Cents and Sensibility, Day 14. Two weeks. Can this be habit-forming?

Last night's Feast ran late, but I'm not complaining. I'd rather have a nice evening with friends than a good night's sleep.

I put that theory to the test today.

I got to bed about 1 am. The alarm went off at 4:30 am, and I was at my job at 7.

I'm no scientist, but I don't think that's enough sleep.

Logan requested a wake-up call for 9 am, and through my blurred vision this morning, I neglected to set the alarm correctly. But I didn't know that when I texted and called in an attempt to make sure he was up by 9, so that he could get to his class by 10.

I'm only one person.

So when Logan didn't answer his phone this morning, I assumed the worst. And the worst for Logan would have been to sleep in and miss his class.

Which is exactly what happened.

He didn't really miss it. He was late. But he inherited some whacked-out on-time-or-a-few-minutes-early gene from me. 

Highly scientific. Try to keep up.

I left work to come home and work remotely around 10:15, just around the time Logan woke up, blasphemed me for not setting his alarm correctly, and got himself to class.

So he was gone by the time I got home.

So was someone else.

Our dog Dutch was gone too. By the time I got home.

Yes, he did make it back home. He seems to like it here.

Not unlike myself, Dutch suffers from a dusting of wanderlust. Like me, he appreciates the idea of being home, even when he tries to escape.

Dutch and I have a lot in common.

We both escape whenever we get the chance.

That escape clause has been modified for me lately by the nature of this project, and I've become a bit more calm in the face of stasis.

But according to an article I read tonight, I have to log a bit more time before this way of life becomes a habit. Because according to this http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php, it takes 66 days for a habit to take firm root.

There are several caveats to this particular study. And apparently some of us are simply 'habit-resistant'.

But I've noticed changes, in my bank balance and in the way I think about spending.

It all seems to revolve around paying attention.

We started this project two weeks ago today. As I've noted in previous entries, we'd had just as many guests (a habit I refuse to break), we've spent substantially less money, and I still have somewhere between a fourth and a half of a tank of gas.

Can we keep this going for another 52 days? Highly doubtful.

We'll keep going as long as we can, because we're all seeing results. And like any seed change, results might easily be measured by growth. 

Growth in this project's case seems to have its root in the simple act of paying attention.

And speaking of habits, tonight I'm opting to recognize my habitual need for sleep. No matter how hard I try lately, it's a hard habit to break.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 13. Around the world in a day.

As you may have read last week, we have a weekly Peasants Feast over the summer. It gives the kids a chance to get together with their friends, and I get the opportunity to see mine, too. 

We pick a theme, and everyone brings a food item to fit the theme.

And I thought it was time for a vacation. Not a real one - this project's keeping me close to home. The next best thing? A culinary vacation!

So everyone brought items with a place in its name. Here's what we had for dinner tonight: Greek salad, Belgian waffles, Kentucky Fried Chicken, French toast casserole, an imaginative Douglas County curry, Swedish meatballs, French onion dip, Italian sausage, German chocolate cake...

And we washed all of this ooh-la-la-liciousness down with wines from across the globe. And Hawaiian Punch.

This week's Feast brought out the creativity in people.

And it was also nicely spiced with tasty conversation.

We had quite a turnout, with a swell balance of  'regulars', as well as some new Feast faces. A whole lot of kids were here, which was great.

We never know from week to week who's going to Feast with us, and that's the part I like the best.

Yes, it's great to put a spin on the idea of a pot luck, but the Feasts are so much more about the company than the food.

If a creative menu were a plane ticket, we'd have travelled across the globe tonight.


As was witnessed by the German chocolate cake.

And the Mountain Dew.


Our menu was diverse. Conversation was as abundant as the trans-continental items on the table.


And I'm thankful we were all right here.


One final word to punctuate to loveliness of Day 13 - no money spent, no gas burned.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 12. Let's get fresh.

It's been almost two weeks since I darkened the door of Safeway, and even though our inventory could have gone a bit longer without a burst of freshness, I went to the grocery store after work this afternoon.

We were shy on fresh stuff, so it was time to spend just a splash of money.

