A February Update: Odds and Sods

I meant to make several posts this month, but it wasn't to be. I'm still working on my food post. I need to update our budget posts (there have been some major updates), and I have a few more things to share. Instead of doing any of those right now, I'm just going to present a simple list of February updates. The "odds and sods," if you will.

1. I've lost 6 pounds this month. I credit this entirely to my diet change.

2. The highlight of the diet change? I went 95% vegan. Family went 95% vegetarian. Better health and lower budget for all. More details to come.

3. I shaved almost $500 out of our "fixed" expenses budget. More details to come.

4. We got a gym membership to the YMCA. I think it makes good financial sense. More details to come (sensing a pattern?)

5. I've been chronically behind this month on my two most important responsibilities: work and school. Yet, somehow it is working out. (Still passed exams without studying, unexpected bonus from a client to make up for missed work.)

6. Filed taxes for free using CreditKarma. Amazing, since most services charge if you are self employed.

7. I've had a bad month for anxiety. A really bad month. It's been awhile since I've had this much anxiety without an obvious trigger. This is likely why I am behind. I think it's finally turning around. I hope it is.

8. I joined the Frugal February challenge on the MMM forums, then promptly stopped updating. I probably hit my goals, but I don't have the mental space to go back through this month to create an update. Maybe next month.

9. I had to face the reality that last year was a very bad year financially when I actually saw our AGI, and this year may only be slightly better. We have dropped below the state poverty line and I need to adjust plans accordingly. Oddly, this realization coincided with my anxiety subsiding. Perhaps this was a subconscious trigger?

10. I've planned and pretty much paid for a four day/three night birthday extravaganza trip to Glacier National Park for my mom and ScienceKid. Cost: $150 for cabin accommodations. Gas in our little Prius will be less than $50, and we'll bring groceries to prep meals in the cabins (mainly picnic meals to take into the park). We consider our NPS annual pass a required expense, so park entrance is free. You guessed it, more details to come.

After the sunshine at the beginning of the month, the snow and bone chilling single digit temps moved in (that's Fahrenheit, folks). I'm a pretty deft winter driver, yet I almost killed ArtKid and I on the way to campus one day thanks to shitty roads. Hopefully my sanity is resuming and I'll post more in March!