DAY 107

TUESDAY

Lizzy - OH MAN!!! I go to pick up Gracie from Preschool today and hear this crunching sound. I first thought it was the tires going over the ice..but no...its just the tires. There is a flat and its half way off the rim. How did this happen?? So I am stuck at home today. Which is fine because I really don't have anywhere to go but still it stinks! Life always does this. I'm not totally shocked. Our car sucks and always has. We have never gone 1 month without paying something for it. Ryan keeps saying its cheaper to fix than to pay for another car. I almost am doubting that now. Oh well.

 

Ryan - The car repairs over all are a lot less than what our payments use to be, so my philosophy still holds true. Keep in mind, we would not buy a new car, so a warranty would not cover repairs and all cars need repairs every now and then. So is it cheaper to buy a new car, have payments, and still have to fork out money for a car payment or have a car paid for and still make occasional repairs (we have not had to spend money each month and some of those repairs did not exceed what our car payment would be). So there.

DAY 106

MONDAY

Lizzy -  Spent the evening sledding with some friends. We bundled up the kids and ourselves. I don't have any snow pants or boots and can't go get any. This time last year Jack was just 2 weeks old so I was not planning on going out in the snow. We talked about getting everyone some real snow gear this year but didn't know at the time we would be doing this no spending thing. So I initially thought I would just go and watch and then ended up taking a few runs down the hill. I was only in jeans and shoes and it was VERY cold. But still we had a good time and it was a free activity. Next year for sure I will be getting myself snow pants! So a savings this year of another $40 for pants and boots (just a guess I haven't priced them out) Gracie loved it and Jack not so much:) Maybe taking a 1 year old out on the hill wasn't such a great idea. Another dorky parent move on my part. He flipped out half way down the hill then got so cold he just stopped moving and clung on to me. I put him in the car and covered him in blankets. We didn't stay long, then came back to our place and played games and had hot cocoa. No money spent and still had fun:)

Ryan -Lizzy only wore jeans and shoes while sledding? Yeah, I guess it would be a little cold if that's all you are wearing. I didn't mind the view though :)! It was a little awkward for our friends, but they handled it okay. After sledding, went home and Lizzy put on a shirt and we had hot cider and cocoa.
I think another savings was perhaps going out to get hot chocolate or even a late snack at Village Inn, which we do when we get together with our friends. A possible $25 savings.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM:  Snow Gear for lizzy

COST: $40 +$25

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3601.30

DAY 105

Sunday
Lizzy - Got an invitation to run the Salt Lake Marathon in April. No I'm not an avid runner but I have done a 5k's once a year. So this would have been one I want to join in on. Yet the $75 registration fee is a bit steep for the no spending year. So for sure next year. I will still try and participate in my own way and do some practice runs with them.
Can't believe the snow out there today. This is more like it:) We have our snow man out there, the tree in the window, the perfect winter scene. I love it and I LOVE this time of year:) Need to look for that darn camera and put up our pictures.

Ryan - It was nice shoveling snow the whole day (the snow didn't stop once the whole day). I was running between our house and Lizzy's mother's house all day. Both driveways have extended RV pads so that made it even more difficult to keep up. I figured at the end of the day, I shoveled 3 ft of snow. WOW. I hope tomorrow is Sunny. I envied our neighbor who had a snow blower. That's a savings of 500-1000, but in reality, I wouldn't purchase one because the price is so steep.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Registration Fee for Marathon

COST: $75

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3536.30

DAY 104

SATURDAY
Lizzy -Another early morning at work then grocery shopping. The weather is turning south so its getting more difficult to run errands. I let Ryan go to his parents for the big BYU/UTAH game and took a nap with Jack. Then went to my moms to finish wrapping presents. When I got home Ryan and Gracie already had the tree and decorations out. So we spent the night listening to music and decorating the house. We all went to bed early. It was only like 8:45pm and everyone was asleep. Strange but it was very nice to rest.

Ryan - I think there was a big saving here. We lost our tree lights (or so we thought), Got some lights for free (online), but they were icicle lights so we couldn't use them for the tree. Lizzy mother had some extra lights since she bought a tree that already came with lights. She gave them to us and I had to spread them further apart to cover the tree sufficiently. After we had the tree lights and decorations on, I found our tree lights under the ornament boxes at the bottom of the the bin. So we are going to use them for Gracie's and Jack's room.

