Financial Peace

I'll be honest with you, I'm NOT a saver!  Well, unless you consider clothes.. then yes.  Goodness knows, I've learned by now that what goes around comes around!!!  Seriously if rolled jeans and neon can make a comeback, ANYTHING can!!!  So based on the fact that there are still some clothes in my closet from my high school days... (Gasp!  Yes, I know!!!) ... I could probably say I have vintage stuff!  LOL!!!  I'm so thankful that our current house has an AMAZING closet for me... one of my absolute favorite things about this house!  My heart actually skipped a beat the first time I saw it!  LOL!

So, it's "that" time of year... fundraising!!!  It's everywhere!  My kids are neck deep immersed in it... with popcorn & cookie dough sales, as well as radio stations, and even the dreaded church sermon on "stewardship" was a couple of weeks ago.  Which led our life group to discuss how we spend money.  It got me to thinking.  I know... scary right!?!?  LOL!  A lot of our friends here use Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace to track smart saving and spending and they seem to LOVE it... I mean REALLY LOVE it!!! 

My initial opinion of a budget has always been a "financial diet".  I'm horrible at any kind of dieting.... as you all well know (if you read this regularly)... I'm a confessed foodie!  Which is why I workout/run regularly so I can maintain my horrible eating habits!  LOL!  However, after lots of conversations, thought, and prayer I've come to look at a budget not so much as a restriction, but as set of boundaries.  For me that's a HUGE difference. 

Restriction translates to me when I was a teenager and would be grounded... forbidden if you will... from doing or getting something I wanted.  Ugh!  Yuck!  But boundaries... well, that's how we've chosen to raise our kids.  Rarely do we have to discipline them because they know our expectations and those boundaries have been clearly set.  Our rules do not bend, they are firm, and the kids have complete FREEDOM in those boundaries.  Not so bad, eh?  So, I decided October would be the month to do it!  To literally budget every $$$.  It can't be that hard right???  LOL!  Oh boy was I wrong!  However, I keep telling myself if I expect my kids to respect the boundaries I set, what kind of example would I be setting if I couldn't do it myself!

I'm going to be completely transparent and say that the first week has been HARD!!!  My first (of many I'm afraid) temptations came on Sunday (only the 3rd day of the month!!) by going to a fashion party. Absolutely every piece of clothes was my style and normally I would not have had a problem getting several pieces, but alas, not even a plain t-shirt from this company would fit in my montly "clothes allowance".  I was so sad, frustrated, and a little embarassed.  I was the ONLY person who went that didn't buy anything.  But I did leave feeling a little encouraged... that was a HUGE test and I had passed!!! 

Over the past few days the "sleeping accountant" (that's what my degree is in, and in my pre-mommy days I was an auditor of all things!) has been awakened and I have taken my "type A" personality to a whole new level!  Case in point, I sat down on Saturday afternoon and planned out our menus for the entire MONTH.... WITH WEEKLY GROCERY LISTS!!  LOL!!!  Oh my gosh!  I'll admit...I'm obsessed!  (maybe it's so I can secretly increase my clothes allowance, but nevertheless... it's become a game that quite frankly I'm enjoying). 

Speaking of menus... here's what we're having this week!  It's "MEAL PLAN MONDAY" (but on Tuesday! LOL!)  Notice, I'm now planning for the weekends to help keep us from getting take-out SOOooo much!

MEAL PLAN MONDAY

MONDAY:  Chicken & Beef Quesadillas, Spanish Rice, Chips & Queso  (for kids), Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches for us

TUESDAY:  Frozen Fiesta!!  (Daddy's gone... AGAIN!)  I had leftovers

WEDNESDAY: Greek Spaghetti, Salad (with lettuce from the garden!! Yea!), Corn & Grapes

THURSDAY:  Breakfast for Dinner:  Peanut butter & Jelly Pancakes, Bacon & Eggs  (this is a super fun recipe I got from Southern Living!)  The kids LOVE it!

FRIDAY: Pizza night.  Not sure at this point if it'll be homemade or frozen... I'm prepared either way.  It'll depend on how much energy I have left!  LOL!

SATURDAY:  Grilled Chicken & Fish, Parmesean Pasta, Garlic Snow Peas

SUNDAY: Mamma's Meatloaf, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots & something chocolate! Mmmm!  Gotta love Sunday dinners!!!

I'm not so sure I would say I've found "freedom" in these new financial boundaries, but it has opened my eyes how we can be more thoughtful and intentional with our finanaces, and how a little planning can take away a WHOLE lot of stress!!  I'm looking forward to see how the rest of the month goes.  Hopefully I'll pass this "test" with flying colors!