favorite posts | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

10 ways I live in New York without going broke.

2 June, 2015 by Gracie 15 Comments

Over the past few years I’ve gotten a ton of questions about how I financially manage living in New York. I’ve always shied away from doing a full post on this because I’m definitely no expert when it comes to money management! I’m still learning new things and facing new challenges every day. But, here are some of the tools and things I’ve practiced that have helped me so far. I think you’ll find these really helpful if you’re moving to/living in New York, or no matter where you might live.

10 Ways To Live in NYC Without Going Broke || girlmeetslife.com

1) Create a budget with categories for every. single. expense.
A lot of people cringe at the idea of having a budget because they think it’s too constricting. I’ve found the opposite to be true - I think that having a budget is extremely freeing because it’s about controlling your money, rather than letting it control you. Having a budget is basically YOU tell your money where it’s going.

I highly suggest using these budget forms from Dave Ramsey, or something similar. Getting it all on paper is key. Don’t worry about getting your budget perfect right away - it will take a few months to figure out which categories you can allot more or less money to. But no matter what, create a category for EVERYTHING - the more detail the better.

2) Track every dollar that goes in and out.
Once again - yes, this is tedious and can be annoying. But you know what’s more annoying? Not knowing where your money went and having to scramble for it last minute. I track every expense and income I receive (to the cent) in Quickbooks. Quickbooks makes it extremely easy to track everything, create a chart of accounts, etc. + and it’s a lifesaver for reporting your taxes (you can just process and print out reports straight from there). Another great (and free) option is Mint.com.

3) Use cash/debit as much as possible.
In other words, don’t spend money you don’t have. Obviously there’s a time and a place for a credit card, but Chanel isn’t one of them. I use my (one) credit card sparingly, and I try to use it only on the same things every month. This helps keep me from getting into the habit of using it flippantly/too frequently. Sticking to cash/debit really helps you make smarter spending decisions.

4) Pay your bills and other big expenses on the front end.
I know this isn’t always easy depending on when you get paid/when bills are due, but I do my best to make my big payments as soon as my paycheck comes in. So for example, every time I get a paycheck, the first thing I do is set aside my tithe, taxes*, utilities, rent, and whatever credit card payment I want to pay that month. That way I’m not scrambling later when those are due, and I know that any money leftover is “fair game” to safely spend on other things.
*I’m self-employed so I set aside my own tax money

5) Take advantage of referral programs.
I’m not sure about other places, but in New York just about every grocery service, meal delivery service, car service, etc. offers referral rewards (pretty decent ones, too). I’ve gotten dozens of vouchers, free rides, etc. from using these. Some examples: Uber, Lyft, Seamless, Munchery, Instacart.

6) Pick your “fun money” each week.
Something I hear so often is - “How do you go out to eat so often? How do you afford SoulCycle all the time?” My answer? It’s all about BALANCE. I’m constantly making conscious decisions on what I want to splurge on. So for example, this week I decided ahead of time that I want to take 2 SoulCycle classes, so I consciously am turning down dinner plans, and walking/taking the subway everywhere instead of cabs or Uber. Other weeks, when I know I have dinners lined up, I’ll do my own free outdoor workouts. Same goes for buying new clothes, pampering, travel, etc. I’ve found that as long as I keep things as staggered as possible (and still within my budget), it all usually balances out.

7) Embrace free entertainment.
There is SO much free entertainment to be found in NYC. I mean, you can pretty much just walk out the door and find it anywhere. With countless parks, piers, sight seeing, free concerts, museums, etc. you could spend days just wandering around having fun without spending a dime.

8) Have a roommate. Or 4.
This is kind of a no-brainer, but having a roommate (or a few) is pretty much the best way to save a crap ton of money on living expenses in New York.

9) Have a side gig.
Chances are if you meet someone in New York they either already have a side gig, or they have an idea for one. Networking in New York is huge, so it’s a fairly easy place to start something new that will catch on enough to make some extra income. That’s what I did with Speakable, and that’s what I started doing with social media projects (which has now turned into my full time job).

10) Accept the fact that New York is an expensive place to live.
Obviously this isn’t so much money management advice as it’s just my personal life advice. Yes - living in New York is more expensive than most other places. If you want to live here, you just have to accept that, make your budget accordingly, and move on. It may take some getting used to at first, but it isn’t impossible. And, in my opinion, the benefits of living in the greatest city in the world make the extra budgeting and money management 100% worth it.

