The Vicky Challenge. The company you keep.

When I write up my last weeks Vicky Challenge it all seems so long ago! But yes, it was last week!

This weeks savings and earnings included:

Lots of chocolate cakes for everyone and the freezer.

Shepherds Pies.

Quiches.

Soup.

I got four bunches of radishes for $2 the lot, saving about $10. (Andy loves them)

Thanks to Lynette tipping me off I got a lovely cook book free worth at least $10.

My use it up (from the freezer) challenge saved me about $25 in groceries.

I embroidered two more tops for Harper. The prices in the stores are over the top. I am counting $90 value.

(Doing the grocery shopping in this one.)  At least I know she wears what I make!

Each year I can get a free eye test and one pair of free prescription glasses (through my health fund). I always take advantage of that. I did not need a new prescription. So I said that I am embroidering really small things now and could I have social glasses to help with tiny things like mini grub roses which I find hard to see.  So now I have special glasses just for needle work for free. Value at least $200.

Andy caught fish. Once filleted the value was just over $50.

After all my adding up and calculations I wrote $650 in my savings book.

I am very happy with that. And as I count from Friday to Friday I can say that over the weekend we got this new week off to a really good start! :)  I love that! I even love finishing the weeks challenge and turning the page in my book to a brand new blank page. Then it is a whole new week of possibilities!


My savings subject this week is friends.
Many times I hear how saving, budgeting and even simply looking after your family, children and home attract criticism.
Firstly it is TERRIBLE that these things COULD attract an attack. But they often seem to.
I am very skeptical about the motives of a person who would want to tear you down over having your priorities right rather than encouraging you and supporting you.
This is a tricky one. Sometimes this comes from family. That is even more hurtful.
Sometimes friends. We can have some control over that but also it can be complicated as we have contact with the friends of others as well as our own.
Even negative comments from strangers are hurtful.

Managing a home, bringing up a family, making ends meet  and all that involves is hard work. The last thing you need is discouragement! Going above and beyond and doing it well, getting ahead, having savings, preparedness etc is all even more work.  The last thing you need is to be torn down for doing it.

Having a clear mission is a really big help. If you don't know what your mission is then it's going to be easy to be steered or even bullied off course.

I wrote a post here about your time and mission. This was quite personal as when the girls were little I had both wonderful support and pressures at the same time. Knowing my mission was the hugest help.

There is no point conforming to the ways of those who are heading over a cliff! And very lovely people might be dramatically financially irresponsible. So while they might make nice friends they don't make good advisors.
This is all fine unless they actually sabotage you which might be through expectations that you join in with a whole lot of things that completely blow your budget and take you away from what you should be doing.
Glenda's comment the other day "The action of being fiscally responsible is an action that shows how much you care about your family"
This has stuck in my mind. Spending your last cent on keeping up with friends is not loving your family. Nor is being absent.

We all need friends and/or family that encourage us. A little bit encouragement goes a long way!
Scripture tells us to encourage one another and build each other up! That's because we really need it.
That's what I am trying to do here.
In our week to week efforts our energy will be better with some support. If you can find ways to get more support and less criticism or sabotage this is going to help so much.
It can be easier said than done. And sometimes it is a matter of finding common ground with someone. I try and zone in on things that are beneficial. i.e. perhaps a person has a skill that would be great to learn or an interest you do share. Then that little bit of common ground could be an encouragement and help to you.

I am really lucky that I have a couple of in the flesh friends that are really practical, sensible and I know nothing but a good influence on me (like Hilde!)
And I have wonderful on line friends who encourage me daily, I can ask anything, will help me lean, celebrate my small achievements and I feel the same about them and love hearing how they have done in their days and weeks.
There are blogs I follow where I feel like I know the person and they encourage me so much even if we have never met or spoken! This is like Laine's Letters. I felt she was my best friend!
It is hard to go it alone. It will help to seek support and friendship. And it can be found in the most unexpected places. Often an old person is wonderful. They are more likely to have old fashioned values. Maybe they went through the war or great depression. They are going to be a gold mine of information!
There are forums you can join to find people interested in homemaking and savings, maybe you could try a craft group, seek out others who are canning or growing their own veggies or whatever that you would have in common. And ultimately build some more support and networking that is really nice to have but also useful... you can swap and help each other.

Anyway that is my thought for the week. With motivation and encouragement we will do better. We will have more energy. It is a big boost!


How was your last week of savings and getting ahead?
I hope this is a great week. I try and turbo boost Mondays so I am off on some errands and to the supermarket.
See you Wednesday for lots of ideas for gifts to make for men.xxx