Time to Get Serious! Getting back to budgeting and taking care of the home.

This fall everything just stopped. I had morning sickness that made me a couch potato. I paid the bills but that was about it. I was not super careful about keeping track of the budget. Housework and organizing was not a priority. I was in survival mode. And, to be honest, sometimes survival mode is what we need to be in sometimes. Especially when dealing with nausea or other health concerns. Sometimes real life just gets in the way of our plans.

When you are at zero it is really hard to get going again. Who wants to have to be the responsible adult with housework and budgets and other things that just aren't as fun or as interesting as my latest book? It is really hard to get out of the survival mode funk, even when you are physically feeling so much better.

While it is hard to get back into the groove of things, and we might delude ourselves into thinking that it is so much easier just to ignore things, that attitude can come with a price. That price is feeling out of control and stressed. That is how I was beginning to feel. My handle on the finances and the amount we accrued on our line of credit did not make me feel happy. The junk that was starting to spread throughout the house and made things impossible was adding to the stress of daily living.

And here is a mini-rant: Why is it that if something is missing it is the mom's responsibility for finding it. Seriously! Who came up with the mom must keep track of everything and know where everything is at all times rule? It totally sucks! End rant.

Now that I am in the third trimester I know it is time to get serious. Baby #4 is going to be here sooner than we think. Another survival mode is right around the corner once the baby comes and it would be super nice not to be derailed again. The closer to the due date I get the more I get what Jim Gaffigan was saying about becoming a parent of four. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. It is hilarious. You can see it here.

So what am I going to do?

It is definitely time to get serious about the budget. I was definitely lax with it, we probably bought more than we needed or didn't think everything through during my MIA months. Throw Christmas in there and bam! I am not where I wanted to be at this time.

So, now is the time to re-evaluate our expenses and see where the money is going and figure out where we would like it to go. While there are some expenses you can't do without, such as rent/mortgage, food, insurance and other utilities there are lots of expenses that you can do without, or not fund as much. Figuring out how you want your money to work for you while being responsible with the most pay bills is super important and allows you to have more of a focus on your financial goals.

Part of this evaluation process has led to the creation of a slush fund. This is where we set aside money every month for those things that come along annually but aren't a set monthly thing. This would include things like sport fees, clothing, renewals for licenses, activities for the kids, and so on. To create our slush fun we opened a free savings account (we used Tangerine) and have it set up to take out a set amount of money from our chequing account each month. As we spend in our slush fund categories we can take the money from the slush fund and put it on the Credit card or back in our chequing account (wherever we spent the money from). I know it is more transactions (though with our accounts we have free unlimited transactions) but it will make keeping everything separate and easy to manage.

To keep track of our slush fund spending and regular spending I created a google sheet and shared it with my husband. That way both of us can more easily keep our spreadsheet up to date. Thanks Google! When I buy the kids clothes I just go to the slush fund sheet and put in the amount I spent in the "kids' clothes" category. It shows me how much we had budgeted for the year and how much we have left.

How did I come up with the yearly totals for the slush fund amounts. I went over what we had spent over the year, or how much things cost, like license renewals and got my numbers. Some categories I padded what with inflation, or in the case of kids clothing, if I can't find it used and have to pay for it new. (And my kids aren't going without snow boots just because I can't find their size at the thrift store). Every year we can go over and adjust the category amounts, but I would rather allot too much than too little.

Now that my spreadsheets are made, the slush fund is created and semi-functioning and I feel more organized in the finances once again I feel excited to challenge myself to live below the budget numbers I have set out. I look forward to challenging myself to be austere but still have fun. I look forward to putting more on the mortgage so we can get rid of that millstone around our neck. I am looking forward to see where we are at by the end of the year, and reflect to see if these changes, especially the adoption of the slush fund are working well for us. It is going to be a good year. I just need to make sure I stick with it, because I am the factor that will make it work or not.

Now is the time to get serious about stockpiling.

While I was researching ways to help cut food waste and keep groceries down, everyone talked about stockpiling. I sort of do this, but I found it confusing to implement for a long time. I still sort of do. But this is what I am going to do to get ready for June and to hopefully carry one with afterwards.

