New Year's Resolution

   This year, I am going to focus on money. Ways to save and stick to it. There is one thing that my family rarely did while I was growing up and that was going out to eat. Going out to eat was a special treat. It was maybe once a month. I don't think we even went out to eat much for my birthday. I remember my mom always asking what I wanted her to make for my birthday. It was usually sloppy joes. I couldn't get enough of those things! That was special enough for me. I am so grateful that is how they taught me because it is a HUGE waste of money. When I go out to eat now, I think about each item I am eating. A burger, that cost me $10 would normally cost $3.00 for a pound of hamburger in a store. And that is for a whole pound. A beverage that usually costs around $2.79 at a restaurant would cost me $0.99 for a 2 liter that I could use for a month. ( I don't drink pop so it would last longer than that). When we do go out to eat, I get water. I can not justify spending that much on something that I will only drink half of. And drinking pop at a restaurant is wasted calories so that's why I stick to the good ole H2O. So this year, my New Year's Resolution for our family is to only go out to eat once a month. That includes fast food restaurants as well. If I can teach my kids to learn to eat what we have, I will be grateful. They don't need to assume I am going to just give them my debit card anytime they want a pop and candy up town. That adds up!

   My next New Year's resolution is going to be save for things we want. And I mean that in change.

 

  I found this cute little box at Tj Maxx in Fargo. It holds our change and random extra bills from our pockets in it. We are saving for a door going upstairs so we can keep the heat from rising up there. It is just storage upstairs that will maybe be rooms one day, but for now, they are going to stay junk rooms. But it is not a big project we have to cross off. It is something that we would like, not want. So for that reason, I am saving until we have $100 for a new door. The reason I have picked saving money is because I so badly want an addition onto our house. Our plans are to move Aaron and myself upstairs into a master bedroom while keeping the boy's rooms on the same floor. And currently, you have to walk through our bathroom to get into Hudson's room. It's stupid and I can't not wait to fix it all and get a bigger bathroom! Of Course we will have other resolutions and such. Like eating better and working out. We have slowly been doing that now. It doesn't need to be a resolution. I have vowed to make everything by hand. I do not want to buy frozen meals. So we are working on getting rid of all those and learning new recipes. Can not wait!!!

 

   What are your New Year's Resolutions? Do you eat out more often than you wish you did? I love hearing from you so please comment and let me know!!! And by the way, Brady the elf decided he wanted to make a zip line from our living room into our dining room last night. Carson loved it, as usual! Until tomorrow....