In The Garden - Coffee Grounds

The front food garden is coming along SO GOOD! These photos were taken 2 weekends ago, and I can already see a big difference between then and today.

Continuing with some of my zero waste and compost blogs, I wanted to share a little video on how I divert COFFEE GROUNDS from the landfill by using them in my garden.

Gosh Laverne is so pretty right now...

I also learned that coffee grounds are a potential deterrent for whatever animal has been munching on the carrot tops! Very excited!

I do this "treatment" every couple of weeks now. That's about how long it takes to fill up the plastic container. I have lots of garden to cover, and then any extra will go straight into the backyard compost bins.

FURTHER READING

All of my "Zero Waste" posts are here, and I think I have a few "Gardening" ones saved as well.

I found a lot of great articles about using coffee grounds in your garden on Google. There are some plants that you shouldn't use them with. So always do a little extra research if you're not sure.

VIDEO TEXT

All right I’ve got a quick gardening video for you today. I have been saving my coffee grounds for awhile, and I usually put them in my compost but I noticed that Dan wasn't throwing the coffee grounds into the compost bin (under the sink) so I thought, what's an easier way for him to be able to do this so I can still use the ground for something? So this is silly, but this is what I did.

I took this plastic container and it's pretty shallow and I stuck it in the cupboard below where we make coffee. So he has to just open a door, open up the container, and dump it in. We still use paper filters because as you can see there's a hole there. Our percolator you have to punch a hole through the filter and I haven't quite figured out how to make my cloth filters work for that. So today we're going to use coffee grounds in the garden!

The coffee grounds are good for a few things in your garden. They help retain moisture, they help prevent some pests like slugs and stuff. They are supposed to help with worms which I'm not sure how they do. And they also have some good maybe nutrients or something I think I've heard I'm not sure. I use them more for pest deterrent I think this year for me especially and the water retention. And they are super easy to apply.

So yeah to apply you pretty much just you sprinkle them around. I don't want them to clump too much because then it's almost too hard on the top as it dries. You can mix it in too. I don't need a lot. I'm going to do a little better job here when I'm not holding my camera. And that's it! I use a regular dinner spoon because that's my jam I have knives and spoons littered throughout my garden because of course I do. So that's it. A super easy way to divert coffee grounds from the waste stream in the garbage. We drink a lot of coffee as I'm sure many of you folks do as well so this is Black Gold for us for the garden and for our compost. I would love to hear how you use up food surplus. Something that otherwise would go to the garbage in your kitchen.

Compost Awareness Week - Air

Today's Compost Awareness Week's video is about AIR! Did you know that stuff needs air to properly break down and not produce methane? Which is a gas worse for the climate than carbon dioxide!

So I made this video showing you how I add air to my two backyard bins.

 
Compost Tips - Adding Air from Lisa Kercher on Vimeo.

Send me your comments or questions. I could talk about compost all day every day.
I just love it so much!

xo
Lis

FURTHER READING

Check out the other video in this "series" explaining BROWNS.

VIDEO TEXT

One of the reasons we love compost so much over the landfill for your food scraps and your leaves is because when things go to the landfill they don't actually break down. Because landfills usually are covered over and so there's no air in there to help stuff actually decompose, especially the things that would normally just decompose if they were you know...out. So, composts are great because...I don't know. The stuff decomposes, it doesn’t release methane, etc. There are lots of reasons! Let's get into giving our compost air today/ Because they need air to work. 

Okay so the next minute (of the video) is me working in my compost bins. I have a handy pitchfork that I used to stab down in there to get through as many layers as I can, and just work some are down into there. I'm also trying to break up some of the bigger chunks (of material) especially the big wet ones while I'm down there. Because that will of course help it break down more.

I'm also watching for my balance between browns and greens. You'll notice me adding more leaves from my leaf bin as I go because again I've been adding food scraps from my kitchen all winter and not a lot of leaves so these bins definitely need a little balancing.

That gives you a little bit of an idea of how I add air to my compost bins. It takes a bit of time because I don't have a type of bin where I'm easily going to take out all of the material, turn it properly and put it back in and add more carbon - browns - to it but I do my best with what I have. And I'm not super worried about the amount of finished compost I'm going to get out of my bins every year. I do it more to divert food scraps and leaves and yard waste from the landfill and to supplement my garden soil every year.

There are certain types of compost bins that you can buy at home stores like these but that make turning in your compost a little bit easier. This is what I have and it works for me! Another way that you can easily add air to your compost is by adding some bigger sticks. They're not going to break down as fast obviously as other things in your compost bin, but it adds some breathing room and space into your compost. So it gives it that air without you having to do much work!

But that wasn't much work. And it's kind of fun to be outside, and listen to the birds, and mess around in my yard for a little bit!

