Carried Away

A few days ago I was listening to the radio and the station was promoting the San Diego Blood Bank.  I have tried to give blood at least a dozen times, but have only been able to do it about four times thanks to a tattoo, a piercing, a pregnancy, a surgery, a trip to a foreign country, or a low hemoglobin level holding me back.  I figured that I was in a good window to donate, over a year since Haiti, and a month? before becoming pregnant.

I have zero problems with needles.  I don't mind being poked multiple times for someone to find a vein in my arm.  I am patient, and blood doesn't bother me at all (especially if it is my own blood).  I got hooked up, and filled my unit bag in five minutes flat.  Then, I don't know what happened...but I woke up reclined with ice packs on my face and chest with five faces hovering over me, asking if I was okay.  Oops!  I totally passed out.  I have a history of passing out (vasovagal syncopal episodes), but never because of needles or having blood drawn.  I was so embarrassed!  After about 10 minutes they let me get up to go to the bathroom, then made me sit and eat cookies and drink juice for 10 more minutes and I was good to go.  I stopped by the the KSON radio tent on the way out and got a t-shirt and some horse show tickets that they were giving to people who donated.  They also had me fill out an entry for Carrie Underwood tickets.  I almost didn't do it because I felt yucky and just wanted to go sit in the air conditioned van. I still felt a little off, so I let Melynda drive home.  We stopped by the dry cleaner to pick up Brad's uniforms and I puked my guts out in the bathroom of the McDonalds next to the dry cleaner.  I felt immediately better and back to my normal self.  I am still kind of shocked at my reaction to giving blood!  Weird.

The next morning I was awakened by a phone call from the radio station, telling me that I won the tickets and meet and greet passes for Carrie Underwood!  I couldn't believe it.  I had just won some pretty awesome VIP tickets to Dave Matthews Band from the YMCA last month, so I thought I had used up all my luck.  They told me to email them by noon with the name of my guest, and some questions that I would like to ask Carrie.  I guess she didn't want to answer "would you rather" questions about puking on stage, because mine didn't make the screening cut despite the radio folks telling me they were great questions.

Anyway, my friend Megan and I went last night and had a great time!  Meeting Carrie was fun, she is so pretty and sweet.  The concert was great and we really enjoyed her opening act, Hunter Hayes.  I was also really entertained by the group of teenage girls sitting right by us. We met some other people in the meet and greet process, who sat with us and were lots of fun.

Passing out and puking while giving blood is not something that would deter me from donating again, because the potential to help save a life is worth it. But it was made even more worth it by having the opportunity to share such an awesome night with a great friend!

On a completely different note, I think I am going to start buying lottery tickets instead of entering drawings for concert tickets. :)

Double Reset

I love the conversations that Sam and Jocelyn have with each other.

Sam:  "Jocelyn, what's that in you mouth?"

Jocelyn:  "I'm just drinking water, Sam."

Sam: "No, let me see in there."

Jocelyn, opens her mouth and some water drips out.  They both laugh hysterically.

Sam (laughing, and now wearing a bowl on his head for a hat): "You got water on you, Jocelyn!"

Jocelyn: "Well, at least I don't have a bowl on my head!"

Sam:  Let's do sommersaults!"

Jocelyn:  "Okay!"

Cup and bowl set aside, and sommersaults commence.

I love this job.

I refuse to allow myself to get caught up any longer in my emotional reactions to things that just don't really matter to me.  I am done convincing myself that they matter to me.  I won't let these things distract me any longer from living simply and enjoying every little joy this life has to offer.   :)

Reset

I am up late, and for some reason I felt compelled to go back and read some of my older posts on this blog.

As I was reading the first entry, I was reminded of why I started this blog in the first place. I wanted to use it as a tool to share my family and our experiences with people who were not Myspace users. Now that there is facebook, and pretty much everyone is on facebook, I have let the blog become somewhat of a rant-fest that focuses much more on me and my opinions of things, than on my family.

I want to change that up. I want to go back to family updates. But don't think you are going to get rid of my opinion entirely. I am still passionate about a lot of my beliefs, and if I think that sharing my opinion might help someone make a better decision for themselves or their life, I am going to put it out there. I'll be nice. And, most opinions will focus on families/family life.

I plan to blog this weekend about the wonderful day Jocelyn and I had at Disneyland on Monday, but for now I will just leave you with a cute little Sam story.  