DAY 103

FRIDAY

Lizzy - Sat up last night watching an infomercial and got sucked in. I spent all morning having to refrain myself from getting online and just buying it. Its the "flavor wave" SO cool. The convenience, the variety and then time saving. So its hard to not give in. There are a couple of things I have bought online and I have not been too disappointed and then there are some I have regretted the minute I click purchase. But this was an entire all in one oven thing that cleans itself and cooks anything frozen to the "perfect" temp. So $150 that I am sure I would have broken down and just bought. I get paid double this next month for days I have covered so there's nothing to hold me back from my own personal spending money. What is sad is that I am more torn over buying the flavor wave then getting myself a new hair dryer. Weird. Nothing too crazy today. Just worked and then came home and relaxed all afternoon. We are headed out to do our grocery shopping and then to the post office. Later we will get started on our Christmas decorating. That may last through till tomorrow. SO I will tuck that money tightly away and consider this another savings. Not to mention its Black Friday. And every year we have gone out and made our purchases. Most of which were always unplanned. So the "black" part of this Friday are the mascara tears running down my face as I watch all the shoppers happily loading their bags with fun things:( See you next year shopping day.

Ryan - Trust me even if we weren't doing this no spending thing, I would have made Lizzy return her "oven". That's just a silly thing to do.

This is probably the one day I'm grateful we are not spending (Black Friday). I don't want to be standing in the freezing cold for hours or even overnight to buy something before someone else does.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Flavor wave

COST: $150

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3461.30

DAY 102

Thursday

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!

Ryan - It was a "fun" day. Not a fan of eating a two big dinners an hour apart. We've got to figure something out. Perhaps having one on Thursday and another on Friday.

Lizzy- Yes it is Thanksgiving and excitement is in the air. We woke up and did some fingerpaints with the kids then got to cooking. We were in charge of potatoes for both families. Ryan and Gracie played candyland and then we headed to my mothers to eat. After eating  Jack was extreemly tired. He did not get his nap. Holdiays are hard at this age with the kids. They both still need their naps so we can't plow through as if they can handle it because it just doesnt happen. So I took him home and Ryan and Gracie went to his parents. I am sad to miss it but thats how it goes sometimes. Then by the time Ryan was done we came back to my moms and Gracie was asleep so she missed all the games:( It was still good food and a good day. Despite the fact that Ryan and I had our arguments on and off. But thats normal right? Not that posting it is necessary but we are normal and we do fight once in while. So now its off to bed and relax tomorrow. Its been one crazy week. As for funds my hair dryer broke right in the middle of drying it. Half my hair went wet. Oh man...of all the years I've had it why does it break this year during this challenge. ARGH!! Well I was able to borrow my mothers when I came over so now we will have to see how this plays out. I have a ceiling fan in my room that creates a little whirlwind, that could work. I will have to plan well in advance to shower and dry the hair before I have to go somewhere. This is going to be very annoying..If I could say bad words I would ...lol!!

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Hair Dryer

COST: $15

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3311.30

DAY 101

WEDNESDAY

Lizzy - Woke up to see how the storm was but nothing had happened. I went to work but they had closed till 10am so I came back at 10 and still no one was there. So I just went in and let the kids play anyways then people started showing up. Was there only an hour but still gave us something to do. Then tonight we went to Ryans parents house and cleaned all the rooms and put up their Christmas Tree. It was fun spending time with them and Gracie had such a good time helping with the ornaments. She found Grandmas collection of reindeer and had at it. She played with them for an hour and then we headed home.  Besides groceries no desire to spend money today.

Ryan - Bought the necessary items for mashed potatoes. We were assigned to make mashed potatoes for each of family's T-day dinner. Not much else

DAY 100

TUESDAY

Lizzy -  ITS DAY 100 WAHOO!!!

We have made it pretty far and its gone by SUPER fast. Gracie had her Thanksgiving Feast at preschool. She dressed up like an indian and they sang a little song and had a light brunch. It was so cute and again did not have the camera:( I am TERRIBLE with that...ohhh it kills me. I need to write more sticky notes to myself and keep that camera in the car or something. Yikes. I took the kids over to the aquarium and walked around a bit. It was very busy so we didnt stay long but it was nice to get out and go somewhere. I try not going there too often since thats the only pass we have but it will save us this winter and Gracie loves it.
So Ryan came home and everyone was advised to get home early due to this "Blizzard of 2010" Oh it was a joke. I went to the store to get milk and some water for the humidifier. I went around 7 which is when the "storm" was supposed to hit. I drove around thinking huh? Am I missing it somewhere? Was nothing. really. We normally have snow and its normally cold and windy so why was this different? Its winter in Utah...duh!! This happens every year and yet the news made it out to be such a huge deal.  We had fun playing gmaes and watching movies though. We thought this would be a fun night to get a red box. But of course just a thought.

