Will you join me for the Manulife 30 Day #CentsAbility Challenge?
A new custom built house and all of the extras (furnishings, landscaping etc), 3 children in varying yet expensive age ranges, 2 children who need braces, 1 child still needing diapers (pull-ups) and clothes, a destination wedding to plan…the list goes on! All of these things require money and seemingly lots of it.
How on earth will I be able to afford all of these things?
Join the Solutions Cents and Sensibility Challenge. This October, participants across Canada will be challenged to live within their means and take back their paycheque. For 30 days, they’ll share how they are making small changes to their day to day expenses to make sure they finish each month in the black. Whether you’re saving up for something big or just looking to take control of your finances, this is the motivation you’ve been waiting for.
When I was a single mom with my daughters, I was extremely diligent about my finances, I just had to be. I knew of the B word – Budget, but I didn’t have a formal process. In my head I knew where money needed to go and how much to save for rainy days etc. It’s because of that diligence that I was able to get my first home/mortgage, car, pay for my daughters’ extracurricular activities, and take those fun family vacations.
Fast forward a few years to the romancing that occurs in a new relationship: lots of date nights, eating out and about, mini vacations on the weekend without the kids, and ultimately moving in together. Gosh, what happened to all of that!
We became a blended family which in turn meant blended finances. My fiancé Michal went from bachelor to insta-dad and all of a sudden my little bungalow became smaller and the grocery list became bigger! As we continued on in our relationship, we maintained a similar lifestyle for the most part and subsequently traded up to a new 2 story home for our growing family.
Then, bam, here comes baby J, our son. No more lavish nights out, vacations, and eating out, and a few other things which shall remain nameless (wink, wink)! Maternity leave took a huge toll on our finances – 55% of an income is no joke, one of the reasons why I headed back to work early. Even after being back at work for more than a year, we are still climbing back out from having to depend on that poor Line of Credit of ours.
Hence the excitement I have for the Manulife 30 Day #CentsAbility Challenge!
It is time to say goodbye to my overspending:
- daily coffee runs – BYE
- weekly lunch dates – SEE YA
- Fri night pizza delivery – PEACE OUT
- those flippin in-app purchases – LATA HOMEY
It’s time for some Cents and Sensibility in my life!
http://youtu.be/c3Sj8yejFyE
Are you with me? We can keep each other accountable!
Starting October 1, 2014 for 30 days, I will be posting and sharing my #CentsAbility Challenge tips and ideas on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram any other social media networks I can. You should too!
What makes this even MORE of a challenge for me? Well, October has some key dates that usually trigger me to spend a little more than usual:
- Thanksgiving
- My birthday (Oct 30th)
- Halloween
Fun times right? It’s all good though because I LOVE to be challenged. So let’s do this!
Be sure to check in on my progress at the Manulife #CentsAbility Twitter Chat on Oct 8, 2014. Remember, keep me accountable!
Wish me luck folks! Wait, I don’t need luck – I GOT THIS!
Frugally yours,
Natalie
I hear you! We have had to reign in our spending too, amazing how all those little things still add up. We have cut out stopping for coffee in the morning, most of our eating out (still allowed one night a month), we pack lunches and no impulse online shopping 🙂 Hope you are meeting your challenge!