But how?

My first thought was to open up my own daycare. I would have to take in 4 kids to make what I make now. Which isn't bad. I've also been looking into other opportunities to work from home. I found a company that one of my friends works for taking phone calls: http://www.workathomeagent.com/. Hopefully they give me some good news. I could take calls for them when my son is asleep.

I love the way flowers look in hair...Came across this...am I getting too cheap? http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/USNEWS/Projects/SummerOfLove/FlowersInYourHair.pdf

I came across this article about Freeganism. And I think I have finally found a name/way to label something I love,lol.

Who are/What is a Freegan you ask?
Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed.
http://www.freegan.info/

While I dont go through dumpsters, or pick through trash on the side of the road (not knocking anyone who does), I get a REAL thrill out of finding items or getting items for free. The other day I was looking around my bedroom and realized that everything in my bedroom, except my clothes, iron and humidifier, I had gotten for free. My queen size bed (including headboard), 27inch tv, dresser with mirror, night stand, ironing board, and chair were all things I found or someone was giving away and offered to me.

Realizing this, it makes me wanna cry when I think about things that I've thrown away in the past that someone else really could have used. But I am determined to live this lifestyle to decrease waste. Our earth needs all the help she can get!

A co-worker must have been sensing my need for more free stuff. She sent out an email with about 3 pages of links to free stuff. I got a sippy cup from Juicey Juice
and a bowl from beechnut. Ooh can't forget the "Hot Mama Driving" car decal.

I have also been thinking that I need a carrier for my son...sure enough I get a Baby Bjorn for FREE.

May was a good month.

June. I have a budget meeting on the 22nd. I need to order a new credit report. I am seriously considering a DMP.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/clips/snl-skit-dont-buy-stuff-you-cant-afford-252491.php

HILARIOUS!

I've lived in Florida for almost 2 years and I haven't really worried natural disasters. Until now. The air is coated with smoke..smells like wood chips. And since hurricane season starts June 1...I need to get a kit. I also have been debating getting renters insurance. Everyone says its inexpensive so I will contact GEICO for a quote...I guess it'll be worth it versus havign to replace all my stuff. And I need to do it before something happens.

Today I finally took 4 pairs of shoes that I can no longer fit to the resale shop. They only took 2 pairs, the ones with the least wear and gave me $10.50. I'm not complaining. At this point in my life every piece of money is welcome,lol.

As I'm sorting my laundry I find a $10 bill in my capris....life is good!

Yesterday I go to check my mail and I see the following:

A box with a free sample of the new Always pads with the wipes.(from the Walmart freebie site)

3 coupons from Gerber for FREE cereal
(I happened to call their 800# with a question about some cereal I bought for my son and I got these in the mail)

This morning I was listening to the Doug Banks morning show and if you call 866-461-BARK they will send you a coupon for a free 6lb bag for Purina Dog Food. I dont have a dog but my sister does so I let her know!

I finally got my ING account set up for direct deposit. I've set it up for $40 each paycheck. Right now I think that is acceptable considering it was $0 before. :-) My original goal was to add $74 a paycheck so I could get to my emergency fund goal in 5 months. But I think I will start here and revisit in a month.


I am going to work on my filing system tonight. I need to also make a list with all of my accounts and their numbers so I'm not fumbling looking for them.

See! I'm getting better!

One thing I have to STOP doing is trying to keep all of this in my head. I know I need to be A LOT more aggressive in tackling my debt. So step # 1 is to put it down on paper.

As mentioned before I did get a copy of my credit report with all 3 scores. *sigh*
I now need to create my plan of action to get my score up and eliminate this debt. I have another meeting with someone on the 16th (I think) to go over what I need to do.

I keep hearing conflicting stories on whether or not to enter a debt management program. Not sure how to proceed with that. I guess I like the idea of only paying 1 place a month.

I have a confession to make.
I love all things free.

I am addicted to freecycle. I love getting items for free and I love that it has helped my pack rat tendencies,lol.

I'm also addicted to the Walmart Freebie website. For some reason I find myself requesting samples of stuff I know I'll never use just because its free. And then I find myself giving it away on freecycle.

I need help!

Oh and tomorrow I'm going to get free paint to paint my bedroom...

So I finally got a credit report from all 3 bereaus, including my FICO scores and I want to cry. My scores are a LOT lower than I thought and I'm not sure where to begin. I know I can contest any incorrect information but other than that I'm not sure. *sigh*

I guess the good news is that my ING account is growing nicely,lol.

What's going on?!

I've been super busy with my new business. I had my business launch and it went REALLY well. I had $275 in sales. Not bad for my first gathering. I've created my goals for April and as long as I stay focused I think I can do it.

In other good news...I got a RAISE at work. I'm really excited..it adds about $150 a month to my check.

If I have learned nothing more over the past couple of months...organization is key. I NEED, MUST, HAVE TO get organized. I realize that this affects a lot of areas in my life.