Yesterday, I took the kids with me to the doctor to get some meds for all of my current ailments. There was a PetCo next door and they begged me to go in. We walked around in there for about an hour, saw all the animals, and asked a lot of questions about swimming turtles. On the way out, I was quizzing the kids about the animals we saw. 

Jocelyn: "Mom, we saw a lot of animals in there!" 

 Me: "I know! Did we see birds?" 

Jocelyn and Sam: "Yes!" 

Me: "Did we see snakes?" 

J&S: "Yes!" 

Me: "Did we see bears?" 

J&S: "Nooo! Hahaha." 

Me: "Did we see hamsters?" 

J&S: "Yes!" 

Me: "Did we see turtles?" 

Jocelyn: "Yup! Mom, I want to get a turtle for a pet when we have a house!" 

Me: "Maybe. Did we see crocodiles?" 

Sam: "Mom, I want a crocodile! I want a crocodile for a pet in a house!" 

Me: "Sorry Sam, they don't sell crocodiles here." 

Sam: (sobbing 'crocodile tears') "I want a crocodile. I want a crocodile. I want a crocodile." 

 The poor kid was so heartbroken that I wouldn't even consider a crocodile as a pet. He pouted for about 10 minutes. I love him so much. :)

Spending log 4-21 March...Gross.

Sunday, March 4th -
mini mart - $9 (2 cases of mountain dew, one fountain dr. pepper)
downloaded Dr. Mario for Wii - $10
Katelyn's Birthday present - $75 @ gymboree.com

Monday, March 5th -
BX - toiletries, diapers, soda $32

Tuesday, March 6th -
Commissary - $32 (milk and chocolate/coffee/candy/ macadamia nuts for care package)
post office $12
plane meal and adult beverage - $13
airport parking at San Diego airport - $2
Taco bell $7

Wednesday, March 7th -
Dr. Pepper at Walgreens - $2
Gas in Hillary's car - $40
Dairy queen $4

Thursday March 8th -
Lunch at Chick Fil A - $9
Dinner from Popeyes - $23

Friday March 9th
Food court Thai - $11
See's - $8 cash
Walgreens - $16 (razors, snacks, gum, kid gifts)

Saturday, March 10th -
In n Out Burger - $6
dollar store - $5
Olive Garden (Hillary's birthday)- $103

Sunday, March 11th
Winchell's Donuts - $9
McDonalds - $9

Monday, March 12th -
dollar store- $12 (party supplies)
walmart - $20 (bag, shirt, anbesol, thank you card)
patch car tire - $20
gas in Hillary's car - $50
Chick Fil A- $22 (had to get a ton of nuggets to bring home for Brad

Tuesday, March 13th
Requested DD214 online - $105
BX (printer ink and Alka Seltzer) - $30

Wednesday, March 14th-
Wendy's for lunch - $20
Candy- $5 I went to the NEX for transmission fluid, then Brad called and said he didn't need it after all....so I bought robins eggs and little bags of mini m&ms.
Electric bill for our house in Nebraska that the stupid tenant has STILL not put in their name!!! -$90 GRR.

Thursday, March 15th-
PayPal transfer for Steph's cloth diapers - baby shower gift
Jack in the box - $10

Friday March 16th -
Wendy's for Lunch - $20
Commissary - $36 (salad, creamer, and brownies for homeport, and milk and eggs for us)
Girl Scout cookies - $20

Saturday, March 17th-
Movies (The Lorax) - $21 for tickets, $22 for popcorn, icee and soda
Caramel apple and chocolate covered sunflower seeds at the mall - $7
Stella and Dot party order - $69

Sunday, March 18th-
Tastefully Simple party order - $36

Monday, March 19th -
Care package stuff for my Secret Easter bunny exchange with my DDC - $50
Post office - $31 (sent care package...and express mailed house contracts)
Soon's Korean BBQ for lunch - $18

Tuesday, March 20th -
Pizza at the BX for lunch - $10
Care package stuff at BX for Cedars and soda- $55
Post office - $12
Commissary - $75 (fruit, milk, veggies, soap, juice, cheese, mouthwash, etc)
Wire transfer to Escrow account for our new house - $3,500
Minimart - $14 (sunflower seeds, snacks, soda)

Wednesday, March 21st -
Dumbell Fitness shirt - $20
Target - $25 (diapers and wipes. So sad about this, but I had to get them for Sam because he is having issues with his boy parts, and I can't use the stuff that will heal him with his cloth diapers).
Steak Out - $18
Starbucks - $7 (frappuccino, chocolate milk, and lemon pound cake)
CPO birthday ball tickets - $100

This equals $1527, excluding the $3500 Escrow Deposit.

