Bigger things

Better things

For me this is my reward for choosing one thing over another.

Sometimes being frugal isn’t spending nothing, it’s choosing what to spend money on.

This has become one of my childrens favorite places.

Mention this place and they all run to get ready and run to the door. It brings them joy. It is good exercise during the cold New England winter and will be good exercise during the summer during the middle of the day when it’s a tad too hot for us.

I made a sacrifice for this.

When I started looking into things to do in November for my family, things to get us out more, things to get my kids (especially my oldest) moving more. The membership was so affordable. But here’s the thing, I didn’t just whip out the credit card and sign up.

We have been coming out of a time that was hard financially for our family. We don’t have to stress quite as much about every day things but that time had a silver lining. We examine everything so much more. Before I approached my husband with a hey I want to spend more money statement I took a moment to examine my own personal spending. I am pretty good but I have some weaknesses. Coffee is one of my biggest weaknesses.

I realized both in excitement and horror that if I committed to cutting that one thing out of my spending I would be able to cover the cost of the membership. That is how I approached my husband. I told him about it, how friends of ours went, how our oldest had friends who wanted to go, and then how I proposed we pay for it. I would commit to saying goodbye to my coffee. Then I did something really hard….. I deleted the app on my phone. When my phone asked me if I was sure I felt myself hesitating but then hit the button. It made it way too easy because my ordering a paying they an app it kind of removed my mind from the fact that I was spending money.

I waited two months from making this commitment to actually sign up for the trampoline park. Saying you are going to do something and actually doing it are not the same thing…. think of New Years Resolutions….how often do we say something and then not actually follow through. I wanted to be sure that I would stick with it before signing up.

When I finalized signed us up it felt that much sweeter.

Sacrifices are worth it when you have bigger and better things waiting for you on the other side.

What is your bigger and better? What do you want to do that is worth some sacrifice? Find what that something is. I can guarantee when you have a clear goal, even something as simple as a trampoline park, it makes it much easier to move forward. It gives you a reason for doing it, a reward not just a sacrifice.

Set a smaller goal to start. I think all too often we always go for the big thing first. There is nothing wrong with big goals. We should all have big goals for our lives. However in order to get to the goals, we should start with smaller goals, more manageable goals. Get some wins under your belt. The smaller victories give you the confidence to go after the big victories. Every time you make a goal and you met it you build your confidence. Every time you build your confidence you are more equipped to go after the bigger things.

Go find your bigger and better.