Cutting back

Our lifestyle has changed with our move across the country. Now one salary (and my extremely meager earnings) support us. We still have a mortgage plus our monthly rent, not to mention T's college loans, a car payment and two kids. We are doing fine and consider ourselves lucky to be doing as well as we are compared to what some people are dealing with right now, but I am still trying to cut back in some areas. I used to get (at least) one Starbucks a day at $3 - $4 a pop. We often got lunch out and I got manicures every other week and pedicures once a month. I have made the painful decision to do my own nails, and to cut out most of that coffee. We find many of the Midwest baristas pale in comparison to the Northwest pros, so it is not too much of a loss. I still will have to splurge on a mani/pedi once in awhile, but it felt very extravagant to keep up that habit.

Another indulgence that has gone by the wayside is a housekeeper. When T and I worked different shifts, and he went to school on Saturdays, it made sense to hire someone to clean our home. Now of course, I am home a majority of the time and am tasked with keeping the house clean. I miss her though. You can't beat the feeling of coming home to a spotlessly clean home through no effort of your own. Incidentally, I think our home is actually cleaner now. Our housekeeper came once every two weeks. So besides picking up the clutter, T and I just didn't clean. With two kids and a menagerie of pets, two weeks can be a long time between deep cleanings. Now, I tend to clean here and there every week. Since I am in this house so much, I can't stand for it to be dirty. It's never going to be a chore I like, but I can handle it.

I still like to splurge from time to time on clothes and shoes and getting my hair done, but I am reining it in. Sometimes responsibility sucks. But I do get a little burst of pride when I realize I didn't spend a dime all day.

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I just finished a very intriguing book. It was the selection for the book club at our local library. I am going to start going to those monthly meetings. The selection for June is The Life of Pi. It took awhile to get into and was an odd and quirky read but was very satisfying at the finish.

--MM