Jerri's Empty Nest
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Monday, May 29, 2017
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017
Friday, March 3, 2017
In The Works
I enter a lot of sweepstakes. And I win...quite a bit. I have had numerous friends ask how I do it. Usually the answer is no more than the fact that I enter.
I have decided to find a way to share the sweeps I enter without cluttering up my personal Facebook and driving all my friends crazy. Not sure exactly how...but I am hoping to create somewhere that I can share sweeps on a daily basis and they will all be in one place.
Hang in there with me...I'll let you know as soon as I have a site!
Love,
Jerri
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Carrying Too Much
This past week, a friend asked me a question that made me stop and think.
"Do you ever feel like you're carrying the whole world on your shoulders?"
"Do you ever feel like you're carrying the whole world on your shoulders?"
I don't think there is a woman on the planet who hasn't felt like this at some point in her life, if not for most of her life. In particular, women who are in the middle span of their lives feel the burden most heavily. For those who are single, we carry the weight of self-sustenance, meeting the expectations of family, of society, and of our own.
For those of us who have gone through a divorce, many have been devastated both emotionally and financially. We may have lost our homes, our jobs, and most importantly, our sense of self-worth. It is a heavy burden to carry to rebuild from the ground up.
How do we do it? I'll give you the same answer I gave her. I put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Is it easy? Hell, no!! i have a firm belief, however, that it will be worth it in the end. Slowly but surely, my life is being rebuilt. The sacrifices are many, but the rewards are also.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Reach out to a friend when you need someone to lean on. We will make it...together.
Love,
Jerri
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
A Small Step
Also last week, I shared that I have an issue with the way I eat during the workweek. On Sunday, I took a small bit of time and mixed up some ham salad and tuna salad for sandwiches during the week.
I know...a really small step. But I'm hoping to get away from tv dinners! If a homemade sandwich is the first baby step, I'm okay with that.
At some point, I hope to be able to create meal plans and shopping lists to keep me on track and to reduce my grocery budget. It is not out of the realm of possibility to cut that budget by at least 30%. I could probably cut it by 10% just by not listening to my sweet tooth!
How do you plan for workday meals? Give me some tips!
Love,
Jerri
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
I did it!
Last week, I spoke about taming the paper monster. This past Saturday, I began to put my plan into action. A good portion of my Saturday afternoon was spent shredding. Months and months of shredding.
The good news? The shredding is up-to-date. Now it is up to me to be consistent and make sure to shred each weekend. A side benefit of doing all that shredding is that I used the time while the shredder was cooling down to clean out my email inboxes!
A few hints about what to shred:
Boarding passes -- Don't ever leave your boarding passes in the trash. They are encoded with your personal information...always shred!
Catalog and magazine address labels -- These also have personal account information encoded within the label...always shred!
Credit Card and Loan Offers -- This one is pretty self-explanatory...always shred!
Receipts Paid with Debit/Credit Cards -- Anything that has even a single digit of a debit or credit card must be shredded!
Receipts Paid with Debit/Credit Cards -- Anything that has even a single digit of a debit or credit card must be shredded!
Don't be like me and let it pile up. Get a home office shredder and keep up with the shredding on a weekly basis. Probably the most important tip of all!
Love,
Jerri
Friday, February 24, 2017
Setting Limits
This Frugal Friday, setting limits is the focus. This will also be extremely helpful if you are participating in No-Spend April.
When shopping, stick to your list. We all know the temptation of that end-cap sale! Even in the grocery or dollar store, it is too easy to walk out of the store with items you had no intention of purchasing when you walked into the store.
If you have outstanding debt, there is no excuse for not setting limits on your spending. That debt will not disappear on its own. A $30 trip to the nail salon could be sent to the credit card company instead, particularly if you are more than capable of painting your own nails. If you have debt, a $80 trip to the salon for a cut and color cannot be justified. There are less expensive alternatives available and should be utilized until debt is gone.
Review your priorities and set your personal spending limits in accordance with those priorities. You set those priorities to benefit yourself and your situation. Set your limits to do the same.
Love,
Jerri
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Reducing Demands
Every weekday, I wake up and do my daily moneymakers. Around two in the afternoon, I begin my day job, working until almost 11:30 p.m. most nights. In addition, this blog is published five days a week and I have other writing projects in the works. In essence, I not only work a full-time job, but have numerous part-time endeavors being juggled at the same time.
These are not what I consider demands. Those activities are the ones that actually bring income into my home. They are necessities, period. What do I consider demands? I consider outside demands on my time and attention. How do these demands keep occurring? Because I lack the gene that lets me say "No."
Over time, I have become a resource to many of my friends. I am turned to for my knowledge and my research abilities. Unfortunately, this also means that requests for help come to me without any regard to the fact that I am probably working, trying to meet a deadline, or just plain running my butt off!
My goal? To learn to say "No" or "I'm not available today." In short, to reduce demands by setting boundaries.
How about you?
Love,
Jerri
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Simplifying Food
As I work from home, I get quite lazy about food. I look for whatever is quick and easy, leading to probably not the best choices.
I have no excuse for not doing better in this area. One of the easiest ways to simplify food preparation is to use a slow cooker. I have three...yes, three...of various sizes. If I used my resources effectively, I would have great homemade food on a daily basis.
There are a large number of websites that show you how to prepare weeks of food in one day. I have explored many of them, but have yet to utilize the recipes and tips. Again...entirely my fault. Take a few moments and do a web search for "month's worth of meals." The possibilities are endless!
My goal for simplifying food? To actually utilize the resources at my disposal to not only prepare meals but save money at the same time.
How about you?
Love,
Jerri
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Taming the Paper Monster
The hardest part of simplification for me is the paper monster. It is so bad for me that I actually have "Shredding" on my weekly to-do list. Do I get to it? Rarely. If there is one thing that gets left to last, shredding is usually it!
I have been doing a lot better with the daily mail. It's sorted daily with what needs to be shredded going into the shred bucket and recycling into the recycling bin. I actually recycle so much that the bin goes out to the curb every week, but I only have to take the trash bin out once every two weeks!
Once the mail is sorted, I'm only left with the items I actually have to deal with and resolve. On a weekly basis, that is probably only 2% of the mail I actually receive. Another 20% is magazines. Ah, my magazines. I receive probably ten different subscriptions every month, most of which I receive for free. I have the best intentions of reading them all, but then...life happens.
My goal for the paper monster? Shredding really done on a weekly basis and a reduction in my magazines to an actual readable stack!
How about you?
Love,
Jerri
Monday, February 20, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Frugal Self Care
Taking care of yourself does not have to mean a costly trip to a spa, getting your nails done, or an expensive vacation. To do any of those things, particularly if you already have debt, will only add to your stress, not reduce it.
A few suggestions for frugal self care:
1. Buy a bottle of nail polish in a fun color. Don't get the most expensive brand, a two-dollar bottle will lift your spirits for the day just as well.
2. Head to your local library. Browse the stacks, taking your time. Choose a book on something you've always been interested in learning. Find a seat and peruse your selection. Take your time.
3. Head to the dollar store. Get a candle, lotion, bath crystals, shampoo and/or conditioner, all in the same scent. Find a pretty container and make your own spa basket for under ten dollars. Now go home and actually use it!
4. Be a tourist in your hometown. Wander around your city and enjoy the many free sites every city has to offer.
5. Sleep!!! Take a nap, go to bed early. Too often the easiest self care is the one most ignored. Rest!
Love,
Jerri
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