Well, we survived.
It wasn't always pretty and there were times we REALLY wanted to go buy what we were craving, but we ate what we had and it paid off!
Our total savings during the month of March: over $300! Plus adding around $80 in supplemental income.
The majority of the saving came from groceries and not eating out as in February we spent $320 combined on food and in March we kept it around $60.
We also were able to save $76 on our power bill (thanks Mother Nature!) by turning off the system for a week or two, here & there, and opening windows to cool the house down in the evenings or using the propane fireplace to heat up the house in the mornings.
We didn't buy anything we didn't need during the month and honestly, that's a HUGE chunk of change put back in our pockets.
Just because it's on sale doesn't mean we need it. I'm bad about that, but March helped me to start breaking that habit and even now when I'm really craving an afternoon iced coffee or a snack, I don't go "buy" more.
That's the good and bad thing about working close to where you live...I can run home and get a cup of iced coffee (guess what? SO MUCH CHEAPER to buy the international delight iced coffee for $2.50, yes, I have a coupon for it this month, than to buy a single cup of coffee for the same price if not more!) or grab a snack, but that's a LOT better than running to grab something from a fast food place.
So, while it may have been a month long commitment, the change has been a lasting one and one that is helping us continue to save money!
