Check In

Three months ago, we were spending all of our savings every month. AND dipping into the next paycheck before the current pay period was half over. I didn't know what we were going to do. Send SuperDad out into the 9-to-5 world? Shut down his photography business? Put the kiddos in "cay dare"?

OR. Reign it in. Quit it out. No more extra spending (and being visious about labeling things "extra"). Making savings a priority. A cash budget. Taking a $20 bill to the store, and knowing there were no credit cards or debit cards in my purse to back me up, just in case. Not give up the lifestyle that matters to us so that we can have more stuff.

And here is where we are, three months later:

1. $1000 emergency fund!
2. Credit card debt GONE!
3. Last weekend's trip out of town, paid for, in cash.
4. Next weekend's trip out of town saved for.
5. New glasses, paid for in cash (Um, okay, so they only cost $25 thanks to my awesome insurance. But previous years? I just bought whatever I felt like, even what wasn't covered by insurance and paid with my credit card.)
6. 1/2 of Christmas budget already saved.

Not too shabby for three months' time.

I was concerned that by making the budget a priority, things would start falling by the wayside in other areas. Like that I couldn't focus on losing weight or organizing the house if I was focusing this much on the budget. But I've really found that by making the budget a success, I've felt much more capable in every area of my life, and things are starting to come together rather than fall apart.