This is on the list because I have a habit of buying steep sale items and putting away for future use. It has served me very well for many years. However, there is nothing they need immediately and it would save me a few bucks a month to just train my mind to stop browsing clothes every time I shop. Last night friends hosted a dinner and someone with older boys brought clothes for me and a friend to go through. Oldest got 5 pairs of shorts 2 sizes up, and a prisitine real leather jacket that fits now. $0

I'll post my daily expenditures here and update through the week. 🤓 1/1 $66.45 $30 gas, 19.97 cat food, 16.48 groceries 1/2 $70.34 $12.89 Dunkin, 40 haircuts, 9.11 groceries, 8.34 drive thru 1/3 $63.94 $42.95 groceries, 12.23 donuts, 7.76 cat food on special 1/4 $41.29 $35 gas, 6.29 restaurant, 4.03 gift, 43.32 groceries 1/5 1/6 $50.83 $3.65 coffees, 11.95 health food store, 35.23 groceries and pet food 11/7 $13.82 $13.82 groceries

This just reminded me I hid my husband's anniversary card. I just forgot I even bought one.

This is the way Every Dollar is designed, as well. I pay a few things annually. Every month in my app, I fund "renewals" as a subaccount in my bank so I can have it ready when due.

My goals are to save $100 on groceries by eating down the fridge and pantry, not buy any clothing for the kids, and keep restaurants under $70/week. The first 2 should be easy. The last one is easy in theory, but difficult in practice since we have built snack stops into some routines. We have to rein it in.

I was using Happy Planner in Dashboard layout. It's a list-style... menu, errands, to do etc. Now I use a $3 Walmart planner that is similar.

Is this the thread for progress, or will a new one be started tomorrow?

Since you said you are open to other options, I have used the free version of Every Dollar from D. Ramsey since 2017. I find the manual reconciliation is the most helpful in keeping me on track.

I'm in for a separate spot of accountability and tracking.

I was a super flexible kid and could do all kinds of contortion and splits with no training. I didn't have pain with any of it. One of my sisters, however, has generalized hypermobility and had chronic pain playing sports. Interestingly to me, she went on to become an OT. My oldest also hyperextends joints easily. Giving 100% in athletics causes him pain. He has low muscle tone despite his athletic ability to run, throw, etc. Trying to coordinate his body to do a push-up or sit-up is difficult. We are exploring options for help.

I picked up a few items for next year (wrapping supplies mostly). I also got 2 new Serta pillows for $3 each to replace 1 per kid. We trashed the oldest/yuckiest. I told the kids next year is a WANT NEED WEAR READ year. I went overboard this year because I started collecting in, oh... July? Their gifts are getting more pricey so 4 is plenty. We are eating out of the pantry and freezer after our date night this weekend. I got a gift card deal on a Korean BBQ place so we will do that. We usually do Sundays out as a family meal. We have 2 large gift cards, and a big coupon to our usual spot, so that will save a good chunk of change the next few weeks. I got a case of cat food 25% off at Petsmart, which was just a lucky find. Cats are stocked for a while. I also ordered birthday cards for everyone who will need one for the first 3 months of the year from a cute shop on Etsy. They are handmade and basically dollar store prices (1.50ish each). Feeling pretty good about things at the moment. We have some large expenses coming up this year but more communication about expectations and decent plans. I always like the week between 25th and 31st.

Would the two kids who are renting the house together consider moving home and paying rent (not the mortgage) for a while? Or would that handicap them finding another place later? IDK what your rental market is like. But I imagine if you convinced them all to move near you, they aren't entirely opposed to living with you again short term. And the youngest still at home can help even if it's just paying electric.

You may enjoy Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting.

I know I want to sit down and plan a field trip or two each month. Winging it as we have been produces lackluster results some semesters.

Also, if anyone is looking to buy more cloth sacks, Hobby Lobby had their canvas holiday sacks on sale 70 or 75% off and my store still had many as of a couple days ago.

This exactly. I have a somewhat large but not huge gift bag that I put the collapsed shirt boxes, other bags, decent bows, and leftover roll of paper into, and I stick that bag in a closet for a year. I don't fret about how much gets saved or lost.

Celine Dion's Christmas album is my all-time favorite. I believe she does best most of the traditional carols and hymns. We also enjoy the albums from Casting Crowns, David Crowder, Jewel, and Faith Hill. Another I love that I have discovered in the last few years that is not on one of those is Be Born in Me by Francesca Batistelli.

I used Synthroid for 20 years and never had optimal numbers. Putting me in range just made my symptoms shift. I was always ravenous when I took it. I switched to NP thyroid (generic Armor) and finally had improvement.

I have absolutely planned my hair washing schedule around the weather.

I agree. People laugh when Floridians mention low temps that "feel like spring!" to others. Sirs and mams, we are not equipped for teens. Texas wasn't ready for that big freeze. People in parts of Georgia literally can't drive if they get 2 inches of snow because there is no infrastructure for managing it.

The Hysterectomy Waltz by Merrill Joan Gerber 46 shelved it, 16 rated it. 3.25 star rating. I give it a 2.5 and rounded up to 3. I picked it up because it was literally the only book at my library with "hysterectomy" in the title when I was awaiting mine.

Our part of FL will have lows of 20 for about 4 days. We have covered plants, wrapped pipes, taken care of animals. We took bubblewrap from a few recent packages and stuck them in the windows that are near beds. My parents will have lows of 3-5 for the weekend. Glad I am not traveling there this month.

Oh yes, I second Lori's suggestion of My Side of the Mountain.

He might like Because of Winn Dixie or Strawberry Girl.

If one of the kids says something that reminds us of a song, one will start singing said song quietly, then pause, and the other will sing the next line. And we do this back and forth until most of the song has been sung. The kids are convinced we make them up on the spot and are excellent songwriters. 😆