January No-Low Spend Challenge 2014: END RESULTS

As you may recall, I am following along with Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents Two in her Money Saving Challenge for this year.  For the month of January I will be following along with Carla on her “Low-No Spend January Challenge.” I think this goes along perfectly with our family decision to go to all cash for expenses.
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It is now January 31, 2014....time to do a final check in and see how I have been doing on my challenges....

For January, then my goals for the No/LOW spend challenge are as follows and this is how I did for the month:

1. $100 a week for both groceries, household and health and beauty products. Our freezer is pretty full, thanks to the ¼ hog we got for Christmas. I think this is totally doable. Our spending on groceries and household stuff skyrocketed in November and December with extra spending and impulse buying…time to reign it in. Whatever is left each week will be divided into ½ in savings and ½ to debt repayment. Well, this week we went over again. I have come to figure out that we are going to have to up our grocery budget in February. Probably closer to $120 a week for just food. I think we can keep our household expenses to under $80 a month. 
2. No eating out. We are putting this as a family goal. We have already warned the kids that we will not be getting fast food in January. We will not turn down eating out if someone is treating our family, such as my in-laws taking the whole family out, but we will NOT be spending money on eating out.)  We ate out 1 time in January--dinner at Bob Evans. We DID NOT HAVE ANY FAST FOOD! That is huge for our family. We will re-introduce eating out into our budget, but we will eat out 1 time a week. So I will call this one a win! 
3. I would like to have 15 no spend days. I found a resource that I will use to track our spending and hopefully help me get a better grip on where our money is going. I knocked this one out of the park. We had 21 no-spend days! :) :) HAPPY DANCE TIME!!!
4. I am going to try to do the 52 week money challenge. I am still trying to decide which version I would like to do. I will update when I decide. I have decided NOT to do this.

So the challenge may have looked like it was a failure, in reality I learned a lot about where our money was going and what in reality our costs are. It was an eye opener to me. And to me that was a good thing. I am glad that I took part and now have a better picture of where our money goes. I will still be working on getting our grocery budget down and not going hog wild eating out. 

I have decided to keep tracking our expenses through February and will be back tomorrow with FEBRUARY CHALLENGE! 
  

How was your January? 

I, Walter (book review)

I, Walter

MY THOUGHTS:

I, Walter by Mike Hartner centers around the character of Walter, a commoner, living with his family in Elizabethan England. As a teenager, Walter leaves home to forge a better place for himself in the world. He is taken under the wing of Bart on a ship heading out to the sea. What follows is a story of good coming to good people, heroes being formed, pirate fights and a romance to be found. The story of Walter is told because Walter is writing his story for the ages, while in the throws of malaria and toward his death bed as an old man.

I will tell you that I was enthralled with the story I, Walter . It is a fanciful story that will transport you to the seaports of the ancient world, you will root for Walter and his friends while they fight off pirates.You will see the beaches and seaports as if they were real to you. You will laugh at the hilarity of some of the writing. You will ache for the many hard decisions that Walter has had to make in his life. And this book will keep you rooting for the good guy to overcome.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I read it over the course of 2 nights and only put it down because I was too exhausted to continue reading. It was an enjoyable read and kept me interested. I would recommend it to anyone looking for romance, and adventure and a feel good story all wrapped into one. I, Walter is the first in a series of books in a saga which will span continents and time to arrive in present day North America, and after reading this one I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! 


Disclaimer: I was sent this book through the Kate Tilton Book Bloggers program and the author. All reviews are my own.

Snow/ Cold Day--Day 2

Saw this on facebook this morning, and just had to share!
original source

Today, my daughter's school and the place that I work at is closed again. We were also closed yesterday due to the dangerous wind chills we are experiencing around here. This is our calamity day #5...unless the governor changes the law, then any more days off due to snow/cold we will have to make up probably at the end of the school year. Some schools in our area have used 11 snow days so far!

Right now, as I am typing this up, it is -2F outside with a wind chill of -15F. That is an improvement from an hour ago when it was -7F and wind chills were -22F. All I know is that it is COLD. Here in the house, the furnace is working non-stop and it is still down to 64F here.  I am not looking forward to our gas bill. I shouldn't complain though, at least we have heat.

Yesterday, I spent the morning on the couch covered up and the afternoon in bed with a nasty head cold. Today I feel a little better. Still have the head cold, but have more energy so am hoping to get some things done.

I have promised the kids pizza, oranges and carrots for lunch since Rebecca was upset that she would miss pizza day at school. Thankfully I have a cheese pizza in the freezer for the kids :)

Also on my to do list for today is folding the 6 loads of laundry now sitting on top of my dining room table, and putting them away, stripping the kids' beds and washing, drying and folding their blankets. Dusting the kids' rooms. I also want to tackle my desk area and file things and set up 2014 files for bills.

