One Year of Being on a Budget

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a year since I put our family on a budget. And, I'm glad I did.

There are many memories of last July that seem sad, but they were necessary. I remember partially filling the tank in the car. I remember finding ways to have a fun day with P without spending any money. I remember Mr. mouse eating lots of rice and beans. And, I remember thinking, optimistically, that if we did it for a few short months life would change.

And, it did, but we never went back to the carefree days of never tracking. We have a file I named temporary budget and we still log our daily expenses into it. We have about $200 more a month than when we started this whole exercise last year. And, while $200 might not seem like a lot to a lot of people, it makes a big difference. It means we can splurge a couple of times each month. It means we can fill the gas tank on a regular basis. It means we have steak and sushi sometimes instead of chicken and beans.

The other big thing we did was refill our coffers. We have money set aside for emergencies and for trips and for clothes for P and gifts for Christmas. That's a big difference from last year. So, I suppose we've made progress.

One area I know we should look at is insurance. We have State Farm. And, I feel like we're paying more than we need to for insurance. I asked Mr. mouse to look at some quotes I got last year that would cut our insurance payments in half. It's been a year. When he gripes about our budget, I feel like reminding him that we could find more money in our budget by changing insurance providers. But, I try to refrain from being that person.

The other insurance area I'm debating is my term life insurance. I had term life insurance at old work. And, when I left the insurance provider offered me the option of keeping it at the same rate. I've kept it because I think the money would be useful to Mr. mouse and P if something were to happen to me. But, to be honest, I'm not sure they will need the money. I think we've saved up enough. But, I'm not 100% sure. So, I keep paying the premiums on the term life insurance. But, I'm not sure it's worth it. Perhaps I should put aside the money for it every week instead of letting the lump sum surprise me every three months.

I guess Mr. mouse isn't the only one procrastinating on insurance.


Cheers!
mouse

"Home Theater" Update and Retirement Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, we made all of the changes last night. And, if I'm going to be 100% honest, it doesn't look all that much different from before we made the changes. I take that back. I looked at a photograph before and after and it does look different. I guess it'll just take some getting used to. The funny thing about clutter is that sometimes you get so used to it that when you get rid of it your eye misses the change. Once you get used to the new space, you don't want to go back, but the transition is odd.

Onto retirement update. We do that every month end. I'm not sure what metric I should be using. I guess there's three that I really care about. Goal 1: what we need for our retirement, best case scenario. Goal 2: what we need for retirement, worst case scenario. Goal 3: what we need if we want an annuity that will eventually become P's inheritance.

1. Goal 1: 95%
2. Goal 2: 86%
3. Goal 3: 67%

Some months we make money. Some months we lose money. In a way, I think of this as "my" money. No, I don't think I own the money. I know it's money I share with Mr. mouse. I think of it as my money because the money we earn on it replaces my former income. My paycheck always went towards deleveraging. First it went towards student debt. Then it went towards the house. Most recently it went towards retirement savings. Now, it grows enough by itself that I don't feel guilty taking the time to be with P and to work on my own business. Mr. mouse's money is what puts food on the table, clothes on our back and the heat turned on. It doesn't put a roof over our head, because I was able to provide that. We're a good team.

Anyways, hopefully, one day in the far future all three numbers will be 100%. I'll feel like we accomplished something then. But, if we never hit those numbers that's okay too. I know we accomplished something just by measuring our progress.


Cheers!
mouse

Bonus Deployment

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Friday, Mr. mouse got his bonus. And, after some back and forth we agreed how we would deploy it. 56% of it went into our savings account towards our retirement. Normally, we try to put 90% of it towards retirement savings. But, we wanted to pay off a loan we had made to ourselves from our short term savings account, so we used 34% of it to effectively pay ourselves off. And, that left 10% of it for a vacation. That was our reward to ourselves for the months in 2014 when we were living on a super tight budget. So, I guess, in a way, we did save 90% of it, just in two separate accounts.

And, that, feels so good. I feel like, as long as we continue to live within our means, we won't find ourselves in the dire straights we found ourselves in last summer. And, truth be told, they were dire only because I wanted to dig myself out quickly. There wasn't ever any real danger of expenses not being met. It was more of the little conveniences that go away when each dollar counts. For example, parking was a huge deal - $8 here, $12 there, and before you knew it you could spend $100 on parking, in a month, easily.

