Finance Friday

Well, since i skipped last weeks check in, it's time to post the numbers for the last 2 weeks worth of the No/Low Spend Challenge:

Sat. Jan 14, 2012 -Hair Cut
Sun Jan 15, 2012 -NO SPEND DAY
Mon. Jan 16, 2012 - Lunch, Life Insurance
Tues. Jan 17, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Wed. Jan 18, 2012 - Rogers
Thurs. Jan 19, 2012 - Curling, Groceries
Fri. Jan 20, 2012 - Acupuncture, Gas,
Sat. Jan 21, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Sun. Jan 22, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Mon. Jan 23, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Tues. Jan 24, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Wed. Jan 25, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Thurs. Jan 26, 2012 - Lunch, Chiropractor, Toiletries
Fri. Jan 27, 2012 - Lunch, Groceries
Sat Jan 28, 2012 - Breakfast
Sun Jan 29, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Mon Jan 30, 2012 - NO SPEND DAY
Tues. Jan 31, 2012 - RRSP, Bank Fees

In January there were exactly 12 Transactions on my account.  2 were deposits, 1 was February's variable spending money, the rest were automatic withdraws for all of my payments.  I had a very very good month!

I'll be continuing this challenge into February.  I'm not committing myself to Carla's second challenge this month.  Instead, I'm doing a different challenge.  I promised myself last year that 2012 would be my health month.  I have registered and had my initial weigh-in on a Biggest Loser 16-week life plan.  3 times a week for the next 16 weeks I'll be working out with a trainer, gaining exercise, eating habits, nutrition tips and accountability for my actions on this as well.  At $550, the program works out to $11.46 per session.  Each session is 1.5 hours long.  It was a win-win-win type plan.  The program costs a little less than a class at school, so I took the money from my school fund and applied it to this program.

I've installed a weight tracking bar on the side of my blog.  My goal for the 16 weeks is to lose 30 pounds.  All you math wizards out there will notice this is about 2 pounds per week.  A very do-able program!

I ended up with 15 NO SPEND DAYS this month!  I'm super stoked about that.  You'll notice too that I counted days when the automatic payments moved as a spend day.  I'll continue to do this as we go through February. 


I've been a little lax on my Finance Friday posts.  I'll have February's Finance Friday on Friday this week. 

Keep on going everyone!  I've really loved reading how each of you is doing with your individual goals.  Special thanks to Carla for setting these challenges!  Find all the great things Carla posts at My Half Dozen Daily!

Writing to your Mentor

I was a member of the 2011 Fall class of You vs Debt.  I am also a member of the 2012 January Class.  As part of the first class, I was challenged to write to my mentor and explain both the journey I'm on and the outcome I'm looking for.  I wrote a letter to Gail Vaz Oxlade.  She wrote back.  My letter to her was published on her website today. 

Please read it here. 

The letter was something I was scared to write.  It was written at a time when I was beginning to put things back together from the ride I was on last year.  More than anything, it shows the ambition of my goal and reaching it by April 2012. 

Will I make it?  Probably not.  Will I be well on my way to finishing this this?  Absolutely!!

I cam looking so forward to being able to write again to Gail to tell her I'M DEBT FREE! 

I was able to get out some words I needed to say to myself.  Sending the letter to a mentor of mine was cathartic.  It was healing.  It was scary, yet freeing.  And above all, I was moved that my mentor responded.  I won't be posting her response, as it's personal for me and not something I'm ready to share just yet.

I'm sure you've noticed that my postings have changed since the beginning of the year.  I feel more direction toward my goal.  I also feel like I've learned so much about myself and how I work so I'm able to translate my learning into more directed and informative postings for those reading. 

More than anything I'm taking it one step at a time.  Taking a look at everything about my financial journey has been an eye-opening experience, and shed some serious insight into how I look at things and how I work. 

Life is looking up for me.  On this, the first day of February, I'm reminded that I am one month closer to my goal of financial freedom.  I have 9 months left!!