I think that should keep me busy and I hope I can get most of those things accomplished.

What about you? 

How is the weather where you are? 

What do you hope to get accomplished today? 

My goals for the week

Inspired by Crystal Paine's new book "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life " , I have decided to start making a list of 10 weekly goals that I hope to accomplish this week. Each week I hope to post a listing of my goals for the week in the categories of: marriage, mothering, personal, blogging and homemaking.
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FIRST LET'S RECAP LAST WEEK:

My goals for last week were:

MARRIAGE GOALS:

• Leave Bill at least one love note on our whiteboard on nights that he works late.
• Make a list of possible date night ideas for the future.

MOTHERING GOALS:

• Read at least one book to each child before bed each night (did this most nights)
• Sign Jacob up for YMCA Spring Soccer 

HOMEMAKING GOALS:

• Clean out file box from 2013 to prepare it for 2014
• Continue to follow cleaning routine that we implemented a few weeks ago

PERSONAL GOALS:

• Get back to drinking just one pop a day
• Eat at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal

BLOG GOALS:

• Write 3 book reviews and schedule to publish to get caught up on book reviews (got 2 written....)
• Write one content piece about being snubbed

So it looks like I got one goal accomplished under each category. 50%....There is a few reasons for that...we are dealing with illness. During the middle of the week, Jacob was sick for 24 hours. Then Friday both Bill and I woke up sick and were sick all weekend long with a head/chest cold thing. Then we got 7 inches of snow Saturday and Sunday. It was not conducive to us feeling better or getting things done. But onwards and upwards, right? 

So looking forward to this week, HERE ARE THIS WEEKS GOALS: 

MARRIAGE GOALS:

• Leave Bill at least one love note on our whiteboard on nights that he works late.
• Make a list of possible date night ideas for the future.

MOTHERING GOALS:

• Read at least one book to each child before bed each night 
• Sign Jacob up for YMCA Spring Soccer (need to do this before Friday as the price jumps another $20 on Friday)

HOMEMAKING GOALS:

• Clean out file box from 2013 to prepare it for 2014
• Continue to follow cleaning routine that we implemented a few weeks ago

PERSONAL GOALS:

• Get back to drinking just one pop a day
• Eat at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal

BLOG GOALS:

• Write 3 book reviews and schedule to publish to get caught up on book reviews

What about you? Do you make weekly goals?

 Care to share what your weekly goals are? 

Sunday Night Chit Chat

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!  And since it is Sunday, it is time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla! 

To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

So here goes:

The other day, Rebecca drew a picture of her Daddy.
 I think it looks just like him. 

• Reading?  Nothing right now. I have 3 books that I need to write reviews for. 
• Listening to?  Bill explaining what a "Pro Bowl" is to Rebecca. 
• Watching? Hubby is watching the Pro Bowl football game. 
• Cooking/Baking? I made hot ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner for the kids. I made queso with sausage for me and chicken noodle soup for Bill. I also made caramel turtle brownies today.
• Happy you accomplished this week? Finished reading  I, Walter. Had a good meeting with my boss. 
• Looking forward to next week? I am hoping to survive the next polar vortex with minimal damage. It is supposed to be wind chills of -50F. Looking forward to making through this last week of January, and hopefully reach our goal of 20 no spend days.
• Thankful for today? That we didn't have to go anywhere important the last 2 days and could just hibernate at home.     
• *Bonus Question* Do you have any phobias? Yep...spiders, snakes and bats.  

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

Hibernating today....

This is a photo out my kitchen window this morning. We have gotten probably 3-4 inches of snow overnight...but the problem is the howling winds. The snow is just drifting in huge piles.

 I live on a major road in our town...if you keep going down this road about 2 blocks you get to where all the stores and restaurants are. Our county is under a Level 2 snow emergency, which means that roads are very hazardous and if you don't have to go out, don't. They are asking people to call their employers to see if they need to be in.

We are supposed to get another 1-3 inches today and then 1-3 inches more with another weather system tomorrow.

Then the real fun begins...Monday night into Tuesday we are supposed to get down to -16F as the actual temperature, and the wind chill is supposed to be a balmy -50F. YIKES is all I have to say. I am making sure all of our sweatsuits are clean today especially for the kids as I am sure our house will get chilly.

On the positive there are only 55 days until Spring (including today).....

How is the weather where you are? 

Feeling snubbed

Last weekend we received an invitation in the mail that I had been expecting. However, it was not the exact type of invitation that I was expecting.

