Debit Freeze

This morning, I banished the access card to our savings account, and the debit card to the depths of the freezer. It is my hope that this will better keep us on track. I say 'us', but really I'm the one that usually has the 'spend' itch. Chris maybe blows $20 a week at a corner store if he's not paying attention, but I usually end up at Children's Place or Carters hitting a 'sale' and coming home $100 later. It's easier to avoid those places now that my little 3 year old refuses to let me dress her. She either wants jammies or jammies. 95 degrees, and she wants to sport fleece footie jammies. ugh. It makes me sweat just LOOKING at her.

So today, for our totalmoneymakeover I have a plan to get through the day. I purchased some cereal and a box of fruit snacks for the kids. I have a difficult time getting 3 year old jammie girl to eat 3 times a day. So far, the cereal worked! check. I sent hubby to work with a kung pow chicken bowl, crystal light packet, an apple and $2 for a treat. I meant to grab a loaf of bread, but forgot. So instead I'm going to bake a couple of loaves. It will heat up the house, but it will taste better. Sandwhiches for lunch. PB&J for jammie girl and me, and just J for little guy, because he's too little for the PB. Dinner? I'm thinking rice and beans. Don't laugh. I'm serious. We've been eating like $2 dinners all month trying to keep our goal of paying the car off this month. Mac & Cheese. Quesadillas. Bean & Cheese burritos with rice. (those actually were really good and a big hit with the kids) I ran out of cheddar cheese yesterday. *Ugh* It's only ONE MORE DAY to pay day and then I can go to the grocery store again.

So while our finances and spending are in a deep freeze, we are sweating it out. My summer goal is to keep the electric bill below $100. Friday it's going to be 100 degrees. Our home faces west, and gets all day sun, and completely beat on from about 4:30-8:30. I've started leaving the air off until about 8pm. Yesterday, we had to turn it on about 6 though, because our home had gotten to 85 and it made us non-functional. Our first power bill of the summer came today.....$99!! w00t! So, it IS possible. The trick is to keep in the basement and outside with water play. Leave the house from 6-7, whether that's to a park, or grandparents for a swim, and then come back at 8 to the house. By then, the sun is low enough that it doesn't take more than 45 minutes to cool the house. Our bills have gotten to be almost $200 one year, but not this year man. I'm not dealing with that nonsense! And hey, sweating is good for you!