Our $21 Challenge - part 1

I've switched perspective recently. I stopped thinking about teaching and academic work and started to think of home as my workplace. I wrote a post about coming home to work last month and my journey has continued happily along this path since then.

Whenever I'm feeling on edge, up in the air or unanchored, I think about my home as my work, as my temple and as the place I give and receive love, and I'm immediately more grounded, more down-to-earth. And I can breathe a sigh of relief again (I do so like that feeling). Then I have more to give to our gorgeous girls, and that makes me a happy Mama too.

So this path has taken me to look at budgeting - something I've not ever been good at or really been interested in before. I haven't really liked to think about money or earning or anything like that too much. But lately I've been wondering if there's another way. If we can declutter our money and live more slowly by spending more slowly.

Then I read some posts about budgeting on Slow your Home and that got me thinking about it more. Then I talked to Mum and Dad. And then I did some more thinking. And then I started doing stuff like looking at our last 12 months worth of bills and credit card statements and actually working out what we spent on stuff (a bit scary to begin with). I took my cards out of my purse and started leaving them at home. And then Mum sent me a copy of The $21 Challenge by Fiona Lippey and Jackie Gowerand this week we are spending only $21 on food for the family and using what we already have in the fridge, pantry and garden for the rest.

Will let you all know how we go by the end of the week....