April is Austerity Month

We went on what we call "austerity measures" back at the beginning of the year. If we can't eat it, or don't desperately need it to wear, we don't buy it. Dinners out? Few to none. Gas for the car, shampoo for the hair, tickets for the train -- yes, there are a few other items that are game.

We're too disorganized to budget, so this helps keep spending under control, and it's also helps in an ecological way because it forces us to figure out how to work with what we have, at which point we often realize we really don't need that thing we thought we needed, whatever that might be.

But then The Mate really needed new sneakers, and there were end-of-season sales, and the purchase of books (from Better World Books) for The Offspring's prizes for good behavior started expanding into purchases of books for The Mom. And so it goes with slippage.

So as of today, we're recommitting ourselves. Probably until after The Move, which might possibly happen in May, but June is more likely.