What does "lifestyle design" mean to me? Well, it means making a conscious choice every day in everything I choose to do (or not do) to create the life I say I want. So what kind of life do I want? I used to think it was expensive toys, a big house, and a husband. Now I realize being married didn't mean I wouldn't be alone, I worked to pay for toys I never even used, and the big house was lonely and hard to keep clean - where does all the dust come from anyway?
So last year, I got divorced, sold the toys, and got a roommate to fill the house with noise. Although the roommate thing didn't work out so well - the divorce and selling off things I didn't need started me in the right direction.
I figure, on my first day of my challenge, I should take a clear look at where I am now to help me get to where I want to go. Makes sense right? Define Point A and Define Point B.
Official Step 1. Define my Point A
Point A:
My Job: Staff Insurance Adjuster at $60k a year and $2k a month additional doing inspections should I choose.
The Bad: I'm under constant threat of losing my job, high stress, and very unsatisfying as I feel like a mouse on a wheel without acknowledgment or even a single positive word from management. I dread phone calls, emails and meetings.
The Good: The pay and I work from home most of the time.
Finances:
Re-occurring household bills: Mortgage, electricity, water, cable, phone, cell phone, internet, car insurance and housekeeping: $2580 outgoing a month.
Consumer Credit Debt: $24,000 total with minimum payments totaling $700 a month.
Total outgoing: $3280 Total incoming (take home): $3800 (without doing additional work)
Yikes! That only leaves me with $520 a month for food, gas, entertainment, emergency....no wonder I am so stressed out...when I was married, the expenses where shared...footing the bill alone is hard! I am just grateful I can still afford to keep the house!