That's disgusting.

It could have been worse, the money spent on taking the Wilke's out to dinner, putting gas in their car and fixing their tire would have been A LOT more had I needed a hotel and rental car for my trip. The donuts and other fast foods weren't exactly necessary, but I would have spent nearly the same on eating healthier options while there.

That whole trip and at least $200 of what has been spent since I got back (printer ink, DD214, express mail, etc) were things we absolutely had to do for the house buying process. We are about to be shelling out a bunch more here and there for appraisals and inspections.

$290 of that was just on fast food, soda, and candy. All completely unnecessary.

$150 of that was on unnecessary entertainment (movies, ball, and video game)

$65 was spent at the post office

Over $300 was spent on gifts and stuff for other people (which I can almost always justify as needs) :)

$110 on crap from Tastefully Simple and Stella&Dot that I absolutely didn't need.

About $350 was actually spent on stuff that we could classify as needs, and a lot of that wasn't actually needed.

We always save $1200 a month, before we even get paid. $525 to savings, and about $700 to TSP. So, we are still saving and only spending what is available to us...but still, it needs to stop. We could be using that money for more savings, or more tithing...not little insignificant splurges here and there that add up to substantial amounts each month. Bleh.

I feel like we have completely lost control of our spending. We were supposed to be more aware, and make better decisions this month...but we seem to have returned right back to our norm, which is very bad. At least this answers the question of where all of our money was going each month. It IS going to change. We WILL be better. This is embarrassing. Yes, we did some abnormal things, like take a trip and start the house buying process...but we have done a really crappy job of making Brad's lunch, and instead have been picking up drive through fare to bring to him almost every day. Also, the sodas and candy bars and crap need to stop completely. We didn't need to go to the movies or buy four boxes of Samoas, and the CPO ball isn't exactly a necessity either. Oh my, we have our work cut out for us. We know we can go without these things. It shouldn't be this hard to employ our self control.

Will update again on April 1st. We still have a lot to spend this month, with Jocelyn's birthday coming up, and planning for some other gatherings. I hope we can do better in April.

We've gone spend crazy!!!

We started spending money again, as normal, on March first. We will be logging every dollar we spend this month, and oh man did we blow a bunch of money on the first! As you know from the previous blog, we get a little over $1500 each pay day. Well, here is an account of what we spent just on the first day of the month.

$175 - Jocelyn's preschool tuition
$100 - cell phones
$40 - internet
$8 - Netflix
$20 - Menehune water delivery
$405 - groceries (for the entire month except extra milk/eggs/fruit/etc)
$110 - gas for both cars
$400 - my plane ticket to San Diego for next week
$62 - spent at the NEX on breast milk storage bags($32 two boxes @ $16 each), diapers and wipes for Brad while I am in San Diego ($15), and underwear for Sam ($15 - 3 packs @ $5 each - little boy chonies are expensive!!)

All of that, except Jocelyn's tuition, was paid for using our Giant's rewards VISA...yeah the one Brad got on accident at a Giant's game 7 years ago when we were trying to get free beach towels. That is the first and only credit card he as ever had/used (besides the Star Card he got to buy our new furniture for 10% off, then paid off before interest and canceled). We use it for everything because it earns us points. I think right now we have enough points to do all of our Christmas shopping this year. ANYWAY, at the end of the day on the 1st, he made a $1065 payment to cover everything we spent that day
(the plane ticket was actually purchased a couple days before).

Brad gave me my $200 allowance, and I spent $15 on lunch at McDonalds for myself and the kids, then I tipped the bagger at the Commissary $3 (loading the van with that many groceries took some Tetris-like skills). I spent $18 of my allowance, and have $182 remaining.

Brad got a $1560 deposit, transferred me $200, paid $1065 on the credit card, and now has $295 remaining. YIKES! how did that happen so fast? Haha.

