Not Dead, Just Busy

At some point blogging becomes like cleaning the fridge: the longer you don't do it, the more you think that it can wait and that it really would be silly to bother with it now. Unfortunately, the longer you wait the harder it is to get started at all.

And so here I am, almost two months later. Greetings.

My hiatus corresponds almost directly with the day I started a new job that is taking up every single minute of my spare time. Sure, I still whittle away untold minutes on Facebook trying to see who from college has gained the most weight (as IF you don't do that too). But most of my time is spent at four pursuits, and not necessarily in this order:

1. Taking care of my family (includes quality time, cooking, cleaning, etc.)

2. Bible study/church

3. Working out (have done two triathlons since last writing and have a half marathon Saturday!)

4. Working

I rarely spend time with friends anymore. And I frequently don't even make time for one of the things I enjoy the most -- coupons!

This is actually a good thing. Being so busy challenges me to be frugal not only with my time, but even more so with my money. I don't have the extra minutes to scan the web for freebies, so that means I have to be particularly good about paying close attention while I shop.

It also means that I have to be more careful not to give in to the temptation to to take shortcuts at home -- you know, like just not turning off the lights because it's a hassle or buying prepared food because it's easier. Being busy should not be an excuse to spend more money -- it should be a call to reexamine my priorities (again!), decide where I can achieve savings and good stewardship and note where shortcuts give me the most returns (does the time saved outweigh the extra cost?).

Fall tends to be a busy season for everyone, not just me. Maybe this is a good time to do a little exercise to reexamine your priorities and your spending habits. Do they match up?