My Wallet Is Fat And I Like It Like That

It's been a rough week. I gave into a lot of temptation, I made myself way too busy and I was a tad grumpy some days from not sleeping enough. It happens, and I've accepted that even though most days are better now, some days will still be rough.

That's why this week I decided to talk about a different part of my health/wellness make-over: how I became financially 'fit'.

2015 is the first full year that I haven't been a student. I went straight out of high school and did university/college for five years combined. Most people who have gone to school know the struggle of paying for school, trying to work part time, and staying sane through it all.

While I was in university, I honestly didn't really think about money that much. I knew that I was working 25 hours a week, which was more than enough to pay for what I needed. Though I was kind of dumb and spent a lot of it, I still had enough to pay for my phone, car, gas, and the essentials.

Once I got into Cre Comm in 2012, I knew working part time was going to mean working 5-10 hours a week because of the intensity of the program. I wanted to really focus on school because I knew it would (hopefully) be the last two years I was there, and I wanted to make it count. After the first semester, I made the decision to work less because a lot was going on with school and I wanted to take on more opportunities to help with my career in the future.

To make a long story short, I spent a lot more money than I was making in Cre Comm and by the time summer came around, I had a little bit of student debt to pay. I wasn't too concerned, because I knew that since I didn't have very much I would be able to pay it off by the end of the summer and be done with it. Well summer came, and I spent a lot of money on 'things'. Basically went out a lot, started buying stuff I would need to move out, and I wasn't being very responsible. I woke up one day and realized I would have to change. I'm no longer a student and I need to save way more than I spend. So it took me a couple of  months but I got back on track. Here's how:

1) Lived Off Cash: I've always heard of this as a technique to try and control spending habits. I never knew how difficult it actually was until I tried it for a month. Taking out $100 a week seemed like it would be enough, but some weeks I would have to pay for gas, and others my phone bill. So I would be left with pennies by the end of the week, and be like well that sucks, guess I'm not going out. What it did do was help me realize how much money I was spending on crap. AKA going out for drinks, dinner, coffee, ice cream, shopping, etc. I went out 3-4 times a week which was so unecessary. Once I started writing it all out and looking at it each week, I quickly realized I had to be smarter. So I would go out for dinner once a week, and maybe instead of ordering alcoholic beverages I would order a water with lemon or even an iced tea (helped save on the calories too).

2) Watched Way Too Many Money Shows: Okay, for a while I got hooked on the show Til Debt Do Us Part. If you're unfamiliar with it, Gail Vaz Oxlade works with couples who are struggling with debt and helps them get back on track (this is where I got the idea to live off cash). A lot of the times, it scared me. Seeing these people who were in their 20's and early 30's battling thousands of dollars in debt and not able to get out of the hole they dug for themselves. I've learned quite a few techniques from this show, and honestly as lame as it sounds you're never too young to be money smart. It made me realize that developing good habits early on would help me in the long run.

3) Started an RRSP: Well someday I have to retire, and I figure it would be nice to have some money when I do. Even though I'm not contributing thousands of dollars into it each month right now, it's still enough that when I do retire, there will be a good chunk of change even if I kept it at the current amount (obviously once I'm older I plan on contributing more). The good thing about this too is that your tax return tends to go up the more you contribute to your RRSP, so it's basically a win win. A scary thing is a lot of people tend to cash out their RRSP's early when they run into trouble and I've been told this many times. So all I do is just pretend it's not there. I'm well aware that a certain amount of money disappears from my account each month, but I just tell myself it's locked away and you can't touch it. So I never plan to until I retire.

4) Started A Hope Chest: I knew once I graduated, I was going to be planning to move out of my parents house within a year or so. I also knew how expensive it was going to be to add rent, food, and even household supplies to my list of things I need. What I decided to do was spend $20-$40 each paycheque on things I knew I would need. So plates, cups, utensils, etc. Even though it drives me crazy seeing all this stuff piling up in my closet, I know my future self will thank me when all I have to buy is a few pieces of furniture when I do move out.

