Spending Fast - Day 18 - Out of control hair and resourceful children

We are in day 18 of this fast and doing well. Honestly, in light of all that has happened this week, talking about the spending fast seems so trivial and insignificant. I do feel like God put this on my heart before Jan. So, I continue and I wanted to share where we are with this thing.

So far, this month, I have spent $97 on gas, $25 on a dr. copay, and about $225 on groceries/household needs. That is it. Pretty good and I haven't felt hugely deprived. Rick and I were able to go on a date with a gift card, and we rented a movie as a family with a gift card. We had frozen pizza from the grocery that I had in my freezer instead of our usual ordering pizza for our movie night.

I don't really think that my kids have been hugely impacted by this in a negative sense. They know we are doing it, they are participating in their way, and every once in a while, I have to remind them why we are not going to buy or do something that they ask about. Their response has been positive without complaining.

We did encounter one obstacle, but they were very resourceful. The batteries went out for their Wii controllers. They have a few new games from Christmas, so they have been playing more than usual. I told them I was sorry that we were out of batteries, but we would have to wait until Feb. to buy more. So, they have been going around the house looking for batteries in toys that they aren't playing with. Pretty smart!!

The only other dilemma we have faced is haircuts. I have not had my hair cut since Oct. I usually do every other month so I was due for one in Dec. I scheduled an appt. for Dec. 30 and received a call about an hour before saying it was cancelled. I almost panicked. I was already way overdue. Surprisingly it is halfway through the month, and I think I will make it. Cody and Sam really need haircuts, too, but they aren't upset about waiting. Rick is trying to hold out to. I am so proud of him for being so involved in this with me and taking it seriously.

Obviously, there is not much difference between spending the money now than in Feb., but for me, this is a test of my commitment to this fast that I clearly felt called to. So, I buckle down and make it through the month. If you see me, and I look weird, you can blame it on my shaggy do. It is a reminder of my obedience to God.