FlyLady Control Journal: OneNote lesson 1

I've done my Flylady Babysteps, but really, I haven't been doing as well as I could.  I am fluttering, just not flying!  I thought I would re-invigorate my passion by starting my control journal, and just to make it interesting, starting it in OneNote!  I'll do a series of lessons, which are actually just "This is what I did" blog posts, on how to use OneNote as a Control Journal.  It will be a shared learning experience - comments and suggestions are always welcome!

First we need to Start a new notebook.

When you start Notebook you will open into a default notebook.  Click on the down arrow next to the name of the notebook (to the right of "Control Journal" though it will be named something else as your default notebook) and it will open a drop down list - the top option is to add a notebook.

So you go through the motions of the set-up - make sure you save to either Skydrive or Dropbox if you want access at other locations or on your smart-devices.  I use Dropbox but Windows 8.1 makes it really inconvenient to set-up - you have to go hunting for it!

Next we will do a basic Inbox set-up. 

I love using an Inbox for each of my Notepads as it just makes it so easy to send stuff to each one.

So what is an Inbox and why use it?  Just like on your desk, an inbox lets you put stuff somewhere until you have time to get around to processing it.  By setting up an Inbox tab, it's like have a folder slip in the front of your notepad to keep post-its, notes, receipts, cut outs from magazines etc that you collect through out the day, and get then decide where to put them later when you have time.

This is great for cutting back on clutter, and for while your setting up your Control Journal and might not have a place for everything yet!  Everything that goes into the inbox needs to be either deleted or put somewhere - so it's kind of like de-cluttering before it gets into your Control Journal!

 

**Disclaimer: the Inbox tab wasn't my original idea - I was reading up on a productivity technique called "Getting things Done" and came across a few tutorials on how to set up OneNote using those concepts.

 

So lets get to it!

 

Change the title of your first Tab to Inbox (I've already done it in the picture up above.  You can delete the other stuff on the page though you may want to read it first if you are new to OneNote!

Now we are going to go into the "File" tab - the big purple one at the top left!  Go down and click on options.  You can change some of these if you like - I changed my font in general to New Times Roman 12pt, changed my display around so my page list is on the left, and I recommend just having a look through all the options to make sure they suit you.  Try a few things out and see what happens!

 

The big deal here though, is the 'Send to OneNote" section!

I have my Inbox set up in a Notebook called 'getting things done' - it is my entry Notebook and I use it to process any 'incoming' information. Anything I send to OneNote goes to that Notebook - and in particular - the Inbox.  I do this because I use OneNote primarily for processing my information at work.  I may end up changing this so that it asks where to send to it on my home computer so I have more options at home! (But work is work!)

So click on 'Send to OneNote' and take a look.  This is what mine looks like:

Yours will most likely have something different!  Just click on the little arrow down for each one and select 'set default location…'.  You will then have a box come up with a directory of your notebook (very pretty too I might add!).  Choose the Tab you labelled Inbox for your Control Journal Notebook.  Remember to do this for each of the items!  This gives a quick idea of just how many ways you can quickly and easily send information to OneNote!

Now anything you see on the web, or emails or anything really you can use the little OneNote add-on button (you'll see it on your browser tab, in Word, Excel, Outlook - by right clicking, or even printing to OneNote!) - and send it to this Inbox page!

 

Setting up our "Control Journal Project"

Here is the fun part!  We will use this tool to quickly and easily create a Journal page for making our Control Journal so we don't have to try and find the webpages each time.

 

So let's head to the Flylady Control Journal Webpage.  Can you see the OneNote add-on in your tool bar?  A purple cube with the letter N and an arrow underneath?  That is your 'Send to OneNote' button.  Hit that button.  If all goes well, your OneNote program will leap to the top of your screen and you will see a new page in your Notebook!  Now, click back to the webpage, hit the link for the first step and when that page opens up, hit that 'send to OneNote' button again, back to the webpage, hit the 'next step' link, send to OneNote - and yes, you need to keep repeating until you have all 15 pages! 

If someone is adventurous and tech savvy they might see if there is a way to select all 15 steps (with their links) on the Control Journal page and "send all target links to OneNote" at once!

If you are just starting out you can do this for the 31 Baby Steps as well.

Once that is done I want you go to the second Tab, the one next to Online, and call it Control Journal Lessons or something along those lines. 

Next head back to your inbox and check out those 15 pages of Control Journal lessons sitting there!  Isn't is amazing that you can get that much info at your fingertips so easily!  Now we want to move all these pages into the right section - EASY!  Click on the top one to highlight it then move your mouse to hover over the last one, hold shift down while you left click to select them all.  Now right click on the list (or Ctrl+Alt+M) and select 'Move or Copy..'., select the right tab from the list and hit Okay!

Go to the Control Journal tab and check out your handiwork! 

But.. I hear you say - there is a whole bunch of webpagey stuff on there and its just not very pretty!!  I say go for it.. make it pretty, edit it, add to it, play with it.  Make notes, draw on it - use every feature you can find and have some fun!  You can even re-name the pages so you don't have see "Control Journal" 15 times in a row!  Get it pretty, but most importantly "Brainstorm"!  Get all your ideas out of your head - set your timer for 15mins and spend some time on each page jotting down thoughts about how you envisage that part of your control journal - do you need it, have you got other ideas of what could work, where might you find some information, is there anything you might want to do now to get ready for it?  And most of all HAVE FUN!

 

I did a basic clean up and this is what I had before my brainstorm!

 

 

 

If you are up for it, go do the same for those Babystep lessons!

 

If you are an Outlook user as well... Go to the first step page.. Highlight the heading text and right click, selecting the flag in the top right corner of the edit box that pops up.  This flags the item as a task.  If you go to Outlook you can add a reminder to the task at a certain time, or throw it into your calendar - which ever way best works for you to remember to get back into it. I'll be explaining this in more detail as I go.  I'm really enjoying Outlook and OneNote as a productivity team and they should work well with Flylady!

