Mini Challenges-Mini Motivation

Yes, I have a competitive streak. It has really come out again with Wednesday Trivia nights. Usually though, at this stage in my life, my competition is with myself and my self imposed challenges. April, May, and June have been hellish on my household and grocery, entertainment, gift, and eating out budget. with all the projects, preparing for and then hosting graduation, my son being in town, and a gazillion gifts, I'm just tossing up the spring to a lost cause and will reboot July 1. One challenge though I started at the beginning of the year has been a winner so far. I declared I was only going to spend $60 on clothing for the entire year, and for the most part, that being all on undergarments, socks, and tights. My total to date is $19.67. I'm not going to lie. I am sick of my wardrobe-sick of putting the same clothes on each week. My summer wardrobe is limited, but functional. I've made it this far, nearly half the year. The desire to replace some clothing items has been taken over by both wanting to be motivated to lose weight, and saving the new clothes as a reward and just plane internal competition. 

As for my H&G target of averaging $400 a month, not to exceed $5,000 for the year, I am going to have aggressive targets for the remainder of summer and see if I can't get that to $360, saving 10% of the target. Same with entertainment and meals out-budgeted for a combined $200. Dare I imagine a 30% or possibly a 50% savings target? I better not get too cocky and aim for $140, a 30% savings. Bringing these three categories, H&G, entertainment, and eating out down, will refocus my mindset o rebuilding savings after the hoe projects, and help us be more creative with our free time. 

Some strategies to accomplish this:

• Cash for Trivia night-too easy to add another beer or two on the credit card.
• Host book club outside of a restaurant. Now that my home is  guest ready, it would be so much easier to have a few women over rather than meet at the bar and grill we have been doing and spending $20 on food and drink. 
• Maximizing leftovers in meals and double planning all food items. 
• Make more of DH and DD2's favorites. This creates leftovers for their lunches as well. 
• Al fresco dining. Eating outside on the porch or deck feels more special than a plate at the kitchen table. 
• Stock my desk drawer with simple heat and eat items such as soups and noodles, granola bars. and nuts. Only use when I forget or have nothing to pack my lunch. 
• My daughters and I love walking by the river, then having coffee and light breakfast on a patio restaurant. Instead, we can pack a thermos of coffee, and a breakfast basket and do the same at a picnic table over looking the river. 
• Wine boxes-need I say more. I have a stock pile still of wine and I use for gifts and for consuming while we have it. We bought two of the wine box pouches for the grad party, each the equivalent of 4+ bottles at $15.99 a box. That's under $4 for a decent glass of wine that will stay fresh once opened for up to 6 weeks. I like a good bottle of wine, but for the savings and the lack of waste, I can do just fine with a Bota Box. 

If you have other ideas for little shifts I might make in these three areas, I'm all ears. Will adding $100 or so to our monthly cash flow add up to replacing our deck but next summer or redo the bathroom this fall? Not likely, but it is them motivation I need to get back on a careful spending track where cumulatively, we can spend less on a good life, and grow our funds for the needs and wants in other areas.