Ideas

1. No more paying exorbitant prices for mediocre meals. Eating out will have to come from the following sources: Dominoes pizza ($6 for a Dominator that feeds all three of us), Chinese takeout ($15 for the three of us) and picnics--it's nice out now darn it! Let's eat outside! Even an inexpensive meal at the local restaurant tips out at over $40. That's ridiculous.

2. Movies out are to be a rare treat. Instead, Neflix & popcorn for the three of us. Why do we have an entertainment system anyway, huh?

3. I'm just gonna have to polish my own nails. $20 for a mani and $40 for a pedi is just adding up too fast. No, I don't go every week. But it's still money I could be stashing. Time to learn how to manage my own cuticles.

4. Evening entertainment options will include family badminton games, playing in our small pool, and taking walks to the park. May also include going to the library, fishing in the local pond, and watching local kids play baseball near our house.

5. I'm going to keep with the "inexpensive meals" plan, but instead of doing it in order to afford Whole Foods prices, for a while I'm going to apply the same menu plan and shopping strategy to the regular old grocery store. I'll be making my own spaghetti sauce with canned tomatoes rather than paying for jarred. I'll be buying the same small amounts of meat and spreading them sparingly over several meals. I'll be exploring the peasant cuisines of Italy, Mexico, Greece, and India.

6. I'm not joining the gym, at least for now. Maggie and I will enjoy our Bollywood Dance DVD and go for walks, and run around in the back yard.

7. New books and movies will come from the book exchange where we already have a credit. Once that credit runs out, we'll have to trade in some of our current stuff for new stuff.


My goal in doing this is to be able to put $200 a month into savings. Actual savings, not "until the credit card bill comes" savings.
And my other goal is...

Both credit cards have a balance of....$0.