It is all too tempting to wake up on a Saturday morning, lounge for awhile, and then head out for lunch. We may browse Target, maybe catch a movie, perhaps even indulge in another dinner. Of course it is almost inevitable that we will spend money while we are out. We work hard all week. We deserve it, right?
In a quest to save a little coin we have decided to embark on what I have heard termed as a "free weekend." What is a free weeked you may ask? Starting this everning anything we do must be free or at least already paid for in our current monthly budget. Obviously we are not going to turn off the electricity during this swelterting heat.. The only thing we can spend money on will be groceries for meals, and any gas for the car. We must eat all meals at home and utilize our current resources to have a good time.
I like spending as much as the next person. I mean consuming is the American way, right? In an attempt to delay pleasure in exchange for substantial payoff in the future, I am working to discipline those natural human tendencies. Hopefully in the process the whole family will transform, and we can have fun building our relationships and not just our collection of stuff.
Whether it's free or not have a wonderful weekend!
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, November 9, 2009
Oh Oatmeal
I don't hate oatmeal, really. I prefer to jazz it up with brown sugar or cinnamon, but it doesn't make me gag or anything.
I went shopping for groceries and was proud when my bill totaled $50. On a quest to save money I decided to buy a generic box of oatmeal which would last for the week. It is definitely cheaper than bagels or cereal, and it has enough healthy attributes without making me feel hungry well before lunch. At about 8 o'clock I headed to the breakroom to get my oatmeal started. I hate cooking hot cereals like this in the microwave, but I'm pretty sure a hot plate would be frowned upon so my options are slim. The oatmeal bubbled up and then settled into something that resembled mud pots from Yellowstone. The first few bites weren't bad, but it never fails that I will be interrupted and soon my oatmeal was a cold mushy mess. I ate it quickly trying not to think about the texture or temperature.
Here's the real deal. Oatmeal reminds me I am on a budget. As soon as I make a concerted effort to be frugal, I immedietely feel deprived. I know the is simply a spoiled Western mindset that I must overcome. It is much akin to going on a diet and suddenly the McDonald's sign looks shinier and more lovely than ever before.
No matter what I must purge this sense of entitlement and eat my oatmeal like a good girl. No goal worth attaining is ever an easy road, right?
I went shopping for groceries and was proud when my bill totaled $50. On a quest to save money I decided to buy a generic box of oatmeal which would last for the week. It is definitely cheaper than bagels or cereal, and it has enough healthy attributes without making me feel hungry well before lunch. At about 8 o'clock I headed to the breakroom to get my oatmeal started. I hate cooking hot cereals like this in the microwave, but I'm pretty sure a hot plate would be frowned upon so my options are slim. The oatmeal bubbled up and then settled into something that resembled mud pots from Yellowstone. The first few bites weren't bad, but it never fails that I will be interrupted and soon my oatmeal was a cold mushy mess. I ate it quickly trying not to think about the texture or temperature.
Here's the real deal. Oatmeal reminds me I am on a budget. As soon as I make a concerted effort to be frugal, I immedietely feel deprived. I know the is simply a spoiled Western mindset that I must overcome. It is much akin to going on a diet and suddenly the McDonald's sign looks shinier and more lovely than ever before.
No matter what I must purge this sense of entitlement and eat my oatmeal like a good girl. No goal worth attaining is ever an easy road, right?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Much Better
Saturday turned out to be much better than Friday. I finally broke down and apologized to Chris Friday afternoon. It helped clear the air and we were happy once more. Yesterday was the big love fest day. I personally have nothing against Valentines. Even when I had no one I was never one to dress in black or go indulge in overeating. Simply put, Valentines does nothing for me. Chris and I have gone out to dinner a few times before, but we just don't make a big deal out of it. I prefer birthday celebrations and random acts of love to a one day mandated holiday for it all. I just feel the day takes the personal factor out of it, but hey that's just me. If you do love Valentines than I hope you had a great one. The only reason I really do anything for the holiday is because of Kaylie. She loves every holiday, so I try to make them as special as possible. We taught her how to cut out little construction paper hearts (we did the cutting) and she received plenty of cookies and candy.
We spent our Saturday going to the park with the kids an then took Maverick to the doctor for a weight check up. At his yearly exam a month ago he weighed 122 lbs. We were told he needed to get to 100. I was so nervous about this weigh in. I have been trying to monitor him at all times so he doesn't help himself to extra treats around the house. He has been walking a lot more, but it is really hard to keep a yellow lab from scrounging. Well it turns out all of that hard work paid off. Maverick lost 8 lbs!!! The dr. was very happy with his progress. With a little more work Maverick will be the biggest loser =) The greatest reward for us is hoping we can keep him with us a few years longer.
After all of that excitement we were starving. We had spent week and a half eating all of our meals at home and bringing lunches to work. We are trying to stick to the budget and be a little more disciplined. This is a huge accomplishment for us as one of us usually ends up snagging a fast food meal at lunch during the work week. I had been craving some Chinese food for some time. We decided we could work in one meal out for the week at our favorite and very affordable Royal Panda. It was so awesome! You really do appreciate the little things more when you delay instant gratification.
We finished the day off by getting back to the plan and heading to the store for grocery shopping. This part is definitely a chore, but we always shop together so it's not too bad. All in all it was a good Saturday. Today we are going to go to the park and grill hot dogs as long as the weather is favorable. What a great weekend. I love my family!
We spent our Saturday going to the park with the kids an then took Maverick to the doctor for a weight check up. At his yearly exam a month ago he weighed 122 lbs. We were told he needed to get to 100. I was so nervous about this weigh in. I have been trying to monitor him at all times so he doesn't help himself to extra treats around the house. He has been walking a lot more, but it is really hard to keep a yellow lab from scrounging. Well it turns out all of that hard work paid off. Maverick lost 8 lbs!!! The dr. was very happy with his progress. With a little more work Maverick will be the biggest loser =) The greatest reward for us is hoping we can keep him with us a few years longer.
After all of that excitement we were starving. We had spent week and a half eating all of our meals at home and bringing lunches to work. We are trying to stick to the budget and be a little more disciplined. This is a huge accomplishment for us as one of us usually ends up snagging a fast food meal at lunch during the work week. I had been craving some Chinese food for some time. We decided we could work in one meal out for the week at our favorite and very affordable Royal Panda. It was so awesome! You really do appreciate the little things more when you delay instant gratification.
We finished the day off by getting back to the plan and heading to the store for grocery shopping. This part is definitely a chore, but we always shop together so it's not too bad. All in all it was a good Saturday. Today we are going to go to the park and grill hot dogs as long as the weather is favorable. What a great weekend. I love my family!
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