I have a friend that is getting married on March 1.  This person I consider a close friend. She was the first person outside of the doctor and nurses and Bill and I to hold Benjamin after he was born. She spent more time at the hospital when I had Benjamin with me, than my own parents did. I would trust her with my kids in a heartbeat.

I have known about the upcoming wedding since last year. We were sent an engagement announcement. Rebecca and I are invited to her upcoming bridal shower. We apparently are NOT invited to the actual wedding. Instead we are invited to the reception only.

What the....?

I don't get it. I am feeling kind of snubbed, especially after I found out that several people that I thought were not as good friends with her have been invited to both the wedding and the reception. There are over 100 people invited to both and another 100 to the reception only. Both wedding and reception are taking place at the same place on the same day.

We will go...but I am feeling snubbed. It just seems wrong to me...I feel that the wedding is the most important part and not the reception. I don't know. I know it is her wedding, but it just rubs me the wrong way.

Take Charge of Your Emotions by Dr. Linda J. Solie (book review)

Take Charge of Your Emotions: Seven Steps to Overcoming Depression, Anxiety, and Anger

From the back cover: 

Do you sometimes have emotions you can't explain or don't want? You are not alone--and there is help. Whether you are challenged with significant bouts of depression or anxiety, periods of longstanding emotional pain, frequent temper flare-ups, or only an occasional unwelcome mood, Take Charge of Your Emotions is relevant to your life.

Psychologist Linda Solie guides you through seven steps to dealing with negative or destructive feelings. You will learn and practice time-tested skills that offer relief from painful emotions, including how to
· Identify exactly what you are feeling
· Understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
· Choose new ways to think that produce emotional and behavioral change 

No matter where you are emotionally or what you are dealing with, you can change the way you feel and behave. With nearly thirty years of hands-on cognitive/behavioral experience, Dr. Solie provides tools designed to help you find freedom and joy.

My thoughts: 

Take Charge of Your Emotions: Seven Steps to Overcoming Depression, Anxiety and Anger by Dr. Linda J. Solie is a great resource for anyone who is suffering from depression and anxiety. In her book, Dr. Solie offers steps to take to take charge of your personal emotions using tools such as changing the way you talk to yourself, building a solid foundation through your relationships with people and with Christ, and finding joy in your life. Dr. Solie teaches us how to journal our feelings and shows us how to take negative self talk and change it into a positive for our life in all situations.

I found this book to be packed full meaningful information. It is NOT a quick fix for those, as myself, who are struggling with anxiety and depression. It took me several weeks to read through this book as it is so full of information and Dr. Solie wants you to stop and learn how to journal along the way. I found that it was a helpful resource in changing the way that I think and I am now choosing to be more positive and to stop the negative self talk. 

I would recommend this book to anyone dealing with negative self-talk, depression and anxiety. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for a honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine (book review)

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life

From the back cover:

Calling the super busy, the stressed out, the overtired.

You know you're made for a more fulfilling life. With this book, you’ll know where to start.

You wake up tired. Your to-do list is too long. The commitments—and the laundry—are piling up, but your energy keeps dwindling. You feel like you're simply making it through the days, not living or enjoying any part of them.

In Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, you'll find both practical ideas and big-picture perspective that will inspire you to live life on purpose. As a wife, mother of three, and founder of the wildly successful blog MoneySavingMom.com, Crystal Paine has walked the road from barely surviving to living with intention. With the warmth and candor of a dear friend, she shares what she's learned along the way, helping you:

• feel healthier and more energetic by setting priorities and boundaries
• eliminate stress with savvy management of your time, money, and home
• get more done by setting realistic goals and embracing discipline
• rediscover your passions—and the confidence to pursue them

Packed with straightforward solutions you'll use today and inspirational stories you'll remember for years, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is a must for any woman who's ever longed for the freedom to enjoy life, not just survive it.

My thoughts:

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY MOM!

This book shares Crystal Paine's journey from being a depressed, stressed out, over- scheduled mom who felt like she was drowning in life to now one of the most famous blogger in the world and who offers sound, practical advice for the everyday woman to become the best mom and person that she can be. Instead of barely surviving life, Paine offers compassionate advice and tips to help women to live empowered, fulfilled lives.

The book is structured to where each chapter deals specifically with one area so that readers do not get overwhelmed. There is much of Mrs. Paines own journey and story throughout and tips and tools to help you in your own life. The chapters cover everything from managing your day to day life, to aiming for the future, to making decisions on what works best for you. Paine offers compassionate advice on setting and achieving your goals in such categories like finance and health. She offers advice on how to achieve a life with less stress and more joy. I love the Paine begins each chapter with a goal and a strategy that she will talk about in that chapter and then ends each chapter with a "Get Practical" section to show us how to use the tools in that chapter in our own lives.

