Debt Quote Tuesday, No Regrets

Like all emotion, regret can be used constructively and destructively, but the wholesale dismissal of regret is wrongheaded and dangerous. "No regrets" doesn't mean living with courage, it means living without reflection. To live without regret is to believe you have nothing to learn, no amends to make, and no opportunity to be braver with your life.
-Brene Brown, from Rising Strong

Are there any statements in your life that somehow solidified a place in your mind, like each of these simple statements have their very own shelf where they sit on display inside of your head?

My first ever moment of body shaming, that I can recall, that meant anything to me at all was when I was sitting in the front seat of my parent's car. I must have been wearing shorts or a skirt and my dad was sitting in the drivers seat when he said to me, "woah, your legs are hairy!" He may have said something like, "gross," or "you should shave." I could not have been older then ten. I've had very dark hair for most of my life but still I know that it was little girl peach fuzz type hair that I had on my legs at the time. There was NOTHING about the hair on my legs that I should have been embarrassed or ashamed of but I was mortified in that moment.

My dad is definitely an antagonist and I'm certain he must have made the comment in a mean joking way but that one comment has shaped my life. Actually, I hate to admit it but as long as I can remember I have been ashamed of my legs. There have been years worth of time when I've gone without wearing shorts or skirts shorter then ankle length and I wonder if that one comment that has stuck with me for so long has anything to do with it. It's not the comment itself that hurts but the intense feeling of shame and ugliness that overcame me when he said it.

There are things my mom has said to that always come back in certain moments. Not necessarily negative things just random little statements. The funny thing about some of my mom's comments, certain ones that have their very own shelf in my mind, I've repeated a few to her in the past several years and she's actually said, "I never said that." Then this absolute truth, truth enough to be solidified on it's very own shelf in my brain is suddenly null and void? Gee mom, thanks for randomly telling your young daughter something so important that you never actually meant!

A friend of mine once told me that he, "never regrets anything!" He's a pastor of a church now and while we're not close friends and I don't remember why he was so adamantly not regretting anything there was shame in his statement. Every single time I find myself feeling regretful I think of him having said that and I feel bad, like I need to do away with my moment of regret. For some reason his No Regrets comment has had a very prominent place on display in my mind for a long time.

Having just read the above quote I am filled with delight. I have tried for close to fifteen years to "have no regrets," but I completely agree with Brene Brown. Do you know that after losing our cat a little while back I started to feel regrets. I think regret is an emotion felt by almost every single person after a death. It's completely normal. But as I was feeling this horrible loss and thinking, "I wish I would have snuggled her more. I wish I would have spent more time with her. I wish I would have responded every single time she meowed," (she really only meowed when she was talking to one of us about something) I just tried to bury the regret, ignore it, push it away. I kept thinking that I needed to use that regret constructively to spend more time with my puppies or be a little more attentive to little Abe but then I was scared of the regret and felt shamed thinking, "oh she's gone now, I can't give her what I should have, how dare I feel that I should use this horrible feeling to love my dogs and son more." No, I should use it to do just that. "To live without regret is to believe you have nothing to learn, no amends to make, and no opportunity to be braver with your life."

Same exact thing goes for the financial situation we are in. I regret having used credit cards like toys before my husband and I were together and then with our "excellent" credit both of us having used credit cards like we were living some sort of monopoly game for several years when we were first married. I totally regret that. But I do not let that regret shame me. It is fuel. It is motivation. It is absolutely constructive in helping me to say "no!" to non-necessities and try my darnedest to follow the strict budgets I draw up.

No regrets? Nope, I have regrets and I am using them to fuel gorgeous blazing fires!

If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
Psalm 94:18-19

Debt Quote Tuesday, It's Tuesday right? Is it Tuesday?

Between this being a holiday week, last week's emotional fog, and my husband being off work for eleven days straight just before that I have lost all sense of days of the week and time. The winter is just beginning right? I have moments as I watch the snow melting where I'm thinking spring is around the corner. Oy vey!

