You can call me: Ms. Moneybags (?)

Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little
makes it grow. (Prov. 13:11)

A wise man should have money in his head,
but not in his heart. (J.Swift)

To me, these quotes teach lessons that are exactly what Kevin and I would like to exemplify in our marriage. Think about money but don't let it consume you. Don't become overwhelmed, obsessed, carried away, a worshipper of the almighty dollar. Don't let it brainwash you into thinking that it's the only thing that matters in life. Do what you can to save what you can. We are striving to be smart with our money, to be thinking about what we're spending before we spend and to save as much as possible (within reason). But, we don't want it to consume our waking hours with wonderings and questions about how to get more money in the quickest way possible and we really don't want to have to cut out all of our entertainment just to save every penny. If we want to go to breakfast, we will. If we want to go to the movies, we will. There has to be a good balance. Basically, we want to think of money as a need but not as THE need. There is so much more to life than what you have in your bank account. Plus, you can't take it with you when you go! :) Why work so hard unless you're going to enjoy spending it!?!

So...I have a plan. It's listed out for the rest of 2011 - what our expected bills will be, what our debts are (which isn't much thank goodness) and what we plan to put into our savings every month. It makes me feel good to have this concrete plan. I know, I know...life happens and things don't always go according to plan. If any couple knows that, it's us. There are lay-offs, flat tires, dentist appointments, last-minute trips, etc. So, instead, we are just planning to save X amount every month through the end of this year and we're going to try our hardest to follow the plan. If we need to stray from the plan one month because of this, that or the-other-thing, you ask? Well, then, I guess this will teach us so much more than just money smarts. It will teach us flexibility and rolling with the punches.

*ps. perfect timing because I, ladies and gentlemen, got a raise today! God's timing is perfect! :)