Cash anyone?

Two months ago, Matt and I decided that we needed to do more saving and less spending. Well, truth be told, we have been saying that ever since we got married, but two months ago we took the steps needed to make it a reality.

We went to the cash system.

At the beginning of every month I go to the bank and withdraw the money that we will be needing for that month. I seperate the cash into different envelopes. Our envelopes are as follows:

Food
Household
Clothing
Date Night
Carol's lunch
Carol's slush
Matt's lunch
Matt's slush

We had to take a long hard look at our past spending and where we truly believed we were being wasteful in order to determine how much money went into each envelope. Also, after our first month I had a better idea of what was truly feasible. (We needed less in food...thanks to my newly acquired mad couponing skills :) and more in household.)

This new way of spending has completely changed the way I think about money. It is one thing to buy 5 pounds of chocolate covered cinnamon bears at Women's Conference and charge the total to your card without ever really thinking about it, it is something totally different to only have a certain amount of money in your envelope and to decide whether or not you really want 5 pounds of chocolate covered cinnamon bears. By the way, I really did want those chocolate covered cinnamon bears, but it was painful to pay for them...previously I would have never thought about it. Truly.

So far, this cash experience has been a very positive one. It has it's moments...like when I am fumbling through specific envelopes at the checkout line and I feel like everyone is wondering why in the world I am taking so long. Also, I forgot to budget for a haircut for me this month and so I am officially into the ultra shaggy phase. BUT, it has allowed us to drastically increase the amount of money that we are saving every month and in so doing I feel more peaceful about the safety of our family in tough economic times.

So, are you willing to join me? July 1st is the perfect time to commit to a new way of spending...I mean saving!!!

Five years ago today...

we were building a new house and I was discussing all of the associated decisions with our builder over the telephone. The call took longer then I thought it would and so I was delayed in getting out of the house to see my dad.

He was dying. We all knew it, but we didn't know how long it would take. (He was a fighter and he had defied the odds over and over again.) I had spent the entire day before with him and I called my mom first thing that morning to see how he was doing. She told me that his breathing sounded better...perhaps we had more time then we thought.

I finished the phone call with my builder and loaded my three little ones into the car. It was nearly lunch time and so I grabbed them some McDonald's on the way to my in-laws. (Matt's parents had been kind enough to watch them for me so I could be with my parents during this time.) As I was pulling into the driveway of my in-laws house I received a call from my sister Linda.

"Dad's gone" she said.

I remember being angry. I remember the smell of hot french fries from McDonald's. I remember feeling overwhelming sadness. I remember driving as fast as I could to my parent's rental home. I felt like maybe I could somehow make up the time for not being there.

I couldn't.

He was gone and I had missed it.

I remember how everyone around me just kept going about their daily business. Didn't they know that everything had changed? That my world, as I knew it, had just ceased to exist? Didn't they know that I had dilly dallied that morning and had missed my father's passing?

Then I arrived at my parent's home. From the moment I walked into the house, the Holy Spirit calmed me. I felt absolute peace. Dad was gone. I had missed it. It was ok.

Five years ago today, I said goodbye to my dad.

I know that I will see him again.