SAVE THOSE PRETTY PENNIES

I think one of the most difficult parts about growing up (aside from finding a job and actually becoming a put together adult with real furniture) is saving money. I have never been particularly amazing at it, if I'm being completely honest. If I have it, I'm probably spending it, which is not a good way to live. Especially when you get into situations like needing a car repair or putting down a deposit for an apartment. Eventually, I can't turn to mom and dad every time I need help (but I'm so thankful that they help me when I need it :) )

Luckily, I came across this saving schedule on Carly's blog a few weeks ago and just thought it was the best thing ever, which is why I'm now sharing it with you! How simple - save the number of dollars for every week of the year. And what perfect timing now that it is January 3! I'm sure this gets a little bit more challenging as the weeks go up - saving $50 a week could prove challenging during the holiday season - but I think the overall point is that it's easy to save and that money can add up quickly if you find a system that works for you. 

The great part about this saving schedule is that it can be tailored to suit you. If saving $30-$50 a week seems a little daunting, when you get to week 26, repeat it again, but going backwards so that by Christmastime, you only have to be saving $4, $3, $2, and $1. It won't necessarily bring you $1,378 in savings, but it will be a nice sum ($702 to be exact!) 

This is definitely something I am going to tackle in 2014. Do you all have any great money saving tricks? I would love any and all help!

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TALKIN BOUT A RESOLUTION

First: Sorry for the blog silence - I took a little time off this holiday season to get as much quality time as possible in with my family. It's amazing how the older I get, the more I truly cherish spending time with my parents and siblings. Like, I'm actually hating that I'm in Nashville while everyone else is still home in Champaign. Growing up, I guess?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and safe and happy New Year! I had a great time ringing in 2014 at a party at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Super, super fun, and if you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw a few pictures from the night. Since resolutions are kind of the thing, I thought I would share mine. Nothing super serious, but a few things I'd like to work on in the new year!


1. Be a healthier person. This is something I am really not great at. For someone who was very active growing up, I have become pretty lazy when it comes to exercise. I probably worked out a grand total of 10 times in 2013... which is not okay. It's good for your heart and health to be active, so while I'm not trying to run marathons or do an Ironman, I need to hit the gym. I also want to go to sleep earlier, eat better (not going out so much), and be more self conscious about what goes in my body. Yay!

2. Improve my relationship with God. I'm sad to say this isn't anywhere close to where I would like it to be, and probably hasn't been at it's best since high school when I was active in Younglife and Campaigners. First steps: find a great church I really connect to in Nashville, join a bible study, and read the Bible.

3. Travel. I have incredible wanderlust and huge desire to travel - both within the United States and outside. Since going abroad is a little more expensive, I'm going to focus on saving my pennies for an overseas trip (someday soon, I hope!) and try to travel more in my own backyard. My sister got me the New York Times 36 Hours in the Southeast book for Christmas, and I'm anxious to make a few weekend trips to new cities.

4. Worry less about the future. This is something I struggle with on a daily basis - I'm always thinking about what is next. Time to focus on the present, and pray about the future. Worrying gets nowhere.

5. Continue to improve my blogging. There's a few ideas floating up in my head for 2014. The end of 2013 brought some great inspiration and momentum to the blog for me - and I credit it to some of the blogger connections I've made in Nashville and the comments I get on here from you readers! Thank you so much for following and supporting me and my creative outlet. It's so motivating and inspiring to receive feedback from you all!

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Cheers, 2014! Let's make it the best year yet.


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