Hello everyone — happy Monday! I enjoyed a relaxed weekend but still managed to get a solid amount of work done. The weather was great, although it was almost cold enough at night that we had to keep the windows closed.
The photo at left was taken during a long drive we took yesterday. We live in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, and drove along the river into Illinois. There were lots of boats out — perfect weather for boating — and it made us wish we had a sailboat.
I’ve been thinking about travel a lot lately. A road trip to the Pacific Northwest is on my list, along with a winter trip to Colorado, a visit to family in Chicago, and a warm beach getaway with good drinks. An Alaskan cruise has also been on my mind. You can probably tell my thoughts are scattered!
That’s one of the great things I’m looking forward to about self-employment: having more freedom to travel and schedule life the way I want. Still, until I’ve been self-employed long enough to be confident in our long-term budget, I’m postponing major trips so they don’t jeopardize our savings.
Spending
Spending has been fairly low over the past couple of weeks. I can’t think of many purchases lately, though I did find a great thrift-store bargain: genuine aviator Ray-Bans for $35. I would never pay $150 for a new pair, but at that price I couldn’t pass them up.
On the downside, we discovered the Camaro needs new tires already. The car only has about 8,000 miles on it, which makes it sting more, but it is what it is.
Food costs have dropped significantly since we’ve been eating at home more. Laziness and the comfort of home meals have kept us out of restaurants, which is helping the budget. We’re also planning to start a garden, so if you know any good beginner gardening blogs, I’d appreciate recommendations.
Extra Income (does not include income from our main jobs)
Extra income was solid over the last two weeks, and September looks to be shaping up as a strong month — I’m hoping it beats August. If you need help with a project, check my Hire Me page and tell me which services you’re interested in. Recently other website owners have asked me to manage their sites while they’re away for a month or two, so I’m offering that service now. If you’re starting a new job, expecting a baby, planning extended travel, or need temporary site management, I can help.
I need to ramp up my side hustles. Lately I’ve been focused on delivering high-quality work to current clients, so I haven’t marketed myself aggressively. Soon I’ll have more time and want to fill it with additional projects.
I’ve also started making major moves toward my planned transition to self-employment. I’ll share an official announcement once details are finalized to ensure everything is protected. Stay tuned.
Being healthy
Health and fitness have been hit-or-miss lately, though there are positives: my wedding dress arrived and it fits a bit loosely, so it needs taking in — a pleasant surprise. I’ve been eating slightly healthier and going on a few long walks each week.
I’m considering joining DietBet, the program where participants put money into a pot and split it if they meet their weight-loss goal. It seems like a motivating challenge, and while the money isn’t a huge amount, the accountability might help. If you’ve tried DietBet, I’d love to hear about your experience.
Wedding planning
My wedding dress arrived last week and I picked it up on Saturday. Any doubts I had disappeared — I absolutely love it. I had worried because I tried the dress on in pink at the store (they didn’t have white), so I was nervous about the final color, but it turned out beautifully.
I haven’t settled on wedding colors yet; I’m torn between cream, blush, and peach — they’re similar, but I can’t decide. We still need to send save-the-dates and line up a caterer, DJ, and tent/chair/table rentals. Those are priorities; other details can wait a little longer.
I’m also working on a post about how I’m using credit card rewards to help fund my bachelorette party in Las Vegas. It should be published soon. Some people might think it’s odd that I’m helping plan my own bachelorette, but I’ve always organized trips for friends and I want to ensure the cost isn’t prohibitive for my bridesmaids, so I’m maximizing points and deals.
Have you been making progress with extra income, spending, and staying healthy?
I’d love to hear how things are going for you — what’s working with your side income, where you’re cutting costs, and which habits have helped you stay healthy.