1957.

Music by Milo Greene.

Oooookay. I skipped writing one last weekend because there's really been nothing new. I've still avoided going out to eat, I've still spent most of my time at work or the gym, and I still have money invested.

That sums up January for you.

Actually, to really get into January, I've changed a lot of things about myself and have started focusing very hard on areas of my life I haven't put so much focus on before. It's kind of exhilarating.

But that update will come with February.
-Jamie

Acetate.

Music by Volcano Choir.

Phew, this month is blowing right by. So many great things have been happening! First, the idea to stop going out to eat all the time has been what I needed for a while. I have more time for just me. Second, with time for me, I've been focusing on my online college adventure as well as working out every day. The college bit is a money saving practice, because I'm using tuition assistance through the military. Taking these classes is free for me up to a certain amount each semester. Not a lot is better than free education. As for working out, I never feel better about myself than I do right after a killer workout. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it's not terribly far off.

In short, throw free education on top of released endorphins on top of home cooked meals on top of a pile of money... and you'll have the positivity I'm experiencing.

But that's silly, because you've got your own life. You may really dislike two of the four of those. So...
Go live your own life. And make it as good as, no better!, than mine feels right this second.
-Jamie

Our time.

Music by Wolf Saga.

Hold the phone!! Everyone, don't freak out, but... it's official. I am an investor.

When I read the Happiness Project, the author mentioned that every month, whatever she was focusing on was brought up externally (i.e. casually by a friend, coworker, the universe, etc.). Well it just so happens that that... happened. To me!

This month is all about finances and saving money, but finance is a topic avoided in most conversations. Imagine my surprise when the subject came up organically with a friend I've known for a few years. We often joke about her 'savings account' being money stashed under the mattress, but it turns out her sister's husband got her to invest this past year. And she's doing well. Thankfully, she was feeling generous enough to pass on her knowledge. I gave it a few days of thought before taking the leap of faith, but so far I'm happy with the results. I decided on a relatively low risk/low reward investment situation. Instead of investing in a single company, since I know almost nothing about this industry, I threw a chunk or two of change into accounts that are spread to the kind of middle-of-the-road companies. This theoretically gives me a more solid chance for healthy long-term growth.


Soooo excited right now. I feel like an adult... with real-live investments!
What is happening?!
-Jamie

Moneymoneymoooney.

This month so far has been fantastic... okay okay, it's only been five days, but still- fantastic.

What makes this month so fantastic is that it's easy to keep track of money. The failures or successes are obvious. The progress is quantitative. That's what I've been missing the past few months; it's hard tracking progress on concepts like spirituality and patience. With money and saving it, I just have to make a conscious effort to, well, save it. Duh.

Also helpful about saving money is that I have an excuse to not go out to dinner with the crew after a flight. That cuts down on the crap I'm putting in my body, since I'm forced to cook those meals with my own choice foods. I love a good home cooked meal. (I would love even more if someone home-cooked it for me, buuut I'm short a personal chef right this second. Or girlfriend.)

This all helps fuel my 'new' obsession with going to the gym. Now after flights, I don't get dragged into drinking or going out with friends, I drag myself to the gym. It's been great.



Alright. Off to not spend money.
Though it is kind of an addiction... impulse buying is a hard habit to kick.
-Jamie

January: Save money.

January

Save money.

- Stop impulse buying

- Weigh need vs. want

- Cook vs. go out

- Put more into savings, possible CD or something similar.

Alriiiiight, the new year is here! And I am sooo ready for it. Most of 2013 was really amazing for me, I'm just excited for the chance to make this entire year count- not just part of it.

Starting off strong with the intention of saving money... kind of a big deal for me. Thankfully, I'm lucky  to have a job with a steady paycheck. I'm even luckier that almost the entire paycheck is expendable, since my needs are covered by the government. My problem lies mostly in impulse buying. I have this money that I could do anything with, but I choose to spend it on whatever catches my attention in the moment. I've been better about it since deciding to get out of the Navy, but I'll need to up the ante.

A big problem where I work is going out to eat. It's so easy after a 16hr day to look around the room and drained faces and say, "Let's go out, we deserve it." This can happen anywhere from 4-6 nights a week. This month, I will make the genuine effort to decline invites out to dinner. In turn, I will be forced to cook more... you know, so as not to starve. Spending the money every week to cook will be much thriftier than eating out at places spending anywhere from $15-30 each on lunch and dinner. Buying my own groceries will get me right back into cooking, which I really enjoy when I do it. And that will just help me out on my overall health goal for the year.

Another thing I'd like to look into and possibly try is putting money in a CD. That or some other program that isn't just savings. Believe me, I've already started pumping plenty of extra money into the savings account just in the hopes of making more than a buck a month. It's a nice system for me, because the money is still accessible while accruing a bit more the whole time. I'm sure my bank has tons of options for me to put money away and make it untouchable for a while. I'll have to do some digging.

I will make exceptions for going out to eat for special occasions, and special occasions only. Such as tonight... I dog-sat for my good friends Christine and Ford, and they've offered to take me to dinner as a treat. That, I can do.

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish the best for everyone, and I hope that at the end of every day, you can sleep peacefully knowing you hold no grudges and regret nothing.

Also, I encourage you to take steps towards your own happiness this year. Find what makes you beam, and roll with it.

-Jamie