Finding Balance

Lately I've been thinking a lot about finding balance in life. I thought it: when I am feeling in control in one area of my life, I feel like I am losing control in another part of my life. For example, when my financial life and spending habits were fantastic (~January and February 2009), my eating habits were out of control. Okay, not totally out of control, but the sugar cravings gripped me daily, and there I was--in search of junk food. It was as if being in total control (or "depriving" myself) in one area (financially) caused me to become over-indulgent in another area (eating).

Currently, however, my eating habits have been outstanding since Memorial Day. I swore away junk food, limited processed food, and cut my cravings for sugar and junk to nil. But my spending habits?? Very poor. As soon as I would pay off my credit card, the balance would go right back up; not necessarily to frivolous spending on clothes and such, but more so not keeping focus of how much money is in my account, and I would end up putting $50 of groceries on my credit card.....Or I would find a shirt I really liked, and $30 later, my balance would slowly creep back up.....

This week, however, I've decided to make another attempt at finding tight control in both my financial life and with my eating. I've started my cash-only system again. And, I went to Target this evening for only toothpaste.....Yet I found myself in the clothing section, trying on a great, inexpensive black sweater that would be perfect for a sleeveless maternity dress that I just bought but can't wear to work until I find the perfect black cover up. I also found a cute skirt that wasn't maternity, but was stretchy and could have carried me through the summer. I didn't have the $43 in cash I would have needed to buy the sweater and skirt. So I put them down, bought my toothpaste for $1.95, and headed out. I was so proud of myself! Tomorrow, however, I am going back to Target, with the cash, to buy the sweater, at least. I plan on taking the purple dress, to try them on together, to make sure it's worth the purchase.

So, as you can see, I'm truly making an effort to create balance in my life financially, as well as dietary balance!

I've also began making a renewed effort to get my car paid off by December. Because several months went by where I wasn't making extra payments, I am now having to pay a little extra for these next several months in order to get it paid off by Dec.

One of my dilemmas has been: do I keep working to get my car paid off early by December.....or do I save that money up towards my maternity leave? I plan to take 12 weeks off, and not all 12 weeks will be covered financially. Most of those weeks will be at 2/3rd my normal pay, anyhow. However, to get the car paid off, that would free me up from the $310 car payment, so less I would have to come up for maternity leave, anyhow......AND, most importantly, when it's time to shell out an additional $900 a month for daycare for an infant, having my car paid off would free up $300 that can be used towards daycare (so then we'll only need to come up with another $600 a month, LOL.......*gulp*).

Decisions, decisions.

Keep you posted!