No Spend Challenge- Day 4, 5, 6

I meannnnnn...

I think it is funny that I have no idea what to say.  Apparently, not spending money is BORING!  

We are covering Saturday, Sunday and TODAY.  We are boring Saturday, Sunday and Today.  

Things I have embraced the past 3 days...

• My friend who brought over a bottle of wine yesterday afternoon. We sipped and visited.  That sounds like a medical term, actually.  She "sipped and visited".  We had to do an emergency procedure because she "sipped and visited".  We didn't have much time, but she'll be alright with proper care.
• My neighbors who gave me a bottle of beer. (Take one down, pass it around....)
• My husband who got me a little single serving champagne bottle for New Years. (does he even know me, though, really know me?  I didn't even know they sold single serving bottles of champagne)
• ALCOHOL

Welll, I do embrace other free stuff, too!  Like...

• Going to mass on the Feast of Epiphany and seeing my husband and 2 boys up on the altar together and my daughter ushering.
• The freedom I have in my brain now that I am not thinking about what fast food to buy or what store to go to next. Did you know you can just drive straight home from a place you went? Straight home!  
• Visiting with friends on Saturday and feeding them lunch that I didn't BUY, but we ate wonderful food I ALREADY had. I also made a nice loaf of bread in my dutch oven that complemented the lunch so nicely.  The least I could do was feed them since they helped us troubleshoot our bathroom leak. :)  Home maintenance, ugh! But grateful for helping hands and good friends. 
• The remote to my bed and my dog hanging out next to me while we chill.  But then he barks randomly and runs off the bed and annoys me.  But then he comes back and I'm not too mad at him for doing that because now that I am home more, I am training him better. 
• Exercising at home instead of joining the gym.  I paid only $9 for a 28 day wall hell challenge, I mean wall pilates challenge.  I will never look at my walls the same again.  Your body is completely inverted, you lay on the floor for most of the exercises and your feet are up on the wall. honestly it's amazing!  Check out the Lasta App for details.  The most challenging part, I have found, is getting ON the floor and getting UP from the floor, but I'm praying that gets easier as the challenge goes on.  I'm in my fifties now.  These are my problems.
• Snow Days!  So happy my kids got snow!  Their childhoods are disappearing somehow and it is so nice to  have this time with them.  

Are you concerned that I never leave my bed?  Me, too.  For some reason, I can only update you from my bed.  I DO sit up, you know.  At least it is adjustable. 

As I said in the video, I did make snow day donuts this morning!  We actually got a good snow! Her name is Blair!  They name the winter storms now, too, ya know!  

I'll leave you with Carmen and me from yesterday after church before Blair arrived.  My children are being super supportive about the no spend challenge!  

Well, look at that, I was able to say something after all.  Not spending money does not have to be boring.  And I do not have to say not so much.  I will try not to do that anymore. Not.

Wherever you are reading from, stay safe out there!  And yell a big thank you to snowstorm BLAIR for helping me stay in the house and not spend money!

No Spend Challenge - Days 1, 2 and 3

Time has never gone so slow. 

Things have never looked so boring.

Cravings have never been stronger. 

Days 1 through 3 of the no spend challenge are almost over....and so is my life as I knew it. 

Honestly this is way harder that I thought it would be.  I mean, I am always trying to improve my spiritual and physical health (with very little success), so what about financial health?  I never really focus on that like I should, either!  

I think the main thing to remember is these are DAUNTING topics.  They are so packed with emotion, frustration, satisfaction or dissatisfaction, comfort or lack of comfort. They are so loaded with childhood traumas, memories, personality differences in our family members, different philosophies about these things.  I mean, have you ever told anyone you were doing Keto?  Did they respond with 40 reasons why they are NOT doing Keto and what works for THEM???

Justification for actions, making excuses, rewarding myself, feeding addictions are just a few of my many talents.  What are yours?  :)  I can't be alone here, people.  

All I can say is this no spend challenge is harder than I thought it would be.  Oh, did I already say that above?  
YES! I guess that IS all I can say.  Self denial is not my strong suit, it never has been.  I'm ready to get a handle on that now, though.  

I have been working full time as a teacher for the past 5 years.  As a result of that,  I have spent more money.....because I made more money.  I really believe that is what we tend to do.  We spend more when we make more.  

A few weeks ago, I looked at all of our streaming services and how we could cut back there.  I also informed my family that we would start the no spend challenge in January and to mentally prepare themselves.  

Here are some of my thoughts from my Instagram Stories about Days 1, 2 and 3...  

Are you ok?  You can't unsee those videos, you know!  My head is really pounding, I have no idea why!  I guess it is stress or detoxing or something?!  It's only January 3rd, what will become of me! I guess if you keep checking back, you'll find out....