Life in My Little Blue Kayak is uniquely mine. I have chosen to live my life on my terms. I have chosen to pursue health, wealth and happiness my way. These are pretty broad terms so I had to give some thought as what they meant to me. See the About Me page if interested.
I am not one of those people who work 60+ hours per week and make mega bucks. I don’t belong to a gym or participate in extreme sports. I don’t jet away to exotic locations or have gourmet meals delivered to my home.
I do maximize my income doing work that I enjoy. I minimize my expenses and have as much fun as I can along the way. I am happy and healthy, debt free and I don’t live paycheck to paycheck. I have plenty of time for my loved ones and to engage in activities I enjoy. Overall, I am living my life in a manner that works well for me!
That being said, I have good days where everything goes well with no major bumps in the road and bad days where I can’t seem to get out of my own way. The old me would hit a rough patch of road and get a bit derailed. When you feel down, depressed, blue or grey or whatever you want to call it; it is easy to get sucked in to the feeling and hard to shake it. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who does not experience these days every now and then.
In the old days I would experience a rough patch of road and engage in retail therapy as a means to feel better. I would hit Kohl’s, Marshalls or TJMAXX and easily drop $75. Mostly I bought clothes but Home Depot was also my friend. That was the old me. The new me tries to spend little and I don’t want to engage in consumerism for the sake of consumerism.
So I hit a rough patch of road recently and was feeling blah. This feeling lasted a few days and I engaged in some retail therapy. But I did it in My Little Blue Kayak – I did it my way.
I hit 2 stores and spent maybe 2 hours flexing my shopping muscle! I spent a whopping $14 dollars. For my $14 bucks I brought home the following:
- 1 pair of black pants (EMS)
- 1 pair of khaki’s (LEE)
- 1 long sleeve t-shirt
- 1 t-shirt
The new me has discovered the joys of shopping at stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army and Thrifty Shopper. Everything I bought is in great shape and practically new. I got to shop guilt free, I paid cash and I am not beating myself up for blowing my annual $120 clothing budget.
Usually I avoid shopping at all cost but occasionally I just need to mindlessly roam the racks, try on clothes and introduce some new items into my wardrobe! Being able to do this a few times a year without breaking the bank is fun. 
Oh and I also went to the local library and borrowed 2 books and a book on tape. Free is fun!
I survived my rough patch and kept My Little Blue Kayak on course by choosing wealth (my way).
“Choosing Wealth: To me means I live debt free. I spend my money wisely and in alignment with my values. It means I prioritize my future by having an emergency fund, contributing as much as possible to my retirement funds and health savings account. It means I have a few different income streams to supplement my per diem work as an Occupational Therapist”.
What does choosing wealth mean to you? What changes have you made or are willing to make to improve your wealth (as defined by you)?
Lake Girl
