Project Smart Spending

My husband and I are challenging ourselves with a new project:

Project Smart Spending

I love this project.   To me it creates order, and anyone who knows me, knows I love order.     Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project says ”external order creates internal order” – but I think the same goes for financial order.    Don’t you think?



(this is a great read by the way – afterall, it’s a “project”)

Anyway, on a similar note, my husband cooked dinner tonight! (I intended)    He decided that he was going to make lasagna.    Not one but two lasagna’s.       Much to my surprise, they were bubblin’ in the oven when I got home (hub doesn’t cook as a rule, so yes this was a surprise.   Although he tells me he made me a roast 5 years ago :)).       Anyway, while enjoying his amazing creation, we did the math and calculated that each serving cost about $2 per serving!!!!       This was a major A-HA for us!      When can you eat good homemade food for $2!!!???      This fit nicely into Project Smart Spending, without us even making a conscious effort.     Imagine what we can accomplish when we put some conscious effort forward(?).

Another item on Project SS  is my fitness regime.    I have decided to join the gym in my building.     Cost:   $60 per year!!       Then, I will hire a trainer that my g-friend uses to do 6-week plans for $40.        Now that is some smart spending, in my opinion.

In the meantime, I’m going to add a couple of strength programs to my regime myself.       Caitlin from the Healthy Tipping Point posted today about starting the following strength programs:    One Hundred Pushups and Two Hundred Pushups.




How awesome would it be to do 100 pushups?      Love it.     And better yet, it’s free - you do this program at home.

It gets better.    As some of you know, I’ve been shopping for fabric for my headboard.     So, I have to admit, we bought some last week, and put it together yesterday, and I hate it.     So, while this is NOT a good move for Project SS, we chose another fabric (the fabric I should have gone with in the first place).     The swatch I got from the store was $36/yard.     BUT!!  I found it online for $8/yard – so my headboard will cost $24!! (well besides attempt #1) but still!!       I need a round of applause here for resourcefulness!

Please share some of your Project SS  choices – I’d love to hear them……