I don't know about you, but it seems like this year went by in two seconds!

When everything seemed to be getting better, new waves of infections came, then another super long lockdown period and then vaccination and after that, what was left of the year just flew by.

If your routines and habits have all been messed up, don't think it's just you. We're on the same boat!

Exercise routines were ruined, sleep schedules got all messed up and life just seems to have been put on hold for way too long now.

So I don't know about you but I'm definitely feeling the need to get things back in order and focus on moving forward to more fulfilling and exciting times.

If you aren't there yet, let me be your inspiration!

The rapidly approaching end of the year made me feel this urge to clean up my act and get out of this pandemic-induced stagnant life rut.

With that in mind, I made a game plan.

Here are some of the things that I'm doing to get life back on track:

1. Declutter

An end-of-year declutter can really help to get your house and your mind in order just in time for the new year.

For the past week, I've been going through my stuff and trying to get rid of junk or things I don't need anymore and will probably never use but was keeping 'just in case'. 

Well, 'just in case' never came or I noticed that I'd go a different route instead of going to look for these things so I figured I might as well get rid of them.

It's been liberating to see freed up shelves and files and garbage bags full of old school notes that I never read again (if I ever needed anything, I'd just go directly to a book) or cut-up pieces of old arts and crafts paper from when I was 10 years old... Honestly, it's ridiculous the amount of stuff we keep in spite of never using it and the excuses we make not to give it away or throw it out.

It also makes you feel like your life is suddenly way more organized because your things are too. Strangely, looking at a bookcase that is full to the brim with stuff was just starting to stress me out.

So I really advise you to do this as well!

While you're at it, why not rearrange your furniture or even redecorate a little so that your environment feels fresh and to inspire your creativity?

Two birds with one stone, if you ask me!

2. Change up your exercise routine

If you've been wavering on the exercise or if you've completely stopped because you lost all motivation, you are not alone.

But the easiest thing you can do to get back to it is to find new and more fun ways to exercise because the old ones clearly weren't getting you out of bed!

Find new exercising apps, new exercise groups or different exercise clubs or gyms.

I'm currently trying out the Fit On app and I've been really enjoying it (not sponsored). I used the Nike Training Club app last year to work out at home during lockdown and I really liked it at first but then I got tired of some of the trainings but eventually I stopped using it because I got tired of the workouts (the exercises seemed very similar). Which is why I needed something new now.

Besides this, you can always buy a new exercise machine or some classes to try and get moving and do something different. 

You can also just pair up with a friend to go for a jog or a game of padel or something like that to mix things up or make them more fun.

And if you want to intersperse your trainings with something less intense or just start slower, you can always find scenic spots close to you and go on a nice hike and enjoy a breath of fresh air!

3. Schedule your life all over again

Next up: if your life got into a hectic mess and you stopped following all your schedules and routines, go ahead and make a brand new schedule.

Focus on making a schedule that isn't too demanding and that feels fresh and exciting for you to achieve your goals and the habits you want to keep in this new year. 

If you need some help making a realistic schedule and figuring out how to prioritize and divide your time, check out my previous post about designing a more balance life for yourself - it's even got a pretty template of a schedule that you can download for free and it comes with some useful tips as well!

4. Make meal prepping a part of your life

If you don't do this yet, you should really start.

Meal planning and prepping can really simplify your daily life and reduce stress.

There are lots of methods for meal prepping - do some research and pick the one you think will be the best fit for you and your family and pick a day of the week when you'd be able to spend one or two hours prepping food for the week ahead.

Figure out your strategy for meal prepping and to find recipes that you want to make so that it will be easier to plan every week.

I promise you this will make your life so much easier when you get home after work and just want to relax instead of having to cook something last-minute.

5. Make 2022 your year of prosperity and happiness

It's been a crazy couple of years living with this pandemic and it's about time we start getting our life back on track, even if we have to adapt to a new normal.