Ryan - Today was suppose to be a big storm, but it didn't happen. Everyone was buckling in for disaster. People left work early, schools announced that they were closing, radio stations went off the air early and all we got was 2 inches of snow. Lizzy and I went and got extra batteries for our lanterns in case the power went out. We were excited to watch the snow pile up. Oh well. Eating pasta for this short week. I've had $7 in cash in my pocket this whole week and I have to admit it's been tempting to get a snack with the money. So I guess there's a saving there somewhere.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Red Box / Money in pocket
COST: $1 / $7

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3298.30

Day 97

Saturday
Ryan - Very busy day. We did yard work and took care of some errands. Other than that, nothing big. Prepared church lessons. Typically I'll prepare my lesson on a Google document and then print it out. I wonder what we'll do when the ink runs out. Do everything by hand. I ask, because, sometimes it's hard to determine where we draw the line on what's a need and want. With Lizzy being called as an instructor in the RS, I see the ink running out faster than normal. I will choose to write my notes out, even though it will take a bit longer to prepare my lessons. Oh well. I hope Lizzy follows suit.

Lizzy - You could just ask me in person ya know. I feel like we have our real life and then this online conversation:) But yes I thought about the ink issue and I don't think its a need right now. Lets save it for a real need. So I will start finding scratch paper to write down my notes and make sure to use a pencil:) Lots of yard work before the snow came today it was nice. To get it all done. Wanted item today was a rake. And we would have just bought one which would be the easier thing to do since we dont have one. But instead we went and borrowed my mothers. Worked out fine and last week borrowed a neighbors. So by the time we have to rake again we will be able to buy our own.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Rake / Garden Gloves
COST: $20 / $5

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3296.30

Day 98 + 99

MONDAY
Was with my friend this morning when the search and rescue called and said they found the guys. It was such a miracle and great moment. I stayed for a bit until he was about to come home then left so they could have their reunion by themselves. They were nice enough to give us some Jazz tickets but I sent ryan with one of his friends. I was pretty worn down and tired this evening.

 

SUNDAY
Ryan - Lizzy can elaborate on the details of a very scary event with our our close friends. The husband went hiking/repelling somewhere down south on Friday expecting to be home on Saturday (evening). Well he didn't come home and so his wife called Search and Rescue and on Saturday night a big storm came through northern Utah and a little bit of snow hit where he was. Turns out that he and three others were stuck in a canyon they were repelling, unable to get back to the top. Expecting to get rescued on Sunday, they were actually found on Monday. Fortunately, there was a cave to partially shield them from the freezing temperatures, but I couldn't imagine, what kind of panic would set in when you realize no one is coming to help. Miraculously, when the rescuers found them on Monday morning, they had no signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Why do I tell you this? In an earlier blog, I suggested that we wait on the food storage. Well, that may change. I'm positive, my friend didn't expect to be in the situation he was in and he's a very knowledgeable person. Disaster isn't going to wait for a convenient time to strike and if we are not ready, then we have no excuse, because we have been advise by our leaders to build our food storage and have a plan in the event that disaster strikes.

Lizzy - Well ryan pretty much summed it up. I spent today teaching my first RS lesson which was scary but felt good about it and that this wont be such a terrible calling as I thought:) But then this evening I spent with my friend as we waited for calls from the search and rescue if they found her husband. I helped clean up and keep her comapny. We sat there and got a call around 9pm and they said they were calling off the search for another night and would resume on Monday morning. It  was very disheartening to hear they would be out there lost and cold another night. I felt so terrible and just tried keeping up her spirits. I later came home and tried sleeping but just kept thinking the worse for them. Not a good day:(

DAY 96

FRIDAY
Lizzy - SCORE!!! Great day to use the coupons. Normally shopping day is Sat but because of combinations of coupons I used here is what I got for free:
1 carton of Orange Juice
1 large Dozen Eggs
1 lb Bacon
1 50oz bag of Cereal
1 bag of English muffins

Yes you heard me.....

 Thanks Winco, you saved me around $8 and gave us free breakfast this week. And those items are what we usually buy and name brand so it was awesome! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO US!

Ryan - In response to Lizzy's question yesterday. I would say it's a want in this case. We have put it off in the past because we were lazy or didn't want to spend the money. Yes it's a need (in case of disaster), but we have put it off this long, so purchasing food storage now is simply a want for a need. Since we are focusing on saving, I think we wait until the end of our year.


TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Grocery Savings

COST: $8

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3271.30

Day 95

Thursday
Ryan - I returned the "extra" stuff from yesterday, but since I didn't have a receipt, I had to accept a store credit. I can recoup the money from my side jobs, since I'm a regular at Home Depot. I really like the new toilet. The only problem is the supply line leaks still and I can't get a compatible replacement part because the original plumbing was done unconventionally. So I still have more work to do. Bummer.

Lizzy - Okay here is my question and any comments would be helpful. Because I was asked to be part of the Emergency Preparedness in our area  and I have been taking classes, I feel very prompted to purchase a 3 month supply of food storage. See, we have been told to have at least a 6 month supply and looking in our cupboards we have a 0 month supply. Lately it keeps coming back on my mind that we need to get something in place. I feel strongly about it and that I would be doing the right thing for my children especially. So...how does this work with the no spending quest we are on? Is paying for this supply breaking our rule? Or is not having food in the event of an emergency for the next 9 months  worth the wait? Big dilemma and not sure what one would say. Any suggestions???

DAY 93 + 94

WEDNESDAY DAY 94
Lizzy-
I thought this day would have been a lot less crazy...and boy was it NOT. Spent money today. Lots of it. Very necessary yet NOT WANTED. So I start out the day normal, getting everyone ready and off to work. It didn't last very long at all. Since Jack had his shots yesterday he has been cranky. Enough to the point where my coworkers were encouraging me to leave (I'm sure they meant for my sake and not for their own right? lol) He would not stop crying so my stress level was high. I get home and put him in the crib to cry it out and go downstairs to find Gracie. She had used the bathroom and next thing I see a flooded basement. It didn't spread too far but YUCK!!!! I was SO out of control. Thoughts ran through my head like "its ok..just stay calm and clean it up you can do this" But what came out was "WHAT THE HECK!!! YOUR KIDDING
 ME....%*#)*%&#!!! I called Ryan and told him to get home STAT! Its not a little puddle on the floor its to the point where my rug was floating and completely immersed in the water. And I should say not "just" water..eeeewww!  Our BRAND NEW CARPET RUINED!! Oh my heart sank. I used up all the towels, threw them in the garbage and got Ryan's water vacuum thing and soaked up what I could. But then the carpet needed pulling back and we had to replace the mat and rent a carpet cleaner and a fan from home depot. So as Ryan gets home to take care of the big stuff I sanitize what I can of the bathroom and still need to go in now and double bleach the floors and walls. This is the second time with this toilet that has ruined our carpet and because I am starting my day care business next year we just went and got a new toilet. Trust me it was not a "want" We can't afford to do this for a 3rd time. So it is cheaper to buy a toilet then to rent cleaners and fans and replace mats again. So its going well and we are getting things done. Thought it would get better right?

No...it didn't. Our car has had issues so its been at our friends who is a mechanic. He kindly lets us take his car when he is working on it and right when I try leaving I can't find the key. We search for an hour around the house and can't find it. Seriously? Now my kids are whining and our basement is in shambles and I can't find a car key to a car that's not even mine. I lost a book order that was due today for Gracie and now my towels are gone. Can I hit rewind? Anyone know where that button is? So Toilet and Towels were on the need list today. I will give ourselves some good points today though. The cost of the toilet will be reimbursed once I get my business license. They said if I kept all the receipts of any purchases for the house which will be considered my "office" Then I get up to $600 credit back. So its not really a cost for us down the road. And the second point is a big one. We have a new toilet seat sitting upstairs on the bathroom counter. Our upstairs toilet is old and has the cracking and the discoloration on the bottom...not pretty but I am sure you all have one of these. So we thought "why we are here lets just replace our upstairs lid"  and we did. Was that smart? No..we were in the moment. And as I sit here and write I feel guilty and want to stay true so Ryan agrees with me its going back tomorrow. So a no good very bad day:( And now I will go try and close my eyes and make it go away. See you tomorrow:)

Ryan - For the third day in a row, I have not been in the office for the whole day. Lizzy's call made me upset. I'm sick of things like this. It requires putting your head down and burrowing forward, while other todo's need to be put on hold to take care of an "emergency". Our rationalization for the toilet seat upstairs was for the business, but in reality it was a weak moment that we are going to correct. We can however, use the seat from the toilet that we just removed. It's in better condition and should fit.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Extra Toilet Seat
COST: $32

