January Challenge - Week One

Thanks to Carla, for kicking things off!

It's a busy week, as we all get back to our routines, & I head back to the office. I'm working on my January challenges, & here's what I've come up with.

Financial Goal Week One: Instead of buying something you need this week, find a way to "make do". Do you grab a coffee each day on the way to work? can you brew at home & use a travel mug? Run out of an ingredient for a recipe? Can you find a substitution? There are many ways to "make do" each & every day... track how much you would have spent.

• This one is a little silly, but I *love* protein smoothies after a workout, & frequently buy them at my gym. They are (cough), not cheap. My work offers free chocolate milk, which is an excellent workout recovery snack. I have a gift card that I used all year to support my habit, but it has $.65 on it, so is basically over. I'm going to resolves to buy protein smoothies only as special occasions, & none in January.
• Rather than buying a bunch of special foods for our house guest this weekend, I'm going to do my regular shopping & make do mostly with what we already have. I'll bake a treat instead of buying something as well.
• I'm already bringing my lunch every day, drink coffee at home (or have free tea at work), & meal planning. I can still work on the recipe/ingredient substitution. M is not a fan of running out of fruit & vegetables & we have a lengthy list of "must buy" each week, so I'll continue to purchase those. It's hard to argue with purchasing healthy food!
• My rain boots ripped (see below), & rather than replacing them, I found an old pair in the garage that I purchased once & promptly forgot about. I've dusted them off, & they will serve the purpose instead.

Decluttering Goal Week One: What "thing" clutters up your home the most? Is it clothes? Toys? Books/magazines? Kitchen Stuff? Knick-Knacks? Find a way to get rid of some of these items! Be sure to snap a pic of your declutter!

• Everything? So far, I've gone through my own closet for an initial pass, the kids closets, & a few random toys & I'm up to 10 items. I need to do 20/week, so 100 in the month. Here's what I've culled so far:
• Rubber boots (mine) that ripped. I live in a rainy climate - rain boots get a TON of wear. :-)
• 4 kids shirts (outgrown)
• 1 book that I sold on Ebay.
• A pair of flats that I bought & rarely wore because they were uncomfortable
• A pair of black heels that I used to rock before I broke my foot. Now? No thanks, not willing to risk the pain!
• A white hat that I never wear (it's too big, & blows off)
• A toy gun that came with a set my son received as a gift.
• I've also identified a few things that I'm going to try & list on Ebay or Craig's List, & sell. Earning money & decluttering? Win/win!

And, now that my mind is on rain boots, pictoral evidence of their frequent usage in Washington/Oregon.

 

There were many, many more, but Blogger isn't interested in letting me upload more pictures.

How is your challenge going so far? What are you working on in January?