I hope this gives you some idea of how powerful the OneNote software is and how it can really simplify things and help cut back on clutter!

I will link to the next lesson here once it is done!

Quitting: Day three and Four!

I've got a 24 hr delay thing happening with my posts thanks to a dodgy internet connection on my iPad but let's hope I have it working now!

So Day three was surprisingly easy.  I had a few moments but that constant edginess of the first 24hrs was gone completely.. Until bedtime!  I used Valium to sleep again but woke up quite early feeling great!

Day four was even better with no cravings at all really... Just a general feeling do missing something.  It's all head work from here on out so it's time to put away the food!  Lol. Yes, I've been a little snacky at night!

My reading tells me it can be a while before my brain chemistry adjusts to the changes, 3-4 weeks apparently but I'm ready.  I know my excuses and weaknesses and have my answers and rebuttles to make sure I win!  

I'm an ex smoker.. Time to start living again!

Quitting: Day 2

I've made it 24hrs and I tell ya, no where near as bad as I thought.

I'm a bit antsy, teeth grindy, and a bit over expressive with a tendency toward utter fatigue!  That of course makes perfect sense.  NOT!  Nothing like bit of contridiction! I did get sleep last night but also had a Valium and was waking from 4am onwards!

My sore throat and allergies from the weekend have cleared up and the stinky smell is all gone.  I still have a slight yuk taste in my mouth but it's getting better.

Things that have helped so far... Breathing techniques have come in handy, just to take off the edge, and I am very glad I haven't had too much caffeine either - just one coffee this morning and I've had a few mouthfuls of tea this afternoon.  Water was great this morning, but I've resorted to M&Ms right now!  Lol Both seem to give my mouth something to do to relieve the aggravation.  I've kept up my food, including some fruit juice to try and keep my blood sugar as stable as possible ( these M&Ms won't help but hey, they are yummy!).

I think the funniest thing is the psychological game I'm playing with hubby...  I've been dancing round acting like I'm completely normal, saying patches are for pussies and bragging that I've quit and it's so easy - and he is convinced I've got a packet stashed somewhere!  It's keeping him motivated because he wants to 'win' and by pretending to be all blasé and cool about quitting, I'm believing it which is making it 100% easier!

Negatives... I'm still battling occasionally with the 'but I want to smoke' thoughts every now and then.  I'm beginning to see through them as my brain trying to rationalise the need to relieve the tension it feels.  I'm hoping this feeling starts to ease now.  I am dreading that it might get worse!  I'm sure I've read Day 3 is the worst but I guess I still have 24hrs before I hit that!  

Looking forward to moving on and doing my budget without any smokes to buy!

Quitting: Day 1

I've just run out of smokes and don't have the money to buy more.  Well, I do, but not without breaking my budget - more then it already has been broken.

So that's it.  Two hours in and I'm already hitting the 'want a smoke' stage - a general agitation, tightness of the chest, metallic taste in my mouth type feeling.

The reason I want to smoke... To relieve that agitation and physical symptoms created by the last cigarette, and my perception that it somehow evokes relaxation.

The reason I don't want to smoke... It's damn expensive, can't afford it, tastes like shit, smoke gets into my eyes, it takes over my thoughts, reduces concentration and focus, makes my finger nails yellow and my hair yucky, I feel greasy smelly and dirty, sucks up all my time, keeps me up all night, ruins my lungs making running hard, I use it as an excuse to not exercise, and then there are the health risks as well.

Seems like a no-brainer right?  But fear is a strong motivator and it's amazing the lengths one will go to to avoid the discomfit of even the mild anxiety of nicotine withdrawels.

Roadblocks...

I have lots of excuses to use as roadblocks.  Stress, visiting family, spouse smoking, etc.  right now is as good a time as any... No money to buy smokes, husband has patches to quit (which I can fall back on if needed), I have some Valium on prescription for anxiety if it gets too much, and the weather is cold and wet or stinking bloody hot - both good reasons to not go outside for a smoke!

Things to help...

I have to acknowledge that there will be times when I get overwhelmed with the 'need' to smoke, when my mind starts trying to play tricks on me.  When I start trying to manipulate my husband into buying smokes, when I think about sneaking out for just one.. knowing it will happen and recognising it for what it is makes it harder to deceive myself.

For physical symptoms:

*Ensuring I eat properly and stay hydrated will help with 'hunger' type feelings and stop me ballooning in weight.

*Cutting out the coffee will help reduce agitation - nicotine dulls the effects of caffeine so you can become more sensitive to it.

*Eat fruit for snacks, or drink juice to maintain blood sugar levels.  Nicotine affects your blood sugar levels so you can experience sugar crashes along with cravings!  This is apparently why people gain weight when quitting (along with the whole oral fixation thing!).

*breathing exercises can help replace the process of smoking - three deep slow breathes with a hold before releasing can mimic the supposed relaxation response.

*distraction is always good - exercise, Candy Crush, housework, a shower, brush teeth, chew gum, watch a movie, go shopping (anywhere non-smoking), even making a phone call.  The less the act is associated with smoking the better, the places you can't smoke (or buy them) are better still.  

*boredom is my biggest enemy so I need to balance distraction and activity with a steady input of relaxation as well.

*and my last resort will be the Valium.  I've quit smoking before without nicotine replacements but I found it so hard to sleep, and then fatigued the next day, and fearful of another bad nights sleep I caved at the next opportunity.

I believe I am prepared.  I'm feeling great, but thinking I might brush my teeth.  I've downed a good litre of water and feeling a bit sleepy.

Budgeting Baby Steps: Adaptation

While not a Baby Step in itself, adaptation is a key factor in the success of your budget. Not only in adapting to inflatation, errors in estimations, unexpected blow outs on certain bills (no, kids YouTube is not free on the mobile phone!), but also for its application in real life.

Only a week in and I am ready to make some changes!