**********

Do you practice any of these? What’s your top money management tip/tool?

that time i took my shirt off in SoulCycle.

22 May, 2015 by Gracie 10 Comments

Yeah yeah, total clickbait title 😉

Something cool happened this morning at my SoulCycle class that I couldn’t wait to share with you.

First - some back story. About a month ago, Sydney, Rachel and I came up with a little challenge for ourselves called #MissionSBOnly. We made it to be a fun way to hold each other accountable as we all wanted to take our fitness to another level and get in our best shape ever for this summer + some upcoming trips.

What does SB stand for, you ask? Sports Bra. Mission Sports Bra Only. If you’ve ever taken a group fitness class, or even just been at a gym, you’ve probably seen that chick who has the confidence (and probably the bod to match) to rock no shirt - only a sports bra.

Well, at SoulCycle, those girls are everywhere. And they are quite inspiring, to say the least. Not just because they have rockin’ bodies, but because they have that confidence to go with it. I’ll be 100% honest with you - sometimes I look at those girls and think, “why not just put a shirt overtop?” But you know what? When I stop and check myself, I realize that that’s me judging, and even more so - that’s me being envious. I want to rock the SB only too!

Anyway. I digressed a bit there. My point is that my goal isn’t just to have that body, it’s to have that confidence. Of course one day I want to feel like my hard work has paid off and it shows on the outside. But today…today I decided that I’m not going to wait for the abs any longer.

So in the middle of my class with Danny (my first class with him - he’s definitely a new favorite) - I don’t know what came over me, but I realized I wasn’t going to wait for some big, special moment any more. I was going to MAKE that moment. So I peeled off my sweat-soaked pink tank top, and finished the class in all my sports bra only glory.

Did my body jiggle and roll in places I’d rather it not? Sure did. But did I care, or even think once what anyone else thought? Hell. To the. No. Even though my body isn’t where I want it to be one day, I rocked that sports bra only like I was the hottest, fittest girl in the room.

The funny thing is, that small decision motivated me to get where I want to be a trillion times more than feeling like I had to keep myself “covered up” until I reached my goal. It was empowering. It was freeing. A shift happened in me - not just related to fitness, but in my character.

My main takeaway from my first time being that girl in her sports bra? Don’t wait until tomorrow. Life doesn’t start 5 pounds from now. It doesn’t start when you get your dream job, meet your dream guy, or when you make six figures. It’s happening now.

And look - that doesn’t mean you can’t/shouldn’t have goals. I sure as still heck do, and getting a flatter tummy is one of them. But I wonder if the whole idea of faking it ’til you make it can help those goals come to fruition just a bit faster…

Can you relate to this? What goal in your life can you fake it till you make it right now?

strategically unstrategic.

12 May, 2015 by Gracie 6 Comments

As someone who works in Social Media, I must say the word strategic in one form or another like, 5 billion times a day. It’s a great buzz word, really. Clients love hearing that there’s a planned, well thought-out method behind the process of reaching their target demographic (and rightfully so).

Lately I’ve been thinking about this whole idea of strategy, and how it’s something we all use in our lives more than we may even realize. Think about it - so many important aspects of life are characterized by some sort of careful plan or method.

Want to win the game? Here’s your strategy.
Want to get healthy? Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Want to land the job interview? Here’s exactly what to be prepared for.
Want to get the guy? Wear this, say that, and follow this 54 page manual of how to text him.

That last one was a joke. Everyone knows the manual is only 10 pages.

Don’t get me wrong - there’s obviously a time and a place for being strategic. I’m pretty sure most of our lives would be complete messes without basics plans and methods that help us get through the everyday. But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m totally guilty of being too strategic in certain areas of my life.

For example, I actually want to think less before I speak. I find myself caring so much about what other people think that I hold back what I actually want to say. Granted, that might make things a little awkward for both parties, but I honestly don’t care anymore. I’m sick of Communication 101 conversations with people - I want truth serum!

Speaking of Social Media, I kind of think it is one of the main causes of everyone being so damn strategic these days (funny how I’m always dissing the thing I make a living off of, haha, oops). But seriously - it’s like, everything we say or do ends up out there for all the world to see, so we have to be all sorts of careful with what we’re putting out there. Even with texting, we have this time we didn’t have before to think about what we’re going to say, how we’re going to say it, and how many minutes (or hours, or days) we strategically leave in between messages. Come on, well all do it 😛

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of life being so perfectly mapped out all the time. So I’m going to do a little experiment of trying to be strategically unstrategic. No more plans, methods, or what some may call “games” to try to navigate myself to what I want.

