DAY 8: 28 DAYS OF DEBT REDUCTION

Ok, so this month, my focus is 28 Days of Debt Reduction. Actually, that is the focus for our whole year...or until the debt is paid. Last month we focused trying not to spend money on groceries (or anything else).  We are still in that same mode, but the additional focus is to bring in extra money, while continuing to refrain from spending.

I made a list of ways to make extra money this month.

Here is the preliminary list:

• Sell drum set.
• Sell very(!) expensive game table we never used.
• Upload more items on Etsy.
• Call antique dealer about looking at my items for purchase in bulk
• Look for more ways to make money part time
• Clean out closet and take clothes to resale shop
• List items on Ebay
• Research selling on bonanza.com
• Inquire about typing jobs

So this is what I came up with off the top of my head.  I think it just about covers just about any and everything I could think of.

One of my challenges is where to sell the game table.  I actually own 3 games tables.  2 are in the garage.  The very, very nice one we bought at an auction.  It was an impulse purchase.  The auctioneer was going once, going twice...and I knew my husband really, really like the maker of this furniture.  So I told him to get it, and he did.

I don't remember ever using it.  It has been at least 2 years.  We got it at a steal for $1600.00  Really.  It was priced much higher.  It's a beautiful piece of furniture, but it's not meant for heavy use or by teenagers at all.  So we keep the game table we don't use in the game room...and...kinda...keep our kids from using it. :)  It's time to go.

So, as money comes in, I will update and post the amounts.

In the meantime, look who came to see me this week...

Sweet Grandbaby Corbin!

Caio!

LAST DAY OF 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING!

IT'S THE LASSSSSTTTT DAY!!!!!!

I am so excited. 31 Days. Almost no spending.

Well, truth is, I spent another $10 on groceries, even though I originally set out to spend $30.
My total for the month is $40; for 1 man, 1 woman and 1 15yo male child. Not too shabby.

That's $10 a week, plus 3 days extra. I'm celebrating because it is an accomplishment to have turned down the temptation to spend money; it is an accomplishment to have a certain amount of discipline and power over my desires.  Here is a pic of my fridge now:

Do you see much of a difference? Well, I have dug out a lot of things from the freezer baskets, and the shelves of the fridge are almost bare. There is one egg in that egg carton. The sour cream container is almost empty. There is NO milk. The bottom fridge shelf holds a bread bag with 2 pitiful slices of bread. I am out of sugar and coffee creamer. But we still have food! Amazing...

There are two things which have been ADDED. One is a box of iron supplement water, called purAbsorb. I can't say that I actually "purchased" it and I didn't include it in the tally of money I spent. Why? Because I "bought" it with a $6.00 register reward at Walgreens. It was originally $20.00, on sale for $10.00, but I used my $6.00 credit, plus I used a $3.00 coupon and they gave me $10.00 back for buying it. I still don't know how to total that, but either way, I THINK I came out ahead on that deal, because I still have the $10.00 to spend.

The other addition is a half gallon of one of my favorite flavors of ice cream.  That would be Blue Bell - Mocha Almond Fudge. A sweet girlfriend of mine came by yesterday and brought it to me - just to be sweet!  Love ya, Debby. She probably felt sorry for me. LOL (My other favorite ice cream is Goldenbrook Farms Supreme - Chocolate Kona Almond from Brookshire's). Yep. Ice cream with nuts and chocolate. Yep.

So anyway - Wow, I learned a lot this month. How much we were wasting. How to improvise. How to think outside the box. How to differentiate between WANTS and NEEDS better. Meals became simpler. "So how about we have chili-stuffed baked potatoes tonight with a salad?" "Ok, sounds good."

I had one flop meal. I made a stew out of chicken breasts, leftover crockpot-cooked-pinto beans, large chunks of real potatoes and cream of mushroom soup. Not great. It was eaten for one meal. But I made a great save! I had a brainstorm - take the chicken out and rinse it off.

I cut it up and made the most AWESOME chicken salad. We ate it with garden vegetable flavored crackers. Oh my gosh. So good. I even took the potatoes out and rinsed them and made mashed potatoes to go with crockpot pork steaks and gravy the next day. Goodness.

So now I know, pinto beans in their juice do not go with cream of mushroom soup.

