My Day Planner

 So... I've always wanted a day planner like this.  The first time I saw one was actually homeroom back sometime in high school.  A classmate had a similar one and I immediately fell in love with it because of how you can personalize it.  It took me almost 20 years to finally get one LOL

I've tried, over the years, several types of day planners from specifically pagan ones to school ones to putting stuff in my phone, different things over and over and over.  Well, none of them worked 'cuz all of them would be lacking features I wanted and they'd have features I didn't want.  Not to mention you have to forever replace them, year after year, and then re-add things like birthdays, holy days, etc.  And that's such a waste of time and money to me.

One of the main reasons I never was able to have one of these before was, having to buy all the elements separately, it was simply too expensive.  Well, that's not a problem now (not that we're doing that good... just good enough I can do stuff like this from time to time), so I searched all over town until I found one!  And I fucking love it.

It's small, at only about 5"x7" for the binder and 4"x6" for the pages.  But, since I'm still working I bring this to work with me, so having it that small is perfect.  It's not too terribly much to add to my work bag.  And me being me, I'm decorating it up and making it really personalized so I can actually enjoy using it.  Which, so far so good!

 So besides the regular week by week calendar system in it I've added a system I found online for recording monthly bills.  I have a page for each month so I can add things like paying off some debts, etc.  I've also started adding that to my weekly day by day planner area so when I'm checking scheduling things I see it and remember so I keep it budgeted in my head.

I also have a system similar to this for each of my credit cards, so I can keep track of the balances and payments.  I ordered, on Etsy, little paper envelopes for each one as well, with a similar system on it, so that right when I use it I can record the purchase and resulting balance.

So something I added today was encouraging things a couple favorite musicians have said.  I put a few throughout my planner so that as I'm flipping through it I can see them and help keep my spirits up.

That's something I've really been struggling with, keeping my spirits up, so it was important for me to do something like this.  While my doctor did adjust my meds to help compensate, little things like this help me keep my interest in it and really help me enjoy using it.

I also added today a couple blank list pages, notes/ideas pages and so forth.  Right now I have a list for all my book reviews due so I can keep track of them as well as cosplay ideas and, most important in my mind, a list of what I need/want to help further my sustainable independence.  As I know my working days are limited ensuring my independence is of utmost importance as well as and this includes not only my physical independence but also my financial independence.  

Thus I'm not only working on ensuring I can get around my apartment and continue self care (thus getting the shower stool) but once I'm not working, while I do intend to go on disability my monthly income will drastically decrease and so I intend to have all my credit card balances to zero and to have not only all my dental work done now (plus I have good dental insurance now) but I want to reduce as many monthly bills and expenses as possible.  

So, I am switching as many things as I can do re-usable items.  So, for example, for my Sweep-n-Vac I am going to re-purpose a towel into a handful of washable pads for it, by cutting, hemming and sewing on elastic.  Additionally I've always wanted to do things like make my own soap so I am working on learning how to do that to make it not only more environmentally friendly but also friendly to my monthly bill situation.   

Once I'm not working anymore I intend to re-make this into a full sized (so normal 8 1/2" x 11") one, since I won't have to take it places with me.  Then I'll be able to use it also for things like recipes, menu plans and so forth.  I am a very distractible, short attentioned, absentminded person with a horrible short term memory so this is very important to me.  I am so glad I've been able to find a way to do it that keeps me entertained as well as helps me.

I cannot keep working much longer.  Already my ability to engage in normal self care routines has been hugely negatively affected so anything that helps me is good, but just as importantly anything that helps me be able to stop working easier is excellent.  I have seen way too many people basically destroy themselves by having to work, and/or having to suddenly go on SSI and not be able to survive and so forth.  I absolutely refuse to allow that to happen to me and I absolutely refuse to put my partner into the position a situation like that would put him in.

So.

There.

LOL

:)