How to Balance Full-Time School and Full-Time Work (10 Helpful Tips)

by biesingerfirejourney | Jan 4, 2022 | Retire & Enjoy

This post may contain affiliate links; please see our disclaimer for details.

Managing full-time school and full-time work is no easy task. Although it takes serious determination, the rewards can be outstanding!

Just remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I went to school full-time and worked a full-time job for many years. This allowed me to graduate student debt-free and make $250,000 in profits through real estate investments!

“The average cost of college in the United States is $35,720 per student per year. The cost has tripled in 20 years, with an annual growth rate of 6.8%.”

Education Data

In addition to tuition, many other expenses can add up fast, such as books, housing, and food, and more.

If you are still struggling to make ends meet or looking for ways to save money, you can check out this article I wrote sharing 11 Money Tips That Helped Me Graduate Student Debt Free.

We saved money by switching our phone plans to Mint Mobile.

Having full-time work and a full-time school schedule may sound too hard, but many people have successfully pulled it off. Even those with children like me! 🙂

My wife told me the following story back when she was in a college class

First, her professor asked everyone who is a full-time student with at least part-time work to raise a hand. Then she asked those who are full-time students with full-time jobs to keep their hands raised. Lastly, she asked those who do full-time school with full-time jobs and have kids to keep their hands up.

… And you know what?

There were still 4-5 people in the class with their hands raised! This was not a large-sized class either.

This was a big ‘wow’ moment showing there are many people out there doing full-time school and full-time work while raising kids. My wife never imagined her future husband (me) will be one of them.

So let’s jump into the 10 powerful tips I learned from my own experiences that helped me successfully balance full-time school and a full-time job.

1. Write Down and Review Long-Term Goals

Think about then write down your career and life goals for the next year, but also 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10-year goals.

Taking the time to write down and remember those goals is crucial because it gives you an empowered mindset.

When things get tough, remember that doing full-time school with a full-time job will not last forever, it is temporary and will help you achieve your goals faster.

Short-term pain brings long-term happiness; this type of sacrifice is very worthwhile.

Two years into my Bachelor’s program I started working a full-time job and being a full-time student. Shortly after graduating, I did my two-year MBA program as a full-time student with a full-time job.

Looking back, I know it was a challenging time but it was so rewarding. Graduating with my MBA from Washington State University in August of 2021 was a valuable accomplishment.

Especially now seeing how I can provide good financial support for my family and how I’ve found a job I love, etc.

I have no regrets; many of my goals have become a reality too.

My wife said that when she looks back, she has forgotten how painful delivering a baby was. She remembers how cute the baby is and how grateful she is to have our lovely children now.

Having a baby is much harder, but things worth it in life don’t come easy.

Set meaningful goals and work hard to achieve them. This is vital to finding success and a driving force to support you during hard times.

2. Keep Work, School, and Home Nearby

Time is a valuable yet limited resource!

When working and studying full-time, It is very beneficial to have work, school, and home close to each other (physically). A TON of time and money can be saved by having a shorter commute between work, school, and home.

A few months after marrying my sweetheart, we purchased our first home. The property was an older, cute townhome built-in 1970 with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths.

But the location was ideal, only a 10-minute commute from my work and school.

A year later, I received an offer as an account manager, and we were able to purchase our second real estate property. It is a cozy 3 bedroom/2 bath condo built-in in 2002.

The location of our second property (the condo) was very close to our college, our first property, and my new company! On average, the drive was only 10-15 minutes.

The condo was also 3-5 minutes from Walmart, Costco, and other shopping districts! This made it easy to get groceries and other items.

So try at all costs to cut down on commutes. I understand this may be difficult for many, but don’t fret; there are more ways to find balance and save time.

3. Find a Job That Offers Flexibility

Look for a company that offers flexible working hours or even a work-from-home option.

I am very grateful my work allowed me some flexibility during college. My manager was very understanding and knew I worked hard as a full-time student.

For example, if I had a school final on a certain day, I could go into the office later or make up my work project later.

Being a hard worker in the workplace is very important. It helps upper management know you are a dedicated employee and could help you receive more flexibility in the workplace.

Shortly after I started my MBA, my wife and I started working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

I think COVID-19 has certainly changed the way we all think about work. Many companies are now offering more remote positions or offering hybrid schedules.

My wife can now work from home permanently, and I am on a hybrid schedule where I work in the office Monday-Wednesday but work from home on Thursday and Friday.

