Learning how to live Again

Hey Everyone!

As I am sitting here on this frigid, 15° Fahrenheit (real feel of -4°) winter afternoon, there has been a lot on my mind lately about the life I feel compelled to live. It’s been on my heart even more the past couple of years with the health issues I have had and then all the doctors appointments, labs and procedures I have endured the past year and a half or so. I am honestly so over it and all the meds I have had to take, with who knows what side effects. I am honestly wondering if one of the things I am dealing with has been caused by one of my medications. While my condition and symptoms are a “rare” side effect, I am the queen of rare things happening, like having bells palsy twice.

I know my current job and urban living are doing me know good, as evident as my resting heart rate going down several points on my weekend and going back up during the work week. We all like having money, but working the retail life isn’t it for me, and I am ready for a change.

I also have come to the point where enough is enough with all the medical appointments and never-ending procedures, and I canceled one I can’t afford financially even with financial assistance and don’t have the time to take off work to rest for a week after, and this is just a more invasive option to the other two lesser invasive options and labs that I have already have done for this doctor for this condition that my insurance and financial assistance covered. I am not willing to dig myself into more debt than I am already in for a more invasive procedure that is “to try to get better answers”, when the other two procedures and labs were to not have to do this. At this point, after I have my follow up with this specialist, I am going to try to find a good naturopathic doctor and see what they can do to help me from a more holistic and lifestyle standpoint. I have already talked to a Dietician, and I am trying to make lifestyle changes.

I would like to get out of retail, and urban living. My goal is to live on some property, have a garden, raise chickens, maybe some goats and pigs. I definitely want to process my own animals, have fresh eggs, and all the things. I know it is a lot of work, but that work would be worth it for my health and wellbeing as well as for the well being of the family I want to have.

If anything, it really is time to be making changed, and getting away from harmful chemicals, and living a more sustainable life.

Still trying to learn to Budget

Hey Everyone!

I hope all of my fellow Americans had a good Thanksgiving!

Budgeting, getting the best deal, and getting more for my money while still eating well has been a struggle. Part of it has been dealing with health issues that have left me exhausted, and I don’t have the energy to do more than shop at work. Let’s be real here, I work at a yuppy hipster over priced grocery store, where, even with a 30% discount, it is still overpriced.

The past couple of months, I have really been thinking about my future and my goals. I don’t want to work at a grocery store forever, my pay in my current position will cap out in about 2.5 years, i have no real desire to move into management, I would like to live somewhere with a lower cost of living, and corporate retail isn’t for me. So, I am trying to figure out what the next move for me is.

I am still learning how to budget, use the apps for stores, clip coupons there, meal plan, meal prep, use the fetch app, and be better about all the things.

I stopped at Fred Meyer today as I was looking for something, but I didn’t find what exactly I was looking for. While I was there I had grabbed a few more things, including some Barilla whole grain pasta, since I knew I would get extra points in the fetch app, and we like Spaghetti and chicken penne at my house. When all was said and done, I had only spent $23 dollars. I was kind of shocked since I have been pretty much doing all my grocery shopping at work because of convenience.

For me personally, learning to budget, living frugally, cooking and baking more from scratch are goals I have for a while, but as time goes by the more I feel as I need to make these things happen than I have before.

Trader Joe’s

Hey Everyone!

Life has been constantly busy these past few months. Work keeps me busy, and then I am dealing with some health stuff on top of it all. I have had a lot of doctors appointments and other medical stuff to deal with since this past summer. It has taken a lot out of me.

Part of my treatment is to eat better and get more exercise. I have also started physical therapy, which will hopefully help. I need to work on losing weight and drinking more water.

Today, after my doctor’s appointment, I stopped at Trader Joe’s to pick up a few things. I bought some Pita chips to go with some of the Hummus we have in the house, as well as some beef jerky, banana chips, organic dried cranberries with no added sugar, some flavored almonds, a package of crumpets (because I had been craving them), and a package of whole wheat English muffins. I still have pecan pieces and Macadamia nuts at home for work snacks.

My entire Trader Joe’s haul only cost me $31.72. Had I bought all this at work, it would have been double what I spent today. I buy what I do at work, because work is convenient. I also like the produce and meat departments where I work. That being said, if I didn’t work where I do, I wouldn’t shop there much because of how expensive it is.

I realize that I do live somewhere, where we have several Trader Joe’s stores in the area, and the one I went to today was literally on my way home from my doctor’s appointment. There is another one slightly out of the way of coming home, but not enough that it would have used too much gas to stop there on my way home if the other wasn’t where it was. I also realize that I live in a part of the country where stores like Trader Joe’s, New Seasons, Market of Choice, and Whole Foods are plentiful.

This is one of the reasons I love this part of the country, which is the access to grocery stores we have. Even if I moved further away from the city, I would still be coming into the area for doctor’s appointments and to see my parents and sibling.

Getting Back to What Matters

Hey Everyone!

I have been away from this blog for a few months since life has been crazy with a new job and a move. With being at the job about six months now and in the new house about two, life is calming down. I have had to be figuring things out and rediscovering things about myself that got lost in the shuffle of the new job and moving.

Now that things are calming down and I am getting settled different things have been resurfacing that are really things I want and need to be doing, that were easier not to because it was just easier to over spend and use cards in the whole packing up my life and starting a new job.

With this new year, I am working to get back into using cash and cash envelopes for day to day purchases like gas, groceries, and things that can be paid for with cash. I am definitely more accountable for what I spend. When I rely on cards, it’s easier to get in the habit of over spending and relying on what limited savings I have to bail myself out. When I do cash only it’s easier to set aside grocery and gas money for the next week (since I get paid biweekly) in envelopes and then pull it out when it’s time to go grocery shopping and get gas.

This system also helps me to prioritize what are needs and what’s not. This is important because I am working towards buying a new(er) car and working towards a simpler life further away from the city. We got a ways out of the city, but we are still close enough that it’s “civilized” and I still work in city limits. Where we are now is a city girls version of country.

Part of wanting to live a simpler life is getting away from a lot of the harsher chemicals we have come to rely on over the past 70 years. And yes, it still baffles me that 1952 was 70 years ago.

I have also started trying some essential oils. I am not a full on “they heal all that ails you” convert. Though there are certain non life threatening issues that I do think they can help with. If all else fails they smell good.

Sticking with Change

Hey Everyone!

Today is turning into a minimum of two cups earl gray tea kind of day. Today is my Friday and it has been a long week. 

Next week I am going to be doing another 5 day clean eating challenge which I definite need. 

I am wanting to get into shape before a friend of mine gets married. Beings that she is getting married next April I have time to loose weight and work on getting toned. 

I am soing my best to commit to changing my lifestyle, because there is more I want to do with my life that involves being in much better shape than I am in now.