AUTOMATIC August

I’m still struggling with spending and changing my behavior is just not working.

Going thrifting knowing darn well I shouldn't be.

Behavior is a big piece of financial wellness. Our behavior can either help or hurt our finances. It determines whether we stick to our budget, meet our goals or save for the future.

A common tip I have heard and taught over the years has been “make it automatic.”

Iconic Jana from Love Island USA Season 6.

Automation can be great for us AND our finances. Unfortunately, making things automatic is not always easy.

“Make it automatic” means having all the account information ready, writing down password information in a safe place, ensuring the money is in there, and checking the accounts regularly.

While these things may seem simple to many, there are those of us that struggle with the basics. And that is ok.

The random stuff I bought included a sunroom makeover.

LOOK HOW HAPPY REGINALD IS IN HIS NEW CAT TOWER!

Certain habits, behaviors and routines seem to come easier for some of us than others. There are even times I wonder why I can routinely do things to take care of myself, but not my money?

Totally fine. But not one size fits all. There is no magic financial literacy formula that works for everyone. Automating finances will not “fix” us or our money.

I automatically do my money calendar every month, but it doesn't stop me from overspending unfortunately. At least not lately.

HOWEVER. Automating as much as you're comfortable with (both bills and savings) is A GOOD IDEA.

The Target dress I returned...but dang I looked good in.

We have automatic bill pay set up for fixed expenses (bills that do not change each month). We DO NOT automatically pay electric (until recently, and I regret it) the credit card, or the mortgage.

The reason: electric has gotten CRAZY expensive. We quite literally cannot afford to pay it all at once so I will have to split the payment or transfer money from savings to make sure we do not overdraft. 🙁

Thankful every day we bought this house in 2017.

Automation and routines can help us stay on time, keep up with necessary maintenance, keep us on track with our goals, and make our lives easier in general.

What is important to remember is that YOU have to figure out YOUR routine. Everyone has suggestions for what routines should be (for children, for finances, for everything really), but it is up to you to figure out what works best for you and your family.

Going outside to play in the "woggy" (water) is one of our favorite routines.

Matching Mila is one of MY favorite routines.

Try things out. If it doesn’t work, that is ok. Try something else. The thing with behavior change and routines is that you have to work at it. You have to be consistent. And that can be hard.

I have struggled immensely with routines since becoming a Stay at home mom(SAHM). I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to SAHM routines. Many of the routines include the same stuff, but all of them vary to some degree.

Matching Mila in a dress her Papa Joe picked out.

Some of the basics I try to incorporate every day:

Get Ready (potty training with 3 year old - trying at least, brushing teeth, getting dressed).
Eat well/Cooking skills - variety of foods to try, lots of small portions throughout day, have them help me to encourage them to try more, help preparing dinner to encourage meal prep.
Outdoor play - weather permitting of course, but we love walks and both kids love water, bubbles and plants. I like to look up free and or budget friendly crafts/activities for us.
Exercise - walks, dance parties, hide and seek, playgrounds when we can.
Reading - I try to read books at nap time and bed time, Matt reads to Jackson at bedtime so I can read to Mila. At some point we might just all read together. :)
Independent Play - Jackson plays with his trucks, colors or plays instruments with his sister. This is getting easier as Mila gets older.
Get Ready for bed (shower or bath, pjs, reading, milk, cuddles).

MATCHING UNICORN DRESSES. Is it a girl's size dress I'm wearing? Yes. Is Mila's too big for her right now? Yes. Did I have a photo shoot anyway? Yes.

Mila not as thrilled as me about the photo shoot.

Since I have been pretty good about my weekly money dates (At least I know how much I’m spending), I decided to focus on my business and generating more income.

I implemented a content creation routine to help me stay motivated and busy.

Money Mondays are for all things money and financial literacy related.

This month’s routine:

Money Mondays - Post financial literacy content
On Wednesdays We Dress Up - GRWM, fashion content
Friday Fundays - Craft, finish a project, mom/family content

I’ve been having a lot of fun and gaining more confidence the more I create. So YAY FOR ROUTINES!

On Wednesdays We Dress Up and I did a Get Ready With Me (GRWM) for the dentist appointment Jackson and I had.

Routines in personal finance are also important. Automating your money takes the stress and worry (sometimes) out of paying certain bills or remembering to save.

Just make sure you pay attention to the details so you have money in there!

Financially, there are a few things you can do:

Automatic savings (to a High Yield account)
Automatic investments
Automatic bill pay
Automatic direct deposit split
Automatic college savings

Pick one or a few, but just get started.

The important thing about automation is to start. Start with a small amount and work your way up. But get started.

Friday Funday is for finishing crafts and hopefully making more to sell at some point. I used adhesive diamond wrap and a glue gun to bedazzle a storage box and tissue box holder for the cat room.

The rest of the sunroom makeover. Thank you to Aldi and Five Below

Money Wins:

Purchased primarily second hand - but I know, I KNOW. IT NEEDS TO STOP.
Sold more belts - now I just need to CRAFT and list, list, list.
Returned Target stuff

Money Goals:

Once again: NO NEW CLOTHES, SHOES OR CRAFTING SUPPLIES. It must happen in September. It MUST. I have to make this change.
Make and sell some sh** 🙂
See number one and two.

BIG MONEY WIN: Babe and I sat down to update our budget together and talked through some long term financial goals. GO MONEY DATES <3

We have a long way to go, but we’re talking things through, implementing and practicing routines and celebrating progress when we can.

Outfits I’ve Worn and Loved: