The Work Change is Going Well

The decision to let go of private clients was not an easy one but it was a necessary one since I was beginning to feel all of the effects of exhaustion. The adjustment means that I won't be making as much as I was but it's sure to cause positive changes in my home and my life that are well worth the income reduction. After all the changes can be permanent and the income loss can be temporary.

Housekeeping

My housekeeping was neglected a bit with the rush to meet deadlines between appointments. Now that I'm no longer taking private clients and working only when I have time to things are slowly falling back in order. At least they do on occasion and I end the day going to bed with a somewhat clean house.

Unpleasant Surprises

So far there has only been one unpleasant surprise. My light bill is on budget billing so I only feel increases in the rates or our electricity usage once a year. Last year the bill went down it'll be going up this year because I am in desperate need of duct work to make my air conditioner function properly. The result is that my light bill is over $300 this month. That's more than half of my regular secure income. That's fine too, I can cover it and make up the overage so that I can get everything we need.

How Am I Going to Make up that Loss?

It's simple I'm going to take that long list of income sources that I have long neglected and fit them into the work week. A half hour here and there will be more than enough to keep generating income. The areas that I keep my focus on will help to cover the majority of the light bill without too much difficulty. I've learned to do a couple things like make my own laundry detergent that a few years ago I would have thought someone was crazy if they'd asked me to do. So actually it's a combination of focusing on the highest paying work without neglecting the lower paying work and saving a bit more when I purchase the things that I need.

Therapy and Diet

Therapy and the special diet my child is on will both be affected by this increase in the light bill. How will they be effected? We have therapy five days a week which means using gasoline to get there and get home. The only place we'll go most days is to therapy and any errands that have to be ran will be done with a three year old in tow.This is in an effort to eliminate additional trips into town.

The expense of the special diet is a bit more tricky to control and still allow my child to have those treats that she loves without getting anything she's not supposed to have. All of our diets are going back to basics, meat becomes a treat. There will be no loaves of bread, just homemade corn bread and vegetables with just enough meat to taste. I have rice to make the meals go further and popcorn to send to school with the baby.

Social Skills

There aren't really any children around Theresa except for when she's at school and occasionally during therapy. This creates a problem with the interaction she has during social skills. Problem solved, I just make one of those after therapy stops at a friends house with lots of active kids being kids.

It All Works Out in the End

In the end the changes will be for the best and next month my light bill will go back to the budgeted billing amount so that I know how much it is every month. This will allow me to track overages and negative charges so I can better prepare for the next time that actual bill comes due. In the meantime I'll continue to save change for an emergency, reopen my savings account and continue to write about anything and everything that interest me to earn a living doing what I love.