Well, Miserly March was a good experience. Nothing earth shattering happened. We were able to save a bunch of money, but to be honest that's in part because we made a lot this month. My hubby's been getting overtime pay, and I did a lot of tutoring.
We did have some notable saving experiences, though:
1. Thrift Stores
We needed wine rack. All the ones I found at stores were overpriced for what they were. So I decided to checkout the local Goodwill. Well, the first two visits, I had no luck with finding a wine rack. That's the bummer about thrift stores: you never know what they'll have. Well, that plus the smell. They always smell funky. On my third visit, though, I found the best wine rack! It fits in our space perfectly, it's sturdy, and it was only $4!
While at the thrift store, I also found awesome brand new pink heels for $6! They still had the sticker from the store on them! It made my day :-)
I don't love thrift stores. I dislike the smell, and the stigma of being there. But, logically, I appreciate them. Thrift stores allow me to get stuff in an earth-friendly way: I'm saving stuff from the trash, and I'm getting something without energy being used to produce it, since it was already produced and used. Plus thrift stores are inexpensive, especially for household stuff.
2. Costco in Moderation
Don't get me wrong here, Costco's great. But everything there does cost a decent chunk of change, and I am prone to getting stuff we don't really need, or at least we could live without. So by going to Costco less often, we end up saving a whole lot on groceries! I think we went only once in the whole month of March, which is great for us!
3. Going Out to Eat/Drink
We only went out once this month, I believe. At the beginning of the month we made an effort to eat at home, and that quickly became a habit. Now we usually eat at home, but we had taken to eating out when in a hurry or far from home. In March, we really tried to take food with us instead. This was surprisingly easy, even for a sandwich-hater like me. (I don't hate all sandwiches, just PB&J, which is the one type for which we always have supplies). When we took food, we made pitas with falafel we'd made a few days prior. We spread some homemade hummus, put in spinach and falafel, and voila! A yummy portable meal.
When we did go out, it was to visit with friends. We went to a local bar with a great happy hour, so it didn't cost us much.
Well, that's my Miserly March wrap-up. Sorry it's not too exciting :-/ Hopefully someone else gets some ideas to help save money!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Miserly March
Holly at Scattered Words celebrated Frugal February, which inspired me to practice Miserly March. The idea is to limit expenses as much as possible for a month. I tried to do this in February, but I was a Frugal February Fail. We went out to eat, we bought stuff, we were NOT frugal.
But I intend to redeem myself. I even found a way to make my March goal alliterative! Yay Miserly March!
First off, I want to ask: do you have a spreadsheet where you track your monthly income and expenses? I'm a finance (and excel) person, and I have to admit that even I wasn't tracking this stuff as well as I should have been. Now I have an Excel sheet that's amazing. I track all of our income, subdividing it out by where it's coming from. Then I track our expenses, subdividing them by card, account, or bill. I separate out fixed expenses (car payment, loan payment), from those that vary: gas, electric, credit cards. This really helps me see just how much control we do have to change a given month's bill, and how much is locked in. Overall, this spreadsheet is great to see how much our income is (hopefully) outpacing our expenses, and how much we can save each month. So with this wonderful financial data in hand, I look forward to seeing how much of an impact I can have with Miserly March! Who knows, if it's successful I may just have a Miserly May as well!
Purposes of Miserly March:
1. To see just how much we could cut expenses if needed, in order to make sure we have plenty saved in our "emergency fund".
2. To use all the pantry items that have just sat there for way to long.
3. To learn how to cook new, inexpensive meals.
4. TO SAVE MONEY (duh!)
How To:
1. Shop less. We have an unfortunate habit of buying food when we still have stuff at home. This makes our pantry area uncomfortably full, plus sometimes stuff goes bad. Plus, every time we go to Costco, impulse purchases happen. The total effect of that decreases if we go less often! Also, the money we spent on the food is just sitting on the shelf, not doing anything, while we're spending more that *could* be earning interest.
2. Only buy essentials. No, I don't really need a new pair of jeans. But even more than that, I don't need to buy the expensive olive tapenade when I can instead make hummus for cheap!
