Funday Monday: FruMo Continues

If this is your first visit, you might want to start at the beginning of my Frugal Challenge posts by clicking here and here.


Our FRUgal MOnth is going strong!  We have stuck pretty well to the food budget, although the freezer is not nearly as full as it was a few weeks ago.  We have made very few purchases and are on track to save our goal amount of $800 extra money above our regular monthly savings.

So far the hardest part of living frugally is how to balance our social and cultural obligations without spending.  A couple times I was invited to a cafe with someone I hadn't seen in a while, and I needed to make a game plan before I arrived.  I ended up using some of my "allowance" money on a cup of coffee (no Starbucks here...coffee is about a Euro) because it was more important to me to feed the friendship than save a coin. A couple other times I just invited friends to my house and we drank coffee here at home.

Source: thefastlifestyle.com via Nick on Pinterest

We have had some very creative entertainment, including a boy sleepover that was full of laughter and very little sleep. We haven't left the house much, and I have to say I am digging it.  My typical Tuesday morning is to take the Little to the babysitter, go to work for an hour or two, and then do a little shopping until I pick her up.  I always felt like it wasn't worth it for me to go home and then back out again because I didn't have enough time to actually do anything at home and the time would then be wasted.  Instead, this month I have been coming home for an hour before I pick her up, and I have been surprised at the amount of things I can accomplish in that time.

While we are almost finished with our challenge, I am thinking this coming week will be the hardest one for a couple of reasons.  First, we are so close to the end, and I have a few things already on the list to buy come next month, that I am fighting the urge to justify the purchase on the basis that I am planning on buying it anyway so it doesn't really make much difference.  However, experience has told me that if I hold off on a purchase for a week or a month, I usually don't need what I thought I needed.  Second, Husband is traveling for a few days so it will be harder not to cheat and spend "just a couple euros" on a cup of coffee or a treat for the Little.

I'm committed to staying strong, though, because I am excited to report the results next week.  Stay tuned...it's gonna be great!

Source: uncommongoods.com via Katherine on Pinterest