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Sara's Journey:
Feed Me Seymour
Hello Week 16 of Project Money! You know this Project Money journey is really hard. It’s hard to save and reduce debt when there is only so much money coming in. It is challenging to change habits and create new ones. I used to have two incomes coming in and now being divorced there is only one. And the bills are mostly the same. I have explored the possibility of getting another job and have come up empty handed – mostly. Now that the school year has begun for our entire family, we are easing back into a routine. I offer to sub during my prep periods, try to do a little writing on the side, have explored money-saving apps, but other than my full-time profession, nothing is consistently increasing my income. Being a mom of three, I am present helping the kids with homework, driving them to and from activities, and spending time with them that getting a second job waitressing or in retail for example, really is not a viable option at this time. I just may have to get over my fear of needles and try donating plasma, but quite honestly the thought of that frightens me. And with sports fees, art fees, Lifetouch pictures, senior pictures, Prom, Homecoming, birthdays, holidays, and Back to School preparations, it all adds up to lots of money going out.
In the 1960s, the musical Little Shop of Horrors debuted. It tells the story of a guy named Seymour who gets a plant and we later find out the plant talks, needs blood in order to survive, and eats people. One of the themes of the musical is the notion that if one spends his or her life focusing on pleasing other people, one is bound to be miserable and unhappy because they will not have taken care of themselves. Literally and figuratively speaking, the plant sucks the life out of Seymour, forcing him to do things in order to keep the plant alive. He acts in a certain way because he thinks if he does, all of his dreams will come true.
As I reflect on where I currently am and where my family is, we are really making great strides to make impactful changes in our lives. I know that in moving forward, I do believe in the importance of taking care of myself. As mothers, we sometimes place ourselves last because we are nurturers and caretakers – many of us have been there. Taking care of oneself requires such things as proper nutrition, exercise, meditation, sleep, healthy relationships, and a nice balance between work and play. Additionally, an integral part in taking care of myself and my family is to provide a home that is truly a home. As such, the kids and I have been downsizing the amount of “stuff” we have in our house. This includes the upstairs, basement, garage, and yard. It includes books, toys, papers and clothes. By doing so, there seems to be more livable space, less clutter, less to dust, and an increased sense of calm. Sure our family keeps the things we enjoy, but our journey is about taking care of ourselves and surrounding ourselves with like-minded people. We are discovering we do not “need” all that we have and it is better to donate, sell, repurpose, or toss rather than be consumed by what looks like a large Venus fly trap. My Fun Fact this week isn’t really about money at all: take time to celebrate with those you love, spending quality time together and inviting others to experience all that is good, rather than acquiring more stuff. #Team Sara #10K #embracethejourney #ProjectMoney2018 #SummitCreditUnion #Lifeistooshortnottotakerisks