3. Eat in! It's so difficult to do this ALL THE TIME, especially when we're busy. We're pretty good about doing it 92% of the time. We need to get better! To be honest, I'm the bad one in this regard. A couple days a week I'm away from home for 14 hours, and I find it difficult to bring enough food. I need to get more creative, keep food in the car, do something.
4. Cut down on gas/electric/water usage. We're already allstars in this dept., but I'll try to improve. Shorter showers, making sure ALL the non-essential lights are off ALL the time.
5. Perform a financial analysis to make sure our investments and loan payments are being alloted as efficiently as possible. Investment performance changes. Everyone must constantly re-evaluate investments and make sure that his/her money is being utilized well.
Now I must admit, I do have some purchases I plan on making prior to the onset of Miserly March. Well, just one really: we just bought some wine, thanks to BevMo's 5cent wine sale, and we desperately need a wine rack. So I'll be cruising Target/Big Lots/Cost Plus to find one that's not too expensive, in honor of the upcoming Miserly March.
Feel free to join in the fun, and post about your cost-saving tips!
But I intend to redeem myself. I even found a way to make my March goal alliterative! Yay Miserly March!
First off, I want to ask: do you have a spreadsheet where you track your monthly income and expenses? I'm a finance (and excel) person, and I have to admit that even I wasn't tracking this stuff as well as I should have been. Now I have an Excel sheet that's amazing. I track all of our income, subdividing it out by where it's coming from. Then I track our expenses, subdividing them by card, account, or bill. I separate out fixed expenses (car payment, loan payment), from those that vary: gas, electric, credit cards. This really helps me see just how much control we do have to change a given month's bill, and how much is locked in. Overall, this spreadsheet is great to see how much our income is (hopefully) outpacing our expenses, and how much we can save each month. So with this wonderful financial data in hand, I look forward to seeing how much of an impact I can have with Miserly March! Who knows, if it's successful I may just have a Miserly May as well!
Purposes of Miserly March:
1. To see just how much we could cut expenses if needed, in order to make sure we have plenty saved in our "emergency fund".
2. To use all the pantry items that have just sat there for way to long.
3. To learn how to cook new, inexpensive meals.
4. TO SAVE MONEY (duh!)
How To:
1. Shop less. We have an unfortunate habit of buying food when we still have stuff at home. This makes our pantry area uncomfortably full, plus sometimes stuff goes bad. Plus, every time we go to Costco, impulse purchases happen. The total effect of that decreases if we go less often! Also, the money we spent on the food is just sitting on the shelf, not doing anything, while we're spending more that *could* be earning interest.
2. Only buy essentials. No, I don't really need a new pair of jeans. But even more than that, I don't need to buy the expensive olive tapenade when I can instead make hummus for cheap!
3. Eat in! It's so difficult to do this ALL THE TIME, especially when we're busy. We're pretty good about doing it 92% of the time. We need to get better! To be honest, I'm the bad one in this regard. A couple days a week I'm away from home for 14 hours, and I find it difficult to bring enough food. I need to get more creative, keep food in the car, do something.
4. Cut down on gas/electric/water usage. We're already allstars in this dept., but I'll try to improve. Shorter showers, making sure ALL the non-essential lights are off ALL the time.
5. Perform a financial analysis to make sure our investments and loan payments are being alloted as efficiently as possible. Investment performance changes. Everyone must constantly re-evaluate investments and make sure that his/her money is being utilized well.
Now I must admit, I do have some purchases I plan on making prior to the onset of Miserly March. Well, just one really: we just bought some wine, thanks to BevMo's 5cent wine sale, and we desperately need a wine rack. So I'll be cruising Target/Big Lots/Cost Plus to find one that's not too expensive, in honor of the upcoming Miserly March.
Feel free to join in the fun, and post about your cost-saving tips!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Juggling
I often imagine myself as a juggler, trying to keep track of all my activities and not letting one of them fall. The thing is, I figure most jugglers max out at four balls/bowling pins/sticks of fire. I have a lot more than four things going on. I have school, two jobs, my own business, plus a house, a husband, and a dog!
