Looking for a better way to live

A picture to inspire your day!

2009-07-04T18:35:00.001-07:00

This is a small version of a wonderful framed print that I stumbled across in a store the other day.

It is huge - so large that when I put it above my desk in my home-based business, I will feel as though I'm gazing out the window at this magical scene.

It is called "Craig's Hut" and it was specially built on location for the movie "Man From Snowy River". The print I have ordered shows a lot more background - layer upon layer of mountains.

Why do mountains inspire us? Why is it spiritual to be on a mountain? I don't know the answers to these questions but I do know that scenes like this have a wonderful effect on me when I meditate on them. Perhaps it reminds us that we are small in the whole big picture, and that whatever worries us, no matter how bad it may seem at the time, will, in time, pass and the beauty of the world will continue, forever and ever.....

What is the fuzzy index?

2009-04-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Today - fuzzy index from 9 down to 5 (10 total fog, 0 clear)

Today the fuzzy fog began to slowly lift. What is this fog? I don't know, sort of a dull feeling I seem to carry around in my brain. What causes it - could it be toxins in the body, dehydration, depression, stress, tiredness - maybe a little of all of these.

I sat in my special chair and looked out the window at my special tree and just tried to calm my mind for 15 minutes before work started. I work from home, so work was only in the next room. My partner knew I needed quiet and I also turned off the computer speakers, and shut the door to my office. I thought of a quality I needed at the beginning and end of the meditation. That quality was - STRENGTH.

Again, a day where things went more smoothly than usual. I had more patience when dealing with my workmate, and it wasn't a hassle to go and buy food in the afternoon, a task I normally don't enjoy. As I walked up the aisles of fruit and veg I felt grateful for all the work that others had done to make my life so easy.

We cooked dinner cooperatively, and I was offered a glass of wine. Immediately I said "No thanks." - the STRENGTH came into being. I just didn't want to and I felt the fog lift a little more. I felt in control and I reflected about how many creative hours I could capture by not collapsing in front of TV with a glass of wine. Could it be 5 a week - more? That could add up to 300 or more hours a year. Not only that, but on weekends, I might wake up feeling fresh and get more out of those days off, as well.

It's a bit of a change - I do have some time now, about an hour, to work on something I want to do before bed. I have decided I will do something purely for pleasure now. What will it be?
I would like to do a little sewing and then read my new magazine, with a cup of herb tea and honey. That will be nice.

Meditate on this ......

2009-04-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

This is a picture I borrowed from my favourite blog - Zen Habits.

There is so much content on this blog - I really recommend it for anyone who wants to simplify their life, get more out of life and get better organised while feeling healthier and happier.

Meditation is an important part of Leo's life. I would like it to be part of mine too. This morning I started and tried about 10 minutes of quiet breathing and calming. I can honestly say that when things occurred later in the day which would normally leave me frazzled I coped really well with them, and therefore I had much more energy left over. This can be put to better use than feeling stressed or depressed.

Another thing I want to do is eat very healthy and to eliminate alcohol from my life. I feel that I need all the creative time I can get, and there is so much time wasted on social drinking, and getting over the effects of this the next day, not to mention heavy and unhealthy meals. Simply - I just want to feel aware all the time and not numb. If there is pain to be felt I want to feel it, not avoid it. I want to deal with things. I also want to feel the joy and clarity of mind that comes with being creative.

This is a bit of a change from the emphasis on finances - but finances alone won't make you happy. There is much much more to life than just money in the bank. By not drinking I will be a little lonely in my peer group, but I can deal with that. You know, it's a bit sad isn't it that the non drinker might be the odd one out. Maybe one day things might be different. The Positive Revolution - (Edward de Bono) might see things change this way if enough people change their habits. I can be one.

Think positive - it's the New Year!

2009-01-03T19:43:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know that's a spring photo with the peach tree in gorgeous bloom, and depending where you live in the world it's either summer or winter right now, but I was thinking spring.

Spring, because it's the New Year and the chance to begin again with anything you want to change in your life. For me, it's the desire for increased financial security, doing a job I love, and working from home. The garden is one of the best things about being at home. Also, it's the peace and quiet, with not having to commute. There are so many more hours in the day to use creatively when they don't have to go on travel time.

Yesterday we looked at the SWOT of where we are right now. Some of the realities may have seemed painful, but there were positives, too. Today another dose of realism. Let's look at what we need in dollar terms to live and how we have been using those dollars.

Five years ago, for an experiment, I started recording all our personal expenses as well as income using Quickbooks. I had used it before for business purposes, but this did not paint an accurate picture of us, and our home as a business. So, apart from whatever you currently record for the tax man, (in a separate file) start recording all that you spend, and putting it into categories.

If you have a computer, a very basic accounting program (Money, Quickbooks, Quicken) or a basic spreadsheet program (Excel) will do the job. Go for the cheapest, no frills number if you decide to purchase a program. I liked Quickbooks as I already knew how to set up bank accounts in it. I created a list of accounts (simplified for the purpose of illustration) which looked a bit like this:

Bank Accounts
Oz Bank - $560 opening balance
Credit Card - ($2,500) This is a negative balance
Petty Cash - $340
Home Loan - ($85,000)
Interest Free Account - ($1,500)

Then, these accounts were put into a group account entitled "Cash at Bank"
This automatically totals the positive and negative amounts of money to give a final figure.
You may choose to leave the home loan as a separate account, if the added up number looks too depressing. I liked to do it though, as the "bottom line" was what I wanted to see at a glance.