I'm in the middle of reading "Happier at Home" by Gretchen Rubin (as well as several other books). The book is interesting; she writes about goals and projects she goes about implementing in order to increase her happiness in life (and more specifically at home). I feel that it reads a bit like a very well organized blog. The book is very upbeat as she writes about this and that accomplishment and how it did or didn't affect her state of happiness.

To be honest I'd read about half way through and it was starting to feel a little too upbeat to me. I mean, I make new goals almost as a profession but am I able to complete half of them? No. Here she is marking this off and working on that project and I half started to think, "this woman is too good to be true."

A little over half way through she hits a wall so to speak and I'm like, "HA! I'm not so much a freak as I was starting to feel." Smack dab in the middle of the book she writes:

 "Around January, my emotional energy flagged. I felt trapped in a kind of Ground Hog Day of happiness. When I looked back at my Resolutions Charts from previous months, I saw rows of X's on certain pages; the same resolutions defeated me, over and over. I wasn't making much progress." 

She goes on and on like this for about five pages. This, in the middle of a pretty upbeat, go and get em book about happiness. And then the book returns to it's normal pace. This little "I'm feeling defeated" moment in the book stuck out like such a sore thumb and yet I am still feeling a sort of relief from her having put that in there.

When I was a kid I was so fascinated by Paul's rant of sorts in Romans chapter 7:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (vs. 15-25)

I used to read this over and over as a kid. I was confused at how this man who wrote a good portion of the new testament which is all, "do good, be good, turn away from evil, love the Lord," how could he all of the sudden be struggling so much? What in the world was he failing at/ not doing that he wished he were doing that would cause him to write such a passage filled with that much turmoil? I was fascinated that life could really be that hard for adults too. I mean, it was SO difficult for me in middle school and high school and I wasn't even working full time, paying bills, raising kids, running a house hold... but adults were supposed to have it all together. I mean, they had grown up. I was just utterly fascinated by this passage.

I still am really. It's like a beacon of hope. "No mam, even people who write a good portion of the new testament don't have it all together." People who write books about happiness even have to put that downer moment in the middle. Being an adult doesn't mean having it altogether.

Okay, pep talk done.

Now that the holidays are upon us I am starting to feel very overwhelmed. I want the holidays to be spectacular. Christmas only comes once a year. But I have a hard enough time feeling that I accomplished taking care of my home, my family, my kid, paying the bills, keeping everyone fed, and making it to work and back on a daily basis. Throw the holidays in there and, well, this year I'm starting to panic a little. I write all this to say, "no panic necessary! Adults don't have it all together. I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and well, I seriously need to get more organized." But really, it's okay. I'm going to try my hardest and everything will be just fine.

Happy Holidays!

Day two of $10 a day (for ten days)

I spent the first two hours of work talking myself out of candy corn. I saw the little candy gems in the back rooms at the stores about two weeks ago. They've been on the sales floor for at least a week already. This morning the autumn craving hit me. "I need candy corn!" I just kept thinking, "I'm already $2.45 ahead of where I should be, what's another $2?" Oh the struggles...

Spending rundown today: $0, NO SPEND day 72 for the year.

My budget for the month is $450.79 which leaves $67.55

Average daily spending for 2015: $17.87

The cause of most of man's unhappiness is sacrificing what he wants most for what he wants now. 

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Debt Quote Tuesday

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
- George Bernard Shaw

Definition: Liberty - freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, from captivity, confinement, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.

The Bible says that "the borrower is slave to the lender." I read these words very literally. One has forfeited many of his or her liberties once they have borrowed money from another. I am not free to do what I wish with the money I make because I owe it to another. I am held captive from places I may wish to go or plans I may wish to make for financial reasons, financial reasons that would not be an issue if I owed no one.

We've dug our own hole. I will be the first to admit to that. I'm working on getting us out no matter how long it takes. In the mean time this statement rings truer than true, "liberty means responsibility." We were not responsible with our finances at first, for years. Responsibility is living within your means. Responsibility is paying the bills first. Responsibility is working to increase your income if you're unable to live off of what you make. Responsibility is hard work but it enables liberty.

Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.
- Bob Marley

Spending rundown today: $25.08 on groceries. $2.14 on a yard ornament/ little blue bird for my sister and mom's yard. I left it there on may way home from work. It was deeply clearanced out and for some reason I felt I needed to buy it and put it in their front flower bed today.

My budget for the month is $513.62 which leaves $236.19

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.02

Debt Quote Tuesday May 17, 2011

After the $10,000 payoff announcement the other day I thought today would be the perfect time to revisit my very first Debt Quote Tuesday post. 

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
-James 3:5

I haven't much left in the budget this week but I'm not going to get discouraged about it. There have been a few days during these past couple weeks when I've considered my lack of discipline, I've looked at the plans and plans and more plans spread way out into the future which I've made in hopes of tackling this debt and I've been nothing but discouraged. Sometimes it just looks to big, the overall process. Sometimes I begin to lose momentum and I just want to go back to the old ways, to charge and spend and live it up right NOW. 

I think I'm slowly working away from those negative moments of discouragement and doubt though. I'm learning that I cannot hold the weight of one or two bad decisions or financial slip ups over my head. When I screw up I have to let it go and move on. I heard the above verse spoken today and I thought about this financial struggle. I can only do this thing if I keep the fire inside burning. When the flame starts to die down the struggle and toil and journey become to difficult to handle. I'm relying on a small spark to burn a mighty forest and I cannot keep beating myself up and risking extinguishing the flame.

I'm REALLY thankful for this blog. Having to face the music everyday is really keeping me and my spending in check. Constantly re-evaluating where the money is going and what wasteful habits we have is seriously helping me change for the better. I love that people are following along with me on my journey. I love that (slowly but surely) I am climbing out of the hole and even though some days all I can do is stop and cling to the steep crumbling dirt lining the walls of my pit and simply catch my breath and look at the bright sky up above past the opening, I am getting there. I am getting out. I am on my way to freedom. The fire burns brighter!

Since this post, over four years ago I've slowly but surely made my way considerably further up the debt hole. The sky above is seemingly getting brighter and certainly getting closer. Thank-you to every one of you who has come along for the journey. Every comment, every stop by, every one of you who visits regularly or stops by occasionally has helped me to keep the flame going. Thank-you all!

Spending rundown today: I had a small list of things I needed to pick up today on the way out of work: milk, dish soap, eggs, chocolate chips. I kept adding things to the list while I was working at the store. When it was time to leave I told myself "I do not want to spend more than $15 today." I started getting groceries, adding things up as I went. I went over $15 but couldn't figure out what to put back so I didn't. "Gah, plan ruined." When I got to the check out I realized I had a $2 off coupon in my wallet. The total came to $16.96 but the $2 off coupon brought it down to $14.96. I managed to meet my goal/ stick to the plan by default. Oh, I will take that victory any day!

My budget for the month is $513.62 which leaves $360.71

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.03

September spending plan (I know, how exciting)

Worry does not keep it from raining tomorrow, but it does keep it from being sunny today.
-Shannon L. Alder

The number one key I've found essential in trying to spend less, live frugally and pay off debt is to have a plan, oh and to stick to the plan. I will be the first to admit that sticking to a plan or a set of goals is very difficult for me (but I'm sure I'm not alone in that struggle). However, it all starts with having a plan in place. I think, like the quote above, today I will focus on doing well with whatever plan I've put in place, no need to worry or fret about the days to come and tomorrow will be a new day.

September has arrived!
My spending budget for the month is $513.62
I plan to purchase a bag of cat food this month (est. $25)
possibly a few Christmas presents (est. $40)
A dinner at a restaurant (est. $30)
And today I bought the new pan I put in the budget ($16.68)
That leaves $100.48 to spend on groceries and whatever else each week this month.
^ That's the plan.

