Simple International Travel

My day job is teaching young people about good international community development. And part of that job is organizing overseasexperiences for them. I have a weird hodgepodge of experience that lends very nicely to this role.

(If you are interested- I have studied, lived, worked and travelled... a lot... overseas. I worked in consulting for a major corporate travel management company. I studied education and social justice. And I was a founder of a university international service learning company.)

My goals for the students' travel experience is very similar to what I would

want to do - make sure it is fun and safe, learn as much as possible, support the local economy, and keep the price reasonable.

Here are some brief tips on how to do that. I will be sure to elaborate in future posts.

1. Air Travel- Look into using airmiles first (an upcoming trip to Guatemala is only costing $107 per person in taxes). Second, start with kayak.com to get a sense of prices across the board. Third, double check airline sites to make sure you are getting the best deal, Forth consider a reliable travel agency instead (sometimes the get the better deal, most of the time they have better cancelation policies).
2. Insurance- Hesitate before getting cancelation insurance (many times it takes a very specific situation to activate this type of insurance). But! Make sure you have good extended medical insurance (that covers the whole trip, and will evacuate you in case of most types of emergency). Skip the baggage insurance unless you feel it is necessary (it's what makes the insurance expensive).
3. Travel Doctor- Visit a travel doctor before going anywhere exotic. Make sure you are up to date on shots and have relevant medications. This is usually a bit of an investment the first time you do tropical travel.
4. Pack lightly- Pack what you can literally carry and everything will be easier and safer! (Easier said than done when traveling with babies.)
5. Location- Travel a little bit off the beaten track. For example, Puerto Vallarta is usually big international hotels (money flows out of the local economy), Sayulita has all the amenities on a much smaller scale, whereas San Pancho is quiet but still has nice little, locally owned restaurants.
6. Accommodation- Go for local, small hotels over international chains. And if you are staying anywhere more than a few days consider renting a home at vrbo.com. These are usually owned by foreigners, but you will support the local economy by purchasing food at local stores and owners employ local cleaners and managers.
7. Transportation- Look into shuttle services that frequent tourist areas. Consider a car and driver if you are traveling as a family- it is often cheaper than individual tickets (book from your hotel). Consider the national train and bus service- there is no better way to interact with local people and sometimes it is way nicer than the tourist option (certainly true in Thailand!).
8. Meals- If you are renting a home then enjoy making local recipes (consider bringing some recipes in English from home). Get advice from the people you rent from as to the best places to purchase supplies. This is a huge money saver! But be sure to enjoy some meals out at restaurants. With a small child we like to eat out for breakfast and stay in for lunch and dinner.
9. Sightseeing- Keep your eyes open for local events- we joined in on releasing sea turtles in Mexico. It was a highlight! Book tours with local companies. Research some walking tour maps. Find out what else is offered free (free museum days, walks etc).
10. Souvenirs- Most of the time I prefer to spend my money at the restaurants. If we bring something home it is made locally and so supports the local economy. In San Pancho I went a little crazy at a local craft store and at Entre Amigos - a community center with a social enterprise component.
11. Language- Try to learn some simple phrases before leaving- hello, thank you, excuse me. Even better learn how to ask the price, to comment on the price (too expensive), and learn numbers. This will go far in getting a better deal and developing relationships!
12. Manners- Remember that you are adapting to the local culture and learn some local manners. It will go a long way in building relationships, getting a good deal, and making some friends.
13. Research- Like all good experiences, take the time to research before you travel. Wikitravel is a great site to check out.

A little effort during the planning stage and you can enjoy a simple, unique and fun holiday at a reasonable price.

BTW The photos I have included are from our last family trip to San Pancho, Mexico. We are currently planning our next trip to Guatemala!

Frugal? Simple? Environmental?

I have been thinking a lot about the day to day decisions we are making. As my family makes changes in our behaviour what benefits do we gain? What is worth continuing? What might drive me insane?

Since I started this blog we have instituted many changes for frugality, simplicity, and the environment. In many cases they overlap. In some cases I have had to make a choice.