In a way, living on super tight budget is easy. There's less to think about, less to worry about. Some decisions get made for you. What's for dinner tonight? Easy. We're eating whatever's in the fridge because we're not going shopping tonight and there's no money to go out. What's the plan for the weekend? Easy. We're playing with the toys we have because we're not buying new ones and there's no money to go out. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Now, for some people, it may sound like tragedy to live in a world of no. But, I'll tell you, I enjoyed it once I got used to it. By not going out, we had some of the best weekends with P. We built crazy concoctions out of Lego. We went exploring in her rocket ship to far worlds like Mars and Trophy Planet. We learned about science through cooking. P learned how to help with folding laundry.

So, now, even if we could go off of our budget, I've decided to keep us on a budget. It won't be as restrictive as the one we were on. But, we'll still have plenty of opportunity to make our own fun.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Reviews

Dear Friends and Family,

I must be the only person in all of America who looks forward to reviewing my retirement accounts. On the last trading day of every month I update a file I have been maintaining since January of 2010 with all of the information on how our retirement accounts are performing. And then the file spits out how much money we would have per month for retirement if we retired right now.

Before I had this file we would meet quarterly with our investment adviser and we would look at our portfolio together. Once a year we'd get an update on our overall retirement plan scenarios. It was useful, but I never really understood the math in the different scenarios. I wanted different assumptions and the cookie cutter plans couldn't really accommodate my wants so my adviser would jury rig it to make it work, but it never felt right.

With my own sheet, I can type in whatever assumptions I want about social security, college, lifespan, cost of living adjustments, etc. to get to an outcome I feel comfortable with. It might mean we're saving more than we need to, but I'd rather have money left over than be short because expenses went up faster than people thought they would.

Well, tomorrow is our retirement review. So, I've got my fingers crossed that nothing bounces the market around too much between now and tomorrow afternoon. I know it's only a snapshot in time, but it's still nice to record a happy snapshot.


Cheers!
mouse

End of October Financials

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Wednesday and we have two more days to go until the end of the month. And, last night, Mr. mouse decided to go grocery shopping. Yep. So, we're punting on dry cleaning today, just as a matter of principle. I know. We sound destitute. But, we're not.

We still saved towards retirement this month. And we still saved money for school. We bought three new pairs of sneakers and renewed a museum membership.

I know where our biggest budget hole is. Each month I'm spending $400 on my new business. Without that we'd be fine. But with that each penny counts. Well, I guess for now I'll continue to spend the money and figure out a way to make it work.

I'm also hoping to reassess our tax withholding amount next year. I know we can reduce it since I'm not generating income at the moment, but I don't know how much I can reduce it by. So once we do our taxes, we can figure that out as well. That will be nice.

Well, I guess for now I'll continue with my one and only focus which is wrangling this budget into shape. I'll be happy once I can focus on other stuff as well.


Cheers!
mouse

Managing the Budget

Dear Friends and Family,

I keep telling myself that sooner or later I will not mind being on a budget. And, mostly, I don't. But, here's what I've learned for the day today. We went out to dinner last night with P's teachers from her old school. It was our turn to treat, so we did. As a result, today, we have $10 to spend in our petty cash fund. Since I don't have any anticipated expenses today, as long as Mr. mouse doesn't have any large expenses, we should be fine. Here's how the next seven days look.

• Tue: $10
• Wed: $40 including $30 for books for P
• Thu: $40 including $30 for a Halloween costume
• Fri: $10
• Sat and Sun: $286 including groceries for the week
• Mon: $210 including $200 for gas, electricity and water

I know, duller than dull can be, but, I'm not complaining. We spent our way into this, we can save our way out of it. I'm convinced.

Where's the light at the end of the tunnel? Well, either we'll continue to chip at it slow and steady which I'm prepared to do. Or, we can fall into money in the spring. Mr. mouse usually gets a bonus. That will make a dent in this. And, we should get an income tax refund since I haven't been working for two thirds of the year. That will make a dent in this. Or, we'll continue to chip at it slow and steady.

For now, it's just good to know we're making progress. Much as I gripe, it feels amazing, it really does.


Cheers!
mouse

09.29.14: Where Did September Go?

Dear Friends and Family,

It's September 29 which means we're now racing towards the end of the year with no brakes on the car. I've got so many things on my mind.

