Fixin' to Get Ready

Day 16 of 365 Tiny Changes

I went shopping, yesterday.  No, I didn’t go out there with all the mad Christmas shoppers.  I went grocery shopping, instead.

Grocery shopping the day after Thanksgiving is the most pleasant shopping experience.  The shelves are full and there are few other customers to maneuver around.  I totally believe in going where others aren’t, if at all possible.

For me, grocery shopping is a whole process.  First I write up a menu for the week, for both meat eaters and veggie eaters.  I’ve always done this.  I like to cook from cookbooks.  I’ve never bothered to store recipes in my head.  I write out the menu to make sure I have all the ingredients on hand for the meals I intend to cook.  I hate running out to the store at the last minute for that missing onion, or whatever.

My next step is to make a list of everything I need to purchase.

Next I get out the weekly ads.  I determine which store has what I need, and which store has the best sale going.

Next are the coupons.  I match up the coupons to the sale items.  If there are items on my list, that aren’t on sale, I match up coupons for these items, too.  If I have any.

Some people take their whole coupon binder into the store with them.  I don’t do this.  I leave my binder in the car.  I have a smaller binder of just the coupons I plan to use, that does go with me into the store.  I want to make sure that I keep to my list.  If I discover an off list sale that I just can’t go without, I can always run out to the car for the extra coupons.  That’s the test of whether I really need it or not.  Am I willing to go back in to get it?  Usually not.

Yesterday, I went to 2 stores to get everything on my list.  Sometimes I’ll go to three or more, but it wasn’t necessary, yesterday.

With the exception of the fresh produce, and some meat, that I will need to replace, I shopped for the whole month. 

So how did I do?  At the first store I saved 45%.  The second 27%.  A total savings of 35% based on total money spent.  Not bad.  I bought $600 worth of groceries for $400.

My goal is to save 45-50% every time.  I’m not there, yet.  The reason is that I sometimes need to purchase things that aren’t on sale, or I don’t have a coupon for.  I’m not totally prepared for all of the things I need to purchase, yet.

Just because I’m not prepared to be able to purchase every item I need at a discount, doesn’t mean I’m going to wait to purchase ANY items at a discount.  I’m going to go out and do the shopping the best that I can, with the supplies that I have.

I wonder how many things I’ve put off beginning, because I’m not 100% totally prepared for it?  How much time have I wasted “fixin’ to get ready”, to begin a new direction in my life. 

Now I’m not talking about new projects.  I have way too many of those started.   I’m talking about the big life changes, like starting a new business, or finding a more fulfilling job, or traveling the world. 

I’m talking about finding a way to lead a more fulfilling life, by not getting stuck in the mire of, “Well, I’ll do it when...”, and the when never comes.

If I had waited to be perfectly prepared to go shopping, yesterday, I would have spent $200 more than I did.  So it wasn’t a perfect shopping trip, but it put food in the house for less than I normally to spend, for the next month, which was the real goal.

I have chosen to take a year to realign my life.  To wade through the bog of less than perfect self caring, unfinished projects, and self limiting habits and beliefs.  My “when” is 349 days away.  Each hour, each minute, brings it closer.

I am not “fixin’ to get ready”, for a new way for living.  I am getting ready for a new way of living.

So what am I missing?  I don’t know, yet.  Up to this point I have committed to make changes in sort of a random, what ever hits me today, kind of way.  It's probably a better idea to take a look at my life by breaking it down into areas. 

How about I break it down into relationships, work, health, and creative/mental?  Perhaps, if I take the time to review each of these areas of my life, I will be able to determine the specific changes needed, instead of just stabbing in the dark.

Tiny Change 16:  Step back and make a living plan of the larger changes needed in the specific areas of my life, to better able myself to determine and make the proper tiny changes.

This change is a little bigger than normal, but I feel it will help me scribe a better map to where I want to be at the end of the year.

I welcome any input or feedback you may have. 

Best Regards,

Linda