What's my grocery spending going to be like in February? I'm starting a new month of minimal spending. Oh, I got an "I told you so" and a roll of the eyes from DS. But that's okay. This time I am going to allow $100 for the month for groceries and home supplies. I really want to challenge myself again and come in lower than $100. We will see. I am out of a lot of basics and, the way I normally purchase is to stock up on things. Not giant, hoarding amounts, but I like to keep a few packages of things we use regularly when I find them on sale. Things like sugar, flour, crackers, pasta, rice, toilet paper, shampoo, etc.

SUCCESS!  The bottom line is: it can be done.  I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars a month on groceries.  I will be keeping up with my spending and reporting on it.

BUT WAIT - wait 'til you hear of my new 28-day plan for February.

In addition to not spending unnecessarily, and in a massive effort to get rid of some unsecured debts we have incurred, I am starting "28 Days of Making Extra Money from Things we Have Lying Around Our Home." Well, I think I will tweak that title; maybe shorten it. What do you think?

How about "28 Days of Debt Reduction?"

Seriously. I am making a list a mile long of things we've been wanting or needing to sell.

By the way - my husband bought a car with the insurance money we received last month after someone hit his car and totaled it. We are now the proud owners of a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi (diesel). It gets 49 mpg on the highway. Good thing since he drives 200 miles a day to and from work. We are praying for a closer, and better, job for him. Will you join me?

See you tomorrow for my kickoff of 28 Days of Debt Reduction. Woooohooooo!

Sherry

MY SIMPLE LIFE LIST

Here are a few of the things (just off the top of my head) that I do to keep my life simple...

• I buy easy-care, washable, no-iron clothes.
• I haven't used fabric softener in years.
• I wash my laundry once per week, and usually finish by noon.
• I reuse towels and wash them when I wash once a week.
• I hang up clean-smelling clothes and re-wear them.
• I have always made simple, homemade recipes.
• I get rid of clothes that I don't wear.
• I regularly get rid of unwanted stuff in my house.
• I time myself in the shower, while getting dressed and putting on my makeup so I will get through more quickly (for various reasons).

I will elaborate on these at another time...

Meanwhile, this is Day 24 of my 31 Days of (Almost) No Spending.  I am counting the days (8) until I can go back to the grocery store!  

I made a trip to CVS this week, though.  I had some Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) of $5, so I counted that not as money spent, but as a credit that was turned in.  :)  I used coupons and spent about $3 out of pocket, but I received $6 in ECBs and got about $35 in product.  That would be 5 anti-perspirant/deodorants and a tube of toothpaste.  Ok, so the $35 is debatable - but that is what it would have cost if I had bought the products from CVS without a sale or a coupon.  Something I would NEVER do!

Ok, so I admit that I also went to Kroger.  I bought 3 Chobani yogurt tubs for .10 each.  But I used spare change from the bottom of my purse.  Hehe.

I still cannot believe how long the food is lasting in my house.  It's just like the freezer and pantry are bottomless.  No, really.  Here are some of the changes that I realize have come about from just the fact that we made this decision to not spend (hardly anything at all...):

-  I use up leftovers instead of throwing them out.  In other words, I had a very small amount left of a main dish the other day. I paired it with some leftover sides and I had a very nice meal!  Normally, I would have thrown it out because it wasn't "enough" to keep. 

-  I am using some items in my pantry and freezer that, although I purchased them to eat, I have continually avoided - until now.   

-  I can't say this enough - KNOWING that there is a limited amount of something causes me to appreciate it more.  It also causes me to think outside the box and stretch it or use it in a different way that I would have previously. 

-  I now realize I have a lot more to work with than I thought and I don't need to shop as often or spend NEARLY as much. 

- I have not had to eat anything that I really didn't want, nor have I had to eat a weird combination of foods (yet). 

There is still a LOT of food in my pantry and freezer!!!  There is quite a bit of food left in my fridge.

See ya!

DAY 21: 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING

OK, so it's Day 21.  Ten days left.

I still have food in the house.

Amazingly, the food is lasting much longer than I expected.  I have noticed several things that have happened.

One is that we are not throwing away food like we have in the past.  Somehow, knowing that there is a limit causes us to rethink what we are willing to eat, or reheat, or remake.

I'm not saying I've eaten anything that wasn't good.  It's just that it's so easy to look at 3 types of leftovers and think "Nah!  None of that sounds good.  I think I'll make some ______"  Days later, all those leftovers are being thrown away.

