The Thumb of Austerity

As previously stated, there are some things we have decided on. Here's the short list of "The Rulez":


What we will do

1. We will clip coupons and do our best to plan our meals around the savings. I have a vast repertoire in the kitchen. I can work with lots of variables.

2. We will do all of our shopping together. It's very easy for me to justify "needing" any random thing that might fall into my shopping cart. We will be expected to save receipts of all purchases and be accountable for the money we spend.

3. We will sell things that we no longer need, want or use, and put the money received into a "fun money" account. This money will be used for purchasing said used clothing for my husband and myself, or for buying items outside of "the rules". This money will in no way affect our money stream which is working towards our goal.

4. We will spend money on car and home repairs. I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot when it comes to my families home and how we get to work. We have another "pot" of money (savings) which should address these concerns, however.

6. We will do a better job finding free and fun things to do locally. I am often amazed at how much we do not know is going on around us in our community.

6. Our families health will be taken care of no matter what the cost. 'Nuff said.

7. We will pay all of the money that is left over at the end of each month towards our mortgage.


What we won't do

1. We will not sacrifice on groceries. I will not start buying the cheapest version of what ever it is just to save a few cents. It has been agreed upon that what we eat should remain about the same as it has always been, however, we will limit ourselves to only eating out once a month. Also, we will have a beer budget as we fancy the micro brews. “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin

2. We will continue to buy (hopefully with coupons) the same, or similar,  household and beauty care products that we do now. I will not buy one-ply toilet paper. We should be able to expect to continue with the same level of comfort we have become accustomed to where paper products/shampoo/.laundry soap/cosmetics, etc are concerned.

3. We will not sacrifice our children's happiness, or their experiences growing up. They should be able to go to the pool in the summer. Our 9 year old daughter will be able to continue taking dance classes. We should be able to rent skis and take them cross county skiing for a day. We will continue to spend the same amount we have always budgeted for birthdays and Christmas. I will continue to buy them mostly new clothing. With the oldest graduating from high school this year, he should be able to have the things we have allowed him to expect. A (small) graduation party, a gift, a celebration of meeting one of life's milestones. They need to learn and grow, and sometimes that takes money.

4. We will not buy new clothes, shoes or accessories for my husband or myself. No new home decor items. No new electronics. If we really and truly need a new article of clothing, we will purchase it used, or second hand. We won't buy new electronics, music downloads, sunglasses, jewelry, etc. We have more than enough clothing. We have clothing that is acceptable for most every social situation. If I have to wear a dress twice to a wedding, I will not die. Nobody ever comes over, if my house looks "outdated" nobody will notice. Seriously, I need to get over myself.

That all seems pretty simple, right? Surely I'm forgetting something...I'll let you know what that is when it smack me squarely in the head.

What we will tell you


My lovely husband is 100% behind this blogging project. However, he is a very private person and would prefer our financial situation not be discussed publicly. You can see how this might cause a problem for me.

We have agreed that our expenses vs. our income, our savings and amount of the mortgage paid can be shared as long as we use percentages instead of numbers. I hope that this is as encouraging to you as raw numbers might be. I can respect his position. Hopefully, you can too.

I'll probably report percentages to all of you at the beginning of each month, as that is when our mortgage is due.

Bear with me. I an neither a mathematician or an economist.