I was off work last week with Martin, spending quality time resting and watching some of our Christmas DVDs. Sticking to my goals this week has been relatively simple, but I'll be interested to see how that changes when I go back to work tomorrow and have less time and energy. Each challenge week will run from Sunday to Saturday, and I'll try and report every Sunday on how we've done.
Walking - I worked out that my weekly total walking should be 16km to get to 500 miles by next January. This week, despite starting in the middle of the week, I managed 17.65km thanks to a fantastic walk in Salcey Forest Saturday morning. I felt a bit stir crazy when I woke up and suggested to Martin we go check out some of the walks in the forest, as we'd lived within a few miles of it for ten years and still hadn't gone there. An hour later, after packing food and drink and unearthing our hiking boots, off we went.
To say some parts of the Woodpecker walk were muddy would be an understatement. At one point my whole right boot disappeared up to my ankle, but it was fun.We got to see some wildlife, but only heard not saw the woodpecker that the walk was named after.
Reading - haven't started that yet. I have picked my book, 'In the Heart of the Sea' , which I'm ashamed to say I've had unread on the shelf for over a year. Just haven't opened it up yet.
Internet fast - just squeaked in over the hour a day here. I had a load of banking to do, and that lead on to me reading a few articles on financial stuff which took me over. I think I'll have to make a list of things that are allowable under this category, as I consider reading about financial stuff a mandatory wealth-building past-time.
Nutrition plan - egg yolks are back in. Yay! Happy dancing, as I really need more sources of protein than just meat, poultry and fish.
No spending - did quite well on this. Everything was necessary and we really underspent on petrol compared to usual as we were on annual leave. We were also living out of my freezers, which are overflowing with discounted food.
New windscreen wiper rubbers £11
Petrol £25
Chicken food & straw and hay bales £17.64
Our food £9.18
Cat food £8.00
Total £71.44
I did have the mercury fillings on the right side of my mouth replaced on Friday, but this was paid for in December out of my savings so this will not be counted. I'm due back to have the left side done in February.
Just to clarify what is and isn't involved, below is a list of the things we will not be spending money on as part of this challenge:
- Books, magazines, dvds
- Clothes, shoes, and accessories
- Luxury toiletries and make-up
- Bric-a-brac, furniture and household items
- Takeaways and meals out not related to family celebrations
- Weekends away/overnight stays
- Craft items
There are certain things that we have decided to exclude:
Supplements, information and things that support health
Prescription drugs are out, as are over the counter medicines and emergency dental work. I have numerous supplements in different forms to help my gut heal, digest my food, and generally fill my micro-nutrient tank that has been severely depleted over the last few months. These are also out, as they get me up and out the door to work to earn income.
Emergency breakdowns and maintenance
From cars and boilers to fridges and kettles, we may be a bit creative for a few days, maybe even weeks, but these will eventually be fixed or replaced. This includes maintenance. No point scrimping and not maintaining something only to have a bigger repair bill later when it breaks down or conks out completely.
Vegetable seeds and plants
My diet has changed dramatically compared to what it was, and I am currently in the middle of an elimination diet to identify those foods that trigger an immune reaction. My fruit and veg consumption is over 10 portions a day now and rising, all of which can be expensive. I need to be able to grow as much as I can, and over the next few weeks I will be clearing out the polytunnel and sorting out the vegetable beds ready for production of as much as I can.
Takeaways and meals out related to family celebrations
I'm cutting out any takeaways or meals out over the next few months apart from those related to family celebrations. My mother-in-law is 83 in February and my 43rd birthday is also at the end of this month. On both of those occasions we intend to eat either at a restaurant or have a takeaway (although I am considering cooking a family meal for Martin's mum). Beyond that, there will be no takeaways or meals out.
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So that's it so far. Here's hoping for another good week. How are you doing with your resolutions and goals?