Coupled with this I have recently been watching a (well to me) fascinating BBC series on youtube called Edwardian Farm. In this reality series 2 archaeologists and an historian try to accurately recreate life on a farm during the Edwardian era (pre WWI) for a year. This time is particularly interesting because it is just at the brink of gas and electricity being introduced. In the country side people still don't have access to either unless they are very rich. As well, middle class people for the very first time ever are able to afford different types of meats and luxuries thanks to lower prices on say for example lamb from New Zealand. Not to mention English farmers are looking at new ways to make money now that they can buy cheap wheat from Canada. Also machines are being introduced to make life (supposedly) easier for the average person's day to day chores. So interesting to compare to modern life!

So here is my question, when do you choose to do something more simple? What takes priority- the environment, money or simplicity? And what is the actual cost and value of changes we have made at home.

Home Made Bread

I just calculated the cost of bread if I buy my flour at Costco (located near work) in 20 kg bags and stick to a relatively simple recipe. It is some where around 25-30c a loaf. Just adding a cup of spelt to the recipe doubles the price. Whole wheat is not so bad. Comparison is minimum $2 for what we like to buy. A home made spelt loaf would be around $2 compared to purchasing at $5.

Simplicity? Effort is minimal to make 4 loaves say about 15-20 minutes actual work. We can fit this easily into our schedule. And it lasts the week. Plus we find it enjoyable and delicious. Way yummier than bought bread.

Environment? Way better- no more bread bags and tags. Only need to shop for supplies in bulk (good to cut down on shopping and packaging). Can recycle the flour bags. Plastic (yuck) bags for sugar etc can be recycled or we can buy in bulk with existing bags (but will cost more money).

Yoghurt

This is where my dilemma set in. If I purchase the most expensive milk in glass jugs then I only need to recycle the plastic lids. But! It costs $3 a litre vs $8 for 4 litres. This is a savings of $1 a litre if we buy plastic, maybe more at Costco. Mind you if we average 2 litres a week that is a savings of $100 or so a year. To me, I would rather focus on the environment than save $100 over the year. Plus, this is still cheaper than the organic yoghurt in the store. How often can I get 3 650 ml organic yoghurts for $6 in Vancouver? Or $2 each? Not very often!

Simplicity? Not too bad. You need to be on hand to watch the temperature. Otherwise it is super easy to do. Again maybe 15 minutes total.

Environment? 2 or 3 less yoghurt containers in the recycling bin a week in our house! That is huge. (By the way, I have kept all yoghurt containers from the past year to store berries in the freezer. I think I have enough now- say 1 or so per week from mid September to May or around 35 containers.)

Square Foot Garden

This is a tough one to calculate. I suppose I spend $20 on seeds a year. But we did buy some seedlings too- for basil, corn (just for fun), dill, rosemary, cilantro and parsley. Each seedling was worth 2 shops for packaged herbs ($24). But we get 5 months at least of meals from them. And we didn't buy lettuce or greens for 3 months. Now we are buying lettuce and still don't need other greens (a little hot to grow lettuce). The other plants are shorter lived and for fun. So that is a savings of say $4 a week for greens over 3-5 months. Let's say the investment was less than 1/2 what we would normally spend. Maybe not huge at this point!

Simplicity? It is relatively easy to maintain. A few bursts of energy. But the satisfaction and improved taste is immense!!

Environment? Huge- minimal packaging, 0 mile eating.

Results

All three seem to be worth the effort. We also make pizzas at home, make sprouts, and some time make pasta. We eat little take out. And we like to make most things from scratch (sauces, salad dressing, cookies etc.).

We have made other changes- buying in bulk, avoiding major packaging, minimal paper use, using the farmers market, trying to bike more, etc. I am still tormented by small bits of plastic, general recycling (but it is much lower), and meat packaging. We are far from perfect.

But! This week there were 2 small bags in the garbage (maybe 1 from our tenant), and the paper and container recycling was much lower. That is a huge improvement. I can recall some weeks when we had a full (if relatively small) garbage bin.

Final Thoughts

I am sure I could find ways to be frugal simple, and environmental while still purchasing at stores. So anything I put extra effort into- such as baking, making yoghurt, and gardening as to bring pleasure as well as practical benefits. Ultimately I imagine this is where the sticking power will come from!