There are a couple things that Mrs. Paine does not do. She does not preach that her way is the right way. She does not preach that you must do things a certain way for success. Instead she allows her reader, in this case, me to know that I don't have to be Supermom or a Superwoman. Instead I can focus on what is important in my own life and know that that is okay. I am looking forward to implementing some of her strategies that she shares in the book, including her goal making steps. I love that she includes in the appendix a few of her worksheets to help me along my way to a more stress free life.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to any woman who is feeling stressed, overwhelmed and less than enthusiastic about life. This book will help you to take steps to changing your life for the better.

DISCLAIMER: This book was provided free of charge from Thomas Nelson publishers and booksneeze.com. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Goals for the Week

Inspired by Crystal Paine's new book "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life " (which I will post an official review of tomorrow), I have decided to start making a list of 10 weekly goals that I hope to accomplish this week. Each week I hope to post a listing of my goals for the week in the categories of: marriage, mothering, personal, blogging and homemaking.

My goals for this week are:

MARRIAGE GOALS:

• Leave Bill at least one love note on our whiteboard on nights that he works late.
• Make a list of possible date night ideas for the future.

MOTHERING GOALS:

• Read at least one book to each child before bed each night
• Sign Jacob up for YMCA Spring Soccer 

HOMEMAKING GOALS:

• Clean out file box from 2013 to prepare it for 2014
• Continue to follow cleaning routine that we implemented a few weeks ago

PERSONAL GOALS:

• Get back to drinking just one pop a day
• Eat at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal

BLOG GOALS:

• Write 3 book reviews and schedule to publish to get caught up on book reviews
• Write one content piece about being snubbed

Paine argues that by setting a few goals each week you are more likely to get things accomplished and you are allowing yourself to focus on these goals. I am hoping that this will help me stay focused and actually feel like I have accomplished these goals. Wish me luck! 

What about you? Do you make weekly goals?

 Care to share what your weekly goals are? 

Sunday Night Chit Chat

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!  And since it is Sunday, it is time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla! 

To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

So here goes:

This was Jacob's yogurt cup from the other morning. He decided to make a yin and yang symbol with his yogurt. Maybe I will have a future artist in the making. 

• Reading?  Just finished "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode" by Crystal Paine (the author of moneysavingmom.com)
• Listening to?  The 49ers/Seahawks game on TV. The boys are chasing each other through the house. Jacob is chasing Benjamin saying "I am going to get you" and Ben is just laughing.
• Watching? Hubby is watching the 49ers/ Seahawks football game. 
• Cooking/Baking? I made ribs in the crockpot and with it we had macaroni and cheese, green beans, asparagus, and rolls.
• Happy you accomplished this week? Finished reading 4 books for reviews (look for them this week)
• Looking forward to next week? Implementing some of what I read about in "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode." I also have a day off tomorrow for Martin Luther King Jr. day, so I hope to get some things done around the house. 
• Thankful for today? A hubby who has really stepped it up in our quest to have better finances in our life. He also has done a lot of laundry today and is helping out much more around the house.    
• *Bonus Question* What colours of clothing do you tend to gravitate towards? I tend to gravitate towards greens and pinks and reds. I love lime greens and dark reds. I would love to wear other colors but am too afraid that they won't look right on me. 

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

January No-Low Spend Challenge 2014: Week 2

As you may recall, I am following along with Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents Two in her Money Saving Challenge for this year.  For the month of January I will be following along with Carla on her “Low-No Spend January Challenge.” I think this goes along perfectly with our family decision to go to all cash for expenses.
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It is now January 16, 2014....time to check in and see how I have been doing on my challenges....

For January, then my goals for the No/LOW spend challenge are as follows and this is how I have done this week:

