Payday Thursday..

This is something new I'm hoping to keep going on my blog.. Basically to keep me accountable, and to show others how they can save money while I try to do the same..  And I will make mistakes, because I know I am a shopaholic (even if it is with coupons).. But I'm willing to work my booty off to save more money and get myself out of debt..

So, to put it all out there, I made a page of all my debt I owe, and then I will post a monthly tally up with what I have saved towards what..  I plan to use the Envelope System to save towards the bigger ones, because I've gotten burned by paying payments, then the bill gets sold to another company but doesn't reflect my payments..  And the list does include my car payment, my credit card payment and my student loan bill (which will thankfully be put in deferment now that I'm enrolled in school again)..

My budget for May:

• Rent (for next month)-- $550
• Phone Payment-- $100 (PAID)
• Electric Bill-- $200
• Credit Card-- $150 (PAID)
• Internet-- $25 (PAID)
• Car Payment-- $236
• Gas-- $200
• Disney payments-- $100 (PAID)
• Holiday & Garden-- $100
• Food-- $100

Total Bills: $ 1761/month or $880.50/paycheck

This budget is for the bare minimum of my bills.. For the month of May and June, my goal is to save for my vacations that are in June and July.. Any savings will go towards them and making sure bills get paid while I'm gone..  Yes, I will plan to save my change still.. Yes, I will put any extra towards my excess bills.. But the next two months are going to be about having fun, because after that, I will be working a lot and going to school full time.. So until then, if it's not in my budget, it's not getting bought.. :)

MAY IS A NO SPEND MONTH!!

#Whole30 Weekly Recap: Week 1

Well, today is DAY 7 of my #Whole30 experience.. I don't want to call it a diet, because it's more than that..

It is a life changing experience.. Before starting #Whole30 on 5/1, I was back to my "old ways" of eating.. I would eat lots of carbs and little or no good protein.. I ate waffles for breakfast (when I actually ate breakfast, which is a no-no), I'd eat carb-loaded foods for lunch (yeah there might be fruit or cheese in there too, but it was still carb-loaded), and dinner would be Doritos or pizza (or some other not healthy food).. I would also snack all day on Cheese-It's or some other boxed food..  It was getting out of hand when I bought 3 boxes of Cheese-It's and 2 were gone in 2 days (and the other one I didn't like, or it would have been gone too I'm sure)..

While I hadn't gained any weight back (I have been hovering at the 195-197 mark for the past 8 months), I surely wasn't losing any weight, and I knew I wasn't at where I wanted to be for my "goal"..  And while I didn't go into this with the intent to lose weight, I know it will happen..  Cleansing my system of all the processed crap has already helped me lose some inches, and pounds (because I'm a rule breaker and weigh in every now and then)..

 

In the past 7 days I've learned:

* That you can eat "clean" and still feel satisfied..
* That the processed crap, while yummy, really doesn't satisfy your body..
* That I can do anything I put my mind to..
* That "giving up" sugar and carbs isn't really that hard..
* That sugar cravings are a bitch, but they do go away..
* That 90% chocolate bars are F@&!ing nasty..
* That I truly don't miss chocolate like I thought I would..
* That I do miss yogurt and sour cream like I thought I would..

While this past week has been nuts, as the image below is TOTALLY TRUE, I think this is an awesome change and while I do NOT plan to go more than 30 days (who in the world really thinks I can do this while in Disney for a week?!?! or that I would WANT TO), I will probably revisit this a couple times a year..  HOWEVER, I do plan to keep up with the healthy eating as much as I can and will introduce other foods (such as dairy products) after doing this, but more about that when the time comes..

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you'll be able to see more of what I eat and other random things on a daily basis.. It's fun, and I'm addicted to it.. lol.. So come follow me!!  :)

Changing Things Up..

So I've noticed in the past couple months, I've gotten WAY too friendly with carbs.. I love them, but they don't love me back, as shown by my stall for the past 6 months..

I was thinking about doing an Atkins style  'diet' to get away from the carbs.. And then I saw something on Instagram about something called #whole30.. After doing my research, I have decided that this sounds like a good idea for me.. 

With the #whole30, you go WITHOUT the following things in your diet: 

* no sugars, real or artificial (except a small amount of fruit juice as a sweetener)

* no alcohol

* no grains

* no beans (except green beans, sugar snap peas or snow peas)

* no soy (which is in A LOT of things, surprisingly)

* no dairy (except clarified butter or ghee)

* no white potatoes

* no MSG, sulfites, or carrageenan

* no 'Paleo-ifying' baked goods, desserts or junk foods

AND no weighing in or doing measurements during the whole 30 days.. Which I've already screwed up.. Lol.. But won't do it again..

What you CAN have: 

* fresh meats 

* fish (canned or fresh)

* fruits

* veggies

* coconut oil and aminos

* eggs

* some nuts and seeds

This 'diet' is something I started on the 1st and will finish the week before I leave for Disney.. This month will be an interesting one, as I'm only 3 days in and I'd kill for a candy bar right now.. But I've been told it goes away.. I plan to do weekly recaps on here, and daily ones on Instagram, so check back..

Talk to ya soon!! :)

Hello May!!!

Wow, where has the last 4 months gone?!?! I can't believe that it's already May.. This month holds a lot for me:

* been 18 months since my VSG surgery..

* started #whole30 on the 1st..

* getting my blog streamlined..

* I'm 6 months away from being 'in my 30s', instead of being 30..

* working on my spending/saving issues..

Just to name a few.. Lol

My goal is to update a couple days a week on non-weight loss stuff (aka money stuff, crafty stuff, ADD stuff, gardening stuff) and then blog randomly about my weight loss and surgery..

So here's to a fresh start.. And hopefully a good one.. I'm getting pretty good at Instagram, so come follow me at @fabchallenge.. :)