This year has been a whirlwind for us. Gwen's birth, dh's new job, buying and selling homes, dealing with our horrible contractor/ remodel issues, and Gabe starting school have really thrown us for a loop.

I hate to admit that my daughter has been wearing sposies for almost two months (dh left our dipes in the pail during the move and they became molding beyond use and I haven't had the time to replace them) I have eaten out at least 3 times a week for the last 6 weeks because I don't have a functioning kitchen, it just seems that I have completely fallen off of the simplify, thrift, and crunchy wagon that I used to ride so well.

Hopefully the new contractor will finish our house within the next couple of weeks so life can get back to normal. It will still be crazy through the holidays but starting the first of the year I want to get back into our old ways. I can't wait to start cooking from scratch again and get our finances in order. Dh got a nice pay raise with his new job but we haven't felt the security of this new income due to the fact that the remodel is bleeding us dry.

Anyone else been slacking and are ready to get their lives back in order?

Yes!! Since our move (actually when we started working on the house while it was being built), 1.5yrs ago, we've been REALLY off-track. There will be times that we start to get back into the groove, but then we stop, start eating out, and splurging on stuff again.

DH has been home the last 2 weeks on vacation, and I'm in amazement the amount of money we've spent. Granted - we were supposed to go to NY, but didn't because of my mom's health, but we could have saved that money for other things besides going out to eat, and 3 movies from WM. just to name a few!

So funny that you mention it!! I am just going crazy decluttering today. I do this about every 6 months (always before Christmas). Just don't know where all the stuff comes from!! We have space in our home for stuff but it just seems to climb the walls after a while. I don't even want the stuff in the basement, just gone to someone who needs or really wants it!! thank goodness dh is off this weekend to distract the older children while I clear out books. We don't even go to the library any more because of all the books we have!! Completely rediculous but I *love* books!! I have more on my holiday "to read" wish list that will take the place of the about 50 that are leaving today!!

Way to go to get organized!! So far, the kitchen counters are jsut about empty. Haven't seen them in months!! It makes the kitchen look wierd but soooooo clean.

I have been slacking as well. I have been suffering especially this past year with infertility and had a miscarriage a month ago (after finally becoming pregnant after 2 long years of TTC) So needless to say I have been eating out and buying things I don't need to soothe myself!

Both Dh and I agree that starting the first of the year we need to get back on track and have a plan in place!

I have been slacking as well. I have been suffering especially this past year with infertility and had a miscarriage a month ago (after finally becoming pregnant after 2 long years of TTC) So needless to say I have been eating out and buying things I don't need to soothe myself!

Both Dh and I agree that starting the first of the year we need to get back on track and have a plan in place!

Be easy on yourself mama... that is a lot to go through. You too Bobbi Jo! One of the biggest things I try to do in life (I am a guilty person by nature) is to be ok with doing what I can with what I have to work with at the time. It is so hard to watch yourself eat out, and buy things you don't need, and spend money on things you normally wouldn't... but at the same time, it is bred into us by society that that is a way to passify our needs. Hardships come and we fall back on that... and we need to remember that we come by that trait honestly and be easy on ourselves. :heart:

As for me, we have just gotten some money that we have been waiting for since 2003 and we are very excited about it. But we have been waiting for so long that many of the things we were "going" to get with it, we arn't because we realised we don't need them. The only thing we have bought so far is a good camera (comes Tuesday... can't wait) and I am actually really excited about it. Don will be getting the X Box 360 as a graduation present from college (he graduated last year), and we will be getting some new (to us, (used)) furniture. But besides that and Christmas (we are spoiling our kids this year a little bit) we are finally able to live the way we want to. Frugal and all. It is amazing what having enough can do. When you don't have enough it is easy to say it doesn't matter cuz you are not making it anyway... but when you have enough to be comfortable buying groceries and paying bills at the same time, it becomes a question of priorities. And at that point you make life/value choices. I am so happy to say that I believe we are finally at that point, and we are living what we believe.

It has been a long and hard struggle for us, and I feel that there were so many times that I started crying over not having enough items to make chili or whatever, and we ended up going out because it was easier just not to look at the lack. Even though by doing that, we were creating more of it. It feels good to be out of that cycle.

Val

We all due need to due what we can when we can, especially when dealing with difficult situations.

For me the biggest issue is that I am an ultra organized micro managing type of person. I used to have my frugal/ crunchy lifestyle down and with all the changes this year my life feels completely out of control. I feel that once I can get back on the band wagon I will feel I have some control over our lives again and hopefully my stress level will go down.

After Christmas I hope to be more active on this board and want to start some motivational threads to get anyone who is interested in gear to get back on track.

Bobbi Jo,
I am so glad to see you here again! It seems I have been so close to getting my act together this year, and then I just don't quite make it. I am ready to get back on track too! Hopefully all of us can help eachother with ideas on how to do that!

Take care, Mama!! Hope things get better for you and we get to see you around here more often soon!