Working remotely or having a flexible work schedule has helped me in many ways. It has given me an amazing work-life balance and made life more enjoyable.

4. Make Smart use of PTO

Not everyone is lucky to find a flexible job or a work-from-home position. If that’s your case, it’s important to use PTO (Paid Time Off) wisely.

My schedule was fixed while working in a call center when I started college. I needed to use PTO if I had any important school things.

Using PTO allowed me more time to prepare for my finals or big school-related projects.

PTO was precious like gold for me as a full-time student and working full time, so I tried hard not to use it unwisely.

5. Consider Taking Online Classes

Driving to and from school takes time, especially for full-time students who have full-time jobs. Online courses are a very good choice to help save more time and increase flexibility.

The flexibility of online courses combined with less time commuting makes sense for those with a busy lifestyle.

During my bachelor’s degree, I received my first salaried job offer and left my call center job.

I then decided to switch all my college classes to online, so my schedule could be more flexible, and it sure was!

When applying for my MBA, I sent an application to Washington State University. One big reason was that they offer online MBA courses.

Online classes have been a lifesaver!

6. Increase Efficiency

Efficiency is very important, especially when life has so much going on with deadlines to meet when with full-time school and work.

We don’t want something that can be done in one hour to end up costing two hours, right?

Create a designated study workspace to become more efficient while working on assignments or working from home.

I always treasured having my own office/study space. If you don’t have an extra room, that’s ok! The goal is to find a quiet place free from distractions.

Add elements to your study space to keep you focused and on track. For example, I enjoy having a whiteboard to write down important deadlines coming up and my long-term goals printed out with some inspiring photos, etc.

Last but not least – put the phone and/or other distracting things away! This may be hard at first but will pay off.

7. Create a Schedule and To-Do List

As a full-time student with a full-time job, life will get so busy, and frequently I find myself forgetting things that need to be done.

Do your best to stick to a schedule and a to-do list with specific deadlines. This is an important aspect of balancing full-time work and full-time school.

Once committed to a task or project, write it down ASAP. If you wait, you might forget it later on.

Check your schedule and to-do list and update them daily with what has been accomplished and what needs to be worked on later.

I won’t lie; it took me a while to get a system down that worked for me.

Try writing down everything needed in one week, then break down assignments and tasks into ‘bite-sized’ chunks.

I started as the world’s greatest procrastinator, but I changed greatly during my full-time school and work life.

Getting things done on time or ahead of time will also help your mental health; it certainly helped reduce my stress.

8. Be Willing to Sacrifice

To successfully work and study full-time, you need to be willing to sacrifice – no other way to put it. Just remember, short-term pain will bring long-term happiness!

When roommates, friends, coworkers, and family invite you to hang out, sometimes you need to be ready to say no, and that’s ok! I know it is hard because I’m an extrovert and love socializing with people!

I knew spending too much time hanging out would break my efficient schedule and to-do list, creating more stress in my already stressful life.

Since I graduated, I have had more time to hang out with my friends. Sometimes they will still talk about how busy I was when back I was in college, but true friends understand and will be happy for you.

Another sacrifice is spending less time watching TV, being on social media, etc.

First, I want to say that you don’t have to be as extreme as I am. My wife and I deleted our accounts on Facebook and Instagram. We did this to increase efficiency, amongst other reasons.

Now we have some business social media accounts, we would love for you to follow us!

9. Take Mental-Health Breaks

Life will get frustrating and overwhelming at times. Please make sure to take care of your mental health while going to school and working full-time.

Taking breaks is good – take them in moderation.

For example, having a nice rest, walking, watching a movie, enjoying a meal, and hanging out with friends.

Proper relaxation can benefit your work and study life, helping your mind stay on track.

10. Special Bonus Tip for Parents

So life gets even crazier when kids are in the picture. Our first kid was born while I was still working on my MBA. I still remember trying to finish my assignments early in my wife’s delivery room before our baby was officially born.

I also remember in my MBA class, one of my classmates told us she finished our project WHEN she was in the hospital and had contractions.

No matter how busy life gets, it’s important to remember family time. Time needs to be spent building important relationships with family.

I love spending time with my wife and kids, but we plan wisely on when and where we will hang out.

Relationships are the spice of life!

I would always do my homework after my baby was sleeping because I wanted to help my wife and spend time with our baby.

I don’t want to miss any special moments of fatherhood and raising a kid.

Remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Recap of all 10 tips:

• Write Down and Remember Your Long-Term Goals
• Keep Work, school, and Home nearby
• Find a Job That Offers Flexibility
• Make Smart Use PTO
• Consider Taking Online Classes
• Increase Efficiency
• Create a Schedule and To-Do List
• Be Willing to Sacrifice
• Take Mental-Health Breaks
• Special bonus Tips for Parents

Can you Balance Full Time School and Full-Time Work?

The answer is ABSOLUTELY you can!

I was able to pull it off, and you can too if you so desire! Follow the 10 steps above to help give you a good start on finding balance.

Thanks so much for reading! We’d love to hear your thoughts or questions; drop a comment below!

Disclaimer:

We hope the information in this article provides valuable insights to every reader but we, the Biesingers, are not financial advisors. When making your personal finance decisions, research multiple sources and/or receive advice from a licensed professional. As always, we wish you the best in your pursuit of financial independence!

How to Create a S.M.A.R.T Health Goal (Step-by-Step)

by biesingerfirejourney | Dec 29, 2021 | Retire & Enjoy

This post may contain affiliate links; please see our disclaimer for details.

Introduction

Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals has been a powerful first step towards improving my health.

Simply put, the purpose of a S.M.A.R.T. goal is to give oneself a clear picture of what the goal is, how it will be achieved, and when it must be completed.

While explaining each aspect of the S.M.A.R.T. goal system below, I will add my personal experience on my own S.M.A.R.T. health goal I set in the past AND achieved!

Remember, it’s okay to work on each part of the S.M.A.R.T. goal system simultaneously. These goals can be applied to personal finance or any category in life! Check out the empowering reward section to see how my goal helped me save money.

What does SMART stand for?

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

Before creating a S.M.A.R.T. goal, write down your day-to-day schedule so you are aware of any time constraints or conflicts.

I’ve found it helpful to create both long-term and short-term S.M.A.R.T. goals.

In this article, I will walk through how I created my long-term S.M.A.R.T. goal. It started as a vague goal of me wanting to lose weight but turned into an empowering S.M.A.R.T. health goal.

How to make your health goal SPECIFIC

Take some time to create a clear mental image of what goal you want to accomplish and how you can accomplish it, then write it down in detail.

Make sure the details are crystal clear with no room for misinterpretation.

Try to not be too vague, such as “I will eat healthier”.

My experience: To make my goal specific, I added that I wanted to lose 35 pounds and do intermittent fasting, have a low-calorie diet, and exercise.

How to make your health goal MEASURABLE

Make your health goal measurable by adding metrics to the HOW you will achieve the goal.

Breaking up a large goal into smaller milestones is also very helpful.

My experience: I made my HOW more measurable by choosing 10 am – 6 pm for my intermittent fasting routine. I added the metric of 2,000 or fewer calories a day and added 20 minutes a day of exercise.

The underlined portion from the paragraph above depicts how I was able to make my HOW measurable.

By making goals measurable you will know 100% whether you fully hit the goal or not.

How to make your health goal ATTAINABLE

A goal is attainable when it can be reached on or before a certain deadline.

The biggest recommendation I can give is to start where you are at.

Add flexibility to your goal as well so it is not too difficult to complete, prepare for the unexpected.

Take some time to write down your day-to-day schedule with any potential barriers or challenges you may need to overcome. Doing so will help you become aware of any time constraints and mentally prepare to overcome barriers.

My experience: At first I wanted a more intense intermittent fasting schedule by only having a 4-hour eating window. I quickly realized that was not realistic so I changed the schedule to 10 am to 6 pm.

I wanted to do 1,500 calories a day as my calorie consumption metric but instead changed the limit to 2,000 or less so it would not be too difficult to accomplish.

For exercise, I had tried many times to work out for 45+ minutes but kept failing. I needed to start where I was at so I decided on 20 minutes of exercise, 3 days a week.

Later on, I increased my workout time and frequency to where I was able to work out for 45 minutes, 4-5 days a week.

How to make your health goal RELEVANT

A relevant goal means that each aspect of the goal aligns with your purpose and enhances your sense of worth.

Begin with the end in mind, and make sure the goal doesn’t put off other priorities or create an imbalance in life.

My experience: My S.M.A.R.T. health goal was relevant because it would help me complete my life purpose by living a long and healthy life.

Going back to the realistic portion of the S.M.A.R.T. goal system, I made sure my goal was attainable and did not take away from other important aspects of my life.

How to make your health goal TIME-BOUND

Adding an end date or deadline will make your goal time-bound.

There are many ways to stay accountable to the deadline, try finding one that keeps you motivated.