If you have any questions about simple composting hit me up I'm always ready to talk about composting forever. It's my favourite. I think that's it.

Compost Awareness Week - Browns

Apparently, it's Compost Awareness Week right now. That wasn't on the Social Media Planning Calendar I was provided!

But seriously, I am always excited to chat about composting.


Little Compost Lesson - Browns from Lisa Kercher on Vimeo.

FURTHER READING

Each municipality has a different set of rules when it comes to compost. It's best to check out the local info, usually on their official website. For Edmonton, there is some info here.

Zero Waste - Community Garbage

Community Garbage is a Community Responsibility.

Community Garbage Pickup from Lisa Kercher on Vimeo.


I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS! I try not to get too preachy with my low waste shtick, but sometimes I can't shaddup about it.

Even though we've only lived in the neighbourhood for 8 months, we've walked past this field often. I personally walk past this field practically every day. And yet, there were many many seasons of garbage in this corner. It felt like an archaeological dig at one point. Just when I thought we had reached the bottom, I pulled back another layer of leaves to find yet another layer of gatdamn plastic baggies. (Don't even get me started on plastic baggies).

There were families playing in the field, and a man practicing his football moves. A few folks walked by and said something about what we were (obviously) up to. But I was the first person who thought that maybe she could help out and clean up this mess? Really?!

I believe that Community Garbage is a Community Responsibility.

Yes, this garbage is in a school field. But it's not just school garbage. There is a DQ and a Burger Baron up the road. There were bits of construction stuff, and household waste in this pile as well. Stuff that has blown from who knows where. And been trapped by the fence.

This is a place where people should feel comfortable to come and hang out with their friends and family. I mean once COVID is done of course, but it would also be a pretty sweet place for a physically distant hang out for a group. But we think, oh it's a school so the school should clean it up. You could replace "school" with church, or parking lot, or greenbelt, or pretty much any public space where we assume than someone else will be responsible.

Dudes. Dudes! It's us! There is only us!

I dunno what I'm trying to say. Just, keep your eyes open. We are in THIS together, but we are also in ALL OF THIS TOGETHER. We can each do our part.

I'm not afraid of being passionate about this kind of thing, and pissing people off with my passion. I'm more afraid of being alone in this, being the only one looking out for easy opportunities to help out. I know that individual actions won't 100% get us out of this mess we've made, but they help. Every little bit helps.

Lis

FURTHER READING

I have added a label to this post that I am only 75% comfortable with, but it's a familiar term, so I'm sticking with it. For more tips, and ideas, and chatting about "ZERO WASTE", all my posts are organized under this tag.

Picking up trash is a good habit to start in your journey towards a low waste lifestyle.

If you like those "10 Reasons to..." posts, this one is for you!

"Plogging" is a thing! "Plalking" is also a thing, but it sounds less snazzy.

Picking up litter does actually help the environment!

But I also totally agree that doing so doesn't address the root cause of the problem: too much plastic crap out there.

This resource has some kid-friendly tips and reflection questions when out picking up trash together.

Make Do And Mend

One of my money saving low waste ideas from this blog is to mend your own clothes. Instead of buying new to replace worn out of "damaged" items. I have been patching my favourite jeans for about a year or so no, mostly in the inner thigh. To be honest, that mend is easy for me because it doesn't much matter what it looks like.

But I finally had to put my skills to the test when these jeans split at the knee a few weeks ago. I was excited and in disbelief. I can't remember the last time I blew a hole in the knee of a pair of pants.

Now, it's best to get this note out of the way early. I did not research visible mending before I fixed the knee hole. I had some peripheral knowledge, and memory of some I've seen shared on social media. But this project was definitely a make do and mend one, and not some sort of intimate practice at the art of embroidery or something.

HOW IT WORKED FOR ME
This is not a comprehensive how-to. There are proper videos and write ups online if you are truly interested in the art and history of visible mending. And if you want a more thorough instruction. Again, I believe that so many great low waste swaps come about by using what we have on hand, trying something out, and not being obsessed with perfection.

I started out by cutting a scrap of denim to fully cover the hole, then pinned it in place. I was able to purchase a bag filled with random embroidery floss many years ago at a thrift store. It has served me well over the years. For this project I chose a few blues, greys, and blue-greys. And then I just started stitching.

The ability to do a simple straight stitch has come in so handy for me. It's definitely a necessary life skill (makes notes to teach her son...). Again, this was not meant to be a perfect patch, so I was less concerned with the absolute straight-ness of my stitches.

This took me a few hours to complete, split over 3 days. I treat most (all) hand stitching work as meditative "flow" work, so I wasn't overly concerned with how long it took. The doing - the journey - is as important as the end result. And it was a great way to spend the long pandemic evenings. I could put on a podcast or some music and let my mind wander.