Well, I have been inspired by you all this weekend.
I got a lot accomplished while decorating for Christmas. My nemesis room is now cozy, clean and organized!! (we have lived here over 1 1/2 years and that room has always been a nightmare).

It also helps to have dh on board. Mine works soooo much, as many do and there is little time for more than the basics around here but he really got on board, helped, took his own initiative to get other things done and we just went to town organizing the main level of our home. Now for the upstairs (which has 3 bedrooms that are sooo obviously lived in~ help)

At least I can have company without being my normal embarassed self.

Thanks again for the push to get started!!

It also helps to have dh on board. Mine works soooo much, as many do and there is little time for more than the basics around here but he really got on board, helped, took his own initiative to get other things done and we just went to town organizing the main level of our home. Now for the upstairs (which has 3 bedrooms that are sooo obviously lived in~ help)

I can so relate. Dh has been on nights for the past two years. Just two weeks ago he quit his second job which was swing shift. For 9 months out of the past 12 he has been working two jobs, and sleeping when ever he can, plus volenteering on top of that. Basically he would come in, sleep, change his clothes and leave again. I was lucky if I saw him for more than a few minutes each week. Having him home and know what is going on (the second reason it was so hard to have him gone all the time) has been so blissful.... I can't even imagine it when he gets to be home on weekends starting in March. :heart: It really really does help.

Val

I can so relate. Dh has been on nights for the past two years. Just two weeks ago he quit his second job which was swing shift. For 9 months out of the past 12 he has been working two jobs, and sleeping when ever he can, plus volenteering on top of that. Basically he would come in, sleep, change his clothes and leave again. I was lucky if I saw him for more than a few minutes each week. Having him home and know what is going on (the second reason it was so hard to have him gone all the time) has been so blissful.... I can't even imagine it when he gets to be home on weekends starting in March. :heart: It really really does help.

Val


Gosh Val,

You really don't get to see dh do you? I used to tell dh that our home was just a pit stop to him and I know that I am right about that. This is the first time he has gotten paid overtime is 6 years. He is on salary so didn't get paid OT. The company he is with now offered OT and it has been very nice but I still want to see my husband!! A real mixed blessing it has been.
He works every Sunday (he is on call all weekend though) about 1/2 day.

How awesome you have March to look forward to. It'll be such a blessing for you to have extra time to spend with your husband (not to mention get some of those honey-do's done ;))

Have a great night!!

We're getting back on track after having been very off-again-on-again all year. We've eaten out too often, made some big purchases, and let things slide around the house. So for the last month we've been making a lot of changes. We are:

Eating vegan at home, no added oils (raw nuts and avocado are okay), no sugar, low salt, mostly veggies and beans with limited whole grains (basically the Eat to Live program). The boys eat more grains as well as dried fruit and they drink some juice to boost caloric intake.

Eliminating almost all eating out! We have cut out so many foods (dairy, refined grains, fried foods, sugar, etc.) that it is almost impossible to find a restaurant we can eat at anyway. This should save us $$$.

I finally cracked down on corn syrup and hydrogenated oils when we are out (we stopped buying it at the grocery store ages ago). Next step is to buy some 100% juice and some healthy snacks for Grandma's house.

I've started following the Body Blues program. (www.thebodyblues.com) I am off both of my psych drugs and will soon start on the sleeping meds. I am taking supplements.

Stopped using any chemicals around the house, and on myself or the boys (okay, it was easy to detox the boys since they already used natural stuff and only needed natural sunscreen). I feel so much better!

Recycled the Tupperware containers. We bought glass 3 months ago and haven't needed the plastic since so we set it free.

Started decluttering. Did all my stuff in the bedroom, did the master bathroom, and did most of the kitchen. I'll be working on this year round now. We have a long way to go, especially outside and in the bonus room off the garage.

We still need to work on a good daily rhythm, and getting our homeschooling lessons down. We're going to try to get through a main lesson block this next month and then we'll try to put it all together starting in 2006.

It's good to see you back!

Kimberly

Wow, Kim, your message was very inspiring. It really sounds like you are on track. :)

I need to get back on track as well. LOL sounds like we all slipped a little. Since being in nursing school, we've been in survival mode. I'm not going to beat myself up over much for the next 5 months (eating out, etc). Next semester will be the most demanding as far as my time out of the house is concerned. But I will do my best.

But starting in May, we are really going to start changing. Dh and I will buy another house, start investing for retirement, saving intensely for the boys' college. I'll be working full-time then (3 nights/week) and money will no longer be an issue. I just can't believe I just typed that last sentence. Dh and I have been married 15 years and money has always been tight!! I mean really, really tight. But in a few short months we will have room to breathe. Please don't take this as boastful, simply reflective.

I plan on getting back my copy of the Tightwad Gazette from a friend. I really need some inspiration. I would love to start/participate in some inspirational threads here as well.

:hug: glad to see everyone coming back.