Be a little selfish if you must. What are some things that bring you joy in life? Make it a point to do more of those. 

Give yourself more time to enjoy the little things - don't you miss having the time to sing in the shower and enjoy that time instead of always rushing to get ready? 

You should also treat yourself every now and again - whatever it is, a self-care routine or even buying something for yourself. If it will improve your life or bring you happiness, then you deserve it!

A big one for me is also getting back into travelling. I miss the freedom and the joy of just escaping real life and exploring another country, the sceneries, other cultures. If you're big on travelling, then let's get back into it this year. 

If you're more of a homely person and you've always wanted to have a pet, why not this year? You will finally be able to enjoy the wonders of animal companionship and benefit from the joy of playing with them and taking care of another living being.

6. Finally make a move towards career happiness

If you're tired of the daily grind and an uninspiring job, then I say this is the year for change.

Enough is enough - this will be the year to reach your full potential and finally find a job or career that will make you happier and more fulfilled.

It's normal to get comfortable and avoid risk or simply the growing pains that come with change but when comfort means you're struggling to get out of bed in the morning and get yourself to work, then it's definitely time to move on.

Update your resumé, freshen up your LinkedIn account, contact some recruiters, take short courses to get fresh skills and get out there! 

Start applying for jobs and looking for your next challenge.

Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.

7. Ditch self-consciousness and invest in confidence

Last but not least, I think this one is very important after the times we've gone through lately.

Nothing is granted and life is short. Too much time is lost in situations that aren't ideal because of self-consciousness, feeling lesser than or not having the courage to speak up and say no.

In 2022, you should focus on avoiding escape mechanisms and deal with situations head on. 

Square your shoulders, speak your mind and speak loud and clear. Be honest even if you're uncomfortable. 

Confidence brings respect and recognition and it's about time these things were being served to you!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Every now and then I start feeling like I'm stuck in the rat race.

I start procrastinating on getting out of bed in the morning for as long as I can, only to end up leaving the house way too late, running to work and feeling guilty about it.

I tell myself it's because, as a millennial, I wasn't made for the rat race and crave a more independent type of work and a more flexible schedule. I often think that I won't be happy until I can be my own boss.

This in turn makes me start dreaming of being financially independent and being able to get out of the rat race to have my own business or do whatever I want.

But financial independence can't be reached in a couple of days so I end up dragging myself, letting the weeks pass until the next holiday where I can have a bit of an escape. 

If you're reading this, it's likely that you are feeling this way and are looking for ways to change up your routine and feel refreshed and motivated again...

So, what's the trick to escape this state of mind?

If you're feeling like this, you really need to hit the reset button and make some changes in your mindset and to your routine to make sure you feel the sparks again.

Here are the most effective things you can do to get out of that funk!

GET YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE BACK IN ORDER

Often, when we're feeling unmotivated, we'll start sleeping late and sleeping in in the morning, only to be constantly late and run out of the house!

In my case, I tend to start staying awake until late because I'm trying to pack the evening with the most enjoyment or productivity I can so I can feel like the day wasn't stolen from me by my job and work routine.

The problem is that sleep deprivation and being late every day starts making you feel even worse, which is why you've got to recognize that you're doing it and reset your sleep schedule ASAP.

If you go to bed earlier and wake up earlier, you'll feel more energized and less stressed because you won't be running out of the house.

That's halfway to feeling better and more motivated!

AVOID SCROLLING IN BED AFTER WAKING UP

I inadvertently started doing this during lockdown because I was working from home and wasn't stressed about getting ready and rushing to leave the house and I could spare a few minutes to read the news, check on social media, etc.

However, when the time came to go back to work, I was already used to doing this and it started to become a way to avoid getting out of bed because I was sleepy or didn't feel like getting out of bed and facing my daily routine.

If you're doing this, I highly recommend you pull the plug on it immediately!

Any form of procrastination to get out of bed is usually not very good because it'll make you dread everything even more, besides making you become late, but scrolling on your phone might be the worst way to procrastinate because it'll make you lose track of time very easily and you get into that numb mood instead of feeling energized and ready to go.