First, there's the budget. We've been on a budget since July and I'll be honest, although it feels good to know that we're not spending more than we've got, on a day to day basis it's the most god awful buzz kill ever. Fortunately, there's two days left to September before the accounting gods refill our petty cash kitty. So, we've got $16 to our name until then. I don't think we're living paycheck to paycheck since we put away money each month for P's school and for taxes and for future expenses. But, I can see how the stress of a budget can make people frazzled. After all, we know ours is only so serious. If we really need gas for the car or food on the table or money for medical expenses than the budget can go out the window. We're really trading off our leisure activities recognizing we can't go out to eat at the drop of a hat and recognizing we can't buy every cute outfit we see when P's drawers are overstuffed. Still, I'm so looking forward to October 1 when we reset our budget. $16 to cover the next two days. We have food in the fridge and gas in the car so we should be in good shape until then.

Next, there's the week ahead. I finally have time to myself. Yes, the week is still hectic, but outside of Friday I have the days to myself while P is in school. That's the most wonderful feeling in the world. I'll finally have time to spend on work and the house and my health and the to do list. If I don't make progress this week I need to revisit my plan because it means we're not set up for success.

Next, there's the weekend. We spent Saturday at home organizing the house and practicing handwriting which is good because P's handwriting had gotten atrocious and we didn't have that much money left in our budget. Sunday, we went to church, and then the park, and then a supermarket, and then a baseball game. P actually watched most of the game. It was a perfect summer weekend even if it was the last weekend in September.

Well, P just left so I need to get started on my day. Wish me luck.


Cheers!
mouse

Caught Up, Yes!

Dear Friends and Family,

After a miserly three days of parks and playgrounds, we're caught up! So, for the first time in what feels like a long time we have some wiggle room in our budget. I know three days doesn't feel like a long time. But, last week was tight as well. I think I've recognized the pattern where we get into trouble. Our budget is generous, but it's not open-ended. So, as long as we plan out our spending, we should be fine. I think we get into trouble on the "big" days when we have multiple large expenditures all in a row. So, we can't prune our tree, pay the electric bill, get house cleaning, and apply for a new passport all on the same day. We can do all of those things, but it needs to be spread over four days. Yep, then we're in better shape.

So, today, Mr. mouse can have a little bit of money for a work outing and P can get ice cream at the museum. It's not living large, but it is the difference a little wiggle room can make. The rest we'll save for our upcoming vacation.

What have I learned from this budget?

Well, there's the simple awareness of how much little charges can add up, parking, Starbucks, ice cream, etc. There's a much greater appreciation of how quickly the big things can add up. It seems like there's always something. But, I'd say the best learning is how enjoyable life can still be even if we're being economical. We have fun at the parks and museums. We have fun at home. Eating in is fine even if eating out is easy. I'm glad we're teaching P that our happiness is not tied to money. I've always said that a certain amount of money makes life easier, but at some point more money does not equal more happiness. And, this budget has reminded me of that and hopefully introduced P to that concept.


Cheers!
mouse

Play Date in the Park

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday, P was sad when she woke up. Mr. mouse had already left for work and he had a haircut scheduled for the evening which meant, potentially, that she might not see him all day. So, when we decided that Legoland was not worth the $18 admission fee, we called Mr. mouse to check on his availability for lunch. He was free. We found a magic parking spot which was free. And, P got to go to the office for lunch. It was the highlight of her day.

Afterwards, I took P to the park and to Dairy Queen. She ran a ton in the park which is good since after today the forecast is showing rain for a week.

Today, we have a play date scheduled with two of P's friends. And, after some discussion last night on budget, it looks like we'll be on a tight budget for the next week to save up some money for an upcoming vacation. While it's more fun to think that money grows on trees, I'm okay with living on a tight budget for the upcoming week to save on money for a vacation. I'd rather do that than come back from vacation feeling like we over spent.


Cheers!
mouse

$22, Hooray!

Dear Friends and Family,

We did it! We actually made it to the end of July. And, cumulatively, we were $22 over on our budget for the month. Granted, we were over. But, still, in my mind, we did it! Compared to our spending the past six months, it's a giant step function improvement. I'm actually looking forward to our bills coming in August, because they won't bring on that depressing, we're out of control, how are we going to ever pay this, sort of feeling.

Well, we start off August today, I'm hoping we can continue the trend. August will be tougher. We need to buy clothes and shoes for P. But, instead of buying it all at once, I think we'll buy it in phases.

