My Original Idea...Maybe

 Picture yourself gearing up for one of those big grocery shopping trips. The ones where you have to get yourself mentally and physically prepared, like some olympic athlete. You probably spend countless hours meal planning, dividing up the shopping list into categories that coordinate with the layout of the store, and double check the ad sales, just so you can be in and out in record time without any hiccups all while still saving as many pennies as possible.

You may even spend a full week at the gym prior to your shopping trip in order to be in peak physical condition. You know you will have to endure pushing carts filled with granola bars, millions of gallons of milk, some "healthy" breakfast alternative like Nutella, and kids who are not quite old enough to be trusted to walk outside the cart without a degrading animal child leash.

Your olympic training also prepares you for that child you will have to wrangle away from the bakery kicking and screaming cause they didn't behave well enough to get the oh-so-coveted complimentary velvet and white chocolate chip cookie that turns their poo insane shades of red, or drag them from those colorfully designed sugar-filled boxes of cardboard cereal some lousy person so conveniently placed at kid level.

You've got the kind of shopping trip I'm talking about in mind, right?

Well...these olympian trips are the only way my poor fridge is ever lucky enough to be cleaned out and wiped down. If you are anything like me you usually have no idea what is lurking in the depths of the fridge collecting mold specimens that would put a 6th grade science experiment to shame. There's always so much stuff crammed in there, that it's impossible to know whatcha got goin' on in there.

As I give the fridge a beloved make-over, my calm and collected demeanor quickly changes to a sleep-deprived and cranky "I'm-stuffed-like-a-sausage-in-these-jeans-cause-my-leggins-aren't-clean" madwoman when I see this...

Leftovers gone wild

Not only is it super obnoxious having to deal with this before I can even put my olympic "winnings" away, but I just can't comprehend how I could let so much food go to waste.

Here's how it happens...

As you joyfully make lunch for the babes (while they tear the apartment to shreds when your back is turned) knowing their affinity for pineapple tidbits, you crack open a can to go with the ever-so-healthy mac n' cheese, or yellow death as my friend likes to call it. During clean-up, you put the remaining tidbits in a tupperware and throw it in the fridge.  That tupperware gets shoved farther and farther back into the abyss, until you are no longer aware of it's existence and mindlessly crack open another can several days later.

As I angrily cleaned each petri dish, still exhausted from the olympic event called grocery shopping, I pondered how I could put an end to this world problem.  In an instant my muddled mind came up with a genius idea:

I can use a dry erase marker on this nifty little do-dad which is attached to the side of the fridge every time I throw leftovers in. Then before I go to make lunch for the boys, or crack open yet another can of green beans, I can check here first to see what's already available.

Then to solve the little problem of "how long has that been there?" I came up with this solution:

Write the contents and date with a grease pencil, which washes off easily with soap and water

This may not be a 100% original idea, and even though Mr Medic doesn't see it as that big a deal, I did come up with it without turning to Pinterest to solve my problem.  Go me!

Now let's see if it actually helps...

TO BE CONTINUED.

It's all about the Benjamin's

Recently a friend asked how I  decide what to spend money on especially when we have school debt.  I'm so glad they felt comfortable to ask a personal question because had they not, I wouldn't have the opportunity to reflect on the question even after I answered it.

Initially I gave one main reason.

Sharpening the saw, a phrase used in the book "7 Habits for Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, teaches us that if we take the time to care for ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally/socially, and spiritually we will be more effective individuals.

This idea definitely dictates how I choose to spend my money.  For instance, when I know I'm at my whits end with children, housewife duties, or other responsibilities, you better believe I'm going to "invest" money in myself in one way or another so that I can jump back in head first, ready to tackle what I need to.

I see it as a form of health insurance.  It has become more common for people to need medication to function from day to day.  I'm not saying medicating is bad, it's not, I've just found other ways to function.  "Me time" is my medication.  That means I spend money to purchase craft supplies to feed my innate need to create, BUNCO prizes to participate in a monthly get together with other ladies, manicures at the local beauty school, and so on.

I always come away from "me time" feeling ready to tackle my "must do's" and seem to be more productive too.  Simply said investing money in myself makes me last longer.

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I also think that it is super easy to become so wrapped up in being frugal that I miss out on creating great relationships and memories.  It is certainly possible to spend little if any money to create memories and strengthen relationships, but occasionally doing something special that costs more than you might normally spend can be a nice thing.

Anyway, I kept thinking and thinking about how people spend their money.  It's clear that everyone does it differently.  What we think to be a perfectly legitimate purchase, one we've carefully considered and determined to be worthwhile, may be frivolous and extravagant to another person.  We all evaluate our needs and wants differently.  What we consider a "good value" might be not be to others.

There have been numerous times when friends or family don't want to do an activity or eat out where we planned because they can't afford it, but will later spend money on gas to go on trips, purchase electronics, go on shopping sprees etc.  To me, it's not always an issue "we can't afford it" but rather an issue of priority.  Like I said before, everyone spends differently, and that's ok.

Occasionally the "we can't afford it" phrase does make for an awkward moment.  In my mind, the person may as well be saying "I can't believe you are spending your money on THAT!" It makes me think I'm somehow not as frugal or wise in my spending as the other person.  I know that's not the case,  just how I perceive it...probably out of guilt ;)

I too have been that person who says "we can't afford it" but I think I may just start to say "we are saving our money for something else right now" so as to avoid unwanted awkwardness.

In the end, to each their own.  It's not my place to judge what anyone does with their hard earned money, but to live in a way that honestly represents what I believe in- frugality and self-reliance.