Bread Experimentation #2

Okay, so I am going to try another very similar recipe today. And decided to do it using an instruction page for a hook. So I will knead it even though it is no knead! Why can't I do the no knead?

In this case the key is to add the flour slowly at the lowest speed to thoroughly mix in. I helped it along using a spatula to pull the flour in from the side. I decided to stop at 6 cups of flour rather than 6.5. It seemed like enough (fingers crossed).

Once the dough is lumpy but the flour has been added you can increase to the second lowest speed and let it run for 5 minutes. You need to keep checking that it is basically pulling the mixture away from the sides and bottom. If there is a puddle at the bottom you should add more flour.

At the end of 5 minutes the side and bottom should be essentially all clean and the dough should be wrapped around the hook. When you pull the dough off the hook it should come off easily. Then place it to the side and quickly butter the bowl. Put the dough back in, cover with a damp cloth or saran wrap (I don't use this). And let it rise.

Recipe is:

1. 3 cups warm water (100 degrees)
2. 1.5 tbsp yeast, 1.5 tbsp salt. I added 1 tsp sugar.
3. Did not say to let sit at all.
4. Form dough etc.

I then form 4 oval loaves and put on my silpat. Sprinkle with flour, slash each 3 times with serrated knife.

Then let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 with a pan at the bottom and preheat the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Place silpat on the baking sheet.

Slide loaves in oven. Using an oven mit add 1 cup of water to the pan and shut quickly.

Bake for 30 minutes. I pulled out at 25 minutes and you can see from above it was a nice colour. Seemed nicely cooked too.

Update: Big thumbs up on this one in the family. Good fresh and good as toast. I put 2 in the freezer since they don't keep well- very similar to french bread. But still good as toast on the 3rd day.

Bread Experimentation #1

So we have had a few failed attempts at bread making and I have offered to take up the reins in our house and continue the experimentation.

I was planning to use a lovely recipe from the Frugal Girl (she does beautiful baking) but her sandwich recipe calls for milk. Being somewhat lactose intolerant in our house we don't often have milk on hand. As a result, I did a combination of her french bread recipe and my friend Sarah's no knead recipe.

I have a Kitchenaid mixer that I love very much (it was my granny's). But I didn't quite understand how to use it. So I started mixing in the cuisinart, then ended up doing it by hand and wooden spoon, ending up with the kneading process.

The final product was very delicious but I panicked about how long to bake for and pulled it out after 20 minutes. I think a carefully watched additional 5 minutes would be ideal.

1) Heat 3 cups of water to 120 degrees

2) Add 1.5 tbsp yeast, 1.5 tbsp sea salt, 1/2 tbsp sugar

3) leave to get very foamy (1 hour or so)

4) mix in 6.5 cups of flour till just mixed in (did 1/3 whole wheat, 2/3 unbleached white)

(This is where I veered off course)

5) Sarah says don't knead. I decided to knead for 3-5 minutes as the Frugal Girl does.

By the way, the dough was not too dry when I started to knead, then became smooth and elastic.

6) I left to rise for 1 hour or so with a damp cloth over top of the bowl.

7) I punched it, divided it into 2. Then I gently rolled it into a rectangular shape.

8) I folded it into a bread shape to fit into 2 bread pans.

9) I left it to double in size again in the bread pans covered with a damp cloth.

10) I preheated the oven to 400 degrees with a pan on the lower rack.

11) I put the bread in to the oven. Then with oven mitts on I threw a cup of water into the lower pan and quickly shut the oven.

12) I pulled it out at 20 minutes but it was a touch under cooked in the middle. Would recommend 5 more minutes.

No pics with this experimentation- we gobbled it up fast.

July Gardening

Oh my goodness, this has been such a pathetic summer so far. We have not had a single hot day at an outdoor pool. We have had a few mid week hot days... that's it!

I was out staring at my garden today. Our corn is growing, the flowers have come out on the runner bean plants. There are signs of life. Some baby lettuces may do just fine in the weather so I pulled out the lettuce that has bolted to give the babies room. And I picked some peas and strawberries.