I am going to make sure the freezer is full of easy to prepare foods. That way my husband can make food without asking me a billion questions. And, when I am tired and not wanting to do anything I can just go down into the freezer and there will be something that I can throw into the crockpot in the morning or in the oven if it is later. Living in the city is so easy just to say "pick up a pizza on your way home" or "let's go out, I don't feel like cooking". But I know that this will not help with our budget, waistline, or health in general. Now, there is nothing wrong with going out, but you should do so for something special not the norm.

To cut down on some of the produce waste I have I am starting freeze whatever I can. Lately with apples I have been peeling and chopping them and throwing them into freezer bags. I usually put four cups in each bag. (Four cups gives me enough to make an apple crisp, and I love apple crisp!) I have also done that with peppers. That way I can just throw them into fajitas or other meals when I want some extra umph. Did you only use half an onion. Chop up the rest and freeze it. There are so many little ways, that don't add much to your time that can help reduce food waste and make food prep easier down the line.

I am starting to do the sale thing more where I stock up for 6-8 weeks of food that is on sale. And these are foods that I would have bought at full price anyway since I use them. It is not much use if you aren't going to use it, even if it is on sale. It's not a deal unless you use it has been my mantra for a while.

Slowly but surely I think I will get this whole thing figured out. But for now, I just want to make sure there is food in the freezer for when baby #4 makes its grand debut. Otherwise, who knows what we will eat!

Now is definitely the time to get serious about getting rid of the excess. The more stuff you have the more stuff you have to look after. And I think looking after the actual kids is enough. I don't want to have to look after all the stuff too.

So what I am doing to battle the craziness of stuff. Well I am overhauling almost everything. I am trying to maximize the storage I have and put things where they make the most sense. I am getting rid of paper clutter and staying on top of the papers that come in. I cleaned out the medicine cabinet this past week and got rid of all the expired medications and ointments etc. (Make sure to dispose of those in a responsible way. You can take them into your local pharmacy and they will make sure they are disposed of correctly.) It is amazing how much space you have once you take the time to actually get rid of the things that are expired. Seriously, why was I hanging on to it? I am reorganizing cupboards to help things function better. Visual clutter is being put away. It is so nice to have an item and know exactly where it's home is instead of shoving it somewhere and hoping you remember where you put it.

Matt is almost done our new office space. He just has baseboards to put up so that means the office will be moving. That will be exciting because we will be able to figure out what we want to keep and how we want to store it. I am excited for this liberating move and the chance to get rid of even more things!

On the kid front, a couple months ago I was a "mean" mom and took all the toys out of their bedroom. There room was just a mess with paper and clothes and toys. It was too much for them to be able to handle by themselves. So I took everything out put it in boxes and moved those boxes to the garage. They were able to keep a couple stuffies but that was it. And you know what? They have been able to keep their room neater, though I still have to remind them about putting their clothes in the laundry. (Seriously the laundry hamper is a foot away from where they get dressed, not even, just put the clothes in the laundry!!!) And you know what else? They haven't even asked for any of their stuff back! Once I am done with the office I will go through the girls' toys with them and we will see what we can get rid of. I am not completely heartless (only mildly so). But I think what we are learning is they don't need that much stuff. Less is truly more. You can have more happiness when you are not drowning in junk. With less stuff, will be less upkeep, will be spending more time with the people I love and doing the things I love. That sounds heavenly to me.

While this at times feels like pulling teeth, it is time to get truly serious about getting the kids involved in the upkeep of the house. Especially their own stuff. It is important to break the cycle of apathy and laziness that quite frankly they inherit from their parents. (Seriously, give me a hammock and my book any day over sweeping.) While I still want them to have the fun and joy of their childhood, now is the time to help them get into good habits that won't make them a nightmare roommate.

This means, helping with laundry, wiping the table, emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, sweeping and dusting. While they help with these everyday tasks, it means I can focus on the organizng of the house and the running of the home. It means I can invest my time in some of the bigger aspects of life and be less stressed in general because I know I have a team of kids (plus husband) who are helping with the little things that when go undone makes everything worse. Miss P loves having jobs to do. She loves helping to tidy and loves helping to sweep. Now is the time to harness this williness, as Miss V, who is almost 9 though seems more like 15 does not have the same enthusiasm. We may have missed the boat with Miss V, but here is the next one to put her on. We'll get there.

Hopefully doing all this, keeping better track of our finances, stockpiling, getting rid of the excess in our home and getting the kids involved will help us get organized and back into some good habits. My hope is this will help to simplify our lives, allow our family to be more joyful and be able to live a more full life. And, if it can crank down the stress I feel, and know I will definitely feel once baby #4 comes, well that is a a big fat bonus!

