We're nearly half-way through the month of January, and by now I've typically lost steam with my resolutions - not so this year! The daily Bible reading is going great and right on target. What I'm most excited about is our challenge to find/save/earn 12,000!!
Here's the breakdown...
I really don't like lunch... I've never been a fan of sandwiches... I never really know quite what to bring to work for lunch, so I got into the habit of going to Bruegger's because I LOVE bagels and I LOVE soup! Unfortunately, each time I ate out... it cost me $7.81! Now granted... I only work 2-3 days a week, but it adds up! So... since the beginning of January, I worked 3 days (have I mentioned that I love being part-time?!?) and have brought my lunch each day... so a savings of $23.43!!! (I eat a lot of yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola bars.... I still haven't found a lunch that I "love" bringing to work.)
Steve is part of a research study for Crohn's disease and a few days ago he received a check in the mail for $10 for filling out a simple survey! I'm looking at some research studies for me to participate in because we get a little extra cash and also help medical research!
I made a very difficult decision to cancel my gym membership at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center (DAHLC). I loved going... all the equipment... meeting with a wellness coach... getting a massage every now and then... using the pool... daycare that Amaya loved... just talking about it makes me want to change my mind!!! Unfortunately, I wasn't getting there consistently enough to make it worth it and I wasn't making it a priority in my schedule. We have a treadmill that is completely paid for just begging to be used, so I'm on it 4-5 days a week now! Total savings: $351 (for the entire year). (And a bonus... a few pounds gone too!)
We've had a Kwik Trip card for over a year now and we absolutely love it! We generally buy all of our gas there since it's conveniently located to our house. We found an extra bonus in that their bread, eggs, butter, onions, bananas, potatoes, and milk are cheaper than at Wal-Mart. So, with our card, we get 3 cents back on every gallon of gas we buy and 10% off our grocery purchases. Once a quarter, we get a gift certificate combining the 3 cents back and 10% off groceries. This week we got a check for $19.63 to use towards the purchase of anything at Kwik Trip. It's not a huge savings... but it all adds up!
Amaya hit another growth spurt and I was hoping I could literally stretch out her clothes a little longer, but she really needs to be bumped up a size. Arwen has been absolutely awesome and sharing her girl's clothes with us as they outgrow them. So, Amaya and I brought out the bin of size 5 clothes to organize and try things on! She had a blast doing a fashion show for me and I was so pleased to not have to rush out to buy new clothes for her. We slashed our clothing budget for the three of us to $20 a month, so I'm grateful for Arwen's generosity! It's hard to put a price on how much we saved, but I figure at least $200.
I've been cutting Steve's hair for nearly 7 years now. We started right after he got laid off from Pemstar to trim our budget. I cut his hair again this week... saving us $20! I wasn't sure I should include this for our challenge this year since we've been doing it for so long, but decided that it was important to recognize what we've already done to be frugal! In those 7 years we've saved $1,680 just on his haircuts alone!!!
We've only just begun and already our total for the year is $624.06! Only $11,375.94 left to go!