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3263.30


TUESDAY DAY 93

Lizzy - Busy and good day. Someone called me from my KSL add and said she had extra Christmas lights they were getting rid of and I could come pick them up. She lives very close too so it was extra pleasant. Now we have lights that we were looking for and our Tree will be lit. Whew!! So I take Gracie to our neighbors so she can take her to school at the right time. I had to leave early and make it to Jacks one year appointment. He is doing great and growing just fine. He got his shots which were not fun but he did well. Then I had to go pick up those lights. We get home and I pick up Gracie and we read and work on her crafts. I go make it to my visiting teach appointments today then go up to my in-laws to return their car. Ours has been in the shop and we needed an extra car today. Then straight from there I head to my CPR and First Aid training classes. So now is a good time to be around me since I feel comfortable saving lives:) IT was a great class and I feel more confident and inspired to get my kits and emergency stuff reorganized. Overall great day and no spending again:)

Ryan - Well I had to go in late to work again to help out with Jack's doctor appointment. Also I had to drop the car off to our mechanic. The oil has been leaking and we can't see to figure out why. I took care of the kids tonight.
It was nice that Lizzy was able to procure some lights for us. It will be a very humble Christmas. It reminds me of all those Christmas movies that have a rich family be humbled to know the "true" meaning of Christmas. The only exception being that we aren't rich (monetarily speaking).
Today a co-worker offer to buy me lunch. I initially declined, but he coaxed me into it. I told him, I didn't want him to feel obligated because of our ban on extra spending. I told him when we were done with our goal, I would take him out. It was very nice of him.

DAY 92

Lizzy - Tough Day. I had to go back to the store to return our yogurt and was MAJORLY tempted to buy a treat for myself. This holiday is going to suck! Excuse my verbiage, but its hard not buying extra decorations and presents and food. I never usually go to the store unless its a Sat. I keep it to one day a week so I can plan it out in my head and get through it. When I have time to wander around on a "non Saturday" it becomes dangerous to my mind and my wallet!!  But mission accomplished. I walked in and traded what I needed to and nothing extra. My temptation was the check out line. I normally would have just grabbed a bag of something today. Why make all the way to the store and not pick up a little treat?
So maybe $1 saved on that today. You would think that by not giving into temptation my waist size would shrink, but I am not so sure home cooking is any healthier than a drive through. I need to make an effort to re-evaluate my meal plans again. Perfect time to do it too since the holidays are coming:)

Ryan - Helped my dad taking my mother to a doctor's appointment. I had to start work early and work late to make up for the time, but it's feels good to help out my parents. I then went to finish up a side job. Not much else.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Candy
COST: $1

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3231.30

Day 90-91

Saturday
Ryan - Okay, the Utah Jazz on are pulling wins out of their backside. Historically speaking, in the past 5 games they have came back from deficits of 18, 22, 18, 11, and 19. 4 of the 5 have been on the road against playoff teams. What does this have to do with our finances? I haven't seen any of them. I've listened some of them on the radio, but I'm relegated to reading news clips and radio post games. I miss my DirecTV and TIVO. The savings is $50-$70 a month. But it's for the best and I'll survive.

Lizzy - Relax....its just a game.(j/k..I know that comment makes you want to hit me upside the head lol:) I'm happy for the Jazz and for Ryans dedication as a big fan. We all need something to focus on rather than our boring lives. Today we spent working in the yard and cleaning the garage as well as some grocery shopping and house cleaning. I also picked up an extra shift at work this morning but didn't have to drag the kids along which was great. I am able to start catching up on that book The Hunger Games. Not sure what the big deal was about it. I am 1/3 of the way in and its not a page turner like I was expecting. Maybe because its just not my cup of tea when it comes to a good read. Oh well.

Sunday
Ryan - We had Jack's birthday party tonight and we got him a cake on Saturday. I don't know if this is a violation of our mission statement, but I didn't want to celebrate his first birthday with leftovers in the refrigerator or pantry. We did go with a $6 cake and $4 gallon of ice cream that fed everyone tonight. We did not do a dinner either, where we would normally feed family members. We asked them to eat before coming. It was tough.