5) Save Those Tips: If you work in the restaurant industry, or somewhere where you earn tips, save them. I work just at a coffee shop, so the tips aren't as big as they would be with serving but let me tell you they add up very quickly if you don't touch them. Every week when I work, I put mine in a jar and I don't touch them. They pile up week after week. In May 2013 when I went to buy my first DSLR camera I figured I would use some of my tips that I had started saving in October and then just use the rest from my savings. Turns out, I had enough to pay for my camera, and still had some tips left over. I've gone to Vegas twice in the last year and a bit, both trips I used less than $300 combined from my savings. All tips. It's actually amazing. Now, I'm going back to Vegas again next March (this time for work, don't judge) and I've still got my jar going. Even if you don't save it for big items, save them for your gas or your phone bill or even use it to buy yourself something nice once a month. Let me tell you though, it feels great to be able to pay for an entire trip just on your tip savings.

Now I'm in no way calling myself a money expert here. I'm merely sharing my tips with you in hopes that if you're struggling like I was, you can benefit from the same advice. You can always talk to your bank as well. They're actually really friendly people, and the reason that I'm living debt free right now. I obviously also have to consider my parents a huge helping factor because I've learned from some of their mistakes and appreciate the advice they offer. Since I'm in the photography business now (which is super expensive) I know that this summer will probably be one that's expensive but my goal is to try and see if I can live off cash again for a month (maybe two) just to try and bank some extra money while I'm working 3 jobs.

Oh and yes, people keep asking me how/why I do it. It's all about balance, and just loving what you do. I would not work three jobs if I didn't love them all. Some day I know that I will be content with working one job and enjoying my weekends off, but right now I wouldn't have it any other way.

Social Accountability

Hey everyone! Thanks for coming back and reading my blog :) I love getting all the questions and positive feedback from you all, it's very encouraging!

This post is going to talk about my social accountability. Now I'm sure a lot of you have seen the latest fitness crazes all over social media : 21 day this, 7 day that, this gadget that gadget there's SO many different things. I have never really been one to buy into these crazes even if they say IT WORKS! I did know that I needed a kick start so I tried a couple of different things.

1) Beachbody - this was good...in theory. You get a month's worth of meal replacement shakes, a set of PiYo workout DVD's (for the program I chose), a grocery list, and a group on Facebook to share your thoughts with every day. I am more of a DIY type person, so for me to have to upload stuff of my food and exercise every day was a hassle, and I didn't quite see the results I was hoping for.

2) FitPal - or something like that. It was an app where you track your food and daily exercise. There was nothing to show for this and I cheated way too often.

Now I'm using the Jawbone UP Fitness Band. If you've read my blog before, you've seen me talk about how amazing I think this tiny little bracelet is and how it has helped me get rid of some really bad habits. I still love this bracelet and what it's doing for me. Seeing this reminder on my wrist helps me think okay, have I logged my food? Have I synced my steps? Did I track my sleep? Did I log my work-outs? It's now all just a habit for me, and it's something that I don't even have to think about doing anymore.

The reason I started blogging was because of people's curiosity about this band. Now the reason I'm continuing to blog is because I find I'm more likely to live healthier and be active because I get to write about it, and it makes me happy that I've made such positive changes. My cousin Lori and I have kinda made a deal with each other where we're going to keep blogging about the healthy choices we're making so that we not only keep each other accountable, but we can share our thoughts with those who are curious.

When I started running two months ago, I thought it was going to be awful. I still think it's awful to be quite honest, but I choose running over snacking so I'm better off with it. I joined a running club this week which was terrifying because I thought I'm going to suck and this is going to be horrible. Well this running club is actually awesome. Everyone goes at their own pace and everyone is really encouraging. I struggled quite a bit at the first run, especially since the winds were 80km/h so that didn't exactly help. But I toughed it out, and I finished and I can't wait to get back out there and improve my time.

