Cash Update

Use it up,

Wear it out,

Make it do,

or do without!

We did it!!

We went a full month without using a credit card or debit card for any of our food, miscellaneous, and general household expenses! Just cold, green CASH.

The great part was getting the credit card bill in the mail the other day. It was so thin, so light. When I opened it up, I was sure that it would scare me. It didn't. For the first time in a long time, the balance was what I expected. It was just gasoline charges. Yea! (Now, I could write a whole other post about how gas prices are so high, that the bill wasn't as low as it should be, even though all that was on it was gas. I mean, don't you remember the days not so long ago when gas was just .99 cents per gallon! . . . )

The reward came when I got done with paying the required bills after Stuart just got paid, and we had almost $700 left this month! Too bad that it all has to go towards the annual property tax bill that is due in early October. But, it's still great progress! After this month, we hope to begin applying that amount each month towards paying off our Odyssey van early.

So . . was it worth it, and will I continue to do the Dave Ramsey-crazy-fanatical-cash only-envelope system thing? Definitely, yes.

Is it hard? Definitely, yes.

I feel like we are scrimping right now. I am checking prices constantly. I compare grocery food products for the best price per ounce. I bought a huge, 5 lb tube of ground beef and split it into freezer portions in order to save price per pound on meat. I am buying all of Arden's clothing second hand with consignment sales and Ebay (I mean down to EVERY pair of her shoes for this fall!). I have noticed that I haven't gone out to "browse" at the stores much because I know I can't buy anything. We haven't paid to eat out as a family a single time. I waited in line for 40 minutes to get the boys' hair cut at a "grand opening" special at a new salon for $2.99 each, in order to save the usual cost of $12.00 per haircut.

It is taking hard work, dedication, denial, and sacrifice. If you see me still wearing shorts and capris into October and November, it's because I don't have enough clothing money budgeted yet to buy jeans that fit post-baby #3! However, it's been fun to challenge ourselves to be better stewards of our money, and we know that it will have a reward of accumulating more savings down the road.

So, I've already spent all but $100 of my food/household cash that is to last for the next two weeks . . . in three days! Yes, Sam's Club and Walmart can consume most of my budget. I've got to make it for 12 more days. I'm determined, and I'm looking around for more things to sell on Ebay!