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You are here: Home / Archives for Radical Simplicity

Radical Simplicity

Resolutions for 2014

December 14, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

I’m not a huge fan of New Years’ Resolutions.  They are really easy to break. It’s too simple to mess up on say, January 2, and then the whole list is shot to hell.  Am I right?

That’s usually what happens to me.  The past several years, I’ve switched to goals that I start working on as part of a new year.  It seems like a good cut-off to end the holiday excess and start fresh.  A new year is another new chance to do better.  At least for me.

Last year, I tried to enter a year of radical simplicity and radical frugality.  That backfired all too quickly when we began experiencing insanely high power bills in early March, due to a defect in the home we were renting. Those power bills pretty much bankrupted our spring and summer, but by way of random things accidentally falling into place, we ended up buying a home when we thought we’d never qualify in this millenium.  We got into the new house but lost a ton of money in legal fees related to the fradulent rental situation, which still isn’t resolved.

In true Tom&Michele fashion, everything was going just a little too well in spite of the issues with the unscrupulous landlord and management company…so something had to fall apart.  Due to restructuring and budget cuts, we lost a very lucrative consulting job and just like *that* we have found our income slashed by about 35%.  Ouch.  In 2013, we took on two car payments and a whole lot of extra monthly expenses, with a very detailed plan on paying everything off because we had a very comfortable income going.  Now, not so much.

With a mantra that pretty much just goes, “it’s only money…” we’ve been forging forward and I’ve been working diligently at other ways to earn a little extra income.  Several weeks ago I was upset over the fact that the chunk of money we’d earmarked for new window coverings and garage cabinets had to be funneled into the legal fund.  Now I’ve got to worry how I’m going to make the mortgage and car payments while still coming up with funds for dance and piano and voice and choir and…basically everything else that keeps our homeschooled kids happy and our household running.

This is where my 2014 resolution comes in.  Emeals, coupons and Costco (or Sam’s).  I have the memberships, I get the newspapers.  I know how to do it right.  I just have been too lazy.  That’s something I want to work on in 2014–not only just figuring out how to save money but also figuring out how to do it without it becoming all-consuming.

Filed Under: Randomness, Uncategorized Tagged With: bad luck, finances, only in my life, Radical Simplicity, random

Low-Spend January Recap and Thoughts

February 1, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Um, where to begin?  I have so many thoughts about this past month’s “low-spend” experiment.

I honestly went into this month believing that it’d be a great month that would allow me to “catch up” a bit and sock away some spending money.  Surely if I spent more cautiously (and didn’t have any major holidays to pay for) I would be left with oodles and oodles of extra money to toss around.  In reality I realize there is extra money to toss around, but we spend it before we realize it’s there.  😛

Another thing I have realized is that as inconvenient as it might be, I really need to do two transactions when I get groceries at Target or Walmart (at the same time as non-groceries) because I am bad at remembering to split the transactions in Mint.com and then I have the program telling me I spent $1800 on groceries when I know I didn’t and that a lot of it was home improvement, toiletries, personal care, clothes, maintenance, medical, etc. supplies.

Categories where we were pretty much on target:

gas
groceries
kids activities

Categories where we definitely went over:

fast food (really, this should be ZERO)
dining out (it was about double what I want it to be, but we did have a birthday!)
snacks/treats

All in all, while I didn’t acomplish everything I’d hoped for, I did realize that we’ve got areas we can trim (even cut) without really feeling a pinch.  Our goal this year is to save 1/3 of our take-home income monthly while putting $1000/mo torward our student loans, while not sacrificing on educational spending and activities for the kids.  We’re moving in the right direction!! 😀

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 31

January 31, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Two year car registration renewal for hubby…$115.  🙂

Smog check…$27

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 30

January 30, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Target – $200ish

We really needed hampers!  $80 of it (plus tax) was hampers.

And then some milk and produce and snacks.

Most of the hampers were on sale online for $5.25 but rang up for $15 in store.  I bought four of those and they are now price-matching their site, so I’m going to try to get a price adjustment, which would save about $40.  I had to have these hampers though…they are definitely in the “will change my life” category.  😉

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 29

January 29, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

I spent about $40 on books and some marketing templates…notably got Nourishing Traditions…which I’m loving!

