Further info and weekly updates on the way by Sunday. Currently at the beach, getting a lot done, running, picking up trash, volunteering, cooking, but not a lot in the terms of blogland because the internet that is available is very slow and I can barely load my blog. It seems like perfect preparation for the later part of the year when I won't have internet at all.
Back in Blacksburg. Credit cards are stashed away in a drawer for the rest of the year. Why? The average credit card debt in an American household is upwards of $15,000. I learned the hard way how to be responsible with them a few years ago and now want to try to readjust my spending towards an idea of actually seeing cash leave my hand. For some reason it is always harder to hand over a 50 dollar bill than to swipe a piece of plastic. For now my debit card and things like paypal are still an option, sure, but being 2/3 of the way through the year I can imagine it won't be long before those things aren't available either. So here is to spending money, that I actually have, for the rest of 2014.
Back in Blacksburg. Credit cards are stashed away in a drawer for the rest of the year. Why? The average credit card debt in an American household is upwards of $15,000. I learned the hard way how to be responsible with them a few years ago and now want to try to readjust my spending towards an idea of actually seeing cash leave my hand. For some reason it is always harder to hand over a 50 dollar bill than to swipe a piece of plastic. For now my debit card and things like paypal are still an option, sure, but being 2/3 of the way through the year I can imagine it won't be long before those things aren't available either. So here is to spending money, that I actually have, for the rest of 2014.
End of Week 32 Update
Giving up credit cards ended up being about as hard as emptying out the contents of my wallet into a drawer. Three or four days later I had forgotten that I even had them. Other than maybe causing a few more trips to the bank than usual or occasionally making a trip to the store while realizing I only had 7 dollars in my wallet, this goal turned out relatively easy.
I realize that credit cards do have some benefits, believe me, I've got the free flight, the points, the cash back. I think maybe a good goal would be to use them for debts that are necessary to settle for example an electric bill, water bill or groceries. After two or three years, sure, then maybe they'll send a free gift card in the mail. In the end though as far as spending is concerned, it always rings a bit more true handing over cash than swiping a piece of plastic so even after this year is over I think I'll try to stay away from them in the future.
End of Week 32 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 115.48 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 406 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $594.60
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 175
Pushups - 1220 Crunches - 1100
Days Flossed - 159 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 23
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 536
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6 sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants, 12 sorrel seeds,
Letters written - 18
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative, Edisto Island Preservation Alliance, Edisto Island Land Trust,
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Okra Gumbo with Chickpeas and Kidney Beans, African Peanut Soup and Fufu,
Miles ran - 509.40
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, currently reading A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir and loving it!
Nights camped - 2
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 28
Hours volunteered - 11.25
Giving up credit cards ended up being about as hard as emptying out the contents of my wallet into a drawer. Three or four days later I had forgotten that I even had them. Other than maybe causing a few more trips to the bank than usual or occasionally making a trip to the store while realizing I only had 7 dollars in my wallet, this goal turned out relatively easy.
I realize that credit cards do have some benefits, believe me, I've got the free flight, the points, the cash back. I think maybe a good goal would be to use them for debts that are necessary to settle for example an electric bill, water bill or groceries. After two or three years, sure, then maybe they'll send a free gift card in the mail. In the end though as far as spending is concerned, it always rings a bit more true handing over cash than swiping a piece of plastic so even after this year is over I think I'll try to stay away from them in the future.
End of Week 32 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 115.48 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 406 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $594.60
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 175
Pushups - 1220 Crunches - 1100
Days Flossed - 159 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 23
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 536
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6 sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants, 12 sorrel seeds,
Letters written - 18
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative, Edisto Island Preservation Alliance, Edisto Island Land Trust,
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Okra Gumbo with Chickpeas and Kidney Beans, African Peanut Soup and Fufu,
Miles ran - 509.40
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, currently reading A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir and loving it!
Nights camped - 2
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 28
Hours volunteered - 11.25