So I am wondering what I can plant in a few bare spots. It looks like in Vancouver we can still do a lot! But I am not happy with my carrots and beets- too wimpy. So I think I will stick to greens which I know we will consume regularly. So in these not so dog days of summer I am going to sew new kale, lettuce and swiss chard. I will hold off on spinach and arugula till August.

Someone please remind me to feed the plants too

Meal Planning July 9

Meal planning can go a long way to cut down on waste- food, packaging and money. I am horrified at some of the food that we throw out so here is our plan for the week:

Breakfasts: home made bread with honey, smoothies (with swiss chard from garden, sprouts we grow, yoghurt and fruit), steel cut oatmeal, pancakes on Saturday, eggs on Sunday, coffee

Lunches: leftovers, barley with greens and eggs.

Desserts (mainly for Caia): yoghurt, berries.

Saturday- We are having friends over for bbq pizza, salad, and pork tenderloin tacos. (Lunch was simple pb&j buns on a train tour.)

Sunday- We need to pick up fish to go with the baby potatoes and fresh peas (was planned for Friday). Lunch will be tuna sandwiches with celery.

Monday- pasta with home made tomato sauce

Tuesday- lentils and rice with plain yoghurt

Wednesday- BBQ burgers with cucumber/ tomato salad (burgers in freezer). May visit farmers market for fruit and veg for Friday. Add quesadilla for Caia.

Thursday- Frittata with leftover veg, chevre, pancetta and home made bread (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Friday- don't know yet!

Meal planning on Thursday night for Friday/ Saturday shop at farmer's market/ Main Street bike ride/ Costco (following week if necessary). Need to plan Saturday/ Sunday lunch too.

Shopping list:

• buns
• fruit
• mushrooms
• fish
• tomatoes
• cheese
• coffee
• almond milk? soy milk
• milk and yoghurt starter!

Putting Beauty Recipes into Action

So I have spent a bit of money on various oils for at home skin care recipes. It is messing with my head a bit. Part of me wonders if it is just an excuse to spend money. Part of me is shocked at the cost of each oil. Then part of me realizes that it is still way cheaper than buying individual products.

Here are the recipes I have done so far today. I will try recipes as I need them. My exfoliator just ran out and my hubby is horrified by what is in his dandruff shampoo (coal byproduct).

Exfoliator to add to every day cleanser: I did a very simple blend of equal park oats and brown sugar (the source is Frugal Babe). I put them them through a clean coffee grinder (hand held). And all I need to do is add them to my regular cleanser! I am storing it in a little jam jar for now. But I don't think that is the ideal option.

Tea Tree Oil Dandruff Treatment: I combined 60ml of sweet almond oil with 15 drops of tea tree oil. The source recommends using this once a week. I am going to ask my hubby to try a smaller amount rubbed in at night but more frequently to see what happens. Seems more realistic.

Supplies: I have purchased skin care lines of most oils except for an extra virgin pressed coconut oil that is also for food preparation. But all are good quality.

Beauty Regimen

I picked up the May 2011 Natural Health Magazine from the library and enjoyed their skin care advice:

AM- Use only a very mild soap in the shower. Use an eye cream with caffeine to reduce puffiness and darkness. Use your ring finger to apply. Look for a moisturizer that includes SPF and vitamin C & E to fight free radicals.

Midday- Drink lots of water. Use blotting paper if your skin gets oily.

Night- Use an oil based makeup remover. Then use a heavy duty cleanser. Follow with an exfoliant. If you use retinols wait till 20 minutes after cleansing (when skin is dry). Start using slowly by combining with a regular moisturizer. Exfoliate your body with a loofah and moisturize. Apply a scalp oil before bed.

Simple Finances

When it comes to finances you can most likely divide your spending into 3 areas:

1. day to day spending (your budget)
2. paying down debt (good and bad, short and long term)
3. savings (emergency, RRSP- retirement, RESP- education, travel, taxes)

So how do you tackle all of these areas?

Budget

First, you need to determine your day to day budget. If you are spending without any guidelines chances are you are going way over budget. I recently calculated how much we actually spend on groceries and it was 50% more than budgeted! This is because we would pick up things as we needed them and we bought lots at full price for this reason.

