Fall 2014 Group Challenge begins Sunday - Oct. 19th

[catherine1234]

Love reading everybody's responses! So fun - thanks for putting this together Bucky and for reading everyone's responses so thoughtfully

Day 9: Although it would be another "mouth" to feed, I would bring my horse on the desert island. Not exactly a survival necessity, but she brings me so much joy and I could have mini adventures everyday exploring the island on her.

Day 10: Since I recently purged my own closet, I went through all 3 of my boys' closets and cleaned those out. Love those little "surprises" you find kids hoarding like smelly socks but also Kinder yearbooks and Mother's Day cards! Donated bags of stuff to a friend with a younger son and am all ready to winter clothes shop for the boys before it is cold out.

Day 11:
1)  The Muppet Show. It was a Saturday night tradition in my house with popcorn and everybody snuggling on the sofa.

2)  TruFire - a local farm to table place where we always run into people we know and the food is yummy and healthy, ambience perfect for date night or an early dinner with kids, and very casual

3)  Anything but the rap my husband plays full blast in the house. Lately I have been listening to The Bridge on Siruis but my kids make fun of me because to them James Taylor like music is for old folks

4)  A 1973 bright yellow VW Bug with no brakes...it is a miracle with my driving I survived!

5)  This is going to sound pretty awful, but instead of my prior to Sjogren's nightly glass of red wine, I now crave PB2 powder mixed with almond milk to make a paste of sorts and mix it up with raspberries and chocolate dusted almonds

[Sleepy In Seattle]

Day 9: Although it would be another "mouth" to feed, I would bring my horse on the desert island. Not exactly a survival necessity, but she brings me so much joy and I could have mini adventures everyday exploring the island on her.

YupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYupYup!!!!!!! 

Nobody asked "favorite movie" for the desert island, but The black Stallion comes to mind..... 

[MarieB]

Catherine, I had one of those VW Bugs in the early 70s so I'm thinking it was a 60s model.  No gas gauge on those, just an extra gallon and you pulled a lever to access it when you ran out.  I remember mine having trouble starting but it was so lightweight I could push it by myself, jump in, pop the clutch and start it that way.   

[Bucky]

Hmmm . . . the years that have flown by since purchasing some medicines, medical supplies, and spices.   

In the medicine cabinet the oldest item I found had an expiration date of 2008 on it.  I also found several with 2010 and 2011 on them.  But I just bought them!!  Or at least I thought I had just bought them.     My how time flies!!

The oldest spice I found also had a 2008 expiration date.  At least I'm consistent.  LOL

I had recently purged the pantry and refrigerator, so I didn't have anything in either place there that was expired.

Did anyone else find some older expired items?

Bucky

[Bucky]

Day 14 of our 14-Day Challenge

Today is the final day of our 2014 Challenge.  We've done a variety of different challenges - I hope there was something during these 14 days that you liked.

The final challenge is a long-term challenge.  With the holidays fast approaching advertisers are ramping up their commercials on TV and advertisements on social media.  Retailers want you to buy, buy, buy, spend, spend, spend and will entice you with deals that sound too good to be true.  Some retailers are already holding their "Holiday Savings" sale (in essence, Black Friday) today, November 1st!

This long term challenge is to not let yourself be suckered into buying things you just cannot afford.  You don't have to keep up the Jones' having the latest, greatest phone or electronic gadget on the market or other current "trends". So many people are financially swimming in debt.

As the holidays approach - live within your means.  Don't go into huge debt buying gifts for people.  I know you want to make your children / grandchildren and family "happy".  Many times people go overboard on showering gifts on others.  The holidays are not all about the pretty wrapped gifts.  The greatest gift you can give someone is your time - something money can't buy.

If you are able to, maybe cut back on the gifts to family and friends and donate the money you would have spent on a gift to a local food pantry or organization that helps those in need.  If you can only afford $10 to donate, your $10 along with others $10 can add up and make a sizeable donation.  No donation is too small.

