Self-sufficiency, Whole Foods and Herniated Discs

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Fruits and veggiesIt was my goal coming into 2015 to grow almost all our non-meat food this growing season.

You see, I had reversed my Type 2 Diabetes last year and was/am committed to ensuring it didn’t come back.  Gardening and growing my own food nourishes me in so many ways: from saving money to providing my family with quality food (that I know the history of) and, for me, there’s something so therapeutic is “playing” in the soil.

Living in Massachusetts, particularly after the snowiest winter on record, growing almost all our food is an ambitious goal. Day after day I saw with seed and heirloom plant catalogs as the snow fell.

You name it, I researched it and plotted.

Then, as spring began to make an appearance, I woke up one morning with a “cervical herniated disc sitting on the nerve root” to my left (dominant) arm.

Gardening? I couldn’t even hold a glass of water or pick up my Lhasa Apso Buddy.

And worse? The Type 2 Diabetes I had worked so hard to reverse last summer/full was back. Seems intense pain results in higher sugar numbers (go figure!).

That’s why I decided to start this blog.  As proof to myself and you if you’re here that Healthy Living CAN be made easy.  It just takes a little creativity.

Thank you for joining me on the journey!

Filed Under: Gardening, Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Saving Money Tagged With: , , ,

Create a Memorable Holiday Season Without Going into Debt

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You can still spread the holiday cheer without spending a great deal of money in the process. The holiday season is about giving, but it doesn’t have to be about spending. There are plenty of ways to still show love and spread memories around!

Start Saving Early

You may think it’s a little crazy to start preparing for the holidays several months in advance, but it could end up saving you a great deal of money. Think about the people you’ll need gifts for, and then make a list. This way, as you shop around throughout the year, you can keep an eye out for the items on your list. You might find something on a super sale that you may have ended up paying the full price for otherwise.

Entertaining

When it comes to entertaining guests over the holidays, keep in mind that you’ll likely have to spend some money. But you can spend smart. Shop for holiday specials, and if you’re entertaining many guests, you can consider warehouse shopping for some of the items needed.

You can also consider going potluck style. Many people enjoy potluck dinners because there are usually plenty of varieties of food. Guests will also enjoy chatting about who brought what to the event. It’s a great way to save money and time on preparing many dishes.

Decorating

Decorating is something that you can build on from year to year. Remember to re-use the decorations from last year. If you need new ones, or enjoy adding to your decorations each year, don’t forget about handmade items.

You should get your children involved with the decorations. Have them string up popcorn on a string for a Christmas tree or get them to draw and color ornaments. You can even bake decorations out of dough and enjoy a painting session with the kids.

Gifts

When it comes to gifts, remember that something homemade is often regarded as more valuable than something store bought because of the sentimental value. Plus, the supplies needed for a homemade gift are often a great deal cheaper than other gift ideas.

Make sure you keep an eye on special holiday deals when it comes to gifts. Often times you’ll find a deal throughout the shopping season, and not just on big sale days such as Black Friday. Websites such as Amazon.com will have constant hourly deals going on that may allow you to save additional money on items you were going to purchase anyway.

Remember that no matter what holiday you’re celebrating, you can always go “Secret Santa” style when it comes to gifts. During a Secret Santa get together, each person will draw someone’s name out of a hat. This way, when it comes time to exchange gifts, you only need to buy one gift and you’ll also be receiving a gift from someone else in the group.

Activities With The Kids

Kids love the holidays. No matter how much you actually spend, it’s the activities and the togetherness that they’ll remember fondly when they’re older.

It may be fun to start a family tradition that the whole family can look forward to doing for years to come. This can also be something that doesn’t involve too much money. Maybe it’s baking cookies together, or sharing photos from the past year, or even decorating the tree together.

You can also get the kids excited about the approaching holidays by reading to them at bedtime. Tell holiday-themed stories from books or memory. You can also enjoy a holiday-themed show or movie together during a lazy weekend.

Filed Under: Holiday Shopping Tips, Saving Money

7 Tips to Grow Your Savings Account Without Depriving Yourself

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Money BagSurely we all agree that having a savings account is important. What’s hard, however, is putting that concept into practice. It’s difficult to add to a savings account when you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck like many people find themselves having to do these days.

The good news is that even the smallest of contributions can have big impacts on the future of your account. There are certain things you can do to add to your account without it being a burden.

Try these tips to effortlessly boost your savings:

1.  Small Automatic Deposits. Chances are you need all or most of your paycheck each period. However, you can save a small portion of this amount by having it automatically deposited into your savings account. Most banks will allow you to set up automatic transfers. Each time your paycheck is due in, schedule a transfer to savings.

  • Even if this amount is $5, it will add up over time.

2.  Pay With Cash. When you pay for your essentials with cash, you’re really seeing the exact amounts of money you’re spending as the money changes hands. Then drop the change from these transactions into a jar when you get home. Before you know it, you’ll be depositing large amounts of change into your savings account with little effort!

3.  Credit Card Round Up. Some credit cards, such as one by Bank of America, will actually round up each of your purchases for you to the nearest dollar amount. The rounded amount will be automatically deposited into your savings account. Getting one of these card accounts could make adding to your savings account easier on you.

4.  Add Up Your Charges. One month, add up everything you spend. It doesn’t matter how you’ve made the purchases­ – cash, credit, debit, etc. In analyzing these expenses you’ll likely find some recurring expenses that can go. Perhaps there’s something you could live without. That small expense will pay you back in the future if you add it to your savings instead.

5.  Avoid Impulse Buys. Everyone has fallen victim to an impulse buy at some point. Make a pact with yourself that you’ll never make them again. Instead, when you feel the need to get something, give yourself a 24-hour cooling off period.

  • If you still feel that you must have it after that time, go ahead and spend the money. If you’ve thought it over and you don’t need it, perhaps that money is better spent going directly into your savings account.

6.  Avoid Credit Card Use. If you have trouble paying off your credit cards in full each month, stop using your cards. Switch over to cash and debit card use and slowly pay down the balance on your credit card.

  • As your balances are paid off, the money you used to pay in interest to the credit card companies can be better spent in your savings account.

7.  Reduce Everyday Expenses. Do an evaluation of your required expenses such as internet, phone, and grocery bills. See if there are any ways to reduce these bills.

  • For instance, maybe you could easily switch to a lower cost phone plan or start clipping coupons at the grocery store.
  • If you could find an extra $50 in your budget this way, you can greatly improve the look of your savings account!

While you don’t need to implement all of these changes at once, you should now have a better idea of the many ways you can add to savings. Just remember that even a few cents can go a long way!

Filed Under: Saving Money