Insanity

I've heard that the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions over and over again and expecting to get different results.

Whew! That is absolutely true! There are so many areas in life where I've set goals and laid out plans and mini-goals, etc. It's usually the same aspects of my life that are involved; money and health/fitness are the most frequent targets of goal setting for me. And I don't think I'm unusual in that regard.

When it comes to money, I've tried many methods to save money, to pay off debt, to pay bills on time, and so on. And, as a nurse, it's not that there isn't enough money for these things. However, receiving compensation for my back injury is severely stressing my resources and my patience.

In the past I've joked about being one pay cheque away from being homeless. That's not so funny anymore. Savings accounts are wiped out, retirement accounts are non-existent, and the option of picking up extra shifts is not available to me. The bills, like electricity (which is sort of a necessity) are piling up. NSF fees are adding insult to injury at the bank, and so on.

Now I've always maintained that a person's situation is a result of their decisions, past and present. My current situation is no different. Obviously I made some poor financial choices in the past. Well, not just some, a lot. And I'm paying (bad play on words) for it now.

This time, instead of simply trying to blunder my way through a rough patch, I've called in another brain and set of eyes to examine my situation. Instead of simply asking her advice, I'm allowing her to tell me what to do, each step of the way, right down to how much cash I can spend for groceries.

She's got a fair bit of experience with these things, and loves solving problems such as this. I think she sees it as a challenge and a bit of a puzzle that needs solving.

I simply don't have the patience to sit and calculate different options and come up with ideas. I'm more likely to turn a blind eye to things and hope it all works out in the end. It is exactly that attitude that had gotten me in trouble; I've trice repeatedly to "solve" my situation, to no avail.

A different approach was called for this time. And already I can feel the difference; perhaps it is because if I spend money on coffee or other non-necessities, she'll know about it. She's telling me what to do with each penny and I'm certainly being held accountable.

Every expense has, or will be, examined to ascertain its necessity or to see whether it can be decreased by any amount. The areas we've attacked first are gas, groceries, and dining out, as these are areas which are relatively flexible.

What difference have I felt so far? Yesterday I did not stop for coffee on the way to the city in the early morning, nor did I stop for a snack on the way home. Today, I did not zip through McDonald's drive thru before going to pick up Kevy at his sleepover. We also spent the rest of the day at home, napping and hanging out.

Not only have I stopped spending money on coffee and drive-thrus, I've not ingested the extra calories from the coffees and snacks. It's a win-win situation, don't you think?

A new approach to an old and recurring problem is sometimes the best way to come up with a more creative solution that actually works!