Keeping My Motivation

Since starting our debt reduction plan this year, it has meant a few life style changes, a few more extra chores to add to the list, and a few changing of habits,  but over all it hasn't been that much of an intrusion into our daily routine.  Charlie insists it is more disrupting to my everyday life than his because, as he puts it, he still gets up, puts on clean clothes, goes to work, and comes home to dinner same as usual.  Where as the clean clothes he puts on is from water toted from the rain barrel and then hung up to dry instead of tossed in the dryer, and the meals are homemade, etc. 
I'm  saying all this not to toot my own horn but to instead show how yes, somethings have changed around here but it isn't so much extra work as it is a change of mindset. Once you get used to it they become a habit just as anything else. 
One thing I did request of Charlie was to have a weekly meeting.  I told him this would keep me motivated on those days when I just didn't want to make a white sauce for a casserole when everyone else could open a can of soup and toss in theirs.  (see, I'm not a saint, I get bitter sometimes)  I know myself well enough to tell him from the get go that- " I will lose my motivation along the way and I'm going to need your help." 

These weekly budget meetings on Wednesday nights allow us to go over the checkbook after his check has posted in the bank earlier that day.  We go over any bills to be paid that week and see how much that leaves us.  We like watching the extra grow because that extra gets sent to the credit card to knock a chunk off it.  Eventually we are going to blow it out of the water!  That being said some weeks are more exciting than others.  We always finish with the weekly grocery sale paper.  We make a list of things to stock up on and just things we need in general.  So we are in agreement before we get to the store later that week on what to buy and how much.  That way there is no debate or confusion once we get there. Lastly we go over any unplanned and planned future expenses.  For example, this spring we will have to replace the sand in our pool filter.  We knew this when we closed it last year so we have it on our expense sheet to remind us as it gets closer to time.  Since we planned for it ahead of time it shouldn't be such a blow to our budget. 

One other note is that our son, eleven, sits in these meetings with us.  I wanted him to start understanding how money works.  I wanted him to understand the inflow and outflow of it.  I also wanted him to learn from our mistakes.  He gets to see how important it is for your money to work for you and not the other way around.  This way he sees where we are, what our goals are, and what he can do to help out; like making sure to turn the TV off when he is finished watching it.  If there is any praise to be doled out like keeping his room clean for three weeks straight then that is addressed as is any requests for dinner that week.  A crude menu plan is made before ending the meeting. 

Then it's on to popcorn and a board game for Family Game Night!
(I usually end up losing to Zach, every stinking time!)

And that is about it!  That's how we do it so far and it's working for me.  I feel like I have the motivation I need to get by one week at a time.  I also hope Zach has a better understanding of what we want to accomplish now.  Our goals reach far beyond just getting out of debt but those are still a little scary for me right now and I'm not ready to voice those just yet.  But when the time comes I'll be putting them on here and sharing with you. 

Putting this all on here at the blog helps in so many ways.  It holds me accountable.  It lets me preen when I'm excited and it makes me do the crawl of shame when I have to admit I failed.  Thanks so much for listening as we try to do this. 

I hope your goals are coming to light.  I pray you find the motivation you need this week to accomplish them. 

Hope you'll stop by again......Kristi.

Moving forward in 2012.