So it's better to just rip the band aid and get up right away!

PLAN SOMETHING FUN FOR THE MORNING

That way, you'll feel like you're in control of your time and that you can actually have time for some fun! 

It doesn't hurt that you'll start your day on a positive and refreshing note, furthering those energized vibes you already got from becoming an earlier bird.

USE YOUR WORK BREAKS EFFECTIVELY

Try to use your lunch break to get out of the work environment so you can come back refreshed.

Go take a walk in the sun, sit in a park and read a book or have lunch with a friend or colleague every now and then!

You'll come back feeling like you managed to include some fun and distraction in the middle of your work day - trust me! The rest of the day will go by faster and you'll go home feeling a hundred times better.

PLAN YOUR FUTURE 

If this is the case, it really helps to make a career plan - like a 5-year plan or something similar - so you know you're working towards something and you can keep yourself on track.

If your dream is to achieve financial independence and/or eventually becoming your own boss, then making a realistic and achievable plan towards those goals is also really helpful - trace a path towards those goals and believe they are possible. 

That way, you'll have an actionable roadmap towards your goals and you'll know that every step you're taking is getting you closer to your dream life.

TAKE RISKS

Volunteer for tasks that might be out of your comfort zone, consider learning some new skill or talk to your manager and request more responsibility or to try new things.

Getting out of your comfort zone is usually the easiest way towards growth and the fact that you took that risk will definitely make you feel more powerful and it might even open new opportunities for you!

STOP OVERTHINKING

Work takes up a lot of our time so it's normal to become tired of your routine every now and then. 

When that happens, it's easy to start associating work with something negative and start getting triggered by little things.

Try to notice when you're becoming easily triggered and tackle that issue. Figure out what is causing you to be negative or tired and implement change - can you do something to make your daily life feel refreshing? 

You can try to change up your routine a little (change your commute, your time to wake up, what you before or after work or during breaks,...) or simply take a vacation!

But most of all, the most beneficial thing to do is to notice when you're starting to feel frustrated and really analyze if it was that big of a deal or if you're just snowballing everything. Most things are not that big of a deal but we make it so.

TAKE A LEAP

If you think it really is the best thing for you, then you have to be brave and take that step. Your future, happier self will most likely thank you and wish you'd done it sooner!

That's it - my top tips to deal with those feelings of frustration that can bubble up from time to time and make us crave the end of a monotonous work life!

Do you have any other tips that can help hit the reset button and get back to feeling motivated?

Buying a home is a life goal for a lot of people.

If you've been planning to buy a home and you want to know if you're financially ready to take that step, there are a few things you need to consider to find out if you're in a good place to buy the home you want.

It's important to do this exercise before you start looking for houses because it'll give you an idea of where you need to be financially to be able to buy a house and what type of house you can afford. 

HOW TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE FINANCIALLY READY TO BUY A HOME

1. Do you have enough for a deposit?

If you want to buy a home, you will need to have some money saved up for a deposit. 

Banks usually only lend you up to 80% of the price of a home. This means that you will have to put in the other 20% for the deposit. 

Needless to say, the more expensive the house, the bigger the deposit will be.

So if you're looking to buy a home, you need to start saving up for that deposit! 

Make sure you have built an emergency fund as well - you will need that money when you're a homeowner if you suddenly have to fix your boiler or something like that!

Bonus tip: Ask your banks about the cost of their fees. There are some fees associated with the loan approval and contract that you may not be considering but they can add up and take away from the money you have for the deposit.

2. Can you afford the mortgage payments?

Okay, so you have enough saved up for a deposit on your desired home. 

Knowing you will have to get a loan for the rest of the price, you need to know if you can afford the loan (the monthly mortgage payments). 

Talk to your bank (and other banks that may offer good conditions) or go on their websites and do some simulations of loan costs. Check which ones offer you a better deal.