While this blog seemed like something that might add to my workload, in reality it helps me streamline and prioritize my work. Many of the tasks I added to my 50 in 500 List were related to my major tasks. These mini-goals on the list help me stay focused and motivated. Plus, when I do accomplish something, it's great to come back to the blog and write about it. I love seeing the items on my list get crossed off.
To be honest, I would not be half as productive if I didn't keep lists. It is so easy to get sidetracked, or be lazy and not get something done. When I have a task written down on a list, though, I feel this push to get it done and cross it off. This is the only way I get around to finishing stuff that I don't want to do, but need to do.
To give you an idea of my list mania, let me tell you about my winter break. (Yes, I had a winter break. I work at a college. They have to give us holiday breaks to make up for the low pay.) In Excel, I titled columns with different types of projects: work, home, urgent, business, etc... Then under that heading I listed the tasks I wanted to accomplish. I ended up with a list of 35 tasks. I then implemented a multi-level system of coloring in and crossing out to show my level of completion for each task. Plus I kept track what percent of the tasks I had completed.
It's sick, I know. What's amazing, though: I completed 30 projects in about two and a half weeks. Some were big, some were small, but they all got done. Now you quick ones may have notices that I said there were 35 tasks on the list, and 30 were done. The remaining 5 have either been completed since then, are in progress, or were determined by myself and my hubby to be unnecessary. I'm okay with them not getting done in that two and half weeks. To be honest, I know that I make my lists a little.... demanding. It means I push myself to do my best and I don't slack off.
While this blog seemed like something that might add to my workload, in reality it helps me streamline and prioritize my work. Many of the tasks I added to my 50 in 500 List were related to my major tasks. These mini-goals on the list help me stay focused and motivated. Plus, when I do accomplish something, it's great to come back to the blog and write about it. I love seeing the items on my list get crossed off.
To be honest, I would not be half as productive if I didn't keep lists. It is so easy to get sidetracked, or be lazy and not get something done. When I have a task written down on a list, though, I feel this push to get it done and cross it off. This is the only way I get around to finishing stuff that I don't want to do, but need to do.
To give you an idea of my list mania, let me tell you about my winter break. (Yes, I had a winter break. I work at a college. They have to give us holiday breaks to make up for the low pay.) In Excel, I titled columns with different types of projects: work, home, urgent, business, etc... Then under that heading I listed the tasks I wanted to accomplish. I ended up with a list of 35 tasks. I then implemented a multi-level system of coloring in and crossing out to show my level of completion for each task. Plus I kept track what percent of the tasks I had completed.
It's sick, I know. What's amazing, though: I completed 30 projects in about two and a half weeks. Some were big, some were small, but they all got done. Now you quick ones may have notices that I said there were 35 tasks on the list, and 30 were done. The remaining 5 have either been completed since then, are in progress, or were determined by myself and my hubby to be unnecessary. I'm okay with them not getting done in that two and half weeks. To be honest, I know that I make my lists a little.... demanding. It means I push myself to do my best and I don't slack off.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2010: The Year of Enjoyment
Happy New Year everyone! As I look forward to an exciting new year, I have decided that, for me, 2010 will be my "Year of Enjoyment". First, let me summarize this past year. In 2009 I was very busy. There were a lot of changes in my life: moving, getting a new job, starting a post-bacc program, and getting a dog. Plus, we went on long vacations twice. Vacations are nice, but planning and being away from home are stressing. All of these activities combined with my high intensity temperament to make 2009 a whirlwind year. Not much time was devoted to stopping and smelling the roses.
2010 will be my year to smell roses. I will make a concerted effort to enjoy whatever I am doing, rather than focus on accomplishing it so that i can check it off my list. It is amazing how simply making this attitude shift has already improved my quality of life. On Monday evening I took the dog on our daily post-work walk. I truly enjoyed walking the dog and seeing a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Sorry if that sounds too hokey :-) It was quite a pleasant experience, though. I have also found that enjoying what I have rather than getting frustrated at what is missing transfers to many aspects of the home. I have chosen to be happy about the dishes my spouse washed rather than upset about the ones still left in the sink. I have chosen to appreciate the Southern California weather rather than complain about California's restrictive laws.
