The beginning of Wastelessness

As I begin the launching of The Wasteless Mom, I need to start with a disclaimer.

I am not completely "wasteless." In fact, there are some serious blind spots in my daily habits and general awareness that you, the reader, will be able to call me on, and hopefully give me advice about. I often find myself "discovering" things that others have known about for years.

What I am is someone who abhors waste...waste of any kind: waste of money, of time, of talent, of energy, of the Earth's resources, of opportunities. Every day, I look for ways to minimize waste on every level, and believe that this skill is critical in these hard times.

As for my qualifications, I have always had a unique talent for doing almost anything cheaper, easier, and faster...and having a blast in the process. In high school, I never pulled an all-nighter, but made great grades. I simply studied faster and better. In college, I was the student who always had leftover money in her account at the end of the semester, allowing me to even take a trip to the Bahamas once without having to call home for more funds. In my first job after graduation as a part-time history teacher making $13,000 a year (in the recession of 1994), I was able to move out of my parent's house, go out at night with friends, and still save $100 a month into my mutual funds and contribute $2000 to my IRA. I still don't know how I did that....

And now, I am a married mother of three, facing the same challenges we all are in this economy...how to give my family the best life possible in a time when we don't seem to have enough of anything. None of us has enough time, money, help, talent, sanity to do it all.

Or do we?

My mission in this blog is to help us all (myself included - this is a journey, not a pulpit) discover and utilize the time, money, resources, and opportunities surrounding us every day that are simply ours for the taking.

I plan to share my practical advice on personal finance and time management in how they relate to every aspect of family life: parenting, cooking, health, decorating, marriage, fashion, fun.

But I also plan to do something more- to help you discover how joyful and meaninful this path can be. I see limited funds and time as a blessing, not a burden. I face these economic times with hope and faith that we are all going to come out of it as better people.

I never feel deprived when I choose the leaner path - and neither do my kids. In fact, we are all discovering blessings we never before knew existed: both material and spiritual.

By eliminating the "fat" and waste in our lives, we are all going to help create something more meaninful, joyful, and sustainable.

Be excited about it. I know I am.

See you next time!
-The Wasteless Mom