It is now March 3rd, and the only money spent yesterday was $5 at the mini mart. Brad stopped by the mini-mart on his way home to pick up some soda. I didn't buy any at the commissary on the 1st because it was $6 for a 12-pack, eek! He grabbed a 12-pack of Mt. Dew (ew), and a large fountain Dr, Pepper for me. I am going to search the island for the cheapest Dr. Pepper tomorrow! :)

Today, Brad went to see Act of Valor with some buddies, and spent $20 on a movie ticket, popcorn and a soda.

So, we currently have about $450 between the two of us until next payday, and the $277 from last month's cash envelope is still on our fridge. We still plan to save as much as we can for our move, so Brad plans to take lunch to work every day, and I am planning on avoiding taking the kids out for lunch, smoothies, shopping, etc.

The hard part is going to be that I am going to San Diego for a week, and there IS a Chick-Fil-A there, so I will have to practice some serious self control to not eat there every day! :)

I will keep track of our spending over the next week and a half and update when I get back from San Diego. I don't expect many people to read this...but putting it out there is going to help with the whole accountability factor for us! So, thanks for reading and helping us out! :)

No Spend Challenge - Last day - Recap

Well, we made it. And, surprisingly this month flew by! I was sure it would drag on and on, but it didn't. We ended up spending $73 of the $75 we originally had in our cash envelope to get us through the month, but I would still consider this challenge I gigantic, enormous, super duper SUCCESS. It was a success for a number of reasons. We weren't just successful at not spending money. We were successful at accountability, at improvising, at sharing, at compromise (the good kind), at being grateful for things we have been known to take for granted, at meal planning, at standing up to peer pressure, at being an example of fiscal responsibility to our kids/friends/family members, at cherishing our many blessings, at enjoying life without excess, and at not wanting to justify things we usually allow ourselves to feel entitled to.

This month, and in the months leading up to this month, I heard many people say, "There is no way we could do that." Well, of course you could! Anyone CAN do this. Most people just don't even want to try. If you didn't have any money to spend, of course you could go a month without spending anything! People do it all the time! And, I know I have been known to knock the powers of perspective, but this challenge really made me take a hard look at things that I have labeled as needs. There are people out there who do a no spend challenge EVERY month because they have no choice, and then there are people who convince themselves on a daily basis that they NEED their coffee, their pedicures, their highlights, their expensive beauty products, their satellite television...even if they accruing massive amounts of debt to get these things. I have personally been known to justify See's candies, new 4 inch heels, Gymboree clothes that wont fit my kids until they are six, fast food, and so much more as needs. I am not going to give these things up permanently, but from now on I will label them appropriately as wants or special treats...and only spend on them sparingly.

This month has made us decide to change a lot of how we are going to do things in the future. I will be cutting everyone's hair from now on. I will be making bread often. We will be using cash envelopes a la Dave Ramsey for our budget (we didn't think we needed to do that before, but are now convinced that it makes a HUGE difference).

This month also reinforced our desire to continue doing certain things that have been working well for us so far. Cloth diapers and cloth wipes are saving us a "butt" ton every day. We have also been using homemade laundry detergent for the last year and a half (and have spent a total of $6 on laundry detergent for that entire period).

I spent a significant amount of my adult life convinced that buying things could make me happy, that if I could just have THAT certain thing that all my other problems would seem insignificant. That led me to heaps of consumer debt, and unhappiness. Thank God Brad came along at the perfect time in my life to rescue me from that, and teach me some lessons I wasn't super excited to learn at the time. However, as responsible as he is about saving, I think a little bit of me has worn off on him over the years...and as a couple we were just getting into a bad place regarding the relationship we have with our money. We are both content with making certain sacrifices or compromises in order to avoid debt...like avoiding a car payment by driving older cars that we can afford to pay cash for, using cloth diapers, not really investing much in the brands of our clothing or the decor of our home, buying used electronics (woo hoo $100 laptops), and more. BUT, it seems those things have become easy to us, and once we accepted them as easy, they were no longer compromises...they were just the norm. Yet, we still convinced ourselves that since we were making an effort to save in some areas, that it was okay to spend elsewhere. That makes no sense...and nobody is going to come up to us and say, "What is the point of saving money {here}, if you are just going to turn around and waste money over [here]?" I wish people would do that! If something doesn't make sense, point it out! Even if we try to justify it, we will still have to stop and think about it, and no bad can come out of that! :)

