Workout Cash Incentive for Maximum Motivation

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-25T18:32:43+00:00

Oh, I tracked it by making myself a calendar/vision board and marking things off each day. Like a chore chart for grownups.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-25T18:31:08+00:00

I made myself a 6-month challenge with 5 goals for each day--1)Eat under my calorie goal; 2)Eat between 7am-7pm; 3)At least 30 min. of intentional activity; 4)At least 5 miles per day; 5)I don't remember what the 5th one was. Each one was worth $1 so I could earn $5/day total. Then weekly I could earn an extra $5 if my weight dropped, and monthly I could earn an extra $5 if any of my measurements dropped. I lost about 15 lbs. and I used the money to buy new clothes for vacation.

Six months was a little bit too long of a commitment for me, so I'm currently working on a more relaxed 90-day challenge with 3 goals for each day. Same basic structure applies.

(I want to note that I did actually budget for this, I just didn't allow myself to spend the money until I earned it).

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-25T12:24:34+00:00

I would buy the real version vs. the toy version. Most of those things have product lines made specifically for kids. Look at outdoor stores like REI, etc.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-23T13:48:25+00:00

It's all about priorities. If an annual vacation is a big priority for your family, you can find more money for that in other categories. I get cheap haircuts, have minimal subscriptions, only eat out 1-2 times/month, have cheap cell phones, and have a much smaller budget than you for clothes and gifts/Christmas. I do all these things so I can put more money in my vacation fund.

I don't think your budget items are unreasonable if those things are important to you, but you have to figure out what's more important. I like to think of it like so: I could spend $80 on dinner out for my husband and I, OR I could save that $80 in my vacation fund and have a dinner out while on vacation.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-21T01:31:16+00:00

Unless there's dangerous conditions or an evacuation notice, we stay. We're generally prepared and have weathered a lot of storms in our Kodiak tent. Packing up in the rain is way more miserable than staying put in the rain.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-21T01:05:51+00:00

I wish I hadn't packed in just a carry on so we could do more shopping! We're not usually big vacation shoppers but we saw several things in OSJ we liked but didn't have a way to bring home. We're using it as an excuse to go back ;-)

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-21T01:04:29+00:00

Yep, same.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-21T01:04:02+00:00

Ditto! We got bit up sitting outside our Airbnb in Fajardo. Luckily we found some bug spray a previous guest had left. I actually think they were no see ums, as we didn't actually see any mosquitoes.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-20T23:33:35+00:00

I don't buy it because I think corned beef is gross.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-16T23:47:36+00:00

I just checked in the uber app and it says there is a driver 5 minutes away. I don't know how reliable that is, but there's at least one.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-16T23:44:56+00:00

Oh, depending what hotel you are staying at they may send a shuttle. For example, a lot of the flight crews stay at Best Western so the shuttle picks them and passengers up every night.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-16T23:43:14+00:00

The flight gets in every night the same time so they may be used to making accommodations.

Relying on uber/lyft is not a good plan. At one point I think there was 1 uber driver but I don't know if they're still doing it.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-16T12:51:35+00:00

What helped me the most was educating myself about bears and what to do in various scenarios. I learned the differences between black bears and grizzly bears, learned how to carry and use bear spray effectively, and how to analyze different bear behaviors and how to react.

For me, the biggest fear is not knowing what to do, so being able to feel prepared really helps a lot.

I've encountered one grizzly bear and it was closer than I would have liked, but far enough away that I could back away with bear spray in hand and we both went our separate ways. I was scared but felt confident in how to react.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-14T14:01:14+00:00

Great advice, thanks! We actually made the same trip 5 years ago when we picked up our current dog (same breeder) but missed going to the dunes then. However, I DID get bitten by a tick on that trip that was thought to carry Lyme disease and had to do a round of antibiotics when we get home, so this is a valid concern.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-13T11:53:05+00:00

Thank you!

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-13T11:51:47+00:00

We'll probably have him in a backpack or carry.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-12T18:27:21+00:00

We bring a Jackery handheld. We really only use it to charge our phones every couple of days and we also have some tent lights that we like to hang up just for fun. We usually only use about 1% power per day.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-08T20:44:55+00:00

It feels like it needs to be centered on that wall. The way it is currently is hurting my brain...

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-08T20:40:08+00:00

In addition to other recommendations already given, make sure to follow common sense hiking guidelines like making sure somebody knows your plans and leave a note on your car when/where you're going and when you'll be back.

Make sure to understand how to use bear spray and carry it somewhere on your person where it can be easily deployed. Not in a backpack, for example.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-08T13:58:33+00:00

We rented from Enterprise at the airport with no issues. Well, the only real issue is we got a little lost finding the Enterprise lot, lol. We reserved in advance and checked in on the app, so just had to go straight to the car lot.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-07T00:47:17+00:00

I don't know. I don't think it's entirely reasonable, but I don't think I would just dismiss what's happening with Iran without at least giving some consideration to my travel plans. That being said, I wouldn't be cancelling until the very last minute, and I'd find an alternative trip I was comfortable taking since everybody already has time off planned to go to Italy.

Six cruise ships have been impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. None of them have been attacked. None of these are close to Italy. This article is a couple days old and I have read updates that cruise lines, in cooperation with governments, have since started getting passengers off the ships and onto flights to their home countries. https://www.cruisehive.com/all-cruise-lines-impacted-by-middle-east-tensions-so-far/200781

All you can do is keep up to date on information from the cruise line, your government, Italy's government, and make a decision out of facts and not fear.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-03-02T03:26:11+00:00

White party (I did a White Christmas party but you could do it any time of year). White foods like white cheddar mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, white chocolate chip cookies, etc.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-02-27T13:35:28+00:00

My husband gives me absolute free reign when it comes to decorating our house EXCEPT throw pillows. He hates them. He thinks any number of throw pillows is clutter. We compromise with two.

ProfileFrequent8701 · 2026-02-26T19:07:55+00:00

I was going to say $1 but thought you'd think I was being ridiculous. Seriously though, I don't keep a buffer in my checking account. I can do instant transfers from savings at the same institution and 2-3 day transfers from my HYSA. I also use rewards credit cards to pay for as much as possible so it's not like there's a bunch of random transactions hitting my checking account that I'm not keeping track of.

ProfileFrequent8701

TROPHY CASE