Photo by Cheryl VanStane
Five days left of no-spend month and we are hanging in 'til the end! I can see the finish line now and we are going to make it across--it's a good feeling, but it will be a better feeling on Sunday. ;)
Remember two weeks ago when I asked for ideas to celebrate with the kids on the cheap?
Well, Steve and Elijah were jetting off to England for the week and I needed to make things special for the two kids left at home (who were not thrilled that it wasn't their turn for a special trip!). I thought your suggestions were great and we had a blast playing in the sprinkler, painting outside, and picking blueberries (No way was I missing out on blueberry season just b/c of no spend month!).
I also loved It Feels Like Chaos's idea to put sprinkles on anything to jazz it up. I did this with yogurt and oatmeal and the kids thought it was amazing!
We've made our final shop for the month so our goal is to make what we have last until Sunday. We're pretty low on fruit, but will be making do with applesauce, raisins, and a few bananas. I love having granola mixed into my cereal on a morning, but we've run out. Steve whipped up a batch for me--love that guy!
Thanks to our awesome CSA, we're set with vegetables and should last out in that department. Which brings me to the question, what do I do with swiss chard? I loved your kale ideas in week one, so I know you won't let me down now!
Usually the kids and I take the van for a couple of outings each week. This week, though, we're sticking pretty close to home. This allows us to save on gas and it means Steve can take the van to work instead of having to spend on the bus (we're a one-car family, remember).
A few days ago I said to Steve, "This isn't fun anymore." We were spending way too long discussing the food necessities we could buy and still stay within our budget. And I wasn't willing to buy cheaper (more processed) food just to make ends meet.
But we made it through the lows and can now see the goal up ahead! A good feeling.
I'm not going to tell you this week how much we've spent--you wouldn't believe it! I'll leave it for next Tuesday when I'll be back to report the lessons I've learned through our no spend month.
**Anyone else sticking close to home to save money these days?**
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