Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere

I've been in my new digs for almost a month now. I am still surrounded by clutter and chaos and it is not getting better fast.

How appropriate that I am reading a book by Marla Cilley (aka Flylady) and Leanne Ely called Body Clutter. The first exercise was to find a pen and notebook. Because I had done some organization as I was packing, I knew where to find the incredible stash of notebooks I have accumulated over time.

During the move I left behind 3 pounds, which I am planning not to find again. But my eating habits haven't been in harmony with that plan.

I am, however, diligently decluttering every day, and finding this a rather helpful process. More news on the health front next Friday!

Have a great day!
Marcia

Boxes, Suitcases, Drawers and Bags

About a week age...March 15th to be exact... I was surrounded by these things and I can only describe it as chaos. I am moving and so is a lot of my stuff. Actually most of it is already at the new house, but there are probably a load or two yet to go. Plus of course all the cleaning, which isn't too bad, but there are a lot of scuff marks on the walls.

It has been a stressful time. Given the housing market in Calgary, we had to jump when we found a place - and it is a good place. It gave me 2 weeks to pack, and now I am at the end of the two weeks of cleaning. I have no idea how I thought I might be able to pack and clean in two weeks, but I am sure glad I didn't have to!

What amazes me is how much stuff I have accumulated - most of it in lovely brown boxes with lids that I collected from the deli - and how hard it is for me to get rid of it. Stuff should be used, not hidden away in brown boxes!

A lot of it will be going to new homes via Wycliffe Bible Translators - I'll have to call them again, since I lost the number. Some is going via Freecycle. Some is going into the garage sale box!

Theres' more to this issue than I want to cover in one post, but I need to get back to sorting boxes. I'll come up for air later.

Financial Foundation Stones

Every stable house needs foundations. Last night I shared my financial foundations with my Toastmasters group, and today I share them with you! I decided that I would begin to live like a millionaire, even though I am not a millionaire and may never become one. No matter, this is how I choose to live!

This is one of the few books in my Personal Finance Library that I bought in hardcover because I didn't want to wait for it. It wasn't in the stories that I found inspiration, but in the statistics in the first few pages. From those pages I gleaned the foundation stones that help me deal with my life - particularly in the area of personal finance!

• Get enough sleep - I wonder if there is a way to have your computer shut off automatically at 10 pm?
• Work more than 40 hours a week - but don't over do that!
• Exercise on a daily basis
• Own your home
• Keep track of your finances - Quicken, Money, an account book
• Discuss financial matters.
• Give to charity
• Be frugal
• Make lists - especially shopping lists
• Shop around
• Do your research
• Accept leadership roles
• Look forward, not backward
• Keep your eye on the goal

My goal is to share, in this blog, how these stones are incorporated into my life and how they are making a difference.

Have a great day! I'm getting ready for work!

Up......Again

I weighed in at TOPS this morning and I'm not happy. I'm over 240 again, and I don't want to be there. Period, end of discussion. It feels strange to write this number where anyone can read it, but if you don't know where I've been, you won't know where I'm heading either. And part of the purpose of the Friday blog is to be honest about this aspect of my life.

What I didn't do:

• Exercise. Someone made off with my bike while I was ill, and I've been taking the bus to work.
  
• Write down what I eat. In TOPS we acknowledge that we need to control our emotions and not let our emotions control us. I don't FEEL like writing every bitty morsel that passes through my lips. And I don't. Even though I know that this is a proven part of the success project.
• 
  

What I will do:

• I do walk to a further bus stop, and twice I walked the full distance, but I don't think I got in my minimum 1/2 hour a day.
• So I will write down what I eat and if I can figure out how to link my Fitday to this blog I will do it.
  
• I will develop a GAZELLE mentality about this and make it a much higher priority than it really is. More important even, than knitting!

My daughter just walked in the door, so the post is over.
See you next time,
Marcia

The Camera Part 2

It's Family Day in Alberta and I have the day off. I've spent some time today researching cameras. I asked people in my lace knitting group what cameras they used and so far I have one response, recommending the Cannon Powershot SD800. She also recommended a website: www.megapixel.net which I visited this morning. Here's what I learned:

• More megapixels = better definition of pictures. I think this is important.
• More megapixels = more memory usage so you need bigger memory cards.
• Optical zoom is better than digital zoom.

There was also a great article on accessories that you should have - like extra batteries, memory cards, a camera bag and a card reader.
I haven't explored the world of card readers yet, but I do know something about batteries, and I am tossing between rechargables and lithium at the moment.

I also talked to my friend Marlyss and she recommended buying my camera at Blacks because they give a class in how to use the camera. My family has shopped at Blacks for over 40 years, and the idea of a class is great. Plus they have a sale on until the end of the month!

The budget for the camera is $250. I don't think I will buy all the accessories at the same time, After all, I think I can knit myself a mighty fine camera bag!

What's the point of all of this for living like a millionaire?
Millionaires (according to The Millionaire Woman Next Door ) do research before they make major purchases. On my limited budget this camera is a major purchase. It is also an opportunity to practice my researching skills! Have fun.

Keeping me Honest

19 years ago, on Valentine's Day I quit smoking. Cold turkey. And although I have wanted to, I have never had a cigarette since. And I miss it, still...

HOWEVER.... quitting smoking has enabled me to enjoy the purchase of some items that still give me pleasure:

• Vittantonio - the heart shaped waffle maker that makes Valentine's Day fun
• My grain grinder which still grinds kamut grain into flour every time I bake muffins.
• Singer sewing books that showed me what wonderful things my old machine could do.
• Playmobil sets that kept the kiddo occupied for hours while her mom soaked in the tub!

This year I couldn't figure out what to splurge on in celebration of the anniversary. So, I called the credit card company, found out how much I owed, and paid it off.

No bells, no whistles, just a clear card. To be honest, it was a bit of a let down and Valentine's day was a bit flat this year!

But I need to keep it at zero, so I've decided to use this blog as a way of keeping me honest. I will keep the thing at zero if it kills me!

I also have another card that I owe $3057 on. It is at a rate of 4.97% and I have been making bi-weekly payments on that of $70. The minimum payment when the card had the most debt was $140 a month, so I've just kept paying it - and of course every couple months you sneak an extra payment in there as well!

The debate going on in my head right now is should I increase my payments here? Every $20 per month I add, cuts the number of monthly payments I need to make by 2 - which is pretty significant I think.

Well, I think that the Saturday after payday, I will designate as "Debt Repayment Day" and share what I'm doing and learning in that regard.
Have a great day, and keep on saving,
Marcia

Major Purchase coming up!

I have been scanning pictures of my projects and they're not great. Although, they aren't bad either. But I have decided to break down and buy a digital camera in the next month or so.

These are the steps I am taking:

1. Collecting a pile of ads from the flyers - so I know what my range is.
2. Learning the lingo: pixel, mega pixel, Optical Zoom, LCD screen, etc.
   
3. Asking google "how to choose a digital camera"
4. Ask my friends what they like - I'm hearing a lot about Canons at the moment
5. Break down and buy the thing - and the lithium batteries and memory card!

I'll keep you posted as I get closer to making the decision!