Austerity

I first learned the meaning of the word "austerity" when I was in 7th grade. My school district on Long Island in New York was operating under an "austerity budget."

What did that mean, exactly?

Well, I remember we were asked to bring in paper, chalk, and other basics to our classrooms. I also think there was a cap placed on the number dittos each teacher could make.

Wow, who out there remembers dittos?

Anyway, my introduction to the meaning of austerity was laden with a sense of deprivation, scarcity, and frankly, unfairness.

These days, however, I'm seeing austerity in a whole new light. I'm choosing to see such strict economy as a gift, of sorts.

With the world economy in shambles, loss of more than 100K in our 401K, credit card balances, a car loan, and kids to put through college, our own austerity budget is actually giving me a sense of control.

Control over our money, yes, but mostly control and discipline over myself.

So far, since January, we've paid off one credit card, stopped using credit altogether, cut way back on our driving, and reduced all our discretionary expenditures to the bare minimum.

But you know what? I don't feel deprived. Neither does my husband, nor do my children. I think that speaks volumes of not only our former lifestyle, which believe me, was never crazy excessive, and that of most Americans.

I'm getting excited watching the remaining credit card balances fall. This may be the first year in at least 15 that I actually budgeted for my kids' birthday presents and put aside the cash to pay for them.

My daughter will still take an art class this summer; the other will go to drama camp. All will be paid for with cash.

I can't get over what a liberating feeling it is!

We still have a long haul in front of us, but our goal of being debt free in 2 years now looks, if not easy, at least attainable.

To this end, we're taking a little vacation this month to visit my mom in Arkansas. Because our van died, we'll need to rent a van for the trip, as well as pay for some site-seeing and activities we want to do. In order to do so without charging anything or taking any money out of savings (we have savings now!), we've challenged ourselves to spend only $100 a week this month.

How is this possible?

Easy.

We're shopping from the freezer.

Michael did a complete inventory of our chest freezer, our upright freezer (a donation from my mom), and the freezer compartments of our two refrigerators, and I have enough food in the house to feed us quite well for more than a month.

We already spent $50 on the drama camp registration fee this week, the rest on gas and a few perishables. Next week's $100 will likely go mostly toward pet food and supplies. We'll run out of milk the day after tomorrow, but will cash in our cans/bottles to buy a couple gallons to see us through.

Oh, and as for next week?

Melissa still owes me $12!

Freezer Inventory

all meats are local, cheese, ice cream and fruit juices aren't, all grains from Paul's Grains. Most fruit and veggie items are frozen in quart bags.

Chicken broth 5
Turkey broth 4
Cheese, cheddar 8
Cheese, Mozzarella 6
Mozzarella bites 1
Ice Cream 5
apples, sliced 3
applesauce 6
Bananas, frozen 2
Blackberries 6
blackberries, pint 2
Blueberries 17
Cherries 3
Mulberries, large white tub 1
Gooseberries 1
peaches, quarts 7 1/2
Raspberries 2
Rhubarb 5
strawberries 23
Acorn meal 2 cups
Bread - buns 4 packages
Bread - home made 2 loaves
Bread - store bought 7
Brown rice 10 lbs
Corn meal 5 lbs
Crescent roll dough homemade 1
Flour, Whole Wheat 25 lbs
Frozen pizza 1
millet 5 lbs
oat bran 5 lbs
oat meal 3 lbs
Pizza crust, homemade, baked 2
Pizza dough, homemade 7
popcorn 4 lbs
wheat berries 5 lbs
wheat bran 5 lbs
jams, 1/2 pints 27
Apple Raspberry juice 2
Orange juice 2

Beef, Round steak, small 1

Beef for stir fry 2
Beef, hamburger 6 lbs.
Beef, Liver 2
Beef, New York steak, small 2
Beef, rib eye steak, small 1

Beef, roast 2
Beef, sliced, roast 8
Beef, stew meat 1
Bison dogs, 1 pack
Chicken, cut up, cooked 1
Chicken, cut up, raw 1
Chicken, Whole, raw 2
pork, Partial Ham 2
Pork, ribs 2
Pork, roast 1
Pork, Sausage 1
Pork, shank 1
Turkey, sliced 1
Turkey - cut up 4
ratatouille, large 1
ratatouille, small 1
salsa 2 1/2
Eggplant Pasta Sauce 1
Oven Candied tomatoes 1
Pesto 5
Sauce rosemary 5
Sauce, Basil 5
Sauce, capicola 1
Sauce, oven roasted 5
Sauce, red 3
Sauce, sausage 3
Chicken soup 1
Roasted Squash soup 1
Broccoli 1
Cauliflower 2
Corn, frozen 29 quarts
Green Beans 17
Onions, diced 10
Peas (from store) 1
pickles, quarts 16
Pureed Squash 16
Red pepper slices 3
Sliced Carrots 9
tomatoes, canned, quarts 15 1/2
Zucchini, shredded 3