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 28

January 27, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Groceries: $200

I guess we gotta eat!  It’s more expensive sticking with primarily organic, grass-fed, pastured, etc.  Next month I’m getting some things from Azure Standard since we now have a nearby drop-point.  The organic, pastured, cultured butter is $3.50 a pound while I’m paying $2.50 a pound for conventional.  There are some really great prices!

Jerky Direct order and distributor sign up….$15.

What can I say?  I love good jerky and they carry grass-fed, organic with no nasty chemicals, additives or preservatives.  I figured if I only use my membership to order for our family, I’ll be doing better than buying the HFCS. MSG-laden stuff I usually break down and eat!

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 27

January 27, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Zilch!  Yay!

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 26

January 26, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Ha!  Nothing!

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 25

January 25, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Car Wash – $10

Prescriptions – $9.58 (metformin and my precious…xanax…which I hoard in case of times of extreme anxiety!  😉 )

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 24

January 24, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Taco Bell – $11

Petsmart (dog toy, calendar, magnet) – $24

Target – groceries and household – 104

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 23

January 23, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Home Depot – $68 (paint, supplies)

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 21

January 21, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Today is Katie’s birthday….we went out to lunch.  And dinner.  And we bought a cake and new earrings and presents and party supplies.  So I declare toady exempt! 🙂  Most of her gifts were, however, purchased in December.

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 22

January 21, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Low-key day, nothing spent. 🙂

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 20

January 20, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Walmart…two sheet sets (hubby wanted flat sheets for an air tent and I wanted new fitted sheets+pillowcases for our bed, so win-win), party supplies for Katie’s b-day, wrapping paper – $100

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 19

January 19, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Grocery & toiletry shopping…$180

Star Wars 3-disc bluray set (not my idea LOL) – $35

Gift for Katie – $35

Date night – $20

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 18

January 18, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

I ordered my almond flour today…so that was around $50 after discounts for two 5# bags (one blanched, one unblanched).

I think that’s it…

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

Low-Spend January: Day 17

January 17, 2013 by michelejo Leave a Comment

Nothing so far, although I do need to order almond flour really soon…I won’t do it today! 🙂

Filed Under: Tending Hearth, Uncategorized Tagged With: A Year of Less, Frugality & DIY, Minimalism & Organizing, Radical Simplicity, Simplicity

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summerland.az

Meant to paint these rocks and leave them along th Meant to paint these rocks and leave them along the way from AZ to NC, so ran out of time. New plan: leave them around the complex! 💜

(Reminds me I totally forgot to hunt for Pokémon on the trip out here!!! Argh!!)
Celebrating Father’s Day today! Katie has a hom Celebrating Father’s Day today!  Katie has a homemade ice cream cake in the freezer and cribbage was played earlier. Now Mario Kart. Tom’s mounting the bedroom TV between hanging out with the kids. 💜 I’m trying the Hime Chef hot honey butter salmon, Home Chef shrimp recipe for dinner.
It’s pretty here 💜 It’s pretty here 💜
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Shamelessly hiding in my car while Tom and Dakota Shamelessly hiding in my car while Tom and Dakota load a U-Haul van.
The stuff of nightmares but less scary alone than The stuff of nightmares but less scary alone than going in the elevator with Tom and our stuff 🤣😳
New brands of treats!? New brands of treats!?
Chicken and biscuit place, in an old Wendy’s… Chicken and biscuit place, in an old Wendy’s…
Enjoying trying new things. Enjoying trying new things.
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Next to last one this trip!! Next to last one this trip!!
I had to order Mississippi and Alabama on Ebay. 🤣 I have picked up New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and now...Florida! 💜
She was mad I moved the blanket 🤣 She was mad I moved the blanket 🤣
The crew 🤣 The crew 🤣
In my car with Katie next to Tom in his car, tryin In my car with Katie next to Tom in his car, trying to wait out the second big Florida storm of the day. And oh, we’re in Florida today. 🤣 They have great rest stops!
Dinner date. Waffle House was EMPTY so we ate INSI Dinner date. Waffle House was EMPTY so we ate INSIDE!! 🤣🤣🤣
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