Today will be a no spend day. It will make day 18 of this month.

Just wanted to share something with you. In late December we came up with a theme for our family - We're gonna thrive in '05! Well that has been our motto so far this year. We have it in our mind and are willing to do *whatever* it takes to get us to our goal and to thrive. I read somewhere that 80% of budgteing is mindset - I believe it soooooo much now! Is it easy to be in guerilla frugality mode all the time? UUUMM NO! Is it worth it? Oh yes!!!
So far this year (only 2 months into the year)
~ We have paid off one medical bill, working on the last one (already paid $325 on it this month - the payment is only $50 a month, so we've done extra- trying to wipe it out).
~ Dh is getting some overtime - which is normally short hours this time of year.
~I found a job, when I wasn't exactly looking for one. It will eliminate a monthly payment and I will be getting paid.
~zero based budgeting is getting so much easier
~sold our truck within 12 hours of listing it Now we have an EF that we are comfortable with
See it's mindet and hard work, but it's really worth it.
Things that have happened so far:
~Our mortgage went up this year $114 - not as much as Kathyann's - but to us it was alot.
~insurance came down $30 a month by taking the suburban off
~we were able to save cash the last year and with our tax refund get dh a new to us car (a convertible)- with only 64000 miles on it!!!
~lowered the electric bill in one month's time by $48
~our gas for the cars is going down - since I don't drive the suburban anymore.
What we have done so far:
~hang out clothes - even though I don't really wanna BUT it does add up!!
~ate out of the pantry for almost 2 months- thanks Julie!!
~tracked all spending
~In my wallet there is a little note - Is it a need or want? Remember thrive 05! It's not that I don't every buy things that I want - it's just that we have bigger goals and in order to reach those, sometimes we need to sacrifice some things
~We don't eat out
~I prepare a few meals like oamc to pull out when I really don't want to cook.
~pack lunches for kids and dh
~open the windows instead of a/c right now
~only used the heater 3 times this past winter (I am in florida, so we weren't freezing our children )
~cut phone service down to just basic and caller id (thanks to a teenage dd)
~reuse whatever can be reused

I am not posting this to brag but to encourage each and every one of you. Set a goal and get in a mindset that you *WILL* make it. We can *ALL* thrive in '05!!