Paying Down the Mortage

Lately my posts have been functional and factual. Today will not be an exception, but perhaps next week will be a bit more fun. I think I need to put down what I am trying to accomplish in this blogosphere format so that I will feel motivated and actually do what I set out to do. Are you like that too? So, onto today's subject: getting our mortgage amount down.

This year, we want to get our mortgage down by $10,000. That means on December 31st of this year our mortgage hopefully will be $10, 000 less then it was on January 1st of this year. With our regular payments we would be able to put around $5000 onto our principle. That is the sad thing about being at the beginning of our mortgage, just over half of our payment goes to the interest!

Here are some of our plans to get to the extra $5000 onto our mortgage. (Before you do this double check your mortgage rules. Most mortgages will allow to pay a certain percentage each year or increase payments without penalties, so check those amounts. No one wants to pay a penalty.)

1. Increase the mortgage payment.

Currently we pay every two weeks. We have it so the mortgage is taken off right after we get paid, which is really handy as it is out of the account before we even notice it.

This year my husbands company is restructuring how they receive part of their bonus. So now instead of being paid out a big amount in March, and then getting taxed at the bonus tax rate (which is super high), all employees across the board are getting a pay raise!

We have decided to increase our mortgage payment by at least the percentage of the pay raise though we will probably do more. This is something that you could do too. Most mortgages allow you to increase your payments by a certain percentage each year. If you get a pay raise calculate the percentage of increase, then increase your mortgage by the same amount. It is pretty painless and you don't have to think about it. The only thing you have to do is call and set it up. Then sit back and let it happen.

We are planning on taking this a step further. When we got our mortgage interest rates were pretty low. We know that when our 5 years is up (we have 2.5 years left), and we have to renegotiate, the interest rates will undoubtedly be higher. We don't want to be stuck in the lurch (hence why we are trying to payback as much as possible), so this is what I did.

• I found out the highest interest rate for a 5 year fixed mortgage.
• I calculated how much would be left on our mortgage at the end of our term if we put nothing extra on it. (There are lots of online calculators that will help you do this.)
• I calculated what the payment would be at that interest rate that mortgage amount lowering the amortization period to what it will be when we renegotiate.
• I made that number our new payment

It is a bit higher than what is most comfortable, but we are really wanting to make a dent in our mortgage. If it is too much we can always lower it again. I figured this way if our payments did go up, we would already be used to it, but also, it is an easy way to put more on your mortgage and then not have to pay as much with the next term. Or we could even shorten our amortization if we wanted. Doing this allows us to have more options when it comes to renegotiating our mortgage.

2. Extra pays

Since we get paid every two weeks there are two months each year where we have a third pay. When those third pays come up, we will put the leftover onto the mortgage. So, whatever is left over after the usual things come off (i.e. savings and mortgage payment) we will put it right onto the mortgage. For us that means putting on the equivalent of another months mortgage when you add up the two payments. That's pretty substantial. And the best part, it goes right on to the principle (though you should double check that). Lower principle means lower interest and that makes me happy.

This could also include any bonuses you might receive. At my husbands company they get paid a bonus every March. While this years bonus is going to go towards savings goals we have, next year the bulk will be going onto the mortgage.

Tax returns are the same. This year again, we are putting our tax return to savings but next year we will be putting a big chunk of it onto the mortgage. We want this sucker gone!

3. Be financially prudent

As I have said in another post, this is the year that we are really going to be watching our spending, curbing our wants and really get our financial house in order. We have other financial goals, besides the mortgage. We want to have $5000 in savings by the time this year is done and we want to be able to save for our summer vacation so we don't have any debt because of it. So, our aim for our vacation is around $5000, though hopefully we can do it for cheaper. (Though the exchange rate is not going to be very kind to us unless the dollar picks up before summer.)

If we achieve these two goals quickly, because of being prudent, we will be able to shift our focus solely onto the mortgage and adjust the cashflow so more can go onto the mortgage. That way, if we have extra cash because we don't have to pay our health insurance fees for a pay period, or if we have maxed out our CPP and EI payments and don't have to pay those anymore (it usually happens in September for us) we can put all of it on the mortgage instead of savings or some other debt we could have if were were not being prudent.

