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Photo by Kari Sullivan
We've made it to July 13th, and we're still hanging in there with our no spend month. Overall, I think it's going exceptionally well--with some ups and downs of course, but such is the way of life, right?
* Firstly, can I just say thanks so much for all the amazing recipes and links you guys left in the post last week? Kohlrabi is most definitely my new favorite vegetable--and where has it been all my life? We mixed escarole into one of our salads, and the kale chips? Well, let's just say that I bribed my youngest to finish his lunch so he could have more--success!
* One big change I've noticed is the abundance of gratitude I feel each time I do spend anything.
As I hand my money over, in exchange for food or gas, a wave of thanksgiving passes over me and I feel extravagantly blessed. That, after all, was the main purpose behind our no spend month, and I'm so pleased to experience the feeling that comes from mindful spending.
* We used our infamous Starbucks coupon on Saturday (a seriously scorching afternoon)--in exchange for the largest Java Chip Frappucino they could make, which Steve and I shared. It felt completely luxurious and over the top to have it--we're not used to that much sugar either anymore so even in our excitement we couldn't quite finish it off.
* I did hit a bit of a wall yesterday when I was totaling up what we've spent thus far. There are some special occasions I'm hoping to celebrate with some small extras this week, and I'm not sure if spending on them will mean that we'll end the month with too little. Having never done this before it's hard to estimate.
Our total expenditures thus far have totaled $125, which means we have $145 left for the next two and a half weeks.
Will we make it? Will we run to the nearest takeout restaurant on August 1st? Stay tuned to find out!
**Help me out--any ideas to help stretch these dollars to last longer? I need some ways to celebrate with the kids that don't cost much money!**
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