Category: Series

It has been a whirl and we are just in the second week of the new year. The news is very depressing, and I am feeling a sense of déjà vu – is it 2020 all over again? I certainly hope not and to get my mind off these ominous thoughts, I worked on my financial goals for the year when I had the chance (which is usually after work or while I am eating lunch).

So let me take your mind off Covid for a moment and let us talk about money. It is always an exciting time to review where you want to be financially beginning of the year. I can share how I do my budgeting. Caveat: I am not a financial expert but will share what has worked for me over the years.

For those whose goal is to be debt-free or just simply manage your finances, this is where you need to start. Budgeting is the key. There are tons of articles already written about this and you need to determine what works for you. Read Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps if you need help determining goals. It may take time, even years, but be patient. It took us years of practice mingled with frustration and curbing immediate gratification. We were finally debt-free in 2018 except for our mortgage and student loans which are main target now.

So how do I do it? I have a high-level monthly budget on my Excel sheet for every dollar earned and spent. I follow the Zero-Based Budget approach, which funny enough I just learned last week. I did not realize this is what I have been doing for years. Then I use Quicken to track my expenses, but I do it manually since I look ahead – far ahead.

This year I want to be more intentional on where our income should go this year, so I created a 5-month forecast instead of my 2-month forecast. There is nothing special on the number, but I wanted to get a view before summer starts. I am overly optimistic that somehow this year is going to be better and will look more like our pre-pandemic years. I included vacation category in my budget so as a unit, we will be more careful about impulse buying on items we do not really need (meaning less trip to Costco!) as well as limit our dining out options (we are a big foodie group). I am robbing Peter on this account so Paul can save 😊. We have everything accounted for and we just need to stick to it as a family. If the vacation does not happen, then it will be a plus to my savings account.

Then I check Quicken at least once a week (in reality, 3x) and adjust, as necessary. Oftentimes there will be things that will come up, emergency or otherwise. Over the years I learned how not to fret and balance it with the YOLO phrase. Then I tell the family that next week or next month, we will not be doing this or that.

Budgeting is a work in progress and requires long term diligence to see effective results. If you have not already done so, try to work on a monthly budget to see where you are. It is the first step to achieving financial freedom. If you have questions, let me know where I can help.

I hope this post has been helpful. Drop me a comment if you would like to know more about our experience towards financial freedom.

The new year is here – wet and gray in this part of the world. A foreboding start or a cleansing of the past two years that the world has given us? You chose.

As for me, I am ready to start the new year with hopeful expectations. I eagerly started on my vision board this morning – remember I said yesterday how I thrilled I was? It is done! I just need my husband to help me put it up.

For 25 years, I have always jotted them down in my personal journal for my own privacy. It was a secret place for my prayer requests, dreams, goals, and aspirations so when they do not happen or if I failed, no one’s the wiser.

However, this year is vastly different for me. I cannot describe it, but I just know in my heart and my gut that 2022 is going to be a remarkable year for us and for everyone else. And prospectively, I am ready to vision cast and write them where I can see them daily.

Working on this vision board is quite cathartic – made me very intentional about how I want to move forward or where I want to spend my time and energy. I am now sharing all my vision, my goals, and dreams for my family to see (but not on this post yet). There are bold dreams on here that I wonder if they tell me they are very lofty, or will it inspire them to dream bigger as well?

What I can share is that for 2022, I am declaring it to be our Year of Harvest and that my Focus Word is Shine. My mantra remains the same – nothing is impossible to those who believe. These are powerful words that have guided me through the years.

So armed with my vision board, I am filled with great anticipation of what this year will bring us. I am hoping that you share my enthusiasm for the new year. Want to join me? Send me a message. Let us continue building our dreams.

My last entry was in Jan 2018 – when we were still living in Louisville, KY. More than three years have passed with so many remarkable things that have happened in our lives. It has been quite a journey.

First, we moved to Bellbrook, OH because of a job opportunity – something I have never thought of while I was writing my last post. Little did I know that it was going to be the boldest and biggest stepping out we would do as a family.

We took a leap of faith and transplanted ourselves in a new community, new jobs, new schools, and new life with just us. We embraced the changes and allowed ourselves to dream more – after all, a whole new world just opened for us.

We were ready and then the world stopped altogether in 2020. I was following the news late in 2019 and knew this new virus was going to hit hard. Pandemic was an unfamiliar word that was hard to comprehend. A different world emerged.

We sheltered in place – worked from home and studied from home. The isolation hit hard but it came with it big rewards. It gave us time to the develop new hobbies: me with organic gardening and my husband’s passion with grilling and smoking meats (it is a hobby 😊). Also, we had friends that became more like siblings from another mother.

The pandemic also gave everyone a chance to reflect on how we live our lives. For me – I called it the Great Awakening. It was time for a career change, but I did not know where to begin. I was afraid to look forward because times are uncertain, and I had a very stable job. Why rock the boat? But there was this burning hope to dream and that something must change – I dared to believe it.

And it did happen – we became small business owners in June of this year. Woohoo!!!! Our biggest news ever. We stepped out and made our dream a reality. We believe nothing is impossible, so we named our company Wheatley Empire, Inc. We know it is not going to stop at just one company – our vision is large for our future. We are in our forties and starting a new business even during COVID because it is never too late for anyone. I cannot wait for 2022 when we open our first clinic – Fyzical Centerville. And yes, you will hear about it from me.

We also switched to new jobs which was bittersweet. Sadly, good things had to end to welcome new opportunities and growth. We welcome these changes in our lives once again. They are our springboard for more opportunities to come for us. I believe and claim it!

From my last post to this – I can say I dreamed a dream. It is happening for us. It can happen to you too. The new year is coming so shake off the dust. Lift your head up and write down your dream and visions. Believe in them. If you are reading this, you are not alone. Send me a comment and we can be in a journey together.

Happy Sunday everyone! It has warmed up here in Louisville, KY so the snow has melted and it’s a whopping 54 degrees today.

I’m chilling out here at church waiting for a parent meeting for my son’s middle school Believe conference. It is so quiet without the kids here. Their vibrancy can sometimes be so overwhelming but without their boundless energy this place is not the same. They’ll be here soon so while I am waiting, I will use this time to write.

I have been thinking about writing a series on what I have been talking about the last three posts – about stepping out to follow your dream and joining me in this journey. For lack of creativity, I am just going to simply call it Step Out Series.

I have been encouraged to really do this after a lunch date with a friend last week. She and I were talking and updating each other about life and I shared with her my daring faith journey.

I asked her what would she like to do that she’s always been passionate about but never thought would happen. Sitting there and listening to her just reaffirmed that I am not alone – that there are so many of us out there that’s just afraid to take the first step and believe. It doesn’t matter how young or how old you are at this point. Truth of the matter is that we have this fear – of the unknown, of failing, or succeeding so irreversibly we believe that it’s not ever going to happen. Dreams (or goals) become suspended in mid-air and out of reach.

My goal is to help you and in doing so, you are making me realize that I too can make my dreams happen. So are you ready?

First step is personal brainstorming – understand what it is you want to happen in your life. Write them down however weird or unattainable. Is it losing weight? Is it starting that art class? Is it going back to get that degree? Is it finally taking the courage and take that bungee jump? Is it starting a blog like I am doing? A business? Anything that has been a burning desire that has been in your heart and you feel strongly about. Write them down and don’t mark them off your list. This is what brainstorming is all about. No ideas too mundane or stupid. Write them down to acknowledge your innermost desires and passions.

So are you ready?? Get busy and start this journey with me. Let’s all Step Out!