Oops, I'm here.

Whoa!  Where did the month go?  I'll tell you where I've been....in the yard.  Every. Single. Day.  Until past dark.  But I'll tell you what...we've made some good progress.  I'll get pics up soon.  And I'll tell you what else....working your you-know-what off in the yard, is good for your you-know-what.  Those last few pesky pounds have melted off the past couple of weeks.

The May Challenge has been going really well, despite not having any time to blog about it.  I have a pile of receipts next to me that I am going to tally up in a minute and add to my sidebar.  I'm thinking I'm under $400 spent on food for the month, and we only have a little over a week left.  Shouldn't be a problem.

As of today we are officially on summer break.  Emma worked so hard and finished her last second-grade book yesterday.  Biniam will be done with 11th grade on Friday, and then we will all celebrate the official start of our summer.

Noah is going through a phase where he is destructive and slow to obey.  The phase has been going on for three years, so it's due to end any day now.  I write this so that years from now, when Noah is a little angel, I will look back and remember that it wasn't always like that.  Speaking victory.

My sweet hubby just emailed me and asked me out on a date.  Date?  What's that?  Do I have to shower?

Yesterday I played in poop.  Horse poop, to be exact.  I guess if you think about it, I have my hands in poop every day.  Moving on....we got a load of poop from our neighbor's pasture.  Have I mentioned how much I love living out here?  I had a smile on my face the whole time I was working our neighbor's horse poop into our garden.

I guess some of you probably call it manure.  Whatever, snobs.

Off to tally up those receipts now.

May Challenge

It's no secret that we're spending every extra minute on projects in the yard right now.  We're also spending every extra dollar out there as well.  Sprinkler system, trees, shrubs, boulders, weed barrier, landscape rock, curbing, grass seed....the list is seemingly endless.  Unfortunately, our bank account is not.

So this morning, with exactly zero days notice, Brian emailed me and implemented the May Challenge.  Here it is:

• Spend 30% less on groceries this month ($500 instead of $700)
• No eating out
• Entertainment to a minimum (we already have movie passes, enjoy picnics in the park - and frankly we have no time for entertainment, anyway)
• Use as little gas as possible 

I am totally on board, and even excited.  I have already come up with a few ways to save money. 

1.  I will hold-off on my already-overdue hair cut.

2.  I will trim Emma's hair myself.

3.  I saved a coupon from the mail today for a free men's haircut, and will give it to Biniam.

4.  I will make all our sandwich bread this month.

5.  I have already browsed grocery store ads for food sales, and have clipped a few coupons.

6.  I read up on tips as to why Braxton's cloth diapers might not be working as well, and will give those another try.  (Disposable diapers are currently coming out of our grocery budget.)

7.  I will be making meals as frugal as possible, using ingredients that are in season and on sale.  I will NOT be sacrificing my family's health during this time.

8.  I will be updating and re-consulting my food spreadsheet to make sure I am getting the best deals. 

I always LOVE a good tip on how to save money, so if you have any ideas I might not have thought of, please send them my way!  And if you'd like to join in on our challenge, please do and let me know!

I will be posting my grocery spending throughout the month on my sidebar...so help keep me accountable.  Oh, and it doesn't help that I've already been trying to stretch our food, so our reserves and staples are pretty lean right now.

Ready, set....GO!