Lizzy - I think we stuck to the plan just fine tonight. Like Ryan said we got the $6 cake instead of the Sams Club $17.99 one. So right there was $12 saved. As well as not having a dinner (which my mother ended up doing anyways) But we were not planning on it which would have been another $25-$30 there. So Roughly $40 saved on this Birthday as well as not buying him a new gift. Ok I admit that is a sad thought but I pulled out some old (new) package of spongy letters that we had stored that go in the tub. He loves them and doesnt know we didn't spend a dime on a new gift. Overall I had a great time with the family and just happy that Jack is well and healthy and in our lives. He is such a joy! Plus since he is walking more its fun to play with him. And since it was Sunday again no money spent.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Fancy Cake / Dinner for Family + New Present
COST: $40

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3230.30

DAY 89

Friday
Lizzy - I am not too worried about what Ryan was talking about. I think we have enough presents set aside for the kids for Jack's Birthday and Christmas. Starting out with just a few gifts especially since they are young is a lot more than what some people have. Also it helps us keep the cost down for next year with their expectations. As for myself I am used to not getting presents. lol..j/k Ryan has always been good...I think I cant remember. What I really want is to get my hair done. Thats my only complaint and will be the rest of the time. I hate my hair and want it colored and cut. I may have to figure something creative out to get this taken care of.  But really I already see it as 89 days and its not been the easiest but it feels great breaking down each dollar that comes in and out. Being able to save has been very rewarding and thats now where I get my rush instead of the need to spend. Today at my work one of Gracies friends asked her to get a quarter from me so they could go to the vending machines. I had to turn her down which I felt bad about yet still feel good I didn't give in and also get the chance to teach Gracie patience. So $.25 saved is all we came up with today. Oh and we did forget to say that we rented a movie from Red Box using their free code "Breakroom". We always get red box movies and have not been accounting for them.  Im SURE it would have been at least $5...the very LEAST.

Ryan - As her father, the story with Gracie is a heartbreaker. She doesn't understand what we are doing. I love her to death and want her to enjoy the little pleasures in life, but I see this is more as a reflection of my personality and mindset financially and how I rationalized spending needlessly. I'll just give her a hug when I get home.
I always considered my father the miser of the family. And not until I was older, I was not his biggest fan and had many ill feelings towards him. He was the "No" man. But now I see that he may have felt the same when he was saying no to his children.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Vending Machine / Red Box
COST: $.25 / $5

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3190.30

Day 88

Thursday
Ryan - I did some work for a previous client tonight. He had me do some handyman task for a couple of hours. Things are winding down. I'm not too concerned about the reduction of side job cash flow. We've had a great summer of work. I have a few jobs lined up when the weather warms up in the spring already. Now it's time to give my family attention. I'm excited about that. Especially with the holidays coming up. I have a few vacation days left too that I can use for my family and not side jobs.
This time of the season is going to be our big test. I know we have gifts for our kids, but nothing big. Sure they are young and won't remember. Monday is Jack's first birthday and we can't put anything big together for him except a dinner with the family. We have put all this extra money into savings and paying down my school loan and we can't use it and that's just the beginning. Here's what's coming up in the next few months in regards to gifts:

• November 15th - Jack's birthday
• December 25th - Christmas
• January 22nd - Lizzy birthday (this one I don't feel as bad. I used my b-day and side job gift cards for our date and she was able to go to New York). I'll make her something with what's laying around the house.

DAY 87

WEDNESDAY
Ryan - Well it's nice to see things slow down on the side jobs. I'm just doing little things for people. It will be nice to be with the family on a more regular basis and perhaps I can get things done at my mother-in-laws. She's done quite a bit for us and it will be nice to take care of some thing over at her house.
It was great see Jack walk for the first time. I was so proud of him. It brought back memories of Gracie.
I think we are getting back on track with groceries and our budget. The way I can tell is that in the mornings I'm looking for unhealthy snacks and there are none. There's food, but not junk food. There seems to be a correlation that good tasting convenient food cost money.

Lizzy - Pretty calm day with work,library and crafts and games at home. Gracie made an interesting turkey with chalk. It was very messy but very fun. Then we played a game of twister











And the most exciting news after is that JACK WALKED TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! We kept him going back and forth for a while till he got tired. WAHOO!

DAY 86

TUESDAY
Lizzy - Getting sore throat again:(  Stayed home tonight so nothing to write about. Except that I am starting to be VERY disappointing in the show Glee. Its terrible and gross now so I cam telling myself I can't watch it anymore. Going to bed early and hoping to get this throat taken care of before work in the morning!

Ryan- I sure miss having Direct TV, especially TIVO. The Jazz came back from 22 points down to Miami Heat in OT! The announcers were saying it was one of the best games in Jazz history and I'm crouched around a tiny radio with the volume down so I wouldn't wake up the kids. I wish there was some way of having a cable subscription that charges you only for the programs you want to watch. Oh well.

