I can't even say it.....

I am on a bbbb...budget. There I said it! It seems I have lived on a shoestring budget ever since my hubby and I married 13 years ago. We've had a few good years and the last few have been part of that. A good year means I don't have to count every penny, watch how much everything is at the grocery and I can spurge without feeling the guilt.

Now with the price of gas, utilities and food I must put our family back on a budget. Ours may not be as strict as others but it is still sent shock waves through our home. The main budget item that has hurt is limiting eating out. This I didn't mind so much. I get sick of eating out, but it is easier. Now we eat something cheap on Tuesday nights because we have to go to ballet after co-op and don't get home till way after 7 p.m. That is too long from 11:30 lunch time for my youngins. And we eat out once on the weekend. This weekend we choose Cracker Barrel. We can eat there cheap. Most places we eat on the weekends are reasonable at least. That makes it easier to stay on budget.

I have also begun to plan my meals again, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I planned them for 2 weeks at a time and went to the grocery. I didn't go to Wally-world, but to the local good grocery store. I ended up spending about $100 less than the previous weeks. We have had great meals every night. For example, tonight we had pan seared steaks with baked potatoes and peas. Plus, we had coconut shrimp for an appetizer, my hubby's favorite. The total meal cost me about 12 bucks for the four of us. I got the steaks and frozen shrimp on sale. That was one of our "special meals".

I have several meals planned that leave leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day, something I used to rarely do. The kids actually like leftovers!

As part of my budgeting I am getting Poogie's and TT's clothes together to take to a local consignment shop. I used to do this every season and I made a lot of money at it. I hope to get enough money back by Dec or Jan to hit the good sales to buy the kids more clothes.

This of course has lead to planning a yard sale for Oct. I have always had great success with yard sales. I haven't had one for several years just because I have lacked time and space to prepare for one. Now it has become evident that with all the excess clutter we need to get rid of some.

Now I must rest for a day full of lesson plans, laundry and of course taking my mother to the store. That is the one area that is hard to budget. I have had to fight it tooth and nail to make less trips to town, but she just doesn't see the problem. Of course she is not the one paying $80+dollars to fill up my van. I am working on it.