Thursday, June 30, 2016

Goals Update: June 2016

 

June started off with so much promise - a lighter work load, less pre-scheduled tours, no teas - but then our apartment became a war-zone of renovations and we were sequester to the trailer until further notice.  Ah-yah-yah.  It's been rough for our little guy to get adjusted.  He is loving all the outside playtime, but is very confused about bedtime since he has only ever slept in a swing and the crib.  A bunk bed is a lot to get use to apparently.  We are making it work for now.  Cleaning is a breeze since our living area is so small, but our living area is SO SMALL!  Hence why we spend a LOT of time outdoors, thank God the weather is cooperating.  I didn't get a whole lot done in June for obvious reasons, but some goals are chugging along nicely regardless, so there is that.  Without further ado, here is how things progressed in June...

Personal:
  • Lose 20 lbs (about 1.5 lbs a month) I have lost 11 1/2 pounds!  I started using the 'My Fitness Pal' app last month, and it is amazing how many calories some foods have in them.  I'm not really watching my calories per-say because I am not 'dieting,' but instead trying to make this weight-loss journey life-long and sustainable.  That being said, I do find it helpful to track my exercise each day, what I ate and how much, as well as my water intake.  I think that seeing everything in black-and-white helps me make better food choices throughout the day.  
  • Exercise 292 days - In May I exercised 26 out of 31 days.  For a total of 149 for the year.  I'm right on track with this goal!  I feel great, and actually look forward to exercising everyday - probably because I binge watch YouTube videos while I bike and do my stretches.  Whatever works, right?  Motivation is half the battle.  
  • Drink at least 70 oz of water everyday - I did great with this goal in June.  The weather has started heating up, and I drink a LOT when I'm hot.  Basically as long as I keep the fridge stocked with water and lemon slices, I'm good to go!
 Financial:
  • Coupon and deal shop to stick to my $350/month budget - I shared my budget update for June here.  If you click over, you can see all of the great things I was able to stock-up on while still staying $62.83 under budget!  This included tons of fresh produce, dry shampoo, sunscreen, and a variety of other items.
  • Earn at least 6 - $25 Amazon gift card through Swagbucks - 2 Down, and 4 to go.
  • List at least 10 things per month online or 120 for the year - I did not list anything in June because of the renovations, and living arrangements.  I am hoping to list a few things in July, that way if they don't sell I can take them to our next flea market in August.  January - Check (23), February - no check (0), March - Check (43), April - no check (1), May -no check (0), June - no check (0)
  • Set up at 6 Flea Markets/Shows to sell our wares - No shows this month.  Our next flea market is in August.  Total for the year = 2
Household:
  • Completely declutter the entire house - I only have one spot left to do, and it is on the to-do list for July -- the cedar chest.
  • Finish my 2016 project list - I have my project list update posted separately.  However, I will share that I was able to completely organize our CD collection, get quite a few things painted, and I was able to make a dent in a few other things on my list.

Blogging:
  • Post at least 3 times a week - I posted at least 3 times per week again in June.  All totaled I shared 15 posts in June, which averages to over 3 a week! 
  • Do a 31 day series in October - Not there yet.  I have been working on some ideas in my blogging journal though. 
  • Set up a Facebook page for my blog - I had planned to do this in June, but our internet has been so spotty I just haven't gotten around to it yet.  We are moving back into our apartment next week, so I plan to get this done then.  
How is everyone else doing with their goals?
Anything new or different you are trying this year?
Share some of your goals in the comments...

June 2016 Budget Update


June was a crazy month.  Slower-paced at work, but our home-life was wild.  We had to move into our RV so that some renovations could be done in our apartment.  The updates will be nice when they are finished, but living in a trailer with a two-year-old has definitely not been fun.  Luckily the weather has cooperated for the most part so we have been able to spend a bunch of time outside, and at different playgrounds in our area - Howard is loving all the outdoor playtime.  I was so glad that we have been under budget for the past few months grocery-wise; we had built up a nice money cushion which we then proceeded to blow through this month.  I think I am finally getting into my full-time-RV-living groove, hopefully anyway.  Meal planning, food prep, and shopping while living the RV life are getting easier.  Below is my wrap-up for my June spending, it's a little all over the place, just like we are...
Total OOP: $411.06
Total Earned: $79.10
Total Remaining from June: $62.83
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Weekly Spending Report: 06/26-07/02/2016


This week ends June's budget - yay!  That means that next week I get a fresh start and a FULL grocery envelope!  We squeeked by under budget this month, which is a wonderful thing, but it was a close one.  I did a good bit of stocking up this month, and with living in the RV while some renovations were completed in our apartment, I also bought a good bit of convenience foods.  Let's just say that I am really looking forward to cooking in my 'real' kitchen again next week!  In July I am planning a pantry challenge of sorts to help us eat through some of our stores and make room to freeze some fresh produce from my dad's garden.  We didn't need much this week, but I definitely wanted to take advantage of the sunscreen deal at CVS, and I needed more Luna bars, so while I was out anyway, I picked up a few other things...
  • Sunday's CVS Trip: $13.75 oop, Earned $6 ECB's ($2 x 2 Coppertone, and $2 Garnier), and $1 Savingstar Rebate (Garnier)
  • Sunday's ALDI Trip: $13.74 oop (included but not pictured are 2 gallons of H2O)
  • Sunday's Giant Trip: $22.32 oop, Earned $0.45 Savingstar Rebate (Apples)

Total OOP: $49.81
Total Earned: $7.45
Total Remaining from June: $62.83

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