Now, you obviously need to consider whether you have enough money to pay for the mortgage. 

You should aim to keep your loan-to-income ratio at around 30% and not much higher. That means your mortgage payments will only make up for 30% of your net monthly income (after taxes).

This will make it a lot easier to handle owning a home and to have enough money to pay bills, groceries and have some money left over to save, invest and to do things you enjoy, as well!

3. Can you afford the taxes? 

When you buy a home, you have to pay property taxes.

Find out how much property tax you would have to pay on the type of house you want in the location you want to see if you can afford it.

You can use an online calculator such as this one to get an idea of how much your property taxes will be and you'll avoid getting a bad surprise when the time comes to pay them!

4. Can you afford to make alterations or do renovations?

If the house needs a little bit of work before you move in, you should consider the cost of the alterations or of the renovation you want to make.

Make a plan for the work that needs to be done or hire an interior designer or architect to help you plan the renovations. They will have a better idea of how much everything will cost and can adapt the plan according to your budget.

Don't forget to consider the cost of furnishing the home! If you're going to need to furnish the house from scratch, you will also need to factor that in as it can be quite expensive to buy everything you need for your house at once.

5. Can you afford the maintenance costs and bills (including groceries, etc.) after paying the mortgage?

The reason why you should aim for a 30% of loan-to-income ratio is because you will need to have enough money left over after paying your mortgage to pay all your other bills and to buy groceries and other necessities.

To figure this out, you're going to need to estimate how much all these things are going to cost you.

When it comes to service bills (like water, gas, electricity, etc.), the cost can differ depending on the location and service provider. 

Research service providers to find out if they offer fixed fees and how much they are or use online calculators to figure out variable bills (if you have a bigger home, you may have a bigger electricity bill because you will have more lights; if you have a pool or backyard, you'll probably have bigger water and electricity bills and so on).

Owning a home also comes with maintenance costs - things break and need fixing when you least expect it. It might be a good idea to have an emergency fund just for that!

Don't forget to factor in the cost of any insurances you may need - banks will usually require you to have homeowners insurance to make sure your house is safe. You may have life insurance as well or even a PMI (private mortgage insurance), which protects the bank if you default on your mortgage.

6. Will you have enough money left over every month?

Ideally, you shouldn't buy a home if you're not going to have any money left over to save money and invest for your retirement or to buy other things you need.

It's really important to make sure you will have a decent life and you'll be able to enjoy yourself. You might want to go out for dinner or go on holiday somewhere every once in a while and you should factor those things into your budget because you want to be able to create an enjoyable life for yourself. 

Otherwise, you'll be constantly stressed out about money and your dream home will become a source of anxiety instead of making you happy.

If your estimates show that money is going to be super tight, then it might be worth it to wait a little longer or to find some way to reduce your costs to make sure that you will have enough money left over every month to do things you enjoy.

What your answers will tell you:

If the answer to all of these questions was positive, then you are in a good financial position to buy a home!

However, if it turns out that money is still a bit tight to buy, you might just have to wait a bit longer so that you can save up some more money, get a raise or maybe even get a new job.

On the other hand, you might still have a chance to make your dream possible if you manage to reduce your costs.

HOW TO REDUCE THE COST OF BUYING IF MONEY'S TOO TIGHT

If your calculations are coming up short but you still want to buy a home and don't want to postpone it much longer, there are a few things you can consider to reduce the cost of buying a home!

Option 1: Buy a cheaper home

The most obvious one is to buy a cheaper home - you can either buy a smaller home or look for a home in a cheaper location. 

Sometimes you can even end up buying a bigger, more comfortable home in a cheaper location!

Option 2: Get a better deal from the bank

If the loan's too expensive for you, you could try to get different proposals from different banks and then present the best proposal to the second best bank. They might want to compete to get you as their client and offer you a better deal!

Option 3: Be smart about renovations

If the problem is that you need to do some renovations and they're too costly, you can always do them in segments or even do some yourself! 

