Forgive me for the irregular posts.

I am working hard to bring you a new and improved Order Matters.

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No, I am not talking about weight loss this time.  This is all about my money diet.  My family spent the month of November living on a fixed budget of $500.  As you will see below, we ALMOST made it on $500.

The goal was to live simply and stick to necessities.  The $500 budget had to cover food, transportation, self-care and entertainment for a family of five.  No entertainment happened really, with the exception of our weekend trip to Whistler with our congregation.  While it was a lot of fun and totally worthwhile, it happened to eat a lot of our gas budget.  But let’s not focus on the negative.  Allow me show you how we managed.  Here is a brief breakdown:

Yes, we overspent a bit, but I am still really proud of how we did!

The majority of our budget was dedicated to food.  Let me say this…thank God my freezer and pantry were mildly stocked with the essentials.  I know that we would not have made it without some of the items I had on hand.

Transportation came in second.  Both my husband and I have really short commutes to work.  Our son, who is in high school, is usually driven to school in the mornings.  He returns home on the bus.  In November, he had to take the bus to school more frequently.  If only we could take public transportation more often, we would have saved tremendously more in this area.

Lessons learned:

1.  Some conveniences are financially inconvenient. There was, and continues to be, a lot of shirt ironing in my house.  My husband dresses professionally for work every day.  Usually, he would take his shirts to be laundered and ironed at the dry cleaners.  Well, there was none of that during our money diet. In fact, we have decided to continue in this respect going forward.  I am not a huge fan of ironing, but a bit of inconvenience for me will save us some $$.

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2.  Meal planning is integral! You cannot succeed on this diet without being totally and absolutely organized in meal planning.  I had to shop smarter than usual, stick to a strict meal plan, and buy only the ingredients needed for my food prep for the week. More on my meal planning system here.

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3.  Simple vegetarian meals should take centre stage. Please do not think that we normally eat caviar and wash it down with champagne.  However, incorporating more inexpensive meals into your week will be good for your pocketbook.  Eggs for dinner?!  Why not!

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4.  Brows can go ungroomed… for a longer while. Needless to say…my eyebrows did not look like this in November. Whatever you do to take care of yourself, please do, but you can do it less frequently or without professional assistance.

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5.  Kids need to hear about your budget. Our kids talked quite a bit about the money diet and were curious how we were doing.   It is important to get them engaged in these conversations, show them that you are challenging yourself to do something better or differently.  The other day, my son wanted to know why I did not put portobello mushrooms into the lasagna.  Well, the answer was simple.  Mushrooms were not in my budget for lasagna that week.

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What we were doing this month will continue for the most part going forward.  Being extra mindful of our spending and limiting ourselves to the necessities was powerful and rewarding.  If you need an extra push or place to start in better managing your finances, try out a money diet.

A couple of months ago, we celebrated our son’s Bar Mitzvah.  I blogged here about my excitement at planning the event.  Well, the pictures from that lovely weekend in September have arrived and I wanted to share a few memories.  It is amazing when all of the planning and organization come together to make a meaningful, fun, and love-filled event.

The Bar Mitzvah boy – what a poser!

How fast the years fly by.  I cannot believe that my baby is almost as tall as me now.

I love this picture.  Even though it is staged and did not take place during the actual religious service, it conveys the joy and special bond between father, son, and our tradition.

Candles were lit for Shabbat…

Seating charts worked out and looked pretty!

Beautiful flowers graced the dining tables…

We danced our hearts out.

I adore this photo of my son boogying with his 92-year old great-grandmother.  It is a perfectly captured memory.

Dear friends!

Celebrations are meant to bring the important things into focus.  Our son’s Bar Mitzvah weekend reminded us of the many blessings in our lives: family, friendships, community, love, and faith.

I cannot get enough of Etsy!  If you have not heard of it, Etsy is the marketplace for everything handmade, and some vintage merchandise as well.   If you are in the market for some organizing products, I recommend you take a look on Etsy, as you will find a mix of new and old products you might not be able to locate elsewhere.  The price is usually right too.  And their selection is varied.  The feeling of supporting small businesses worldwide is priceless!

Some Etsy finds that I think are fab…

1.  Roll Top Secretary – This is one shabby chic beauty in blue.  It would be the perfect addition to a desk or a great bill-paying station.  Oh, the possibilities!

2.  Bulletin Board - I have a weak spot for bulletin boards.  This one is an elegant lady, perfect for pinning on necklaces and earrings or important paperwork.

3.  Vintage Silver Plated Toast Rack – The toast rack can be converted into a mail sorting station.   Functional and chic!

4.  Chalkboard Vinyl Label Stickers – Almost no organizing project is complete without labeling.  These babies are great for all kinds of jars, toy storage bins, and so much more.

5.  Felt Purse Organizer – Are you constantly losing things in your purse?  This organizer will tame your purse clutter.  Love that they come in various sizes and cool colours.

6.  Chevron Fabric Storage Container – These containers are versatile.  Perfect as a diaper caddy, for toys or a small selection of books to keep by the bedside.

Who else adores Etsy?!  Tell me about any of your recent Etsy finds.

Every Friday, I share some thoughts of gratitude, mostly through photos I have taken during the week with the help of my iPhone and the lovely little app called Instagram.

I love food!  Especially sweet things.  This week was full of them.

The special bread we bake for the Sabbath is challah.  I must say this batch came out as a little slice of heaven.   In my eyes, a slice of warm challah with a schmear of butter is a perfect comfort food.

One of my Fall favorites is a ginger cookie.  It is a perfect treat.  Not too sweet, slightly chewy, and full of gingery flavour.  I made a batch for my fam for dinner and some for our cousins because I love them.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a new amazing looking pattiserie callled Faubourg. I peeked inside. The sweets on display were picture perfect!

I helped to bake for a lovely cousin’s Bat Mitzvah.  Not only was it fun to be in the kitchen with a bunch of women, but I was also really grateful to learn a new quick and delicious dessert recipe – palmiers.

My aunt masterfully whipped up some of her famous chocolate mousse.  Later the mousse cups were topped with pomegranate seeds.

Tell me about your week?  What are you grateful for today?