Ack, mamas, I have slipped off track these past couple of weeks! So I will confess my sins and repent:

*We have gone out to eat three times in the past few weeks!!! Bad planning is responsible. Also just really wanting to have a nice family meal out for one of the times. (But we were out anyway and kids were starving or else we wouldn't have.)

*I bought a tracfone cell phone today! We have had too many times I would have loved to call Matt and say "hey pick up XYZ too" or he could have called to tell me he was late and I have sat home worrying my head off. So for $9 ish a month we can use the minimum # of minutes and have a phone for these times.

*I bought a cabinet to use over the toilet in the bathroom instead of the baskets we have been using to store toiletries. It was $79 on clearance at Home Depot today. The baskets are falling apart and things are all jumbled in them. Plus our current medicine cabinet (the only storage in the entire bathroom) is so small and high up that the kids can't see themselves in the mirror, which leads to climbing on the toilet and sink - our toilet is two-piece and can't handle the climbing, and the sink is attached to the wall (super simple, no cabinet/vanity, no countertop at all) so I've been freaked that the sink would break and they'd fall. We have a lovely mirror from dh's grandmother that we will put in place of the medicine cabinet - much bigger - and store all our stuff in the white cabinet over the toilet.

I have been looking for such a cabinet used/at antique stores/at garage sales since last summer. The baskets are on their last leg, dh is home this week and itching for projects, so I went for it!

I think that's it. :o Oh, there is the satellite internet that will be installed on Saturday, but that is a business expense and not counted at all as far as the not buying.

Gulp...I don't feel repentant at all. Eek! Why not? I think because most of it (besides the eating out) are "would make my life a lot easier" type of things. And two of the meals today were super cheap ($8 including tip for two breakfasts for me and Matt at a truck stop we both love, and $4.50 for a drink and a huge sub that Matt and I split for lunch) and the third, while expensive, was a great family time and delicious to boot.

This week we have bought nothing. Nadda. Zilch. We had an unexpected bill come up in the form of $300 some dollars and we haven't had an extra penny. We bought groceries and that was it. My tank has been on empty for 4 days, and I have not gone more than 15 miles total in 9 days. lol...

Usually I would have tons to confess. But now? Nope.

The things that you bought don't sound like things I would even count in my low buying system right now. ;) I need new pictures of your bathroom though. I need to picture that new cabinet in what I know it looks like. ;)

Val

I can't wait to post some! High speed (well not really but a lot faster than dialup) satellite is coming on Saturday!!!!

Right now the cabinet is still in its box. ;) Dh is at the school board meeting (he's on the board!). Hopefully he will get to it tomorrow! Oh and we have to try to dig the mirror out of the cow shed. :rolleyes: The snow is finally melting enough that we can get in one side of it.

My confession: I bought a new stroller! Our other one (over 3 years old) was a cheapy and never was that great....it's falling apart and kinda yucky.....and I just couldn't bring myself to put our little one (due to arrive pretty much anytime) in it! So, I splurged....now granted, the cost of the stroller was covered by a gift card that I was given as a shower present and some income from an item I sold on ebay...but it was still a splurge b/c I could have spent that money on things like diapers or food for the rest of the family, etc.

We went out to dinner last night for date night. If I had dinner organized for all of us earlier, we would not have needed to eat out. BUT..it was really nice. Man, I really want to do a zero based budget!~lol!

I sent out to care packages to the US...and they cost a lot of not budgeted money~lol! But I Really wanted to do it..soo...

I bought a little bit of fabric, but it is bottom weight for making dd pants for school. And on sale really good quality stuff.

And Lauren, I am on the hunt for some shelving for the kids...and organizational items. So I will be spending on those when I find them..but I don't like to shop. lol!

I went out for really yummy Italian tonight, and I don't regret it. I wasn't in the mood for cooking for my very picky aunt again tonight. :p

Oops, there's more - I bought a new shower curtain. But I finally found one I really like - the old one clashed terribly with the floor.

And in early April dh and I stayed overnight in a hotel in Montpelier after going to see our friend's band play. We also ate in a restaurant complete with bottle of wine. It was a rare chance because we had someone watching the kids overnight. Now I'm really glad we did it because that person can't do overnights anymore and that was our last chance for that type of thing for quite a while!

The way I see it is you only live once. Enjoy life and spend money.LOL I know we could spend less money but I don't want to have a crappy life just trying to save a few dollars.

well that's not so bad..i'm buying a whole freaking house on tuesday! :lol:

I've felt very guilty and uneasy about money lately. The kids have needed incredible amounts of clothing lately and I just haven't found anything at Goodwill. So, I"ve been buying the $4 and $9 Target shorts, but when I have them in my cart I almost hyperventilate. :) It's weird. I *know* I could make them shorts, but dang...I have about 1 hour to myself each day and I guarantee I'm not sewing during it.

The kids enrichment program ends this week so I will be a bit more flexible.

Also, the dog is still sick. We have spent over $1000 on unexpected medical bills for him in the last 8 weeks. Even when he is finally stable, his medicine will cost us $179 for a 21 day supply. It turns my stomach every time I think of it. He won't need it every 21 days, but I imagine he will need the prescription filled every 2 months.

Lastly, my insurance denied a big portion of Maya's birth. So, that is one more thing on my plate. I just sent out $1500 for her birth and will have to go through hoops to try to recover some of that.

So, that's my mess. We're going to be fine, but I'm realizing how uncomfortable I am in these situations. I think about it all the time and it is really annoying.

I'm sorry about your dog Stacy. :(

And I feel the same way when I'm in a spending-money phase (whether by choice or necessity). I was having anxiety attacks over buying the slew of Kohl's stuff I bought in late February. Today Katie put on her 10 slim jeans from that buy and they barely buttoned and I was like :eek:! You can't outgrow them that fast; that is just not allowed! :wah:

Um and just to put it all in context...as to why the "confessions" LOL - we're still supposedly "not buying anything but necessities" for all of 2007 - not that I think no one should ever spend anything but this is the commitment we made as a family for this year. But honestly? I'm pretty burned out. I'm impressed that Judith Levine made it the whole year. I am seriously considering going to Compacting or allowing certain purchases like the home improvement stuff under Compacting guidelines, and trying to keep the eating out and convenience store stuff to a minimum, but not completely omitting them.

I agree Stacy. This is why I really wanted Don to take over some of the finances. Because when i have the control, i also carry all the guilt. not fair, or even functional considering most is out of my control.

nak