Once I came up with this blog's name, I couldn't get it out of my head. Not because it's such a clever or creative name, but rather because it triggered an image in my brain that was like a call to action. Froshmallow is defined in the dictionary of my mind as an inexperienced person who is in the midst of an important life transition (like a high school or college freshman) whose problems are in danger of inflating like a marshmallow nuked in the microwave if something isn't done quickly. I am a froshmallow.
While I wouldn't say I'm really a "frosh" when it comes to money management, I'm certainly not putting my knowledge into practice right now. It's hard when you're married to a spendthrift who likes to spend money as a form of entertainment. But I turned 35 last week, and I realized that I'm treading water. I'm keeping afloat, but barely. I want to make progress, get faster and more efficient, and go places. I want to move from an adult who is just getting by to one on a mission. Meanwhile, our finances are slowly blowing up--our expenses are growing and growing and growing, like that yucky, bloated marshmallow in the microwave.
I am goal oriented, but after the birth of my children, I realized I didn't have any concrete goals anymore. So I've been thinking about it. What do I want more than anything in life? The answer was obvious. To spend time with the people I love. In my mind, that means retiring from a job, but it does NOT mean doing nothing. I envision my retirement as busy, but with the freedom to set my own daily schedule with things that enrich my familial, educational, and social goals.
So, here is my bold goal: "retirement" in ten years at age 45. Unfortunately, I'm not starting at zero, with zero debt. I have to wipe out consumer debt caused by the expense of child care in the Boston area before I can even start maxing out my 403b contributions and look into opening other investment opportunities. I know, I know! I'm a froshmallow. I NEVER thought I'd have any debt at all. But life happened, and now it's time to take the bull by the horns.
One thing I recently learned about myself thanks to the Whole Life Challenge (look it up--it's good stuff) is that I do better when I'm held accountable--in public. I have a competitive side to me, and to really leverage this experience, I need to share it.
I know what to do--now I just need to do it. This blog will really be a lifestyle blog, about me and our family as I strive to find creative, fun, efficient ways to make our life (and my life) better through efficiency.
Here we go!
Next post: finding ways to cut every day expenses.
