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by Hope

One of the benefits of my new job is that I have unlimited DTO. I read up on this before I took the job and frankly, as great as it sounds to have unlimited paid time off, the reality is not so great. I was warned.

Essentially, you can take time off if you have your work done or have someone to cover for you. It’s kind of frowned on. No one would say that out loud, but it’s definitely the vibe.

However, since I haven’t had paid time off in 14 years, it didn’t seem like a big deal to me. I am used to working everywhere and all the time. But after 2 months of consistent 10-12 hour, sometimes 14 hour work days, I decided to go for it.

So today is my first official, paid day off from work! (At least one that is not a national holiday.)

What are you going to do?

I have spent the last couple of weeks going room to room, cleaning and purging and organizing. I’m not done yet, but I’ve made good progress. Therefore, I do not want to spend my single day off on housework.

So what do you do when you want to have fun, relax and really enjoy your time off!?! Oh, and most importantly, you don’t want to spend any money?

LIBRARY!!!

Princess and I visited our local library for the first time in over a year and I checked out a slew of books. I brought home 7 and reserved 5 more. I am determined to make more time me, more downtime. But for now, I have 3 whole days during this long week to snuggle up with a book.

I cannot tell you how excited I am. For food, I’m going to make a crockpot soup that we can eat on all weekend.

I am so ready for some down time! Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend. I know I will!

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.