Just a few days left in April, and I'm going to need everyone of them to get everything done! Work is going to be nonstop for the next few weeks. But if I can keep up this pace for a few more weeks then I will be right on schedule to meet all deadlines before the end of the school year. There is an end in sight!

Besides spending on McDs coffee after work lately, I haven't done much spending this week. I've managed to make it home each night without giving in to the temptation to eat out. This has resulted in much less money going out, and more down time with the kids.

I have noticed other SA members "pay" themselves when they have a no-spend day, or if their favorite team wins, etc. I need to start something like that for my cruise. I want to have it paid for by the end of August, and here it is almost May. Time to start getting creative and get that account built up. Maybe each day that I don't buy any food or drinks, I pay myself $3? Or each day that I exercise I pay myself? Maybe both. Reducing caffeine consumption and consistent exercise are both priorities for me, so I might as well reward myself for them.

Also on the financial front, I increased my automatic monthly savings by $50 a month. This should start to make a difference after a few months.

It was so hard to get up this morning, especially since the temperature dropped into the low 40s today. I haven't complained about the weather much, though, because we have enjoyed pretty mild weather up until now.

Work was not bad, about half of the students were still out, I think that a lot of the families were finishing up vacations. I got a lot of planning done, and a lot of one-on-one time with the students, which is always such a help.

I received 2 rebate checks in the mail that totaled $12. I will add this to our account earmarked for the family cruise.

Tomorrow our family is going ice skating, taking advantage of groupon tickets bought last month. We will eat frozen pizza at home before we head out, saving ourselves time and money on another meal. We still have plenty of food at home because we have been finishing leftovers rather than cooking what we originally intended. That means I should see a lower grocery bill next week!

I blew a tire Tuesday, so I ended up getting 4 new tires ( I really did need new ones), a tie rod (?), and alignment, total of another $700 in car work. My breaks have also started squealing, probably need new break pads. Ugh.

As much as I hated taking that money out of my savings, I paid those expenses without a grudge. I am fortunate to have a vehicle to get my family around, and I am very fortunate to have a savings account to cover such expenses.If I value having transportation, I should happily pay for it, n'est ce pas?

On the other hand, even basic cable irritated me. Those few additional channels added no value to our lives. I invested in a couple pairs of rabbit ears, discovered I could get reception to some public access channels, and I cancelled cable completely. So I elimintated our cable bill. Although it was only $20, I was bitter paying that bill because I realized it added no value to our lives.

Now OVERPAYING on something is not smart, so I will of course try to get the best deals, but I do not want to become stingy with my money. Money is just paper, it is my attitude that causes me financial stress or harmony.

(Yes, I'm making a conscious effort to improve my attitude and outlook!)

I started mailing in rebates in October. I realized I'm going to buy the food anyway, might as well get a few bucks back for it. I've been depositing the checks in a savings account dedicated only to rebate checks. The account is now up to $129.00! How did that happen, when most rebates are for $3.00-$6.00? I'm just sticking to it, it's as easy as that. And it's working! Finally!