~Wasting Change~

I guess I will own this, not that I am proud of it... but we are quite a wasteful family. Not with everything, but enough so that I decided that it was time to make some seriously drastic changes if these peeps want to take an impromptu and somewhat expensive vacation this year.

We had bowed out of the whole idea of a vacation since the littlest princess got her braces but once I figured out how much food, stuff...aka...money, gets lost, used improperly, stolen, thrown away or goes bad...I figured if I can change this, and right now, we could take some seriously awesome spur of the moment vacations.

I started reading some pretty cool articles and then I found one talking about, "Making the Spare Change." It gave all kinds of ways to find money and save money and keep money and then find some more.

First on my list of "finding money," cleaning out all of my purses and the toy bins and junk drawers and car ash trays. After 3 purses, (and that is all I have cleaned so far) I almost fell off the chair. I had almost $68.00..in change. I told everyone that they are going to need to go through all of their nooks and crannies and find all the loose change. I know it is there, I have seen it. I have 33 more purses and bags and backpacks to go through by Monday. I am figuring that I will most likely, have over $400.00, in change alone....... and for me, that is huge, to clean out all my bags (that, and to have all that change accounted for)!!!! Every penny we have will be going towards the surprise trip.

The second change: Well, I have heard it so many times before but I really have never ever followed it. Pay ME first. Makes sense but I guess I just never did it. I started it this weekend when I went grocery shopping. At the end of checking out, the checker always says...."you saved $XXX.00 amount of dollars today." I decided that, that amount saved will be immediately withdrawn from my account with cash back, and put into another account that only I access. I hope to eventually incorporate the savings when I wash the car myself or do the bug spray thing myself rather than pay someone else to do it. I had stopped using all my coupons awhile back but am getting back into the swing of things with them so that will help even more! My ultimate goal would be to save $2,000.00 a month. I have not explained to everyone that we will be using all the things that we have before we go and buy more, in an effort to cut back and be a lot more aware about how we are living, but I know it will be much easier with them going back to school and not being home 24/7 anymore!!

I think for this week, two big changes should be enough to push me nearly over the edge. I would love to hear from anyone...even the blog stalkers that never leave comments, on how you save and how much is normal to try to save because maybe I am missing a boat and should be trying to save even more with a family of 5????

"39"

I am too busy to celebrate a birthday this year.

Well, too busy, and minus one so I really don't actually feel like celebrating anything right now. My birthdays are good to come and go and be just another day for me. Now, for everyone else in the family, birthdays are huge! We normally celebrate birthday months for everyone's day. Not this month. Not mine. We are... "in limbo," and it is getting on everyone's last nerve. SERIOUSLY. So, needless to say... come next Thursday, we will begin celebrating my birthday and maybe a little more!!!! Either way, limbo will come to an end and life as we used to know it, but somehow, don't remember it, will begin again!!!

For now, I have been doing a ton of research and planning and changing and redoing some things for our family. And now, I must post them, in random order, to stick to my 39 goals for the year ahead of me!!

1 ~ My health becomes the #1 priority over everything again
2 ~ 5 workouts a week
3 ~ A monthly Budget
4 ~ A clean house daily
5 ~ 7 mini getaways
6 ~ HUGE savings
7 ~ A cruise
8 ~ Girl's night out once a month
9 ~ Debt free
10~ Declutter all the "stuff" monthly
11~ Forgive more
12~ Be better
13~ Pay "us" first
14~ Volunteer with the kids at Andre house
15~ Kitchen backsplash/under the bar done
16~ Summer camps for all three kiddos
17~ Reclaim a "healthy eating" lifestyle again
18~ Try HOT Yoga
19~ Try harder to be nicer
20~ Finish Jax's room in a HUGE way
21~ Own it
22~ Work on the backyard
23~ Set up the SPA account
24~ Finish the courtyard
25~ Remember that everything happens for a reason
26~ Prioritze...everything
27~ Forgive my family easier, they aren't changing & are missing out
28~ Do what makes me happy and not everyone else
29~ A monthly date night
30~ A trip to Vegas
31~ 5 total body cleanses
32~ Volunteer with the kids at school
33~ Give everyone jobs at home
34~ Make them all stick to their jobs
35~ Stick with punishments
36~ Complain a lot less
37~ 4 days a week....No hats
38~ Take it all down a notch....
39~ Stop and remember...they are little...for a short time. Enjoy them now!

Happy Birthday to me... somehow I think I have just, "sentenced," myself by posting these goals!!!