Well......The title says it all! What a great way to spend the month of February. Detoxing the body and the finances. My darling daughter has also just started VCE (Year 11) and is feeling a little overwhelmed and needs a little "mummy" looking after, there's a new puppy in the house and to top it off, I broke my toe on Monday and am off work for 2 weeks....oh well it could be worse.
The no alcohol is very refreshing. My husband is also on board with this which is great. It will be interesting to see what it does for our finances also. Not drinking is great as I find I look for alternative ideas. On our very, very hot days I made large jugs of iced tea......just from regular tea I had at home. With black tea I added a small amount of sugar & lemon slices while it infused. Then I strained it and put it in the fridge to chill. Served over lots of ice and a dash of honey, it made a lovely refreshing drink. I was also given some fruit tea for Christmas. This also makes a great icey cold drink. Made in the same way I also added orange slices and a little less sugar (as it's already sweet). The kids also really enjoyed these drinks.
Late last year I had been reading a saving story where a person renamed their savings account the Homeless & Destitute account....because if they took money from it that's what they'd be...homeless & destitute. I decided I would kick this off on the 1st of January. The idea is to put away $1 for which ever day of the week it is; ie the 1st =$1, the 2nd = $2 and so on. What I decided to do however is once the savings amount got to the point where I couldn't afford it, I would contribute to my fund at the level I could afford, this way I was still contributing on a daily basis. For the month of January I managed to save over $400. Normally during that particular month I would never save anything becauseof holidays. I felt very proud of myself and find that I think about it daily. I love seeing that money in the bank account, knowing it will be there for a very long time. My simple savings "WAR ON DEBT" calendar is great for being able to plan how much needs to be put away each week. I am also using the days to track my no spend challenge and no alcohol days.
The unfortunate (but bonus) time off has seen me be able to get some cleaning out of individual rooms done. With the start of the new year, I feel this incredible urge to declutter my life of nonessential items. But also to reconnect with the possessions I do have so that they can be given a new life again. My eldest child is moving out of home (this is a very positive step) and I can forward on to him items which we are no longer using or needing. With all of the natural disasters happening I'm sure there are also many others who would benefit directly or indirectly from donations.
I have found some awesome downloads(free) from http://www.intrinsiconline.com. to help me plan my month with beautiful planners, to do lists, exercise planners, menu planners and general inspiration. For me this is essential to the peaceful, calm me. It keeps me motivated and gives me focus in my day, rather than just letting the days get filled with whatever gets thrown at me. I have come to the conclusion that I am at my best and my happiest when I can be at home creating, cooking, planning and taking care of my family. They are not chores.....they fill me with love!
This year will be the most productive, positive and fulfilling year to set the tone for the rest of my life.
Happy making & saving!
MARTHA
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