About mid June

Here it is, June 13th already!  I kind of want to report that I'm a "no spend" failure, but that is really not the case at all.  I started out with $100 of cash that I had been saving for something good for a log time and decided it would be used for this month's spending.  I added $50 to that when I sold our old, but never used, food processor.  I still have $55 left in my wallet.  Now, I guess to some spending $95 in 13 days is a lot, but to me it's really, really low.  90% of what I bought was groceries and gas and the other 10% was spend on a trip to the thrift store for helmets and a little bike for Mareea ($2.50) and at a garage sale for a $1 clothes hamper I had been planning to buy anyway and some workbooks for the girls.  The $2.50 bike was such a good investment.  Every night the kids go out and ride their bikes in the little alley behind our house with the neighbors.  Gid and Mareea had to share a bike and now she has her own.  She rides it at least once a day and loves it. 

I had to make another big trip to the grocery store yesterday.  I had hoped I could last until Saturday, but I had totally forgotten how much food this family goes through when we are not going out to eat.  Holy massive food consumption, Batman.  I dare say that I'm *almost* getting used to the prep and clean up afterwards also.  Yesterday's grocery trip was $177.  I kind of felt like it was a rebound from trying to save so much on the grocery trip on the 1st.  I only bought the bare minimum so by the time I went back we were cleaned out of everything and I had to restock completely.  This time I bought a little more "stock" for the pantry and hopefully won't have to rebuy everything when I go again in a couple of weeks.  I also went back to buying the organic yogurt and caged free eggs (it killed me to buy non-organic!!) so I know that uped the price also.  I was pretty bummed when the total came up at the register, but reminded myself that $177 is what our large family would spend going out to eat just 3 times at a sit down restaurant.  And if it was a nicer restaurant we could spend that much in just two trips.

I sold a custom mei tai to a mama I am in a babywearing facebook group with.  I'm excited that it will bring in another $46 for our family.  I am trying to decide if it should just go in the wallet for groceries/gas or if I should use it for Landon's birthday on the 30th.  We already ordered him a lego set, but I would like to make this science kit for him.  I know he would love it.  We bought cake mix and mac and cheese for him and he says he wants pizza and a movie for his activity.  The movie we already have and we'll do the Little Cesar's carry out $7 pizzas. 

We are fairly certain we have renters.  They were supposed to sign the lease Monday, but it got changed to Tuesday.  On Tuesday, renter Dad got called into work so renter Mom said she would sign for him.  The property manager told them "not to worry about it" and they could sign Friday when they move in.  Dan and I were pretty upset, but the locks are being changed Friday because he is so sure they are moving in.  I am trying hard to have peace about it and today I'm doing much better than I was yesterday. 

Here's something sort of funny.  I've making a list this month of things that we need/want to buy when we can spend again.  I've even been praying about them.  Here's the list so far

grass fed beef from a local farm
shower curtain/bath mat/toothbrush holder for girls' bathroom
set of glass bowls (all of ours were broken in the move)
bikes for Q and A...have NO luck finding these used
a basketball for the hoop out back
a magnetic dry erase board to write down our meals, memory verse, prayer request and activities (old one got broken in the move)
a swing set or trampoline for the back yard 
A kitchen tool caddy for my big spoons, forks, etc. that are lying on my counter.  The old one was a sugar jar that was turned into a fish bowl. 
A couple of decorative pot holders to hang on my kitchen wall.

I plan to stay out of stores after this month is over.  I also plan to do a lot of thinking before I buy anything!  The kids have started to become more creative and enjoy being at home.  Today they did a paper airplane show for me with different kinds of paper airplanes they had learned to make from a library book.  The girls are really getting into using my old Stampin' Up! supplies that have been sitting for years in bins.  I tried to sell them with no bites so I think it'd be better for them to get used by us.  A friend of mine said that anything can become anything with a little bit of imagination and I really want to teach my children that.  I want them to be content with what they have and not always acquiring things or even always wanting things.