I know I sound like a broken record when I say that every little bit helps and it all adds up, but it is true. Little things will make a big impact down the road. Sometimes we want things to be different or change right away. And the thing is, that's not going to happen. If you have debt, of any kind, you have interest working against you and it is a constant obligation. It doesn't take you long to dig a financial hole, but filling it up takes a while, and it is not the most fun thing to do. But you know what? Just do it, and you will feel so awesome when it's done. That's how I felt when I made my last student loan payment (and I did that only four years after graduating!)

Do you have any tips for paying down your mortgage, or other debt? What has worked for you?

5 Ways To Do What You Want Without Going Broke

How has your first full week of 2015 been? Are you still excited about the upcoming year? While, I am still excited and feeling optimistic, I am starting to come down from the euphoria of the the new year and settling in to the work part of it. It is great to dream and scheme, heck I do that all the time, but, to actually see those dreams become a reality, that takes work. Work! Ah man!!! The more in dream world you remain the more frustrated you will be when you come out if it and see that nothing has changed in your reality.

This year one of the key things on my list of must do better at, is the budget. I usually am good at setting out a budget and tracking my expenses. I even can quasi follow my budget if I do those two things. But as said in the last post, For the last third of the year I just didn't. I didn't even look a the numbers, it wasn't on my radar. Luckily we didn't do too much damage, but I know we can do better. So while this will definitely be a more austere year, pinching pennies, tightening our belts and purse strings, it doesn't mean that we can't have fun or success in some of our other goals. If you are too glum and sacrificing, you aren't going to want to stick to anything.

So here are 5 ways you can do what you want without going broke.

from http://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Broken-Piggy-Bank.jpg

1. Get movies from the library.

It is pretty thrilling when you get to see the latest block buster in theatres. Sitting in the stadium seating is amazing and the sound quality is awesome. But it costs an insane amount of money. Over the holidays we took our family to the movies. We rarely go and it had been a while since we had gone. My husband and I were shocked at the end of it when we saw how much we spent. We went to a matinee which is already cheaper, we shared drinks popcorn and nachos (this was our healthy lunch for the day) and the grand total was $55. WHAT?!?!? And that was with paying admission for just four as we don't have to pay for Miss P. yet. If we hadn't gone during lunchtime hours I probably wouldn't have ordered the nachos, but still, it is crazy. No wonder we don't go very often.

At the library you can get out movies for free. The loan period is usually a week, unless you have a new release then it is four days (at least this is how it is at my library). They get all the major movies, plus some fun artsy ones and foreign films, if that is more your thing. While this means waiting until the movie gets released on DVD and BluRay, you can still see have a movie night, without the cost. Just think of how much popcorn you could have then!

There are also the RedBox movie rentals. These came to Canada a couple years ago. They are at most grocery stores. You can usually get a code for a free movie night. Without the code the cost to rent the movie is a dollar per day. While that is a pretty good deal, it is still a dollar a day, so you would want to return it pretty soon.

For me, I would rather get it for a week or four days for free, then have to remember to return the movie the next day. But you are guaranteed the new release while at the library the number of copies of the movie can be limited. There are ups and downs to both systems, but the bottom line is both these options help your bottom line.

2. Get Awesome Work Outs Through YouTube

This year I really want to get fit. I am already on my way to getting there, but, I still have a long way to go. As our budget is tight a gym membership is not going to be happening. Although, my friend volunteers at the daycare of her local gym in exchange for use of the equipment, so that might be an option for you.

Since going to the gym isn't going to work and it is winter time, so I don't really want to be going for long walks or runs outside, YouTube is a great option. Last May I found this awesome series on YouTube. It is called Bikini Body Mommy. You can view the website here. I love these workouts. Currently she has two complete 90 day challenges, her original and her 2.0. I have done the 2.0 and I loved it. She is huffing and puffing along with you. You know she knows exactly what you are going through as she has gone through it and is going through it herself. I haven't done any of her meal plans or anything like that but her workouts are awesome and you don't need any fancy equipment or lots of time. All it takes is 20 minutes and you feel like you have worked for hours. It is the perfect workout to fit in during naptime, as that is essential for me. She is currently releasing her 3.0 challenge. The first day was January 5th. I have been doing them and they are awesome too! You can check it out here.

There are other workout videos on YouTube. There are  learn to dance videos, zumba videos etc. Find something that works for you and have fun! Your body and wallet will thank you.

