Happiness
Happiness a relative term, varying in degree and individual interpretation. How happy are you? We are constantly flooded with conflicting information about the key to finding happiness as if it is an external entity, something to be sought and once found, kept. There are many ways in which we are told we can find this illusive beast called happiness, usually involving the spending of money. Therefore, we have dedicated this website to the pursuit of happiness through the small steps that we all can take to save money. Money is precious as it allows us freedom to pursue our interests, however true freedom comes from the happiness of truly mastering our finances. Please join me in sharing and growing in the knowledge we all have and can learn about this important topic.
The Challenge!
Most of us have an opinion about change, one way or the other. Some of us thrive on routine, modeling our lives closely around preset patterns. Others still may thrive on change itself, tiring easy of patterns and always searching for that next adventure. By human nature, we are creatures of habit. Through these habits we mold and shape our lives and the lives of those around us, whether we realize it or not.
Habits are powerful things, and by studying our own habits and thinking carefully about the small areas of our lives we can make powerful and lasting changes. Our media today is flooded with ideas and suggestions for drastically changing our lives, the so-called total makeover. These dramatic changes can be very useful, however changing too much too fast can be more damaging than helpful. To create a more lasting change, addressing the smaller and more manageable arenas of our lives is much more functional.
In our current climate, we are bombarded with the bitter news of our economy. Even if we are not in such a dire state as some, it is never too early in life to make small, fundamental changes that can have a lasting and powerful result. This website is dedicated to the idea of opening a dialog for tips, advice, and general knowledge about the things we spend money on and the ways we can better our lives through the better use of our money. If we all broke down our budgets right now, dollar by dollar, most of us would be shocked; I know I was. Creating a budget is a terrifying thing if you haven’t ever addressed it in the past, money takes on almost a mystical feeling…it comes in and leaves but where does it actually go? And how much is an appropriate amount to spend on any given category? There are plenty of guides, blogs, advice columns, parents, and other qualified professionals who have dedicated their time, knowledge and resources to educating us on these principles. But until we spread those receipts (or if you online bank start an excel worksheet, the effect is still the same) out on the table, we will never truly understand the course of our finances.
Therefore, in the spirit of this, I challenge each of you reading this (and myself included) to track for a 30-day period every dollar spent on food. We can all learn things through the simple observation of our own patterns and self-awareness whether it breeds change or not brings with it a peace unmatched. Read about what we have all learned from this experience and some great tips for small changes that have a lasting result.
Read about our experiment and tell us about yours here