Day 2: Saturday Realities

Last night was interesting. Next week is going to take some major planning. This week, I barely had time, or at least I felt like time dripped through the cracks while I was planned cheap meals and gas tank fill-ups. What didn't get thought of enough was our Friday night ritual. We, as a family ALWAYS rent at least one kid movie (sometimes two), order pizzas, breadsticks and wings and sometimes grab a 2 liter of soda. It's a 40 to 50 dollar evening, especially since I am a firm believer in large tips. It's interesting to me how someone who literally can't afford a tip may be conceived as stingy by a server. We didn't bother with it. I will toot my own horn here and say that I did some quick thinking and told the kids that I needed a break from pizza.

I gathered up quarters from the ashtray in my car and the change jar in our bedroom and we went to the dollar store for some orange soda and a bag of bugles. Then we made sandwiches with this week's left over bread and lunch meat and I called it Picnic Friday. Oh and we found out that our local video store has free kids movies to rent and an entire section of $1 family fun rentals. We spent 4 quarters, 1 nickel and 2 pennies on a movie for last night. It wasn't as free a feeling as ordering copious amounts of cheese and canadian bacon, or as luxurious as a friendly doorbell and dinner delivered, but I think we had an okay time. The sandwiches were decent.

I am now making my shopping list. I really should have shopped yesterday, but I was too busy with other stuff. I have made a list of 6 meals costing anywhere from 5-7 dollars a piece. I also need breakfast and lunch items for the kids and dog food for the hairy monsters in our lives. I would also like to by some fresh veggies and fruit for my snacks this week, but let's face it. When the costs start to accumulate, the fresh produce is going to need to be expendable.

Wish me luck world!

Things a Working Class Family of Four Can't afford:

A College Education

Putting Money in Savings

Eating Out