From BabyStep 1, where I learnt to manage my everyday living through a Cash Envelope Budget, I've already seen ways to simplify this.  The Speech therapy issue has been nagging me, I hate having that cash there for a month, and now that I will have to rely on Medicare rebates after paying the full amount, it just seems easier to go to EFTPOS to do this - that way the rebate can be deposited into the same place as the payment came out without affecting my cash flow.  So speech is now part of my Bills Account. 

From BabyStep 2, I mentioned that getting the Bills account to balance after the big bills is the hardest part and even with the complex spreadsheeting I wasn't really confident with my Cashflow.  This account I would eventually like to running a month in advance but I've been ignoring one glaringly obvious glitch in the system.  While most of my bills are monthly, a couple are fortnightly, and a few are quarterly.  I will no doubt end up with some yearly ones in there too.  The thing is, I'm trying to meld three different time zones into the one account.  I want to keep it simple, but I do need to find some way, at least until I get a full quarter saving for each of my quarterly bills, to account for the fact that while a bill may be quarterly, I only have a few weeks to save for it!  I think the simplest way to do that is to just go back to where I calculated the monthly and fortnightly amounts for my bills and re-do my quarterlys to reflect the time left to pay them, rather then the full quarter.  It means I will have to readjust  when I pay the next bill for each of them but it's hardly a drama.

I think I am beginning to understand that my Babysteps are going to become a repeating system of checks on my budget to manage and improve my finances.  Well, at least the first few which focus on the budget!

I'm also really becoming acutely aware that I need to quickly implement a savings aspect to my budget.  DH announced we need a new Frypan, DS1 requires non-subsidised medicine, and Mum invited us down for a weekend.  Not to mention birthdays coming up, and my anniversery, and Christmas.  And to top it all off, the Dryer started pouring out smoke!  So yes, a savings account is next on the plan!

UPDATE:  I went ahead with implementing these changes but when I put pen to paper (or mouse to spreadsheet in this case), it just didn't work.  I've decided to total my Cashflow at the end of each pay period (a running total would be better but too much hassle and too messy to put in) or before each transfer into the account.  That way I can check for any negative balances.  Electricity is my biggest bill and is at the end of the three month budget so that should work out.  It's not perfect, but it will work out!

Day 19 & 20: Slowing Down!

  I'm losing momentum a little here, but I am confident the basics are there and it is purely a sense of perfectionism that is telling me I'm not keeping up!  Keeping up with what?  No-one said the 31 Babysteps HAD to be done consecutively, or that I even had to blog everyday about it.  I'm moving toward my goal, and the slower the better!  The better I build this foundation the stronger it will be!

DAY 19

I've been making my bed each morning, decluttered a little in my closet, and for Day 19 we got to read one of the classic Flaylady emails... The one about staying in a gorgeous sounding B&B, which is, of course, their home.  I guess the premise is that housework isn't so much a chore, but an opportunity to pamper yourself with a freshly made bed, or your family with a set table and home cooked meal and fun planned weekend instead the mad rush cleaning catch up session which always seems to involve yelling at someone!  Who would think of a chore as a way to spoil yourself?  But seriously, nothing beats a made bed with a sprinkle of talc between the sheets and some fluffed up pillows!  And I do love being my own cleaning fairy so I wake up to a clean kitchen so I can make lunches and cook breakfast!

I guess it all comes down to attitude, and while I'm not quite at the 'Blessing my family" stage, I am willing to acknowledge that life is easier and better for everyone (including myself) when I do just a few basic bits of housework and take a little pride in my work!

DAY 20

It's time to add laundry to the routine, in the morning and at night.  I like how my dishwasher works, with turning it on in at night and emptying in the morning, but with the washing machine I'm going to attempt to fill it each night, get Dave to turn it on when he wakes up, and then hang it out just before I take the kids to school.  Then I can bring in, fold and put away (or iron) in the afternoon.  Perfectionism aside, I just need to check on my laundry morning and night and make sure something is happening with it.  I randomly have to wash sheets too which could easily throw off any attempt at perfection!

It's kind of coincidental that the dryer chose this week to blow up - well, it didn't blow up, it started smoking.  DH and myself pulled the back off and de-fluffed it and it ran okay without clothes, but I think I will leave it outside for now and maybe even get rid of it.  A dryer isn't a necessity at the moment and it's not worth the repair money for a poorly designed one that blows fluff everywhere!

I also think its time to de-clutter my routine.  I'm not sure if I like using an app even, I can't quite pin down what it is, but my routines are getting automatic and having to tick off a checklist is more annoying then helpful.  But that might be ego thinking I'm better then the system!  Anyway, I need to update my routines with laundry check so I might write a copy of it on a post it note to stick around the house.

Day 18: The 11 Commandments

My sink is still shiny!  Okay, so there is a little bit of a photoshop effect helping it along, but doesn't it looked look blessed by angels?  It really captures just how much that shiney sink has blessed me!

Even in my worst week (yes, the ladies know what I'm talking about!) I have still managed to get through with a positive spin on everyday.

DH is helping. He cooks most nights anyway, but because the kitchen is clean when he starts, the job is that much easier.  I've also been helping out with chopping veggies, and even taking over once or twice a week.  He's been washing up the stuff that doesn't fit in the dishwasher on the days that I don't do it!  I often come out to do it to find it's already done!  That way the dishes are dry by the time I'm ready to shine my sink!

Once again I skipped the 'get out clothes ready for tomorrow' because it was too much of a task to find anything in my hideous mess of a closet!  I really felt it this morning as I had to tackle that hideous mess in my pre-coffee haze! Same excuse again tonight so I guess it is time to tackle the folding and putting away of the laundry.  I have inadvertently jumped ahead and have automatically been doing the load-a-day thing.. Not perfectly, but we go through so much washing here I kind of have to!