P needs:

1. 3-4 pairs of pants
2. 3-4 pairs of jeans
3. 2-3 tops
4. 1-2 sweaters
5. winter jacket, maybe
6. snow pants, definitely
7. hat and gloves/mittens
8. a scarf which I promised to knit for her
9. boots
10. 3 pairs of shoes

I think that captures it. I'll need to figure out how to break this down into manageable chunks. Definitely buying in phases.

For now, I'll savor the feeling of being on budget.


Cheers!
mouse

07.28.14: Last Weekend in July

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a fun weekend enjoying what I love about summer. P rode her bike. We met with friends for dinner. We went to the lake and played in the sand.

At church, the homily was about treasure and false treasure.

And, my first thought was about Mr. mouse and all of the stuff he insists on keeping in the house. He finds safety and comfort in all of the stuff. I don't think it provides any safety or comfort. In fact, for me, it's false treasure. It weighs me down and keeps the house weighed down and hides the house and the state of the house from me.

But, then I looked inward and realized I have my own example.

I've been focused on the budget for July. We have four days left to July and $151 left for the month. But, the budget by itself is a false treasure. The real treasure is teaching P about money. And, teaching P and reminding me that we can have fun without always spending money. We can have picnics in the park and go swimming at the park pool and play in the park playground. And, it's as much fun as eating lunch at a restaurant near the park or cooling down at a water park with an admission fee or playing at a place with an admission fee.

We can have fun by being creative instead of buying things to entertain us. I think that's the real treasure I've unearthed in having a budget. We'll continue on this experiment for August. August will be tougher because we need to buy P clothes and shoes for school. But, that might be a learning exercise too. It's not like clothes aren't for sale in September and October. We can assess what we need and buy over a three month period instead of picking up everything that strikes our fancy in August.


Cheers!
mouse

Last Week of Half Day Camp

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Wednesday which means if I get through today the week is half over. I've got lots to do today and tomorrow. And, I've got a budget to watch. But, overall, I'm feeling good. I'm vaguely managing to stay on top of my to do list. I'm vaguely managing to stay on top of my budget. And, I'm vaguely making progress on the house.

It's not glamorous. But, for now, it's life as I know it.

P and I are going to pick up mail today. Then, she's going to a kid's indoor playground. She was willing to trade off lunch at her favorite restaurant for the playground so we'll be able to stay within budget. Then, we come home and pack dinner. We're off to the museum tonight.

What have I noticed from being on a budget for the past three weeks? Well, we eat out a lot less. I don't buy random things on-line. I spoil P less often with impulsive acts of whimsy. I'm more conscious about parking and buy the right amount. I buy less coffee and other drinks at Starbucks. And, I think that's about it. I'm sure there's other stuff. Mr. mouse packs lunch and hits the vending machine less often and spoils P less often with impulsive acts of whimsy.

Maybe the other thing is we defer purchases. We'll still buy things, but we space them out. I'm not sure how this saves money, but it does since the cash is deferred.

Oh, I just remembered. I fill up on gas less often. I find myself putting partial tanks in the car instead of full tanks. I can't wait until August when the budget resets for the new month. We're in a decent spot for the rest of July, but it'll be nice to have a fresh sheet.


Cheers!
mouse

New Approach Needed

Dear Friends and Family,

We decided that neither approach to uploading the files to the cloud were working. At 1GB a day, we're looking at a little over three years to finish our upload. Clearly, that can't be the right answer. So, today, we're going to try yet another approach. Mr. mouse is bringing home our external hard drive. We're going to back up the NAS to the hard drive and then we're going to try and mirror the drive. We'll see if that works. Fingers crossed.

I should also write about our play date in the park yesterday. It was so refreshing to see the parents. As much as I'm enjoying summer vacation with P, I think I'm a little starved for adult conversation. It's nice to spend time with other adults.

I spent a lot of time with one dad, talking about money and how to have that conversation with your kid. At first it felt weird talking to P about money. I didn't want her to think we're poor. Nor did I want her to think we're rich. But, most importantly, I didn't want her to think money is important. Money is important, but not as important as being kind or trying hard or having will power or a bunch of other things. Now, a couple of years into it, it doesn't feel weird. P understands that things cost money, that money isn't limitless, that money needs to be earned, and that tracking money and making decisions about money is a normal part of adult life.

I think that's the way it is with a lot of things. It's weird talking to your kid about it, at first. But, if you persist, then it becomes the new normal.


Cheers!
mouse

Budget Awareness

Dear Friends and Family,

I learned something yesterday. Tracking spending does make a difference.