Also, this project cost me zero dollars. I had all the supplies on hand, which happens when you come at life from a "make do and mend" mentality. And the longer I prolong the life of these jeans, the more money I save and the happier I am. I love these fricken jeans.

I am excited to share more of the ways I make do with what I have, mend and repair items, and still live a very full and fulfilling life. I realize that this "lifestyle" isn't for everyone. But I also realize that capitalism is a drag that tells us we need to buy more and more new shiny things to feel good about ourselves and that's a lie. And the more I point that out, maybe the more people will move towards this other option. There are other options. And they feel really good too.

xo
Lis

p.s. My photos keep disappearing, so I hope they load for you!

FURTHER READING

I wrote out seven Money Saving Low Waste Ideas at the beginning of the month. There are some easy swaps in there to try.

If you're interested in more low waste money talk, check out my (low waste) Money Diaries from a week in March.

I went back through my Instagram and added a tag to all the photos I could find of these jeans. I've had them for 200 weeks or so.

The two visible mending techniques (styles?) I read about after I was done with this patch are called sashiko and boro mending. There are indeed a lot of tutorials available online. Perhaps if these pants don't turn to dust soon, I can try one out on the other knee!

Money Saving Low Waste Ideas

OKAY! Blogging in the time of COVID-19 is so weird my Friends. I want to inform, but I want to be sensitive to the shit storm we are in. I want to believe that people actually read my blog. I want a creative outlet. And I want to get ideas out of my brain and in to the world.

A lot of the talk around this pandemic has been in relation to how we have mobilized so quickly to curb the spread of this virus that threatens the lives of millions of people. And yet how slow we are to act against the climate crisis which threatens all life on the planet. All of a sudden there is money for new technology, expanded employment insurance, and corporate bailouts. Governments have instructed companies to make essential equipment for healthcare workers. And the oil and gas lobby is still hard at work getting pipeline protests outlawed, rolling back environmental protections, banning reusable bags, and putting their hands out for assistance money.

ARRGJAJGJGJJJJHHHHHHHHH!

But this little blog can't deal with all of that today (or ever). So this little blogger is going to look around her at things we can do now, today. (Things that we should have already been doing but.......). Actions that might even be more important now as more and more folks lose their jobs, food and sundries become harder to buy, and we have to stay inside our homes. (STAY INSIDE DAMMIT!).

So here are SEVEN money saving low waste swaps to help you now. And hopefully once you set up these systems in your home, you will see the benefit in continuing them beyond the end of the pandemic.

I put them in order of what I consider least intense to most intense. But to be honest, none of them are really that intense. You'll see!

1. SWITCH TO BAR SOAP (instead of plastic bottles). I cannot put a price on the savings of this method. Partly because I don't know the number, but mostly because I much prefer bar soap.

Level Up! Buy your bar soap from a local retailer, craft show, artisan, farm, etc. Support local while you "save the environment".

2. SWITCH TO RAGS INSTEAD OF SWIFFERS. Actually, switching to rags or cloths replaces most disposable cleaning stuff in our lives. Makeup wipes, bum wipes, paper towels. Cut up old t-shirts, buy a bag of rags from your local Canadian Tire, or use one of the 40 face cloths you inherited from your grandparents. For example.

3. MAKE YOUR OWN BROTH. Save all of your vegetable peelings in a bag in your freezer. Once you have a crock pot's worth, put them all in your crock pot (or large pot on your stove), fill pot with water, and let it simmer for a few hours. I divide mine up into 4 cup servings (one Adams peanut butter jar), which is perfect for the daal that we make every few weeks.

4. MEND YOUR CLOTHES. Mend your clothes rather than replacing them. Find yourself a good tailor, or learn to do it yourself. This goes for holes, replacing buttons, as well as size adjustments.

COVID-19 note: Most tailors are closed now, but I hear that YouTube is still open and that folks post how-to videos on there....wink wink.

5. BUY WHOLE FOODS IN BULK. And buy less processed food (and less take out). This will require that you learn to cook some basic recipes. Again, use those online resources! I have a great recipe for daal that I use bulk lentils and spics for. It is delicious and very inexpensive. Especially if you already did step #3 above. Wink wink.

COVID-19 NOTE: Most bulk retailers have changed how they do business right now or have closed completely. If you don't have access to a bulk store, buy your dry goods in the largest package available (or the largest you are able to buy).

6. BUY SECONDHAND OR BORROW. Buy secondhand, or borrow items before buying new. For me the most obvious examples are clothes and books. Edmonton has a tool library and a toy library, and I have had success with online FREE groups as well.

COVID-19 NOTE: Please wait until after the pandemic before doing this one. Unless you are borrowing e-books and audio books from your library, and then carry on.