Less thinking. More doing.
Less thinking. More saying.
Less thinking. More feeling.
Less thinking. More living.

And most importantly - more surrendering my plans to God, and taking on HIS strategy.

Anyone with me?

the sirens of life.

28 April, 2015 by Gracie 8 Comments

The other night I was laying in bed about to fall asleep. I had a ridiculously long day, and being curled up in my cozy bed with my blankets and obscene number of pillows felt like the closest to heaven one could possibly be.

As I was just about to hit that slow descend into sleep, I awoke fully and noticed something that I don’t normally even hear. Even though it was near 1am, I realized I could listen to an entire world going on outside my window (that whole “city that never sleeps” thing? 100% true). I heard the cars buzzing by, a few people drunkenly laughing with their friends (living close to nightclubs will get you that), and most noticeable - the sound of sirens from a passing ambulance.

Most people would probably get annoyed that all of those noises woke them up just as they were about to hit that nirvana state of sleep. But do you know what the first thought that came to my mind was? It was that I LOVED those noises. I love hearing cars and ruckus and sirens as they (usually) rock me to sleep in my humble little New York City apartment.

But then something hit me. I realized that it’s actually really weird and not normal to love such obnoxious interferences. Sirens especially are not the most pleasant of sounds, and when they’re going by they block out the sound of just about everything else. So a) how in the world did I come to like this sound, and b) how did I come to like the sound so much that I let it become normal, sometimes even unnoticeable to me?

I don’t know if it was because I was so close to that near-sleep stupor or because God wanted to speak to me about something (pretty sure it was the latter), but I began to think about the other “sirens” in my life. I thought, what are those not-so-pretty things that I’ve let into my life and become normal, unnoticed, or even embraced?

Let’s just say I could think of at least few, and they’re things that have more of a presence in my life than I’d like to admit. What I realized about all of them too is that they came into my life gradually. In the same way I didn’t always love falling asleep to the sound of sirens, over time these other sirens in my life snuck in slowly, discretely, and eventually I thought I had no choice but to let them in.

So, what do I do with that? Well, unlike the actual sirens I hear outside my window (which, I’m going to try to leave unnoticed since I can’t exactly control them), I have control over the sirens of life that have snuck in. If I allowed them into my life at some point, I have the ability to kick them back out. I know it’s not going to be easy, though, but thankfully that’s pretty much God’s MO.

Maybe you too have found yourself letting one too many sirens in your life go unnoticed, or even embraced/celebrate them. It may be an unhealthy habit/addiction, a relationship, or even a way of thinking. I just want to encourage you that that does not have to be your normal. Jesus came to save us and sanctify us not because we’re in trouble and need reprimanding, but because He loves us and wants us to experience His fullness of joy in our lives, and to share that unspeakable joy and peace with others.

**********

Can you relate? Do you have sirens in your life that you may not have even realized?

twenty eight {lessons learned}.

19 March, 2015 by Gracie 11 Comments

If you follow me on social media you proooobably saw that yesterday was my birthday!

I had such an amazing day from start to finish. After my 7am girls’ community group, I had the perfect “me” day - breakfast, a massage, nails, and maybe some shopping thrown in there 😉 And then a dinner + birthday party at night.

I can already tell that twenty-eight is going to be an amazing year. I’ll be honest - for the first time in my life, that number scares me just a little. Not because I don’t like getting older, and not even because I’m not where I thought I’d be, but because I just don’t FEEL how I thought I’d feel at 28. It’s weird…I can’t really explain it. I feel like I hit my “true self” age at 26, and like I’ll almost feel that way forever…? I dunno. I’m rambling.

Anyway, I thought today would be a good chance to reflect on some lessons I’ve learned lately - especially over the past year. So here they are, in no particular order.

* Start your day with prayer, meditation…whatever you want to call it. It’s a habit that will change your life.

* Have at least one full day a week where you don’t go on the computer.

* The best way to start a new friendship/relationship of any sort is to form an inside joke. Don’t force it, though.

* Nine times out of ten, more sleep is the answer.

* Partner with others. It will get you a lot further than doing it alone.

* Closure doesn’t come from anyone else. You have the strength, ability, and control to get it for yourself.

* Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

* Never “save” a good outfit (girls, you know what I’m talking about). It won’t look/feel as good next time. And who says you can’t wear it again?