My goal right now is to run 3-5 km, three times a week...for now. I know this isn't a big deal, but I haven't run in over nine years so this is a big step. I set myself a challenge of running in a fun 5km run once a month from May to October. It's now April 17th....and I still don't know if I can see myself doing that. But I said I would do it, so whether I'm walking or sprinting across the finish line I'm going to do it.

So far I'm only signed up for one run, which is Colour Me Rad in July. I'm also signed up for Paws In Motion (which if you'd like to donate to our team you can do that here) but that one is on the same day as the Manitoba Marathon so I think we'll be running in the marathon, and walking for P.I.M. I'm thinking of jumping in and signing up for the Physio Fit Run that's coming up in three weeks. My ultimate goal by October is to run the 10k in the WFP half marathon, so fingers crossed all goes well. I would love some suggestions on what runs you have done in the past that are fun and non-competitive! I'm open to trying new ones!

It's Been A Month...So Now What?

Hello Friends!

For those of you following this journey of mine, first of all thank-you! I really appreciate all the questions and encouragement I've been getting from people. You are the reason I'm pushing to keep going on this, and try new things!

So I've been using this Jawbone UP fitness band for just over a month now, and I have noticed some patterns, changes, and well cool things about it. I've told you about the tracking which helps keep me accountable, but I think the biggest thing is it has become my daily, and even hourly reminder that I need to get this done. I see it on my wrist, or it vibrates when I'm inactive telling me to get going. Yes there are other ways to do this without buying some fancy gadget, but honestly this fancy gadget has helped me the most out of any way I've tried so far.

I've had a lot of people comment saying wow you look so energized, or wow you look amazing lately. While I take all the compliments I can get, I know that I definitely have a lot of work to do. I also know that I've struggled quite a bit since I've started this journey of mine. I'll admit right now that this has been difficult, mainly because I've neglected my health for quite a few years while I've been in school. But I wanted to address some of the challenges I'm working on overcoming in this next month.

My Biggest Challenges:

Limiting My Caffeine: I cut out pop completely. I didn't drink much of it before so for me this was kind of easy. What hasn't been easy is the coffee part. I usually have coffee 4-5 times a week so pretty much every weekday. Now that I'm not working weekends anymore I don't require it Saturday or Sunday. But my goal has been to try and cut it out completely, or at least get it down to once a week. This has been super hard. With the way I'm eating I have way more energy so it's not even like I'm depending on it as an energy booster anymore. I think it's just the whole 'here I am at my desk, drinking my coffee' that throws me off if I don't have one. I've been trying to substitute it with tea, but I just love coffee, so I'm still working on this.

Not Binging On My Cravings: So I've cut out sugar pretty much completely. I'll have the odd cookie or chocolate here and there but it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. My problem is, there's a lovely little time of the month where my body wants and craves everything bad. I always fall victim to my cravings which generally consist of Twizzlers Pull and Peels, some kind of chocolate, and believe it or not Strawberry Frutopia Juice. I was hoping that with my changed eating habits I would crave things less, but no. It's just the way my body is. So come around next time of the month, I plan to try and fill myself up with my favourite Shakeology with banana and peanut butter to see if that helps get rid of the cravings. I will keep you posted on that.

Keeping Those Hard Workouts Going: I've recently added two workouts into my daily routine. Some days this means I work out in the morning and in the evening. Sometimes, it means I do two back to back in the evening (those are a struggle). I try and wake up before work to get my second one in to keep me motivated throughout the day, but I'm not going to lie, sometimes waking up half an hour earlier so I can go for a run isn't all that appealing. What I also struggle with is my awful workout playlist. I pretty much haven't updated it in....well I don't know how long. But I am open for suggestions on new workout songs because I think having a different playlist for each day, or even just a different one for each workout I do will help change things up and keep me going.

