Challenge Me - A U-Turn

I took a week off writing on the blog to really check myself. We should all do that once in a while. With all the distractions that we face on a daily basis and the priorities we have.. things can become a little discombobulated to say the least. Things became a little much for me and so I took a step back to see what I could change in my life to make it all line up, per se. 

Well, I found that the blog was taking up too much of my time, not just writing it, but researching the content. Yet, I still love doing it and do not want to give it up. It wasn't that I got lazy but being a full-time wife and mother, I didn't want to steer my sights way from my first priorities and ministry. So after much prayer and thought, I can honestly say I am going to be taking TalithaZye in a slightly different direction.

My New Direction

I know that my primary readers are my friends and family, but I also know that there are also others who have been referred to this blog by friends and family and I am very thankful. But without feedback it is very difficult to see or know why exactly people read my blog. I ask myself is it because of the deals I post? The Christian content I write or to keep up with new books or entrepreneurs? All I have to go on is the statistics I read and it doesn't show me much.

I've since decided that I would love for you to join me on the challenge I have given myself. I was inspired by a lady named Kristin who founded Couponing to Disney. What she said was  

"When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I started making all these elaborate plans about a fantastic trip to Disney World when she was old enough to enjoy it. Then I saw the price tag of a Disney vacation and compared our finances and those dreams diminished. There was no way we could afford a Disney vacation with our current budget."

When Kristin finally got the hang of couponing, she realised how much she could save and used these extra savings towards a trip to Disney. Her story doesn't end there. She has since been 3 times. And every year she challenges herself to save, not just via couponing but by accumilating any loose change, doing surveys above other things. Click here to read her story.

Now that I have lived in Atlanta, Georgia for just over 3 years, I have yet to take my husband and my baby daughter back to London to meet my friends and some family and show them where I was born, educated and spiritually birthed. This really has been a burden on my heart and it is not easy to fly to London when plane tickets cost between $600 (on a great day) to $1000 (during peak time) including tax. 

I believe that God will make a way for us to go to visit my home city, but I need to step out in faith and believe He will. So if you notice the blog is no longer called " Talithazye - what's on your plate?" but "Talithazye - Challenge Me".. sounds cheesy :) I know... but if you can think of a better slogan.. feel free to share.

So my main challenge is to raise money for my family and I to be in  London for this time next year...BUT 

...at the same time, I will be challenging myself to become more efficient and a better person in all I do. For example, I may challenge myself to cook at least one vegetarian meal a week. This will be much more healthy for my husband and I..and it will expand my culinary knowledge :). .. In otherwords, I'll be setting myself long term and short term goals and this blog will hold me accountable. :)

Regarding the longterm goal of goig to London, any new methods I find to increase the fund, I will share and I will let you know my weekly totals.

I'll be honest I have already got some money stashed away as a head start.. but I'll let you know how much at the end of the week

New Content

The list below is just some of the things that I would like to insert in the blog. I hope to make the blog more 2-way than 1-way. More interesting and something to look forward to.

It will include but not limited to the following:

• Biblical Scriptures to feed us spiritual and to motivate us
• Information about London.
• Things I plan on doing when I get there - Hopefully
• How I plan on saving to get there
• Letting you know how much I have saved up - Every Friday
• Inspiring you to save for a destination, vacation, Christmas or anything personal to you - and wanting you to share.
• Challenging you to set yourself both long term and and short term goals.
• Challenges I may face on getting to my goal (getting my passport etc, looking for deals etc)
• Share your frugal habits, recipes and other ways we/I can save to put into the bank :)
• I may even TRY and do videos.. MAYBE!! lol

I Conclude

If you plan on reading the blog, please, please, PLEASE place your initials in the comment box and your location. For example, if your name is John Doe from New York, then in the comment box write JD - New York. This would be very encouraging for me, in addition, if I come across any deals in your city or state then I can share it on the blog.

Thanking you in advance and I hope to inspire you to save for whatever you want.