debt free by 30 three

I love books. I actually have a very real problem where if I walk into a bookstore, I walk out with 1 or 2 books, it's addictive. So it's exciting to now love Amazon, because even with all the postage, it's SO much cheaper than purchasing them in the physical stores. *Bliss* My latest arrival is the gorgeous Living Out Loud by the fantastical Keri Smith. Ohh this lady is a genius! So creating, loving, amazing and inspiring! The book is full of colour and creative ways to make your life full of beans and joy. I just had a huge grin on my face whilst reading : )

And even better, she has a new book out! Yay! So the fun will continue! I just wish it came a day earlier so I could have taken it with me on the flight to Perth. Yes - I made it over to WA for the first time this week, for some work stuff. Of course I also managed to go on the wettest day they've had in years, but still, what a beautiful city. And you gotta love inflight movies! I finally checked out The Other Boleyn Girl, and not really knowing much about it - WOW! Such a fantastic flick, and great cast. It always sounds so cheesy when people say that (oh yes, fabulous cast, dahhhhling), but with Eric Bana, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johanssen, it really did.

On the way back I got to see Lars and the Real Girl, which made me cry - really moving and yummo Ryan Gosling is tasty (even if he falls in love with a doll). What a movie - really touching. I started to also check out Manufacturing Dissent but ran out of time. That is the doco made about Michael Moore and I need to get it out! Looked great.

On the home front, I was all set in my pj's last night but ended up going out to see Something For Kate, a band who I used to lurve, but then kind of moved on from. However, so so glad I went - they played a whole mixture from all their albums and I was singing along.. fun night. Got to catch up with an old friend as well which was really nice.

So feeling a little heady today and am still in the pj's, but hey, that's what Sundays are all about, right? ;) So yes, most of the day has been spent in bed and reading. I've just started The 100 Mile Diet, which I'm just devouring. Raises so many interesting points and it's a little (lot!) scary to realise just how far removed we are from our food.

I've also been back on the lookout for new Personal Finance blogs, as I'm finally making movement on paying of the debt. It's looking like I could well be debt free by 33 and that makes my heart shine. Bring it on!!!! Anyway, so I found some cool blogs (will update my sidebar soon) and the best couple of links are below. 100 great tips for saving money & 100 things to do during a money free weekend. Some pretty cool ideas : )

So right now I'm checking out some good books, loving some interesting PF blogs and also found a new dangerous link - the Top 100 Aussie Women Blogs - because I don't already spend enough time online as it is! Eep! Some awesome new discoveries to be found.

Now though, I've got to focus on the task at hand - deciding what to cook for dinner. I am needing some more peace, love and brown rice in my life so the food is gonna be healthy and wholesome, and even better, I'll get to share it with my gorgeous flatmate.

Life is good : )

**Honourable Mention has to go to Mad Mex - an awesome new mexican place on Crown Street in Surry Hills. YUM YUM YUM. I love Mexican - but let me tell you, it's damn hard to find good tasting Mexican deliciousness around Sydney. This goes part way in helping ammend that problem.

Quick + Sharp

Feeling good because today was monthly pay day and I paid off $500+ in debt, plus am up to date with all my bills. I AM UP TO DATE WITH ALL MY BILLS! Argh! That is a nice feeling. And hey, by the end of the month I may not be up to date when the new bills come in... but I'm taking it one step at a time!

I also figure out that if I keep going at this rate (heck, have a shopping sabbatical year!!) I can be debt free in 2 years. Niiiice!

FYI WoYoPracMo is still kicking along nicely, and my thoughts from last night on reaching halfway?
We're almost half way through the month, and can I tell you just how much I am LOVING yoga again!? This is one new years resolution that I can see will go well beyond January.

I have done yoga for years and years, but since I started teaching I fell into that unfortunately common trap of not practicing as often as before. My personal practice fell by the wayside but now I'm back and happy and shiny and I remember just why I called my yoga biz Shiny Yoga.

And why is that? Easy - Yoga makes me smile, it makes me less stressed, it makes me calm and I cannot, simply cannot!, forget this wondeful feeling. Some people find their high through gyms, or extreme sports, or heck, alcohol or whatever. For me, without a doubt, my thrill in life is Yoga. Thanks Yogamum, for reminding me of this : )

15k paid off in 12 months! Could you do it?

