No Spending Wrap-Up

I know I am late with this, but everything got a little crazy at the end of April, and we ended up taking an impromptu trip to Utah.

Here's the recap, in brief:

Week 1: $0
Week 2: $8.09
Week 3: $26.45
Week 4: $8.50 + n/a*

* The $8.50 was for movie tickets on a Saturday morning.  This was a semi-class activity for Big Sis.  She & Daddy saw a show on African Lions (It was somehow related to Earth Day/ Week).  The rest of the week was $0 until we left for our trip on April 28.

OK, so the last week of the month didn't end the way I wanted it to, but I think that just shows that you gotta roll with what life gives you.  Even though we flew off for a long weekend (family business), I still trotted out some of my savvy spending tips and searched the web for great deals on a car & hotel.

The Positives:  I really enjoyed this experiment!  We saved HUNDREDS of dollars (I know!  Both embarrassing and amazing at the same time!) in unnecessary spending.  We also ate at home for the entire month, which encouraged me to try new recipes.  Without recreational shopping to fall back on, I read a ton of library books, did some Service, listed more stuff on eBay, and even gathered a bunch of boxes for the move.  Plus, I scored the box of All-Clad cookware, and it is truly AMAZING.

The Negatives:  Our grocery bill went up about 25%.  This was tough, but it forced me to get creative in using leftovers as well as being more strict in meal planning.  No spending was not always fun, and saying "No" to the kids got a little tiresome.  Even that faded with time.

Overall Impressions: This was fantastic.  We will absolutely be doing this again, probably several times a year.  It's made us more aware of our frivolous spending habits.  It also made us more appreciative when we DO treat ourselves to something - whether it's an ice cream cone, a new nail polish color, or new tires for the car, it feels much more "special" than before.