The diapers are finished!!! well...almost

I just finished sewing 12 size small cloth diapers for Gideon! I am so excited to have them done. Well, technically I still have to attach snaps to the tabs and make the lay in soakers, but that's easy stuff and won't take much time at all. I can't wait to see them on him! I even think I figured out a way to make them usable in the newborn size if needed. The best part is that I bought NOTHING for these diapers. I used materials I had on hand, most of which I got through trades and didn't put any money out for. If I use these diapers for 4 months (about how long smalls fit my kids) it will be a huge savings for us.

I have been making an effort to really spend less. On our way home from Chicago last weekend, Dan and I came up with the idea to only spend money twice a week. On Mondays and Thursdays. Those would be the days we'd run errands and get cash out of the ATM. On on the other days, we would just have to do without or use cash we'd budgeted for on a spending day.
On the first Monday, I went to the grocery store, was very careful about what I spent, and got the rest of our weekly budget in cash. Only spending that specific amount of cash really, really helped. Not taking pleasure trips to Target or Goodwill helped also.
Another things I did was to get the sale calender at Goodwill and circle the days that I wanted to go. A couple of the kids needed shoes so I made sure to go check on 1/2 off shoe days. Ashton needed shorts so we went on 99 cent kids clothes day. Boy did we make out! I can't tell you all the stuff we got for $18. Ashton doesn't need shorts anymore, and Quintin and Landon have swim suits that fit! Landon even has a rash guard to match. But I think that Ashton's like-new Calvin Klein jeans and Ralph Lauren oxford shirt were my favorites! For 99 cents!!!
But we did never find shoes for A and Q. While clipping coupons in the Sunday paper, I noticed in the Target add that kids athletic shoes were on sale for $9. So Ashton and Q have new shoes that fit. I would have much rather paid $3 at goodwill for almost new Nike's, but this will do and didn't break the bank.

Most of these things probably seem so obvious, but I've just not been very careful with money lately and I'm excited to crack down on myself again. When we were first married we were so broke...and we bought the cheapest of everything. And of course only things we really needed. It's nice to get back to that again.