A beginning of December look at the state of my challenge for this year...

• Me Set up retreat on budget and search Bible for guidance. - DONE

Cut Spending Challenge

• Both Set starting budget together - DONE
• Both Use Budget Binder and jar system - DONE
• Both Freeze credit cards and debit cards - taken away several times and found their way back in my purse. The big thing is I am not using them now. Paul has a special rewards CC and if we want to put anything on CC, it goes on his card, which means we have to make a joint decision. It keeps my impulsiveness in check.
• Both Review simple living notes. Watch the rest of “Simple Living”. - DONE
• Me Write down what bills are due when (Paul does most of the bill paying and money stuff here. I want to learn how. He is having issues with control I think.) - DONE
• Me Record transactions in Quicken for full month- We ended up taking turns every week entering stuff in Quicken while the other watched/helped.  I am having problems figuring out Quicken.  I have been trying a free trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget).  Paul hasn't been interested in trying it though.  I am disappointed.  Means if anything happens to him, our finances are going to be in a mess for awhile...until I manage to make the change.  Maybe I'll buy YNAB for my own personal finances.  At least that way it will be all set up for if anything happens.
  
• Paul Find a way to reduce bank fees – consolidate accounts? Change type of account? - DONE
• Paul Pantry inventory. Paul doesn't have a clue how to do these things. It's time he learned. He doesn't realize how much time all this planning takes. - DONE.  Paul did it with me once. I do it now...after he whined.
  
• Paul Plan lunches for himself so he doesn't have to buy them at work. - DONE
• Paul Plan menu and grocery shop once for the entire week. - DONE. I often can go two or three weeks between major shops now.
• Both Discuss budget once a week in pleasant atmosphere. - Well, kinda. If I get him in the right mood. Paul doesn't like to discuss budget or plan ahead. To him it's real simple - just quit spending money so you have some when you want it. Only problem is he wants it for one thing and I want it for another, and pretty soon there's no money in savings because the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing or planning! In order to deal with this I brought in some Dave Ramsey CDs. That was a big help with Paul. But he's still having issues with this. I keep pounding into him that I want every dollar to 'have a name'. He is having a challenge with that. He definitely doesn't like budget meetings, and the atmosphere is tolerable, but it would be stretching it to call it 'pleasant'.
• Both Brainstorm ways to eat cheaper. - DONE. Grocery bill has gone from $400 to $320/month...sometimes lower.
• Both Cleaning schedule. Set one up and stick to it! - Nope! Too sore to do much. Paul has taken up some of the slack, but I've resigned myself to the fact I'm going to have a less than perfect house from here on. Paul refuses to let me hire someone to come in to help clean.  I did pick up a really lightweight Dirt Devil upright vacuum so I can finally vacuum the basement myself.  That's a big help.  But I'm not carting it up and down stairs.
  
• Both Learn how to do stain removal. - Tried to, and succeeded for the most part. But I decided the best course of action for clothes was to make some aprons, which I did. They work!
• Both Medical costs...ways to get medicine, Co-enzyme Q10 cheaper. Research alternative medicine we can try for free. - DONE. I found the 15% off days at our local health food stores. Also a 25% off sale and a 50% off sale. Found I could buy my asthma spray at the health food store for cheaper than the acupuncturist.
• Me Start practicing meditation every morning. - Nope! Tried a few times, but also found I lost track of time. I simply am pretty rushed these days. I didn't make it a priority, what with everything else happening.  I am currently reading a book called "Celebrating Disciplines" by Richard Foster.  It covers meditation among other spiritual disciplines.  I am learning a lot and hope to implement some of his ideas in the New Year.  The spiritual discipline I seem to be focusing on this year is prayer.
  
• Me Research cheap/free ways to exercise in winter. Do one this week. Exercise DVDs. Use every day. - I was doing exercise DVDs and some mat work, but it was extremely painful on my back. I tried walking, but it not only bothered my back, but also my knees. Currently I am doing nothing but the exercises the physiotherapist has given me for my back and knees. I am waiting for new orthodics to come the end of the month. I am pinning a lot of my hopes on these new orthodics. I hope they work! This is the first time in my life I haven't been able to walk. I've put on 10 lbs. this summer/fall. Health issues have been a big concern this year.
• Both Clothing – Go through wardrobe and come up with different combinations for outfits. - DONE
• Both Figure out upcoming clothing needs/costs for next 6 months. - DONE
  

Budget Booster Challenge

• Both Hobbies – Brainstorm ways to do hobbies cheaper - DONE, and succeeding. I simply decided to stop spending on hobbies. I did fork out big bucks for decent lighting, stands and instructional DVDs. It all came from my inheritance. I can't remember what I learn in classes, so the DVDs are being well used. The lighting has made a huge difference in my eyesight. And the stands were a great investment. But I have not spent family money on any of this. For the most part I've been picking up supplies free from friends or off the Internet. I shouldn't need to buy much for a long time...
• Both  Brainstorm ways to make hobbies pay for themselves. - craft sales, Internet - I started to make things for sale, but found my fall too busy, me too sick, etc. to do much about selling anything. I ended up giving all my sewing, etc. away to charity at Christmastime.  Paul's hobbies are pretty cheap to begin with.  He does genealogy (aka family history).  I notice Lisa is showing an interest in becoming a professional genealogist, and is bringing the books to show Paul.  He is taking more than a passing interest in them.
  
