Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Today's New Years Resolution:Being more intentional with the moo-la!

it s no secret that during our cross country move we encountered more than a few hiccups along the way. which, in turn caused us to have some moving debt we did not anticipate when we budgeted for the move.

with this additional debt we have had to reevaluate our money system multiple times. today's resolution is "be more intentional with our money". making the decision for me to stay-at-home and for us to function solely on one income automatically requires a different way of thinking and living. One of the ways we have done this is through a concept  Dave Ramsey talks about. naming EVERY dollar in your budget. If you don't, small sums and large sums of money will just end up floating away into financial oblivion. You will lose them long before you ever see them. I like that way of thinking. I am still learning what that looks like day to day, but even if i only have, say, 75 dollars to my name, it's so much more peaceful knowing how i got there instead of freaking out when i see the account statement and wondering, "where did all my money go?"

january tends to be a tough financial month for lots of people. we are running our vehicles a little bit longer on E, we are cleaning out the cabinets with creative meals and stretching techniques, and we are saying no to our "wants" and our children's "wants" a little bit more. now, don't hear what i am not saying, we are very blessed! we have a warm roof over our heads, food to feed our kiddos, A JOB, and every single one of our needs is being met. that is HUGE!

so on to today! i have been battling our trash company in VA because they claimed i never paid a bill and sent my account to a lawyer. anywho, long story short, we did in fact pay the bill a long time ago and today they informed me that they were crediting my bank account for the sixty dollars i had unfairly been charged. when the lady on the phone told me that, you would have thought she had given me a million dollars. in my head i was thinking that's a half a week of groceries, over a tank of gas, 60 more dollars that i did not have before i made this phone call. i was SO grateful for those extra 60 dollars. two months ago i would have scoffed at such a minimal return, but after purposefully watching and claiming EVERY dollar, i am far more aware and intentional with our money... and for that i am thankful!

happy wednesday!
~s

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