Oh yeah, the new thing for today was to check out the 11 commandments.  (I will link that eventually!) which are kinda right on the money! I guess I need to start a real life Control Journal - maybe using that huge pile of folders and stationary I found, so I can start collating some of these things!  The Morning Musings (often repeated) are usually good, but a few really resonate with me and I'd like to have them around!

Last item today on my routine is to go to bed at a reasonable hour.. It's nearly 10pm so I'd better tune into my meditation and go to sleep!

Sweet dreams!

Day 16 & 17: Definitely NOT Perfect

I have a swollen lump on the back of my head, probably a lymph node as I didn't hit my head that I can remember!  I've a mild headache over the weekend and a major case of CBFed. I haven't blogged my Flylady Babysteps in three days but I learnt a few things in that time..

1. Some of my habits are now ingrained.. Shining my sink and emptying my dishwasher in the morning!  The 'get dressed to your shoes' is getting there, but a little later in my routine on the weekend - coffee first!  The HotSpot thing is working for me too, because it is linked to my sink (as my hotspots at the moment are places where dirty dishes seems to collect! ).  Decluttering sort of happened in that I gave myself an extra job to do, no timer though, and the 5min room rescue was forgotten.  Getting my clothes out seems to be the first thing to go.. And I know why!  My closet is a disaster!

2.  I don't have to do things perfectly.  I was stressing about getting blogs perfect - triple checking the fly baby web site to make sure I doing it properly.  On Friday I figured I wouldn't blog because it wouldn't be perfect - I had made my bed and done my routine - I was just tired.  So I am giving my permission to join days, even if they aren't on the weekend!

3.  I can take a day off!  That's right, I can totally skip a day of Flylady Babysteps (are add an extra depending on how you look at it!).  I can even skip a few days blogging and allow myself time to get a habit ingrained if I am having trouble with it.  New stuff is only introduced into the every few days anyways... We are meant to give it time and an extra day isn't going to de-rail me!  So what if my 31 days of BabySteps turns into 37days?  Or even 51 days!

I feel better with that out of my system!

As I said, the one thing I am struggling with is getting my clothes out ready for the next day - partly because DH goes to bed promptly at 8:30pm, and party because my clothes are in baskets, suitcases, and in piles on the floor - the result of a combined 'organising clutter' session, seasonal change, and going away for a weekend.  Conveniently, I noticed this weeks zone is the Master Bedroom so I have no excuse not to start hitting this room!

My 15mins will be spent throwing my clean clothes into baskets/suitcases/closet - anywhere but on the floor, and to start a 'a give away' pile and a 'too small but keep' pile ( I'm not ready to let go yet!).  Whatever I get done in 15mins is enough!

My 5 min room rescue will be clearing the floors of dirty laundry and rubbish so I can vacuum.

That is it - nothing more, nothing less!

My bed is already made, a habit we added last week, and today's new habit is to go to bed at a reasonable time... See, perfectly aligned with the zones!  A clean bedroom and made up bed will make the sleep thing a lot easier!

As for sleep, I'm usually pretty bad at it and the nicotine patches aren't helping.  I want to be asleep by 10:30 so it's everything off and resting by 10pm.  I've set my alarm for a 6:30 wake-up so that is 8hrs sleep and hopefully a little more as I get into routine!  I've get some sleep supplements (magnesium based), a meditation on my phone, and an alarm set to start getting ready for bed!  I'm looking forward to catching some zzzzs!

Budgeting Baby step 2: Taking control!

For the last two weeks, I've worked on controlling my direct spending.  A working cash budget is the shiney sink of my finances and it has given me some control!  I have a starting point!

I had some spare time today, a few hours, so I hit the next part of budget... The Bills!

BabyStep 2: Get Current!

This was a three pronged project for me - my bills are set up in two categories, one for our rental property, and one for household bills, and the final part was putting it together into a total budget.  I also did the whole spreadsheet thing just for fun - and really, some kind of accounting software or excel budgeting sheet is really very helpful!

The basic idea is to have an account for the e- based bill payments only, this should be all your non-cash payments aside form credit cards and savings account transfers (even payments into super or mutual funds can go into the Bills Account).  I've used the account our Family Tax gets paid into, and then I can transfer the extra amount from DHs wage. I've tried to go with what requires the minimum amount of change as it is quite the task to open a new account and change the account details for all our direct debits.  My main goal here was a separate Bills Account as an 'envelope', so we now have a two envelopes: Cash and Bills.

I listed the bills we pay through the bank, from rent to insurance to mobile phones... The lot!  I had to check my bank account for the amounts for set monthly bills and used my previous bills to estimate the variable ones. Adding them all up, I worked out the total fortnightly amount I need to cover my bills.

Here comes the spreadsheet madness:  I did a cash flow from now until December, and another from January to June next year.  This was tedious and time consuming but will allow me to track my spending against my budget so I can make sure I have the money in the account to cover the bills in real time (and remember I did this for both my rental house bills and household bills!).

The hard part is this first couple of months - to get the account working in balance.  There is one or two months out of the 6mth cycle when the large bills come out, and if the account isn't in balance, you get a negative monthly total for those months.  Because I've started with overdue bills, and big bills about to hit, every month was out of balance!  I found the largest negative month and saw the big bill came out of the first pay period so I worked out the total balance at the end of that pay period.. And that was my starting amount for getting the account in balance.  I randomly added it at the start of the budget and made sure I no longer had any negative balances!  I made a payment plan for one of my overdue bills to help with cash flow the first few weeks as well.

The final stage is putting it all together.  As other sources of income are accounted for under either bills (family tax gets paid directly to bills account), or the rental bills (rental income gets paid directly to that account), that leaves DHs wage, deposited into his personal account, as the only other regular income.  It certainly helps to have your bank accounts working for your budget!  I need to plan how that money is being spent and make sure the right amounts go to the right places!  Yes, I am telling my money what to do, not the other way around!

Thanks to my accounts/ envelopes, that's pretty easy: Cash; Bills; Rental Bills; Credit Card Payments.

