Habits Can Save You Money

(c) FlyLady

In our household only my husband has a steady job (ie, income) so we need to be frugal. I plan out our meals a head of time, make up shopping lists, and pretty well stick to the list. I budget for things we need and want. And, I try to make do with what we have, re-purpose items, and repair what can be repaired.  Any money I make from my part-time job or my artwork goes back into the family or gets us the little treats that make life worth living (books, art supplies, music).

In one of FlyLady's Morning Musings Marla Cilley wrote about how our Habits Can Save You Money. There are some obvious ideas such as "you save by paying your bills on time and not running up your credit cards", but have you considered that "if you did not spend $20 a week on more clutter then you would have saved $1040 a year."? Read Marla's essay. There are five (5) good, strong tips that will help you save money.

FlyLady's Morning Musing: Habits Can Save you Money, by Marla Cilley

No Longer Suffering

First, I apologize for not posting last week. I was having a very hectic week and just did not have the time to write up a post.

This week I want to tell you about FlyLady.

www.FlyLady.net
Marla Cilley is The FlyLady. Since 1999, she has been a mentor
to over half a million women teaching them
how to organize their homes and how to love themselves.

Back in the early 2000s I was suffering from a pretty severe depression. It kept me from doing anything, and the less I did the more depressed I became. I am an artist and had not painted anything in years because I did not feel I deserved to create art if my home/life was such a mess. It was a vicious circle and I was spiraling out of control and towards suicidal feelings.

Then, one day as I was reading Dear Abby online I saw the mention of The FlyLady. I immediately tried to go to her site but so many people were trying to look at her site at the same time that it crashed her server. Still, I decided to try again a few days later and I am glad I did. The words "Are you suffering from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)" were the first words I saw and I was hooked.

The more I read on her site the more I was convinced this woman was spying on my life. I shined my sink and signed up for her email, and started to follow her system.  

Slowly my life started to come together again, and I felt a weight load off my shoulders. My depression started to leave as well. And, FlyLady gave me permission to do my artwork, even if I was not finished de-cluttering and cleaning. I felt like I was born into a new life. My home and life are still not "perfect" but they are a lot better than they were "before FlyLady". 

I picked up Marla's book, Sink Reflections. It, in my mind, describes the system in a more understandable way than does the website, and I would highly recommend picking up a copy. Also, read this post by FlyLady: Suffering Alone. She really describes how many of us are feeling.

I've learned that even doing a little helps. As FlyLady says: "It did not get messy overnight and you can't expect it to get cleaned overnight. Setting a timer for 15 minutes helps you not get distracted. You can do anything for 15 minutes. Baby-steps not perfection. If you don't love it, need it, or use it --> out it goes. Divide your home into zones and work on one zone a week. You can't organize clutter, you can only get rid of clutter."

If you are just getting started with Evernote, I suggest that you buy Brett Kelly’s remarkably practical e-book, Evernote Essentials, Second Edition. It is worth setting aside a couple hours to work through this brief, 95-page book. It will save you DAYS of learning Evernote on your own.

Over the years I have learned to let go of clutter, I have joined a very friendly and extremely active local FlyLady support group and have made some wonderful and supportive friends, I have been actively creating art, I have been involved in my community, and, although I still get depressed at times, it has never been to that horrible low and I no longer get suicidal feelings. In essence, Marla Cilley - The FlyLady, saved my life.

By shining my sink I have regained control over my life, my home is better, my marriage is better, and I'm a better me.

See you next Friday!