Atlanta Diaper Cakes is doing great and we just fulfilled an order of 10 welcome baskets. Our side hustle is doing very well and I have found a new job. I actually started the beginning of June but it has been great so far. A lot of training and a lot of work, but at least the days fly by and there is room for growth which is better than where I worked before. Finally we are buying a home! Now my weekends will be consumed with house projects and yard work. I am very happy since this will be right at my 30th birthday and what a b-day present that will be.
So the wife and I are trying to earn more income on the side. Currently we are selling diaper cakes (atlantadiapercakes.com) and gift baskets for a builder. At first she was a little reluctant to make a website and really push for selling outside our friends and family but I made the push. Once the site was setup with phone number, email, pictures, etc… she was much happier about proceeding. She even ordered business cards and made the site even better. I am excited about the possibilities and know that we will still be working our full time jobs until it takes off, if ever… we hope.
It always takes longer to reach a goal when you are your worst enemy. I say this because I know my goals and still do small things to slow my progress. Whether its eating a little more than I should with drinking 3 beers or buy something that I really don’t need but just want. When I do this to myself and then look back I am disappointed. I need to do better which means I need to check my weight daily and check my bank weekly so I will always know my status.
We had a few thousand saved but after a few months of not making as much we had to dip into it. Thankfully it was there and we did not have to use credit but still upsetting to say the least. As for my weight loss goal it too is slow going. Weekly I lose weight but the weekends I pick it back up. Overall I have lost 13 lbs which is great but not as much as I thought I would. I set my expectations too high it seems but when you set your goals higher you perform better, I thought? Anyways, I still have savings in the bank and my cloths are fitting better so I am still doing well just need to do better.
Ok. So I am still only 4lbs down from my start weight but I just got back from vacation. So a total of a couple thousand saved and 4lbs lost, not bad but we can do better.
We just signed a 6 month lease and can’t wait to leave. Will start looking in 4 months for a home and we are getting excited. I know it may take a while to find a house we love but we are willing to wait. The longer we wait the more we can save. Should have been doing this for a long time now but the last two years we focused on paying debt. It’s a weird balance because my first instinct is to pay debt as it should be. Then we need to save too, save for a house down payment as well as for a rainy day. So much to save for and pay but salaries are not increasing…
As far as my weight loss I have been going to the Gym almost everyday (M,T,W,Th,& Sat) working cardio and weight lifting. I have been off for a week because of going out-of-town so I need to jump back into it. I am about to start-up a program I did back in 2009 that really worked for me. Still a long way to go to reach my goal but I know I can do it, just need to cut out beer and eat better/healthier.
I have been away not writing. Not away like I have been traveling or not having access to my computer but away mentally. I have always been a little ADD when it comes to ideas and staying on task but I do want to be better. I work best when I schedule but who wants to live by a schedule your whole life? I guess it’s why I start projects, get interrupted, and fail to finish until way later.
So when I write down my short term goals I tend to stay on track so here I go:
1. Lose 2 to 3 pounds (on average) a week for the next 8 months. This will help me get to my ideal weight. My last real focus on weight loss was before my wedding and I did great! 45lbs in 90 days but I soon quit after saying I Do. It’s not a race but more of a life change. This time the goal is to maintain the weight loss and not just lose it to gain it back. I’m tired of being fat and I know I can do it. I have done it before.
2. Save for our down payment for a house. Our goal is to be in a house before October and with only 9 months to save it’s going to be a real challenge. We have already cut $600 out of our budget for savings and that’s not really affecting our entertainment (eating out, movies, etc..) so if we can limit that too then we will be even better. Our mortgage will not be much more than what we pay in rent but we will have to keep in mind maintenance and utilities.
3. After October I will go back to paying off the other lenders (Car, Credit Cards, Loans). Backwards I know but we have spent the last three years really chopping down our debt and we really want to get a house.
This is a lot in one year and I know that I will not be able to complete #3 but as long as I finish 1, 2, and some of 3 I will be so proud of myself and my wife. With the three goals in mind and a weekly checkup I will succeed. Wish me luck and offer any advice you have found to reach similar goals.
My wife’s birthday has just passed. She just turned 30 and really enjoyed her party. I feel bad though, because since she is such a planner she took control of everything. I was now in the role of making sure everything ran smoothly and everyone had a good time. The venue, Shout, really took care of us and made my job easy. Basically I didn’t have to do anything and that’s why I feel bad.
So to make up I wanted to do something a little special for her which included balloons, flowers, and chocolates. I drove around during my lunch break and picked everything up and once I knew she had left her office I made the delivery. Then for her birthday dinner we went to one of her favorite places and ate with two best friends. It was fun and I know she enjoyed every minute of it.
Now my birthday is coming up within the next week and we are starting to bounce around ideas of what I should do. I know she is going to plan everything to the T and it will be great.
So this past Friday I was thinking that I had not been to a Braves game all year and it would be nice to go. Using Facebook, I updated my status stating that I wanted to go and if anyone else was going then to let me know. Five minutes later I received a few texts from a friend that was already going.
We had great seats and really enjoyed ourselves. If I didn’t put it out there I would not have received the feedback and the opportunity to go. Now I need to apply this to other facets of my life by networking. If I am looking for a job I should tell people and just put it out there. Our networks are a lot larger than you would think. With Online social medial outlets we have access to that many more people/opportunities.
From my experience you have to be vague but direct at the same time. If you say you looking for a job the first question would be in what field. But if you say one area then you might not be pointed in a direction of a great opportunity. As a member of the generalist community I would now say that I have experience in this, that, and the other but I am willing to go in a new direction if the opportunity presents itself. Maybe that will work for me next time. We’ll see and I’ll let you know the outcome.
