Trimming the fat is actually kinda fun

With the forthcoming addition of daycare to our list of financial obligations every month, plus our desire to buy a house this year and take care of our yearly tax raping issue, M and I have executed a new family budget and are sticking to it (this time).

This has meant trimming the fat on all unnecessary expenditures and I gotta say, it's having quite the positive effect. I like knowing exactly how much I'm supposed to spend on lunches each week. I kinda like bringing my lunch on Thursdays because I know I'm eating healthier and I'm getting work done during my lunch now (with the small exception of posting right now). I'm budgeting my time better too and carving out much-needed time to hit the gym. That's gotta help trim the fat on my waistline (stay tuned for updates).

And I was just introduced to a cool site that posts fun, cheap stuff to do in the Bay Area. Woot! I'm loving looking at all the fun stuff we can do as a family and not spend a lot of money.

Finally, we've instituted mandatory monthly "family only" weekends during which we have NO plans with other folks and spend the entire weekend doing whatever the hell we want. Hopefully that won't include chores and bill paying (although to a certain extent it's a necessary evil), but we are looking forward to tending to the summer garden, playing with elliott in the backyard, going on family bike rides with our new (to us at least) pimped kid bike trailer, etc.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what benefits we'll reap (financially, emotionally, as a family) in the next few months. Hopefully we will be able to get that house we desperately need by Nov 30th and hopefully I'll lose those last few pounds before Elliott turns 1 (like I desperately need).

Here's to trimming the fat, yippee!