I then set up all our assets in an asset section. This isn't essential, but it made me feel better, to see that although we owed money, we nearly owned a house worth over $400,000 and we had other assets which added up to quite a bit as well. Superannuation went into the assets register as well, because it could not be accessed at this stage.

Then came the expenses and income. Here is a simplified list - make it as detailed as you like.

Income
Partner's Salary
My craft income
Interest Income
Other Income

Expenses
Compulsory (I liked to sort out the essentials from the non-essential or discretionary)
Insurance
Rates
Telephone
Power
Food
Car expenses
Tax deductible expenses
Personal
Cash
Books
Gifts
Travel
Clothing
Hobbies
Home Maintenance
Wine
Pet Expenses
Children's Expenses (Because we are empty nesters, this wasn't in the compulsory category - your chart might be different if you have a different situation)

Once the basic data was set up, it was easy. Each day, enter any bills paid into the account where you paid them from. It could be a credit card payment online for the power bill, for example. Your partner may have had his or her salary paid into the bank account, so enter that into the account. If you went to the auto teller and drew out cash, transfer the cash from the savings account to the petty cash account. Reconcile the bank accounts at the end of the month to match the bank statements. Keep tabs on the credit card balance daily.

The fun part is seeing where all that cash goes. Each day I look at the contents of my purse and match the petty cash balance in the computer to my "actual cash". I often wonder where it has gone and then I remember, oh yes, I bought a lotto ticket on the way home, or, I spent $15 having coffee with a girlfriend. Believe me, it goes! If you can't work out where that $10 has gone, it will usually be on a snack you have purchased, or grocery top-ups such as milk and papers. Just keep balancing and recording your spending and soon it will become a habit.

After doing this for a couple of years, I found some really interesting trends with money use. I also discovered why most budgets (like diets) don't work! The big bills I used to stress over actually were not where the bulk of our money was going. We far outstripped this spending on non-essential items for the house, the garden, hobbies and take-away food. I was a little ashamed to find that I had spent more in one year on the pampered pets than I had on my own (grown up) child! Of course I didn't count the free board and food and use of the car, but nevertheless it was a wee bit embarrassing!

But the best thing was, for the first time in our lives - I actually knew what it cost us to live in this house, with these two cars, two cats, one adult offspring and more than a few expensive habits! By knowing this, I could then plan for us both to be independent of the paid workforce and start to live the life of our dreams! Homebliss!

Read on tomorrow and I will tell you more......

Get happy - work from home!

2009-01-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

Let's face it - there is a lot of uncertainly about at the moment, isn't there? We have just experienced and are still feeling the pain of the current global financial crisis. Many may have lost their jobs or had to postpone their retirement plans.

This blog is dedicated to the over 50's, the baby boomers who have been saying all their lives: "This is not the world we wanted, so we are going to change it! " But how?

My blog is dedicated to those who want to have a great home life, work from or near their home, and possibly never will retire in the normal sense of the word. In other words, our passions and interests are going to sustain us and give us the income we need to continue to enjoy life well into our old age.

Let's explore the options we have, step by step and make some great plans to see us through! Life doesn't have to doom and gloom and we can actively plan and create a great life for ourselves and those close to us for now and in the future.

TODAY'S ACTION PLAN

THE FACTS

Take a pen and paper (or keyboard) and make a quick SWOT analysis of your life at the present moment. SWOT stands for: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Mine reads something like this - yours will be different. Try it - the first act of doing something will make you feel much better and it is the first act of gaining control.

STRENGTHS

reasonably fit and I have good health

great relationship with my partner

kids off our hands now

we own 80% of our house (unfortunately the bank owns the roof, still)

I've got some great craft skills

we used to run a business so we have useful knowledge there

free time - partner has left the workforce somewhat prematurely

I've been working at my "hobby business" for a few years now

WEAKNESSES

had to cash in half our super to reduce debt

insufficient super funds to retire well

ten years off eligible age for pension

little working capital for business venture

too old to re-enter paid workforce - don't want to, either!

OPPORTUNITIES

living in good location to offer service to local community

home based business allowed here

great skills

good existing equipment

know people already - good contacts

learning new skills - eg. Internet selling

THREATS

uncertain times

living costs could outstrip earnings

fear of failure

good health could change

could be more people competing for business

need for our product could decline

Now - look over your list. You will find that by putting some of your worst fears down, they don't seem quite as scary. Don't forget that your greatest resource is not money in the bank, or bricks and mortar - it's YOU! Examine your skills and experience - your head contains a huge amount and you only gained this knowledge from years of living. No one can take that away from you and this resource will remain your greatest asset over the coming years. So, start feeling great about yourself. You deserve to!

BLISS TODAY
Make a list of ten things that make you feel good that you can do today! They don't have to cost anything and you don't have to even leave your home to do them. Here's my list. (I left out a couple of things for privacy reasons.)

Listen to music

Do my craft work

Eat a home grown ripe tomato

Feed the birds in my garden

Pull a few weeds in the garden

Play scrabble with my partner and let him win

Do the crossword

Watch a movie on TV

Rearrange something in the houseStart planning next year's holiday

Now - off you go and do a few of those things - see you tomorrow!