Today is the first day of my new life.
My last articles for the newspaper were turned in last week and the last one runs tomorrow. I have a one small monthly assignment that I've held onto, just because it's easy and will disguise any gap in my resume when I want to go back to work. I also have the option to take stories when they're offered, if the timing or the mood strikes me.
It does feel weird. This morning, I dropped the kids at school and then my time was mine. It's never happened before!
While this move will pay off at tax time via a refund almost as large as the money I would have made working, and it will save us a huge chunk of money on childcare during summer break, in the meantime it will be a huge hit for the monthly cash flow. We'll get money at tax time, but that means we won't have that money month-in month out. I'm fine with this, because it's like a forced savings, and I like having those big chunks of money to dedicate to our big goals.
But in the absence of those dollars, I've been making plans --now that I am free, from work, so to speak-- to do as much as I can that is free.
I have a list of projects around the house and garden that don't cost anything. Some are cleaning and scrubbing, which will improve my mental health regarding the state of the house. Others are prep work for the garden or for room makeovers, etc.
I will also, of course, be working on my novels and other book projects, which cost time but not money, and will hopefully lay the groundwork for my new career. (Pipe dreams, anyone?)
Here's my list of free jobs:
[X]Hook up the rain barrels
[X]Weed the garden, to prep for planting
[]Hack down invasive honeysuckle
[]Scrape the peeling paint in the master bathroom
[]Clean our my basement office
[]Frame art and photos sitting in my office
[]Sew curtains for the boys' room
[]Sort through and clear out spent paint cans in the garage
[]Sweep/clean organize the garage. (we're getting free shelves from friends, and this will help)
Here's my list of jobs that raise a tiny bit of cash
[X] Recycle three bags of cans ($8.10)
[] Sort and clear for a yard sale in June
That's the starting list.
In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how to productively structure my day so that I can take care of the kids, exercise, and work on my book for at least one to two hours. I've tried waiting until bedtime to work on the book, but I am mentally spent my then.
I have two weeks before they're on summer vacation. Once school is over, it will be crunch time.
We aren't going on any big vacations this year, but I have made a list of about a dozen day trips and cool activities I'm going to do with the boys this summer. I think it will be a good time.
Free *
May 11th, 2015 at 09:03 pm
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Congrats on your freedom
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