I've got the Joy Joy Joy Joy down in my heart

Sun warmed, sugar soft sand.  Can it get any better?  

Seriously.

I have spenders block.  My self-imposed finite dollar amount has completely stopped me in my tracks.  I can't even make a meal plan because every item I write down becomes a loud CHA-CHING! in my head.  I need help.

And help has arrived in the form of one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving!  My sweet hubby just shook his head at my silly dilemma and reminded me to live in reality please.  I love how he cuts straight to the point as I spin like a whirling dervish. caught up in my latest pet project.   So right after this, I am sitting down to make my list of culinary delights with which to nourish my family and friends.

        

Can I just tell you how much I want to order a pizza right now?

I need to stay focused.  I keep getting sidetracked by all these great intentions of spending next to nothing for wholesome and delicious foods that my family will eat with gusto and then, in unison, rise up and call me blessed.  Then I look around and remember, oh yeah, I still have the same stuff in the kitchen, most of it left over because none of us want to eat it.  Then the pizzas start dancing in my head...

Silence pizzas! (insert scary wizard of oz voice)  I'm going into my kitchen and I'm going to create something delicious and nutritious out of nothing....details to follow.

    

Second Hand Christmas Shopping

I am hoping to do all of our Christmas Shopping at the second hand shops around town, craigslist and the Dollar Tree.  Our only exception might be a bike.  If we can't find one used, we will buy it new. But nothing else! 

We are going with 4 gifts each and stockings for the kids:

Something to Wear

Something to Read

Something I Want

Something I Need 

I'm not sure how specifically we will explain it to the kids yet, but that is our plan of action.  If it works well, I hope to make that our tradition.

We will make homemade goodies and deliver them to neighbors and friends and Grampy & Bebe will help us take them to the Dollar Tree to choose gifts to give to each other.

I'm really excited to find second hand treasure for my treasures!  

Embracing my budget

So, I have never been, well, thrifty.  Okay, I'll take that further and admit, I have no head for numbers.  I have to count on my fingers, so figuring out what is a good buy does not come naturally to this girl.  I also suffer from a little known optical disorder called, everything must be pretty and match, even in my pantry or I must toss it, damn the waste.  I am self treating my disorder by allowing my house to look more lived-in.  Well, my kids are big contributers to that for me, but I digress...

My budget Commitment.

I have pledged to Dave that I will provide all of our household needs for $100 Cash/week.  My only exception is the $30/wk in gas.  I won't leave my kids in the car to go inside to pay cash and I am certainly not getting them all out to go with me.  So that is the only non-cash expense I intend to have.  Oh!  and the $13.50 I paid for a paper subscription so I could get the coupons from the Sunday paper.  Why I can get the paper 4 days a week for only 1.05 and it would have cost me $1.25/wk for Sunday only is beyond me.

So thanks to help from Crystal from moneysavingmom.com, I have a nifty little coupon file in my purse, complete with a calculator & pen.  I have always been good at shopping for the things I need for my little projects, its the follow through that trips me up.  Not this time!  My little family is depending on me to get it together and carry us through our current situation.  I can do this.

Tomorrow I will make my meal plan and grocery list.  I don't have many coupons yet, so we will be eating really basic, but that is usually we all enjoy the most.  I need to sneak in some Thanksgiving ingredients and hopefully some Christmas gifts, too.

        

    

Confessions of a material girl

Okay, I can admit it.  I am quite an accomplished retail shopper.  I learned young.  Sales were just an excuse to go out for a good dose of retail therapy.  The hunt, the thrill of purchase and, of course, the prideful preening of possession.  Oh, happiness in a new pair of shoes!  Or just the right bag.  Or the perfect new lamp for the living room.  Or just that right shade of toe nail polish, never mind the 40 bottles at home under the sink.  You get the idea.

God, in His ultimate wisdom, paired me with a frugal man.  A loving, responsible, level-heading man.  I am forever thankful for Dave.  He leads our family in the right direction.  Always putting my material urges into perspective for me.  When I started thinking how much I would love a new diamond ring for our anniversary, he gently asked me if I would like a ring or to pay for college for one of the kids.  He is wise and I love him so.

But alas, even my Dave couldn't have prepared for the financial uproar in which we now find ourselves.  Partly circumstance beyond our control and partly poor decisions on our part, but whatever, can't change any of that now.  The point is, now is the time for me to grow into the good steward I know I can be.  Who needs retail?  I've got a whole new world of second-hand, pre-loved items just waiting to bless our family and provide us with a way to bless others, can't beat that with a stick!     

So join me on my journey.  Your comments, questions and encouragements are welcome and appreciated.  Let's go!