Good news - I slept for a while after I got home, woke up, and am now tackling various duties around the place. Dishes and laundry are going, I tidied up the kitchen, and drank some water while thinking about the things I need to get done to improve my chances of a successful work week. I invited my brother and sisters over for a game night on Friday. I've been trying to get something set up where this is a routine thing we do, I figure all I can do is keep inviting my siblings over and whoever can come and wants to make the effort will. I'm reading a book that talks about persistance, hopefulness, optimism, and how I can talk to myself instead of listening to myself, important distinctions that allow me to counter the negative thoughts with positive self talk.
One thing I would like to do is become less easily irritated. Empathy is something I really have to work at, even recognizing when empathy would be appropriate is difficult for me, power and control are issues I struggle with which is one of the reasons I really like the guy I'm seeing. With us it really isn't an issue, that's an underrated portion of the relationship that I'm going to remember going forward. I bought myself a bracelet out in Vegas. I have some very mixed emotions surrounding it. It was an impulse buy, more than I wanted to spend, and now I'm kind of regretting it, but also happy that I have it. Rather than dither about whether I should have walked away from it I've decided to address the root issue.
I need a budget for treats and rewards. I've wanted a bracelet for some time, but that doesn't justify the expense. Going forward I'm going to write down a list of things that I want regardless of how silly or impractical they may be. Then I will set aside money for these things so I have it when I encounter them. There are things like rubber gloves for doing the dishes on my list. I want some new towels for the bathroom, I want my car window fixed - the driver's side rolls down, but not up again. I want some clothes, and I'm sure I can come up with many other things if I sat and thought for a while. Before I make my wish list of things to buy, I'm going to evaluate my savings plan. Right now I'm not saving anything and that is going to change.
While I was hanging out my whites I thought about ways to save money that I'm already doing. I put one load of laundry in the dryer and hung one. Next time I'm going to stagger the laundry so I can hang both loards. This means I need to find two days a week to do laundry instead of one, and I need to have my laundry done before the girls come back on Friday. I need to find days to buy groceries, clean out the fridge, and do the more thorough cleanings that need to be done around here. I save money in some ways, but could be doing much more. My wardrobe is simple, that saves me money, but I still find myself buying too many of the same things and not enough of the others. Time to sit down and make some lists, prioritize them, and periodically review them. Whew, I feel better already.
Praying this finds you well,
J
P.S. Thinking about buying the guy I like a bracelet for Christmas. Need to think about this more and start saving now if that's my plan.