On the first Monday of every month, we take on a ‘mission’ – a shift or habit or inspiration – to work on together. There’s strength (and support) in numbers! On the last Thursday of the month, we reconvene to see how far we’ve come.
#19
Do you know where your money goes? Like, really know? Because me, I have a good general sense – my mortgage is fixed and hefty, I willingly spend freely on top quality food, I eat out on the weekends because it brings me great pleasure, there’s bills and there’s gas for the car . . . I have a rough idea of how my money is divided and for the most part, everything get’s covered as it should.
But I can’t help feeling like there’s something I’m missing. I mean, how much am I truly spending on restaurant fare? And those wheatgrass shots and matcha lattes, what damage do they accrue over the course of the month? What about ATM fees? What about dog food, and diapers, and vitamins?
I’ve never done a thorough accounting and honestly, I think it’ll be fascinating to see where my money actually ends up. Does it mean I have to change anything in the future? No way! Damian was initially resistant towards this project because he feared I’d try to reign in the expenditures once I knew what was what. This would definitely be a useful tool for doing just that, but it’s not *my* intention (it may be yours). No, we’re getting by each month and I see no reason to restrict our fun – after all this is the year of “quality over quantity”, and I’m all about living for the joy of it.
No, this is just for educational purposes. I think I’ll learn a lot. I also think it will help me to be more mindful, which is always my biggest-picture mission.
So I’ve got my Excel spreadsheet. I’ve got my husband on board. I’m ready to play accountant. I’ll be tracking every dollar, tallying everything we’ve spent at the end of each day (rounded up or down for ease, I’m not going crazy here). I need one of those green visors!
And what about you? Will you join me on this mission?
It’s spring in Portland. Image by Kristal Passy. WOW. Wow, wow, wow. I have to say, of all the MMMs so far, I think this one has taught me the most. Seriously! First things first, some clarification is required. When I laid out this mission I set some unrealistic parameters. Specifically, I said, “I’m allowing [...]
Winter in Portland. Image by Kristal Passy. On the first Monday of every month, we take on a ‘mission’ – a shift or habit or inspiration – to work on together. There’s strength (and support) in numbers! On the last Thursday of the month, we reconvene to see how far we’ve come. #18 Please don’t [...]
It’s almost Waits’ birthday! Holy CRAP, this year flew by and my little baby is, well, no longer a baby. It’s crazy to think that a year ago I was *so very* pregnant, I had put the site on baby watch, and I was doing everything in my power to become un-pregnant. What a world [...]
This month’s mission was ultimate simplicity, inspired by the kindness of Bonzai reader Kathryn. And I think it may just be one of my favorite missions to date! All you had to do was go to Amazon, search for a stranger’s wish list, and send them something they wanted. Just a little bit of unsolicited-entirely-random-and-absolutely-delightful [...]