My experience: I used HealthyWage to help me create a deadline for my goal and stay accountable. I also bet money to lose weight which is really cool and motivating to me.

By using their app, I was able to track how much weight I had lost and know what weight I should be at each week so I do not fall behind. If you’re interested in learning more click here and get $40 automatically added to your prize! – Start your HealthyWager today and get paid for losing weight.

Find an Empowering Reward

Don’t just have a WHY to achieving your goal, have an empowering reward.

An empowering reward should be something real that is felt or seen upon completing your S.M.A.R.T. health goal.

Be specific when thinking about and writing down your empowering reward. Make sure it instills an intense positive emotion when thinking about it.

Completing a triathlon was one of my empowering rewards. The sense of accomplishment and how I would feel when completing the triathlon was a motivating force to keep me going.

Honestly, another compelling reward was the fact that I wouldn’t be spending as much money on junk food. I loved eating unhealthy and spent way too much money eating out and on snack items. Getting healthy ended up going a long way to helping us save money.

Visualize your empowering reward frequently. It should fill you with a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Another empowering reward for me was thinking about how I would feel when I lost 35 pounds – clothes would fit better, I would be more confident, energetic, happy, better looking, etc.

Lastly, I highly recommend putting your empowering reward somewhere you can see it often.

Conclusion

Here is the long-term health goal I created using the S.M.A.R.T. goal system- “Lose 35 pounds in 6 months by intermittent fasting from 10 am – 6 pm, consuming 2,000 or fewer calories, and exercise 20min, x3 a week”.

This goal of mine later evolved into longer exercise times and more frequently exercising as I progressed closer to my triathlon date and weight loss deadline.

Take time to really think about each of the S.M.A.R.T. goal system when creating your health goals. Also, don’t forget to create an empowering reward!

When making any health changes, please search multiple sources and consult with a doctor or health professional. The information found in this post comes from my own personal experiences and may need to be adjusted for someone else.

For more inspiration on how to achieve your goals in 2022, please check out this other article I made: How to Set and Achieve Health Goals in 2022.

Thank you for reading! Please drop a comment or question below!

Disclaimer

The content on this blog includes our personal experiences and opinions in regard to pursuing a healthier lifestyle. We hope the information provides valuable insights to every reader but we are not health advisors. When making your health choices, we recommend researching multiple sources and/or receiving advice from a doctor or licensed health professional.

Why Intermittent Fasting Really Works! (Lost 35 pounds)

by biesingerfirejourney | Dec 22, 2021 | Retire & Enjoy

This post may contain affiliate links; please see our disclaimer for details.

Many of you have probably heard of the weight-loss method known as Intermittent Fasting, but what is it really? In this post, I will go over what I’ve learned about intermittent fasting and how it accelerated my weight loss when I decided to lose 35 pounds.

Using Intermittent Fasting also helped me save money since not only did I know when to eat but what I would eat more which saved me money.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Simply put, Intermittent Fasting is when you decide to go without food (fast) for a certain period of time. The duration of the fast can vary which makes it quite flexible to fit most schedules.

During the fasting period, drinking water, black coffee, or other zero-calorie beverages is okay. Having lots of liquids is essential for weight loss in general but also helps keep you full while fasting.

Although counting calories is not required during eating, you’ll see the best results by consuming ‘good’ or healthy calories that are nutrition dense. Many foods out there are healthy, delicious, and can fill you up.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Accelerate Fat Loss

• Ketosis: When fasting, it is common to enter a state called ketosis much faster than when not fasting. Ketosis is when the body burns stored fat rapidly and primarily burns fat for energy.
• Food Awareness: Sometimes it is very easy to just eat, eat, eat. Snacking tends to happen less are paying more attention to when you can and cannot consume calories.
• Healthy Liquids: Intermittent Fasting reminds me of the importance of getting enough liquids each day which aids in weight loss.
• Longer Fat Burning: The fasting period allows your body to fully digest any food to start burning fat and keep burning it for a longer period of time.

Common Intermittent Fasting Schedules

There are many different Intermittent Fasting schedules out there. After testing out a couple of different schedules, I found one that works great with my family and work schedule.

I’ve included a brief summary below of some of the most common types of intermittent fasting schedules.