I read somewhere that Americans typically throw away 40% of what they buy for food.  40%!!!  Which translates to mean that you paid 40% more for the food you actually ate.  Have you ever thought about that?  If you spend $100 on food, and throw away $40 worth of it, then you have essentially paid $100 for the remaining food.  Another way to say it: if I buy 10 pounds of food for $10.00, that would be $1.00 per pound.  If I throw away or waste 4 pounds of that food, then I have paid $10.00 for 6 pounds, or $1.66 per pound.

How we spend or waste has a lot to do with how we think.

Here is something I read on Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate website:

Frugality doesn’t mean you have to become someone you aren’t. Frugality means doing whatever it takes to spend less than you earn. Frugality is about restraint, discipline, finding the best value and not being wasteful. It’s about making choices and understanding that if you say yes to one thing you may need to say no to something else. Frugality is about deciding what really matters and not living to impress others.  

Because we live frugally doesn’t mean we don’t spend money. It means we spend money thoughtfully and with a sense of discipline and purpose. Frugality is about striking a balance between saving and investing for the future and having a fulfilling life now.

One thing it comes down to is SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Self-discipline brings about good fruit.  I may have mentioned before, but we are also limiting our water usage, electricity usage and car usage to save on gas (which is happening quite naturally, since I am pretty much NOT shopping).  We are choosing, once again, not to be WASTEFUL.

I've found that it is easy to live with my thermostat being lowered 3 degrees.  I have kept it at 68 all winter, every winter.  It took a week for my DS to realize that it was lowered to 65; longer for my husband.

In order to decide what to charge for sewer charges during the year, our city takes the lowest water bill during the winter months and uses that as their basis.  I am finding that we were unnecessarily wasting water in so many ways!  Mind you, I am a frugal-minded person.  I also believe that we shouldn't waste resources, such as water and electricity, and yet, we have cut these things CONSIDERABLY in the last 3 weeks!!!

I think it's all about reevaluation.  Which brings me back to New Year's Resolutions.  I discussed this on the very first day I started this blog.  We sometimes drift throughout the course of things.  It's like floating on a raft in the middle of a lake.  You don't realize you are drifting, but then - all of a sudden - you are at the shore.  I LOVE reevaluating!

I think sometimes, as Mary Hunt said above, we equate frugality, saving money and resources, etc., with lack.  I can run all the water I want.  I choose not to.  So, it's REALLY about taking control.  I am in charge of my income, my resources, my bills, my spending.  It's my choice where my money goes.

Some people would argue that it isn't my choice.  But, for the most part, that's not true.  I chose to buy my house.  I signed the note and agree to pay for it.  No one coerced me.  I gave my word and my signature, and a huge down payment.

I bought my car.  No one made me.  I can eat chicken, steak, or no meat at all.  It's my choice. If I choose steak, I might not be able to buy something else - like a new pair of shoes.  But it's still my choice.  When we look at how much control we actually have in our spending, and stop thinking we are victims of our finances, we really can walk in financial freedom.

We have some unsecured debt right now, and have a long way to go in paying it off.  I slipped off the discipline train a while back.  But the good news is, I have reevaluated and resolved to get it paid off.  Compared to my usual spending, I have already saved $1000 in 3 weeks.  Yes, I have a desire to buy some things that I want, but don't need.  My choice - my decision - is to pay it toward debt.

The good news (or should I say - miracle) is, I have enough meat and other main dish foods left to last another month.  No kidding.  I'm not sure how that happened, but I've already decided.  I am continuing this into next month.  I will have a slightly higher budget than $30, but it is going to be pretty low.  The fact is - I can do this.  It has lots of benefits, and not a whole lot of sacrifice.  Honestly.  It has been pretty easy.  A lot easier than I thought!

More updates coming soon.

Sherry

DAY 15: 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING

Well, I bought some more food.  Considering I didn't plan this ahead of time and make sure I had all my essentials, I went and spent ALL of the remainder of my $30 allotment for the month.

