I’m currently taking part in the Boho Berry Challenge on Instagram. You can find me on Instagram here and I’m using the hashtag #FTGEbohoberrychallenge if you want to see all my entries in one place. I’m really enjoying it – the theme is a Year End Review and I bloomin’ love a year end review!
One of the prompts is Money Well Spent this year and it really got me thinking. 2017 has been a massive year in terms of personal development and I’m really proud of everything I’ve achieved. My time and effort has been the biggest ‘expense’ relating to these achievements but I was keen to think about where I had invested my money too.
I think it makes sense to expand my list with some explanations and share it with you here. So here goes…
Money Well Spent This Year (and Time too!)
The Artist’s Way
I’ve learnt so much from taking the 12 week creative journey and I think I will continue to help me grow as time goes by. In relation to the Artist’s Way I purchased lots of notebooks for my Morning Pages. I buy mostly £1 ones now but if I visit somewhere fun and they sell the right type I pick one up. I also spent some money on Artist’s Dates. All worthy investments.
Find What Feels Good (Yoga with Adriene) Member Subscription
After I completed the Yoga Revolution programme in January I knew I wanted to invest in Adriene’s paid subscription. She offers so many yoga videos for free on YouTube and I’d recommend to start there. For me, paying the annual subscription fee felt right – I had more than got my money’s worth through January alone and I knew I wanted to keep building my Daily Yoga Practice.
Being a paid member means I am supporting her making and supplying more free videos for everyone. Plus I get bonus content not available on You Tube. I really enjoyed her Members-Only Yoga Ritual series mid year and I’m super excited for her imminent Yoga Chakra Ride coming to the member site. Another benefit is being able to download practices to view offline which is particularly helpful when I’m travelling.
FitBit Alta
I enjoy walking and try to get in a certain amount of steps each day. My FitBit was a birthday present but worth every penny even if I’d bought it myself. I’d had a FitBit One since 2013 but it was starting to fade. I was keen to get a wrist strap FitBit this time around for ease of checking my progress.
I love that it doubles as a watch – I haven’t worn a watch for years! It stops me having to use my phone to check the time and then getting distracted! I also have it set up to notify me of incoming texts and calls which is great as I keep my phone on silent 99% of the time. I’ve got the Plum/Silver version and find it really comfortable.
Local Mentoring Group
In October I joined a local mentoring group. I go along for 90 minutes each month and meet other women who are keen on personal development too. We work through exercises and talk about the things that could be holding us back. We usually come away with some homework to do and lots to think about. It’s been great meeting like-minded women and also investing time and effort into personal development which can easily be put by the wayside when life gets busy.
Pottery Lessons & Supplies
I joined pottery lessons back in June and it’s been such fun. I really relish the chance to be messily creative and I love seeing how my creations turn out. I’ve had a couple of goes on the potters wheel and tried my hand at mould casting and press moulds. Next year I’m keen to try some coil pots and hand building. The classes take place in a draughty old barn and for the last month it’s been REALLY cold so lessons will be stopping this week for a winter break. I’m hoping to spend the break seeking out some inspiration for new things to make once Spring rolls around!
My Shabby Chic Bureau
Back in April I purchased a second hand writing bureau from eBay. It had a wobbly leg, it’s arms didn’t work properly to support the drop down top and it was a little worse for wear.
With plenty of help from my Dad and lots of hard work and elbow grease I’ve managed to turn it into something I am proud of. I am NOT a handy person when it comes to DIY. Each step of the process of fixing, sanding, painting, waxing and lining drawers did not come easy for me. It took me 6 long months to finish the project but I finally did it. My bureau now has her own spot in the corner of the lounge under the stairs. And I smile to myself every time I look at her and realise I managed to make a place of my own for writing, planning and scheming!
My Spotify Subscription
I’ve been a Spotify subscriber for a few years now. When we moved back from New Zealand to the UK I was appalled at the price difference but I couldn’t let my subscription go. I love being able to create playlists and save them offline for playing in the car. Music is a real mood-changer for me and it’s so handy to have access to almost any music I want via an app on my phone.
Slimming World Fees
I’ve mentioned my Slimming World journey a few times and it’s something I plan to share more of in the future. I’ve been a member since the end of August 2016 and I’ve lost almost 4.5 stone in that time. As I mentioned in my recent post I’ve found that having the outer accountability of attending a weekly group has really helped me stick with it. I am excited for the day I reach my target weight and get to attend for free. In the meantime I feel like the weekly fee is a good investment to help keep me committed to my weight loss.
Bullet Journalling Supplies
I’ve talked about my BuJo recently and I think that the Bullet Journalling system saves me a lot of money and time. I am a stationery addict and have a habit of buying far more than I need. Using the BuJo system means that I use one book and I don’t need to buy lots of expensive planners. I also keep it quite simple and straightforward and use a Bic 4 colour pen to write with. My favoured BuJo at the moment is a pocket size grid Moleskine.
So there’s my list of things I feel were Money Well Spent This Year. These items have helped me to Find the Good Everyday and feel happier, healthier and in balance. I’d love to know what would be on your list of Money Well Spent This Year?