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!