Day 4: Changing the World One G&T at a Time

 

Let me first be very clear. I am 41 years old and have been of legal drinking age for more years than I care to admit. So how I am going to create some change in the world one cocktail at a time? Not by drinking more, but by saving more. Not only do I have a GIVE of the Day but a little story to go along with it.

When I woke up this morning I was wondering how I would possibly find the time to GIVE today. I wanted to share my day with you so you could see why I had my concerns:

5:45 am: Start work from home office to get something done for my business before the family gets up

7:30 am: 3 year old son is up  – the day really begins – dress, teeth, fed, potty all the fun things

8:00 am: Dogs for a walk before we leave for the morning

8:30 am: Pack car with business materials needed for meetings

9:00 am: Drop son off at his play care group

9:15 am: Still in dog walking cloths for first business meeting

10:00 am:  Gym for a 45 minute workout and shower

11: 00 am Pick son up from play care

Noon: Business meeting across the city ( with son as a co – pilot )  to solve some issues with an upcoming event

1:00 pm: Starbucks for protein shakes. Need breakfast at this point…..

1:30 pm: Home for lunch, fold laundry, sweep floor

2:00 pm: Nap for son / Work time for Mom

4:00 pm: Still no GIVE of the Day done  / Son up from nap

4:30 pm: Have to walk dogs again

5:00 pm: Need dinner. Run to grocery store for food. Still no Give of the Day done yet

5:30 pm: Friday night – need Gin & Tonics for cocktails. Stop at BC Liquor Store – need to return empties on the “to do” list for the day

Finally it’s 6:00 pm I still have to feed my family, clean up the house, put my son to bed and do a few more hours of work but I have found my Give of the Day.

Give 4 / Day 4

Today my son and I went to the Liquor Store to return our empties. The great thing about this little job is you will receive money back for your empties if you decide to collect and return your in Canada.. For those of you young enough to remember, I have been doing this since my childhood when we used to return The Pop Shoppe bottles. I’m already programmed to do it. (thanks Dad!) Today we returned a box of bottles and received $1.75. I decided that rather than putting that change in my pocket or wallet where it will mix in with all the other money or I will find it at the bottom of the washing maching, I would instead put that money into a jar, label it and leave that jar in the car for the next 365days.  At the end of the year, on Nicolas’ 4th birthday we will decide, as a family, where that money will go. I have done a brief calculation for the year to see how much we may raise.

$1.25 every two weeks for 1 year: $32.50

I just bought Nic’s birthday gift ( a donation to Plan Canada) as my first GIVE for less money than that. This is money I wouldn’t have noticed and it’s great way to educate Nicolas as we go. He gets to put the money in the jar every time he comes with me, which is almost every time. I also wanted to know what really happens to the bottles once they leave the liquor store. I was hoping it would be going to an appropriate recycling program and not just the dump. After a little research I discovered that a company called Encorp Pacific picks up all the bottles from the Liquor Stores. It is either broken down and turned into new products or in some cases actually cleaned and reused (domestic beer bottles are big one for reusing). Thanks for the information Jessica!

So I feel like I am on a role – 3 hole days of GIVES! – If I can find a way to GIVE even on the days with no plan, no time, no money and no breakfast I can do this! You can also do this!

362 to go.

P.S. Time Commitment: 3 minutes to find a clean jar and put a label in it (I was going to the Liquor Store already) / Cost: Bonus money I would never even notice