Operation Budget

So we might be getting this huge loan to buy this smallish house in the semi medium country of New Zealand so that we can and will eventually make the hughmungously huge step of moving our selves and our medium size family of five hugely amazing children in pursuit of life, liberty and unlimited access to no less than TEN different kinds of drivethru fast food. ( As opposed to the seriously meagre ONE drive thru option available in Apia.)

But i digress. What i wanted to say was - a loan means the launch of 'Operation BUDGET'. It means no more livin it up in the high flying, high roller life of excessive consumerism and disgustingly extravagant wastefulness. Thats right - the Youngs are going to get serious about money. Saving it that is. We had a 'family meeting' yesterday to tell the FIVE about the new Operation. The need for teamwork. All hands on deck. Inviting ideas for frugal living. Now i dont call them the Fabulous Five for nothin...

Sade's Tips for Thrifty Treasure - Turn the tap off when youre brushing yr teeth. Dont take 30 minute showers even if youre trying to avoid doing the dishes by running the tap and secretly reading a book in the bathroom. Dont turn the fan on because you claim "Bellas hot and needs the air" when really you want the fan on for yourself. Only feed the dogs once a day.

Jade's Nuggets of Financial Wisdom - 'I dont know. Ummmm...I dont know.' When pressed upon to 'think of something or else your mothers gonna get extremely upset and forget you are made of easily bruised flesh and blood' he then furrowed his brow and expended a few more brain cells. We could eat less. And i could run to school to save petrol. Or how about we just dont buy the house in NZ?

Zion's Pearls of Great Price - Mum could sell more soap. Dad could build more buildings. Zach can only have one sandwich instead of two. Sade can go to bed early and turn off the light early to save power. What about the money machine? We could get more money from there?

Zach's Gems - None. He was asleep.

Bella's Bounteaous Suggestions - On the Beast's behalf we suggested she could...take greater more COMITTED effort to be toilet trained thereby reducing the need for $40 pack of Huggies diapers. Stop playing with the water cooler. Sip her water instead of taking huge mouthfuls to then run to the bathroom and mimic vomiting into the toilet with huge peals of laughter at her cleverness. Eat all her food instead of leaving a trail of Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs all through the house. (Encouraging the mouse to forage under the sheets in my bed. )
So there you have it. I am terribly excited and hopeful of our future success at saving based on the wonders of the above lists.
In honor of our first day of Operation Budget I very virtuously engaged in frugal activity all day. I made 60 solid beeswx perfumes to sell. I turned a 8 dollar bag of cucumbers into a pot of sweet bread and butter pickles. I used the last of the hand ground rice flour to make a loaf of GF bread. I ransacked the fridge and cupboard to make a 'soup of creative ingenuity' using all the odds and ends that normally would end up stinking in the trash. But that wasnt all. On a roll, i baked 5 dozen GF sugar cookies that theoretically will last the week. (HAH yeah right. Im eating one right now.) And two absoloutely amazing meat loaf...glazed in a cinnamon, sugar, tomato sauce, honey sauce.
After all that industry i was ready to deport my family. And burn the house down. And run away to join the circus. All that homemade heaven was driving me up the wall. So armed with the iPod i went running on the seawall. Which felt good.