1. $100 a week for both groceries, household and health and beauty products. Our freezer is pretty full, thanks to the ¼ hog we got for Christmas. I think this is totally doable. Our spending on groceries and household stuff skyrocketed in November and December with extra spending and impulse buying…time to reign it in. Whatever is left each week will be divided into ½ in savings and ½ to debt repayment. Well, this week we went over again. I spent $137.27 at the store. I am buying more at the store and not eating out, so I think that is why I am going over every week. Also the price of everything is going up...I spend close to $20 a week on milk alone for Bill and the kids. As Kim from "Out my Window" said, I think $100 is too low for my family of 5 each week. I am going to have to re-evaluate how much we are spending and my have to increase our weekly budget. 
2. No eating out. We are putting this as a family goal. We have already warned the kids that we will not be getting fast food in January. We will not turn down eating out if someone is treating our family, such as my in-laws taking the whole family out, but we will NOT be spending money on eating out.)  This was a fail this week. For a variety of reasons, we went out to dinner on Sunday night to Bob Evans....but we used gift cards that we got for Christmas and we had a free kids' dinner coupon from November from Rebecca's birthday, so we only spent $9.50 out of pocket which included the tip.I will have to say that it was a nice change of scenery. And I am okay with us breaking it, because it was not fast food. It was a treat, which is what we want eating out to be and our kids really do need to be able to go out every once in a while to learn how to act in a restaurant. So although I would have liked to have gone the whole month without eating out, this was okay even if it did mean a fail at the challenge.  
3. I would like to have 15 no spend days. I found a resource that I will use to track our spending and hopefully help me get a better grip on where our money is going. I can say that I am on track for this one...last week I had 7 no spend days. This week, I have had  4 No-spend days for a total so far of 11! Finally something I am doing right! YAHOO!!! I would have had 5, but my dear hubby stopped and got himself a Mr. Pibb one night he was working. I know, I know, but considering this is the first time he has stopped all month, I think that is great. 
4. I am going to try to do the 52 week money challenge. I am still trying to decide which version I would like to do. I will update when I decide. I have decided NOT to do this.

So this week was not as good of a week as last week. But I am not going to let that get me down. I will just keep moving forward and use this challenge as  learning tool to get a better grip on our money. I believe that it is helping. One step at a time.  

This past week was not a complete failure. I also did several things this week that helped me to save money! 

• I cut my own hair. Well actually I cut it with the help of my hubby. I think it came out cute and I saved $15 by doing it myself. 
• I received 3 free 12 pack Coke products coupons in the mail from redeeming them when they were discounted for 30 points during a special back in November.
• I borrowed "Happier at Home" from the library instead of buying it. I also requested a couple of frugality books that were recommended by Precious over at "Frugal Makes Cents Too"
• I redeemed 900 points from Pinecone Research for $9 in my paypal account.
• I ordered a bridal shower gift through a tuition reduction program (TRP) at my daughter's school. I ordered a Target gift card for the gift and 2% of what I spent goes back to my daughter's tuition account. It is not a lot, but every little bit helps.
• I made an extra payment of $27.39 to the MasterCard. Again, not a lot but every little bit helps. 
• I ordered 2 Walmart gift cards through TRPs from Rebecca's school for future diaper purchases and household needs from Walmart. I am going to spend the money anyway, why not use gift cards and get a small percentage back for her tuition. 

So, overall I would call this week an okay week.  

How did you do this past week? Any attempts to save money or keep from spending money? 

New glasses and a haircut

I mentioned before that for Christmas I gave my parents a list of some things that I wanted (and were practical), but also told them that if they wanted would they just take any money that they would spend on me and put it towards me getting my eyes examined and/or a new pair of glasses.

I have worn glasses since high school. I have not been to the eye doctor in probably 5 years or so. I know, I know...not good... but that is what happens when you don't have any insurance and you pay out of pocket. A couple of years ago, MY glasses broke (actually Jacob broke them but that is neither here nor there as he was 2 at the time). My dear hubby had a pair that he had recently gotten that he was not wearing...I put his on to see if they would work, and they did. Our prescriptions must have been very similar, because it was like looking out of my glasses. Well those glasses I have been wearing for the last 2 years.

On Christmas, my mom gave me an envelope marked "For Your Eyes Only" and when I opened it up there was a Walmart optometry card in it, and $200 worth of Walmart gift cards for an eye exam and to put towards glasses. Well I got in the Friday before the New Year and I had my glasses that next Tuesday. Talk about fast service! My prescription changed 1 turn, and the only new thing was I am developing a astigmatism in my eyes, which the doc said was actually normal for someone who has worn glasses as long as I have.

These are the glasses I chose---purple "Daisy Fuentes" brand glasses.

So I have been wearing my new glasses now for a couple weeks, and I love them. They are a different cut than I would normally get, but I love them. I did go over the $200 but I am okay with that. I spent $80 out of pocket because I got sturdier frames and ones that I like. I figure if I am going to wear them for a couple years, I deserve to get ones that I like.

Fast forward to last night....I was not having the best of days. I fell asleep in the afternoon and didn't get anything on my to do list done. I was feeling off and depressed all day. One of the things on my to-do list was to get a hair cut. My hair had gotten pretty long and I was just wearing it in a bun most days because I just couldn't do anything with it.

You can see how I had been wearing my hair. Back in a large bun in the back. 

This is what I looked like with my/hubby's glasses on.

