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by Hope

I like Elizabeth’s goals post. Those type of lists always help motivate me and give me an easy way out when I’m trying to make decisions. While I’m not one for weekly goals, I think having a few monthly goals would be good for me.

After my August month in review post, I spent some time thinking about what was coming up this month. There are a few things that stood out when I considered September events and needs.

• We ate through the freezer for most of the month of August. In fact, I haven’t been grocery shopping in 3 weeks. Meal plan win! So a big grocery shopping trip is in order…soon! (Especially with the news that we make get some of the outskirts of Hurricane Dorian later this week.)
• My parents will be here for the last week of September. This won’t really affect me financially but it will add some social activities to our already busy schedules. But I’m excited that they will get to attend one of Princess’ volleyball games.
• I have a PACKED work schedule this month between regular clients and project work. I will be utilizing every minute of my 11 hour work days to get things done. This is really good from a financial stand point, although I won’t see that side until next month. But from a logistics stand point, I need to stay super focused and on schedule.
• I have paid all of our regular monthly bills this month. My operating account is close to $0 but it sure feels good to have all the bills paid. I believe we will inadvertently have a no spend month with as busy as we are. That combined with the heavy work load will be great for next month.

My September Goals

1. Stock my freezer with my regular grocery budget and continue with my weekly meal plans.
2. Stay on track with work and continue doing what I am doing from a marketing and work stand point. It is working.
3. Avoid looking at my bank account. Avoid any temptation to spend money un-necessarily.
4. Continue my daily exercise routine in the early morning hours. (I spent some time reading up on the health benefits of stretching and jump roping this past weekend and even more motivated to keep it up.)

Do you have personal goals this month? Financial or otherwise? Share them in the comments and let’s keep each other accountable.

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.