Yes kiddos, she of Singla Ma's Fabulous Financials actually did this. I figure out that by the time I'm 32 I WILL be debt free. Imagine that! That also includes some savings! Double imagine that! And to kick it all off, I'm currently participating in the Shopping Sabbatical I've mentioned before. What exactly is this?

Simply - it's about being a mindful consumer, stopping with the habits, and NOT BUYING IT!

I'm on day 3 of this and already have noticed some of those sneaky habits that I've gotten myself into. This pretty in the city gal can spend up B-I-G (even on a not so big income!) - hence the debt. "It's hot outside?" I'll buy a bottle of water! "I'm hungry?" Takeout is soooo much tastier than a boring old sandwich at home. "I can't afford a new pair of shoes or a much needed haircut?" No problemo, I'll just buy a book so it feels like I'm not so money deprived.

See where I'm coming from? It's a fine pickle I've gotten myself into - but that is all the history, and now it's time to create some fab, shiny and new habits and I feel my shopping sabbatical for the month of January is just the way to do it. I'm not being as strict as I could be on myself for this month, because my usual way is to go hell for leather and then throw it all in a week later as it's too hard to keep. So I'm being realistic and pulling in the reins, and hopefully these shopping sabbatical habits may keep with me for the rest of 08 and beyond, so I can be as fab as Single Ma : )

Shiny's Shopping Sabbatical Guidelines:
- 1 x takeaway per week max (on special occasions with friends), and cheap takeaway when I do
- Brownbag it at work, bring lunch to work, bring snacks to keep in desk, bring breakfast, no takeaway coffees!!!! bring teabags to work, one takeaway fresh juice per working week
- No alcohol: I dread to think how much I'll save due to this alone
- No trashy mags: actually, no mags at all unless they're claimable for work
- Shop only for essential groceries: there's no clothes buying this month, only essentials. This means just plain but healthy fruit and veg, and going through the cupboards to use up what I have; foodwise and product wise. I'm nearly out of shampoo so I'm trawling through the back of the cabinet for that bottle my mum gave me about a year ago. Same for toothpaste, deoderant, all that beauty stuff that you just keep. Also, no chocolate, soft drink, junkfood etc. It's plain, simple, healthy and lowkey food - ie. essentials!
- Pay minimum on all loans/credit cards/bills, and put all extra money from the month into savings and onto loan.

Further to the spending portion:
- Get tax done (last 3 years)
- Get medicare refund from dr visits
(there would be at least $500 here, so this will go into my aim for a $1000 savings fund)

I just googled 'shopping sabbatical' and there's so many links that you could be inspired for days. If you are struggling, let me know your tips, your downfalls, your successes. I'm sharing it all with you this year too! Embarrassing truth not to be repeated: I was updating my debt tally in the side bar the other day and realised that one year to the original update, I was at the same bloody total of debt (ok, $300 less). Terrible, Muriel! So enough with the excuses. I'm taking RESPONSIBILITY and action and I can't wait to see the numbers drop.

x

My foot isn't that big?!

Well, yes ma'am, it actually is.

I admit it - while I'm very much a fan of the environment and use my green bags to go shopping amongst other things, I still have quite a large environmental footprint. I love my clothes dryer. I catch (too many) taxis and eat too much take out that I bet a very small percentage of is locally produced. The list goes on.

So here is a bit of a committment (do you like that, a bit?) to start living in a more compact friendly lifestyle from now on. I have hesitated at making this semi-commitment before, because I know that I'll not be as great as some, I know I'll leave some of my habits open for ppl to pick at. But you know, like Ghandi says - Be the change you wish to see in the world. By doing one small change, hopefully it will make an impact somewhere along the line.

And if I slip up, so be it. I'm human - and I hope someone learns from my mistakes!

First baby steps:
* No spending this week - except for essentials (toiletries) and food. When purchasing though, it must be mindful. Oh, and this means no alcohol too.
* Cut back on using my clothes dryer. This will be tough. I live in a small unit, and have a busy life. But I've done it before and I'll do it again.