7. LINE DRY YOUR LAUNDRY. Big appliances like dryers use so much energy. Way more than we realize. And that translates to big bucks on your energy bills. I have a pretty slick set up in my basement, which works for me because I have the space and that's where our laundry machines are. Depending on your laundry & living situation, you might have to be a bit more creative.

Some ideas:
- Outdoor clothesline (this might require a bit more initial setup time and $, but it's 100% worth it for fresh line-dry clothing)
- Purchase a wooden or metal rack that folds away when not in use
- String up a retractable line in your shower or bath
- Explore your inner child and re-enact your fort making days by draping wet sheets or blankets on chairs in your dining room!

OVERALL COVID-19 NOTE: Right now it is more important to stay healthy, stay inside, and keep your family safe. If that means you have to put aside some low waste habits for the time being, that is 100% okay. Safety trumps all. But if you are able to start incorporating more low waste habits into your life, there is no reason not to start now.

ZERO WASTE IS EASY AND IT IS ALSO NOT EASY

A big lesson that I think is hard for a lot of people switching to low waste is to lower their standards. Which is only a hard lesson because capitalism teaches us that to have a happy and fulfilling life we must always want and buy new, shiny things.

To me, low waste is washing plastic bags and letting them hang to dry above my sink. It's bags full of vegetable scraps in my freezer. It's mismatched jars filled with dry goods. It's patched clothes, and makeup free days, and simple meals. And I know just by listening to people around me, that these things are anathema to their whole identity.

And some of them may turn to the Zero Waste movement that has sprung up within capitalism. If buying a cute silicon bag for your celery or a $30 paper towel replacement gets you thinking about reducing your waste, I mean, that's good, but the whole point of this post (and the Zero Waste movement) is to reduce your waste, rethink stuff you already own, and buy less stuff, while you save money. (And save humanity's future...or whatever).

Also, I have found that a lot of zero waste items take a bit more planning and a bit more time to do. And we as a society are always complaining about how little time we have to do anything. My dudes. I have seen how much time we spend making Tik Tok videos and sitting in our cars. We have time to spend on things that matter to us, we just have to prioritize those things.

I deleted three paragraphs I wrote about how we as a society suck overall at putting big picture needs above personal wants, and how much capitalism sucks, but this post was already getting too long. I'm sure I'll be able to flesh those out into a proper post here one of these days! Until then...

xo
Lis

FURTHER READING

I have added a label to this post that I am only 75% comfortable with, but it's a familiar term, so I'm sticking with it. For more tips, and ideas, and chatting about "ZERO WASTE", all my posts are organized under this tag.

There are a lot of (smarter than me) people doing a lot of work around Zero Waste, Low Waste & Circular Economies. Some of my current favourites are:

• Polly Barks - Zero Waste Educator
• April - @Zero Waste Dork
• Cindy Villasenor - @Cero Waste Cindy
• Sarah Robertson-Barnes - Sustainable in the Suburbs

This has nothing to do with Zero Waste Living, but it is an amazing piece of performance art that y'all should at least watch one minute of.

My Money Diaries - A Week in Edmonton on $61,000 a Year

A couple months ago a favourite "Zero Waste" activist that I follow on IG posted about her "Money Diary". She got the idea from a Refinery 29 regular series called "Money Diaries" and thought it would be a romp to do it based on her small income, small town, and low waste lifestyle. It was fabulous. I learned a lot about Zero Waste, I felt much better about my simple lifestyle, and I was inspired think about what my own Money Diary would look like.

WHAT IS 'MONEY DIARIES'?

"Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar." (from Refinery 29's site)

While their target audience is Millennials, and I don't consider myself a member of that age group, I still thought this would be a fun exercise. And I definitely agree with their goal to make talking about money (spending, earning, all of that) easier and more open between women.

MY THOUGHTS ON 'MONEY DIARIES'

I have an annoying habit of reading everything with a critical eye. It's fucking annoying most of the time, but it also comes in handy. Here are some things I noticed about the Money Diaries I read on Refinery 29:

- They were not consistent with the monthly bills they presented or included in each Diary
- No one had a kid or any childcare expenses
- No one reported paying or receiving child/tax benefits (other than paying into RRSP/TFSA)
- No one reported receiving or paying any spousal benefit (alimony/spousal support) ...so no divorced women represented?
- The "other" category of the weekly breakdown makes me laugh

I get what they are doing with Money Diaries, and I think they've got a great thing going. Much closer to many folks' experiences than those ridiculous articles titled something like "we make $400,000 per year and can't make ends meet", or "budget breakdown of a couple who makes $500,000 per year and feels average".

At any rate....

