FebFast

With much trepidation, I am announcing my participation in FebFast - short story is I am voluntarily going without booze for the month of February! FebFast is a fundraising initiative and funds go to Australian Drug Foundation, Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service (Qld), Ted Noffs Foundation (NSW & ACT), Youth Substance Abuse Service (Vic) and FebFast’s grants program for smaller grass-roots organisations. The focus of these organisations is education in general around alcohol use, but particularly for young people.
I am anticipating that this will be quite a challenge for me - as with many Australians, a drink or two is a large part of my social routine! However, this will not only benefit the charities I raise funds for, but will have added benefits in: raising awareness through the conversations that are sure to ensue, particularly related to our drink oriented social culture; saving me money (and hangovers); and benefits to my waistline!
Please feel free to sponsor me through the following link: http://www.febfastfundraising.com.au/rowena_southgate
Also feel free to join me or check out the website for more information http://www.febfast.com.au/

Saving Money and Electricity

As I was running out of my apartment yesterday, I realised in my own little way I had inadvertently been incorporating the Making a Difference way of thinking for several months now on a personal level.

As my living expenses seem to be sky rocketing and wages sadly not keeping in line with the hikes, I have been looking at ways to save on the old 'back pocket'. The bill which has sky rocketed has been my electricity bill. Which, to be honest...really peeved me! I now turn off all my appliances at the wall and leave nothing on standby, even at night. It's been amazing, having saved on average $30 per month! This was just a fairly normal usage of electricity with a TV, phone charger, hair dryer, stereo, kettle etc... you get the drift.

It has become a habit now with me turning everything off at the wall when finished and double checking when I leave the apartment. For the extra couple of seconds it takes me to do this I'm not only saving in a monetary way, I'm also saving the planet by not using unnecessary resources.

This really has been wonderful and I urge you all to take just a few seconds and join me on this...you may even be able to celebrate incorporating this MaD idea by having a few cheeky drinks at the end of the week with the money saved!! I say "Cheers all round!"