This is what I bought today.

Let's pretend this is a garden variety version of a kindergarden class photo and go from left to right.

Back row: a dozen tomatoes, five pounds of wheat flour, two gallons of milk, eight gala apples, five bananas.

Middle row: ten pounds of potatoes, a completely indulgent Red Bull, green seedless grapes and a whole bunch of kiwi.

Front row: three cucumbers, raspberries and blueberries.

And what did I spend on this tabletop of tasty delights?

43.36.

That kicks up the amount I've spent on this project, just a scant notch. As I mentioned yesterday, I spent 365.87 before starting this project on June 1.

Now I've spent 409.23.

So instead of spending 12.20 per day owing for a 30-day month, we've now spent 13.64 per day, if indeed we don't spend anything else for another two weeks and some change.

That's still a pretty decent average.

And I still have a half a tank of gas, after 12 days.

Like dropping a clothing size without really trying too hard, I can't believe how easy it's been to keep my car in the garage, to not go anywhere I feel like at whim.

Yes, I spent a bit of money today. But we're still all in when it comes to this project. I've already been schooled - I thought the gas would be among the first things to disappear.

But it was fresh items. I was amazed at how many healthy items I bought, and how little it cost.

It was an instructional field trip, this outing to Safeway today. The volume of items I purchased pokes a tiny hole in the argument that folks can't make healthy choices on the cheap.

I bought enough stuff to last us quite a while, for less than it would cost to take my family out to dinner, once.

Refreshing.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 11. Putting pencil to paper.

I did myself some math today.

I must say my brain kind of hurts. Especially considering the numbers I crunched as I scratched away.

I mentioned in an earlier entry that prior to June 1, I'd been spending, on average, a total of +/- 1,312.50 each month at the grocery store, at the gas station, and on various spontaneous, extraneous items (i.e., movies, school stuff, retail therapy, going out to dinner, etc.) for me and my younguns.

Based on a 30-day month, that's an average of 43.75 every day.

After I wiped the sweat off my brow that had accumulated after I'd digested this nugget of truth, I referenced a bit more data.

I revisited the total amount I'd spent in preparation for this project: 365.87.

Based again on a 30-day month, if we can last 30 days on what we have, we'll have spent 12.20 per day.

That's a savings of 31.55 a day.

So. Can we do it?

Let's take inventory.

At present, I have over a half a tank of gas in my car. We're out of milk. Logan's out of Diet Coke, but he doesn't seem to care. After having printed out volumes of information about how unhealthy Diet Coke can be when consumed in high volumes, he did the typical teenager thing and tuned me out. It wasn't until his dance teacher told him he shouldn't drink it that he stopped.

Information becomes valid to my teenager when someone else tells him the exact same information.

Shocking.

I'm not sure we'll be able to go an entire 30 days without getting a few things at the store. But we're not there quite yet.

Thus far we're not lacking anything essential.

It's interesting how simply stepping back - being creative with what we have, finding ways to navigate around boredom, having people over instead of going out, not driving, not spending - has been relatively effortless.

And today, putting pencil to paper, realizing just how much money I/we piss away on things we don't even notice that we don't really need, makes me more energized to keep this project going.

Every day makes me more convinced that I could live a much more simple, uncomplicated life.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 10. Taking a break.

It's been a mercilessly long day, but I made a deal with myself that I'm going to blog every day, and according to the time as I type, I have 45 minutes.

I had my dad and his groove thing, Connor, Jenny and Logan under one roof for dinner. A pleasant, multigenerational gathering.

The evening took on a new shade when Logan gave Jenny a dye job, right in the middle of the kitchen. Her hair looks great; my kitchen is a mess.

And I work tomorrow.

So I'm keeping it short.

As for a brief update on the day, and the project: I had a lovely walk with my friend Cara this morning. We took a walking tour of my neighborhood's garage sales.

Uncharacteristically, I didn't spend a dollar.

Day 10 came and went with no money spent, no gas burned.

But obviously, we had a good time. Especially Jenny, who got Salon treatment from my lovely boys, right in the middle of my kitchen.