MY MONEY DIARY

Occupation: Executive Assistant (and sales & marketing admin)
Industry: New home construction
Age: 39
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Treaty 6)
Salary: $61,700 (gross)
Paycheque amount (2x/month, net) : $1,700
Gender identity: Woman (she/her pronouns)

Full disclosure (and something I found interesting with the other Money Diaries I read): I am divorced and receive a monthly amount from my ex for "child support" that I did not show here. I also receive child benefits from the Government of Canada (also not shown). From the few Money Diaries I read, some women were married or in relationships, but I didn't find anyone with a kid. Hmm. Is that because of the millennial target? I know many millennials with kids so, that doesn't hold up. I guess I have to keep reading!

MONTHLY EXPENSES

Mortgage: $600 (My partner pays the mortgage and home insurance, but I e-transfer him $600/month to cover "my part")
Insurance: $180 (car & life)
Home Utilities: ~$280 (electricity, water, gas)
Phone: $140 (mine, and my son's)
After school care: $100 (aka Grandma)
Netflix & Google subscriptions: $23 (my partner pays our internet)
Health benefits: $58 (comes directly off my pay)
Allowance for my son: $40
Donations: $50
Savings: $1000 (this includes TFSA, personal RRSP & RESP contributions, along with regular savings + emergency fund)

To note before we get started: This is not a "normal" week for me spending-wise. I bought a big gift for my Mom, and did all my "donating". Along with a few other larger and abnormal/one-off purchases means my spending was up.

DAY 1 (Friday)
5:30 am - The annoying alarm goes off. I hit snooze and tuck it under the covers. Dan gets out of bed shortly after.

6:00 am - The cute alarm goes off. I hit snooze.

6:40 am - Snoozing is done, it's time to get up. I roll over and sit on the edge of the bed to do my neck exercises. Dan brings a cup of coffee in for me when I'm about halfway through. Get dressed (burgundy pants, grey tank top), brush my teeth, pull my hair into a quick ponytail. Pack my breakfast (last frozen bagel) and lunch (leftover daal & homemade bread). Out the door at 7:05 am.

7:25 am - Arrive at work, put a pot of coffee on and empty the dishwasher.

7:40 am - Check my email and notice I have an overdue reminder from the library. I check online and I have fees to pay ($9.50). Fridays are really quiet in the office, so I putz around and work on my own projects for most of the morning.

12:40 pm - Lunchtime in the gym downstairs. We have a small fitness centre for staff use, which saves me from paying for a gym membership elsewhere.

1:40 pm - Back from lunch break and now I get to eat my lunch (at my desk). I almost never eat out. Bringing food from home keeps me on budget!

4:15 pm - Whoa, work sure sped by today! It's home time! Drove to the grocery store to pick up some flour to make pizza dough for dinner. Bulk Barn has suspended their "Bring Your Own Jar" program in some sort of ridiculous response to Covid-19 so I grab a paper bag from Superstore instead. Along with a red onion and salami. ($14.25)

5:05 pm - Home for the day, and I get started on dinner right away. Homemade dough is delicious, but very time and labour intensive.

7:30 pm - We finally sit down to eat. Oops! Pizza is topped with the salami and onion, along with a bunch of stuff in my fridge. Trying to use up the last of the fresh spinach, but most of it is soggy now.

We watch the news, eat, then retire to our separate zones to read on the couch (me), and watch You Tube at the table (Dan).

?? pm - Fall asleep on the couch while reading.

1:01 am - Move to the bedroom. Listen to Get Booked podcast. Fall asleep again.

Daily Total: $23.75

DAY 2 (Saturday)
7:00 am - Blessed are the Saturdays when I get to sleep in until 7 am. Even more blessed am I when Dan gets up ahead of me and makes the coffee. We drink our coffee on the couch.

8:45 am - Dan makes breakfast for the two of us. Two eggs and toast. I jazz mine up with some beet and ginger kraut, Evoolution truffle salt, Fruits of Sherbrooked 4 pepper jelly, and basil from my almost dead plant.

After we eat I do some blog work while we listen to old time radio shows.

10:00 am - Dan heads to the Eco Station, while I get started on more baking! Today I'm going to attempt to make cinnamon buns for my Mom.

10:20 am - We're out of dish soap, so I take the time while my dough is rising to brush my teeth, get dressed and walk to our local grocer.

10:33 am - Arrive at Earth's General Store. Refill my dish soap container, and pick up some bulk tea. I also need veganaise. And they've got their seeds displayed right at the front door, so I pick up a couple of packets as well. ($28.70)

10:50 am - Back home, and it's time to work on the dough.

Did some reading and snacking while the cinnamon buns are cooking.

1:10 pm - The "cinnamon buns" are finally done cooking! I overfilled the pan, so there are some undercooked bits, but pretty good for my first try. And without a proper recipe.

We are having a very chill afternoon. Made another pot of coffee. Reading and watching videos. Pulled up my monthly donation chart, and this month it's YESS, so I sent $25.00 their way.

