March 27- Month End!! Did we do it?

The end of our last full week in this No-Spend month we received our Architect bill.  This bill is what sparked a last minute 'no-spend' month.

Days 21-26th, a busy week!

A busy week and the spending was low!  Thriftiness and creativity at its best!

Day 18, 19 and 20: spending my savings

A few easy days and a little treat.

day 15, 16 &17 St Paddys Day and almost out of money!

Day 15 was a special day for hubby and I.  

A rare date for us, we had signed up previously to do our local Poulsbo Beer Run.  It was pouring, i mean POURING rain, 45 degrees and 4 miles of running AND beer with our small community.  It could not have been more fun!  Such a special bonding experience that we desperately needed.  A rare chance without our darling, but needy children.  As we had previously paid our admission, that was covered. My parents were available to watch the kiddos, thanks to pre-planning so technically we didn't spend money this month for this event :)

day 12, 13 & 14: keeping it thrifty!

A few easy days here.  I simply followed my menu plan for the week and don't spend a dime!

I check the pantry and freezer frequently for items to get creative with and use up!

G for gross. being cheap doesn't always pay off!

day 9, 10 and 11: Birthday Time!

Monday was easy, getting to work and school on time with Daylight Savings time was enough to keep everyone focused.  Hubby usually leaves about 5:30 so we certainly did not see him on this morning!  I managed to get a healthy breakfast into both my girls and get them to their schools on time.  A win for me!

all wrapped up and ready to go!

day 7 and 8; weekend fun!

We are blessed with a beautiful Pacific Northwest weekend.  Surprisingly warm, actually.  Mid 60s and sunshine.  We are thankful its not raining and cold.

Saturday consisted of lounging around the house, doing some clean up and then going to the park to enjoy the weather for a couple hours.  Beyond beautiful!

day 6: fun friday

Man oh man we seem to go through a lot of produce!!!

I hit up Safeway this morning and got some bargains. After tax the total was just $15 for all this. 

day 4 & 5; a little treat!

Wednesday is early-release day in our school district and I love to use that extra time to do something fun with my kiddos.  They have been asking for ice cream lately so I knew we were upon a good opportunity!  Our Dairy Queen has half-priced milk-shakes until 4pm so on early-release day we can make it just in time for the bargain!

both kiddos choose cherry milkshakes!

day 3: free haircut

Heading into Day 3 I knew I had to visit Costco.  Produce was really low and our poultry was too.  

Last summer when we did a no-spend month we just sucked it up and lived on beans and rice and pasta and homemade breads.....  and what other home-made carbs can I add to this list?  I know I gained a few pounds that summer and didn't have much energy.  We are not willing to go to that extreme this time, trying to focus on our health as well....  its a tough balance!

day 2: spending and one big cut!

The realization hit that we indeed needed some non-carb protein for the week settled in and I accepted the fact that I had to go to the grocery store.  I knew I could hit up Safeway and stick to my budget while finding what I needed.

Day 1

 

March 1st, Day 1.  

I am organized and ready to save every penny this month.  We have a deadline, and its major!  Here is the beginning of our financial journey, Phase 2: adding on to the home.  We will clearly be financing the construction but need to pay cash for many things.  This month we need to save the remainder of our Architect fees.  ....and its a LOT!  

Menu Plan Monday... No-Spend March!

Whew- the best solution to organize my meals for the entire month was to just do it.  I printed out a calendar from a free site and got to work!

No-Spend March... getting ready!

For some personal reasons we NEED to do a no-spend month.  We need to come up with some extra money, a LOT of extra money actually, for a very large home project.  We've been saving, but we need a little more.  Here is our push.  Its real, its NOW.