Well after the kids went to bed, I decided to start cutting my own hair and to have my dear Hubby cut the back of it for me. I did cut it a little shorter than I normally would, but I think it turned out nice. This morning, Rebecca saw it and she said "Mommy, you got your hair cut! It is so cute!" That is awesome praise from my fashionista 7 year old daughter :)

So here is a photo to show the new glasses and the new do....what do you think?

Have you made a change to how you look lately? 

January No-Low Spend Challenge 2014: Week 1

As you may recall, I am following along with Precious over at Frugal Makes Cents Two in her Money Saving Challenge for this year.  For the month of January I will be following along with Carla on her “Low-No Spend January Challenge.” I think this goes along perfectly with our family decision to go to all cash for expenses.
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It is now January 8, 2014....time to check in and see how I have been doing on my challenges....

For January, then my goals for the No/LOW spend challenge are as follows and this is how I have done this week:

1. $100 a week for both groceries, household and health and beauty products. Our freezer is pretty full, thanks to the ¼ hog we got for Christmas. I think this is totally doable. Our spending on groceries and household stuff skyrocketed in November and December with extra spending and impulse buying…time to reign it in. Whatever is left each week will be divided into ½ in savings and ½ to debt repayment. Well, this week we went over by $16. I stocked up on laundry detergent. If I would not have bought it we would have come in at $99. So I am okay with going over as I would rather stock up on something we need rather than just spend on something we don't need like chocolate or something. This was also a spendy week as I had to get diapers ($20) and toilet paper. This coming week should be much better and I am hoping to keep our groceries at or below $75. I did pay cash for the groceries...I did swipe my debit card, but then remembered I am paying cash so cancelled the transaction and pulled cash out. I had $120 in my wallet and came under. Have to keep better track though in the future as I normally would not have that much. 
2. No eating out. We are putting this as a family goal. We have already warned the kids that we will not be getting fast food in January. We will not turn down eating out if someone is treating our family, such as my in-laws taking the whole family out, but we will NOT be spending money on eating out.)  This is a pass for the week. We have not gone out at all. We were supposed to go out with my in-laws but they couldn't come out because of the ice we got, so we are all good here. Not that it has been easy. Last night I really just wanted something out, but that is probably because I have been stuck inside for the past week with the kids because of the weather. And have you ever noticed how many fast food commercials there are on TV? Maybe I am being hyper sensitive to them, but man there are a lot! 
3. I would like to have 15 no spend days. I found a resource that I will use to track our spending and hopefully help me get a better grip on where our money is going. I can say that I am on track for this one...I have had 7 No spend days so far! The only day I spent money was Friday when I went to the store and when I paid bills online! 
4. I am going to try to do the 52 week money challenge. I am still trying to decide which version I would like to do. I will update when I decide. I am thinking that this may or may not happen. I am just not sure how feasible this is. 

So overall I am very pleased at how well this week has gone. Yes I went over my grocery budget but I still have plans to keep it under $400 for the month. Also I was able to pay ALL of my monthly bills except one this past week so that was good! I hope I can keep the momentum up. 

I also did several things this week that helped me to save money! 

• On New Year’s Eve, Dear Hubby and I enjoyed a bottle of wine that we had at home, instead of going out and buying wine coolers or other beverages. We also had chocolate chex mix that I had in the pantry instead of buying other snacks at the store.
• I redeemed Swagbucks for 2 Amazon gift cards.
• I received 2 free 12 pack Coke products coupons in the mail from redeeming them when they were discounted for 30 points during a special back in November.
• We didn't go anywhere except for the store on Friday and church on Sunday. It has been too cold to go anywhere else. 
• I redeemed 900 points from Pincone Research for $9 in my paypal account.
• I logged on to my Saving Star account to put a couple coupons on there, and found that I had $8.50 ready for payout, so I had that sent to my Paypal account. 

So, overall I would call this is a winning week! 

How did you do this past week? Any attempts to save money or keep from spending money? 

63 degrees

That is what the temperature is here in our house right now! Last night it got down to -10F here in Mount Vernon with wind chills of -45F. When Bill got up to go to work this morning at 6:30, it was down to 62F here in the house. And YES the heat was on the WHOLE time. We have radiator/boiler type heat, and near the radiators it is warm so the heat is working. It is just so cold outside that it is having a hard time heating the house. (And we rent, so we can't change the amount of insulation/ or lack thereof--We have put plastic on the windows and door drafts on the doors....)

I have the water running just a trickle in our faucets...I have baked a loaf of pumpkin bread. Now am making baked potatoes to keep the oven going. Hoping the residual heat helps the house heat. 

Because of the temperatures, Rebecca has another day off of school (this has got to be the LONGEST Christmas break! LOL) and I have another day off of work. So I am now down 2 days of pay.....oh well, that is life I suppose.

