I have cut back to four days a week at my day job. I’m ecstatic about that, and hopeful that I will be able to cut back more or even quit within a few months. My writing is going pretty well, and I’m now looking for more projects to keep me perpetually busy. I’ve had to exercise a lot of self-control not to just give my two week notice and hope for the best, but I know that I need to stay with it for at least a little longer so we can get ahead of the game.

Now that we actually have a little extra money, I’m also having to tap into my self-control to keep from spending it all. I need to sit down and make a list of what we need and what we want but can do without. For example, I’m dying for some new blinds, and we actually need a set for my office pretty badly. But I could easily go out and get a cheap $5 set to use until we get some more important things squared away and I can afford to get the nice ones I really want for the whole house.

Sometimes being practical isn’t much fun. But it pays off in the end.