Now I don't know if I can maintain this attitude of enjoyment forever, but I'm liking it for now. The truth is nothing is perfect, so if I look for perfection I will always be dissappointed. Why not appreciate the positive aspects of what is in my life?
2010 will be my year to smell roses. I will make a concerted effort to enjoy whatever I am doing, rather than focus on accomplishing it so that i can check it off my list. It is amazing how simply making this attitude shift has already improved my quality of life. On Monday evening I took the dog on our daily post-work walk. I truly enjoyed walking the dog and seeing a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Sorry if that sounds too hokey :-) It was quite a pleasant experience, though. I have also found that enjoying what I have rather than getting frustrated at what is missing transfers to many aspects of the home. I have chosen to be happy about the dishes my spouse washed rather than upset about the ones still left in the sink. I have chosen to appreciate the Southern California weather rather than complain about California's restrictive laws.
Now I don't know if I can maintain this attitude of enjoyment forever, but I'm liking it for now. The truth is nothing is perfect, so if I look for perfection I will always be dissappointed. Why not appreciate the positive aspects of what is in my life?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Goals- 50 in 500 list
You may or may not have heard of the Day Zero Project. For this project, people create a list of 101 things to do in 1,000 days. I like the idea of such a list: it promotes working toward goals, helps people avoid ruts, but personally I feel like 101 things is a lot, and 1,000 days is a long time for which to plan. So I created my own list: 50 things to accomplish in 500 days! With my busy and unpredictable life, 500 days is about the furthest I can comfortably plan. As I accomplish tasks on the list I will blog about it here! Here is the list:
Health
1. Run a 7 minute mile
2. Lose 5 pounds and keep them off for a month
3. Speak at church about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet
4. Floss daily for one month
5. Eat all meals at a table without doing anything else for one week
Food
6. Go Vegan for a month
7. Make Vegan Ice Cream
8. Make Vegan Cheesecake
9. Make Vegan pumpkin pie
10. Get a new "in a pinch" dish
11. Bake something and Give it to Neighbors
Dog
12. Transition Dog to Vegetarian Diet
13. Train dog to NOT bark at people who walk by the house
14. Find a person to do dog-sitting vacation-swapping with
15. Get dog boots
Random
16. Donate Blood
17. Write a letter to my Congressperson
18. Go To the Theatre
19. Win a contest at DefCon
20. Throw a Party
21. Go to a shooting range (again)
22. Use only reusable bags for one month
23. send out Christmas cards (on time!)
24. visit LACMA
25. Write letters to one friend/family member per month (1/16)
26. Get a Pedicure
27. Volunteer at Animal Acres
28. Travel somewhere new
29. Make a photo album
30. Accumulate a decent "nice work clothes" collection
31. Start a blog
32. Go Camping
33. Change my name to my married name on all accounts
Business
34. Release a Beach Trip Book
35. Release a Football Book
36. Make a Birthday Book
37. Get written up in a magazine
38. Promote book at a local fair
Teaching
39. Earn my teaching credential
40. Pass all 3 subsections of the Math CSET Exam
41. Start working as a substitute teacher
Home
42. Make best friend those utensil pouches I promised him
43. Make decent throw pillows
44. Plan 2010's vegetable garden so that it's really productive
45. Do a full house cleaning
46. Reorganize closets in house
47. Install storage shelf in utility closet
48. Hang pictures up
49. hang a ball that tells me how far to pull in the garage
50. Paint a picture
Alternates
Find a wood chair to replace one of the old upholstered one
Visit
FYI
Italics means in progress
strikethrough means completed
Some of the items are in progress or completed because I've been thinking about this list for a while.
My goal is to complete the whole list in 500 days, meaning the deadline is Saturday, February 5, 2011.
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