Saturday, February 2, 2013

Living on $100 for 10 days

In an effort to blog more this year, I am sharing what I am thinking and doing in life (for the first, see Seven Layer Dip for Super Bowl Sunday), so to continue, I have set another challenge for myself: to live on $100 for 10 straight days.

Why?  Well, it is a challenge, and who does not like a good challenge?  But in all seriousness, I would like to try as hard as I possibly can (for just 10 days, mind you) to save for a 10 day trip I have planned in two months.

Basically, I am sacrificing 10 days of living in DC now to save for 10 days in the future, where I will enjoy beautiful, sunny California and the red rocks of Sedona.  It is a pretty good trade-off, don't you think?  Plus, it gives me something interesting to do for 10 days as well as something interesting to blog about.  Are we not here to make things in life interesting?

So here is my plan: starting on Monday, February 4 (the day after the Super Bowl), I will live on $100 for ten straight days.  I will chronicle each day of my challenge as well as share how I have spent the money pictured above.

Although I begin this challenge with a refrigerator and pantry full of groceries, I would have done that anyway, so relax.  The underlying feature to this challenge is to share how I live for 10 days--in an effort to be very conscious about what I spend so I save for my trip out west.  I am sure you have all done something similar, and living on $100 in 10 days might seem like a luxury?  I will save you the details about how it really is not a luxury and more of a challenge because the cost of living in DC is a bit higher than other cities in the USA...

So, my dear readers, have I interested you in following me on this challenge?  If not, I will add another layer of my challenge to entice you just a bit more...

I am also currently working on a painting, which will cover this massive canvas I found by my apartment complex's dumpster one afternoon (along with a gallon bucket of Gesso - win!).  This canvas once had a painting of a very awkwardly-looking naked person (yeah - I wish I had a picture of it, too), but I recently used the massive bucket of Gesso to paint over that ugly thing of a portrait.  

I have made some really good progress so far, and as you know, painting in my apartment is an incredibly cost-effective way of spending my nights and weekends, and it is perfect timing for this 10 day challenge.  So, with each new post for my "Living on $100 for 10 days" challenge, I will also provide a pictorial update of the painting's progress, with the hope of finishing it by February 13 (Day 10 of the challenge).  To catch you up on the progress thus far, which has occurred in the last 30 days, here are a few pictures:








On Monday night, visit The Dandygram again to read the first of a 10-post series on "Living on $100 for 10 days!"  Now go, enjoy your weekend and the Super Bowl, and of course, root for those San Francisco 49ers!!

2 comments:

  1. I love this challenge and will be so interested to read your summary of each day. PLUS I will love to see the painting progress! xo

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  2. Look forward to following this 10 day journey of yours. I think you'll soon realize it's not a challenge but a nice break from some of the luxuries of everyday life that can cause more stress than good. Can't wait to see the painting too! Good luck!

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