A few days…

I haven’t written in a couple of days and I think that is alright. I didn’t create this blog as a ‘every day writing’ type of gig. I would like to get to that point some day but I don’t like to write when I have nothing to write about. Doesn’t really end up well, at least for me.

The first two weeks of May were, well a struggle, just a bit. We ended the two weeks with a $1.82 in our checking and had to take out of our savings and brought that total back to zero. We only had a hundred in there opposed to the two hundred we had planned. Since the last two weeks of the month are a bit more breathable, we plan to replace that hundred with the due hundred on top of it as well.

Budgetting is rough. Not really ‘rough’ as in hard to go by but really getting a good estimate of what you will actually be purchasing. We’ve gone over our grocery budget but we did throw in a cheap printer and a few extras here and there as well. The printer was $30.00 but it’ll pay itself off here soon as I begin to print (and USE) coupons. Right now I think instead of focusing on stockpiling and fantastic deals, I’ll just get into the habit of using coupons period. Of course, if I happen to come by a really good deal, for something we use frequently, I will snag that. That is a given. I almost had a good deal for free taco seasoning (and we use a TON of taco seasoning) but the coupon wasn’t available when I went to go print it. We lose some and win some. I’ve been following sites like Money Saving Mom, Deal Seeking Mom, Baby Good Buys, etc. to see what kind of deals are available.

We’ve been doing a pretty good job at keeping track of our receipts as well. Some have gone ‘missing’ but I’m able to look at our bank account and see what was spent so that I can log it correctly. Though losing reciepts isn’t going to help me at the end of the month when it comes to overall budget totals and estimating June’s budget.

I have made leaps and bounds on my home management notebook. Today I sat and went through all my old Fly Lady stuff, discarded what I no longer want to use or found useful and implemented a little system. For daily use I’m using the pocket docket by Simple Mom and I printed out the emergency information sheets from Organizing Your Way.

Laundry is slowly getting done. But thats a task that will always remain. I have a sort of system going with it but right now I’m just doing it as it goes. I’m sure I’ll fall into a true system as time goes on.

A couple of weeks ago..

When I started this blog I was swearing to myself that every day I would accomplish something. That I would complete a task that needed to be done. Whether it was a chore or something on my big ‘to-do’ list that gets larger every day. Days would go by where I wouldn’t do anything except surf the web for great ideas and take care of the kiddos. Instead of recognizing that spending time with my kids, making sure their meals we’re made, etc. I convinced myself that I didn’t accomplish anything.

I’ve been much better lately of completeing tasks but I don’t like how I would get so down on myself. In fact, over the past few weeks we have accomplished quite a bit.

1. We have decluttered more than half of our basement. There is still quite a bit to go through but we got a great deal done. I discovered quickly that blankets, crib sheets, baby towels, wash clothes could be crossed off the baby needs list. I also found some clothes that the girls had received over the past few years as gifts that are the perfect size now! Not to mention the sentimental memories that came with a lot of the outfits from the newborn days. Right now I am working on getting all of the linens, baby clothes, etc. washed so I can take a total tally of what I have. I have found that I have an odd problem with actually getting rid of baby clothes, I think I might need them with this one. While some I’m going to beable to use, quite a bit of it I won’t. Mainly because I had two winter babies and now am having a summer.
2. For the past 3 days, my family has formed a small habit that I hope remains a habit. Five to ten minutes after dinner (I’ve been allowing a small relaxation period for our tummies to settle) we begin to do a clean up. The hubby or I do the dishes and clean the kitchen and the other Parent heads into the living room and play room directing the kids how to pick up their toys and helping as well. The floors get swept and spot mopped if needed. Between the oh 5 – 5:30 time and bedtime, not much of a mess is created and I can relax for the rest of the night. If the kids help they get a treat. Either some kind of snack/desert or some play time outside if it’s nice.
3. Meal Planning – I’ve always been a decent meal planner so that wasn’t a huge giant mole hill to cross over. However, I’ve changed a few things. Instead of shopping exclusively at WalMart we have now added Price Chopper into the mix. Granted last weekend was our first time going to Price Chopper and somethings I were’nt sure if they we’re cheaper at one store or the other (hence the $7.00 spent on crumbled blue cheese that I could have bought at walmart for $2.00 and change) but with time, I think I might beable to cut our grocery budget by 5%. I’ve been reading Money Saving Mom’s 31 days to a better grocery budget series and plan to start using coupons soon as well.

And as for yesterday, I learned I could accomplish quite a bit in a short span of time. I cleaned our kitchen. Not any kind of ‘deep cleaning’ but I decluttered the counters, organized a few cupboards that desperately needed it and mopped the floor. Oh did that floor need to be mopped! And then spent the afternoon outside with my gorgeous, grass loving, pre-schoolers. The afternoon was my favorite part and the most rewarding. I got quite a few priceless photos.

So needless to say, despite what I might think one day compared to the next, I have been accomplishing quite a few things and it’s relieving to make notice of that. Now…to make some big accomplishments for the rest of May, or some little ones.