A budget for food and spending allows you to carefully choose how you spend your money. And a meal plan helps with this. Meal planning will help you avoid food waste (and therefore $ waste), will help you use what is already in your pantry, will help you plan a few frugal meals, and will help you avoid last minute take out).

The most simple step is to make a reasonable budget. And every week or two weeks you visit the bank to withdraw for food, spending, restaurants, activities, wine, transportation... whatever is in your budget that you need to purchase regularly. If you don't trust yourself then use a cash system like this and fill envelopes with the money. Take only what you need that day and leave the rest at home.

If you have leftovers then you can either keep squirrelling it away in the envelope to treat yourself. Or you can take out less the next week and put the surplus towards debt or savings.

Once you have this under control, the next step is debt repayment.

Paying Down Debt

Just for sanity's sake at the same time you may want to build an emergency savings fund (see below).

Years ago my friend told me he had $10,000 in savings. Then almost in the same breath he admitted he had $10,000 in credit card debt. Hmmm, talk about a psychological trick you can play on yourself. There is little chance his savings earned more interest than his debt charged. So he was losing money as he went along.

You need to pay off your debt before you can save or you will still be spending needlessly on interest.

How do you do this? Well there are different techniques. And sometimes a psychological benefit can outweigh the cost. But I find the most simple is to start with highest interest rate first and go from there. And start with bad debt and go from there too.

By the way bad debt is for something that depreciates in value. So certainly credit card purchases like clothing would fit here. And also realistically a car loan would too. But if your car loan is only 1% interest you may leave this till the very end.

But! If you have some small credit card balances that can be paid off quite easily, then definitely do those first. As soon as the balance is paid off you will stop paying interest. So that is a simple solution. And when those little cards are paid off then cut them up and close the account. In the end you should only need 1 credit card.

Logically you would pay off debt in this order: high interest small credit card bills, high interest big credit card bills, overdraft, line of credit, student loan, car loan (if very low interest), mortgage.

Other debt to consider would be a family loan- use your discretion and talk to the family member to come up with a plan you can both agree on. And perhaps investment loans- this is probably best left to the advice of your accountant.

So when does it make sense to pay off the mortgage fast? I think this is a personal decision. You can blaze along and pay off asap. Or it may make more sense to use your RRSP (retirement savings) contribution first. Other options include using your tax return to make an extra payment, doing the allowed extra payments (some are limited to 1-2 per year or up to 20%), or changing to bi-weekly rather than monthly. All these options can take tens of thousands of dollars off the total interest payment over a 25 year amortization.

Savings

This section is a balance of personal goals, practical decision making and pychological satisfaction.

The first step is to build an emergency savings fund. Realistically a line of credit is for emergencies. But having been through the process of using my line of credit when starting a business I can tell you this can be a huge psychological burden. An emergency savings fund can be used for unexpected house and car costs or for day to day costs if you lose your job. Ideally you would build to 6 months of day to day spending (including bills and your mortgage etc.). But baby steps are fine. Start with $100, then $500. Then build from there. A little bit every month.

Then you may want to consider savings for taxes if you are self employed. You don't need to go crazy, but if you have a sense of how much you will owe then start to put it aside every month.

Next may be RRSPs (retirement). But likely only if your income is in a high bracket and it will make a big difference. If you are still not making tons of money then consider saving your limit for when you are making more money.

If you have children consider RESP's. In Canada the government will give you 20% more in grants to a maximum of $500. So planning for $2500 per child per year is ideal. The government grant maxes out at $7200 (some time in your child's teens if you start early). This is a great way to start to prepare for your children's education. Better yet, convince grandparents to contribute too. You can get one year behind- so if things are tight at first then you can play catch up. And please, don't feel pressure to contribute if you are in debt. Pay yourself first!

Also keep in mind savings for other important areas. If you are travellers then decide what your travel plans are and set a monthly savings amount. If you know you want to buy a car then do a monthly savings amount. Or best of all if you want to take a leave of absence from work, save for this too!

Last but not least, how do you save?

The first step would be to choose accounts where you can automatically debit when your pay comes in and transfer the $ into savings accounts. Better yet would be savings accounts with no service fees and where you can divide into different folders (tax, travel etc).

