In Shape Out of Mind: Get Your Ducks in a Row

If you're going to be trapped inside your house for the foreseeable future, you might as well make some life improvements.

I really want to get pet ducks!

I'm REALLY over social-distancing, sheltering in place, and not being able to get my freaking nails done, but I don't want your nana to die, so I'm complying. No promises that I won't start a riot on May 1. Since I'm stuck inside my house, I have been finding ways to work towards my physical, academic, and financial goals.

Online Sinking Funds
One of the coolest things I started using this year is SoFi Money. It's a money management account that had a pretty high interest rate (1.60% APY) before the world ended but it's still higher than a regular savings account at 0.20% APY. I love The Budget Mom but I'm not keeping a bunch of cash in my apartment. Instead I have SoFi vaults for my sinking funds because I can get the money out of my checking account where I might accidentally spend it and into a designated account that earns interest. SoFi sends you a debit card you can use as payment or at the ATM. Or you can transfer the money back to your primary account. For example, I have been transferring money to my tattoo sinking fund for months. I used my SoFi debit card at the ATM (transaction fees are refundable) to take out the cash I needed to tip my tattoo artist. I transferred the remaining balance back to my Bank of America checking account. I paid for my tattoo using my cash rewards credit card and then paid the card with the money I had transferred to the BofA checking account. Are there easier ways to pay for things? Sure, but these extra steps earned me interest and cash back. Here is a referral link to SoFi Money.

These are my current vaults. I take annual expenses and divide them by 12 and transfer a small amount into the sinking fund each month. My executive Costco membership is $120 a year so $12 goes into the vault. I also use vaults to save money that I didn't spend. I had $77 left in my dogs monthly spending category so I transferred the amount here to put towards larger future purchases, such as heartworm medicine or vet visits. If coronavirus taught us anything, it's that we need adequate emergency funds. We have to start somewhere so I've got $50 in mine.

Tidy Your Space
I cleaned my desk and I feel so much better. I am obsessed with this Wayfair desk and chair in my home office, but I started stacking a bunch of stuff all over it in March. My productivity took a hit because I kept getting distracted by things when I would start digging through the mess to work on an assignment. Take 30 minutes to organize and disinfect your workspace.

Trackers
Back when I was an elementary school teacher, I learned that I am motivated by displayed trackers. I use Canva to create trackers for just about everything, including studying, exercising, and paying off debt. There are some sweet existing templates that you can tweak to fit your needs. I used one to make this organic chemistry study tracker. I pay myself a dollar for each action completed and I'm going to use that money for something fun this summer.

Workbooks

Writing in a notebook with pretty pens brings me joy. I invested in these workbooks and I'm more likely to use them consistently because it makes me feel good. I'm loving my new Gym Gypsy journal and will post about it soon.

Read Something Interesting

I use the Libby app to checkout digital library loans for my Kindle. I finished Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining last week and loved it. Last night I read about optimizing protein intake in adults because that's the kind of thing that gets me all jazzed up.

Find Community in Fitness

I rejoined my CrossFit gym, CrossFit Identity, because they have been slaying online community and accountability since this nightmare began. I have felt connected more than I have in the past year and I get excited to do the workout. I usually film us and post to Instagram and I fill out the daily workout from home competition survey. CFID has started offering Zoom classes four times a day but I haven't attended one yet. Lots of places are offering online fitness, but I think the key component is finding one that makes you feel connected in this time of isolation. Dancing Dogs Yoga is also doing this well if that's more your speed.