And I have 36 minutes until today is tomorrow.

Bedtime.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 9. The game of Life.

Ah, the game of Life.

It's such a money game.

Little bits of paper and metal come in, little bits of paper and metal are disbursed.

Life sounds so simple.

Would that the real game were as simple.

I spent some time doing the math today, moving my piece around my presently self-imposed game of Life that's come to be known as Cents and Sensibility.

As you may remember a few entries ago, before this project started, I spent approximately $600 a month at the grocery store.

At current prices, it takes about $45 to fill up my gas tank, and I did that, on average, two to three times a month. Sometimes more.

Then there's the money each month that's spent on what's considered value-added.

Let's say we go out to dinner once a week. There are clothes to buy. Birthdays to recognize. Movies to see. Kids to finance.

In an average month, before this project started, I'm estimating I spent $150-$200 a week on additional items for me and my kids. That average goes up once school starts. Some things you just can avoid: fees, supplies, clothes, haircuts, field trips....

Ah the game of Life.

And if your kid is the slightest bit interested in anything, parents like myself generally like to involve their children in classes, sports, pastimes.

Oh look! I just got the Go Back Three Spaces card!

Because those extras can be crushing.

A few months ago, my son Logan expressed an interest in taking ballet lessons. It turns out that he's extremely talented.

So he's going to dance class two days a week. He also takes private lessons twice a week. And next week starts intensives. In addition to the classes I mentioned, he'll be dancing from Monday through Thursday, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Ah! But look! I just got the go-ahead to move my piece ahead a few spaces!

Because Logan's instructor wants him there, despite what I can pay.

So I pay what I can, and Logan's getting amazing instruction. There are good people in the world who see talent; they recognize potential.

Sometimes I completely scratch my head at the serendipity of the past few months; the goodness I've witnessed. We're so lucky, not only because Logan decided he'd like to try ballet, but because his instructor sees past the bottom line.

But I digress.

The game of Life is freakishly complicated. If I were to add up what I've been typically spending each month once the bills are paid - if I just count groceries, gas and a smattering of extras, I total $1,312.50 (that's factoring in $600 on groceries, 2.5 tanks of gas at the current rate [112.50/month] and $600 on extra stuff, i.e., dinners out, movies, haircuts, clothes, school fees, etc.).

Every month.

That comes down to 328.13 a week that my family tends to spend, after bills are paid.

That's not including dance.

Some people might find my calculations extravagant. Other people are in a position to skip a turn.

But doing the math was sobering.

I really don't know how I've kept this boat floating, what with that leak I haven't really been paying much attention to...

This project has compelled me to pay a bit of attention to the bits of paper and metal I've been tossing around.

You can learn about life when you play the game of Life.

Cents and Sensibility, Day 8. Short and sweet.

I'll try to keep it short today.

I got up early. Big surprise.

I took a monster-long walk before working from 8 to 2 from home.

I really looked at my neighborhood this morning, and like paging through an old photo album, I let myself notice all the comfortable, familiar things, and I opined about what's changed.

Wild bunnies weren't around when we moved here 19 years ago.

Another Mary Anderson used to live down the street, but she's moved away. She was so sweet.

I walked by our neighborhood pool, and thought about all the sweat equity I put into that summer venture a handful of years ago.

It's good to look up occasionally, just to take notice.

I downloaded the coolest Elvis song. Such a Night. It's a tasty slice of Mr. Presley's song stylings that I'd never heard before. There's a lot of bouncy early Elvis doo-waa singing in the background, but his talent is so raw and fresh in that song.

It was so nice to trip across Such a Night today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9Ko6sGS5E.

It compelled me to remember why people call him the King.

Then it was work time.

The kids went to their dad's for dinner shortly after I was done with work.

Then I weeded the garden. Arugula's going nuts. Bib's off the chain. Spinach is making a valiant effort.

As are the weeds.

I watched Jack Goes Boating on netflix. What a great movie, filled with sweet, wounded, tender, tentative characters.

No money spent, no gas burned again today.

Now it's time to relax. And like this day's been so far, I'm keeping it short and sweet.