Category: advice

No one really talks about how much moving actually costs. Luckily a few months ago I started to cut back my spending to have more of a cushion in my checking account and thank goodness I did! There are costs of having to pay for two places, the usual moving fees like security deposit and such and then the actual moving costs. Once we found our dream home, I quickly noticed that more money was going out of my account than going to my savings account so I had to be really careful where I spent my money. Some things I have been doing recently to save money are…..

Try a “No Shop Month”

This normally would terrify me because I like to shop and I’m guilty of buying coffee instead of making my own for those mornings I am running late. But for July, I really did stick to it because I created a financial goal of being able to get our dream house. I knew that if I went to Target, I would buy things I wouldn’t need. I went to the food store with a list and only bought the essentials. There is always going to be something to eat in your kitchen so look again before you order food and there will always be something to wear in our closets.

Create a Coffee Station to Cut Back on Buying Coffee

I love my Starbucks but I can easily make a cup of Starbucks coffee for like 50 cents at home and bring it to work. To make my mornings easier, I have everything I need, coffee thermos, K Cups, Keurig machine filled with water and ready to go in the morning.

Review Monthly Spending

Take a look at where you shopped a lot the previous month and see what expenses you can cut. Spotify with ads is not the end of the world for a few months or check to see if your food apps automatically reload when they run low on funds. Try a month or two without a few things and see if you really miss them.

Create a List Before You Go To The Grocery Store

This is where I saw the most savings in July. Normally, I would stock up on the basics and food for dinners and lunch once a week. Instead of buying more food than I could eat in a week, I cut back and stocked up on pastas, tuna and frozen veggies since they don’t go bad. It’s not great long term but I was able to save money fast! It also helped knowing I was moving soon and didn’t want to waste food.

Meal Prep

I’m sure you are sick of everyone talking about meal prep but there is a reason why everyone does it. Because it works! Going to work with food helps prevent me from buying lunch at work and then buying dinner on nights when I’m too busy to spend time in the kitchen.

For years I experienced the worst FOMO so I was always going somewhere or making plans with friends. I was commuting back and forth to Philly while working a full time job with a part time job because I didn’t want to miss out any girls nights out with my friends. Now in my later twenties, I get excited when plans fall apart or I have a quiet evening planned at home. My relationship with Jake started off as friends who watched a lot of movies together on my couch so it’s something we always try to make time for during the week. We like to order in food and get work done on our laptops while watching a movie. We like to spend time together while doing our own thing as we talk about our day or share a news story with one another. It’s a nice balance of being near each other and doing our own thing at the same time. I love to blog while Jake will play a game on his laptop while we binge watch our favorite show with a box of pizza in between us. Nights like these allow us to have balance and taking care of our selves while in the company of one another. Not once do we argue that we only do what the other person wants to do because we both get to do what we want to without ignoring the other person.

Then we have date night when we go out for dinner or a movie. Those nights feel just as special as the nights we stay in and eat Wawa for dinner. I guess it took me a few years to appreciate that you don’t always have to be doing an activity to enjoy time with someone. While Jake and I have a list of restaurants and things we want to try, our weekends usually consist of errands and grocery shopping but it never feels like a chore because we enjoy doing them together. On Sunday nights, I’ll fold laundry while he puts it away and our trips to the grocery store have us excited about meals we can make at home that week. It’s a sign that you are with the right person when you get just as excited about going out for Sushi as you do going to Target to pick up a few things.

Continue reading “Work Smarter, Not Harder” →

With our busy work schedules, adult responsibilities, social calendar and everything else on our lap sometimes we forget to put ourselves first. My weekends are filled with items on my to do list and very little time to just relax and unwind after a work week. We may not have the budget to go out of town or head to the spa, but a staycation is the perfect option to recharge when we need it most. Earlier this week, I felt exhausted even though it was only a Monday. Then I realized that the last time I took a day off work was the day after Christmas and I was in desperate need for a day off. I didn’t have anything I wanted to do or go to. I just wanted a day off to sleep without an alarm and lounge around all day while watching Netflix. It’s been a while since I had a lazy day off and it was so nice to recharge my batteries. Below are some ideas you can do on your staycation to help you get the refresh you need.

Take A Long Shower or Bath

Sounds silly, but I love to take a long shower in the morning with no rush to get out the door for work. It’s the perfect time to actually use that 5 minute conditioner or that body exfoliator. Most nights I am rushing to shower as fast as I can so I can quickly make dinner and get into bed at a reasonable time. Having a day with no plans so I can take a long shower is a luxury I don’t often get.

Binge Watch

There are usually not enough hours in the day to catch up on all of your favorite tv shows or watch that documentary that everyone is talking about. Most nights I fall asleep mid episode of something and need to rewatch. Take a day to get comfy on our bed or couch and catch up on your favorite shows. Snacks are mandatory obviously!

Dedicate Time to your Hobby

If there is a book that you have been wanting to read or a craft idea you found on Pinterest, today is the best day to do it. I love a free afternoon that I can get ahead on some blog posts or plan outfits to shoot for the blog. If you don’t have a hobby, I highly encourage you find something that you love or something to challenge you like learning how to run.

Tidy Up

Maybe this is the last thing you want to do on a relaxing day off but tackle that pile of clean clothes sitting on the chair that you have been avoiding all week. It doesn’t have to be a big spring clean because I am sure there is something you haven’t had the time to straighten up or organize something because of a crazy schedule.