I know - that's crazy because I have 1/2 month left!  Aldi had such great deals on fruits and veggies this week, and that is what I was low on out of.  So, I went to Walmart and price-matched and for $14, I got the following:

• Bananas
• Avocados
• Potatoes
• Gala and Fuji apples
• Sugar (we use this for tea and coffee)
• 3 gallons milk
• romaine lettuce
• Saltine crackers (my husband's staff of life) :-)

I will freeze at least one of the gallons of milk to make sure it doesn't go bad before the month is up.  The 10 pounds of potatoes were $1.50 and I just added a ton of variety to some of the meals.  I know it's another starch, but potatoes are rich in vitamins B and C, potassium, copper manganese, fiber and tryptophan (guessing that is why they are a comfort food).

According to The World's Healthiest Foods, they are the number 1 vegetable crop in the world.  I didn't know that.  Also, they say they rival broccoli in fighting cancer and they are can lower blood pressure!  I definitely didn't know that.  Here is the link:  World's Healthiest Foods: Potatoes  Make sure you read about the health benefits!

You really need to read the whole article.  It is very interesting considering potatoes have gotten a bad reputation.  And, yes, I know we tend to load lots of fattening foods on top of them like butter and sour cream.  I will discuss butter again very soon.  It also gets a bad rap and I will go to bat for it.

Three (well, 4) great ways to make potatoes: 

1. Slice them into french fries (thick or thin), spray them with olive oil (with a pump sprayer) and shake some spices on like salt & pepper, or seasoned salt. Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so.  Quick, easy and healthful. 
2. Boil and mash them; go easy on the butter.
3. Bake them in the microwave or oven.  If I use the oven, I wrap them in foil and bake them on the highest setting (500 degrees?) for about an hour.  It makes them very soft and mushy.  Salt & pepper them and add butter.  You can use greek yogurt in the place of sour cream!!!
4. Make them into potato salad.  I got this recipe from my former DIL.  So simple and so good.  I will have to estimate quantities, though.  I have never written it down.  Use about 5 or 6 medium potatoes.  Microwave them whole until done.  Boil 3 or 4 eggs.  Peel the potatoes (or not) and peel and chop the eggs.  Slightly cool the potatoes and cut into cubes or mash lightly in a bowl. Dump the eggs into the potatoes, add real mayo (start with 3/4 cup full; add more if needed) and salt and pepper to taste.  That's it.  But it's my favorite potato salad in all the world.

So, I'm all set for the rest of the month.

I haven't used much food in the last few days because my husband and son were in Jamaica helping conduct the HonorBound men's conference.

As far as main dishes, I did make a huge pot of Chicken & Rice because my daughter and grandson came in for the weekend. I also made a pan of turkey and dressing, with cranberry sauce and gravy.  (DD is a poultry lover!)  Last night, we made chicken salad with apples and walnuts!

Yum!

See you again soon!
Sherry

DAY 9: 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING

Day 9: 31 Days of (Almost) No Spending

Did I forget to mention that we are spending money on gas and bills, but that is all (besides $30 milk-and-egg money)?

I had to break down and spend almost $10 last night.  Well, DH actually went to the store at my direction.  Milk, eggs and coffee.  I know coffee is not a need.  That's the one non-necessity we chose to spend money on this month.  So now we have spent about $16 so far.  Not much, but a lot when you think about the $30 budget I set --- and today is January 9! 

Dinner Plans:

I looked in my pantry, freezer and fridge and jotted down main dish possibilities.  I still have a lot of food in there!  I know I will run out of fruits and veggies.  If I had planned this, I would have bought frozen (and canned) ones.  But we will live.  This is only for 1 month.

Here is my list of possible main dishes.  This list is just from glancing in there; I'm not making a list of everything I have.

POSSIBLE MAIN DISH MEALS FROM MY DWINDLING SUPPLY:

1. Chipotle-Style Burritos (enough for 2 meals)
2. Beef & Bean Enchiladas
3. Leftover Ham Sandwiches on Rolls w/Mac n Cheese and Salad
4. Buffalo Chicken Pizza (enough for 2 meals)
5. Beef-Lentil Stew with Hummus and Homemade Flatbread
6. Chicken & Noodle Casserole
7. Chicken Chili
8. Crockpot Beans & Sausage
9. Seasoned Tilapia with Rice
10. Turkey & Dressing (enough for 3 meals)
11. Chicken and Wild Rice
12. Beef Stroganoff (Hamburger Helper!)
13. Spaghetti
14. Pork Chops & Sauerkraut
15. Chicken and Gravy over Biscuits (a la king?)
16. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Minestrone Soup
17. Tamales w/Chili Sauce and Rice (enough for 2 meals)
18. Petite Steaks
19. Ham (I have a whole extra ham left from Christmas - enough for many meals)
20. Chicken Quesadillas

That's really enough for 30+ main dishes considering I have enough of some for 2 or more dinners.  This doesn't completely deplete my supply, though.  I have meat and fish for more meals.  If I get so far as to use up all of this food, I can go to the next level of creativity and come up with some more meals.

