I will forever cherish this wonderful summer. While it’s not quite over yet, there are only a few weeks left of my maternity leave. It’s probably common for women to make overly ambitious to-do lists for their time off from work. The average list likely includes housekeeping tasks, reading books, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying their newborn baby. I planned on completing a number of additional projects in order to facilitate our plans to pay off debt and achieve financial semi-independence. At this point though, I have to be realistic about what still can be accomplished and should allow myself to feel a sense of satisfaction from all that we have done during the past few months.
We had a wonderful Fourth of July, especially the kids. We started off the day with a fun art project. Then, there was a neighborhood party with food, friends, water balloons, fireworks, a bonfire, and S’mores. What dish did we bring to the party? Unfortunately, the tomatoes in the garden were not ready. So, I looked over my list of ideas and decided to go with the grilled corn on the cob. It was a big hit, with people commenting that it was a “great idea” to bring corn. The best part was that it only cost us $3.00.
I recently celebrated my birthday and am now 33 years old. Friends asked me, “what did you get?” I was happy to receive hugs, kisses, and a homemade red velvet cake. I’m no longer interested in receiving shiny, new material things. There are approximately seven years left until our deadline to pay off debt and reach financial semi-independence. It seems like a long ways away, but also not nearly enough time to accomplish our financial goals. We have to stay focused, keep hustling, and have faith that our dreams are possible.
After completing the roof, the other big project on our to-do list was Goofball’s room. It was the same dingy, marked-up baby blue since we moved into our house several years ago. The room transformation was partially a birthday present, but also a reward for eagerly agreeing to share it with his baby brother. We went with a patriotic theme and found some creative ways to save money, including a unique flooring solution. The complete before and after post is coming after a few more finishing touches.
Money
We are not doing that well on getting ahead for a variety of reasons. First of all, the side hustling is hard to do while caring for three children. It’s been more difficult than expected to find the time to make extra money while caring for an infant and homeschooling two toddlers. And then, there’s the car issues. We haven’t been driving as much, which is a good thing and saves us money on gas. However, the cars suddenly need lots of repairs (probably due to being unused). Mr. Smith has taken on the task of repairing the vehicles himself. As usual, his labor saves us a lot of money, but parts are still expensive. We don’t have an emergency fund right now, because all of our money is going towards paying off debt. I had originally hoped to extend my maternity leave through the end of summer, but it doesn’t make financial sense. I have to return to work. Saving money only goes so far; we need more income.
I’m now in preparation mode – finishing up as much as possible around the house, making arrangements with my employer, and starting to mentally ready myself for a drastic change in my daily life. Also, I guess it’s about time to cook up a batch of my oatmeal breakfast cupcakes. There have been some changes at work in the past few months too. I am upset in a change in their cell phone policy. My employer previously supplied me with an iPhone with unlimited data. This allowed me to get a Republic Wireless phone on a very cheap plan. Also, I could run money-making apps on the iPhone (cell network) and on my personal phone (WiFi at my house) at the same time. As a result, I was able to make a good amount of money every day with little to no effort. Now, we’re receiving a stipend towards our personal phones. The stipend will cover upgrading to a more expensive plan. Hopefully, I can maintain this side-hustling with a few tweaks in my daily routine.
The other way in which I’m preparing for a return to work is by making the most of July. We want to have as much fun as possible, without spending money. We recently enjoyed a day at the local playground with a splash pad. Next up, we’re planning a beach day, complete with picnic lunch. I may have been overly ambitious about what could be accomplished in a few months of maternity leave. However, in retrospect, we have filled our days with an abundance of fun and meaning. While we continue to hustle in order to pay off our debt, there is so much more to life than money. Our children will only be this young once and very soon my time with them will be greatly decreased due to work. There is no contest when it comes to choosing between taking a survey online to earn an extra dollar or playing with my children outside in the sunshine. As driven as I am to meet our goals, my family remains my first priority. I have to temper the moments passing by so quickly right now with the freedom to spend time with my family in the future. I just can’t afford to miss out on too many of these precious opportunities to smile and laugh with them as they grow and learn.
