Wednesday, Happy New Year Spooks!

 So, Kay was tired of doing all the work and managed to slice herself really, really well on a mandolin. Probably should have had stitches. Now she is a Kitchen gimp, which means she will only make banana bread and cheese soup today.  I shredded the new cheese.  It is all about no spending and using what we have in the pantry for us this New Year. 

First of all, I really do not cook any more, and I am going to try and cook at least two days a week.  I usually eat with Sissie and Dan. We have all this food, and it needs to be used. We are going on a no buy food challenge for this month and see where we land!  Now we can buy milk and perishables, but only after we have exhausted our brains and used what we can find.  We are planning meals around what we have, and we have a lot.!

Does anyone else want to do this challenge with us? We can repost what we made or used up on a daily basis.

Today Sissie (Kay) is using up bananas and nuts left over from Christmas.  She also had cheese sauce and cauliflower and broccoli, left over from last night's festivities, so that will be our dinner of veggie cheese soup. We way over bought butter for holiday baking and that will be a blessing in the upcoming months.

As for the no spend challenge, I have made a list for myself, and I will see if I can live by these rules.

1. No new clothing, when Sis and I cleaned my closet, I had 9 new suits or dresses for church I had never worn.  As my size has really not changed for 30 some years, my dress cloths do not wear out.  I am not a fast fashionista, so I can wear things forever. I really don't need clothing of any kind.  I can go a year without.  But I so love to shop and buy clothes. 

2.Not purchasing odds and ends for the grandkids just so I can shop.

3.  No nick knacks or things for the house. My house is full!!!!!!

4.  No travel on a monthly basis.  Things were a little out of control last year as I ran from grief, only to come home and feel worse.  This year I will face it, fight with it and hopefully win a few battles. I plan on taking one nice trip don't know where or when yet.  I can go see the kids, but no shopping.  I can travel for emergencies, like funerals or illness but no grief shopping.

5. I can still go to lunch; I can still buy things for others if needed. 

I am just going to keep a calendar and see how many days I can spend nothing.  This will be fun in a way because I love a challenge. As I said before I have some major household issues that I want to take care of, and I need to save the money to do these things.

I am also starting my money saving challenges again or continuing the ones I have had in the past.

1. save all my change, this will not be lucrative, as I will not be stopping at McDonalds on a regular basis.  And if you use what you have you really don't spend money.

2.I will save all my $5 bills but will put these toward a savings goal at the end of every month.

3. I will save a penny a day challenge, usually add the money for the month at the beginning of the month.

4. I will list and sell all unwanted items on Facebook marketplace or eventually give away.

5. I will use cash for all purchases, this will help with sticking to the list. Except when traveling, but then we are going to travel much less.

6.I will pay an extra $1000 a month on my home loan, which is in the 40's now.  Woot woot!  I stuck to this all-last year and watched that sucker shrink. 

7. I would also like to do the save a $1,$5,$10,$20 bill challenge every week and then add to a savings goal at the end of every month, but I don't know if that is possible right now as the shop is slow in January.

Today I have to get started on a wedding dress that is due out next week, and yesterday quite a bit of hemming came into the shop. A New Year, and I want a new me, but this me is still very sad and disillusioned with life. Help me please! Kim spends most of her time pretending she is okay. 

Well, I had better get to work, blogging is a great way to avoid what I really should be doing... like sewing.😈😈

God is good

Kim

Kay here and my finger has finally stopped throbbing.  I hit the bone, and I could feel it! But I did not want to go to the emergency room for stiches as they would have made too big a deal out of it and probably called in a hand surgeon.  If you have good insurance, I swear it is all about the money.

My Husband is a retired medical Corpsman and he doctored me and I am on the mend, ( after three days) but it will leave a very ugly scare.  Oh well, my hand modeling days are over and I will not be doing dishes for at least a couple of weeks!  Yeah!

My brocolli and cauliflour soup is on the stove in homemade chicken broth and I will add the cheese right before dinner.

Two loaves of banana bread in the oven.  I must run home once the bread is out and make a fresh boquet for my Neighbor as today is Her 87th birthday.  I went to Albertson's early this morning and bought flowers and will make an arrangement.  I save vases and worked in a flower shop for a time, so I can do this as well as any Florist for 1/4 of what they want.  Will send a pic tomorrow.

Sis and I are really serious about our no spend challenge and my goal is to bank at least 2500.00 this month.

I have been bleeding cash since we moved and it has to stop.  The freezers are fully stocked, and we are ready to tackle.

I hope you all had Great Holidays!  Happy New Year!

Hugs;

Kay who is wounded!