In a world that has sadly turned into a place where accountability is unwelcome, I am just going to come out and challenge every person reading this to reevaluate their relationship with money. Consider entitlement, need vs. want, and overlooked blessings. I will go even further in challenging you to challenge someone else! It's hard because other people's finances are supposed to be none of your business. But, if it is someone who has made that information known to you (think repeatedly mentioning on facebook that they are struggling to make ends meet, while also posting photos of their new Coach boots), and you care about them...it becomes your business. Sitting idly by as they are spiraling deeper and deeper into a hole that will be very hard to get out of...is not doing them any favors. Of course it is very intimidating to try to tell people what you think they should or should not do with their money, so maybe just make changes in yourself that they will notice. Be inspiring! That is what we are hoping to do with this challenge. We wanted to hold ourselves accountable in a way that could inspire others to do the same...because, let's face it, there is just no nice way to say, "You are being stupid with money, and it is going to come back to bite you." I know, because I have tried it. :(

I am so glad that I read that no-spend article four years ago, and that (even though it took 4 years) we finally decided to challenge ourselves. We will do it again, hopefully every February, as a reminder of who and how we want to be. It is effective when done once, but the lessons will probably wear off over time. I'd compare it to being affected by reading a certain bible verse and wanting to apply it to your life, or returning from a missions trip with a whole new view on the world we live in...after time passes, you go right back into your old ways and pick up your old views right where you left off, UNLESS you continue to put yourself in situations that remind you of those feelings. I am really excited to try our best to maintain the feelings we have about our money RIGHT now, by doing this again.

Whether you have $35,000 in credit card debt, or two car payments, or a $900 balance on a signature loan, or zero debt, or $135,000 in a savings account earning interest, I encourage you to ACCEPT this challenge...ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN. The household income that we bring in every month is a blessing, a gift from God. How often do you ask yourself whether or not what you are about to spend money on is God honoring? I know I don't ask myself that often enough. It's sometimes hard to define need vs. want in our lives, but it is easier when the justifications to yourself disappear and are replaced with an accountability to God. It also helps to have people in your life who will help hold you accountable to God. Ask yourself if what you are about to purchase is to impress someone or to influence someone. You will often find that you like that ugly $250 purse for all the wrong reasons. :)

Okay, now getting down to the details of this month:

**I don't feel weird putting this out there, because any person could find out what me make in less than 10 seconds using Google**


February pay and entitlements (on our pay statement):
-base pay: $3976
-basic allowance for housing: $2637
-basic allowance for subsistence: $348
-cost of living allowance: $1020
TOTAL: $7981

Normal monthly outgoing $$$ (on our pay statement): $4860
-Taxes (FICA, SS, Federal, State): $804
-SGLI (life insurance for both of us): $32
-TSP (thrift savings plan/retirement account): $755
-Savings account deposit allotment: $525
-Dental insurance: $32
-allotment to cover mortgage on our rental property in Nebraska: $75
-Housing (living in base housing means they just take all of our BAH): $2637
TOTAL: $4860

So that leaves us with $3121 each month, deposited in our checking account on the 1st and 15th in the amount of $1560 each pay period.

We subtracted from our $3121 to pay for the following:
Star Card Payment: $200
Amazon card payment: $200 (I have two cards that only I have used, and I pay off the balances with my monthly allowance, making me responsible for the irresponsible decisions I made in the past, instead of just having Brad rescue me-I usually get a $200 allowance each pay day)
Jocelyn's preschool: $175
Internet: $40
Cell phone bill: $100
Menehune water delivery: $10
Netflix: $8
TOTAL: $733

That left us with $2388.

THEN, we made some extra $$$.
Sold mattress: $100
Sold futon: $75
Made/sold T-shirt quilt: $60 (plus a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper :)
Sewed patches on uniforms: $40
Total: $275 extra cash brought in

We started out the month with $75 cash(that we made with recycling cans and bottles at the end of January). We spent $73 of our $75 on the following:
Milk @ $5 x 6 = $30
Eggs @ $2 x 2 = $4
Butter @ $1 x 3 = $3
Amy went out for Sarah and Rose's going away dinner = $20
Brad went out for Jason's going away lunch = $16
TOTAL: $73. (so really +$2 saved)
We should currently be sitting on $2663 that we normally just spend on WHO KNOWS WHAT!!!

We usually spend $600+ on groceries and $200+ on gas, and this month we tithed that $800 instead.

But still, that leaves us with $1863 that normally goes where?