Wow, Kimberly!
You've done a lot! We've been largely dairy free since about June, but now that we have a PDD, NOS diagnosis for DS, I am seeking out Gluten and Caesin peptide testing for both of my boys (along with a number of other tests from Great Lakes). So, this week we'll be re-introducing dairy, and we'll probably let it go until after the holidays (or until we get the lab results back, whichever comes first). Much of our food budget and heathy eating has slipped because of trying to make consessions for not having the dairy in our diets. I am trying to get us back on track, and I am making a definite effort to see that the reintroduction of dairy does not mean ice cream every night, but involves healthy, whole, preservative-free foods.

So, I guess that's my goal for the next few weeks, eh?
I am trying to keep things simple so that we can enjoy the holidays and focus on the holiday and creating traditions--I just ordered (a bit late, but not TOO late!) several advent books from Amazon and Catholic Child (not thrifty, but I know we will use them for years to come). I also ordered a religious book for each child for Christmas, and our family gift, The Muppets First Season :happy: I feel like that purchase was thrifty since DH wanted to buy the entire set on DVD, but we figured out that it will actually be cheaper to buy them individually. And, I think 20 or so episodes of the Muppets will be plenty to entertain us for awhile!

I have made some good progress in decluttering, but I have a ways to go, and my house is a total wreck right now after travelling most of last week and coming home and dumping everything. I think if I really get to work, though, I can have things in good working order by this evening.

DH is travelling this weekend to do a side job with his brother. He is going to Las Vegas to work at the Marine Corps Marathon (or some other marathon, but I think that's the one...). I hope he doesn't get carried away and spend all the $ gambling (he assures me he will not). This is his first time working marathons with his brother, and he will be doing one or two a month, which will mean some extra money, but also that he will be gone one or two weekends a month.

I just requested the Body Blues book from my library. It sounds like just what I need. I went on Zoloft in October, and it is helping, but I don't really want to stay on it. I'm hoping to make some positive changes in diet and habit and then get off the drug.

Sorry to go on! I'm off to get to work getting my house back in order--you all have inspired me!!!

I feel like I am getting going on decluttering and simplyfying, but still need a lot of help with thrift. I haven't even bothered to track our expenses for several months; I just know we spend too much. We are going to be more careful in December, and get totally back on track by January.

Kimberly

I also ordered a religious book for each child for Christmas, and our family gift, The Muppets First Season :happy: I feel like that purchase was thrifty since DH wanted to buy the entire set on DVD, but we figured out that it will actually be cheaper to buy them individually. And, I think 20 or so episodes of the Muppets will be plenty to entertain us for awhile!

I love the Muppets. I have one DVD and one Video, and that is it. But I love them. They were the only show I was allowed to watch for the first 8 yrs of my life. No kidding. After that it was Star Trek and Muppets. Then when I was about 13 we got cable and I could watch Square 1, Edison Twins and 3,2,1 Contact along with Star Trek and Muppets. Right around when I turned 15 we got a VCR and all bets were off. Except for Advent and Lent (6 weeks both times a year were TV free except Star Trek on Saturdays) we watched tv none stop until I moved out (which was late that year). And Dh asks me how I can live with out tv... uh... cuz I have had it about 2 years out of my entire life. That's why. lol...

Anyway... Gosh... :rolleyes: sorry to babble. I love muppets. :p

Val

I'm a muppet freak! I love them. I honestly can't actually believe they're not real because I know each of their personalities so well. I have all their original movies that I got on ebay, but apparently Disney is re-releasing them too? The first movie I ever saw in the theater was The Muppet Movie when I was about 5. I remember it so clearly, and still get a lump in my throat when I hear "The Rainbow Connection." Gosh. I LOVE THE MUPPETS. The Muppets Take Manhatten has the best wedding scene of any movie ever. That song makes me bawl my flippin eyes out. I can't express myself without sounding ridiculously dumb, sorry.

Kerri

I'm always up for your inspirational posts, BobbyJo! I'll be waiting. :)

The kids and i went through the playroom this weekend and came up with a great bunch of things to give away, donate, and there are a couple extra nice things I'll try to sell here.

I was very proud of the kids. My 6 yr old said, after contemlating one particula horse toy for awhile, "I really like this, but i don't play with it much these days. I think I can give it away so some else can enjoy it." I thought that was very mature. I doubled checked with her the next day befire I made the Goodwill run, and she totally comfortable with not having it anymore.

I was so thrilled when my kids watched the Muppets (we borrowed DVDs from the library) and loved them. Both DH and I love the muppets. I bought one Muppet Video (Meet the Muppets) at our library sale this fall for $1, and the kids (and we) have watched it tons. We have The Muppet Movie and Muppets Take Manhattan taped off of HBO or something. We love the movies, but the kids prefer the show, I think. I love the wedding song from Manhattan too!

I love that it's TV that we sincerely can all enjoy together!

Sorry to hijack the thread with Muppet talk!

Hopefully our new contractor will be done with our remodel by the first of the year so that I can start posting our progress.