Trying to get on track

I'm sure you've all been there at one time or another....that place where you feel like everything is completely out of control and you wonder how you ended up there.  Of course, I suppose it could just be me since I'm a control freak that is freaking out about not being in control.

I don't really know when I figured it out, but when the calendar rolled to 2016, I realized I'm getting older and still have a number of goals I'm not even close to accomplishing.  I wanted to be out of debt, have more saved for retirement, weigh less, be in better health, etc.  It's difficult to realize that it seems like life is passing by.  It's not that we haven't enjoyed the time that's gone by, but we have a lot of "life" happen to us in the last few years that include major home and car repairs, job changes resulting in a low income for awhile, and some serious medical issues that included a cancer scare.  I guess I'm putting that out there because I'm trying not to beat myself up too much for not being further along.  The last two years have really just been about picking ourselves up, which is how we arrived at this point.

My husband and I are very close to making enough money to cover our expenses.  Yep, you read that correctly...we're in the hole every month.  It's a terrible predicament to be in, but it's not as bad as it was 6 years ago.  Six years ago we were behind on our mortgage and wondering how we were going to eat.  You're probably wondering how we make it.  For awhile, we were using credit cards (which greatly increased the amount of debt we have), and now we have worked really hard to increase our income.  I took a new job last year and will get a very decent raise in July and my husband took on a second job.   The income from his second job is not counted in our income because it fluctuates so much that I never know what I can count on.  He works consistently, but companies are not consistent in paying him.

I'll do another post soon (maybe a video if I get motivated) about how we came to be where we are...but for now, I'm excited to finally feel like we're getting on track.  My goals for 2016 include paying off debt (at least $12,000), eating healthier, practicing meal prep, reducing our food budget, and developing a cleaning schedule I can stick to.  I decided on writing a blog simply because I feel like I'll hold myself more accountable if this is out there for the world to see.  See you in the next post!