Fiscal Fast Week #4 update

This week began like any other but a crisis on Sunday rocked our world and our sense of balance and commitment to our goals has been shaky at best as we attempt to reconcile the events of the week.

I decided to take a few minutes out to focus on something else today which has included checking in here to take a look at our spending for the week.

Our weekly grocery shopping has put us $303.85 over our targeted grocery budget of 200.00 for the month. An impulsive Costco trip was partially to blame - an impulsive Costco trip that wasn't necessary with a freezer and cupboards still full of food.

Additional spending for this week includes:
97.31 Gas
8.59 Prescription
64.50 on home school resources (we will be reimbursed for this expense)
*43.08 fast food on our way to and from appointments
*3.68 charger
75.00 dog grooming (planned)
my hair appointment (planned)

* completely unnecessary and unplanned expenses

We are days away from completing our challenge and although we weren't 100% successful, I have learned some great lessons and am looking forward to doing even better when we do a second attempt later this year.    I hope to check in again next week with some final totals.


"If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy."  Author unknown

Homeschool Update January 2017

We have just begun to incorporate some STEM activities into our curriculum.  STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math and as stated on edweek.org  STEM activities should focus on real world issues and problems, be guided by the engineering design process, immerse students in hands-on inquiry and open ended exploration, involve students in productive team work, apply rigorous science and math content students are learning, and allow for multiple correct answers while reframing failure as a necessary part of learning.

EdWeek.Org also states that "It (STEM)  is a movement to develop the deep mathematical and scientific underpinnings students need to be competitive in the 21st century workforce."  

For my kids, it just means FUN!  We did some simple Christmas STEM activities (which also tied in well to Austin's Occupational Therapy by the way) and they saw the challenges as an opportunity to be creative.  

We will absolutely be trying more in the near future!

Art is another favourite subject in our house and we usually make a mess and do a few projects at once rather than scheduling an art period once a week.  These our some of the our latest creations inspired by Pinterest.

"What we learn with pleasure we never forget" -  Alfred Mercier  

Fiscal Fast Week#3 Update

This week started out decadently again - my cousin Deanna treated me to a yoga class at Yoga Life!  I have just recently started doing yoga at home again but it was such a treat to go to the studio to practice!  My brother came to spend the night at our house afterwards and we played board games and coloured while we visited.

After church on Sunday we went to see Rogue One - my mom got our family movie passes for Christmas (treats included) so we used those.  I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but the kids all loved the movie and my pleasure was in seeing them so excited.

On Monday Jacubus got a haircut $20.00 and Ian picked up milk $4.92.

The rest of the week was busy but we didn't spend any money which was a huge feat considering that I spent 7 hours shopping at West Edmonton Mall with Hope on Friday!

"It's not your salary that makes you rich, it's your spending habits."  Charles A. Jaffe

Facebook Fast Week #3 update and Reflecting on Habit Formation

I've heard it said that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit but upon taking a closer look, it doesn't seem that that's necessarily the case.

I not only enjoyed but agreed with the article titled Habit Formation: The 21- Day Myth on forbes.com.  It states that "the habits of successful people allow them to consistently perform behaviour that breed success."  The article goes on to talk about the three stages of habit formation developed by Tom Bartow (a business coach) which include:

1. The Honeymoon or the "this is easy" phase.

2. The Fight Thru where "inspiration fades and reality sets in"

3. Second Nature or "getting in the groove"

Although I had periods of feeling like I was in the "honeymoon" phase when I began my Facebook fast, I didn't spend a lot of time there.  I spent a lot more time fighting thru during the first two weeks and now with 3 weeks under my belt, feel like it's just second nature not to log in.

At this point, I have no doubt that I will be able to complete the next 10 or so days without Facebook and don't think I will be in a hurry to even return.  I have given some thought to what it will look like when I do and have decided that my friends list will be comprised of genuine friends and family and I will enforce some ground rules for myself so as to not get sucked into the abyss again.

I am taking a lot away from this experience and feel inspired to continue working on my extensive goals list for the 2017 year.  Hopefully I will break many of my bad habits and form in their place, healthy and beneficial habits.

"A great habit for self-growth is routinely making and breaking habits." Colin Wright

Fiscal Fast Update Week #2

Week #2 began with a decadent outing with Ashley.  We went to Starbucks (which I had a gift card for) and then to the Public library followed by Spasation for a deep tissue massage  (Ashley had given me a generous Spasation gift card months ago for helping with the wedding).  It was a bit  tough not to shop especially with all of the January sales throughout the mall that always seem to call my name, but I focused on the good company and the great day of pampering instead.  The total for the day cost me $0.00.

On Sunday Ian and I went to No Frills to replenish our supply of fruits and vegetables and pick up a few other items for the week.  It was dollar days so I didn't anticipate that  it would be much of a problem to stay within our budget and it probably wouldn't have been if I had stuck to my list exactly. I was disappointed to see that our total rang up at $148.24 instantly putting us $1.13 over our budget for the month. A few more quick trips to the grocery store throughout the week totaled $65.98 which has resulted in us being  $67.11 over our targeted grocery budget to date.  I menu planned relatively carefully trying to make use of what we had in the freezer and cupboards but there were a few items that we bought that we didn't need.  I should add that we are eating healthy, well balanced meals as usual and not ichiban and macaroni and cheese. Despite the fact that we have gone over, the challenge isn't over for me as I want to see how close we can stay to $200.00 for groceries over the next two weeks.

Gas totaled $103.47 and other than our regular expenses, we have not made any other purchases this week.

I would be lying if I said that this challenge has been easy and we haven't been tempted on more than one occasion but doing it has motivated us to say no and has definitely made us more cognizant of how we use our money.


"Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value."  - Joe Biden

Facebook Fast Update Week # 2

I don't know if I would say that week two of my Facebook Fast has been easier than week one but the urges to check in have become less frequent although I have actually spent more time wondering about my friends this week than I did during week one.

While I still feel restless at times, it has become a habit to do other things in my spare moments - reading, colouring, playing board games - things I ordinarily have little time to do. I am actually surprised at how much more free time I have - I think I grossly underestimated how those moments spent browsing added up throughout the day.

TV has also become entirely less satisfying during this fast because although there are a couple of shows that I do enjoy,  I am the queen of multi-tasking and TV watching, snacking and Facebook surfing just went together ever so nicely. Without Facebook and snacking (that's a whole other blogpost) well, it's just not the same although I'm really not complaining. :-)

In addition to Austin initiating his own three day ipad fast (insert fist pump here!!), I am still appreciating all of the benefits of being away from social media as posted in my week one update.  I am very optimistic that I will finish this fast successfully.

"In a world where everyone is over exposed, the coolest thing you can do is remain a mystery."  Author unknown

Fiscal Fast Update - Week # 1

December is always an expensive month and we have set some financial goals to accomplish in 2017 so decided to kick off 2017 with a fiscal fast or "no-spend challenge."

A "no-spend" challenge for 31 days had to begin with some ground rules.  We came up with the following:

1. Reducing our grocery budget to $200.00 for the entire month of January.  Allow me to explain that we have enough food in our freezer and cupboards to feed us for at least a month!  Our budget will cover things such as milk and fresh fruit and vegetables.

2. Our fixed and necessary expenses will be paid as usual.

3. Pre-planned expenses will be paid as usual - for example, our puppy has a much needed appointment with the dog groomer at the end of January.  I would like to learn to groom her myself but as of yet, haven't gleaned the necessary skills.  The boys will also get their monthly haircuts.  I have tried to cut their hair on my own in the past but lets just say I am absolutely not a hairdresser either and don't want to cause any mental duress for the sake of a challenge :-).

4. Our gas budget will remain the same.

5. We won't make any unnecessary or unplanned purchases.

Being that we have chosen that I would stay home full time to homeschool the kids, we are a one income family.  That necessitates that we be a fairly frugal family and we are for the most part but I know that we can tighten the purse strings just a little bit more. We can also be more resourceful with the things what we have.  We don't drive expensive vehicles or have the latest in technology but we have no shortage of "things."  I admire a simple and minimalist lifestyle (imagine how much time I could save cleaning if we were minimalists?!)  and while it feels so satisfying to use up consumables, the problem lies in the fact that I often forget not to replace the things that are gone with more!  My scrapbook room will attest to that fact.

Week 1 Update:

Ian spent $20.00 on gas.

We used $52.89 of our grocery budget: $28.14 of that was spent at the grocery store and $6.91 was a pre-planned McDonald's breakfast for Austin (we have a standing arrangement that following bloodwork he can have McDonalds breakfast for a treat), but 17.84 was spent this week for a Taco bell dinner.  I wasn't feeling well at all (still fighting this cold) but in hindsight it was a terrible choice both health wise and fiscally.  We are left with 147.11 in our grocery budget so this has to be a week of wise spending.

We also spent 5.78 for my prescription refill and another $4.50 for parking for bloodwork.

Overall I feel that it was a fairly successful week but I look forward to the challenge of making next week an even better week.

"You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave."  Dave Ramsey

Facebook Fast Update Week #1

It's been a week since I began my Facebook fast by deactivating and deleting Facebook for a period of no less than 30 days and I have to admit that it has been every bit as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  I have wondered what I'm missing out on, felt "out of the loop", a little depressed and in the most dramatic moments,  a bit like Tom Hanks in Castaway :-).  

I have thought about and wondered what the friends that I don't keep in contact with through other means are up to.  Did their kids say anything funny?  What about the little girl and boy that I follow that are waiting for heart transplants - are they still waiting?  

And then there are those times throughout the day when I have even a momentary lull in my schedule that I think about and realize that that simple but tempting little blue icon with the white "f" in it is no longer there to entertain me. I don't have time to spend consecutive hours on Facebook -  this meme that my sister in-law sent me kind of sums up my habit best.

Image source: brobible.com

Before beginning the fast, I had to be clear about my why.  My reasons were really very simple -   I felt that I was just using Facebook too much.  While I enjoyed keeping in touch with family and friends, I realized that scrolling through newsfeeds aimlessly was precious time spent that resulted in nothing but significant time wasted.   I watched a movie a few years ago called In Time where the ultimate currency was time.  I thought it was a brilliant concept and want to "spend" my time wisely.

While my Facebook sessions could and sometimes did positively affect my mood, I found that other times I didn't feel great after I logged out.   Huffpost's Kick Your Facebook Habit in 7 Steps states that "the longer you are on it (Facebook), the worse you may feel.  We log in to make a social connection, and yet research is finding that our passive news feed browsing leads to increased feelings of loneliness, envy, and overall unhappiness."

Despite the struggle, I am already able to identify in one week that I am more present and available. My mind is quieter and not constantly seeking that source of instant gratification or entertainment.  I have found other things to do in those moments of free time that I have, things that will bring me closer to accomplishing my goals.  

I think it's great that most of my friends and and family use Facebook responsibly and casually for both social and business purposes.  A Facebook fast isn't necessary or beneficial for everyone but I really felt that it would be a beneficial experience for me.  One day at a time but so far it's accomplishing its intended purposes.

"Time is a coin that you can spend only once, use it, invest it and make it count."  iliketoquote.com