August 22, 2018
Financial Goals Can’t Be Reached from Child’s Pose
My life has been hectic. How about yours? I get so tense sometimes that I feel like I’m losing my breath (and my mind). If I were in yoga class, I’d surrender to Child’s Pose. It may be a great place to recover during class, but it’s no way to live. And, financial goals can’t be reached while acting like a child.
A Thought on Forgiveness
Yesterday, my almost 2-year-old grandson started running up and down the nonfiction rows of the library. He would have been delighted to run through those aisles unchecked for hours. I wanted to look for some business and finance books. Instead, I did what was required of me in that moment and picked him up. He kicked and screamed as I carried him down the stairs to check out the books we’d found for him.
Note: He did not get the cookie he could have gotten if he had behaved while I looked at books. There were consequences.
As we were leaving the library, I explained my disappointment in his behavior. “Hug,” he said and gave me one. Followed by, “I’m sorry.” It’s the first time I’ve heard him apologize without being prompted. He’s starting to get it, which is exciting. Also, he’s super precious, so it’s not like I can really be mad at him. Grandchildren require game faces.
If only the whole world worked like that. I could hug those who have loaned me money. Say, “I’m sorry.” Then, they could forgive me and think oh how sweet and exciting.
Since I cannot retreat to being a child in the face of my financial goals, I’m beginning to focus on what I can control: spending less than we make.
To increase our income, I have taken on a part time job serving at The Half Barrel in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. I’ve been loving it. The people are great; and, the meals and drinks are ones I’m proud to serve. Bonus: 99% of the people I serve are not toddlers. Adults usually know when they are done eating and have already figured out the cause and effect of tipping over glasses and plates, so they don’t do it.
I’m also using apps and looking for other tools to increase our income. Their impact may not be massive, but pennies and bitcoins do spend…
Money-Generating Apps I’m Using
Sweatcoin
If you walk outdoors and have the app open on your phone, you can earn sweatcoins. Once enough sweatcoins are earned, purchases for gift cards, flights, and products can be made. The availability of items vary from day to day.
I became a member of Sweatcoin on June 21st. It’s August 21st as I write this and I have earned $201.02 in sweatcoins. Purchasing a $50 gift card requires $3,650 in sweatcoins, so it may take me more than a year to get the $50. While that feels like forever away, I listen to The Dave Ramsey show as I walk outdoors most days of the week. I might as well be putting some change in my pocket. Why not?
I’m getting more value out of what I’m listening to and learning than I am the app, yet the app still encourages me to take a few more steps than I otherwise would.
I’ve earned kicks by walking into stores, scanning products at the store with my phone, and by making purchases. Kicks are available at both nearby stores and online. Gift Cards to popular stores like Lowe’s, Target, Foot Locker, and more are available. There’s even gift cards available to Tory Burch and Tiffany & Co. and as a fashion lover it’s hard to resist the idea of earning a gift card to one of those stores.
I’ll be sharing more money making and saving apps as I use them and get comfortable with them. Right now, I need to slip out the door for my morning walk before the grandson is up. There’s something about going for a whine-free walk that gets my day started off right. Do you have any apps or money saving tips that you LOVE? I want to hear about them. Please send me an email at melissa@40fitnstylish.com.
