We made it!! With $20.30 to spare. Woohoo!!!
I realize that we started with an easier month with it being only 28 days instead of 30 or 31, but it was still a challenge.
We wanted to go out for Valentine’s, and thankfully had a gift card for most of it. And I really wanted to send my Grandmother flowers.
I think it’s reasonable to assume we’ll likely have a birthday or some other thing we’ll want to give to most months out of the year, so we need to plan for that.
I learned how to make a new meal that I hadn’t before — it seems silly, but I had never made baked chicken. Most of the time, I would stir-fry chicken with vegetables.
The beauty of this meal is you can make it with all kinds of different vegetables and the prep time is minimal. With the chicken being frozen, there is no mess! I kept buying organic frozen veggies and made different combinations of things, so it tasted slightly different each time. I used herbs such as rosemary to add variety and flavor. And it was a healthy, keto-friendly meal.
We ate out way less than we would have if we were not doing this challenge. Normally we chose cheaper places. But it’s still less expensive to eat at home. And without the ability to control how the meal is made, you may be eating things you wouldn’t normally want to, such as processed oils. At home, I can be sure we are only eating olive oil, coconut oil, or butter.
I enjoyed things that don’t cost any or limited money. In the afternoons in our bedroom, there is a lot of sunlight, and so when I wasn’t working, I would enjoy an afternoon “sun day”, as if I was at the beach, but I was at home!
We went to the gym 3 to 4 times a week, a healthy habit that’s super important for us. We took our pups for walks. I took free classes on things I am interested in learning.
That may sound boring to some, but sometimes things that don’t seem so exciting can foster health and happiness.
This week, I made a keto pizza at home that was quite tasty with turkey sausage and peppers and onions.
I also made some keto treats, including these white chocolates made with turmeric, and these keto Birch Benders brownies.
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I wanted to do my own nails with tips, and they came out really pretty! But the glue didn’t last, and they kept falling off. I bought another glue, but that one didn’t work either, so I returned it. So I think I will keep going my own nails without adding the fake ones moving forward.
It was really nice to enjoy the sunny weather since the weather is getting warmer, and spring is on its way. I expect a lot of ups and downs until we hit consistent warm weather. March is one of my favorite months — warm during the day, but not hot, and limited bugs!
I also found this quote I thought was quite insightful, and slightly related to our current challenge:
What do you like to do that’s free or inexpensive? Hope you have a great week!! 😊
ALT MONEY CHOICES 