Spending rundown today: $16.68 on a new pan. I was hoping to find one on clearance and today I did. Instead of a teflon pan this time I bought a ceramic one. I've never used a ceramic pan so I hope I like it. I took out $6 to give to my sister for a book that we're going half/ half on. I spent $19.23 on groceries.

My budget for the month is $513.62 which leaves $471.71

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.01

I already marked a few things off my September list.
I signed my baby up for swimming lessons yesterday (starts in two weeks).
Little Abe and I (mostly him) made the thank-you card for my brother yesterday and put it in the mailbox today.
I got one of the dogs almost completely groomed so that's half way there on that one (SOOO much work!).

Happy September everyone!!!

Debt Quote Tuesday with Albert Einstein and some reminiscing

Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury - to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.
-Albert Einstein

At first I was just trying desperately to get our spending under control. I embarked upon a year long journey to see how little stuff I could acquire (food not considered). That was shortly after I went on a mission trip to Guatemala and saw how little people can really live on, and not just get by on but really live lifetimes, generations; there are entire cultures of people who just don't have much of anything. Not long after, this blog began and I started to really budget all of our spending, track it, and try to get it lesser and lesser. I've come such a long way.

"It's what's on the inside that really counts." Remember your mom trying to tell you that when you were an adolescent and you were crying because someone said you were fat or ugly or that you would be cute if it weren't for your 32 chins? (someone really said that about me in the fifth grade) Who cares what really counts when what everyone really wants is more, bigger, better, smarter, and prettier.

Twenty years later and my heart, what's on the inside, screams with a peaceful sort of sound, "a simple and unassuming manner of life IS best; it is what's on the inside that really counts."

I remember wanting things when I was young. I remember before getting my first paper route I lost a pair of earnings that I adored. Goodness they were long. I think they actually touched my shoulder. Us 80's kids were the coolest. I remember crying and crying and asking my mom if she would "please, please, please buy me another pair." She refused. I'm sure she said something about me needing to take care of my things (in truth my younger brothers were responsible for the loss and destruction of most of my things). I remember screaming something like, "I hate you. I wish I had a job. I wish I were an adult." I cried and cried. I do not remember what I said but the memory of losing those earrings and wishing with all my heart that I could fast forward time and be an adult and have a job and buy my own stuff and be responsible for my life, that is a vivid memory for me even today. I remember the feelings I had in that moment, the ardent desire to grow up and work and have money and be able to buy stuff.

I wish I could take it back, that feeling. Do you ever think about going back and telling your little kid self something, a message, like words of wisdom or some advice on how to handle a certain situation? I think I'd go back to that very moment. I'd tell myself that childhood is a gift (I did not spend very much of my childhood being a child; my childhood ended when I was 10) and to try my very hardest to enjoy it and appreciate it. I'd tell myself that stuff is not important that it could never make anyone happy and to start there and then looking for the lovely bits of life. And of course I'd tell myself that I was VERY special and that it really is what's on the inside that counts. I suppose if I'd had listened I would probably have a very different life then the one I have now. Maybe that's one of the reasons we can't go back (you know, and the fact that time travel isn't possible).

This was going to be a quick little post. Oops. All that to say, less is more. Simple is better. It is what's on the inside that really counts. Things and money and stuff really aren't all that they're cracked up to be.

Spending rundown today: $17.89 on groceries.

My budget for the month is $436 which leaves $111.58

Average daily spending for 2015: $17.97

Debt Quote Tuesday; Getting Ahead

There are plenty of ways to get ahead.  The first is so basic I'm almost embarrassed to say it:  spend less than you earn.
-Paul Clitheroe

This quote is perfect for today because I've been thinking along these lines a lot lately. I like how he say's "I'm almost embarrassed to say it." Like, duh, everyone should know this. But do we? I've heard that no matter how much you make rarely will it be enough. People who get raises or move on up the ladder in their careers just buy nicer cars and bigger houses, they begin spending $15 on a t-shirt instead of $5 or $25 instead of $15. More often than not we spend our money. Period. And as a society we're darn good at spending more then we make. We spend money with our eyes. We spend money with our tummies. We spend money with our dreams (even if we're only dreaming about that next mocha frappuccino). You know that once you start dreaming about Starbucks you're likely to find yourself standing at a counter or pulling up to the drive through window shortly there after.

