Monday Musings: Week 6

Last week was a crazy, crazy week. I had a HUGE writing project due by Friday, and our home-school group hosted a 3-day basketball tournament. I didn't even get to address my clutter, so I had nothing to post for Friday. I briefly considered clearing everything off in the laundry room, tossing it in the bathtub, and taking a few pictures. Knowing that wouldn't be honest, I decided to swallow my pride, admit my failings, and move on. There it is -- confession is good for the soul, right?

Syd and I, along with our 18 and 19 year-olds, Miriam and David, enrolled in a Dave Ramsey financial planning class at a local church. Last night was Session 1, and I'm really excited about what we'll be learning. What a gift this will be for Miriam and David! If you aren't familiar with his money management principles, you might want to follow this link to explore Financial Peace University.

I wondered what we would do with the $800+ that we didn't spend last month, and now I know. We're going to use that money to start an emergency fund. Dave Ramsey recommends getting $1000 as soon as possible, and then building it up to the point that you have a balance that will cover 3-6 months of living expenses. 

With all the time I spent writing this past week, I was feeling guilty about ignoring my family. Plus, I thought, What's the use of working to make money if you aren't going to use it? So, we went to the local Chinese buffet after church and dropped $80. I caught myself looking at the kids plates to assess if they were getting $10 worth of food. (Does anyone else do that?) None of us "got our money's worth" on that meal, and I think that's the last time we'll be going there. I certainly don't want to be guilty of pressuring my kids to stuff their faces. Most of them would have been just as happy, or happier, if I had packed sandwiches and we'd gone to the local theater to watch the new Lego movie.

Here's my spending breakdown for Week 6.

Groceries                                      $137.90
Laundry detergent                        $19.42
Sunday lunch for 8                        $80.00  
Total                                              $237.32

That's it for today. I hope you have a blessed week.