3:00 pm - I am getting restless reading, so I decide to head out to the library to return some (overdue) books. It has been snowing all day, so the drivers are nutso. I am feeling anxious, so I stop into Value Village for a little "retail therapy". It's been awhile. Because of the crappy weather, our local VV is practically empty, and I am able to slide right into a change room with my cart. There was a magical selection of blazers today (all too big), and gorgeous trousers (also too big). I ended up taking home a few ridiculous(ly awesome) button-up shirts, a pale pink sweatshirt, and a long, black velvet dress. ($41.95)

5:15 pm - Dan is already gone for the night when I get home. He is headed over to a friend's to play board games. I put away my VV scores, and sit down to a quiet dinner of leftover pizza. I do some prep work for tomorrow Accountability Club's meeting, and drink a non-alcoholic beer. Krista Lee texts me to make plans for transport and timing to get to the hockey game tonight. I have an hour to kill in the quiet house and I feel very spoiled for some reason!

7:15 pm - Krista Lee arrives, and we head off to Rogers Place. Parked in the Bell Tower parkade. Event night rate is $20, but Krista Lee pays. I pick up the snacks once we're inside. Fancy arena prices means two pops and a medium popcorn comes out to just under $20! ($19.50). It's a mostly boring game until the last period, where we get three goals, one on an empty net!

Daily Total: $115.15

DAY 3 (Sunday)
8:08 am - The time change last night ("spring forward") has me a little bit messed up this morning, but I figure I have plenty of time to get ready and drive over to Dirtbag Cafe for Accountability Club. When I punch it into the maps on my phone to get directions I get a rude surprise instead. They have changed their Sunday hours! I frantically text, email, call, and Instagram all the folks I know are coming, to change the location to Ritchie Transcend by my place.

8:38 am - I walk over to Transcend and order "the biggest drip coffee you've got" ($4.00).

11:00 am - Accountability Club wraps up, and it takes me an extra long time to walk home because the cedar waxwings are hanging out on my block and I just want to watch them flit around, and listen to them chat.

11:40 am - Lunchtime. I throw together a veggie burrito with eggs. Dan is washing the dishes. We get our shit together, and head out to Superstore.

12:00 pm - We do one "big" shop per week, making sure we have food for meals for the week, and grab any staples we've run out of. We always use a list, because I am notorious for impulse buying produce of all things. Today on the list: apples, bananas, onion, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, cabbage, coffee (if it's on sale), bagels, sale bread, english muffins, eggs, tomato sauce, beans, cookies, jam, noodles. I also pick up some Boursin cheese and a bag of popcorn as a gift for my mom. ($88.84)

1:00 pm - Home, unpack groceries, chill (nap) and read on the couch.

3:00 pm - I start getting antsy just sitting inside, so Dan suggest we go for a drive, maybe find somewhere to have a beer. We hit up Southgate Mall first so I can look into getting clip-ons sunglasses. They are out of stock, but order a set from the other store in town. I can pick them up on Wednesday night. Next is the Wine & Beyond, for a fun liquor, another gift for my Mom ($31.59)

Next stop is Mercer Tavern downtown. By the time we get there it's dinner time, so we order food with our beers. Dan pays.

7:00 pm - I decide I need to get out of the house. The sun is setting and it's so beautiful. My turnaround point is the local 7-11, where I stop and pick up some chocolaty snacks. ($11.53).

8:00 pm - Home and in for the night. Update my Instagram with some beautiful pictures I took of the sunset, blog work, reading, tea.

Daily Total: $135.96

DAY 4 (Monday)
(see day one for "morning routine")
HAHAHA, but seriously...
5:22 am - Annoying alarm goes off. Turn it off and hide it under the covers. Dan gets out of bed shortly after.

6:00 am - Proper alarm goes off, hit snooze until 6:30, when Dan comes in to the bedroom with a cup of coffee for me.

6:40 am - Sit up in bed and do my neck exercises. Get dressed, pack breakfast and lunch, brush teeth and hair, etc.

7:05 am - Out the door.

7:22 am - Arrive at work. Put on a pot of coffee and empty the dishwasher.

7:30 am to Noon - REGULAR WORK THINGS. I had a few meetings in the morning, finally got some work to do from my boss.

12:00 pm - Walked over to Save On Foods. Bought some more gifts for my Mom ($15.77) and a thank you card for work (reimbursed).

12:55 pm - Ate lunch at my desk. Today's it a bagel from home and some leftover dip that was in the fridge here. (Classy). Then back to work.

5:00 pm - Drive to Mom's to pick up Lucas.

Dinner is broccoli, tater tots and the weird tempeh concoction I threw together.

7:15 pm - The three of us head to Southgate Mall to pick up my clip on sunglasses from Bailey Nelson ($63)

8:00 pm - We stop at DQ for blizzards on our way home. My headache is much worse now, so I pass. Dan pays for him & Lucas.