3. Get Your Books From the Library

While this seems like a no brainer, it is sometimes overlooked. I can't remember the last time I bought a book. Seriously, I am looking back and looking back and nope. I have no idea. It is also convenient because most libraries have a hold feature, so you put a hold on an item and then the people who work at the library walk around finding your items instead of you. It is a real time saver, and I normally have a runaway toddler on my hands so, it is a sanity saver too!

Now you might be saying, but Meredith, I only read ebooks now, hardcopies are so yesterday. Well, the library can help you there too. While many ebooks are not as expensive as the real thing, they still cost money. At the library you can borrow ebooks. You are given a limited amount of time for them to be on your device/computer, usually three weeks, but they are free to borrow, always. You can also download audio books as well. Super awesome and super cheap.

Since the library is funded through the city, you are already paying for its service through taxes or your rent, so you might as well take full advantage of what they have to offer you. (Check out their programs too. At my local library they are teaching soldering 101. I think I might get my husband to check that out.)

4. Create Restaurant Style Meals at Home

I like eating out as much as the next person. Knowing that I don't have to cook anything is bliss and worth almost any price. But eating out can also be pricey. In comes the genius of many people on the internet. While you still need to cook the food, you can now usually find recipes for your favourite restaurant meals online that will cost a fraction of the price and, in most cases, taste even better. To make it less drudgery on you have it be a family cooking night. Everyone helps out and is part of it. That way you at least can relax a little.

Some are recipes might even be good to keep in the freezer, so that way you can have a restaurant style meal that needs no prep for those nights when you really don't want to cook. So google and pinterest away and see what restaurant inspired meal you will have this week!

5. Use Your Points

***This is only good if you pay off your credit card every month and are still responsible in your spending, otherwise not worth it***

I use my credit card to buy basically everything. I rarely carry around cash, except for my monthly allowance money that I can blow on whatever I want, but when it's gone it is gone. My particular credit card allows me to collect points to spend at a nationwide grocery chain. I can either use my points to buy groceries, which can help cut down on the grocery bill, or I can use my points to get gift cards that the grocery store sells. These are gift cards to restaurants, home improvement stores, clothing stores, gas stations, etc. This is how I bought most of the materials for the Christmas presents I made. I also was able to treat us to a meal out New Year's Eve by using my points to buy a restaurant gift card.

I usually try to hoard my points until we are wanting to go out to eat, or if we know there are birthdays coming up so we can do that for as little money as possible.

I know there are other credit card reward programs out there that can help you with air travel or pays back a certain percentage of purchases. So, if you like using your credit card to make your purchases you might as well get a card that does some work for you. Do some research and get on that fits your style and make sure it is a free card. There is no point in paying for a card just to get points or premiums when there are free cards that let you do the same thing. And make sure that if you do collect points with your card, you use them.

Liquid Laundry Soap

Last Friday my husband was at a leadership training. The kids were all asleep. I had the night to myself. So, what should I do? Why, make Laundry Soap of course.

Laundry Soap was one of the first things that I learned how to make when deciding to live more simply and hopefully frugally. You can make a powder, but I prefer the liquid as our front load machine has a liquid soap dispenser.

There are only three ingredients needed when making laundry soap.

• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Pure Soap

If you are making a powder you just mix those ingredients together and you are done. If you are making the liquid you need one more ingredient. Water. That's it. Pretty simple and pretty cost effective. There is some upfront cost, as you have to buy the box of borax and washing soda and the bars of soap, but they will last you a long time. I finished making my third batch of detergent and I still have enough soap left to make one more batch and enough Borax and Washing Soda to make many more after that. 

I found the idea for this detergent from the down to earth blog by Rhonda Hetzel. If you have not been to her blog yet you must go. She is my simple life guru. She keeps me motivated and always gives me something to think about. Her blog is my treat everyday.

So what do you need to do.

1. You will need to grate up your soap using the fine grater option. You will need to have 1 cup (About 1/2 the bar). I used sunlight laundry bar soap. It smells lemony while grating but the finished liquid does not have a lemony smell. You can also use ivory or any other kind of pure soap.

