Well my wife saved about 24 dollars yesterday with coupons and store specials. Why the filters for our coffee maker turned out to cost only 14 cents. It has taken some doing but we are turning the corner on the shopping issue.

The heating and electric bill was only up slightly from last year(about 17 dollars). As best we can figure our lowering of the thermostat saved us. We are wearing sweaters but are getting used to it.

I have 21 payments left on the DW's CC. I am still looking for extra work to help get this paid off sooner. No luck yet.

I have kept spending to in budget items only so far. I am keeping my fingers crossed that no major problem arises.

Okay! I put another 20 dollars in this morning!

Today my wife called me on the carpet for not clipping a coupon from the local flyer. The coupon was for an item we use everyday!(Toilet paper). It is good to see my wife really getting into the spirit of things. My DD came to me today to put more of her allowance money into her savings account. DD is really becoming a monster saver instead of a spender. I am so proud of her attitude towards money and material things.

Well it is raining and the new roof is one heck of a blessing. I am still mad at the old contractor. The DW and I will soon be cleaning out the basement. We hope to sell a lot of old stuff and make some bucks while opening up much needed space. I'd like to finish part of the basement and intend to do a good deal of the work myself. The upstairs needs painting but I told the DW we should put it off till the spring.

I have been pretty good about not spending on out of budget items. Life seems pretty okay right now. Hey why not enjoy it for a while!

I am quite worried. Things are going well so far this year. I am spending little if any on most days that is outside the budget. The CC payments are going in on a timely fashion. My wife is not spending on CC's,(at least to the best of my knowledge).

Why worry? It always seems that when things are going along well the other shoe drops. Maybe Jeffreys' dropping off my petition to the Japanese God of Wealth will make things go my way this year. Things are going along as planned at the moment!

I spent no money this week that was not in the budget. No lunches, gadgets, papers, nothing! Frankly I feel very comfortable with no-money days now. It is becoming like a game to me. When I go out I take a thermos of coffee and it is wonderful!

I remember being a kid when I had little if any money. I cannot help but recollect how happy I was. Maybe part of this debt free living thing can be seen as remaining child like without becoming childish! Oh the wonder of those days when a 25 cent Spaldeen could provide endless hours of fun! Life is so much more than possessions!

I intend to laugh and enjoy life. In the end the best things in life truly cannot be bought with money and that is a very comfoting thought!