The Vicky Challenge. The Hard Decisions.

Each week as well as reviewing our savings for The Vicky Challenge we also try to add some new ways to save.

For anyone new read this post to understand The Vicky Challenge. You can join this challenge at any time! The challenge is on the sidebar in the index. Each week we also have a theme to help us expand our ways to save!

This week Vicky has written something that I think is very thought provoking. She has told me about "revisiting" before and I now do that as a matter of course. We can do things out of habit but things change and we need to revisit our budget, habits, spending, plans etc and do some reconsidering from time to time. This week she is talking about making "The Hard Decisions".

But first my Vicky Challenge...

The last week was much better than the previous one!

Firstly, I had my bargains and free items at Spotlight which the shared voucher which combined to save me $40.

We had a fish dinner from Andy's catch saving $10

I made the fishing day food and drinks plus the whole weeks work lunches and drinks $150.

Mum gave us a duck which we roasted saving at least $10.

I found a book on drawing for a gift saving $15 (I paid $1)

My op shop purchases added the most. The blankets are $520 each in the shops. I paid under $20 each saving $1000.  When Chloe saw them and looked up their value she said "wow this is really going to help your Vicky Challenge!"

That's $1325 right there! My cup and saucer are English fine bone china  and I only paid a few dollars.

I also made gifts and did lots of bulk cooking but it is too hard to work out what I saved exactly. I would have to say at least another $100.

Now over to Vicky....


 The Hard Decisions.

As many know over a year ago my husband lost his job. And because of previous injuries he has been turned down for jobs although he is highly skilled and a seriously hard worker. I am a true believer of being positive and that no matter how bad things get there is always something to be grateful for, but at times we may have to make hard decisions. The decisions that others will try to talk you out of or flat out give you a hard time about. 

I have been made fun of because I stock my pantry so well. I have been called names and been made fun of because I decided to start seeing the value of everything instead of taking the cost of things for granted from saving what I used to spend on a stamp to things that are gifted to us. Some people think these things are worth nothing. To me they are worth a lot! 

Years ago we invested in stock. And watched the markets go up and down, but with the goal in mind that we would have money when we retired. So even though we are nowhere near retiring yet I took a second look at this resource and revisited as I do everything here at home. First let me add that my husband is doing a fine job of making enough to pay the bills and come up with the extra that happens here and there like prom costs. We got of ahead of the mortgage loan by years by paying extra each month with the intention of being mortgage free after we became debt free. 

BUT because of the previous injuries he's had over the years when he comes in he is moaning and groaning and in pain and yet gets up in the morning and starts over. BUT I have to think how long will he be able to do this? And what would our options be if he can't? 

So we made the very hard decision to use the stocks and pay off the house. It wasn't easy by any means and of course we have heard all about how we will need it when we're old, but by doing this and not having a mortgage (we paid half and will do the pay off in Jan. to save big dollars on taxes)  we are saving a ton of money in interest over the years and if money is really tight we can easily cover the other things we do have to pay. And the people who are poo pooing our decisions and making fun of me quite often I have found are not disciplined when it comes to money or budgets or making hard decisions. I am very disciplined this way and know some who have taken out big loans for luxuries not knowing how they would pay for it. You can only have so many payment plans before your whole check will go to payments with nothing left to live on. We will still have funds left for a rainy day, we will still have an emergency fund that we add to when we can and by sticking to our plan we will be more secure in the future.

 So if you have those hard decisions whether it's paying off a mortgage by sacrificing now and living a simpler lifestyle or downsizing to a smaller home because you can no longer afford the one your in, retiring early or continuing working, being a stay at home mom or leaving a bad relationship, my best advice is plan ahead, PREPARE as much as possible this is very important and if you know it's the right decision for your family do it and stay on the path you have mapped for your self. Don't let others belittle you for it.

XOXO

Vicky

It is funny that Vicky wrote this as I have been thinking a lot about they way the world and media especially glorify all kinds of terrible things and on the other hand people can be very critical of things that are good. A friend was criticised because she knits. Yes, for KNITTING. Most young Mums will experience being pressured to do something "better" with their lives than look after their children. And I'v heard terrible things said about anyone who lives within their means and doesn't use credit! Horror of horrors! So it is weird! If you build up a pantry, downsize to reduce debt, start saving and living simply, you are likely to be in the firing line of someone.
So it can take courage to make the hard decisions and to stick to the things you believe in. It can also take courage to accept a reality we haven't wanted to face, cut out things that are costing us dearly, change long held plans or re asses generally. Change can be hard. Going against the flow can be really hard.  But there is no use going down the gurgler with everyone else or as our parents would say "jumping off the cliff because everyone else did!"
It is also crazy to persist with something that isn't working. Trying something different though is change and much of the time we would rather stick to the thing that isn't working!
That is the challenge today, make the hard decisions. For the good of your family and future!

How did you save and add value last week?
Have a wonderful new week. The sun is shining this morning and I have lots to do. I love to get the week started well so off I go...xxx