The thing is, we live in a mindset of how things are.  We see things as we are used to seeing them.  It is not until we challenge ourselves to try something new that we start realizing there is more to something than the eye can see.

For instance, if I REALLY ran out of the food mentioned above, I can dig deeper.  For instance, the three of us are not going to eat an entire ham in one meal.  I can come up with a lot more main dishes with the ham and other canned items.  I can use some of that ham to scramble with eggs.  I have more canned biscuits not accounted for on the list.  There is another meal - Scrambled eggs with ham and biscuits - breakfast for dinner.  (Biscuits is such a WEIRD word!)

Breakfast & Lunch plans: 

Breakfast:

Without being exhaustive, I known I have a large container of oatmeal, several boxes of cereal, a dozen eggs, several cans of biscuits, and a half box of pancake mix, to which I add a banana and some walnuts for Banana Nut Pancakes (omgsh, so good - I just had some a little while ago).  I also have lots of dried fruits and nuts.

Lunch:

Most of the time the dinner meals are big enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  Some make enough for a second MAIN meal.  I am blessed with a DH who doesn't mind eating leftovers.  He also eats lunch at work every day, so we have not had that expense at all for almost 16 years (he is a counselor in the prison system).  I have a teen DS who turns his nose up at just about anything I cook these days...well, never mind...he does manage to stay alive and reasonably healthy.

Miscellaneous:

Other things I can cook for which I have ingredients:  Mawmaw's Homemade Cornbread, cookie and cake mixes, Homemade Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Waffles, and Homemade Bread, etc., etc.

I'm going to start my Recipe page soon.

I will be adding the actual recipes for some of the items listed above.

In the meantime, a dear friend is picking me up to go to PartyFest at Dallas Market Center.  She knows of our no-spend commitment this month, but she really wanted me to go with her.  This is very humbling for me, but she insisted on paying my entrance fee.   What a gal!

Sherry

DAY 6: 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING

LIVING A FASTED LIFE

It's Day 6 of our 31 Days of (Almost) No Spending.  I have to say we have done very well.  Especially considering it hasn't been a week yet. :)  I have faith that we won't have to buy much until the last week.  We shall see.  (Seriously, I am amazed that more opportunities to spend haven't arisen.)

Soooo...we have decided to also spend this January doing something else unique.

We are not only halting our personal spending, but fasting in another way.  It's not what you traditionally hear about.  According to the Bible, Isaiah 58:6-9, fasting is much more than not eating food.  From what I read here, it's about helping and loving one another.  It's about encouraging someone.  It's about giving to charities, monetarily and physically.  It's about working on peace and healthy relationships in your family.  Here, let me put some of the actual words on here.  They are very interesting.

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.  What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

Wow.  Wow.  Sounds like the answer to the problems I hear about on the news.  We have a hand in, or actually a RESPONSIBILITY to do these things.  You want to see our communities change?  It does on to say, "You'll be known as those who can fix anything...make the community livable again."  Wow.  I'm in awe.  Who knew that random acts of kindness was the answer to our world's problems.  Oh, it may seem too simplistic to you.  But I believe it with all of my heart.

Our whole life should consist of acts of kindness to others.  We lift burdens off of people when we reach out to help them.  Whether it's with a kind word, or paying for their McDonald's order.  And I think the exciting part is when you get to do something like that, and they don't even know who did it!  

I don't know if you've heard of The Birthday Project, but it was started by Robyn Bomar.  I don't know a whole lot about her organization, but she decided to spend her 38th birthday doing 38 individual acts of kindness.  That has started a widespread movement of people reaching out in kindness to one another.  Of course, you don't have to wait for your birthday to help other people.  Open your imagination.  Go to her website and you will find all kinds of wonderful stories and information.  Talk about inspiring!

Sherry

P.S. On a side note - Today I found the "post title" box that has been there all the time.  I was trying to finagle a way to get a title on here manually.  Now I am going back and editing my other posts and fixing them the "right" way.  Oh, well.

Call me crazy.