I have been struggling on and off trying to come up with the most thought provocing and astonishing guidlines... Well I guess it's just not in me. My ideas for this challenge have been changing since day one. I jumped on this woth one thing in mind and that was MONEY!!!! No spending means lots of saving!! Well, I keep listening to other peole and reading comments and blogs from other people. This is so much more that just about saving money. I want to grow to be a better person. Live a better life. Be more fullfilled with what I already have..
I have a loving wonderful husband that would give me the moon if I asked for it.. I have 4 of the most incerdible kids a mom could ask for. Each and every day is a blessing and thrilled to be right where I am.
Here are my guidelines as of right now.. These are a starting point for me and I am sure that in a month or so I will change them up....
Reason for starting:
~Save money
~Lessen our family's debt
~Live a more simple life style
~Get out from under commercialism
~Live a more GODLY life
Goals to Accomplish from Challenge:
~Become a stronger family
~Tithe more
~Donate more generously and effectively
~Give back to the community in a stronger way
Included in :
~Clothing
~Appliances
~Furniture
~Gifts
Excluded:
~School Uniforms (unless I can find them)
~Shoes
~Sports things to an extent
(many different clauses to this....)
~Parts for things - incase things break we obviously need the ability to fix our things..
Things we have already planned on buying
~Deep freeze. Always the possiblity to buy one used.
~Upgrading our RV, selling current one before.
Gifts for family and friends
~Make gifts or upcycle
~Thrift shops
No more shopping just to kill time, it is not a healthy habit and I want to squash it.....
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Watch out for Bee's!
I went out and bought myself a retractable clothes line about a week ago, a few days before the challenge started! I had my wonderful husband hang it up for me. It goes from our shed to our swing set, that the kids play on. It stretches 50 feet. Plenty of room for all our clothes. Well kind of! We are a family of SIX!! And that means LOTS of laundry.
Well for the first week it sat there not getting used. Habit had me using the dryer. So last Thursday I pulled the plug on the dryer! I have been hanging my clothes ever since!
I have actually been enjoying being outside and hanging my clothes! Even my kids are helping! They hand me clothes pins and clothes and we talk while out in the yard. It has been a pretty great experience. Yesterday while I was hanging some clothes the kids were able to swim and I could watch them.. Two birds kind of thing...
I used to visit my Grandma every summer growing up and she always hung our clothes. I loved going and helping her, well most of the time. I remember my clothes smelling so fresh and clean. So now while I am out there I think of my Grandma a lot, I sure do miss her!
When I first told the kids that I was going to be doing this my daughter was pretty mortified!! She did not want me hanging her undies... So I have agreed and they don't go up on the line. I keep all of our under clothes in the house!! We do not have a fenced in yard, anyone can see...
As I went out to hang my second load of laundry one of my neighbors yelled over. He asked if our dryer was broken and offered me the use of his. I told him thanks but I was trying something new. He gave me a quizical type look and went on his way....
Last Thursday was a beautiful, breezy day in the high 70's. I did 4 loads of laundry, folded them and put it all away. Everything went great, my clothes dried faster than if I put them in the dryer. The next morning I put on a pair of the pants I washed and went into the girls room to wake them for school.. I felt a pain on my thigh, then another I tried to scratch it and felt something in my pants. I panicked and took off my pants as fast as I could. That is when I heard the buzzing..... I scooped up my pants and handed them to my husband so he could get the bee out and kill it. He gave me the funniest look, but took my pants and killed the bee. He gave me back my pants but I could not bring myself to put them back on, so I put them on the laundry bag and another big huge carpenter bee came crawling out... So I grabbed my hand vac and sucked it up!! There were actually 2 huge carpenter bees in my pants.. Who would have thought!!
Since then I have learned to give ALL of my clothes a good hard shake before folding! I do not want any more critters in my clothes!!! I am looking forward to the carpenter bees to go away.....
I do have to say that My clothes are looking great from hanging them outside. They are a lot less wrinkled and my whites are whiter and my colors are looking great. I put in about a cup of vinegar in the wash and it is keeping my clothes soft and not scratchy!!
Happy wash day!!!