2. Measure out the rest of your ingredients. You will need 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax.

Now when i was researching how to make laundry soap, one of the most common questions I cam across was where do you buy washing soda? The answers that were given were not helpful to me. As when I went to the stores where they said it was I could not find it. But now I will let you in on the secret of where to find washing soda, at least in Canada, and I'm talking anywhere in Canada. (If you are outside of Canada, sorry can't help. But keep the faith, I'm sure you can find it too.) Home Hardware! Honestly is there anything that that store doesn't carry? I go to the Home Hardware in St. Jacobs and they had washing soda in their laundry aisle. Now not all Home Hardware's carry all the products available to Home Hardware Dealers. But they will order any product in for you. So if your local Home Hardware doesn't carry washing soda, ask them to order it in. They will be happy to oblige. They are all about customer service. So now you will always be able to have washing soda. No matter where you live. Home Hardware is in every small town and large city I can think of. You can also get Borax at Home Hardware too, but you can also easily get it at your local grocery store in the laundry aisle.

 3. Put all ingredients into a largish pot and add 1L or so of water. Heat up mixture until all ingredients are dissolved. To get them all dissolved you will get your mixture to almost boiling. Don't let it get to a real boil as it will totally boil over. While this will help get your stove top nice and clean, the soap mixture will get everywhere, and I mean everywhere. This does not make for a fun clean up job. Trust me I know from experience.

4. Once everything is dissolved pour into a 10L bucket and fill it up with water. Give it a good stir and voila. Laundry Liquid. You can now divy it up into containers and get ready to do some laundry. I use some old pop bottles we have lying around. When filling your containers leave some head space as you will want to give it a shake before using the detergent. Some day I will put them in pretty glass containers, but for now this is what I have, and they work.

Some websites that I have seen say to let it sit in the bucket overnight. I have never done this but I will give it a try next time I need to make it, which won't be for a few months.

To use the liquid I add between 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup per load. The detergent does not sud up so it is safe to use in HE washers, though if you are warranty conscious you might want to see if that will void your warranty or not. I have used this laundry soap for over a year now and I find it gets my clothes clean, it is cheap, and it is like doing a fun chemistry experiment every time you make it. You will save money by making your own detergent.

This detergent does not have an smell. If having a detergent smell great is important to you you can add some essential oils. They don't serve a purpose except for smelling good.

So have fun making homemade laundry detergent. It is a little thing but it makes you feel pretty cool!

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is sometimes hard to come by. It is something I am working on. But honestly! When I've asked five times for my one daughter to get her coat on I see red! But, as I said, it is something I am working on, and somedays are better than others. I think that is something we can say for most things.

The more I live (or try to live) my simple life values, the more I realize how much being patient plays a role. This is not the life for instant gratification. You can't plant your tomato plants one day and expect to find fully ripened tomatoes the next. We need to be patient, nurturing and learning individuals. Our gratification comes from hard work: keeping and maintaining our home, raising children, gardening, baking, cooking, keeping on budget, making items ourselves learning new skills... All essential, all hard work, all require patience.

This was brought home to me as I was tracking our spending and making sure we were on track with some of our financial goals. When my husband and I made our budget we chose a few household projects to accomplish this year and figured out how much money would be needed to be set aside for them. That's great. Look at us being all adulty and responsible. But, the waiting game starts. We know we have a plan, unfortunately the plan takes time and I want to get going right now! I want all the money saved up now. I want other projects to be happening now. I know I need to just stick to the plan and everything will work out, but, it is hard to fight off this sense of urgency. I guess I need to shut off that part of my brain somehow. I need to know I have a plan, feel confident in my plan and wait for everything to work out.

There will always be a to-do list, a repair list, a renovation list, a things to save for list. And, as much as it would be nice to get all those things done at once, it is an impossibility. We need to be patient, prudent and prioritizing. All our dreams can come true with patience and hard work. I guess the simple life isn't always so simple. But, it is worth it.

Vinegar, you are awesome!

Over the holidays my normal chore routine did not happen. There were way more fun things to do then clean a bathtub or toilet bowl. This week I had my work cut out for me. As I was cleaning the bathroom it reminded me how awesome vinegar is. I use vinegar to clean just about everything. It is so amazing, things get so clean, and there are no harsh chemicals on my surfaces.

I know there are different recipes that others make when using vinegar as a cleaner but, I prefer to keep it simple. I get a spray bottle and do a 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar. Voila, done. I use this cleaner for my bathroom surfaces, I use it as my floor cleaner. I use it on my counters in the kitchen. I basically use it on anything. Even the mirrors.

