Bookish Thursday - Of A Sort...

I was talking with a co-worker on Wednesday and we both realized this covid-19 'business' has been going on for almost 2 years now! WTF!

Anyway...

All those who feel like the past two years has been like we all fell down a rabbit hole or stepped through some portal to another parallel dimension, raise you hand.

Because I certainly do. Maybe that's why I enjoy reading fantasy so much. I can identify!

The past two years has been good to me on one hand, I saved and bought my house! And while they say buying the house is only the start, you aren't fully prepared for all the things you need to do (HVAC system replaced) or want to do (garden). 

So I have been a bit 'out of sync' the past few months since I bought the house. And I don't like how it feels. 

Two things I have started working on...

ONE...

Getting back to 'basics'!

The coming year will be my 3rd year in the Budget by Paycheck book.

Ok, I know, I know. I could make up my own budget notebook. I don't need to pay someone to have a notebook to manage my money.

However, it works for me. And it works well for me. Plus, if I decided to make my own budget book it would probably cost me twice as much to do it. Also, I could do a digital budget planner. But pen to paper works best for me. That physical notebook resonates. Digital doesn't in this case.

Last year I tried the 'mini-monthly notebooks'. While it is exactly the same format as the larger notebook, but in monthly chunks, it didn't work as well for me. I found since I flip back and forth in the notebook, looking at past months information, it was a bit tricky for me. So for 2022 I have gone back to the larger notebook. And I can't wait!

TWO...

To go along with refocusing on my finances like I had done before I bought the house, I sat down and started a room-by-room list of things I want to do over the next year (or five).

There are a lot of 'little' things I want to do, like solar lights along my sidewalk. And there are some 'big' things, like a back deck. But my list will give me more of a focus for my efforts and dollars.

This brainstorming and planning has me thinking in a more positive mood (or mode) for the coming year. My next step is to fill out some of the things in my budget notebook - like my budget payments and my fixed credits, like my retirement and social security income. And to start adding in approximate costs on the things I want to get, like David Austin roses to plant by my front porch.

These two things have already made such a difference to me mentally. And I am actually looking forward to 2022 now - mask or no mask.