* Start conversations with strangers. It’s getting more and more difficult now with social media, which is all the more reason to do it.

* Pay close attention to the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning, and the last thing you think of when you go to sleep.

* Don’t let the status of your goals dictate your happiness.

* If you want to change something about yourself, start thinking and acting like that person. Never get too set in your ways to break bad/unhealthy habits.

* If you’re scared to say something to someone, you should probably say it.

* As cliche as it is…find what makes you happy. Do those things.

* Budgeting. Do it! With your finances and your time.

* Put your phone down when out to dinner. Yes…the entire time.

* Being self-aware and socially aware are some of the most important traits a person can have.

* If not 100% sure, don’t commit to plans right away. It’s better to say you’ll get back to someone than to commit and cancel.

* A cupcake won’t kill you. Skipping a workout won’t kill you. Stressing over trivial things like that just might.

* When you see something that would be a good gift, write it down. You never remember those things when it comes time to actually get a gift.

* Be a good listener. That includes asking questions.

* Know your truths. Live accordingly.

* Never change who you are to get someone to like/love you.

* It is not normal to feel anxious or stressed all the time. Or ever, for that matter.

* Always look when exiting a door to see if anyone is behind you. Hold door accordingly.

* Unless you have a definite reason not to, always give people the benefit of the doubt.

* Girls – be on each others’ team.

* Be honest with yourself about what you want out of life – your career, relationships, etc. Don’t let other people write your story for you.

**********

Which of those lessons do you agree with most?

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes + being so supportive of me over the past 5+ years of blogging, I love each and every one of you! xo

life: more than the counterfeit.

4 February, 2015 by Gracie 10 Comments

Like most people, I love life’s pleasures. I even get particularly excited about the simple things like a good meal, an entertaining movie, intriguing conversation, and just observing the world around me.

As you can imagine, New York City is pretty much the mecca for enjoying life’s pleasures. You can do anything and everything here. You can be entertained in every which way imaginable. You can try every possible cuisine on just about any street corner. You can cross paths with people of all different walks of life. You can bump into the love of your life on the subway - one of hundreds of trains that run in an underground world, beneath the most prominent city on earth.

It’s quite the life here, to say the least.

It’s easy to get caught up in all of that. It’s especially easy when you hear over and over that New York City is THEE City. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. The city of excess. The city that doesn’t sleep.

Every so often, though (and more often lately), when I lie down to fall asleep at night, I sense the longing in my heart…in my soul…for so much more. It’s a longing I know has always been there, but it’s been so strongly masked by all of the STUFF going on around me. I can’t help but think that that’s something most New Yorkers experience, and probably everyone no matter where you live.

With that, I’ve had to come to a pretty tough realization recently, and it’s that a lot of what I strive for and chase after in life isn’t actually the real deal. So much of what I desire is based on what our society and culture has told me to desire. And so I chase these things seeking fulfillment, only to find over and over and over again that they left me feeling even more empty than before.

The thing is, I always THINK I’m going after the right things. They’re things that make me feel good…make me feel alive (for a moment, at least). So where’s the problem?

The problem is that it’s so easy to fall for the counterfeit versions of what I truly want - what I truly desire.

Counterfeit love that actually slowly breaks the heart
Counterfeit high that is never fully satisfied
Counterfeit success that is primarily self-gratifying
Counterfeit friendships that result in more loneliness than before

The counterfeit “perfect life” that makes us even harder on ourselves because we think we have it all, yet we still feel empty inside

Some people can accept the counterfeit version of life without even realizing it, and they may even have an exciting, entertaining life at that. That was me for a really long time, and it’s still easy to get caught up in it.

But there’s something in my heart that knows there’s something more - something bigger and more valuable.

Love that doesn’t just feel good, but makes us better people and gives us glimpses of the love of God
A high that comes not from drugs or alcohol, but from supernatural peace and joy unspeakable
Success that is measured by how it helps others
Friendships that are selfless and uplifting; people you can truly “do life” with
A life that may not be perfect, but it fulfills the soul

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying it’s bad to like or do things simply for the sake of enjoyment/pleasure. I LOVE life and try to have fun every single day. But I think every once in a while it’s good to do a heart check - to realize the WHY behind our desires and what we put our energy toward.

Because at the end of the day, I’m realizing that a life overflowing with counterfeit pleasures doesn’t even come close to the fulfillment of a life with purpose.