I felt a lot like that when I went back to work in January 2021. I felt like I couldn't even get a haircut, despite not having had one in two years, things were so tight. DH had had a significant decrease in income in 2020 but we had commitments based on the larger income. I don't know how much my earnings contributed, they were so minuscule compared to what he earns, but we're in a much butter position now and I probably will reconsider after my current term at work ends. We went to family camp again last summer because I worked, and it was so wonderful for our family. Emily

I've kept my grocery bills down but not quite as much as I'd hoped, and even put one trip ($85) on the credit card because I didn't have as much money on me as I realized. Argh. I find I spend less money when I don't make a list and just shop based on the cheapest produce, but then I rely on tried and true recipes and have a hard time using weird things in the pantry. The big purchase this week will be a case for dd's violin that we plan to purchase in two weeks. She's been playing for over seven years now, loves it, and is in a full-sized violin. DH did some consulting last week with a group that pays much better than any outside work he's done before, and that should cover the violin. We've got a big repair coming up on the car and are setting aside money for that. Finally, it looks like everything is coming together for a major cross-country move this summer. That means fixing a lot of things on the house and paying for at least part of the moving costs. DH threw away a huge, ratty tarp and an old grill last night, since those were things that made sense to keep at our current house but would not make sense to pay to lug across the country. I am rather happy that DH is getting rid of stuff, LOL. Even if the move doesn't come off, we won't regret getting rid of stuff. Oh, and a couple of nibbles on some of my CL listings, but no purchasers yet. They are Montessori materials, so very specialized, and maybe not listed at the best time of year. Emily

Better late than never! We're getting to the end of the month. Have you noticed anything about yourself or your spending? Have you made progress on your wallet-related goals? Emily

DS11 just got back from traveling with DH on a business trip. He was pestering me over the past few days to go grocery shopping for some foods he really likes, or at least order pizza (argh!). Finally I explained to him that I'm watching what I spend because I had been spending too much in November and December. Surprisingly, he was totally on board. He said, "Oh, yeah, you were going to Trader Joe's all the time last month." LOL, he didn't even think about Christmas presents. Then he wrote a list and we planned a single shopping list for a one-time trip. Emily

If you are willing to put your own lights on a Christmas tree, you can get one very cheaply at a thrift store. A lot of people throw out beautiful fake trees as soon as the light string breaks. We got a beautiful 7' tree for $30 from a thrift store this Christmas season. Emily

When I began applying for jobs in fall 2021, it took me 3 months to get everything lined up since I had to figure out references, which involved beginning a volunteer position and then getting the head to be a reference! Good job!

I lost my sense of smell when I had mono at 22. It came back in about 3 months, but for the longest time peanut butter and chicken smelled off.

I just got an email that a recurring subscription order was placed yesterday. Doh! It is a subscription that only mails once every six months, which is how I forgot all about it. I went into the website and canceled future orders today, but will keep the one that is currently on its way. I need to grocery shop, but between the hospital on Tuesday, a piano recital yesterday, an orthodontist appointment today, and work, I just don't have the time to get to the grocery store. We're hitting the bottom of the barrel, with only a few apples and two oranges left for fruit, but I think we can make it one more day. I'm going to make a beet borscht tonight with cabbage, potatoes, half a carrot, and three beets. I'll throw in a can of kidney beans (and maybe white beans if I have any left) and then we have yogurt to put on top. That'll about clean out the fridge. DD14 is starting to look at violin cases. One of the many reasons I'm watching my wallet right now is because we're buying her a violin next month. She needs a case to put it in (and a bow, but haven't started thinking about that yet). In good news, DS17 got another piano student, which should help cover some of his spendy summer plans, LOL. Emily

Could you use Zelle? I pay most teachers that way and there isn't a fee. Emily

DD6 broke her arm, so that's an unexpected ER visit. I recognized one of the ER nurses from a visit earlier this year. Ugh. On the bright side, I found street parking and spent $20 less than I would have otherwise if we'd ended up in the garage. @Meriwether So sorry about the car. Argh. We have a $1500 repair coming up that I've been ignoring, but I think we have to bite the bullet. We've got a Toyota with 160K miles on it, so such a repair isn't totally unexpected, but it is frustrating. Emily

My ds17 felt very strongly that he wanted to retake the SAT after getting a 1500. I decided that since he cared so strongly, we'd go for it. I'd ask your kiddo what kid wants to do. I realized that DS17 was going to blame rejections on his 1500 if he didn't retake it, and I felt like just knowing he had tried, whether he increased it or not, would make him feel better.

DS used the Prodigies Ukulele until he finished them and loved them. Then I got him a book of 365 Ukulele songs and he just played those for a while. Gotta figure out the next thing now. 🙂

One more essay being written right now for a 1/31 deadline and a scholarship essay mostly finished. Then that's it. Emily

I think appropriate expenses depend on the season and the need. Hope you and your DD had a good time together. Emily

Welcome, well-trained walleteers! We're just over halfway through the month. How are things going with your financial goals? Have you had any insights or wins? I'm excited that my credit card bill closes in two days and I am on track to getting it back under control. I've been doing pretty well about not using it except for gas, but I did use it at the grocery store when I accidentally checked out at a card-only self-checkout. I've told my kids, who of course have requests, to keep a list and let me know in February. Hopefully that'll give them a chance to price compare. Unfortunately, I may have to call in the appliance repair company, as I don't do electrical connections and the repair on my stove involves connecting wires. I'll ask hubby when he gets home what he thinks. Emily

I'd go for the shallower bookshelves and then put a small IKEA kallax in a corner or closet for binders.

