At the end of the month, many of my budgeting categories are empty. What to do?
Monthly Budgeting:
Quarterly + Yearly Budgeting:
Exercise in the middle of the day, if you can swing it!
Tag: planning
Exercising in the middle of the day?!
I’ve been experimenting with something kind of crazy lately: exercising in the middle of the day. What?! you might say. People usually exercise in the morning or the afternoon (although there are those who exercise in their lunch break instead of having lunch). I usually also prefer the afternoon for exercise, but hear me out…
Recently, I experienced some neck and back issues that tended to get worse the longer I remained sitting. Now, I work at my desk, so that’s kind of unavoidable. “How can I break up the periods of sitting?” I wondered. I began by looking at what my typical day looked like: identify the problem.
A typical day
Here’s what a typical day looks like for me. In the morning, I walk to daycare with William and then back home. It’s nice to start the day with a walk outside, and I’m glad I have this opportunity. Then, I come home and sit at my desk for the whole morning. I take brief breaks, but in the end I still spend about 3 hours sitting.
Continue reading “Exercising in the middle of the day?!”Don’t make your budget too strict!
Don’t make your budget too strict! You need to be able to breathe.
Your budget can only be effective if you check it often.
Daily + Weekly Budgeting.
… And the revamped morning routine! A surprisingly chill way to start the day.
My morning routine
The previous evening sets us up for the day ahead. I described extensively what I do on a typical evening here, and now I’ll talk about my mornings.
The funny thing is that my morning routine is much shorter than the evening routine. The latter is elaborate, with many moving parts, while the former is rather straightforward. Anyway, I’ll walk you through it.
Wake up 30 minutes before my son
This has been key. I used to wake up at the same time as William, and that felt stressful even though I didn’t realize it so explicitly. I was trying to take care of his needs while also taking care of my own, which often led to frustration on both sides: he wanted me to cuddle him, but I just wanted to pee!
Continue reading “My morning routine”How to budget as a couple
I’m tackling one of my favorite topics! How do you budget as a couple?
Each person in a couple should have their own fun money!
If you share a budget, always consult your partner before making a big purchase.
The revamped evening routine! Everything I need, while staying practical, to set me up for a good next day.
My evening routine
A good evening routine would set me up for a restful night of sleep and a good next day.
I wanted to create a realistic and stress-free (as much as possible) evening routine, so I had to leave enough time for everything I wanted and needed to do. I hate to be pressed for time in the evening when I’m tired and trying to wind down! Sometimes it still happens, and it’s oh-so annoying.
My evening routine starts early
I figured out that the evening routine starts as early as 17:00 (5 pm) when I leave to pick up William from daycare. I could pick him up anytime before 18:00 (6 pm), but if I leave later than 17:00 (5 pm), I just end up being too late for everything else, and I then have to rush. So I do my best to finish up my work, get ready, and leave on time.
Continue reading “My evening routine”Don’t forget to budget for fun things!
Your budget provides a clear answer to the question, “Can I afford this?”.
Don’t forget to budget for fun things!
Fun money: my favorite budgeting category!
I decided to revamp our evening and morning routines.
Create a flexible budget (yes, I know it sounds like an oxymoron)
Unexpected expenses are a part of life. Let your budget be flexible.
Budgeting is a balancing act; there’s no perfect budget.
Check the budget before making a purchase!
Should you even bother with budgeting?
You know I’m going to say that you should budget. But the question is, why should you bother with budgeting?
This is how I budget (btw it’s very simple).
What do you do when you receive new money? (I follow the YNAB method.)
What will your life look like 10 years from now?
I love visualization, as it helps make crystal-clear what goals I should focus on.
Visualize your life 10 years from now.
Make it more concrete: Visualize a day in your life 10 years from now.
Visualization can serve as a reminder for the life you want to live.
A Good Life 