I'm not counting the credit Card Payments as an envelope yet, but we do have to account for them to work out our 'excess'.  My total minimum payments are $225 a month (we paid cash for our car due to receiving an inheritance) - I am very grateful to be sorting this out out now, before it gets worse!

I know, there is no savings!  Not yet, anyway!  Our main focus is to get current!  Minimum payments on the credit cards and no savings until the bills account is current.  I did up a cash flow for this account until the end of the year, and for the first six months of next year.

Based on DHs estimated income we have money left over after minimum payments on everything.  All those excess funds will be diverted into the Bills Account until it is up to date, which should only take us a month!  Using the amount I calculated I needed to get my bills account in balance, I increased the amount transferred for the correct number of payments.. Only one will require the full excess amount, the second only requires about half of it!

I will still have to check the cash flow in the bills account each pay period until I know it's working well, then a monthly check to see if bills were above or below budget is all that is required.  

action plan...

I will need to cancel the current credit card payments and switch them to monthly minimum payments.  I can set these up before hand and modify the amounts on the day.  I have most bills set on direct debit but will check all of them, there are two I will have to change the account numbers for, and then make note of the big bills that I will have to set the payment up for as they come in.

For the next two pay periods I will adjust the income in DHs Pay Account and work out the maximum amount I can transfer to the Bills Account until we are 'current' and I can set up a regular amount.  And then do the same for my Rental Bills Account.  It should take a maximum of six weeks!

Issues...

During this process I noticed that some of bills were probably excessive!  Although we had 'excess' after Cash, Bills, Rental Bills, and Credit Card payments were made, it wasn't a spectacular amount and I suspect that when I try to add in even short term savings, we will go over budget.  I am sure that there are many who would find themselves over budget at this stage just from credit card debt!

Options for making your budget fit:

1. Cut your expenses!

As it will take a while to 'get current', I will help the process along by setting aside some time each week to cut something from the budget.  We're already watching the electricity usage, and I've increased the excess on the insurance (some of our details were also incorrect and resulted in a lower monthly premium once they were corrected as well) so those payments are down as well.

2. Increase your income!

I'm applying for a a scholarship for next year and will take on casual work when I can, and DH is always picking up overtime when he can!  Our income is getting larger, beyond just indexed growth, and once I get my PhD my earning potential increases even more!

3. Sell something!

The advice I most often see is 'sell the second car'... This is great if you have a second car with a loan on it.. selling will cut your expenses and, if you're lucky, give you a little cash!  We are already pretty thin when it comes to possessions, but I am planning on a garage sale/give-away to help de-clutter!  It won't add much to the budget but it will give me piece of mind and less stuff to look after!

Summary...

That was a very long winded way of saying 'consolidate your bills into one account, work out how much you need to cover the bills each pay period, and pay extra until your up-to-date!'.  It was important to mention that up-to-date also means having enough extra in the account so that you can cover the big yearly (or in my case, half yearly) bills with just your regular payment amount!

Notes..

This post may never end!  At this stage, I haven't included any lump sum payments, like Tax Returns, School Kids Bonus, etc into the budget.  As these payments tend to be variable, sometimes disappear, or rules are changed, and because they are not 'regular income', I've decided to use these as bonus' to add to savings or pay off debts as they come around.

Budgeting Baby step 1: It's not about the money...

Yes it is!

I hate budgeting.  I loathe it even.

I am very good at budgeting.. I plan and create budgets all the time, and forget about them just as easily!

What I need is a system, like Babysteps, to get my money to work for me!

I've mentioned before that my first goal is to get current.  In order to do that, I first need a working cash plan.

Babystep 1:  Deal with the cash issue.  

Those weekly things that add up so quickly - groceries, petrol, pocket money, takeout, gifts for birthday parties, a trip to the pool, something for the garden, etc, etc.  I decided to go cash for these.. DH prefers cash and after a few years of trying to add up 50 plus transactions on a bank statement each fortnight, I am ready to simplify!

We've gone with an envelope (or bucket) system and a small photo album, along with an app for the iPhone, and it is working out well.  DH is adjusting to keeping the receipts and I'm adjusting to entering them into the app and tossing them!  I'm making a few changes this pay week to help make it run smoothly.

Be prepared to change category names and amounts while you adapt, and be prepared to suddenly be aware of expenses you never knew you had - like $15 to take green waste to the tip - which seem rediculously expensive!

I find keeping track of my cash is like shining my sink - it keeps my head in the game and provides a base to start working out the rest!  There is no point budgeting everything else if you keep over spending on the small stuff!  Get these small things under control, and the rest is easy!

How much to allow?

We've allowed a little less then our 'average' spend over the last few months to begin with.  We will reduce costs and at least keep it the same, if not reduce it, as we tighten up in other areas as well.  If you are setting up a similar system, don't try and be a hero! Your budget needs to work with where you are now!

The other option is to work out how much you have left after everything else and work from there.  I didn't do that because the 'everything else' is variable as well, and, quite simply, my immediate lifestyle is going to impact me more then how much I can spend on clothes!  Of course you need to make sure you have enough for the rest of your budget, but for me, it is more important to just get it under control rather then start out with a 'perfect' budget!  Babysteps work for a reason.. Small changes, over time, make a huge difference - Huge changes generally lead to failure.

Issues?

One issue with cash is that electronic purchases aren't covered, iTunes, PayPal, and Amazon all come under this category.  For now, I'm thinking I can mange these under 'Bills' which looks like it will be the bucket for anything that I pay out electronically.

Of course there is also the concern of being a target for theft.  We only carry what we need, except for the five minutes from the ATM to home, and we have a lock box for what is at home.  At the moment, the risk of us robbing ourselves is higher!

The Action Plan...

