It is already Saturday October 11th, this month is half over! Where does the time go? I made chili this morning, just from the can. I made my own chili for the first time last week, but I think I need to read more recipes.
Thanksgiving is on Monday here in Canada, I will try to find a turkey and make it. I have a large roasting pan, the proper kind with the lid. Tin foil trays might be easily disposable but can't be healthy for the meat and still waste money.
Can I cook a turkey? Then I am going to carve the turkey, and put the leftover rest of the bones into a pot to boil, to make some bone broth I suppose.
I am not really a chef, I was only a prep cook for a short time. Lately I have been preparing beef barley soups, and eating that each week. Or cooking chicken breasts or frozen hamburgers, and having potatoes or rice with carrots and peas. I still eat out far too often, but tracking where I have spent my money the past few years as been as frustrating as it is revealing.
Where do most people spend their money? On rent, food, bills, and not always in that order. Investing first is the only way to get ahead, and even still, relative values will get you over time. How can we get ahead when rent is so high, and owning feels out of reach? I've learned a couple tricks over the years, but practicing them diligently is the key. Save 10% of all you earn, invest 10%, make your home a profitable space, get multiple streams of income, etc.
But the real hurdle, is tracking every dollar you spend, double recording it in a notebook and on index cards, and putting every receipt into a daily envelope.
I finally started doing this properly, and have to keep doing it every week, to see the full picture. Where has all my money gone? Well, I ate it. I used it to pay for shelter and power and gas, and fuel. And snacks.
Which stores? What time? Where was I and when? These transactions are places and points in time, and every expense is money not invested.
In the future, when bread is $80, how much money will I need to retire? I was going to say that if you can pay off your debts, you will save yourself -20% interest. Then you can start to actually 'earn' by using cashback cards, and making small investments. You have to take care of your health now, or you'll pay for it later. This year I also need to exercise more, for real.
Today, I have places to be. What will I see? Who will I meet? How prepared can I be? These are some things I will think about thismorning, as I get my second cup of coffee and put my suit on for the day. How can I make a difference today? By staying focused, in the present, and undistracted.
@Darkflame