Spend less. That is pretty much always my goal but here I am thinking about it again and by golly thinking about spending less has gotten me a pretty far way along this journey (this very long, slow, arduous journey).

This is silly but one way I've started to spend less is by no longer putting creamer in my coffee. I never thought I'd drink coffee without creamer but a few months ago I ran out and decided to try a week without it and wa-lah a few months later I still haven't bought any. (I know I'm mildly insane) Before cutting it out I probably bought one small thing of Hazelnut Coffeemate a week, usually around $2.49. When the big ones went on sale I'd buy a large one for probably $3 and that'd last two weeks. So if I cut out creamer for a year and saved $3 every two weeks well I'd have saved $78 that year. If I never found them on sale and spend $2.49 a week (come on that doesn't seem like a ton of money) I'd have saved $129.48 in a year. Spending less is spending less. (that $3 number seems really low but I'm thinking the sale is two for $6... now I have to watch the sales on creamer or this is going to bug me)

It's first thing in the morning so this could change but I'm planning a no spend day for today.

Spending rundown today: $0. NO SPEND day 62 for the year.

My budget for the month is $436 which leaves $208.51

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.10

Debt Quote Tuesday

It matters less how much more you make than what you do with what you already have.
- Thomas J. Stanley,
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

Spending rundown today: $0. NO SPEND day 59 for the year.

My budget for the month is $436 which leaves $279.78.

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.28

Watermelon update, because Sue asked.
This is about four days growth.

Debt Quote Tuesday; Oh I can make that

Creativity is intelligence having fun.
-Albert Einstein.

If there's one thing to be said about the frugal life it's that as long as you keep your mind open you can have a lot of fun finding creative alternatives to spending money.

I've done a lot of brainstorming for this upcoming, long drive but short trip and way too much noticing things in the store that would be "just perfect." So far I've not done the greatest job keeping track of what's been spent to prepare for the trip but I haven't lost receipts so I'll add things up soon and I think I've done good.

I wanted to buy a cheap map so that I could keep track of our progress with little Abe in maybe 30 minute increments while driving 8.5 hours down south but, uh, maps aren't cheap. So instead I got foam-board from the dollar store and drew up a map with just our route on it. It will be a little geography lesson for him too. I want to place stickers along the route as we drive and it just so happens I had to work with labels for a project at work last week and I held onto all the blank ones instead of throwing them out so that I can make some stickers in the shape of little blue cars for our map. I could have easily got some cheap stickers somewhere but I like free better.

I've seen a few things you can hang on the back of the front car seat so that drinks, snacks, activities are more accessible or more organized for the kiddo in the car and I almost bought one today until it dawned on me that I could probably make a pretty good one myself with fabric I have on hand, a metal hanger, and a hot glue gun (I do not have time to sew one up right now) So I'll be working on that this evening... we'll see.

On a different note I've been wanting to get some sort of compost bin for ages but every time I look into them I haven't been able to find one that I can afford, or even afford to make, no matter how many of them say "inexpensive DIY" in the headline. I've finally found one that I can make myself for FREE. I'm going to give it a try maybe tonite or more likely after we get back. The "bin" uses three crates (I have one and I've already gotten one from someone who no longer needed it so I only need one more), you glue a lining in the crates (I have the exact lining used in the tutorial on hand), and then place newspaper in the bottom. The post talks about making a lid but I'm pretty sure I have something in the basement I can use for a lid instead. HERE's what I'm talking about. Yay! I'm finally going to have a FREE compost bin. I like this one too because there will really be no heavy lifting and it's super portable.

This is sort of a scattered post and I'm sure I'll post updates on all of these things sooner than later. For now no more talk of making ANYTHING until my kitchen is clean!