The alternative is to save a bit on the materials you use, wherever possible.

Option 4: Consider house hacking

Something else that is becoming more common is house-hacking - that is, renting out a part of your home and using the rent you collect to help you pay for the loan. 

If you have some extra space or a separate area (e.g. a guest-house) that you don't need right now, you could rent out that part of your home to offset the cost of the mortgage. 

You will obviously have to be prepared for the possibility of vacancy and not having that income to help you pay the mortagage.

Just remember to make sure it's legal to rent out a part of the house and/or to split the house.

Option 5: Buy a house as a co-owner

Another alternative can be to buy a house with someone else. I'm not talking about your partner here, this would be an obvious solution.

But if you are single and you want to buy instead of renting, you might be able to buy with a friend that could be your roommate.

Another option might be to buy a house with someone else and split it into two houses or apartments - one for each of you (just make sure it's legally possible to do this, of course). If the house has a backyard, you might be able to split it in half as well or just share it. It might be something fun to do with a friend or family member and it'll reduce the cost for sure!

Option 6: Consider building

Last but not least - if you don't mind waiting just a bit longer and you don't have any expectation of increasing your income right now, you might want to consider building instead of buying.

Sometimes buying land and building a house from scratch can be cheaper. 

You just have to make sure you buy land somewhere where it isn't too expensive. 

Building will usually be cheaper than buying because you'll be paying for the materials and the labor and not for the value of the area or the value that the previous owners have wanted to gain from it which keeps increasing.

You will also have the benefit of designing the house just like you want it and make it functional for you. 

There is also something to be said about owning a brand new house - you won't need to make alterations and you won't have to fix things for a while so you'll be able to save a bit of money on maintenance expenses for a while.

Well, there you have it! Buying a home is such a milestone and it can be very overwhelming to think about all the costs.

However, if you've taken all these things I mentioned into consideration you'll have a pretty good idea of whether you are financially ready to take this step.

Save my pin!

If you've realized that you're spending too much money or you want to save up for something, you probably think that you have to live like a monk for a while and cut your expenses dramatically.

However, I'm here to tell you that it is possible to reduce your expenses without living miserably. You just have to know what to focus on and how to make sure you don't spend on things that bring you no value.

Here are 9 realistic tips to start saving more money without giving everything up in life:

1. Save before spending (and make it automatic)

I know you've probably heard this one, but it's crucial if you tend to let your spending get out of control. 

The trick is to put a percentage of your earnings into savings as soon as you get your paycheck. That way, you will only be able to spend what's left over instead of risking not having any money left to put into savings at the end of the month. 

If you can, automate the transfer of that percentage into your savings account right on the first day after you get paid so you don't forget to put that money away or feel tempted to spend it.

This is a really great way to build up your emergency fund faster!

2. Learn how to reduce your taxes

Most people hate taxes. Besides the fact that paying them isn't that much fun, understanding how they work can also be really daunting.

However, understanding taxes is the best way to pay less!

For instance, if you know what deductions you can make in your tax returns, you'll be able to apply them to pay less taxes and, in turn, save more money. 

Likewise, if you know how taxes work, you can predict how much you're going to pay and make better choices considering whether you think it's an adequate amount for your earnings or not - this is especially true with things like property taxes.

So it's time you become a grown-up and start learning about taxes so you can save more money and reduce the pain you feel when that time of the year comes around!

3. Stop buying little things everywhere

Some people spend a lot of money every month on little things because they think they're cheap and no harm will come from it. 

The thing is that these are usually impulse buys and they can really add up at the end of the month if you tend to do this very often.

It's easy to buy cheap things and not realize that you're spending a lot until you get to the end of the month and notice how much money you have left in your bank account.

If you're one of those people, try to notice when you're buying little things because you think they're so cheap it won't matter and really consider if you need to spend that money.

You want to avoid buying things just because you feel compelled to even if you don't actually need them.