8:15 pm - The gas light is taunting me, so we stop at the Esso. Dan pumps for me "so I don't have to smell the fumes". I'm a lucky lady. ($34.99)

8:30 pm - At home, Lucas works on his printing practice and I read an article in Alberta Views magazine. I am feeling very crummy, so the rest of the things on my to-do list will have to wait. That's pretty typical for Monday nights.

8:50 pm - Lucas decides to start looking for a very specific Lego piece downstairs. I've tidied up the kitchen, and circled the most important items for tomorrow's list, then get ready for bed.

9:10 pm - Lucas & I have a little chat in the bathroom and I give him some of my expensive face cream to try. And then I'm finally in bed! Got my heating pad all lined up. A book to read for a few minutes. No Instagram, as I am in a foul mood as it is and I don't need that nonsense tonight.

Daily Total: $113.76

DAY 5 (Tuesday)
5:30 am - WE'RE BACK HERE AGAIN AREN'T WE?!

6:30 am - Lucas is with me this week, which means we have to leave the house earlier in the morning. Which means I try to get out of bed a little bit earlier (ha haha ha). Dan opens Dude's door, brings me a coffee, then starts prompting both of us to get up. Lucas beats me in the getting ready game today.

Drive to Grandma's to drop off Lucas. Drive to work. Start a pot of coffee, empty the dishwasher. Just the regular routine.

11:30 am - We have a Sales Rally this afternoon, so I try and take my break earlier, so I don't get swamped by the team when I'm trying to eat my food. There are other people in the gym, so I choose to go for a walk again. No errands to run today, so I take an easy route through the neighbourhood. It's cold out, but a lovely sunny day for a walk. I see a guy running shorts because #yeg.

12:30 pm - Back at my desk. Heat up my lunch. Leftovers again today. Broccoli!

1:00 pm - Sales Rally. Shared my insider tip for the ridiculous run on toilet paper that is happening right now (which is ridiculous and pointless and stop just stop).

2:00 pm - Back at my desk, back to work.

4:50 pm - Jody & I have an interesting conversation about the whole Covid-19-toilet-paper-thing before I head out to pick up Lucas from Mom's.

On the drive home I put on Yo Quiero Dinero and Dude says "no".

5:42 pm - Home. Start making dinner. Tonight it's "veggie stir fry". I cut into one of the brand new onions we bought on the weekend, and the inside is completely rotten. Looks like it froze at one point. It's mostly salvageable, and the rest goes in the compost.

6:50 pm - We finally sit down to eat. No TV news tonight, just chatting.

7:10 pm - No TV means no lingering around the table. We finish up, clean up, and Lucas goes to take a shower. I make a GIF for my Accountability Club, and upload the PDF worksheets to WhatsApp.

8:15 pm - I boil water and make hot chocolate for Lucas and "decaf mochas" for Dan & I. We sit around the table in silence. Lucas does his printing practice (15 minutes) for the day. When he's finished he's telling me about what he'd like to build in Automation next. He is slightly obsessed with the totally awesome red car on the cover of my "Hot Pockets" folder.

9:00 pm - It is finally bedtime, and I am so grateful for a teenager that I can trust to do his own thing. I of course forgot to take a shower earlier, so it's my turn now. While the water heats up I look for songs online that have a chorus that is ~20 seconds.

Intention is to read in bed for a bit, but Dan tells me that Alanis Morrisette is doing a 25 year Anniversary Tour this year for Jagged Little Pill so I hit that rabbit hole instead. Fall asleep listening to Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel... album.

Daily Total: $0 (finally!)


DAY 6 (Wednesday)
5:30 am - DEAR GOD WHY WON'T YOU STOP?!

Morning routines are so boring.

I sing loudly to alternative rock music on the drive to Grandma's. (I realize now that I have been calling her both "Mom" and "Grandma" throughout this diary. They are the same person).

I get 6/9 answers right playing along with No Time to Google.

7:30 am - YOU GUESSED IT!

8:14 am - I make another bad GIF and save it for later.

9:13 am - I send an embarrassing text to my boss.

10:05 am - I am on my 4th (?) cup of coffee and just finished my breakfast. A plain bagel with peanut butter, purloined cinnamon from the cupboard, salt.

12:05 pm - Kim & I go for a VERY COLD AND WINDY walk through the neighbourhood. Then we eat the leftovers (noodles, veg, pineapple) I brought for lunch.

Finalists are announced for a client experience award in our industry and we're on the list. I MAKE ANOTHER GIF.

5:00 pm - It's finally home time, which is good because there is a blizzard outside and it feels like I have been literally running around for the past 2 hours. I have spent $0 today. Is this the most boring Money Diary ever? I mean, it's at least top 5...