Work on that House Project

I recently took twenty minutes to update my coffee table and hang a picture on the wall after procrastinating for months. I’m sure we all have a few projects we would like to get done around our homes but just never have the time. If you are feeling productive on your staycation, it would be the perfect time to check an item off of your to do list.

With a cup of coffee in my hand and my planner in front of me, I am ready to plan this week. Errands, the gym, trying a new face product and meal prep all are added to my planner so I can see what needs to be done this week. If it is not in my planner there is a good chance I will completely forget about it. Oops! Here I put a few ways to plan a productive week together for you. Have a good week everyone!

Plan Something Fun First Thing in the Morning
I hate waking up early on the weekends and will avoid it as much as I can. However, I have found that planning something in the morning with a friend is a good reason to get out of bed before noon. Plan to get brunch or make a date with yourself and try a new coffee shop in town. Find a reason to get out of your apartment so you don’t feel like you got nothing done all day. And while you are out, now is the best time to get those errands done!

Get the Errands out of the Way
Throughout the week, I keep a post it in my planner that has a list of everything I need to purchase. In my planner, I keep a list of places and errands I need to run on the weekend so I can see ahead of time what the best day is to get everything done. On Fridays, I will order as much as I can on Target.com so it can be shipped to my apartment and then I can just shop for produce and other items that cannot be shipped. My goal is to get everything done as soon as possible on Saturday so I can enjoy my Sundays.

Do Laundry and Immediately Put it Away
I have never hated laundry and I really don’t mind doing it. However, I find that I am always getting distracted and never find time to actually put it away. My new goal is to fold and put away as soon as it comes out of the dryer so I don’t have to stare at a pile of clean laundry on my bed!

Wash Your Sheets & Make Your Bed
Get in the habit of cleaning your sheets every weekend. My preference is to do them on Sunday evenings so I can crawl into a nice warm bed! My bed will never be made in the morning because I am too lazy but I do like making it on Sunday nights. It makes me a lot more eager to get into bed.

Get Snacks & Lunches Ready for the Week
While I cook dinner on Sunday, I like to cut up veggies and put them in tupperware and organize my fridge so I can easily grab food in the morning before i leave for work. I started to buy snack size containers of apple sauce and fruit cups that I can keep at my desk. I’ll also make popcorn and put handfuls in plastic bags so I can have easy snacks. I try to make everything easy to grab and go on Sunday nights so I don’t have to worry about lunches during the week.

Clean Your Apartment
Now that I clean my apartment every single week, it makes this weekly task much more manageable. I talk a little bit about it more here, but I basically take a few minutes to walk around and collect dishes before running the dishwasher, throwing in a load of laundry, wiping down counters and then quickly vacuuming all before I sit down to have breakfast. It seems like a long list, but once I made a routine, it became super manageable.

Write a To Do List for the Week
I would be lost without my planner! On Sundays, I like to look at what I have going on during the week so then I can make a to do list for each day. This way I can plan ahead to make sure I don’t forget anything and plan days to go to the gym. This is also a perfect time to text friends to plan coffee and dinner plans for the week.

Catch Up on Sleep But Don’t Sleep All Day
I love to sleep late on the weekends, but I found that I get so much more done when I wake up and immediately get moving! Another perk is that you will be able to go to bed early or at a reasonable time instead of staying up late because you slept all day.

Go To Bed Early
I actually have a few timers that go off to let me know when to go to bed. Even if I am not asleep by the second alarm, I know that I should be in bed by this time. It holds me accountable and I know that I am the worst when I don’t get enough sleep at night.

A few weeks ago, I had to go to a training seminar for work. Of course, being the nerd I am, I brought a notebook with me and took down notes. Then because life gets busy, while I was cleaning off my desk I found my notes from that meeting. The seminar had all valid points and they all seemed so simple. So why wasn’t I doing them daily? Most of the time, I am just so thankful to have a full time job that I don’t take the time to think where I can grow from here. The meeting focused on ways to get more training and how to improve at your current position. But how does one do that?

During my annual review, I made it clear about what I found challenging at my job and what I loved about my job. This way, my boss knew what obstacles I faced while completing a task and by showing him what I loved, I made sure that I could continue doing that role. There are some work tasks that people do not enjoy but I love them, so I always like to point out to coworkers that they can have me do it for them. This way, I have been able to work with people I wouldn’t normally making it the perfect time to network.

Don’t wait for permission if you find something that you could do yourself. After a few months at my job, I noticed that meetings were not properly reviewed so things were not set up properly. With just a few extra emails a day, I was able to confirm meetings, retrain people and most importantly, make myself valuable. While I identified certain parts of my job that could be improved or added to, I was able to become a resource on how to do the job better. I felt more dedicated and excited to do my job too which was a nice bonus. If you think of a better, more efficient way to do your job, don’t ask for permission. See if it works and show the success to your team or boss.

Instead of being afraid to ask for time off, a raise or promotion, just go ahead and ask. It is easier to ask for things if you come prepared with a list of accomplishments, your goals and maybe a list of kudos from other people at work. Have that follow up question, “why” answered before the person responsible for those answers has to ask. If you still need some support to ask for things, become friends with the human resources department and ask what they would recommend.

Stop comparing where you are on your journey to where other people are in theirs. I have friends who are rising to the top of where they work, who make way more money than I do and look perfect working that 9-5. There are days I wish I was doing something else, making more or on vacation. But I need to stop comparing myself and appreciate where I am in life now. Keep the negative away and find ways to be inspired to work harder and appreciate everything you have.