You're not that busy!

One of my pet peeves (I have several) is "I'm just so busy." NO - you aren't. Everyone makes time for what is important. Saying that you are too busy is really saying "It's not that important."

I have the privilege of meeting and getting to know many amazing individuals by working in the nonprofit sector. These are people who have never uttered the phrase, "I'm just too busy."

They are parents of seven children who found a nonprofit after their fifth child is born with Down syndrome because they want to help other new parents of babies with Down syndrome. They are marathon runners, cancer survivors, single mothers and volunteers...all at the same time! (I actually know these people!)

Then there is one who always makes me feel lazy. To call her amazing and inspiring isn't enough, but I don't know what else to call her.

She is beautiful, but that isn't what is surprising. She is young, but again, that isn't an accomplishment. She is a successful business owner, which is nice. Oh, and she runs crazy races all the time. She is giving to others and of her time - that is impressive. She is a mother of two little boys, which I'm sure is harder than it looks. She volunteers on STARS' board of directors (thank you!) and two other terrific organizations in our community. She is the person who follows through, is reliable and dedicated. But while all of these things are on her list, she was battling a very serious illness.

This amazing young leader was told, at 28 years old, that she would need a kidney transplant. In the time I have known her, she has had a few "almost" transplants, that turned out to not happen in the eleventh hour. I think everyone around her showed much greater disappointment than she ever did. A simple post on Facebook to let everyone know that the surgery was called off, with an optimistic tone, was all I saw. One time she actually brought someone into STARS for a tour because "I didn't have anything else scheduled," after her surgery was cancelled. Finally, in spring of 2011, without much notice, she received her transplant! However, I'm pretty sure she never missed a beat with her other commitments during the entire process.

There isn't one thing that makes this woman something we should all attain to become, it is that she is so many things in one and doesn't seem to mind a bit or ask for sympathy or accolades.

In the words of this amazing woman:

“I always ask myself, ‘If service is the rent you pay for your existence on this earth, are you behind in your rent?’ My answer: ‘Never have been and never will be.’”

Money, Money, MONEY

Makes the world go 'round? or go crazy?

I pick crazy.

Here is the reality. Kyle and I don't make a lot of money. Period. I love working in the non-profit sector - I love what I do and where I work. What I don't earn in a paycheck, I receive a million times over in the satisfaction I get from making someone's world a little better. Kyle is a pilot. "What?!," you say, "I thought those pilots on the 747 I fly make lots of money," well, YES, THEY do. But a mid-20-something pilot who doesn't have a degree from a military academy or an "in" with a sweet job, does not make much...at all.  So there you have it. We are happy, but we are broke!

In this post-wedding clarity we have found that making new priorities is much easier than it was before the wedding. Getting total control of our finances and becoming financially secure is our #1 priority. So, in light of this, I am going to write about it!

Step #1: Kyle sold his car! He had a beautiful 2006 VW Passat which was in great condition. He sold it for more than he paid for it! Then, he turned around and paid cash for a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, which is also in excellent condition! Savings = $200/month.

Step #2: Combining things now that we are married. The first thing we combined was our car insurance. By combining our policies, and Kyle getting an older car, we save $50 a month! Next is our cell phones. My contract is up in September so we will hopefully be saving more then!

Step #3: Changing service providers. First, we opted to leave the Vet we have used for 4+ years. They are very expensive and no longer 1 minute from our house. We are using the Banfield Vet at Petsmart for $25 / month / dog. If we even use this 3 times in one year (not per dog - total) we will come out ahead.

After these.... we are talking about getting rid of our beloved DirecTV and DVR. We are also talking about selling my car and buying something for cash to eliminate ALL car payments. Lastly, we are going to sell stuff! Kyle has already started selling some items on Craigslist, and we will continue to do that as well as have a garage sale this fall.

Writing about this will be fun! It will keep me honest about what works, what doesn't and force me to fess-up when we fall off the saving wagon. Wish us luck!

Till next time...