Freecycling

So I'm in this mode of cleaning stuff out of my house and selling it on Craigslist. It's liberating getting rid of all the stuff we have sitting around that just collects dust. It's also nice seeing the little bit of cash that comes in as a result. I'm currently up to $110 and I do a little jig everytime I add another $10 or so to the total. In fact the other day I found out I had a $10 library fine and just about broke down in tears as I realized that was the same amount as the carseat I had just worked so hard to sell.

This is all very ironic for us because up until recently we've been in "spending mode" and even $100 didn't seem like a lot. We both realized how sad this was because we've both had points in our lives where we sweated hard for a mere $7/hr and $10/hour seemed like we were rolling in it. We also were wondering where exactly all of our money was going! So I've taken to the task of saving money in the everyday expenditures by just NOT spending and reading a lot of blogs on couponing and such (you may have noticed a lot of new blogs to the right under "blogs I follow"). I'm learning a lot of new things and MAY venture into the extremes like making my own laundry detergent, etc. We'll see if I become THAT adventurous. There's something a little weird about that in my mind still. Like I need to have hair down to my rear end and have 10 kids or something. But, I'm trying to remain open!

Anyway, back to the title of this post, I got a freecycle update this morning alerting me to some items someone was GIVING away. I emailed the woman and she told me I could have them BOTH!! So exciting!


Four wire bins with dust covers. Not sure what I'm going to use these for yet, but they should come in handy with all the organizing I've done recently!

I've wanted a sand and water table for a while and ALMOST spent $40 on one at the beginning of the summer. Now I'm cringing at the idea of that. I'm so glad I didnt and can't believe that I'm getting one free... Wooohooo!!

So this "new perspective" is good. It's kind of a reassessment of what's really important and trying to be a good steward of what we've been given. I hope this isnt a phase for us. It feels good to save the cash we'd normally spend on eating out, unecessary consumer items and such and it doesnt feel like THAT much of a sacrifice.

If you are interested in making a change to your family's budget, check out a great book I just happened across called "Be Centsable" or one of the thrifty blogs I've linked to on the right. I'd also love to hear about ways you cut your family's budget without sacrificing all the fun.