In Canada you can also put up to $5000 a year in a TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account). It works for many types of investments. It is the best option for long term non-RRSP savings. This is not a good option for your emergency savings. And like other investments watch the fees!

Another option is to automatically move long term savings into investment options. One of the most simple options is the Couch Potato investment plan. The concept is very simple. The idea is that the market does better than most any other investment strategy in the long run. So choose low cost investment options that mimic the market. Read more about it here.

I currently use mutual funds that are very low in management fees. Eventually when I have more money to invest I will move to self directed brokerage investments. But my savings are so low right now it doesn't justify the $50 a year brokerage charge.

Does it work? We got our RRSPs and RESPs 6 months after the market crashed. And the value of both has gone up at a very impressive rate. But you need to be patient and use this method for long term investment. Don't check it obsessively. And follow the plan!

BBQ Pizza/ Summer is Finally Here

Finally it is sunny in Vancouver. Last night I went out to water the plants after dark and saw pea pods. They are so late this year. But a few days of sun and heat and out they came.

We had pizza on the menu plan for Monday night. And I really did not want to turn on the oven. We don't have air conditioning (it's pretty rare in Vancouver). But there is a small part of the year where old houses can get very hot. So we keep the curtains closed when the sun is trying to beam inside. On all but the hottest days this really helps. It is considerably cooler in our home. (We also updated our attic insulation and some windows in the sunroom/ dining room a few years back and that helps too.)

In order to keep the heat out we decided to bbq the pizza. And it was amazing! I had a recipe from June's Canadian Family magazine (older post here). But I really like the recipes on Frugal Girl. So I decided to take her advice for the grilling portion. It tasted exactly like wood oven pizza. So good...

It is quite simple:

1) Make your favorite pizza dough recipe. Prepare toppings.

2) Preheat the grill.

3) Roll out the dough, spray or spread oil on the bottom, and place on a cookie sheet.

4) Spray or oil grill. And slide pizza dough on to grill.

5) Cook for 3 minutes (watch bottom does not burn).

6) Slide back onto cookie sheet. Flip so baked side is up.

7) Add toppings.

8) Put back on grill. Close lid and bake for around 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

9) You may need a second person to help you take it off the grill.

10) Chow down.

You may notice from the photo that the pizzas are slightly different than the plan. We were supposed to make the pizzas last week but it didn't happen. By last night the ham was slimy. So we made pepperoni and pineapple. And then we used whatever veg we could find in the garden and in the fridge to make #2. It has pine nuts, basil from the garden, red peppers, and mushrooms. Next time we will add olives to give it a little saltiness. It was just a little bland.

Simple Car Ownership

I can be neglectful with my car- mainly because I don't know what I need to do regularly for upkeep. I take it to a minute lube place quarterly. But I still get stressed out. So here are some simple tips for upkeep (via Money Sense- paper version):

1. check tires once a month and especially in the fall when the temperature drops
2. wash your car once a week in the winter if salt is used where you live
3. wax your car once a year
4. rust proof it once a year
5. Fix dents and scratches right away to avoid rust corrosion
6. Follow the maintenance schedule in the manual
7. Replace rubber seals around doors and windshields when needed, and use rubber floor mats
8. Keep in an unheated garage where possible. Leave outside if the garage is heated.
9. Find a reliable mechanic and stick with him (would love a suggestion for Vancouver)
10. At 7 years you will likely need extra servicing for the steering, exhaust system, transmission and battery but after this the car should run for years
11. You can wait till 16,000 km to replace the oil and filter (maybe even 24,000 if synthetic). But remember to top up!
12. Flush the transmission fluids every 100,000 km
13. Rotate tires every year or 10,000 km
14. Replace spark plugs as recommended (usually 40-100,000 km)
15. Replace the battery as recommended
16. Follow manual for timing belt (usually every 160,000 but in Canada severe temperatures can stress the belt)
17. Check the flush and engine coolant (antifreeze) more often in cold areas. This will be every 2 to 3 years (regular v long life).
18. Steering fluid flush every 2 years- not necessary- but fill it every time you feel resistance in the steering column
19. Break pads and fluids- when you hear the screech

I love this advice for buying new:

1. Start by sending emails to dealers first. Tell them the price you will pay and see who goes for it.
2. By at the end of the month.
3. Ask about discounts (for loyal customers, students etc).
4. Say no to extended warranties, rustproofing, fabric protection etc. Scotchguard yourself. Rust proof for cheaper elsewhere.
5. Negotiate the price first. Then bring up your trade in. Keep it out of the bargaining.
6. Women tend to think with their head when it comes to cars and salesmen are intimidated by informed, smart female shoppers.
7. Hire a car buyer for $65. Check out Car Help Canada or CarSmart.