For my toilet I pour in some vinegar. (I used to measure a cup, now I just pour until I think I have enough.) then I sprinkle in some baking soda. A minor eruption occurs as I scrub, but man does that toilet ever look sparkling.

I know that the initial smell can make your home smell like a pickling plant, but the smell soon dissipates and leaves your home surprisingly odor free. In fact a bowl full of vinegar set out is a great deodorizer.

Vinegar is acidic so you shouldn't use it on any marble surfaces or other types of material that reacts with acid. If in doubt test on a small area of the surface you want to clean, just to make sure there will be no adverse affects.

I like using vinegar because I know that there are no chemicals left on the surfaces that my kids are going to be touching. As well, I don't have to worry about them getting into my cleaners because it is just vinegar. If they drank that, well they wouldn't want to drink it again. I love the taste of vinegar, but not straight up.

Not only is using vinegar a great substitute for other dangerous household chemicals, it is good on the pocket book too. I can buy 4 litres for $1.99, sometimes even less. Once I dilute it I can have 8 litres of cleaning product, that cleans everything, for $1.99. That is awesome.

I am always pleasantly amazed when I find a new use for vinegar. It is definitely an all-rounder, something that can be used for anything. From fries, to toilets. Amazing. How do you use vinegar? Are their any other green cleaners that you have in your cleaning arsenal?

2014 Simple Living Goals

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas surrounded by loved ones. It was nice to have a relaxing day. I kept loosing track of time. Luckily I remembered to get the turkey on in time!

The old year is coming to a close. A new year opens up like a clean page waiting for us to make our mark. As I reflect upon what impact I want to make on 2014 it gives me a chance to see what my current priorities are and what priorities may need to change. There are so many good things to do or to be. The challenge is to figure out what are the best things to do or be. A talk that was given my a man named Dallin H. Oaks entitled Good, Better, Best, sort of sums up how we need to view how we spend our time. What is best is different for everyone. We all have unique circumstances and need to figure it out for ourselves.

This year my family is going to make preparedness our focus, both financial and food storage.

Our Goals

• To have one years worth of food storage. My church has been advising us to do this for years. My parents always had a huge food stash and though I do have food on hand, it is not a years worth. Since being married we have collected some things but never made it a priority. This year is the year.
• To have 3 months of costs saved up. This means to cover our current financial obligations (mortgage and normal bills). For us that is around $9000. I know that other sites/experts recommend 6 months, and we do want to get there, but we need to think smaller for now. Saving up this money was really brought home when we had an unexpected brake repair that we were not completely prepared for. Man did we feel the pinch. I do not want to feel that again.

The more prepared you are the easier it is to help others and not worry about material things. These goals will hopefully help us reduce our consumption, think about purchases and plan ahead. I will let you know how I am doing.

Have you done food storage or a savings goal? What did you do to be successful? What are some of your simple living goals for 2014?

How to Make a Budget - Tutorial

Everyone processes information differently. Budgets are the same. My husband and I do budgets differently. He likes to download the data every month using a budget program, ex. quicken. He likes making different graphs and he likes to make very specific categories for all the purchases made. I, on the other hand, like using a spreadsheet and input expenses as soon as I make them. My categories are more broad. If it is bought at the grocery store it is grocery, so that would include diapers, serviettes, garbage bags. Otherwise it will go into household, so purchases made at a department store etc. Otherwise I would have to go through all my receipts, itemize every item purchased and recalculate associated taxes. I like doing math, but not that much.

The current spread sheet I use was from the W network money show called Maxed Out hosted by Allison Griffiths. You can still download the spread sheet here. Click on the heading at the top called budget template tool.

I tweaked it to make it work for me. I changed some of the categories, got rid of some added others, made it a 12 month spreadsheet, so I could look at the whole year and see trends, and got rid of the percentage calculations, as that was not important to me. I like this spreadsheet template as a starting point as it is colourful, the formulas are already plugged in for you and at a glance I can easily see how we are doing for the month. You don't need to use the template, you can make your own. This template just helps you think of categories you might not have thought of on your own. It really is the jumping off point.

If you are not familiar with excel or do not know how to manipulate existing documents, go to youtube. There are tons of tutorials that will help you figure it out.

So to the budget!

The first step of creating a budget is to keep track of spending over a period of time. I would say at least 4 months. The longer time you track your spending the more data you have to use. BE HONEST. No one will see it but you. There is no one to please but yourself. If you have a bad spending month, that's okay, just keep going and keep tracking.

