July: On a Budget

Budget...yikes. I hate that word. Actually, I pretty much have just ignored it for the past...well forever. Don't get me wrong, I know when to stop spending, but I also like to push that to the limit. I've been feeling convicted about it for a long time, and I've been consciously trying to do better *every once in awhile*, but this month is going to be different.
Nathan just started a new business, and this means that we're one step closer to him quitting his day job. This also means that it's time to get serious about our spending habits. We just paid off our car (yayyyy) so now we need my money even less. *By "my money", I mean the money I make doing photography. Ohh, didn't you know? I didn't start a photography business because of my love for photography (even though I DO love it), I started it because we were broke. I needed to make just a few hundred dollars a month to pay for groceries and we'd be good. Thankfully, and I definitely think God has blessed my business tremendously, the biz took off and I made the money, and then some. Now that my business is doing great and the car is paid off,  I don't want to work as much. I can shoot a few weddings a month and make enough plus some for savings. I have felt a great calling to be a better homemaker lately. Is there fame in homekeeping? No. Money? No. But there are these three little people and one cute guy that all depend on me to do quite a bit for them, and I don't want to let them down. WHICH brings me to this budget.
I.am.wasteful.  I am a money waster. I will admit it. I can walk into target and feel compelled to buy all of the pretty little things with those beautiful red clearance stickers on them. Solution? I'm staying out of target! We bought a HUGE box of diapers and wet wipes, which are pretty much the only things we "need" from target, and I'm staying the heck away. As for food- well, I went to Aldi and spent $60, then I went to Sam's club and spent $160 and I think that we have everything we need for a month full of meals, plus toiletries and all that stuff.
I really think we can do this. No stopping at Sonic for happy hour, no running into target just to look around, no running to hy-vee for that one more ingredient we need (seriously, we go to hy-vee a LOT). I'm pretty excited, and pretty nervous. I've never succeeded at anything like this, so the pressure's on. We have a cheat night planned for the 17th when we're going to the Royal's game with some friends, but other than that, it is ON.
As you've noticed, I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog, but now that I'm not shooting near as much, I'll actually have time, and I am going to use it as an accountability tool too. So here's to July! If you think to ask me how I'm doing- please do! I promise to be honest! :)