Hey Reader,

$9,510, my weird new $100 hotel habit… and hitting a BIG goal way ahead of schedule.

Here’s the full recap from March.

Income: $9,510.35
Expenses: $4,627.14

This was a much higher expense month than usual for me, but every dollar did have a reason.

Some of the bigger ones:

→ $1,300 to my accountant to handle our business and personal taxes. Worth every cent, especially because we’re getting a refund this year. The last time that happened was 2018, when I still had a W2 job. Wild.

→ I booked six hotel stays over the next four months and paid for it all up front.

This might sound weird, but it’s genuinely one of the most effective things I have done lately.

My house is loud, I’ve got really super young kids at home, and there’s no coworking space nearby.

So now, every once in a while, I book a ~$100-$170ish hotel.

I work in the lobby before check-in, get a quiet room by 3pm, do a big deep work focus session, sleep uninterrupted, and wake up early to knock out hours of focused work before noon.

I did it twice at the start of March and made an extra $2,000 in my business so I decided to go ahead and book out more stays over the next several months.

It’s way cheaper the farther ahead I book it.

→ LLC renewal fee - This is a yearly fee I have to pay to keep my business in operation

Those three things were 80% of my expenses last month

So… the goals.

At the start of the year, I set a goal to save $24,000 for retirement.

I assumed it would take me the full year.

Instead…

$24,022 saved. In March! 🥳

A few things all ending up happening at once for me to hit that goal:

1. We got our taxes done and found out we’re getting a refund (again… still not over that).

I was able to put that refund, plus all the extra money I was saving in case I had to pay in for taxes towards retirement.

2. I had leftover money from my maternity leave savings. We didn’t end up using most of what I had saved and now that I don’t have a newborn I feel comfortable moving that money somewhere else.

3. I follow profit first and save 5% of every dollar I earn into a “bonus” fund. I haven't touched that little bonus pot of money in awhile.

I pulled it all together, added what I could from March, and just… went for it.

$24k moved over into our retirement accounts!

In April.

I’m super proud of this one.

The rest of my goals are moving too, but at a much more normal pace.

Launching a new offer → happening, just slower than I’d like
​Weekly emails → consistently getting done (you’re reading one)
​New opt-ins → one coming very soon

Overall, March felt like a turning point.

Things are working.

Not perfectly. Not all at once.

But enough to feel it.

❤️ Mara

P.S. — my best friend also came over last month and organized my entire pantry.

I don't know if you can tell from the photos but it is soooooo much better.