I know I'm a day early, but due to some home remodeling, we hemorrhaged money all through the month of April. Ugh! Hate months like that! I desperately need to get back on track, so I thought I would start this thread in hopes of doing better in May.

We are on a tiny, tiny budget now that I am done working. Some of the things I have been doing to get by:

--couponing (doing really well with this, even though it is time consuming)
--stockpiling when sales come around (this includes household goods, food, and gifts)
--focusing more on "free" activities like cleaning, organizing, and reading

Today I did my first grocery shop on my new grocery budget ($50 a week average for four people and two cats--this includes health/beauty/pet food, etc.). I shopped for two weeks and came in about $30 under budget. That includes the $8 hanging plant DD picked out for our porch. I will use some of that to pick up little things we frequently run out of-- milk, fruit, etc.--next week.

I also put off buying new maternity shirts. I really could use a few more short-sleeved ones now that it is hot here (87 today!), but I have less than a month until my due date and so am trying to make do with what I have.

Lastly, I have been having a blast playing outside with DD. We blow bubbles, collect branches, smell flowers, play with her ball, go for walks to the park, etc. It is all free and so much fun! I have some sidewalk chalk tucked away for her, too, that I will get out soon. I think she is old enough. :-)