4. Buy better-quality and more classic clothes 

Good quality clothes will last you a long time and if they're classic staples, they won't go out of fashion quickly like trends usually do. 

This means you won't have to keep buying new clothes every few months and your clothes will last you for years. 

If you want to go a step further, you might want to try building a capsule wardrobe - a mix-and-match wardrobe full of great-quality staples that all pair with each other. 

The idea is that you can easily make several outfits with all of those items and your wardrobe will last you quite a while because the items are good-quality and mainly classic items that are always in fashion.

If you need some ideas, check out these other articles: 

- A winter capsule-wardrobe;

- Spring/summer work outfits (with lots of items to build your capsule wardrobe);

- Elegant essential basics for your fall wardrobe.

5. Avoid technological consumerism

Do you really need the newest Iphone? How about the latest gadget in the market? 

You know it as well as I do that every day some new gadget is coming out on sale. It's impossible to keep up with it. Aren't you tired of being scammed out of your money just because society thinks newer is better?

Besides, even if you need a new phone, for instance, in this day and age, there are plenty of great-quality products out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. 

So why would you want to throw away your hard-earned money just to keep buying the newest thing? It doesn't make sense and it doesn't last very long because in a few months' time, it will no longer be the newest gadget on the market and it will no longer cost the same so you're just losing money.

Before you buy something because it's a new gadget or because it's a newer version, try to remember to put things into perspective: think about whether you really need it and whether you can find a cheaper version of another brand with just as much quality.

6. Don't buy brand-new cars

A lot like technology, a new car is usually a very bad investment. Cars usually depreciate to about half-price in only 2 or 3 years. 

So if you're one of those people who likes to buy new cars and sell them after 4 or 5 years, you'll be losing more than half the price of the car every time you sell it. That is usually a big hit on your wallet, although it will obviously depend on the price of the car in question.

However, if you buy a used car that's only one or two years old, it will probably have very low mileage and still be practically new. It will also be almost half the price. 

This also means that you will be able to buy a better-quality, safer car with the features that you might want. Good quality cars are more expensive when they're new but they are built to last. 

If you buy used, you will be able to buy a much better car which means your investment will be longer lasting as you won't need to trade up for some time.

7.  Cook more meals at home

Eating out or ordering take-out is a lot more expensive than having home-cooked meals. 

Restaurants need to make a profit so, naturally, your meal will always be more expensive than if you bought and cooked the food yourself.

So if you have a habit of going out to eat or ordering take-out a lot and you need to save some money, cooking your own meals more often is bound to help you have more money left over at the end of the month.

If the reason that you eat out and order food a lot is not having enough time to cook, you might want to try meal planning or even meal prepping (planning and preparing your food in advance). 

There are plenty of methods to do this, you just need to find the one that suits your lifestyle and taste and start eating delicious, money-saving, homecooked meals!

8. Switch to reusable products

Besides being better for the environment, reusable items also help you reduce your spending because you will only have to buy that item once.

Even if the discardable item is cheaper, the fact that you have to buy it over and over again will make it more expensive in the long run.

This is a really simple and painless way that you can use to save money and reduce your repetitive, monthly expenses.

If you want some ideas on what products you can switch for reusable ones, here is a list of 7 essentials to replace with reusable versions.

9. Consider changing to cheaper products or services

Sometimes we keep paying higher prices just because we're used to a service and don't want to bother changing it. 

Yes, I'm talking about things like electricity, phone services, cable tv companies, etc. You know that these companies are always competing among them so there are usually newer, cheaper packages on offer that you can change to.

So go check out the competition and find out if they're offering cheaper prices. Either tell that to the company to get a discount or consider changing to them. 

Besides those services, there are lots of white-label products these days that are just as good as brand ones but they are cheaper. 

Consider trying these cheaper products and if you like them and stick with them, you will most likely see a difference in your grocery bills.

Want to learn more about how to save money?

Read also: How to stretch your money.