I'm Back-Happy New Year

Whew. The holidays, freezing cold and snow have taken it out of me! My son has missed 5.5 of the past 8 school days due to the weather and related issues. Hopefully routine will return soon!

On January 1, I joined a group on Facebook, which challenged people to have a "no extra" spending month. I love the opportunity to save money and learn the habits and challenges of others. 

I began to consider even if what I was buying was a "need" was I really getting the best value and keeping a handle on usage?

 Inspired to dissect my receipts, I created the following categories:
*Food(basics like fruit/veggies, meat, pantry, etc)
*Health (medications and personal care)
*Home (cleaning supplies, repair items, domestics)
*Clothing
*Pets
*Cars
*School
*Beauty
*Entertainment
*Date Nights (I separate them in the budget to make sure we have funds specifically for this important time!)
*Fun Food (convenience foods;frozen pizza, chips)

Now that I am tracking these items, with the help of computer screen post-it notes, (which I highly recommend because every time you are on the computer you face your spending!) my goal is to research the internet to see if I can find any savings. I will pass on whatever I learn to you!