I stepped away from blogging for a while. I started to feel like it was something I HAD to do instead of something I WANTED to do, and that's not why I started this. Lately I'm feeling like I want to write again, so while I may not post every day (and I just might post every day!), I will be writing here on a more frequent basis than once every 7 weeks. :-)
I've been feeling convicted lately to use my time more wisely. One of the benefits of working at home is that I can get things done around the house or online during the day. One of the downsides of working at home is that I can get distracted doing things around the house or online during the day. Kind of a double-edged sword, one that has been cutting on the downside the last few months. So I'm making an effort to get my work done during normal work hours (when it's available, that is) and stay offline more when the kids are home. This doesn't always work the way I want, though. Some days I do get distracted, and some days, the work just isn't there to do until the middle to late part of the day. But I'm trying to stick to my plan as best as I can.
It's discouraging when there is little work available, but for the most part, God has supplied me with what I need work-wise. Maybe not what I want, but what I need. This pay period that ended yesterday was especially lean, so I'm anxious to see how He helps me stretch these pennies. It's also been discouraging to see my debt not going down as quickly as I had hoped. My mortage is a private family loan, and while I am very grateful for the 0% interest loan, there were some payments that originally were cancelled (and recorded as such) that now are no longer cancelled but deferred. It adds on another year to my repayment schedule, which means another year of waiting to be out of debt. My kids ask why I just don't get a different job that pays better, but they don't understand the medical transcription world. So many companies are turning to independent contractors, which means you pay all your taxes, no benefits, etc. Even with a small increase in pay per line turns into a huge pay cut after all is said and done. And were I to look for a transcription job outside the home, it would most likely mean a drive of 30 minutes to an hour for a 2nd or 3rd shift job. Not acceptable to a single parent with teenage twins! And any other job would be a definite pay cut. That's okay for a 2nd additional job, but not for a primary one. Yes, there are ways where we could cut back on the budget, and I may have to do that. Do I really need the cell phone? Probably not. We're not traveling near as much as we used to, which was my main reason for having it. Could I cut back on cable? Definitely, but it would be painful! haha That is basically our entertainment budget at this point, and there are several shows we would miss as a family. I could also cut out the newspapers and either read online or grab Grandpa's on the weekend, and I'm sure he'd save the coupon inserts for me. Ah, things to think about and write about.
It's nice to get things down again. It helps me think better. Yes, I'll definitely be "here" more often.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I totally understand your situation. We have been really low on work and basically are taking turns taking one day off per week. It always seems to happen this time of year (when the money goes out faster than normal).
It is nice working at home though, do laundry, do quick things around the house. With our system if we are off too long we get kicked out.
Welcome back.
Leslie
Thank you! :-) I hope your work picks up soon, too. Even though I'm in Ohio, I type for clinics in North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, so with the weather out there this week, I know that hasn't helped the work load either. I wish we had a more equitable way of distributing work. Here it's first come, first served. But yes, especially in winter, it's definitely nice to be home and get things done around here in between!
Post a Comment