Stay tuned...

Mind, body & soul detox

It’s time for a Shiny Detox. I’ve been feeling a bit blah lately and it's time to start putting steps into action to change my life. It's exciting, but the time is now. (Hold me to this, guys!!)

Mind:
* Depression is both a mind and body thing, and one of the strong pieces of advice (that worked for me) from a beautiful and inspiring lady, was fake it till you make it. It’s time for a bit of that for me.
* Also, I saw a great post on 43things which I adopted, and it is: Say one night thing to myself in the mirror everyday for a month. Simple, yet perfect. I have decided to not even worry about boys yet or wishing/wanting a relationship, but instead, I’m going to start to love and respect myself. How can I expect anyone else to when I am severely lacking that?

Body:
* No/extremely limited alcohol this week. Got to instead fill up with herbal teas, juices, and lemon and water. Need to stop this terrible habit I’ve gotten into.
* No/extremely limited takeaways this week, Lots of fruit and veg instead, and home prepared meals. Got to stop the addiction to sugar!
* Walking : ) I’m house/puppy/kitty sitting for a friend as of tonight, for one week. I need to twice daily walk her pooch, so this is a good start. I also want to start the Couch to 5K plan this week.
* Multi-vitamin, plus milk-thistle and evening primrose oil tabs each day
* Paint my toenails : ) and share other pearls of simple wisdom from the books Cheer for Yourself, The Woman’s Book of Simple Delights and The Little Book of Wellbeing.

Soul:
* like chicken soup for the soul.. I have to read positive books, surround my self with light tv shows and music and people. I need to just enjoy being happy for a while.
* Little stuff – like flowers in my home (done).
* Share a quote I like each day on my blog. Something that lifts me up.
* Where does a money detox go? I’m putting it here as well, because I really need to have a spend-free week (except for essentials) this week to make my soul happy too!

The world is telling me...

not to shop!

Cats & Kittens, seriously. When I started communicating with Compact Oz and the No More Stuff people, I took the option of not giving up spending completely, but rather : "Nooo, I can't do without my regular shopping fix (but I promise to think about how I can cut back anyway."

And on the whole, I've been pretty good with this - have been quite organised, no trashy or other mags have been purchased or snacks at work. But yesterday I was running late and it was either buy lunch or go hungry. I was not gonna last the whole day with now lunch so bought some stuff. Today - same story, I really have to get up earlier.

But all in all, it's about cutting back where you can. And like the gals from the site told me:
This initiative is really about developing healthy shopping habits, such as thinking about your second-hand options before you buy new.

I agree : )
And that is definitely what I'm doing.


Hi Stella,
Thanks for your interest! This initiative is really about developing healthy
shopping habits, such as thinking about your second-hand options before you
buy new.
Good luck with the new job!
Cheers,
Jacinta.

Spend-Free Day #1

Ok, day one - done. I know this might be really simple for some ppl but I gotta say, this really makes me aware of how much money (ie. spending) and emotions are tied in close for me.

For some ppl it's food, for some it is alcohol.. for me, it's a combination of things, and spending. I have this big aversion towards spending up big - but when it comes to buying magazines, or some fun jewellry, or some food to nibble on or a top... bring it on. I justify it because I'm only spending a few dollars here or there, but yikes, does it add up.

Today however, I didn't succumb to any impulse spending. I brought my lunch to work, including snacks, and public transported it all over the city to my after work writing course.

- A regular Monday sees me purchase my trashy NW mag - instead, it's online to Perez Hilton for me (hey! it's stress relief hehee).
- A regular Monday would see me purchase lunch - instead, I was prepared and brought it to work. Same for snacks.
- A regular Monday would see me tuck into a lovely takeaway coffee to 'kickstart' my day - instead, I'm making good use of our fantastic proper coffee machine at work. It's full cream milk, which I find gross (so does my skin), but until I make the cut to a caffeine free day, full fat it is. Blah. But real coffee, yum.
- And a regular Monday when I've got a writing course after work, would see me grab some takeaway for dinner and cab it home - instead, I trained & bussed it home from North Sydney and tucked into some delish pasta I prepared last night, which will also do for lunch tomorrow.

So here we go :)