AND now, measuring in at just over six feet tall the "little" lady has all of her lovely petals on display.

Debt Quote Tuesday

I've been trying to craft a little Christmas everyday. I worked a bit more on my son's stocking this morning.

His name will be on it eventually.

Today is NO SPEND number 89. That leaves 15 more for the year. I have $92.85 left in this month's budget in order to come in at $13.50 a day spending average for the year.

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
-Confucius

Baby steps right...

Debt Quote Tuesday

Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.
-Rosa Luxemburg

Wow.

Debt Quote Tuesday

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle.
-Frederick Douglass

To anyone who may be embarking upon a similar arduous journey: Struggle on my friends. The victories are worth the challenges.

Average daily spending for November: $10.78

Number of days in a row
Not buying food at work: 4
Not making large unnecessary purchases or luxury purchases: 4
Since we last ate out: 14
And I'm at 3 out of 18 NO SPEND days so far this month

Debt Quote Tuesday

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
-probably every mom ever

Have you ever crawled around on your hands and knees picking fuzz balls out of your carpet because you just don't want to buy more vacuum bags? Well, that was me today.

We have NO money for two days. And we need food, cat litter, diapers (thank goodness for the cloth ones I do have but Hubby and mom in law aren't keen on using them), laundry detergent; the list seems endless but I won't continue. We at least have toilet paper, milk, and food for the fuzzy kids. I plan on a NO SPEND day today (#68) and I'll most likely charge a few food items tomorrow. If I can make it through all of next year without using a charge card one time I will mostly likely feel similar to someone who climbed mount Everest (with warmer finger tips). This year has been really hard on me BUT I am figuring out how to fit a third person into our budget with less income. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.

Next year will be fabulous!

Debt Quote Tuesday Today

The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had means, time, influence, and educational advantages, but what he will do with the things he has.
-Hamilton Wright Mabie

I think at some point in time throughout each day I find myself asking, "why didn't I..." It could be a number of why's: why didn't I refrain from that purchase, why didn't I put more money towards this or that instead, why didn't I spend more time with him, why didn't I go to sleep earlier. Okay so those are fairly little whys but most of our whys are little. It's usually the little ones that bring us down.

The woulds are equally as frustrating: what would I do if I were a millionaire, what would I do if I weren't in debt, what would I do if I had more time, what would I do if I hadn't purchased this house? So much pondering.

Instead of thinking about what I would do or what could have/ should have been done I think I'll take inspiration from Hamilton and move forward. What will I do today?

Be the best me I can be.
Find every bit of lovely life has to offer.
Not go more into debt.
Accomplish NO SPEND #40 for the year.
Smile more.

Okay.

Debt Quote Tuesday/ I Just About Bought the Butterfinger

But I didn't.
NO SPEND day 36 is in the books!

The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.
-Martha Washington

I'm feeling good about July. For some reason I like that it's only 64 degrees outside and raining... possibly just because I feel that it may prohibit my neighbors from their firework shenanigans this evening. I feel as though we're going to catch up some in the finances this month. I'm ready to buckle down, get back on track, and brush myself off from my fall back. I'm feeling that 40 days of lost spending isn't too horrible. I'm looking forward to family time this weekend. I'm from an Irish Catholic family (my dad's side). There are ALOT of us and it will be great to see everyone. 88 people to be exact, if everyone were to show up. Maybe it was 83. I'm bad with numbers. If only my Great Grandparents were still here to see what the two of them contributed to this world. I don't know how my Aunt intends to feed us all though. I'm certain there were other motivating factors to why July looks promising but I'm sitting here listening to the rain tapping on the windows and I've lost track of my thoughts.

Wishing everyone a spectacular 7th month of 2013! The years seem to fly by faster and faster as time progresses but we're only half way through this one... I'll just pretend it's moving along slowly.

Today's lovely: My son's smile upon walking in the front door after work. He's such a tremendous blessing and just melts my heart every single time I look at him.