Day 85

MONDAY

Lizzy- Tonight we went to some friends for dinner. We were supposed to bring the salad and Ryan had gotten it all ready and I put it in the fridge before we left so it would stay cold. But we then forgot about it till we got there and its up in Sugarhouse so it wasn't like we were able to drive home to get it. We only got a laugh out of it when we were explaining this blog to them. It seems like we are being cheap or trying to get away with not doing our part when we explain about saving money. But they know we are not like that nor are we trying to be cheap with people. It just made for a good laugh:) And here is the proof for Kristin that we DID have the salad lol!!! 


Ryan -Really enjoy our evening with our friends from Sugar House. I was tempted to get a babysitter since we were going to eat so late and wouldn't be home until at least 10pm. But we lucked out. Gracie slept the whole time on their couch and Jack entertained everyone with his giggling and smiles. The salad was great for lunch today though. I love Caesar Salads!

Day 83

SATURDAY

Lizzy - What a great day. The weather was perfect and we got so much done today. Our "Fall Cleaning" went full force as we cleaned out the yard and leaves, painted the garage, shutters and door. And the paint we had left over from a couple years ago so no expense there. We even washed the windows and out door light fixtures which were REALLY dusty.

Even Gracie was out playing and Jack enjoyed exploring the yard. Although numerous times we had to take a handful of leaves out of his mouth:) Then our lovely neighbor came over and watched the kids while Ryan and I went on a REAL date night. He had been saving his gift cards that he got from side jobs and from his Birthday last month and put them together. 2 $25 gift cards to olive garden and 1 $25 gift card to the movies. So I will break this down. For the meal we made sure we counted every penny we were ordering so we would have enough for the tip. I made sure to get a cocoa instead of my usual pina colada and I got a dessert shooter in those tiny cups instead of my regular dessert I would normally order as well. With those and my meal it came to $23 and Ryans was less so that we had a $7 tip left over. Then the movies at the theater were $8.50 each and drink and candy came to $7.75 with $.25 left on the card which we just left. So there was nothing out of the ordinary on our purchases and there was $75 spent in one evening that we would normally do 2-3times a month. without thinking about it. I can't even imagine taking kids with us when they are older. Movies will turn into an event over $100 someday and it better be a DANG good movie which I am sad to say ours last night left nothing to be desired. However the experience was enjoyable!
Another savings I am throwing in for today is Christmas lights. We can't find our box of them and I am not surprised. With moving so many times they have slowly disappeared. So we made a few phone calls and found some extras people don't want anymore. They are a mixed match bunch but we don't care one bit. It saved the lights from getting trashed and our pockets from buying a new set. I don't even know how much to say lights are so I am guessing around $20 to buy what we would have wanted for the house. I'm also including my $1.49 on my favorite chex mix holiday edition.

I love those muddy buddies and wanted to throw them in the cart while doing the grocery shopping. But stuck to the list and what was healthy. So great day and our bank account will remain untouched again this weekend wahoo!!

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Date Night / Christmas Lights / Muddy Buddies
COST: $75 / $20/ $1.49

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3185.05

Ryan - Well Melissa said it all. I just wanted to add that we didn't eat soups and salads. I just thought We are not going to get an opportunity to spend $75 dollars on entertainment the rest of the way. We have decided no to do any more trade-outs. We thought it would be detrimental to our goal and we didn't want to create a habit of doing this. I wanted to enjoy everything, dinner, movie (it was a disappointment), and time alone with my lovely wife. And two out of three ain't bad.

Day 81 + 82

FRIDAY
Lizzy - I am really in the mood for a candle. I was at the store yesterday getting some carrots and then walked by the Salt City Candles. They smelled wonderful and since fall is here is my favorite time to break out the candles. So I've had to let this one go. Its KILLING ME!! So I walked away from the $20 purchase, came home and put some orange peels in the pot with a dash of ground cinnamon.
Which not only smells great it also creates moisture in the air and heats up the house. I will spend my holidays finding new items to throw in and change the smell. I can always use my leftover apples and spices to create something. Now my only problem will be remembering its on and not to burn the pot which I have done before. So I will have to set the timer and keep checking on it which is a hassle but its a cheap hassle.

Ryan - I can't believe that candles cost that much, but then again, I've never really paid attention to the prices of candles.
I was relieved from eating my PB & J's when my boss took us out to eat. I had to pick the place so I pick Rubio's It was nice to eat some non-Ryan prepared food.

