Day 11: Car Washing
I've been noticing the dirty floor of my van recently. I hate lugging my vacuum and extension cord outside, so we headed to JetSplash where the vacuums are free and industrial strength. The inside being clean made me want the outside to match, but not for the usual five dollars. Our evening seemed pretty open, though, so I imagined us pulling out our hose and returning the shine to our van the old-fashioned way.
Our grocery list was getting long and seemed worth a trek to Walmart. By long, I mean long for only having ten dollars to spend each day. Here's what we bought:
Brian was on board with the car wash, so we got started. The kids ran inside to don swimsuits and came out all smiles. They scrubbed and laughed and told Brian not to squirt them. It wasn't easier than a drive-through car wash, but in was fun. Somewhere along the way, I think I decided that easy was fun. Maybe sometimes, it's just easy.
Total spent: 26.99 - groceries
Fun money total: 0.51
Our grocery list was getting long and seemed worth a trek to Walmart. By long, I mean long for only having ten dollars to spend each day. Here's what we bought:
- bananas
- kids toothpaste
- orange juice
- raspberries
- brown sugar
- celery
- generic frosted mini-wheats
- flushable wipes
- Noodle-roni
Brian was on board with the car wash, so we got started. The kids ran inside to don swimsuits and came out all smiles. They scrubbed and laughed and told Brian not to squirt them. It wasn't easier than a drive-through car wash, but in was fun. Somewhere along the way, I think I decided that easy was fun. Maybe sometimes, it's just easy.
Fun money total: 0.51
i'm curious, as you are nearing the halfway point, if you feel like you are still meeting your original goals for the month? are you slowing down like you had hoped? are you feeling the benefits that you anticipated in your first post at this point (i.e. less frustration cooking, saving time and gas, & saving yourself frustration when you want to buy something you "shouldn't")?
ReplyDeleteit seems like the fun money envelope fluctuates a bit, but do you have an idea in mind of what you will do with that money at the end of the month? i always focus better when i know something fun is in my future, even if it is just an ice cream cone for the whole family. ;)
it has been interesting to see another version of a no-spend month.
i'm anxious to hear your feelings at the end of the month!
if anything, i would think this project would make anyone super mindful of how they spend & super mindful of what's really necessary to "survive."
good luck! ;)
I totally feel slowed down. I will talk more about it in my post tonight because I am really pleased on that front. The method I'm following suggested $15 a day, and it would seem that may be more realistic if you want to have fun money left over, ever, but that's okay, because our main goal (for the money we are actually saving this month) is purely fun. I'll be explaining that at some point. ; )
ReplyDeleteI love your blogs! I just wanted to let you know that you are inspiring me to be thrifty :) I enjoy them so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm so grateful, Stephanie! There are so many happy ways to live and it's exciting to explore what's outside status quo. : )
ReplyDelete