The end of no money month: the final results

• At the end of Jan, I had more money saved in my bank account than I had ever saved in a typical month before, and it will go towards our vacation. We could not have gone if we had not had no money month.
• I had money left over at the end of the month in my bank account. (THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, PEOPLE, EVER!)
• I spent zero dollars on food, but family members bought food (milk, coffee creamer, cumin, fresh vegetables). The 40 dollars I had allotted went to other things that I can never plan for (Mom, I need...) and was never replaced in my wallet, so technically I never did get a chance to spend it. But I also learned what to stock up on (if shelf stable) and what to always have in the house as an alternative. This is helpful for emergency planning too.
• We ate well, didn't really miss eating out, but it did take more planning and more time. (Counteract that with freezer meals, prepping foods in advance and making mixes) 
• We have a ton of food here that never gets eaten. I need to shop in my cupboards before I run to the store. I successfully substituted many ingredients in recipes this past month.
• I learned that if I make it a game (no money month, write everything that you are spending down, save every 5 dollar bill that comes your way) that I am more likely to stick to it. 
• I spend way too much money on "crap" (forgive the language) and I have things at home stored away that I have forgotten about. 
• I have ways of entertaining myself and my kids without spending money. Lots of ways, actually.
• I am way more conscious of how I am spending money now. I am less impulsive with purchases. 
• I am pretty creative and love to look at reusing or repurposing things. Pinterest has been a great springboard for that.
• Moneywise, it helps if you move the whole amount over, more than you think you can save, and put it in your savings account. That way, every time you go to look at your bank balance, it is there, smiling at you, and that is really reenergizing.
• My money should go towards my goals, and not just be frittered away. Frittering is the path of least resistance! 

Did I not spend any money? No. I did spend money, but I spent a LOT less money and I was aware of every dollar.  And all of the money that I did spend, went towards a personal goal, except maybe the 2 cokes that I bought and the drinks out with a sad friend.

All in all, it was really successful and I am going to try it again in March!

Emergency Preparedness #1 The Plan

Ok, so I am a total newbie with this stuff, but I want to be prepared when it comes to getting my family's needs taken care of if there were ever a serious emergency.
Last month's storm was enough to remind me that things like snowstorms can and do happen here. (10 inches of snow in a place that usually gets none!)
We are also ripe for an earthquake. So, it makes sense to me that while you would have time to prepare, and it would be wise to.

But, let me caveat this, I believe in a sovereign God who has this all in His hands. I am not trying this out of a sense of fear, but rather a sense of preparedness. It is just something that has been on my heart for the past year, and now I am just going to jump in and do it!

So, today's task is going to Costco and buying some cases of water. (It is a start!, with recommendation being 3 gallons per day for every family member: that is a lot of water!) And this week, I'm also going to scout around and see if I can find a battery powered cell phone charger for my phone. I am also going to be reorganizing our binder for vital information. (hangs head) because that hasn't been done in a very long time.

I am also going to inventory what I have so that I know what to purchase next and scout around for good prices. (some of this stuff is super spendy!!! jehosaphat!)
But if I take this in small steps, then I know that I can do it!