• Me Price display equipment for fibre work. - Started... and very discouraging.
• Me Track time during the day - DONE. Discovered I'm busy.
• Me Create a daily schedule to include exercise, frugal activities, & fibre work and stick to it. Research starting a business. W.E.S. and Embroidery Canada articles. Talk to others in business - Nope. Started but didn't get far. My life is simply too busy. I really need to focus on getting my house in order before thinking about starting a business. One stressor at a time!
• Me Set weekly goals for fibre work and DO IT! - Nope. I have been doing more fibre work since the workmen have left the house though.  This is the area I want to focus on next year.
  
• Me Pull together a resumé. - DONE! And a very rewarding exercise it was! I showed it to Paul and he nodded, as if he knew all along what I was up to. LOL
  

Future Plan Challenge

• Paul Make a list of all renos that need to be done to the house to sell it. - DONE, but I had to do it with him.
  
• Paul Research cost of doing renos. Write down estimates. - DONE, but I had to do it with him.
  
• Both Plan expenses for next 6 months and put in budget. - DONE.
• Both Re-assess January expenses and come up with more money saving strategies to try. One new strategy per week. - Well I don't think we actually came up with one new strategy a week.  But we did a lot of different things.
  
• Both De-clutter stuff we don't want in the house. - Partly. I started a de-clutter challenge on Frugal Village, but found the real thing I was tripping over was all my projects - unfinished and not started yet! So I switched to working on projects to finish things up and get them out from underfoot. I see I easily have enough to keep me busy next year.
• Both Sell stuff on-line or hold a garage sale. - DONE
• Both Redo wills and power of attorney. - Nope. Paul keeps putting it off. Our daughters have been after us too. We have guardians listed on our current wills for them...they are 21 and 24. Hmmm... Lisa was over baking today.  I had Paul show her where to find our wills should anything happen to us.
  
• Both Make a decision as to which reno to tackle first...together! By now we should have $500 to do something with. Let's use it wisely! - Nope. Paul does not want anything to do with renos anymore. This is driving me crazy because I don't have the health to do them anymore. Leaves us at the mercy of contractors, which I found extremely stressful this summer. I ended up doubling medication to make it through one of the contractor's shenanigans. I am not excited about this anymore. I might talk to Lisa and ask her if she'll help me reno the kitchen.
• Me Look at the art side of fibre work. Talk to people re: exhibitions, etc. - Nope, who's got time?
• Paul Cost out move - Nope. Doesn't see it as necessary. Guess he'll just look at the bank account one day and decide we have the money to do it? Personally, I'm not sure I want to move.

Relationship Rescue Challenges

• Both Get creative! Set budget for entertainment and try to do as much as you can with it. - DONE! This has actually worked out pretty good. Paul and I don't totally deprive ourselves, but we've discovered some cheap places where we can pick up tea and a healthy snack. We also have been going to bookstores and libraries for evenings out. And we've been going to free community events as well. I spend most of my entertainment budget with the church. I get a lot of freebies from them too.
• Both Plan some fun. List 3 ways we can have fun for free this month. Pick one and make it happen this week - DONE! Paul and I rediscovered jigsaw puzzles, and pen and paper style puzzles. We have an acrostic book in our bathroom. Anyone with brains can come try it. I give up! I've also been doing crosswords and sudoku. We like to go for walks together. We go to the Farmer's Market for fun, and sometimes to shop. We spend time watching library DVDs for fun, and listening to Dave Ramsey.
• Both Dining out – brainstorm ways to decrease costs of dining out. Do one this week in conjunction with free entertainment challenge. - DONE. We go out for tea instead of a meal. Or just for dessert and tea.  If it's a supper meal, we'll just order the entree and drink water.
  
• Both Learn to give each other massages. - Nope. Too hard on our backs. Not the right set up at home. Paul was worried about making my back worse. End of story. I ended up spending a lot of money on massage this year that didn't really solve the problem. It was good in the short term, but meant I'd be going back every week or so. One reason I was back at the physiotherapist.  On the other hand, we discovered the spa waters are good for my back.  Paul and I have been checking out passes to the spa.  It just might be doable.
  
• Both Motorbike is a trust issue...rent a motorbike for a day trip...just to try. Paul loves motorbikes and I am death on them, having had a cousin almost die in a motorcycle accident. But I think I need to get over this. - Nope. Everyone I talked to who had them claimed they weren't safe to ride (so why do they have them?!). I decided, after another cousin was in a motorcycle this year and is now a paraplegic, that I'd back down on this issue. Life is too short as is. This transpired into making a "Twenty Wishes" list, or a Bucket List. I've been working on the items on there instead.
• Both Dance classes - Nope. Not with my footwear, knee and back in the shape they're in! Besides, Paul didn't sound all that interested.

Actually not too bad...still working on some of it.  But I feel like I've made movement on all fronts in one way or another.  I'm just shying away from anything that costs money...even up front money for display equipment to sell my handiwork. 

I'll check in at the end of the month again.  But I don't think much will have changed by then in terms of this list.  Interesting how things worked out in the end though, isn't it?!