spend fast

So it's January, and this month's "To Do" is a money diet.  Well, it's going to be way more hard core than that my friends, it's going to be a Spending Fast.

First step is to take the "Get Out of Debt Pledge"...done!

Second step it so make a list of wants & needs, or things I won't spend money on and things I will. So, without further ado...

aw crab! totally forgot to put preschool/childcare on there, but I feel like that's a no brainer..

**updated...double aw crab..forgot to add races to my can spend list. I think Liss and I are going to do 4 this year, so those are on my okay to spend list

So, just to be clear, this doesn't in any way effect Mike's spending "allowance".  This is me, trying to reign in the spending, and since I do most of the household spending (not just on myself, but house things, groceries, kid things, etc.) this is more about me than him. (though I am CONVINCED we could turn off cable for a month..he's not on board..but I'm working on him.)  Also, I'm giving myself a $40 a month (yup..that's $10 a week baby!) allowance..mainly to use to buy personal things (aka, hygiene products, you're welcome) and just so I don't totally go off the grid.  I can spend it or save it up for next month, or whatever, but that's it. $40 a month.  Luckily, I have a gift certificate to get my hair cut/colored, so that will last me a bit, and I also have a gift card left for AMC, so I MAY be able to squeeze in a movie.  The only other "crazy" spending will be on me and Mike's birthday, which is when we go out for a nice meal. We NEVER go out, like ever, so this is our one ( well two) times a year to live it up (aka, no kids and home by 11).

As for how long this lasts, I want to commit to at least 3 months. If I can survive that I'll do another 3 and so on.  Ideally I'd like to keep this up throughout 2013 so fingers crossed!!  To keep myself accountable, each month I'll do a breakdown of what I was able to save and put towards debt, and post it up here so that you can all revel in my greatness...okay..maybe a high five or a "good job!" would work too.

Hope you all had a super wonderful New Year's. Let's do this 2013!!!!

Also, I spent like 2 hours on Monday learning about shooting in A or S with my camera, only to go home and not be able to get it to work. I need a tutor for this thing....

I survived Christmas!!!!

huzzah!! Christmas is over!!! It is summer yet? All I want to do is to go to Rhode Island and play in the sand...

But, before I do that there is LOTS and LOTS to catch up on. Christmas was awesome and there will be lots of fun photos to come. The kids were pumped and loved all of their gifts, but I got the best gift of all. For reals. A REAL GROWN UP DSLR CAMERA!! I can not even tell you. I have wanted one since I had Jackson.  My parents, sister & brother in law and aunt and uncle all pitched in and got me a Nikon DS3100.  I have taken 257 photos with it so far and two of them are great. HA! Needless to say, I'll be reading The Pioneer Woman's photography tutorials for the next century so I can figure this baby out.

So, here we are, the final day of 2012. I am so BRING IT ON for 2013. Really, I'm pumped. Lots I want to do this coming year and accomplish.  So, in the spirit of getting things done, here is my "to do" list for 2013.

Yeah...so I don't have anything for October yet. Perhaps that will be my month of rest.

So, as you can see January is the money diet.  I stumbled across that over here at Happy Simple Living.  Then in some other internet adventures I found this site and was like.. YESSSS!!!!  So, I have a bunch more to share about how I'll be doing the diet using all the fun tips/tricks from And Then We Saved, but you'll have to wait for that until next year. Okay, I have to go shopping now before I'm cut off for a while ;)

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!! See you in 2013!!!!