TODAY'S WANTED ITEM: Candle
COST: $20

TOTAL $ SAVED YTD: $3183.56

THURSDAY
Lizzy - Today was MUCH better than yesterday. I think it was because I had more of a schedule and things to do. I had motivation to clean and exercise which always makes me feel better. I also was able to read and play with the kids. Gracie has school and a major part to my good day was that she had  a friend over that she loves playing with and it kept them occupied so I could get things done. I think its another reason I am really looking into my Day Care business. I think when there are more kids in my house that are not mine I find it easier to focus on things that need to get done as apposed to just my own kids. Crazy how that works but it just does. I do better with crowds and not one on one. Maybe that means I need to have more kids..lol...just kidding:):) I also got my licensing application in the mail so I am really happy to start this process. I wont really go full force until next spring. I want to see how much we need to get done around the house before my inspections and it will take some money up front to get started which I am applying for their grant. But in any case I am really excited about it and feel better the more I pursue this.

Ryan -I'm looking forward to Saturday. We have a $25 gift card to the Megaplex and $50 gift card to Olive Garden. Lizzy has been trying to convince me to try to stretch it out by seeing a matinee and ordering soups and salads for dinner. I know she's in a mindset and so am I, but I'm looking at this as an opportunity to have some fun without any financial repercussions. I'm kind of struggling if what I'll do.

80

Lizzy - Hard day. I feel totally blah. I haven't done anything which has helped with the budget..no spending, but no motivation to do anything either. So I guess that's its for today:)

Ryan -I didn't do much either.

DAY 79

Ryan- I'm glad Lizzy addressed the latest purchase she made with the humidifier. I was getting worried we were spending with out considering our goal. I felt we were starting to get a little loose on our rules and just making convenient purchases and not necessary purchases or finding some other alternative to spending. I agree with prevention especially since we are off my works cobra plan and we don't have the same type of insurance. We definitely need to make sure we reduce the visits to the doctor since payment for them comes out of our pocket 100%,

Lizzy -  I took Gracie to school and did my exercises. I got all my to-do lists checked off except for cleaning the house...which is funny...because yesterday I said I cleaned the house...which I did. But if you look around it doesn't seem like I lifted a finger for days. How and why does this happen? I am sick and tired of cleaning and then waking up to the same messes. AY CARUMBA ! So its almost 4 and the day is almost over and that is the last thing on my list. I think I may wait till the kids are asleep to make if feel worth while.

I did take the kids to the library as well and we tried checking out Thanksgiving day books and they were all OUT!! Can you believe it? Its only the 2nd and they have NOTHING. Gracie has been asking me since Halloween is over to get a movie or book with Thanksgiving.

So I obviously can't buy anything so the library is our only choice and I am 6-8 on the waiting lists of a few things. Hopefully we get them before the fact. Otherwise I think I will try finding things online to print out or watch for her. I do have a Relief Society activity/dinner in which I am bringing some peanut butter bars covered in yummy chocolate. They are very soft and 'delish'....I almost hope they don't get eaten so I can bring them back home...is that bad? It would make my morning work-out for naught...as well as the book I checked out from the library today "How to stop over-eating" lol....ahhh. Maybe I won't eat any but just look at them:)

Day 77 & 78

Sunday

Monday

Ryan - Went to do repair for an old customer and I didn't charge him anything. I could have, but he's been a really good customer and has referred three jobs my way. I kind of categorizes this as "what goes around comes around" theory. It was 1/4 tank of gas to get out to his house, but I'm not worried about it.

Lizzy - Spent the day working, cleaning, cooking and spending half the day outside raking leaves and pulling weeds. It was nice to be in the sunshine cold but nice plus the yard needs winterizing.  I did have to go get a humidifier and one could question that purchase, however I see it as a preventative measure as far as sickness and the heater bill. The kids started coughing after the weekend and my skin is cracking due to the cold weather. So instead of going to pay for hospital visits and prescription creams which we do every winter, I thought this would be a cheaper route.
I also learned and have experimented with the fact that we can have our heater turned very low, but  because of the humidity it feels a lot warmer and keeps our bedrooms heated during the night. I have been turning the heather off during the days and just dressing everyone up in socks and long sleeves. Then at night turn it back on but keep it low. Usually and always in the past I have never paid attention to the thermostat. I would walk by it every day and adjust if to how we felt at the time. I never cared too much about the cost or running it as high as I wanted during the winter. But we will see how it effects the bill. They usually have a chart for the year to show what you paid last year. So granted we were not in this house last year but I will try and track our previous years and see the difference. I guess my only concern with it is how much damage it will do to my furniture,carpet and walls. The pharmacy said I could run it all day/night but would that not cause mold or ruin my stuff? We will have to see how this goes.