- Boot Camp $110
- Fast food $250(kind of contradictory to that first thing, huh?)
- Gymboree $50 (at least)
- movies $$
- ice cream $$
- kid toys $$
- babysitting $$
- dinner out $$
- clothes
- baby shower/kid birthday gifts
- direct sales parties (Scentsy, Pampered Chef, PartyLite, Advocare, Silpada, and way too many more)
- knick knacks and other random things that were just "too good of a deal" to pass up
- candy bars, chips and fountain sodas from the mini mart when we are feeling snacky
- a bunch of stuff that I can't even think of because it is so unnecessary

**fun fact** Brad has never once had a car payment, and had never had a credit card until he accidentally applied for one after he met me (we did it to get free beach towels at a Giants game--most expensive towels ever. I hope Stacey still has them).

Anyway, we don't have car payments, or buy designer hand bags and cologne. We aren't caught up at all in 'status' type possessions...but we might as well be, based on how much money we have been throwing away on useless crap.

We added over $1800 to savings this month, in addition to the $1200 we put away every month(between our TSP contribution and our savings account allotment). That money will help us out big time when we get to San Diego in 2 1/2 months and we need to buy a car for Brad and pay closing costs on our new home (not to mention having to buy appliances). With our tax return and our savings account, hopefully we will have enough cash to cover everything without draining our accounts.

We will be losing that $1000+ cost of living allowance when we leave Hawaii. This concerned us at first. How will we make ends meet on a $1000/month pay cut!?? Well, thanks to this challenge, we now know that we were just tossing $2000/month away on whatever...and that pay cut doesn't sound as intimidating anymore. :) I know we will be fine.

Even when we start spending again tomorrow, we are not going back to our old ways. Each time we spend it will be with full awareness of what is important to us in the big picture. We plan to save at least $750 more in March just by using what we have learned about ourselves this month.

OH, and Jocelyn saved thirteen quarters this month! I was excited about this at first, until I realized that thirteen quarters just represents that she only did what she was supposed to do less than 50% of the time. We gave her a quarter each day that she managed to eat all of her lunch, take a nap, eat all of her dinner, AND have the baby jail picked up before bedtime. Perhaps I should consider the fact that she actually did that thirteen times as a win?

Anyway, we will be doing this again next February...if you are interested in doing it with us then, let me know...and we can encourage each other, and I can help you prepare. February really is the best month to try this out...regroup from holiday spending, practice self control by not touching that tax return (as tempting as it is), don't waste any money on Valentine's Day (instead find other ways to show your love), and it is a SHORT month. :)

Thanks for following us on this journey...all three of you who actually read this far. :) I hope you have been inspired somehow.


Ooh, I forgot to mention that I lost 6 pounds! I don't own a scale, so I don't track my weight gain/loss regularly...but I had a doctor appointment yesterday, and they weighed me. I was surprised to see that I weighed 6 pounds less than the last time I weighed myself in mid January on my sister's scale. I was wearing running shoes and pants, AND I had not fed Carolyn in about 10 hours (so my milk makers were heavier than normal). When I weighed myself in January, I had just fed Carolyn, and I was in my birthday suit. So, it might have actually been more than 6 pounds. I absolutely think this weight loss is directly related to our no spend challenge and not to the measly five times I ran this month. :)

No Spend Challenge - Week 4

Wednesday, February 22nd:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Brad and I had egg salad sandwiches and the kids had PB&J
Dinner: Chicken Katsu, rice and broccoli
We took in the recycling we have collected this month, for a cool $40. I also started sewing patches on uniforms for one of Brad's coworkers, so that will bring in some extra cash this week. Carolyn's 4 month appointment was today, so we went to the clinic and back home. The van is just at a half tank of gas, so we should be good there for the rest of the month. Cash: $177 + $40 for recycling = $217


Thursday, February 23rd:
Breakfast: pop tarts
Lunch: sandwiches for us, leftover chicken katsu for Brad
Dinner: Lasagna
Jocelyn had school today, and I took the other kids on a nice little run, and then to the park. We all took naps (yes, including me). It was a very uneventful day, but we had some good quality time playing Super Mario after dinner. This kids love to watch us play and pick one of us to cheer for. Cash: $217

