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?