DH wakes early so on his pay day he goes to the bank and withdraws our chosen amount and it then gets divied up into 'envelopes'.  I'm thinking of ditching the physical envelopes and keeping track only through the app.  As I spend money, I enter it into the app and assign it to an envelope, 30secs tops, and at night I go over what DH has spent.  Ultimate goal is for him to enter it himself!  On Sundays I count how much we have to make sure it's all accounted for (the app keeps a running total to check against).  At the end of the pay period, all the change goes into the secret kitty jar, except for the speech therapy which varies each fortnight.  As we don't have speech on holidays, that also becomes our extra holiday spending money during school breaks!

After two weeks on this system, I am confident it is going to work for us long term - it's flexible, suits our spending habits, and is low maintenance!

Day 15: blah!

Yup, "Blah!" about covers it!

It is time for bed... My sink is shining!

I didn't do my room rescue or declutter, and I didn't get my clothes out for tomorrow (DH is asleep and I don't want to wake him).

HotSpots I cover each day.. The 'basket', the computer table, bedside tables and occasionally the lounge suite (the covers and pillows need fixing up each night).  I'm going to see if I can recruit DH to do his chair outside where he sits for a smoke - the table attracts coffee cups, dirty ashtrays, beer bottles and the like!  And DS1 has started to clear dishes from his room about the time I wash up which is great!  We are getting there!  

Time for me to go to sleep.. So tired!

Day 14: Making Progress

To help with 'guidance' (because I really don't do well with too many choices), I'm using the Kelly Missions for my 5min Room Rescue!  I wiped down the front of my bathroom vanity this morning, and then tonight I spent a couple of minutes clearing off the top of it!  Still need to shine that sink though!

 I didn't get to the Decluttering though I think clearing the vanity top may count as I threw away a LOT! I still don't know why I have 5 tubes of toothpaste though!

Today's Babystep was to read about the calendar and using it to stay prepared for the week ahead.  A desk day where you look ahead and make sure you have everything you need for the next week ready - no surprises!  I'm not spending money on one for the few months left, but I might print something out or use the whiteboard.  I will check out my options for next year though!  I'm not really busy - as in running around for appointments and after school activities - but I plan to be.  Once I have some money coming in I would love to get some stuff going for the kids, eye checks, dentist, hairdresser appointments for me (proper ones where I get my hair coloured even!).  I shall get the system in place now so it works for me by the time I really need it!

That shall do now!  I'm all ready for the morning!

Day 13: Lucky for some!

The paper clutter has been cut in half already!  The best part is that because I'm only doing a bit at a time, I am able to deal with the 'keep' pile in a more orderly manner.  As an example, I found DS1s teen dental. Medicare check today, which expires at the end of this year.  If I was doing my usual 'all-day sort out mission' it would end up on top of a large to-do heap... The very same heap I cleared today 6mths after my last attempt.  But because I'm doing a bit at a time, the only 'to-do' I have is book the dentist appointment and pop some stuff in the filing for tax time.  Easy peasey!  

I've so far sent two bags of magazines to donation, and one large garbage bag of last years school books, and another of stuff from DH's croupier training he did 18 yrs ago, into the bin!  I have a box of folders and various files and slips so I don't need to get anymore soon. I do think some may be bin worthy but I will give them a try first!

Oh, Kelly's mission was the extra task on the Flylady page today.  I wiped the doors, alcatraves, switches and handles in the bathroom.  Then I hit the loo for a 5min room rescue.. Way too many old paper rolls scattered on the floor!  And we won't mention the underwear stuffed behind the door.. Kids!

My perfectionism is a bit miffed that the 5min room rescue and 15min Decluttering are on the morning routine when I do them when the kids get home school!  But I'm sure I will get over it!

Day 12: Keep on keeping on!

Mondays suck!

I never got to the Decluttering, but I did the ironing (school clothes) as my 5min Room Rescue, and the 2 min Hotspot clen in the evening turned into a 15min rescue clean of the kids computer table!  No more water ice blocks for them until they understand the concept of putting the wrappers in the bin!

Otherwise it was fantastic!  All my routines done, and today's extra task, which was deleting any Flylady emails, is already under control - I read and delete once or twice a day!

Tomorrow is a Kelly Mission, and we learn about zones.  I had already set up zones in my house, but I think I will go back to the basic Flylady ones until I get things under control again!

I am participating in a Photo-A-Day group this month and today's theme was "favourite space".  I chose a spot on my front verandah - it's the only really 'homey' spot in the house and it's where I go to relax.  It's giving me 'have a smoke' vibes but I'm working through them (yup, still smoke free and loving it!).  I want my home to be full of spots like this!

Hotspots:  My original Hotspot (basket on the breakfast bench) is in maintenance mode, 10 seconds max. to clean it up.  My bedside table is sometimes a hotspot, particularly on the weekend.  But I struggled with the other household hotspots, because they are not 'mine'.  The kids computer table, my sons bed, my husbands bedside table and the table out back where he smokes.. I feel kinda resentful of having to clean those.  

I did the kids computer table tonight.. I figure its one way to show my kids love, but I also feel I need to teach them to do it themselves as well.  I'm going to work on that.. Maybe get them to clean it up whenever they hop off, then I can just give it quick wipe down each night.

Budgeting:  the envelope system is doing wonders!  So far we have tracked all our spending and can see that it is the general spending money that is catching us!  For Dave, that is smokes and beer, and me, buying lunch.  I also had the nasty job of arranging a payment plan for the elec bill, and Bec, the lady at the call center, mentioned my bill was way over average for a 5 person household especially considering we have gas hot water, and a gas stove top!  I'll be measuring our elec usage this week and seeing how much I can cut it down by.  I think it will be much lower if I am at uni every day - petrol usage has gone down too.  I should be caught up on the bills by November so will have to quickly save for Christmas and get that emergency fund going!  Frugal living has begun!

Day 10 & 11: Hitting the Clutter

The weekend has hit, and along with it, the need to rest!

I did okay actually - Friday and Saturday nights I forgot to get my clothes ready, and Saturday night I didn't dry and put away the dishes, but I have otherwise kept up the routines.

