Week 32, Day 7 - On being frugal...

Being frugal is such an interesting thing. I wish I could always have the mindset to really, REALLY not spend money unnecessarily and go the extra mile to save/cut costs. I think there really are a ton of places a person could save, it's just a matter of how willing you are to make those small sacrifices.

I've noticed that me, especially with food, it is a comfort when I feel trapped in my life and like there is nothing to look forward to in my day. When all I am facing is a really messy house, husband out of town, physically feeling tired before I even start with difficulty bending down to pick things up...all I want to do is crawl into bed and forget everything. Then I remember ooooooh there's ice cream in the freezer! And hot fudge topping I can make with my famous recipe I found online using just chocolate chips, oil, and butter. Mmmmm...it makes my whole world better.

But back to being frugal, it's kind of the same thing - if I know I can spend online or go thrift shopping then I feel like my day is a little bit brighter.

The opposite is that when I know we have absolutely NO extra money, actually minus money, then I can start feeling claustrophic and squeezed tight, like there is no "out". And on the other hand, it's the same thread that I've been thinking about throughout this whole pregnancy - if I have a goal I am working towards or if I am doing it as unto the Lord then it seems like the heaviness is lifted.

You know the past 2 weeks we've been on a spending freeze...and then we got paid yesterday. It is HUGELY good for me to put together our monthly budget BEFORE we get paid because then I can see where everything is going, and see that yikes, we literally have ZERO ZERO ZERO extra money for ANYTHING. Too many dentist appointments and lots of Macleay events coming up as well as beginning payments for the baby have sucked us just plain 'ol dry. But I am so so so thankful that we do have enough to pay for our necessities - isn't that how God works? He provides, we are never left wanting...we have enough for gas, food, bills - as long as I am faithful to dole out the allotted amount for each category then I know I am well pleasing in His sight as far as that goes.

I think often of those verses in Proverbs 31, about the godly woman. The one that has often spoken to me throughout the years is the one that says, "The heart of her husband safely trusts in her." Because I am the "nerd" in the family and love doing the budget and figuring out all the money stuff, it is on my shoulders to make sure the bills get paid and not to spend a ton of money on groceries, etc. He works hard every day to make a living for our family, and then hands the money over to me - and safely trusts it in my hands.

That puts me in fear and trembling sometimes, that I not let him down and disappoint him by making rash money decisions! It has been a safeguard for me many times especially before I click "complete order" on the internet. =)NOT that I buy online very often, mostly it is a killer sale for children's clothes and I wish so bad that we had enough money to just buy them all their clothing that they need at once instead of little by little here and there at garage sales, consignment stores, etc as I happen to find it. So I talk myself into "just a couple of outfits" or "I'll only spend $50" or something like that...and it's hard to take a step back and realize that we don't actually NEED need that, y'know?

We were in Walmart yesterday and by now my kids are used to me telling them sorry, not today...when they ask. But I splurged just one tiny little bit when Jack got SUPER excited when he saw a box of Lightning Mcqueen Halloween fruit snacks, 30 packages for $4.99. Ohhhhh it was hard to think of saying no to him! The little ones usually have just ONE fruit snack pack per day while watching a movie during naptime, so that's just 2 per day - it'll last 15 days that way. Hee hee. So I bought it and that was my splurge for the day. =)

DH wanted to take the boys along with him for a business trip and instead of buying meals we packed cereal with bowls and spoons, and I made up little lunches with chips/fruit/candy/water bottles so all they have to do is stop at the grocery store and buy some lunchmeat & rolls.

We also have not turned on the heater yet this year - the mornings are becoming pretty chilly but not anything a sweatshirt can't fix! It's amazing how good it feels to know I am not splurging where I shouldn't be, and that I am being a good steward to what God has given me. But trust me, when it gets tooooo cold I'll be the first one to turn it on, I'm not that hardcore lol.

It's hard for me to provide a yummy snack for the kids (homemade) EVERY day, but the alternative of buying snacks to always have on hand can get pretty expensive. So I have decided that I will work on making something at least twice a week - and double/triple batches so that we can stretch it. I also have to watch our food like a hawk - if I buy 2 giant family packs of Dorito's for school lunches to last the whole month by carefully measuring out each person's portion, then it works. But the kids are not allowed to touch it - can you imagine? I can, it has happened before...those two bags are GONE in about 2 days!

I also LOVE the food bank, of course! It's fun to see what I get, they actually do give quite a lot of food and it is worth standing in line for half an hour. I love trying to get creative by adding rice into as many dishes as I can, as well as serving homemade bread with every dinner. It really adds up, these little decisions not to get pizza for dinner even though it IS just $10 to feed our family at Little Ceaser's! But instead I can easily throw some flour into the bread machine and put some rice on, and add a can of tomato sauce to a can of beef stew + some chicken broth to make enough for our family. Or add pasta, add veggies....I think I'm thinking more about cooking dinners because of the fall weather. =) We rarely eat meat - but I do incorporate beans into meals whenever I can, that's another thing we have a TON of but I just need to figure out an easier and tastier way to cook it. They always turn out really bland for some reason.

So my goal this month is to be really frugal wherever I can. ONLY buy the things the kids absolutely need. Like Harmony needs long sleeve shirts but she doesn't need any more pants or skirts. No matter how cute they are!

I still have my $$ I've earned on Ebay to go towards my room and the funny thing is, I am really hesitant to use it. I know exactly what I want to buy (all white sheets & duvet covers, and the most beautiful small romantic chandelier ever...), but I think the thought of not having ANY money in case I find the bomb of a deal somewhere makes me hold onto it.

Anyways, it is my mind today to really be content to be here at home, to dream about my room and look forward to the day when it'll be done but understand it is not going to be done THIS WEEK or anything. It'll be a work in progress, but the end result is going to be soooo beautiful and worth the wait! And to work in my home and not rely on comfort food that costs money (ie ice cream!) and thrift store shopping therapy. Hee hee