Right now we are just trying to stay warm. This is definitely not a fashion day for me....I have on my thick stained with bleach sweat pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, thick fuzzy socks and NONE OF IT MATCHES! LOL  I put fuzzy sleepers and socks on Benjamin and Jacob wanted to stay in his flannel pajamas. That is fine with me today.  I am thinking about what to make for dinner...maybe lasagna? Can you see I am trying to keep the oven going? LOL.....

Well I should go figure out lunch....

What about where you are? What are you doing to keep warm? 

Snow Day today!

So today was supposed to be the day that Rebecca went back to school from Christmas break and I was supposed to go back to work....

Well Mother Nature made other plans. Due to the extreme cold (supposed to hit temps of -15 later today, without factoring in any wind) and snow and ice, we have a snow day today.

Rebecca cried when she got up and I told her there was no school. She really wanted to go back as she said she misses her friends. I am so glad she enjoys school!

Right now as I am typing this up, the sun has decided to come out and tease up, but it is super cold out. We will stay inside and just enjoy having another day home together. I told the kids we could watch "Toy Story 2" this afternoon and make popcorn to hopefully make her feel a little better.

Later,  I am planning on making chili and cornbread for dinner. As for the rest of today, I will probably work on laundry and maybe reading.

What about you? Any plans for today?

How is the weather where you are? Are you staying warm? 

Sunday Night Chit Chat

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!  And since it is Sunday, it is time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla! 

To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

So here goes:



Over the last 2 weeks of Christmas break, Rebecca has read many books to her little brothers! 



• Reading?  Break Out by Joel Osteen
• Listening to?  The Packers/ 49ers game on TV. The scissors as Rebecca is at her art table creating something.
• Watching? Hubby is watching the Packers/ 49ers football game (GO PACKERS!)
• Cooking/Baking? I made a turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, gravy and rolls for dinner tonight. I also baked up a box of Reese's cookies--was disappointed only got 12 cookies out of the mix.
• Happy you accomplished this week? Got our budget figured out. Payed all of January bills minus the gas bill and directv bill. 
• Looking forward to next week? Back to school after Christmas vacation. And back to work! 
• Thankful for today? A great 2 weeks off of work. A husband who will do little things for me, like moving the van and getting things out of the van for me.    
• *Bonus Question* Do you enjoy any winter sports? Not really. I would probably like winter sports if we got consistent winter weather, but we don't. I did take a walk yesterday in the snow and it was nice and cold, but I don't know if I could do it all the time. 

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

My big personal goal for 2014

Yesterday, I offered up my goals for the year. And I went into depth on my financial goals for the year. Today I would like to tell you my plan for achieving MY MAIN PERSONAL GOAL for 2014.

My main personal goal out of the 2 that I set is..... TO LOSE 40 POUNDS by December 31, 2014.

This is a big goal and one that I have struggled with in the past. I am a stress eater and a chocoholic. I love food and I know that I usually use food as a comfort. That is NOT a good thing.

I know that I do not like my current weight. I do not like having tight clothes and not feeling good about how I look. I do not like the fact that I have a double chin. I just don’t like it. So if I don’t like it then I need to change it, because I AM THE PRODUCT OF MY OWN DECISIONS.

So I will make better decisions…and I will achieve this goal by December 31, 2014.

My plan of action:

I will cut down pop to no more than 1 can a day. I will replace my pop habit with homemade brewed tea and/or water.
I will exercise daily for at least 20 minutes in the month of January. (Yesterday, I went for a 27 minute walk, in the cold, in my neighborhood. It felt really good to get out and get some fresh air. If the weather is good, my plan is to walk. If it is snowy like today, I have several exercise DVDs and Wii Fit to choose from.)
I will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dinner table. I find myself snacking throughout the day instead of sitting to eat meals and eating a lot of chocolate.
I will add more fruit and veggies to my plate. I will aim to have at least 1 fruit or veggie on my plate at each meal time.
I will not eat after 9:00 pm during the week. Sometimes on the weekend, Dear Hubby and I watch a movie as a date night, so I will give myself the option of having popcorn or a treat with him on the weekend.

I know it is going to be hard, but will it be worth it? YES! I will feel better and I will look better. I WANT TO CHANGE AND I WILL CHANGE!

Have you made any health goals for yourself this year? Are you trying to lose weight? 

Our financial goals and a No/Low Spend Challenge for January

One of the main areas I want to focus on this year, is our family finances. I feel that we were in a better place financially at the end of 2012, but still not in a good place. We still have credit card debt. We have student loan debt (although with our income we are not paying on these right now). We have a tiny emergency fund ($1000). We are not where we want to be.