Debt Quote Tuesday

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.
Romans 13:8 NIV

Getting out of debt is really really important to me. I lament having gone into it but there's no rewinding time. Now I must do what needs to be done in order to clean up my messes. All the while I must remind myself that life is for living. We can love each other, enjoy each other, and embrace the beauty of every single day without spending a penny or owing one cent more. That is encouraging to me.

Finding balance in virtually any area of life is probably impossible, at least I am unable to believe that it can be found, but working at balance constantly is dire. Love, live, be responsible, work hard, enjoy, shine, do right, do good; I guess life is for multi-taskers. I'm working at it.

Average daily spending for April: $11.47
Yep, I'm almost back to my April goal: $11 a day.

Today's lovely: Tickle time with my son. I LOVE his giggles!!!

Debt Quote Tuesday/ $11 a Day

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

My average daily spending for the year is up to $14.65. That's $212 over budget for the year. One might say "Ah, $212 that's not so bad." But I'd have to cut almost $1 a day out of my budget for the rest of the year in order to catch that back up. A dollar a day, I'm learning is actually quite a lot of money.

Today I will take advice from Emerson and start a new. Today is a new day! I'm going to attempt $11 a day spending for the month of April. I may be up to a $14.65 average but that is in the past, now begins the future. Onward and upwards we go.

Thanks so much everyone for all the comments on the Easter basket post. You guys are awesome!

Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Debt Quote Tuesday Brought to you by Ieva

An amazing and incredibly supportive friend of mine has contributed today's debt quote:

“Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around"
-Thornton Wilder

While this quote is almost certainly about charitable giving/ philanthropy, I'm in no place at present to be "spreading the wealth" as I haven't any. However I do find much wisdom in this statement even in my present situation (horrendously in debt). Money like manure if strategically placed can be very productive. Money needs a purpose. Every dollar that comes in should have an assignment. At least for me, when the money comes in if I don't give it a purpose right away then it just gets spent. And most of the time no one in the family has any idea what it was spent on. It's okay if its assignment is simply "food money" or "emergency fund" money. Those categories might be broad seemingly un-purposed but no, at least those few dollars have a job to do.

Too many of us just let our money sit there like poop instead of putting it to work. Let's face it when money is left to sit the dung beetles carry it away. Every dollar should have a name, a place in the field, a job to do. We work hard for our money. It should work for us too.

Ah ha, I didn't spend any money today though! NO SPEND day number 16 of 2013 DONE.

Debt Quote Long but Successful Tuesday

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Proverbs 10:4

Diligent was my middle name today.

Quite possibly I should blog every morning. After that last post I got my rear in gear and actually went grocery shopping (yes I work at the grocery store. no I did not want to make an extra trip) as I had no food to bring to work with me and I was out of yogurt and fruit for baby Abe. I did not want to resort to the drive thru today and I don't think the little guy would have been happy eating veggies and bread (and formula) all day. Once I got home from shopping I very much resembled the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland quickly turning this way and that, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!" In one hour I made a tuna pasta salad for my lunch/ dinner, baked my very first Texas sheet cake, brewed up some coffee to bring with for the day, got myself and the boy ready and washed a few dishes. Saving money is exhausting.

I spent $8.25 on my shopping trip.
AND I didn't spend one single penny while working today. On my late (basically working second shift) day I usually spend money like there's no tomorrow. NOT today! Hooray!
Ooh, ooh, ooh, and my four hour Friday is only two days away. I am happy : )

Average daily spending: $13.51
$127.17 left for the month.

Today's lovely: There is a large lengthy dip in the road near the university I drive past on Tuesdays. It's a rather large university but it's in a very rural area. Thus tons of traffic but not much man made scenery. The expanse of vast red light sparkling before me and equally as many white lights on the other side of the 4 lane road was quite breath taking as everyone rushed to their destinations somewhere other than where we all were (in the middle of nowhere of snow covered hills between a large frozen river beneath a completely grey evening sky). Not often do I find traffic lovely but it was very much so this evening.