@Soror I grew up in California with a grandma at the other end of the state, and every once in a while we'd go to Pea Soup Anderson's. Then, as a young mom, I got a crock pot cookbook (Not You Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook) with a recipe like theirs in it. I was hooked. So easy, so yummy, so many memories. One of the keys is that you serve it, almost like chili, with lots of toppings. We put out croutons, chopped ham, shredded cheddar, and chopped green onions. We serve it alongside cornbread or pretzel buns. I think this soup is sort of sweet because of all the carrots, which I love. The recipe is so easy; I usually multiply by 4ish. The sage is absolutely necessary.: 1 C dried split peas 1 C diced carrots 1 C celery 1/2 C diced onion 1/2 tsp dried sage pinch cayenne Bay leaf chicken or veggie bouillon to taste Dump it in the crock pot. Fill up with water to an inch or so above the food. Cook all day. Use immersion blender at the end to make smooth. Check for salt. Eat with toppings! You can also add a bag of frozen peas 20 min from the end if you like that added taste (one bag of frozen peas for 4 C split peas).

My recent experience with jobs is that HR takes a long time. Anything that involved pressure to move quickly would make me nervous. Have others had this experience with HR? Or is it just in the industry I'm in?

I was trying to figure out why I haven't been exercising and there are a few reasons: 1) Too much scrolling on the iPad in the morning. The alarm clock beeps, I scroll for a "minute" and just "peep" at email, and then it is too late to exercise before breakfast. Solution: don't use the iPad until I've done my morning routine (Bible, exercise, drink water). 2) An all-or-nothing attitude. Either I get in a full workout or I don't workout at all. I don't workout after dinner because I won't sleep well. Solution: I could have gentler yoga that I do after dinner for days I haven't exercised during the day. I could also make a list of 10 minute routines to do when I don't have time for a full workout. 3) Increase of responsibilities at work. Last year, I coordinated a research study. This year, I'm writing curriculum and training students to implement half of the study. I took over the control arm from the manager. The study is about math education but the control arm involves literacy tutoring. The researcher running the study isn't interested in literacy, but I am widely read on it. She kept on liking my ideas and telling me I knew more than her, and so now, I've completely taken over that arm. This is a good thing, I think. It makes it more necessary for me to stretch my body, because I have more I care about and therefore more I am stressed about! Emily

I'm a mom of five, and this weekend, DH plus four of the kids will be out of town (two different places)!. It'll only be me and DD6, so super sweet since she's the youngest and rarely gets one-on-one time. She asked me to take her to fast food, which I won't, but I may take her to Chinatown for dumplings or something. I've kept under budget and have the wiggle room this week. We also are having a friend over for breakfast Saturday morning, so that'll be special and without being an extra expense. DS17 is asking for a new shaver and complaining that his old one is lousy, so I think I'm going to have him price compare a few and decide whether he wants to kick in a few dollars for the "perfect" one or just get another cheap one. He's generally frugal, but sometimes can be demanding without realizing it. I have about 8 lbs of yellow split peas and recently found a great recipe for them. I love split pea soup, but I also have 10 lbs of normal split peas.

My parents did this and it killed the dream. They had talked about it for years, so we said, "Rent a camper and we'll camp together, us in tents, you in the camper." We did that for a few years, and by the end, they realized they had no desire to ever own one. And next year, they are hoping for a state park with cabins! No more headaches for them. Emily

1/9 $10 (exactly!) for produce at a Mexican market 1/10 $15 for a large pack of garbage bags and $9.60 for two gallons of milk and a discounted box of ds11's favorite tea I think I may be thinking about this too much. I woke up Monday night from a nightmare that I had bought a dress for dd6 that she didn't need and it was going to cost more to send it back than to keep it! Emily

We're almost a quarter of the way through January! Keep up the good work! Post goals, wins, difficulties, etc. For me: I've avoided most credit card spending, but had to pay a fee for the CSS profile earlier today (argh) and the term's cost for basketball on Thursday. We're eating up pantry and freezer food. I've had friends over rather than going out. Two kids now having checking accounts. I need to make an appointment this week for the third high schooler to open one. I'm holding off on a credit card for ds17 until he turns 18 next month. I've posted things to sell on craigslist and found a lot of toiletries while cleaning out a hall closet. I have a full trunk of stuff for Goodwill, too, which gets me the usage of two closets that were storing things I couldn't make my mind up about, LOL. Goals this week: - One grocery trip later in the week and keep it under $50 and cash - No spending on the CC this week - Keep up on the cleaning and decluttering so that we can better use what we have. You can't use what you can't find! - Make an appiontment for dd16 to get a checking account - Set up dd14's Zelle account - Find a good substitute for New Wash by Hairstory (it costs $100/bottle but is literally the only shampoo I've used my whole life that doesn't make my scalp itch. My mom bugged me about scratching my scalp, a "bad habit," as a 9-year-old, but now I know it was a reaction to shampoo). Emily

I say whatever is easiest as captain. I manage a yearly HOA picnic. At first I tried to be super fair, keep excellent track of expenses, and refund any extra money (in the $5 per family range, with about 8 families). The people I talked with told me just to keep, as they thought the picnic was great and they were just glad I took care of everything. I think if the difference is in the $5-7 range and you are up front about expectations, I wouldn't worry about it. They are lucky to have you and shouldn't want to risk burnout on annoying minor issues. Emily

Level B, which is first grade.