Use it UP!

In an effort to make every day count this year, I've also decided to make every dollar count too! Going on a budget is not a new concept for me or my family. Once in our life we were  $10,000 in debt over a credit card and had nothing to show for it. I vowed then not to ever do that again! We were only into our 2nd year of marriage. We had no guidance with our money (not sure if we would have listened anyway!) But once it was all gone, and reality hit, we begin to tackle our budge head first. I told my husband that I did NOT want to start a family with debt at bay. We needed total control. We did it. We were able to in 2 years snowball that debt. It was amazing. It was a God thing! Now we've been married for 13 years and though we've never been deep in over our head with credit card debt, we still don't have good spending habits. We no longer carry debt over from month to month. I do use credit cards, but I also pay them off at the end of each month. Once I sat down and really looked at where our money was going I was heartbroken. Hard to believe we can waste so much. So I have taken the last two weeks to really get my head in the game! I have listened to Dave Ramsey's total money makeover and I have organized all receipts and got a harsh look into my habits.

Yesterday, I was asking on Facebook if anyone had a peanut butter recipe that they would share. I had did an inventory of my pantry and found 8 jars of peanut butter! Yikes! I also did inventory on my freezer and when I was finished I felt like I had just been shopping. I realized that I typically gauge my need to shop for food on how my fridge looks. If it is bare then I head to the store! NO MORE! Anyway a friend on Facebook told me about a blog-post she had read titled: Operation Use it UP! I loved the name operation use it up! That struck a cord with me. That is what I am doing! I was doing it with food, and now I'm doing it with other stuff too! I've cleaned out my bathroom and found those pesky bottles that have just a little shampoo in it and I'm using it up! I made peanut butter cookies for the first time yesterday. They turned out great and I didn't have to buy anything and used up two jars of peanut butter! I love the idea of living with less, spending less.

We've always been good about not buying big items, expensive items, unless we save up and pay cash. But my little trips to Walmart and Dollar General were taking away more money than I expected! I have also changed my method of menu planning for the next few months. I will plan according to what I have first, then go pick up the few things I need. I normally cook what we want and then see what I have and buy what I need. Making it where I buy more than I need and end up wasting food that was bought before.

So I'm still here and will still be blogging. I've just taken some time off to get some personal things in order! I'm excited to see what God is going to through this!