Yesterday, we spent a lot of money for a weekday. I took P out to lunch and we stopped for Dairy Queen for a little treat. We bought gas. We picked up dry cleaning. Our housekeeper came over for our weekly visit. Mr. mouse got a haircut. We paid the water bill.

Before we started tracking, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. But, since we're tracking, I know today has to be a lighter day. So, I'm taking P to the zoo. We're members so entry is free. I'll pack a picnic lunch. We'll pay for parking and the rest will be free. Mr. mouse has begun packing his lunch which helps as well because we need to save up for Saturday.

Saturday, we've got housecleaning, haircut and passport. And, Sunday, we have groceries and Target. So, we'll probably start next week in the hole, but that's okay, now that we're tracking, we can work to dig ourselves out of the hole. Before, we would have been oblivious and would have kept on spending.


Cheers!
mouse

07.07.14: Carnivaled Out

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and everyone's a little groggy in the mouse pad.

We spent three days soaking in the sun and celebrating the Fourth of July with our friends. Friday, we went to a carnival with two of P's friends, their four respective parents and our friend Uncle Joseph. We rode rides until everyone was hungry. Then, we went to Panera for a late lunch followed by a stop for frozen yogurt. Afterwards, the caravan of four cars wound our way down the highway to festival number two for the day. Yes, we were attempting two festivals with three kids.

Normally, we wouldn't try this, but with weather constraints, this was the only way it was really going to work out. And, work out it did. We put the kids into wagons and strollers. We loaded up the lawn chairs and bug spray. We walked over to the festival with fingers crossed that the hot air balloons would launch. And, they did! Granted it was about a half dozen balloons, but still, they launched. We ate random food for dinner. The kids got their faces painted. We watched the balloon glow. And, then, we waited the long wait for the fireworks. The kids did well with the wait. After the fireworks, we loaded everything back up and walked back to the car. P was asleep before we reached the expressway.

Saturday, we went back to the carnival for more rides. P was exhausted by the time we were done. And, because we had the all-you-can-ride pass, we went back for another day of rides on Sunday. We are carnivaled out.

It goes without saying that it's nice to spend time with friends. P is also easier to entertain in a larger group. The wait for fireworks would have been INTERMINABLE without other kids. And, the next day, the two friends were asking after each other, so I'm hoping we can do more events in the future as a threesome. That would be a lot of fun.

Now, it's off to school. And, I am going to venture into the world of Fly Lady to see if that will help me get our house organized. We will see.

Oh, the other thing I started? A budget. Or, rather, a tracking of actual spending. We'll see if it helps. It can't hurt. So far, one week into July, we're slightly overspent. We've only got $15 for today. Mr. mouse will use $5 of that for his train rides, so that leaves $10 for the day. As long as we all eat in for all three meals, we'll be fine. And, that will leave us close to neutral for tomorrow. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

Our Money

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night I realized how fortunate I am. My sister and her husband have a very different money dynamic than Mr. mouse and I do. She stays home to take care of my nephew and to keep the house from falling apart. Her husband works. In their household she defers to him on money decisions. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that's the dynamic they've fallen into.

Perhaps it's because we've been together for so long I can't imagine trying to figure out my money from our money. Perhaps it's because we both came in with roughly the same situation, he had more credit card debt, I had more student loans, but it seemed close enough for us. Perhaps it's because I've worked as hard as Mr. mouse had and I've contributed financially to the pool. Perhaps it's because I'm me and Mr. mouse is Mr. mouse and we just have a different dynamic, but it would never occur to me to defer to Mr. mouse on money decisions. It would be a foreign concept for us. I think.

Because, we do defer to each other. We don't make decisions in isolation. Like, I discussed leaving work and taking time off with Mr. mouse, made sure we were both okay with that decision. I discussed starting a new business and made sure we were both okay with that decision. It's not like I need his permission, it's just that I would expect the same if the tables were turned.

Perhaps that's it. Perhaps it's coming across as deferral, but it's a joint decision on my sister's part too. I hope so. I like feeling like the money decision making authority in our family is split evenly.


Cheers!
mouse

Comfortably Middle Class

Dear Friends and Family,

We made so much progress on the budget yesterday!

