Guys, this is not a drill. I repeat- this is not a drill. For the first time in forever, we managed to have our budget actually NOT go over. It was a weird month, as you can see. We don't exactly get checks for $13,000 every month and then proceed to buy a $12,000 car. That was all a result of the accident. But we stayed below in medical, groceries, eating out, and gas!
So that was the good news. The very, very good news.
But it was short lived, unfortunately. April was a disaster (and I should not be surprised, as April is my name and everything). Everyone kept getting sick. Colds, the flu, migraines. We also decided to hire a crew to finish one issue with the basement & ended up deciding to finish up practically all of it, which resulted them finding issues with the walls, etc. It felt like I was trapped in a bad episode on HGTV. Check out the difference though.
Future home theater:
Future home gym:
They're both still going to need plenty of aesthetic tweaks & buys, but the bare bones are looking great and the whole dang basement is finally functional. I can't tell you how good that feels.
Steps I am taking this month to save:
+ Unplug devices when they aren't in use. Turn off lights & TV when leaving rooms.
+ Don't wear makeup unless I feel I really need to.
+ Plan meals around the best store sales. Make one weekly shopping trip and avoid stores otherwise.
+ Get creative with gifts. There are plenty of diy crafty gifts that I could do with the kids for their grandma's on Mother's Day.
+ Using portion control to make meals last longer. Eat healthy and don't snack out of boredom. Cook at home and bake goodies instead of eating out or buying things packaged.
+ Use points at Walgreens to save on food & other essentials. I think I have around 20,000 points, or $20, to use.
+ Try to use as little water as possible and keep showers short & baths shallow.
+ Keep working out. Clean the house and the cars. Take care & take pride in the abundance of things you already own. Do all the free things you enjoy and get creative and use the things you already have.
+ Keep trying to downsize and sell the things we no longer need, want, or use.
