No Spend Challenge Reflections

Looking back over the month, March flew by in no time. Comparing February to March spending, just by committing to not "browse" and be tempted to buy miscellaneously, we saved about $150. Hmmm... $150 times 12 months....for things we don't even really need... adds up to quite a bit of money.... to be intentional in giving, or saving or investing.

I did have to say "no" to the children quite a few times, but that's nothing new. No, we aren't going to WalMart (because I'll end up looking through the whole store). No, we won't just stop by Goodwill "just because". No, aren't going to Target to look for presents for Joseph's birthday right now, but we will go in April:)

It's good to say "no" on purpose in a world that constantly says "yes". It really is okay. And eventually, the pull isn't so strong. It actually begins to feel like a gain instead of a loss.

So, what did we do instead? We used what we had all along and had a great time. As I mentioned before, we didn't end the month with an extra $150 towards the van. But the money was there to cover some extra expenses and opportunities that will far outweigh anything we could have picked up on a whim.

Thanks for following our journey. Your comments on the blog and in person have been very encouraging.

Hannah broke out the Chess and tried her hand at beating her dad, but to no avail.

Joseph's Space Ship

Lydia in her art corner.

Even Joseph and Rebekah have their own version of chess.

The Greatest Show on Earth came to our backyard.