I called the photographer for the school photos and negotiated a reduced price. Instead of paying $50 for a CD with the class photo on it, I'll be paying $25 for a CD and print of the class photo. That's progress. And, we found $154 on a credit card. We had paid one of our credit cards twice over the holidays. So, that's money we didn't have the day before. And, last but not least, we decided to stay at my sister's house for my nephew's birthday party.

And, that's what life is like on a budget. I wonder how many people are on one. It's not fun. It's not easy at first. And, it can introduce stress. Still, on the flip side, we're building up for retirement. We're saving for tuition for school next year. We're prioritizing our spending on what's important to us, and in the process simplifying our lives.

We've got $38 left for the week and that's not going to go far. We need toner for the printer and it can't wait until the weekend. Mr. mouse unequivocally wants to get invites out for P's birthday party because I am adamantly opposed to the concept of a "save the date" for a kid's birthday party. We need gas. And, either of those alone will chew up the $38 much less both of those.

I could theoretically get gas on the weekend, but it's more expensive. Or, I'm fine borrowing from the weekend budget since we found $355 through the above three changes. If I do the math, this is what it's like to be comfortably middle class and I'm okay with that.

It'll teach us discipline and teach P something about money. My parents didn't teach me much of anything about money and I had some painful lessons of my own before getting my plan in place. I think back a handful of adults who gave me some really good advice when I was in the early twenties. I think back to a pivotal class I took on retirement planning. I think back to books I read to get started.

I never thought twenty years later I would make the progress I did. And, I never thought twenty years later I'd be on this budget. Perhaps the two go hand in hand.


Cheers!
mouse

Living on a Budget

Dear Friends and Family,

The budget? I feel like we're turning into irrational people. It's hard. I'm eagerly anticipating my first credit card bill to see if we can adjust upwards.

This week, and it's only Tuesday mind you, we're off to a rocky start. There's the $40 for Mr. mouse's train pass and my toll road pass. There's the $28 for gas. And, I bought a present for my cousin's kid's first birthday and Mr. mouse bought a book.

Now, there's enough money left for the school photos and a spot of gas. Really? This is what it's like to live on a budget?

I'm trying to convince Mr. mouse to return a present we bought and didn't use. And to call a credit card and request a credit balance. He's debating biking to work. We decided to camp out at my sister's house instead of getting a hotel when we visit next month.

Yes, this is what it's like to live on a budget. It's worth it.


Cheers!
mouse

Another Day, Another Doctor's Appointment

Dear Friends and Family,

I wrote my doctor yesterday to tell her my ear was still not quite normal. It's better than it was a week ago, but still not quite normal. She wants me to come in again today so she can look at it again.

Fortunately, the appointment is at 8:40 and Mr. mouse agreed to drive P around the block once or twice while I'm at the doctor's office so I don't pay another $10 to park my car at the parking lot.

We still have $40 left for the weekday budget. I'm hopeful that I don't get prescribed any new medication. Then, I can still fill up the tank and even have some money left over as a credit towards the weekend.

When I first started this budget, I was adamant about not letting money flow from one budget to the next. Now, I'm okay with the idea of if I have $10 left at the end of Friday, I'll zero out the weekday budget and add $10 to the weekend budget.

I'm remembering moderation.


Cheers!
mouse

Progress, Finally

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Thursday, and we still have $61 left in our weekly budget. I'm almost giddy.

We haven't had any visits to the doctor, no jury duty, no haircuts, no mid-week social commitments, no groupons, no mix ups with the train. It's just been a normal week. Dinner out last night felt like a treat. You should have seen P's face when I told her we were going out to dinner. She was so happy. If we can keep it to one night out as a family and one night out with just P and me to avoid the traffic we can make it through the week in good shape, as long as no odd things pop up.

I'll be so proud of us if we make it through the week okay.

You might ask why this is so important to me. Clearly this budget doesn't have to be this strict. It's me trying to understand what the world will look like if we go down to one income and still need to pay tuition for P's school. I'm not sure if it needs to be this strict. I'm not sure if it needs to be stricter. This is just me beginning to assess what the world will look like. I'll fine tune once we've done this for a couple of months. If the checking account starts growing, I'll loosen the reins a bit. If it doesn't, I'll tighten a bit more. I figure it's a learning process.

My actual income? That doesn't figure into the equation much at all. Almost all of my income goes into a retirement account we have set up so it doesn't really pay for any of the day to day expenses. That's a lesson we learned from the craziness of 2001. We learned to live on one income since work seemed so unstable at the time.

Here's to $61!


Cheers!
mouse