Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or Do Without!

Way back in 2006, Ken and I sat down and got as close to creating an actual monthly budget as we ever had, the purpose of the budget was to see if we could survive on Ken’s income alone. We could, but we wouldn’t have much money to do fun stuff, but who needs to do fun stuff when you have a warm place to live and food to eat- right? With the knowledge that we could survive once we had a baby the budget went to the back of the darkest part of our brains.

Then, more than a year later we brought the budget out again, this time we knew we would be having a baby within the next few months and thought it would be good to practice actually living within the family budget, it was much harder than I thought, because I always knew in the back of my mind that I was working and so we actually had more money then the budget said- so if we fudged a little it would still all work out just fine. Well in the past 6 months I have earned about $200, which is not much room to fudge.

So on Monday we pulled out the budget one more time and it was the right time to do it too! It is weird to say, but it was a fun and eye-opening experience. Fun? I know I am still trying to figure that one out myself, but it has really lit a fire inside me and this morning someone on the Today Show threw some more fuel on that fire and so I thought I would tell you about it.

We have a lot, I realize that, and my new fire is helping me recognize that I don’t really need anything more than what I already have. We have nice clothes, Most of them are free of holes and many of them are quite new, so I don’t need to go shopping for clothes. I have so many “Things” that I forget what I have, so I don’t need to buy myself more things. I know how to cook, so I probably should cook more and let Betty Crocker and Swanson and Red Baron cook for my family a little less. These are all ways I can save money and make our new budget work. I feel the fire inside telling me to be more like my grandparents and parents and “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or DO WITHOUT!” and I am actually excited to do this, I really, really, really feel like our family is going to be very blessed and very successful in our efforts to be more frugal.

Back to the Today Show, they were discussing Greed in America and really the entire financial crisis that our country finds itself in. Matt Lauer asked the two experts (they were really just financial journalists) if this most recent crisis was going to change America, if it was going to now be cool to live on less and be more frugal. NOOOOO was the response from one of the experts, this is not a direct quote but it is the way my mind processed it -the good times are not over, we will always find a way to spend. My opinion of her opinion- What a horrible, horrible misunderstanding of Good Times. Spending does not bring the Good Times, Security and Self Sufficiency bring the Good Times and as such I am going to try my hardest to “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or Do Without!” because I want my family to have Good Times now and in the future!

I will let you know how I do, good or bad. Wish me luck. I think I am also going to add a new phrase to my Affirmations “Frugal is Fun”.

(By the way- for those who are wondering how we are going to do Fun Things on our new budget- two words “Gift Cards”. If we have a gift card we can go out to dinner or the movies or anything else like that. Discovercard Cash Back Bonus awards will keep us in Restaurant Gift Cards for a while, but any movie theater gift card donations will be gladly accepted for birthdays, Christmas, or any day really. Ken is grateful for the gift card he got at Christmas that will allow him to continue to purchase DVD’s, as long as those DVD’s are for sale at the Sears in Fashion Place Mall.)