Friday, February 24th:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Home Port...Soup, chicken salad sandwiches, corn bread, fresh fruit. YUM!
Today was great! We ran out of juice and fruit snacks, but the end is near! I finished the t-shirt quilt for my friend Amanda. She offered me $60 and a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper! I was a little bit more excited about the Dr. Pepper, since I can't spend the money yet...and I have gone 60+ hours without DP. :) I still haven't gotten around to replacing the elastic in my diapers, but I did sew patches on some uniforms for a coworker of Brad's. The uniform shop charges something insane like $3.25 per patch. Six uniforms times six patches per uniform would have cost him more than $125. So, I offered to do it for $40 (approximately $1 per patch). So, I made $100 this week with my sewing machine! We had soup for dinner at bible study tonight, but our friend Kelly was smart and made a big pot of mac and cheese for the kids. There was a ton left over, so we took that home to reheat for lunch for the next couple days (the kids will never get sick of it, and I happen to be a fan of left over mac and cheese). We also came home with a few tangerines and a ton of bread, in addition to the 12-pack of Dr. Pepper and mac and cheese. I always leave Home Port feeling truly blessed by the people there, but tonight I felt extra honored to know that our friends are so supportive of what we are doing this month. As of today, we have brought in $100 for the mattress, $75 for the futon, $40 for the recycling, $60 for the quilt, and $40 for the uniform patches. That totals $315. The bills we paid at the beginning of the month were $175 for Jocelyn's preschool, $100 for our cell phone bill, $35 for internet, $10 for Menehune water delivery, and $8 for Netflix. That totals $328. So, If I can sell $13 worth of stuff on craigslist in the next 5 days, we will have actually spent ZERO dollars of this month's pay check, not even for bills. :) Cash: $277 (we haven't actually gotten the $40 from Brad's coworker yet)

Saturday, February 25th:
Breakfast: toast
Lunch: Teriyaki burgers
Dinner: Chicken soft tacos at the Weaver's new house
We started meal planning for March, and making a grocery list. We are excited to start spending again with the revamped relationship we have formed with our money. All of our future spending decisions will be affected by our experiences this month. I think it is going to be hard to spend money again! Cash: $277

Sunday, February, 26th:
Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: The last two teriyaki burgers for me and Brad, grilled cheese and applesauce for the kids
Dinner: Hamburger Helper
I cut Brad's hair again, for the third time this month. That's $30 saved this month just on cutting Brad's hair, something I should have been doing for years! Sam needs a haircut too, and I am going to try that this week because I have been paying way too much for his haircuts. We ran out of juice a couple days ago, and the kids have been begging for something other than water. I found some Kool Aid in the pantry that was either left here by my sister, or given to me by someone who was moving away. I am going to make some tomorrow. Cash: $277

Monday, February 27th:
Breakfast: Toast
Lunch: grilled cheese and cream of broccoli soup
Dinner: Baked chicken, corn and canned sweet potatoes.
I forgot how much I love sweet potatoes...even from a can. Yum. Well, we are closing in on the end of the month, but I just couldn't wait any longer to buy my plane ticket to San Diego for house hunting. I spent $400 dollars today, and it broke my heart. It felt like SO much money. Anyway, it's not like I was planning a leisure weekend just for kicks...this was pretty much necessary. Many of the houses in our price range that are in decent neighborhoods, near decent schools, and are big enough to fit all of our stuff (and grow our family), are short sales. Short sales supposedly take a long time to close because instead of just buying it from a seller by a traditional sale, or from a bank with a foreclosure, you are buying it from both of them, and they have to go back and forth and come to an agreement before you can really get all the way approved....or something like that. Anyway, if we want to be able to move into a house before September, we need to put an offer in like right now. We found an extended stay hotel that we could live in for a few months that wouldn't cost us our entire BAH, but I really don't want to live in a hotel that long, and not have free laundry facilities in my immediate vicinity. Anyway, the money for the ticket technically came out of the tax return money we had put into savings, so I am not letting it count against us, and we still haven't spent any of our February pay check. Maybe I will subtract it when I do the final math. Cash $277

Tuesday, February 28th:
Breakfast: Lucky Charms
Lunch: macaroni and cheese and toast
Dinner: Pork Steaks, rice and asparagus
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! One day left. I think I will celebrate tomorrow by taking the kids on an absolutely free trip to the zoo. We will take a lunch, use our annual pass, and be home in time for naps. I still have more than a quarter tank of gas in the van, and that should be plenty to get us there and back. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so it will be a long day. Today, I finalized our grocery shopping list for next month, and am ready to go stock up for March. Cash: $277