This year I will work on getting us to an even better place!

As a review here are my financial goals for 2014:

FOR OUR FAMILY FINANCES:

• I will pay off half our credit card debt this year. Right now our current credit card debt is $7596.34. I will pay off $3798.17 by the end of December 2104. (I hope to make a huge chunk of this with our tax money….)
• I will NOT use the credit card to pay any of Rebecca’s or Jacob’s (starting in August) school tuition.
•  I will keep track of daily expenses to see where our money is going.
•  I will go to cash for every day expenses except gas for the vehicles.
• I will complete a 52 week money saving challenge.
• I also have a HUGE goal that I want to fund, but don’t want to say right now what it is until I figure out more details. 

I said that I had resources set up to help me achieve these. During the year, I will be following along with Precious and her Money Saving Challenge. For the month of January I will be following along with Carla on her “Low-No Spend January Challenge.” I think this goes along perfectly with our family decision to go to all cash for expenses.

For January, then my goals for the No/LOW spend challenge will look like this:

1. $100 a week for both groceries, household and health and beauty products. Our freezer is pretty full, thanks to the ¼ hog we got for Christmas. I think this is totally doable. Our spending on groceries and household stuff skyrocketed in November and December with extra spending and impulse buying…time to reign it in. Whatever is left each week will be divided into ½ in savings and ½ to debt repayment. 
2. No eating out. We are putting this as a family goal. We have already warned the kids that we will not be getting fast food in January. We will not turn down eating out if someone is treating our family, such as my in-laws taking the whole family out, but we will NOT be spending money on eating out.) 
3. I would like to have 15 no spend days. I found a resource that I will use to track our spending and hopefully help me get a better grip on where our money is going. 
4. I am going to try to do the 52 week money challenge. I am still trying to decide which version I would like to do. I will update when I decide.

So there you have it for what I hope to accomplish in January 2014 to help toward my financial goals for the year and to complete Carla's Challenge. I hope come and tell each week what I have done to save money, earn money, or get our family in better financial position.

What about you? Have you set any financial goals for your family? Are you participating in any money challenges this year? 

Goals for 2014!

Last night, I celebrated the end of 2013 with my dear hubby and kids. The kids went to bed at their normal time and then Dear Hubby and I decided that instead of watching a movie and doing our own thing, that we would play a board game with each other and wait until midnight. We played Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble and I have to say that Dear Hubby won both games. There was a lot of laughter and love as we ended 2013. It probably didn't hurt that we also shared a bottle of wine and some chocolate chex mix ;) We then watched the ball drop in time square and cuddled on the couch watching about ½ hour or so of the music guests that were on the TV.

This morning, I woke up with the realization that it is 2014 and that we, or more specifically, I am the product of my own decisions. This is the year that I take control of those decisions and make my life different. Things have needed to change for a while and yet I have not changed them. I haven’t owned up to the fact that life has not been good for me. I have chosen to ignore the fact that I have been living depressed and down for too long. 2014 is the time to change! I deserve to live better. I deserve to be happy. I deserve to make changes that invest in myself and in my family.

I have been thinking about the goals that I would like to achieve in this new year. I have decided to focus on the 2 that are affecting my thinking the most and that I think will have the largest positive impact on my life and my family.

I have decided to focus on ME and on our FAMILY FINANCES!

So my official 2014 goals are as follows:

FOR ME:

• Lose 40 pounds. This will bring me under 200 lbs for the first time since Bill and I were married in 2005. I weighed myself this morning and I officially weigh 232.8 lbs. on this first day of January 2014. I want to be under 200 lbs by December 31, 2014. That is a little less than 1 pound a week which I believe is totally doable. 
• Read 40 books. This past year, I read a lot of books in spurts. But I felt that toward the second half of the year, my reading became non-existent except for reading blogs. I love to read and NEED to make time for it again.

FOR OUR FAMILY FINANCES:

• I will pay off half our credit card debt this year. Right now our current credit card debt is $7596.34. I will pay off $3798.17 by the end of December 2104.
• I will NOT use the credit card to pay any of Rebecca’s or Jacob’s (starting in August) school tuition. 
• I will keep track of daily expenses to see where our money is going. 
• I will go to cash for every day expenses except gas for the vehicles.
• I will complete a 52 week money saving challenge.
• I also have a HUGE goal that I want to fund, but don’t want to say right now what it is until I figure out more details. 

I think these are very doable and will keep me on track. I have some tools and resources in place to help me reach these goals. I am excited for this coming year and see many positive changes coming into my life and the life of my family. I can feel it!

Here is to a NEW START FOR A NEW YEAR!!! May 2014 be the best year yet!

Have you made any goals for the new year?