I'll admit, I know this journey I'm on is going to be a work in progress. I mean I neglected my health, fitness and food wise, for the last five or so years. So obviously it's going to take some time to get back on track. But I have to say, the most motivating factors are my friends who are also taking their fitness journey to a new level. Alex, she's also blogging about her journey and I have to say she is the most inspiring person in my life right now and the reason I keep pushing every day. Sam Sommerfield, well she's the Rosie to my Sophia Grace and anytime I'm feeling like I'm stuck or down she always has encouraging words to keep me going and I gotta love her for that. And then my new 'mini team' of Megan and Bethany. While we keep saying we're trying to start a Piyo team, we definitely have lots of advice and encouraging words for each other. And even though these two are preparing for their weddings coming up, I'm using their power and passion to fuel my own.

There are many different resources I've tried and even throughout this first month I have changed a lot of things. Next week I'll talk about my daily routines, and what I do in a week to stay motivated!

"You may see me struggle, but you won't see me give up."

Week 3 UPdate

Back by popular demand...the Jawbone UPdate!

Ok so that was super corny. But a lot of you asked a lot of questions after my first post about purchasing the Jawbone UP fitness band, and are now wondering if I still find it's worth my money.

Well let me tell you...absolutely.

A lot of stuff has changed since I posted after week one. I'm now almost finished week 3 and most of my bad habits have disappeared. I won't lie, I did cheat a bit and "forgot" to post that extra cookie (or two) I ate when I was just not feeling the veggies anymore. And when my band started buzzing at work telling me to get up and move, a couple of times I ignored it because it was annoying the crap out of me.

Now that I'm past the sugar withdrawal grouchy stage, I feel fantastic. Sure, I'm not 100% healthy yet which is totally fine. But these small steps I've taken have significantly changed my mood and my energy levels.

Some things I've noticed change for the better:

1) Energy: I have way more of it. I used to start crashing at work around 12:30-1:00. Now I usually don't. If I do, it's around 3:30-4:00 which is MUCH better. It doesn't take me 20 minutes to get out of bed in the morning, I'm usually able to only hit snooze once instead of three or four times now.

2) Hydrated: I'm drinking 3-4 water bottles at work daily, which equals 6-8 glasses of water. For someone like me, I'm supposed to try and drink 11 glasses a day so it's good to know that by the time I'm off work at 4:30, I've only got a few more to go (most of the rest, and more are consumed during and after my evening workout).

3) No More Afternoon Cravings: This had something to do with my energy levels being down, but I would always reach for a sugar filled granola bar, candy, or something else awful in the afternoon when I was feeling those low energy levels. Now I keep a giant bag of almonds at my desk, along with an apple or banana, and if I start to feel sluggish I'll drink half my bottle of water and eat 10 almonds or the fruit. Instantly feeling better.

4) More Active: Now that I can see where my steps are each day, once I reach 10,000 in one day of the week, I know I have to do better every single day to beat that. I usually sync my band around lunch time to see if I need to up my game a little bit. Generally I can get in 4000 steps at work a day, which means if I do a good solid 30-40 minutes on the treadmill at home, I'll reach and surpass 10,000 no problem.

5) Fat vs Muscle: OK I don't really know what's going on here yet. My goal is to start feeling better in the clothes I have, and hopefully buy some things in a size or two smaller in the distant future. But seriously...I hate the scale and I am always in a constant battle with it. I'm a girl, so at certain times of the month my weight fluctuates for no reason and it's horrible to look at. So I've decided for now, I will STOP weighing myself and focus on the positive changes that are happening and use those as my motivating factors. :)


Again with this post, I am not advertising for this band. I am simply sharing how it has changed my life, my habits, and my mood. I used to write stuff down on paper, but being in a technology savvy world, I think having something like this helps me keep track easier. I have my phone with me about 90% of each day, and I wear the band all day unless I'm showering so it's always there for me to see and it's a constant reminder for me to keep it up!

People have also been asking how my Wholy Tea cleanse has been going. I feel like the information I have on that topic is a little too much for the Internet world, but if you are curious send me a message and I'll be happy to share how that's going as well :)

I know I still have a long way to go, but even the fact that my mood has changed, I've stopped snacking on bad things, and I'm working out at least 6 days a week lets me know that I'm heading in the right direction.