Poor Man's March

No, we're not striking, or joining any occupy movement.

On Thursday March 1st, Kyle and I will begin what we've termed: “Poor Man’s March”. We are going to see how little we can spend throughout the month of March.

That is why before Thursday, I plan to do a whole lotta shopping and rack up a whole lotta credit card debt (just kidding). *Side note: One of Kyle’s pet peeves is when people eat horribly the week before they start a diet. Similarly, spending a lot of money before a spending-fast

Instead of calling it "saving money" we're opting for the term "not spending money"

Here are some ways that we’re planning on not spending money this month:

1. When analyzing our credit card bills, the majority of our money goes towards food. So we’re starting with this rule: No sit down restaurants for the whole month (unless of course someone else is buying)

2. Fast food only four times throughout the entire month.

3. Use our gift cards. We still have a Q’doba gift card and 2 subs worth of a Jimmy John’s gift card. That’s two extra meals this month that won’t show up on our credit card.

4. Starbucks on Saturdays only. This is actually very cheap entertainment for us. We each get a coffee, and I print out a USA Today crossword online, and we spend an hour or two sipping our coffee, chatting, and completing a crossword together. This is one activity we hope to someday enjoy when we're retired (but on a daily basis).

5. Eating freezer and pantry food – You’d be amazed how much food we have stocked away that we just haven’t eaten yet

6. Eat leftovers. How many times have we thrown out an entire meal of good food?!? Not happening this March!

7. Set a menu. We do better when we set a menu. It prevents us from stopping at Subway or BWW. We're thinking a healthy menu too.

8. Go in to work one hour earlier. If I go into work an hour earlier, I leave an hour earlier. This gives me more time to start on cooking those delicious home-cooked dinners.

9. No alcohol. This has obviously been a given for me. I haven’t had a drink since Ireland. However, this means no beer purchases for Kyle too. Let’s just call it a 31 day sympathy detox. Though, he is allowed to finish the 3 beers left in the fridge.

10. DIY haircut. We do this anyways. I enjoy cutting Kyle’s hair, and I’ve gotten better and quicker at it. An added plus: he doesn’t have to schedule an appointment or spend the time to go to the barber.

11. Cheap and productive entertainment. Like fertilizing our lawn, bathing the dogs, fixing up things that we already have the supplies to fix.

12. No shopping (in stores or online). Yep, I won’t be buying a thing. No matter how cute or what a great deal it is.

*One exception: If the i pad 3 comes out in March and they drop the price on the i pad 2, we may be purchasing an i pad 2 for Kyle