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by Hope

The goals for this last week were:

Week 1 – December 3

1. Create a $2,500 budget
2. List/re-list sellable items that might do better during this Christmas season (jewelry, old computer, etc.)
3. Research selling digital products online, make a list of steps and related resources

Here’s how it went…

The $2,500 Budget

What a good and eye opening exercise! Although I found is near impossible to get down to the goal of $2,500.

I loved watching the conversations on Ashley’s recent post about paying off her mortgage vs buying an income generating property. The idea of having a paid off house going into retirement age is certainly appealing. I know it is an emotional thing, but there also is some sense of security with having what is typically one of your largest bills paid for going into that age when you work less or not at all and live off a fixed income.

I know I am nowhere near there, but definitely a conversation I am following.

For Sale

I relisted a bunch of jewelry and items on Facebook Marketplace that I have collected over the last few weeks as I have been going through all the nooks and crannies in my house. I took the time to take better pictures and am opening to make a couple of hundred dollars this month  as much of what I am selling would be great Christmas gifts. My motivation for the purge has been twofold. One, I am more and more inclined to own less so believe that after the holidays I will do another big purge of primarily furniture type things. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve given the kids time to give me feedback on anything that is important to them. So after the crowd leaves, I anticipate I will be ready to do a purge on a much larger scale.

It’s not that I don’t love my stuff. Most of them are inherited from grandparents and even great grandparents, but I find myself less and less inclined to spend time dusting. 🙂 Can anyone relate to that? So I want to live in a far more simple setting.

The second reason, is that as I consider renting out or selling my home…I realize that much of the “stuff” I have does not bring me joy anymore. So less to care for, less to potentially store or move. And I’d rather purge now, then have to have a “fire sale” down the road. I am being very thoughtful and intentional as I sort through things. Handling them, remembering where they came from, and deciding if they are worth keeping to me.

Digital Products

I have thoroughly enjoyed this research. And it’s been coupled with a lot of questions about what is next for me. I believe I’m pretty clear on the process and what will need to happen to set it up, all within my skillset. The question now is, what direction do I want to go in…still working on that.

The New Part Time Job

As of this morning, I have accepted a new part time role as a Catering Coordinator that I had two interviews for last week. The details that I know are as follows:

1. Expect 20-25 hours per week but will start with regular onboarding for this fast food company.
2. Starting pay at $13 per hour as advertised. Once I’m trained and working independently, they will reevaluate pay.
3. I won’t have “regular hours” rather I will work hours required by catering orders that come in which means, I could work any combination of breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours on any given day. I will not be preparing the food rather coordinating the teams efforts to make sure the right food and goods are ready/delivered on time. And I will also be doing community outreach/marketing to grow the catering side of the business.

This is a new role for them so it’s kind of a grow and evolve as it makes sense. I’m super excited.

And I did speak with my current boss at the accounting firm and she fully supports the flexible hours I will need to make both jobs work. Woot, woot!

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.