• 16:8 – The fast period lasts 16 hours with an 8-hour eating window. This type of intermittent fasting schedule is the one I am currently doing, and it seems to be one of the more popular schedules.
• 20:4 – The fast period lasts 20 hours with a 4-hour eating window. This type of intermittent fasting schedule may be more challenging to maintain.
• ADF – Alternate-day fasting, where you eat one day and then fast the next.
• 5:2 – For five days you can normally eat then on two days of the same week you can consume much fewer calories. This type of intermittent fasting schedule may be a good option for beginners.
• Skip a Meal – This one is pretty straightforward. Skipping a meal or two once in a while is one form of intermittent fasting.
• OMAD – This stands for one meal a day with no limit to calories or what can be eaten for one meal. For best results, eating whole, healthy foods is still best.

I know there are many options out there so try not to be overwhelmed!

The most important thing in my opinion is to start small and find a schedule that works for your schedule and can be maintained over time.

Benefits and Success I’ve Seen from Intermittent Fasting

Fasting, in general, has a wide range of benefits for the body and mind. Me personally, I’ve noticed an enormous increase in clarity and self-control.

I’ve also felt loads of natural energy and don’t feel weighed down by constantly having tons of food being digested.

My weight loss has been accelerated by intermittent fasting! I started a HealthyWage earlier in 2021 and made a bet to lose 35 pounds in 6 months (270 to 235 lbs).

If you’re looking for something to keep you motivated and accountable, I highly recommend starting a HealthyWage challenge! To see how you could win money to lose weight click here – Start your HealthyWager today and get paid to lose weight! If you sign up with the link above you’ll get an additional $40 automatically added to your prize money!

When I first started the HealthyWage challenge my weight had many ups and downs for weeks. A large part of this was my inability to control my eating and snacking.

I then implemented a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule where I ate between 10 am to 6 pm and fasted the rest of the time (I’m doing this again now to get down to 200 lbs).

I finally started to see a more consistent drop in weight. By controlling when I ate, I became more aware of what I was eating which allowed me to eat healthier and lose weight faster!

Snacking all the time became a thing of the past. I had an incredible feeling of control over WHEN and WHAT I ate.

By utilizing intermittent fasting I was able to smoothly reach my goal of 235 lbs!

Now I would like to share with you some success tips I’ve used while Intermittent Fasting.

Tip #1 – Don’t go too long without food

When first starting intermittent fasting for one reason or another I would sometimes go too long without eating food.

Going too long without eating would leave me in a cranky mood with intense cravings. Once I finally ate I would not feel satisfied and would often look for more unhealthy snacks to fill me up and boost my energy levels.

Being prepared is key.

I would have healthy and yummy food ready to eat once I broke my fast. That way I would not put off eating. This could be as simple as your favorite fruit or a granola bar.

I would also carefully plan to ensure I could eat a healthy snack or meal when I broke my fast. Sometimes meetings would arise but I would make sure to have a healthy snack ready to go.

Tip #2 – Be flexible

I found incredible success through intermittent fasting, but I was definitely not 100% perfect!

Being consistent most of the time is key.

I also made little adjustments to my fasting strategy; in other words, I wasn’t too strict!

For example, in addition to liquids, I would also allow myself to eat fruit during my fasting period. I am not a big breakfast person so I would be fine in the mornings but after 6 pm I would sometimes eat fruit which would go a long way to combat cravings. Additionally, many fruits are mostly water and thus easier to digest.

Tip #3 – Stay hydrated!

Staying hydrated during both fasting and eating windows is very important.

Drinking a lot of water helped me stay full and coffee in the mornings also worked amazing for me.

Coffee has many benefits and would help me feel full with a nice energy boost. I wouldn’t drink it every day but a few days a week.

Another fantastic drink I enjoy is hot honey lemon water. It’s both refreshing and great tasting.

I enjoy zero-sugar sodas and artificially sweetened drinks like Crystal Light. I tried to drink these types of drinks less often though.

Tip #4 – Stay Active!

Staying active and moving helps a ton when losing weight, especially when combined with intermittent fasting.

Everyone is different, but I didn’t seem to have any problems exercising during my fasting period. Some may find it easier however to exercise during the eating window.

In conclusion, I hope that some of my experiences can help those wanting to better understand intermittent fasting or those who want to see someone who has found success with it.

Everyone is different, and consulting a health professional is a good idea before jumping into a new diet or weight loss strategy.

Please comment below with your thoughts and/or experiences with intermittent fasting!

Disclaimer

The content on this blog includes our personal experiences and opinions in regard to pursuing a healthier lifestyle. We hope the information provides valuable insights to every reader but we are not health advisors. When making your health choices, we recommend researching multiple sources and/or receiving advice from a doctor or licensed health professional.