My final thought for this challenge - count your blessings daily.  Some days may be harder than others, but there is always something good in each day.

If you are still playing "catch-up" on these last 14 days, be sure and stop by and share your progress. 

Thanks for coming along these last 14 days - I've enjoyed your company.   

Bucky

"As you waste your breath complaining about life, someone out there is breathing their last.  Appreciate what you have.  Be thankful and stop complaining.  Live more, complain less.  Have more smiles, less stress."     sharinspirequotes

[A66eyroad]

Bucky, thanks for always spearheading our challenges. We always get to know one another (and ourselves!) so much better, and doing something positive every day is good for the soul. I love you like crazy!

As for Christmas, with 37 people to buy gifts for, I start in April --- I have to! I keep a spreadsheet with a list of what I've bought (usually one or two items per pay check) and I have a big box that I keep in a closet where I can keep all the gifts I've purchased in one place. I set aside a Saturday for The Big Wrapping Extravaganza which I do after I've got everything bought. I don't wrap as I buy the way some other people do, because I have a Sjogren's memory and won't remember what I've gotten. And the spreadsheet keeps me from buying twelve things for one person and nothing for another.

[susanep]

Bucky I do have some expired things I am getting rid of. lol....Oh and you mentioned spices. oh wow do I have some of those to get rid of. I will do that tonight. Tonight I will also get at least a few of those things out of my closet. God knew better than me that I needed all that for tonight.

I won't be spending more than I can afford, because we cut up any credit cards when I got sicker, and knew I wouldn't be able to work much longer which was a few years before 2010. We don't owe on anything, but our home other than the usual monthly electric, water, phone, small amount for our dish network, insurances, taxes, all that kind of stuff.

I can only buy what I can. I need another car bad, but can't afford one even used. We had our hot water heater go bad, and went without hot water for several months, but we managed. Dear son and daughter in law bought and installed us a new one. We are so blessed. Even with many needs we still as often as we can, send a bit of money to places we think really need it for food, disasters, and sometimes to St. Jude's Hospital that help children with cancer, and are never turned away due to being poor.

We enjoy during the holiday season when around Christmas we see  them ring the bells for donations for the Salvation Army. It just feels good.

Even though I don't go into debt for the holidays, I do tend to let something I might need in clothes etc. go to get my son, daughter in law, and husband something I think they might like. Also, my son's birthday is Dec. 21, my husband's birthday Dec 25, and my daughter in law's birthday Jan 2. So there is that too. lol....I do love sewing and some quilting too, and that helps.

Have a great week everyone!
Bucky I want to thank you for such a nice challenge you took the time to put together for all of us. It has helped me more than you will ever know.

susanep
   

[Linda196]

Thank you, Bucky; this session of challenges has been both enjoyable and an eye opener!

I'm pretty good about expiry dates, since I learned long ago not to "stock up"on things I don't regularly use, in particular, spices. I buy them at a bulk supplier, and only small amounts......costs much less, they are fresher, and don't get stashed for years in the back of the cupboard! I did find a bottle of Vitamin C chewables dated 2008.......and I don't even take Vitamin C I'm not sure how it got there! Since Hubby switched brands of cola (I don't drink it myself) I found one lonely can of the abandoned brand in the pantry, dated October 2013. And you finally gave me the push I needed to throw out half a dozen older bottles of creams and lotions that weren't as helpful as I had hoped, so I moved on.

I've been trying for years (and succeeding in small steps) to "simplify" Christmas. We have always limited gift giving, and in the last few years, I've made a concerted effort to look for locally crafted gifts when possible. We like to shop at "Mom and Pop"places, not chain or box stores when possible. I even have a barter plan with a local yarn crafter, she will take baking and hand made cards in exchange for mitts, hats and scarves! I need to look for more crafters who will do that LOL!

Of course, last Christmas you might say we oversimplified.......power was out from Dec 22 to Christmas Afternoon but you know something? it was one of our nicest Christmases ever!