Sealed Pot Results

Yesterday was results day for SFT's Sealed Pot Challenge.  You pick a goal of your choosing each year, then save bits and bobs every single week year round and at the end you get to see what you managed to save.  My can is an old coffee can that I pasted travel pictures to - as my goal is a weekends away fund.

This year we broke into the can in July for our kayaking weekend away (see post here).  I was going to break into the fund again in October for our second weekend away but due to a refund of an overpaid bill that did not happen.



Our savings totaled $533.50 for the year, less $304.50 spent on our weekend away for a balance left of $229 to spend on the next adventure.  There has been talk of a weekend in Vancouver or Tofino, both very costly places so today I have raided my purse yet again and tipped in  $7 to get the year started off right.  I find this method of saving for things we want to do very painless.  I also regularly raid our change jars and when enough of a certain type is ready for a roll, it goes into the sealed pot.  We also put 100% of all bottle deposit returns into the pot.

I scored a whole bunch of gift bags and ribbons (some brand new and some recycled) from my Mom who finally was able to get to the bottom of all her Christmas tubs and pare down the excess.  I hauled off two full bags to the Salvation Army and kept these to assist with the "No More Christmas Crap campaign".  We decorated her new Christmas tree with items that had not seen the light of day in 10 years as her old place was too small to have much more than a Christmas wreath and a tabletop tree.  She bought a 7.5 ft prelit tree which - although not sure what she was thinking as she is 5 ft 2 and there is no way she can decorate it by herself.  Oh well, I enjoy helping her and we got her place all decorated up for the holidays.

Our home got 100% decorated this week - even the outside lights went up yesterday as we enjoyed some sunny skies and crisp -3 degrees Celcius air.  No snow fell as predicted, although other areas of the island did get large amounts.

Things are back under control as the Christmas cards have been started (bought for $1.25 at the thrift store) for my older Aunts and Uncles who aren't on Facebook and who still like getting Christmas cards from family and most of the shopping has now been completed.

I redeemed $70 worth of Shoppers Drug Mart points these weekend on a special bonus redemption day that gave me an extra $10 to spend.  Part was spent on groceries and part on gifts and chocolate for stockings.

Hubby and I are giving each other a very small gift this year as our main gift is the cost of a puppy (partially paid for already by money my Mother-in-law gave us for Christmas).  We will not be getting that puppy until mid-spring as there is a large waiting list for hypoallergenic dogs (bichon frise is what we are aiming for based on size, temperament and allergy factor although we can be flexible if another option comes along).  I am still browsing the rescues every day but the likelihood of finding a dog that would work with hubby's allergies are almost nil.

We have two more weeks of company work then have taken the rest of December off.  When you are self employed and work out of your home we are lucky enough to be able to do that.  I see baking, movies and reading in the near future!