It's Almost Here

That's right, people. Tomorrow is April Fool's Day, otherwise known as the beginning of the Five Dollar Project, as I have affectionately termed it. And I don't mind telling you that I see a black cloud on the horizon. My grocery receipts are mocking me. I can feel it.

FYI - Winn-Dixie has chicken leg quarters on sale BOGO. The white meat is on sale, too, but it still comes out to over $2 a pound, which I can't justify. It's chicken. Honestly.

So we'll see how this whole thing goes. If you'll be participating with me, give me a shout.

Perhaps I Was Too Hasty

Hello, all. I'm going to amend my last post only slightly. Five dollars per person is more attainable than five dollars for the whole family. That's the figure I'm going with. Also, I'm going to itemize groceries not by what the total cost is, but according to how far it goes. For example, if I make a roast and it cost $10 but we got two meals out of it, then that's a $5 meal divided by two people, so the total per person would be $2.50. It's a good thing I have a graphing calculator.

Thanks to everyone who responded via Facebook with encouragement and ideas. Please keep them coming. I will be posting the things that work for me and the things that don't, i.e. shopping tips, recipes, store sales, etc., in case anyone wants to join in this project.

Our official first day will be April 1. Tell all your friends. Until then, happy social networking.

Good Morning, Economy

Somewhere between plucking my eyebrows and getting dressed, it occurred to me, I should devote more time to my eyebrows, and there's got to be a cheaper way to live.

My husband, D, and I have one car payment, hospital bills for the birth of E, student loans, credit card debt, and a reasonable house note. I don't know if that's a lot of debt comparatively, but it seems like a lot to me. Last year I read that Suze Ormond book about getting out of debt. Big surprize, you need to pay it and not incur more. What a shocker. That's great, Suze, but I can't cut back anymore. There's nothing to cut.

Here's a little about me. I'm a full-time mom with two part-time, home-based businesses. I have considered going back to work, but childcare is expensive and I didn't exactly make heaps of dough at my old job. I try to make up the difference by only filling up the tank once a month and being a whiz with the grocery budget. And yet, we struggle with these bills.

So here's my proposition: Starting next month, I'm only going to spend $5 a day. Gasp! This will not include bills, obviously, and I will itemize my grocery bill for you lovely people to show what I actually use every day and what I spent on it. And I will also note the ways I saved money. I am determined that this will work or at least come close to working. Here's to hoping!