Sneakers'n'Snakes

Category: Real Fun

You've figured by now (from my measly 3 blog posts) that our family does everything we can to get the most out of our lives with very little $.  But how about the good times..... the family time, the relaxing time...the fun?  That's what weekends are for, right?

We're working on it!!  We try to get all of our grocery shopping and weekly errands done by Friday evening. That leaves two full calendar days to fill, usually involving the outdoors and is either free or relatively 'cheap'.  Our local pool and library are within easy biking & walking distance and we go to one or both often. We've researched when museums offer free visits (Ottawa's Museum of Nature is free every Saturday morning!), which Cultural & Community events are worth attending and what trails in the myriad of National Capital Commission trail network are relatively dry for our little hiking / exploring adventures.

I wasn't always so keen to hit the trails however. I have a severe phobia of snakes and it was on one of these  NCC Trails in 2003 that completely brought me to my knees in fear, vowing never to step foot in the woods (any woods) ever, ever again.

It was a beautiful, sunny, springtime day in March.  We (my husband and I) made our way to the trailhead of a well known,well used trail near our home.  I slid my 1 year old in my nifty Deuter backpack and headed off.  Birds were chirping, flowers were sprouting and I was happy.  We came across a log blocking the trail and as I lifted my sneaker (you really don't need to go high-tech to have a happy hike) to step over the log, I saw it.  A slippery snake, slithering slowly across the trail in front of me.  I froze.  My eyes darted this way and that, I was deciding whether to run back, run forward or stay still (read.."die"!).  As I glanced sideways again...I saw them. It looked like hundreds (but was likely dozens) of snakes...in a ball....in a BALL!  My husband was ahead of the log across the trail and he was enthusiastically (desperately) encouraging me to get to him so we can continue on, get over my fears and finish our walk.  Yeah....right.  Did I mention phobia?  Yes I did, let's emphasize severe phobia.  I screamed, I cried, I woke up my slumbering child on my back who also began shrieking. I made a run for it.... over the log.  I buried my head in my husbands shoulder and continued to hyperventilate.  The snakes seemed to like my reaction, seemed to be attracted to my panic. They started to come after me, I swear.  My husband told me to keep my eyes on him while he poked at them with a stick.  Eventually, they dispersed, slithering slowly away and I managed to get to the end of the walk (via the shortest route possible back home) though I continued to shiver and whimper in fear.

For 5 years, I refused to walk in the woods in the spring though I managed to talk myself into some summer walks (winter walks are a breeze).  I've camped, I've been to cottages and on bike-rides. I have been getting braver every season to hit more trails in the spring.  I managed to get my sneakers moving on a springtime trail last weekend with the family, convincing myself that what we saw 7 years ago was a unique, rare "snake awakening" that we'll never encounter again in our lifetime.

Weekend hikes are back on our calender, in every season.  I'm getting my sneakers out there and conquering my fear of snakes.

So....that's what we do on our weekends...for fun.

Decisions, decisions

Category: Real Frugal

Ever since we set up our budget and I realized just how much (read...how little) money we had leftover to "spend", I started changing the way I made decisions while out shopping. I'll talk about groceries later (that's a whole other issue) I've developed my own set of questions and pre-requisites I mentally check off before spending our extra money on  the "extra stuff".  Birthday gifts, clothes, household supplies, electronics, toys etc.                                                                                                                     This is what goes through my head BEFORE I get out to the mall, market or plaza.



 * Do we really need this item? -----I've often stopped right there and cancelled my shopping outing.  If we don't really need it, I'd rather save our money or spend it on something we simply can't live without. 

 *Can I find this item at a lower price? ----browsing online can sometimes be beneficial if you can find what you need online for less money. What about kijiji, or craigslist or a consignment store?

*Can I make this or re-use something instead?-----I'm pretty crafty and often come up with a home-made alternative instead of hitting the shops, deal or no deal.  I've made picture frames, cookies & cards for birthday presents.  I've whipped up household cleaners with vinegar and baking soda. Check this link for simple recipes to make your own cleaning supplies. 

 *What impact on the environment does this item have? -----We try very hard to "not" buy things that come in non-recyclable packaging.  I think about this constantly when I am in the stores browsing.  What long-term impact will it have? Will this end up in the garbage bin in a year? If yes...I say no to buying it.

Since creating our budget and reviewing these four questions before pulling out the bankcard, we've reduced the amount of money spent on extra items by over $150 / month. (by our monthly average) That's just from making better decisions.  That's not too shabby....but pretty chic!!