Well for the first week it sat there not getting used. Habit had me using the dryer. So last Thursday I pulled the plug on the dryer! I have been hanging my clothes ever since!
I have actually been enjoying being outside and hanging my clothes! Even my kids are helping! They hand me clothes pins and clothes and we talk while out in the yard. It has been a pretty great experience. Yesterday while I was hanging some clothes the kids were able to swim and I could watch them.. Two birds kind of thing...
I used to visit my Grandma every summer growing up and she always hung our clothes. I loved going and helping her, well most of the time. I remember my clothes smelling so fresh and clean. So now while I am out there I think of my Grandma a lot, I sure do miss her!
When I first told the kids that I was going to be doing this my daughter was pretty mortified!! She did not want me hanging her undies... So I have agreed and they don't go up on the line. I keep all of our under clothes in the house!! We do not have a fenced in yard, anyone can see...
As I went out to hang my second load of laundry one of my neighbors yelled over. He asked if our dryer was broken and offered me the use of his. I told him thanks but I was trying something new. He gave me a quizical type look and went on his way....
Last Thursday was a beautiful, breezy day in the high 70's. I did 4 loads of laundry, folded them and put it all away. Everything went great, my clothes dried faster than if I put them in the dryer. The next morning I put on a pair of the pants I washed and went into the girls room to wake them for school.. I felt a pain on my thigh, then another I tried to scratch it and felt something in my pants. I panicked and took off my pants as fast as I could. That is when I heard the buzzing..... I scooped up my pants and handed them to my husband so he could get the bee out and kill it. He gave me the funniest look, but took my pants and killed the bee. He gave me back my pants but I could not bring myself to put them back on, so I put them on the laundry bag and another big huge carpenter bee came crawling out... So I grabbed my hand vac and sucked it up!! There were actually 2 huge carpenter bees in my pants.. Who would have thought!!
Since then I have learned to give ALL of my clothes a good hard shake before folding! I do not want any more critters in my clothes!!! I am looking forward to the carpenter bees to go away.....
I do have to say that My clothes are looking great from hanging them outside. They are a lot less wrinkled and my whites are whiter and my colors are looking great. I put in about a cup of vinegar in the wash and it is keeping my clothes soft and not scratchy!!
Happy wash day!!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lead us not into Temptation......
I love to run and I try to run everyday. Even if that means pushing a double jogger that weighs over 110 pounds with my two youngest in it. Or waking up at 4 am to run in the dark. Running this much means I put a lot of miles and wear and tear on my shoes. I try really hard to be good to them but I run a lot.
With that being said. I own quite a few pairs of running shoes. I like to look at and buy running shoes. And when I hear that there is a sale somewhere on running shoes, well, I'm running over to check them out!!!
A few days ago I read a post from a fellow runner about Marshall's having some nice shoes for a really great price. And since I was over in the area. Which meant I was not going out of my way to look... I stopped in.....
And what do you know they had my size and they fit nicely. And I can truly justify buying them. Eventually I will NEED a new pair. Never mind that I had just bought 3 pairs last month.. And all three fit and feel great. Well I had talked myself into buying them, I grabbed the box and made my way to the registers.... I just kept telling myself that I will wear them and in a few months I will need them..
But in the back of my mind I kept hearing that little voice, and it was reading to me my guidelines for the BNN Challenge. I stopped right where I was and really looked at the box in my hand. And truthfully asked myself " Do you really need these or just want these shoes?" Well the answer was clear and I walked back to the shelf and put them down... And I quickly walked out of the store...
When I got back to my truck I was so proud of myself...... I can do this and I can succeed in this challenge.. And if I can so no to myself then the rest should fall into place..
Actually if I am really truthful with myself, it was God pointing me in the right direction. I have been struggling with my nine year old over this challenge. She was so mad when I told her about this. She is coming into that age where style and clothing and stuff is very important and she wants to shop where all the other girls do.. And how could I go out after just one week and break my own guidelines and then hide it from her.. What kind of role model would I be.
Not a very good one.
I know that there will be many other temptaions and ones that are harder than a pair of shoes. But I said no and I can do it again and again...