Once you have tracked your spending take the averages. These averages will be your monthly budget amounts. So take the average of your groceries, the average of utilities, the average phone bill, the average savings, the average other. Some months our car fuel amount is higher because we went visiting family or went into Toronto for a Blue Jay's game. Keep those higher amounts in your average. It will make your average higher, but if you don't spend the amount allotted you can set it aside and have it ready for the months when you do.

Once you have your averaged amounts for your categories add them up. You now know what your average output is each month. Subtract that amount from your monthly income. Hopefully there is a surplus. If you have a deficit it is time to look at where you can makes some cuts in your spending.

When I made my budget I added and averaged only items that needed to be paid every month such as the mortgage, hydro and phone. That way I knew what I had leftover to use to purchase the non-essentials, like clothes and eating out.  Non-essential things vary from month to month or you may have to save up for some of the non-essential items, like new shoes or house repairs. You can use this leftover "slush fund" to prioritize spending, for either fun or functional, without compromising your necessities of life.

I hope this helps and didn't make budgeting more confusing. To quote Red Green - "Keep truckin'. We're all in this together."

Budgeting - Blah But Essential

This week we had to do $1500 worth of repairs done on our car. Eek! Our emergency savings aren't quite where we would like them to be and so it got me thinking more about budgets and all that fun stuff.

Budgets and I have an interesting relationship. Sometimes I am go good at keeping track of my spending, entering the data in the spreadsheet and seeing a surplus at the bottom. I feel pure joy and satisfaction. Other times my budget and I are strangers in the night, passing by but not really seeing each other. Those are the months when I add up the numbers the surplus is non existent...usually inverse of what it should be.

Some people might say, "why worry about a budget. Just stay a float and things will work out. A little debt is not the end of the world." If that sits well with you, than that is awesome. Everyone handles money, stress and life differently. For myself here are my reasons for wanting my budget to be my friend.

Helps me prioritize financial goals
Right now we have a small line of credit, a mortgage and not very much in savings. (We spent a lot of our savings on the down payment.) Having a budget helps me see how much money is going to service these debts (especially the silly line of credit). It shows that I don't have the financial freedom to do other things that I might want to do.

Since I would like to boost our savings to be a 6 month emergency fund and pay down our mortgage faster than 30 years, I can look at my budget see where I can cut back and pay off the debt and build up the savings as quickly as possible. Those are my financial goals at the moment and my budget helps me see that.

Helps me prioritize spending and saving
Right now as long as there is food in my belly, a roof over my head and clothes on my back I am/should be content. But of course, once in a while, I turn into a magpie. I see all these glittery things in front of me that I decide I must have. A fancy apron, cute bowls, an awesome dress, new furniture and the list could go on and on and on.

Having a budget (and not going to the ikea website) helps my magpieness. I know how much extra money we have each month, as well as a list of upcoming renovations, repairs, birthdays etc. Would I rather have a Bosch mixer that will help me make nourishing food for my family or that snazzy new couch? Or, would I rather spend $5 dollars a week on smoothies, or put that money towards saving for said Bosch? (As you can see I really would like a Bosch.) It is all about prioritizing how and what we spend money on. A budget helps us do that. You are in control of where you want your money to go.

Helps gain control of life
I like tweaking the old adage of "money isn't everything" by adding "but it sure helps a lot". When living the simple life, money is not the object of our existence. We want a loving home, real food prepared by real hands, wholesome activities, using things up and wearing thing out. These things don't cost a lot of money, but there are items to purchase that makes this way of life easier. If you are into making bread you need bread pans, a large mixing bowl  and a rolling pin. A nice big stock pot helps when wanting to make soup stocks. If you want to ferment things a stone crock really helps.You may not have them to begin with so you will need to purchase them. Having your budget as a friend helps you set aside the money which allows you to purchase the things you will need and will use over and over again in your simple and less packaged life. You can begin to live and really envision the life you want to lead.

So a budget may not be the most glamourous thing in the world, but, it can be your friend on your journey through life if you let it. You do not need to be an accountant to do it. It does not need to be complicated. Your budget can be what you need it to be. It can be your disciplinarian or your cheerleader. You decide.

Next week I will have a tutorial on how to make a budget from scratch. There might even be ideas that might help you tweak your already existing one.