I Just Pressed the HELP Button!

Yeah, I did...and WHAT I really need is a HELP BUTTON for my frugal efforts...I am wasted today.  Can you relate? Do you feel like your efforts are just a drop in the bucket for everything you need done or need to do? I have been there, and honestly sometimes I think I am still there~but I do have to recognize that my efforts are making a difference for my family: in some parts are making a huge difference! But right now, I am ticked, truly ticked at my family. I am ranting and venting so you can see that SisterT isn't just so full of herself that she isn't willing to share in the struggle! Oh yeah,,,this can be a struggle! Here's my tale:

Saturday I spent the whole day~literally doing the "Laundry Fairy" thing getting the clothing and add ins for a family of four~not 20, and so my darling hubby was so kind as to make some homemade wonderful speghetti sauce with the tomatoes from our garden, 1/2 a Japanese pumpkin (seed was supposed to have been acorn squash lol!), peppers and onions.  Yum! Honestly it was good~I know the pumpkin sounds like an odd addition, but it was fine in it! So husband cooked and made noodles and a whole gallon of his sauce...well...well...I didn't come down nor did I work on Sunday to clean up my kitchen.  NOPE~so it's all really MY OWN fault for this,,,but what gets me is not the sink of dirty dishes, but spaghetti that got left in the pot uneaten or un-stored. . . Aren't WE supposed to be saving and savoring every drop, working to maximize our yield so we don't have to purchase more that will save us money in the long run??? WHY was there spaghetti THAT I DIDN'T cook still in the pot dried~dead ~working on being wasted and rotten?????????????????????????????? Can't you tell I am not only kicking myself, but disgusted because I do believe in the "waste not want not" ideals. I have found over the years that often if I have gotten rid of something without thought, I ended up needing or wanting it later on...hence a well thought out plan is best!

Family cooperation MUST be a tremendous part of our budget/frugal plan...It has to begin with and end with each of the family on board... 
With waste and destruction comes cost!
Each family member has to do their part to pull the cart towards financial freedom from debt and worry.  I am worried about debt, and what would happen should my husband have an economic down shift in his earnings verses his abilities now to support us.  What would most of us do if suddenly our spouse or ourselves, for that matter, finds the employer sitting down with us/them and saying the dreaded words: layoff, downsizing, restructure or worse yet: fired.  The fallout from such is devastating financially and emotionally.  We've "been there and done that"~you think WE'D learn! Hence my efforts and mostly the efforts of my family, but not in this instance, have worked to save every cent and be frugal while making life as pleasurable as possible within our means.  I am not just heart sick over my lost spaghetti noodles, shoot! That's not much money, really...but any is too much! But in the discovery, I also found destruction occurring of my only few months old counter top that hubby installed, and we had gotten for a song~literally! Please pray for our family.  It's MEETING TIME to get on the same page and to shore up our previous goals had set so we can march forward towards them.

So where are you in the journey to debt free or making it on less? Do you need to re-eval your methods and goals? Do you need a MEETING with all family members to discuss ways EVERYONE can help? You won't accomplish this alone; it will take the whole family! Here's some ideas:

1. Re-eval goals.  What is and isn't working?
2. Revise as needed.
3. Get the family together to discuss their vision and goals. Enlist their help AGAIN!
4. Discuss ways everyone can economize.
5. Make a plan.
6. Make goals with rewards.  This is as is all of this individual.  Do you have a debt you want to conquer or a vacation or renovation or some utility item you want to save for? Discuss with the family and gain cooperation and let all have a say in how the rewards are spread.  For our kids we increased their allowances.  But I will tell you that if destruction continues, I will be docking instead of paying!
7.  Post up the goals in public (your home now) places so you can be reminded.  Keep your eye on the prize!

I wish there was a REAL help button to push in this instance! My counter top which we obtained for $20 as a damaged item at a budget store which hubby was able to trim to fit perfectly is now with an imperfection. I am NOT happy! BTW~this exact pattern if had I special ordered it would have cost me 5 times the price we paid for the piece.  With damage, it's value now has decreased.   This "issue" isn't that easy a fix...

GET the family's cooperation! Everyone on the same page makes the journey maximized towards success!