I am finding the hotspot/ room rescue/ Decluttering thing confusing.  

I've done my 'basket' as my hotspot - and it's all clean, I guess I just need to maintain it now.  I just don't get the difference (in purpose) between the room rescue and the Decluttering.. Possibly because nearly every room is in a state that requires rescuing!  I will hazard a guess and say the 'room rescue' is for tidying, and Decluttering for getting rid of stuff!

I tidied my lounge room and dining room, did a '5min laundry rescue' - aka running through the house finding all the laundry to wash - and hit the pile of boxes and papers in the lounge room for 15mins of Decluttering.  I also got a few loads of washing done!  

Half way through the second week and I've got the shiney sink, showered and dressed first thing each morning, and am working on the laying out clothes thing (I think tidying my wardrobe would help with that!).  

I had a great weekend and now I need to go get ready for a great week!

Day 9: Decluttering

Today is an exciting day!

My morning routine is done - somewhat improved by the fact that today is Quit Day so I had a shower as soon as I woke up.  It also means that my morning time isn't taken up with trying to fit in as many smokes as possible!  It was a real mental battle to get my patch on... The thought that I could just go down and buy a packet was foremost in my mind as I showered!  But it was my determination to stick to my budget that gave me the strength to put that patch on!

The hotspot I chose this morning is the basket on the breakfast bar - meant to hold keys and wallets, and some pens and pencils for phone messages and homework - it actually ends up as a dumping ground for anything that doesn't have a place.  I kept it simple and just removed all the tools and repair items (light bulbs, hooks, etc) and returned them to the laundry where they are meant to be.  Though I don't really have a place there at the moment as it is messy.  No perfectionism - it's good enough!

Day 9 we are introduced to Decluttering with a 5 minute Room Rescue.  As the zone is in the kitchen right now I chose to start there, and picked the breakfast counter - which holds the drawers for cutlery, utensils, tea towels, plates, and other random stuff.  My cutlery drawer is neat and clean so I went the next one down.. The utensil drawer.  It was overcrowded and filled with random stuff!  I emptied it and wiped the drawer clean.  I threw out some rubbish, put all the baking stuff in another drawer and used a disposable container to put in the measuring spoon and cups (which I am never able to find).  The drawer is minimised to what needs to be in there so now I can see everything!

I'm very happy!  Though I will note that I am often tempted to skip ahead to things I know are coming up or part of the big Flylady picture.  The swish and swipe, laundry stuff, zones, launch pad... All stuff I know and normally try and do all at once (and then crash).  Because of that I am purposely avoiding writing extra stuff into my routines.  I may do them.. But I don't 'have to' which keeps my inner rebel at bay!

Day 7: The Test

Today was the real test... Back to my normal routine of dropping off kids, heading to uni for the day and, to top it all off, it's budgeting and shopping day!

Getting dressed to the shoes was a no-brainer, very necessary when you have to turn up in a public place!  Shining the sink happened to schedule, DH washed up after dinner and I dried and put away before shining up the sink.

Problem:  I didn't check the site until just before bed!  I forgot to do the 2min hotspot and didn't see the new habit of putting out clothes.  Lesson learned.  I'm up a bit later because I decided to do it anyway.. 2mins clearing the breakfast counter (not paperwork like I had planned but hey, perfectionism is evil!), and my clothes (as you can see above) are hanging in the bathroom ready for tomorrow.  They are not ironed, but as I said, perfectionism is evil!

Yesterday I was going to return to post about my budgeting attempt but I got sidetracked resting up from my holiday!  I got it organised today though so here is the run down...

Goal 1:  Get Current

That means I need to get myself up to date with my bills before anything else.  The challenge is to not use credit!  In order to get current I need a working budget.  I'm using the envelope system for cash (using an app and a small file to hold the cash) and just sticking to my old system for bills for now.. That is putting all my spare cash onto the credit card and paying the bills from that - no new credit though as it was already maxed out!  Im dropping my cards to minimum payments, and not paying any bills in advance.  Once I am catching up, which may take a month or two, I will set up a joint account and have my bills taken out of that - depositing a set amount each month.  And a savings account.  Apparently ING let's you assign sub accounts so I can divide savings into emergency fund, car, Christmas, holidays, and furniture.  Between now and Christmas I want my mini emergency fund and some money for christmas saved up.  For this week though, I just want to pay the bills up.. I have two overdue and rego coming up, plus I'd like to get ahead on my home loan by a month.  Tomorrow is bill paying and I will see about setting up a new bank account.  Mission is a go!

Day 8: Control Journal

With my 'don't leave until 11pm' lesson learnt, I hit the Flylady website early in the morning and got started on today's Babystep!

This is the start of the Control Journal, which I will be doing with my iPad.  The HomeRoutines app makes it easy and even has a guide to take you through the Babysteps which helps with learning how to use the app as well.  

I'm really excited about getting my routines organised now, and loving the progress through the Babysteps!  They seem perfectly timed for dealing with motivation issues and the occasional stuff up!

Now it's time to get dressed and ready for the day!

Day 6: The Hot Spot

Recovering from the weekend away, I managed to shine my sink as soon as I woke, and get dressed (though the shoes still seem to be beyond me!).  I've emptied the the car and washed the carpeting and seats (spilled chocolate milk and a wee accident), and am now moving through the washing.

I checked in for Babystep's Day 6 and jumped in to quick hotspot clean up in the office.. Which turned into half an hour!  I've gone through my paperwork pile and now just need to post off my address change, return a form to school, and await a call back from the principal at DS1's school.

I love the office hotspot clean up... It is usually filled with things I need to 'do' something with and usually gets so high that I am overwhelmed!  This months habit is paperwork so it seems fitting to be hitting the office and the huge pile of paperwork!  I will also be hitting my budgeting in a post later today as I attempt to get myself rich!

I am very happy with my progress so far and the benefits are showing!