With that being said. I own quite a few pairs of running shoes. I like to look at and buy running shoes. And when I hear that there is a sale somewhere on running shoes, well, I'm running over to check them out!!!
A few days ago I read a post from a fellow runner about Marshall's having some nice shoes for a really great price. And since I was over in the area. Which meant I was not going out of my way to look... I stopped in.....
And what do you know they had my size and they fit nicely. And I can truly justify buying them. Eventually I will NEED a new pair. Never mind that I had just bought 3 pairs last month.. And all three fit and feel great. Well I had talked myself into buying them, I grabbed the box and made my way to the registers.... I just kept telling myself that I will wear them and in a few months I will need them..
But in the back of my mind I kept hearing that little voice, and it was reading to me my guidelines for the BNN Challenge. I stopped right where I was and really looked at the box in my hand. And truthfully asked myself " Do you really need these or just want these shoes?" Well the answer was clear and I walked back to the shelf and put them down... And I quickly walked out of the store...
When I got back to my truck I was so proud of myself...... I can do this and I can succeed in this challenge.. And if I can so no to myself then the rest should fall into place..
Actually if I am really truthful with myself, it was God pointing me in the right direction. I have been struggling with my nine year old over this challenge. She was so mad when I told her about this. She is coming into that age where style and clothing and stuff is very important and she wants to shop where all the other girls do.. And how could I go out after just one week and break my own guidelines and then hide it from her.. What kind of role model would I be.
Not a very good one.
I know that there will be many other temptaions and ones that are harder than a pair of shoes. But I said no and I can do it again and again...
Thursday, May 3, 2012
BNN Challenge
A New Year for My Family Starts NOW!!!
Since joining a running group, of all places! I have been lucky enough to meet and become friends with the MOST amazing and strong women. I have learned so much from each and every one of these ladies. And believe it or not most of my newly found knowledge has nothing to do with running!!
It is from a few of these ladies that I have stumbled upon this unique challenge. Buy Nothing New or BNN. At first all I could think was WOW! That would be really hard if not impossible, and it would take way more willpower than I could ever muster. After reading a few of their posts on Facebook and talking with them I started to really think that we could do this. The more thought I gave it the more open to the idea I became.
So one evening last week as my husband and I were sitting watching T.V. I started to tell him about it. I read him a few of the posts I had been reading and without much thought he said yes.... We should do this.....
My main reason for doing this was monetary. I was looking for ways to save more and help us get out from under debt. We are a one income family of 6. We spend a lot of money on frivolous items. We have so much clutter in our home and in our lives.. Not buying anything new would really help us with this.
After giving this challenge more thought and praying about it and also reading the reasons that other's are doing this I have expanded my reasons and goals. I believe that through this challenge our family will not only spend less money, we will be able to increase our savings, and we will be able to make more beneficial donations to church and other organizations. My hope is that we will also grow and become a stronger family.
This is were our leap of Faith starts!!
Since joining a running group, of all places! I have been lucky enough to meet and become friends with the MOST amazing and strong women. I have learned so much from each and every one of these ladies. And believe it or not most of my newly found knowledge has nothing to do with running!!
It is from a few of these ladies that I have stumbled upon this unique challenge. Buy Nothing New or BNN. At first all I could think was WOW! That would be really hard if not impossible, and it would take way more willpower than I could ever muster. After reading a few of their posts on Facebook and talking with them I started to really think that we could do this. The more thought I gave it the more open to the idea I became.
So one evening last week as my husband and I were sitting watching T.V. I started to tell him about it. I read him a few of the posts I had been reading and without much thought he said yes.... We should do this.....
My main reason for doing this was monetary. I was looking for ways to save more and help us get out from under debt. We are a one income family of 6. We spend a lot of money on frivolous items. We have so much clutter in our home and in our lives.. Not buying anything new would really help us with this.
After giving this challenge more thought and praying about it and also reading the reasons that other's are doing this I have expanded my reasons and goals. I believe that through this challenge our family will not only spend less money, we will be able to increase our savings, and we will be able to make more beneficial donations to church and other organizations. My hope is that we will also grow and become a stronger family.
This is were our leap of Faith starts!!
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