31 Days of Living Well Spending Zero – Day 13

 

Well today was a bit better.

I said no to an outing with friends. We did this event last year and loved it, but this year I just couldn’t justify the entry fee. Even though the boys would have been free, I’d need to pay to get in.

In the end it was probably a good thing and I was so glad to see the photos of dear friends on their adventure. We went to Bible study instead. This provides Momma with 1.5 hours of children free adult conversation and a bit of self-reflection. It was a very good thing. I had to drive the van – which is for sure going into the shop tomorrow. Kills me just a bit, so ironic. Especially since we have been doing quite well, excellent even with our ZERO spending. But hey, maybe it’s “for such a time as this.” I guess now you can say “we have the money.”

Getting out of the house is good for us. I found myself doing some chores, getting the boys down and prepping for a surprise party for my brother-in-law.

Cashel and I took an afternoon walk around the block to collect “10 things God made.” It’s part of the AWANA program we signed up for this fall. Cashel participates in the Cubbies club and is loving it. We read the weekly story and he practiced his memory verses.
 
I’m letting myself off the hook for an extreme cleaning week as my physical limitations with being pregnant just are to limiting. BUT I am doing what I can and hoping to keep that up next week as we move on to other things. I want use what we have and not hang on to things we don’t. Living in our means, spending zero, and more time at home does shine a glaring light on those things.

Another one of those birthdays I felt anxious about at the start of the month arrived today – for my brother-in-law. 

BUT the boys made a cute piece of art and a “happy birthday Uncle Jerod” video as their gift and I think in doing things like this they learn an important lesson, and so do I. That time together, celebrating, and giving from what you have and from the heart are the things that matter.

Things I spent on…

1. dare I say nothing… knowing that we have to take the van in tomorrow

2. We decided to go to the pumpkin patch with my sister on Saturday and will need to pay for transport (which is more then gas – since we have to take the ferry) BUT we did decide to go with pumpkins we got for $0.17 (tax) instead of buying them there. The boys were tickled and won’t know the difference.
  
Things I did not spend on…

1. Birthday gift for our brother-in-law/uncle.

2. Refrained from the seasonal outing with friends

3. Afternoon activity with Cashel using his AWANA Cubby book activity.
 
TIPS

1. Gifts from the heart, and from what you have are just as meaningful to give and to receive. We need to stop being embarrassed or shy of giving within our means and totally from who we are.

2. Many times we pay for a class/subscription/commitment and just don’t utilize it well. Ever subscribe to a media program like disc Netflix and not use is? (We did. I cancelled it but they only end your subscription at the end of a billing period so I had 10 days left – I’ve found myself watching and getting dvds more now that I know it’s ending and I need to be intentional. Or our Xfinity subscription that wasn’t working…we just cancelled and are doing other things. Don’t skip a commitment that is free, or in my case also provides free child care like a community group or Bible Study. It would have been easy to do that today, and sometimes it might be worth it, but today I felt good about going to my study and just seeing the experience my girlfriends and their kiddos had together. Sometimes I make it all about DOING it all and really there is more to feeling satisfied and content). The Cubbies class is another example. They give the kids a book, a cd, and access to other resources. It’s one of those things that is easy to skip over, or see as an annoying obligation, or not with the time. I’m finding that my month of spending zero is shining a great light on things like this. It’s a chance and an opportunity that I can miss or I can seize. This curriculum is GOLD and Cashel loves it. I think I might have missed it’s value – week long with all the extra activities – if I hadn’t been trying to make the best of what we have at our finger times. It’s so valuable. The time with Cashel and what he is learning.

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