Day 5: Words are Powerful

No picture for today's blog!  

Today is just about words, namely, those nasty ones in your head!

I have three kids, I'll never be able to keep it clean anyway.

No-one helps me, or even cares, why should I?

I don't have anyone to invite over.

It's too much work.

I'm not the housewife type.

I'm too tired and have to much other stuff to do.

I'm really not THAT awesome.

Sound familiar?

It does to me.  This is my revolving conversion with myself about housework. And that needs to change.

My biggest blockage is that I am totally expecting a huge pat on the back - which of course I don't get.  And even worse, there isn't any help or appreciation.  My husband does help, to a point.  But he doesn't value housework beyond wanting a clean plate or clean clothes to wear.  He is not 'House Proud'.

I'm pretty sure that is a good thing.  I must admit that part of the reason I love the man is because he honestly doesn't care what others think.  That is great as a contrast to my constant worrying and social anxiety, not so great when we have the real estate coming over to inspect the place and he doesn't bother cleaning up the branches from trimming the many trees in our yard.

I feel like I carry the weight of responsibility for EVERYTHING because he doesn't do things up to my standard.  I would be open to sharing the responsibility if his participation came up to a certain minimum standard, but it doesn't!

Okay, enough whinging.  I'm working on the principle that if I live up to my own standards, then maybe, just maybe, he will increase his standards and actively participate in the housework, budgeting, meal planning, and yard work.  I am introducing goals and moving us forward, we've been stagnating so long it's no wonder he is uninspired.

There lies my goal... To inspire my husband and children to improve our living conditions, and life in general.  

So with a shining sink to inspire me, I will inspire my family!

Day 4: just keep swimming

As a Monday goes, today is pretty bad!  An overwhelming need to stay up until 3am watching X-Factor uTube clips (WTF?) means I woke up late and tired!

But.. I woke to a shining sink and got dressed to my shoes.. Well, thongs anyway!  It is the holidays after all!  I think I am seeing the benefits of this Flylady thing already!

Today's instruction are to repeat our mini routine of shining the sink and getting dressed, but also to add in checking Flylady emails. One of the biggest issues people have with Flylady is the sheer volume of emails.  Quite frankly, email is a time waster.. It's gets you on the computer (or iPad) and from there, procrastination is only a click away.  But, just for today, I'm going to 'trust the process'.

Flylady also suggests putting our two main routine items on post-it notes to display on our sink and bathroom mirror.  This is not my usual style, but again, 'trust the process'!  

Now I have a poxy post-it note on near my sink and bathroom mirror!  Let's just hope the husband and kids don't laugh at me!

Day 3: Checking out the Flylady website

I'm pretty sure that that the 'dress to your shoes' should be done first thing in the morning, not after midday - even on a Sunday!  And maybe putting on shoes would help as well!  I'll give myself a free pass for today.. It is the weekend after all, but tomorrow I shall be showered, dressed to the shoes and even have my hair and make-up done before I have my coffee!

Today's tasks are:

1. Shine your sink

2. Dress to your shoes

3. Check out the website

How did I do?  My sink is shining.. Whenever I walk into the kitchen I check it, putting any dirty dishes into the dishwasher and giving it a wipe.  The dishes that can't go in the dishwasher are stacked until I have a reasonable pile and then washed.  I give them an hour to dry, put them away and then put the drying rack back on its hanger and give the sink another wipe.  It's working for me!

The website:

I have to say it is greatly improved since my last visit!  The launch pad is a good idea and makes finding the main areas of the site a lot easier!  There is a lot of information on there and most of it I don't need right now - just the 31 day Babysteps program!  Not for long though!  Soon I will be venturing into the daily routines, weekly focus, and Kelly's missions!  

I will not get ahead do myself though.. Babysteps are there for a reason!

I'm off to browse some more.. It is very motivating to read about other people doing housework!

Day 2: Dress to my shoes!

  

Not only did I dress to shoes, but I painted my toenails! 

And discovered in the process that I am desperate need of some new bright coloured nail polish.. As opposed to the clumpy old stuff I currently have!

I gave myself a mini- pedi which was just some cuticle drops, trimming the toenails, and then lashing on the foot cream and cotton socks for an hour before my shower.  My feet feel delicious and ready for the summer months!  A full blown home pedi might just be on the cards soon!

I should probably put on shoes with laces once the polish dries to keep with the fly lady theme. The idea of wearing shoes is to feel ready to work rather then being casual.

Day 1: Shine my sink!

This isn't the first time I've 'done' Fly lady.  I discovered her 8 years ago when pregnant with child number three.  For six months my home was organised, I was relaxed, and then Chaos (aka DS3) arrived. I've tried a few times to get back into that same routine but my life is very different now - what worked then isn't working now.  Back to the drawing board.. Or in this case, Baby-steps.. I go!

A while back I downloaded the Home Routines App.  It is very 'Fly lady' friendly and so I entered all my old routines in and promptly forgot about it.  Today I deleted all my old routines and instead followed the apps guide to starting with Baby-steps.  I titled a routine 'Baby-steps' and numbered tasks 1-31 to be checked off each day.

It's not complex!  Over the next 31 days, with a few days off next week because I'm travelling, I will build up the basics of my routine.  But for today, I only have to keep that sink clean and dry!

Some helpful notes..

I didn't wash up - just pulled out the dirty dishes and stacked them.

It only took a few minutes so I also scraped up a tea towel and clean cloth from the washing and hung them on the convenient rails under the sink so I can keep it clean and dry all day.

I scrubbed the sink with Gumption, rinsed and dried it, then sprayed on Windex and shined it using the tea towel.

I made myself stop after I wiped the splash back and window frame, realising that I would end up in the land of perfection and failure.  There is mess on either side of the sink, and the cupboard doors below are dirty.  It was time to stop.  

I will probably do a bit more later but not as part of my Fly lady Baby-steps!  That will come later!