Meal Planning

Meal planning can go a long way to cut down on waste- food, packaging and money. I am horrified at some of the food that we throw out so here is our plan for the week:

Breakfasts: home made bread with honey, smoothies (with swiss chard from garden, yoghurt and fruit), steel cut oatmeal, pancakes on Saturday, eggs on Sunday, coffee

Lunches: leftovers, barley with greens and eggs.

Desserts (mainly for Caia): yoghurt, berries, pineapple, watermelon.

Monday- pizza (we have chorizo, pineapple, ham, mushroom and pine nuts waiting), salad (cucumber, tomato, carrots, lettuce). Caia will eat.

Tuesday- leftover bean dip, pitas, tomato and olive salad (with red peppers), with chicken skewers (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Wednesday- BBQ burgers with cucumber/ tomato salad (burgers and buns in freezer). May visit farmers market for fruit and veg for Friday. Add quesadilla for Caia.

Thursday- Frittata with mushrooms, red pepper, chevre, pancetta and home made bread (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Friday- fish with potatoes and veg (need to buy fish and veg with next food purchase). Caia will eat.

Meal planning on Thursday night for Friday/ Saturday shop at farmer's market/ Main Street bike ride/ Costco (following week if necessary). Need to plan Saturday/ Sunday lunch too.

Going Paperless

So my daughter is finally potty trained! Woot! And to celebrate I am continuing to cut back on waste by going paperless. Not entirely possible for annoying reasons.

Here was what I noted a while back I needed to still do (and here too):

Papers- I need to go through old paperwork and shred, I need to scan relevant documents, I need to organize work documents. I need to cull all but my favorite stored magazines (Dwell, Sunset and Domino). I need to go paperless with all bills. I need to re-request the local free newspaper not be delivered. I need to get on no junk mail lists. I need to cancel my Canadian Family magazine subscription at the year end.

And here is what I have managed to do:

1. Using ePost to go paperless on my CIBC bill payment site: successful for FIDO, Shaw, Rogers, Fortis, and BC Hydro.
2. Using CIBC's services: successful for my VISA and my chequing/ savings accounts.
3. Not successful for: national and provincial student loans but only quarterly (so far), CIBC Securities but only quarterly (apparently it is a government regulation), CIBC Line of Credit (they say it is not available yet).
4. Local free paper- rerequested they stop delivering.
5. Using the Red Dot Campaign I got off some junk mail lists but the phone list site is being redone.
6. Canadian Family does not expire for a while.
7. I've taped the little sign from Red Dot Campaign (the image for this post) on my mail slot. Apparently the Canada Post should respect it. Let's see what happens.
8. Gulp- I have decided to get rid of my beloved and cancelled Domino magazines- I only have a few left anyway. Will do Money Sense and parenting magazines today as well (not so hard). Next will be to get rid of the Dwell collection. That means I will only have some holiday and Sunset magazines I want to hold on to.

Other updates:

• Bread making is going well. We had some funny looking but yummy loaves come out of the oven. And Kevin made pitas to go with a delicious meal on the weekend. Kevin made pizza dough this morning. So bread dough is almost a constant thing in our house. This means we have moved all bread making supplies under the kitchen island to simplify the process a bit.
• The home phone and cable are being cancelled as of the end of July. Our tenant is moving out and we have taken this opportunity to simplify what we don't need.
• It is finally hot and sunny here. So I am celebrating that with hang drying my colours and whites. Towels, rags etc go into the dryer because I don't have enough line space and I like fluffy towels so they were prioritized. Plus, clothes last longer when not put in the dryer.