Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Dollars and Sense

Just over a year ago, during #reverb10, I decided - OK, fine, was slapped upside the head with the fact - I needed to get out of debt.

I set a plan for myself to do just that.

Subsequently, as part of step 1 - accountability - I started a new blog, Jane In Her Infinite Budget. It was my intention to write blog entries often about my successes, trials, and tribulations with money, debt reduction, and everything else associated with money.

I was gung ho about it too...for about 3 weeks.

Then life happened and keeping up with two blogs seemed like a monumental task when I had LIFE to contend with...so I neglected it.

Until now.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that, even though I neglected the blog, I sincerely did focus on debt-reduction for most of 2011. And I made tremendous (in my mind) progress.

The other day, I received notice that my domain name, www.janesinfinitebudget.com, was set to expire. And then, I was Facebook friended, through an extraordinary turn of events, by Dianne Juhl, the feminine face behind The Feminine Face of Money.

Coincidence? I think not.

So I resolved myself to getting back to that accountable space I'd carved out for myself by regularly posting there in 2012.

Thus, last night and tonight - yes, it took me two nights - I worked on an entry to post to that vulnerable, crazy space where I let my finances all hang out for everyone to judge and, perhaps, with which to identify.

If you're interested, that entry is here.

Don't twiddle me there. My finances and my financial vulnerability are off limits to twiddling. If you want to criticize or be nasty, do it here on this post.

However, if you really want to know about Jane and her Infinite Budget Wisdom - tongue most decidedly in cheek - click through and read. I'm pretty brutal with myself...at the same time I'm proud of myself.

3 comments:

Dianne Juhl said...

Beautiful you declares a powerful, future-focused intention and is going for the gold on this one. This reference point guides your decisions as you navigate emotionally and materially murky waters.

Rather than running out to find a money guru, you set your sights on becoming the woman you need to be to invite the transformative power of a positive relationship with money.

Action-oriented, you also made good on co-creating the best possible circumstances for fulfilling your deep desire.

Fantastic how you manage your debt and affirm your style of saving.

You also prove how useful it is to imagine a budget as a fluid, living creature. Fantastic that you use your numbers as a power tool not a whip.

Most importantly, you allow for life and prioritize people and meaningful experiences which enliven you over things and money. This is the very definition of financial wellbeing from the inside-out.

Brave and bold, not playing it safe, not complacent, you allowed yourself to ante up by committing to tell us the juiciest bits of the unfolding story.

I appreciate your money story because it's characterized by depth, devotion, intelligence, joy, humor, fun, inspiration and soul.

Abundant regards,

~ Dianne Juhl & The Feminine Face of Money

P.S. FFOM has a couple of tools you could use to assess the state of your financial wellbeing if you want to benchmark it for 2012. Just ping me for me info.

Laine Griffin said...

Way to go Jane!

Frances D said...

Jane this is monumental. You managed not only to live within your means, but get rid of 4 grand of debt/headache. Can you hear the applause. Clapping my hands long and loud here in New York.