5:45 pm - Wednesday dinner is soup and garlic toast/grilled cheese. We have no cheese in the house (I am so embarrassed) so it was garlic toast for all. Here's a hot money saving tip for you. Buy the sale bread, cut it up, and throw it in the freezer. You save some money, and have ready to go bread for your cheese toast.

News is all Covid-19 all the time, and I really wish they would mention climate change JUST ONE TIME! (p.s. the W.H.O. has now declared it as a pandemic...cue more panic).

7:50 pm - All of a sudden it's 8, but I jumped on Instagram "for just a minute" and we all know how that goes. I was thinking of going for a walk, but it's cold out and I'm already cold. And also I would probably just buy a snack, so I'm saving money this way!

I just remembered that I haven't done all my "donating"  for the month yet, so I quickly send $20.00 to How Not to Travel Like A Basic Bitch. (I don't consider this a donation, I consider it paying for her time and energy to put out quality content).

8:15 pm - Lucas Troll comes up from the COLD basement to do his printing practice and have a hot chocolate and Lotus covered cinnamon bun. Weeknights go by so fast...

He shows me all the funny memes he finds on the internet, and I show him the logo I just created. I'm trying to pick a font to go with, and it's so hard! Thankfully all the fonts I find are free, so I can try them all until I find one I really love.

9:00 pm - I give Lucas a big hug as send off to bed. He's getting so tall. I owe him an allowance this week.

9:30 pm - Dan & I head to bed. Why does it take so long for me to get into bed? Gotta find my hat, and my heating pad, and my socks, and my headphones, and then I forgot my night guard, and and and. By the time I actually make it into bed, I'm even more tired from all the work it took to get there. I wear lots of clothes tonight so I don't steal all the blankets again. (Spoiler Alert: it doesn't work).

Daily Total: $20.00

DAY 7 (WE FINALLY MADE IT!)
GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS FOLKS?!?!!!!

4:00 am - Ooh la la a change in the schedule! Don't get too excited though. I wake up early because I once again have managed to somehow steal and then deposit all the blankets on the floor. I try to redistribute them as best I can.

6:20 am to 6:56 am - Standard morning routine. Packing lunches, brushing teeth, getting dressed. Dan is home from work today, so he sees us off. Lucas is such a doofus and I love him so much.

7:30 am and on - Worked on our organization's COVID-19 response. Drank a lot of coffee. (A lot). Ate my bagel. Checked my bank balance. Utility bills coming out this week. Also, pay day soon. I'm in good shape.

12:00 pm - I've really been enjoying my brisk walks this week. Normally I like to get sweaty in the gym, but there is something to be said about getting outside. I stopped at the convenience store at the end of our street to pick up some snacks. Everyone at the office is having a day let me tell you, so I thought a salty snack would be nice. AND I GOT FREE SNACKS TOO! He gave me some of my choices for free, because they were past their best before date! WIN OF THE WEEK! ($9.00)

Lunch is leftover noodles again!

5:00 pm - Home time. Pick up Lucas at my Mom's. Dan got dinner started, so I can focus on getting ready for my meeting tonight. Pay Lucas his allowance before I forget again ($20).

6:35 pm - Head over to Olga's home for the Fruits of Sherbrooke board meeting.

9:00 pm - Meeting is done. By the time I get home, Lucas is already in bed. I peek my head in to say goodnight. Dan & I have a quick decompress as I unpack my meeting stuff. Then it's bed time for us too.

Daily Total: $29

MY THOUGHTS ON MY MONEY DIARIES

Cause that's what y'all are sticking around now for right. My precious thoughts! ;-)

THIS WAS SO AMAZING EVERYONE SHOULD DO THIS!!!!!!!! Oh gosh. Oh gosh. Okay. On Day One I was like "this is silly, this is dumb, no one cares, no one is going to read this". And then by Day Three I was more like "I am obsessed with this and I want to tell everyone to do it and I want to do it every year or every quarter or something, more I need more of this in my life".

Most of my weeks up until this one have been much "leaner". Meaning, I spent way more this week than normal. Meaning, this is 100% not a typical week in my life. But that doesn't matter. It helped me really see where I spend my money, and why I spend money. I got to see my values in action! I got to see where I still need a little help. I checked my damn bank balance almost everyday and I have never been able to do that for more than 1 day in a row!

Dudes, my dudes. I don't want to get dramatic or anything but this was a fricken life changing exercise.

You don't need a blog to do this, but I would recommend getting into the details even if you're writing it in a notebook. These details - news at dinner, my annoying alarm clock - are what make the diary a diary. The money part is what I'm tracking, but I also love seeing my right-now-life in black and white.

I would love to hear from you if you've done something like this before, or if you are thinking about trying it out now!

xo
Lisa

FURTHER READING
Refinery 29's Money Diaries in Canada
Polly Barks Money Diary