•    My girls came into their own this year. They are not babies anymore (whoo hoo) and it was hilarious, frustrating, exhilarating, terrifying, and exhausting to get a glimpse of what their future will hold.

•    Paul and I actually acted like a (gasp!) couple again. We went out many times for date night AND went away for three whole days for our anniversary. It was great and seems to be getting greater all the time.

•    I kicked booty at work. Not only did I make more money than I have ever made in my life (OK, I know that is tacky to say, but I don’t care I am still proud of myself) I also grew my department from three staff to eleven. They function as a team and are all poised for really exciting stuff in the coming year.

•    My nieces are strong. I don’t want to go on about this again, but I can’t underscore how much it has meant to my entire family that they are healthy and happy.

•    I took control of my lack of exercise and diet. I walked a half marathon and continue to work at getting back in shape.

•    I reconnected with a couple of really important people from my past. I’m not always so good at that—I usually close doors and don’t look back. I tracked down one friend whom I hadn’t seen in nearly 15 years (thanks Facebook) and managed to have dinner with him this past October. He was SO important to me at the time we were friends and I was grateful to be able to tell him that face to face and get caught up.

•    I accepted the fact that despite much ineptitude and total lack of creativity, I am addicted to scrapbooking. I don’t care how geeky that makes me sound. It’s true. I will NOT however be wearing anything with puffy paint.

•    But most importantly—and I sincerely mean this—I discovered the incredible gift that SacMomsClub has given me. Not only have I made some truly wonderful friends (you know who you are) but I have connected with countless others whose wisdom and support I have appreciated and valued. I am also humbled and grateful to have found a passion and a voice for writing through this blog. A passion that I never knew I had and never would have found without you guys. Full Moons and Safety Glass has been an incredible journey for me. One that I know will continue. Maybe I am not always funny or smart or poignant or even interesting…but I always try and I always care.

Now, Paul and I are no strangers to getting by on less. Between 2003 and 2007 both of us were laid off. Never mind the fact that I peppered our tenuous financial situation by being out on maternity leave twice. Being poor is something that I don’t enjoy, so I started poking around for tips to free up some cash to pad our savings or add to those credit card balances. Surfing the net, there were lots of ideas that had a long term impact (creating more energy efficient homes, canceling gym memberships, reducing taxable income through participation in medical savings accounts). While those were all great ideas, I was looking for ideas that seemed immediate and do-able.

One of the biggest issues with such a Big Economic Recession is combating the feeling that I am totally out of control. Sure, the big things need to be attended to, but I wanted things that I felt I could do to immediately impact the family budget’s bottom line.  Let’s face it, spending is emotional and most couples fight about money.

I also wanted ideas that I thought would be practical for me. Honestly, I am a working mom. My schedule, including travel, can be pretty insane. It isn’t reasonable to assume that I am going to pack a lunch everyday. So, I put together a list of things that I thought were realistic and found that I could easily save over $200 each month. I was shocked, so I figured I would share it:

1.    Buy generic—cornflakes, canned corn, cheese. Stick to the commodities if your champagne tastes demand it, but keep in mind that making a few simple changes could result in about $20 in savings during the month.

2.    Air up your tires. I know this will irritate you because it will mean that your husband is right, but for every two PSI that your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most car tires are up to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. If you spend an average of $100 on gas each month, you’ll save $5. It’s not a lot of cash but its effortless so why not give it a try?

3.    Skip the barista coffee on Tuesdays and Thursdays all month. If an average grande latte is costing you about $3.50, this will save you about $7 per week, or $21 per month. Notice I did NOT say to skip the lattes on Monday. That would just be cruel and unusual. The same goes for “hump” day when we all need an extra caffeine boost, or Friday when…well…we just deserve it.

4.    Skip the mani-pedi this month. Even at a cheap chop shop, you will be paying at least $50 for both services. Even more if you head back to the shop for touch ups. Can’t skip them both? Well, pick one and skip it, you’ll still save $25.

5.    Bring your lunch once a week. An average lunch out will run you about $12. Brown bagging it once a week will save you about $48 for the whole month. Heck, that is a mani-pedi the next month.

6.    Avoid the trashy magazines. Really, what’s the Internet for if you can’t read what’s going on with Brangelina and Britney in real time? Save the $16 a month and check out the wide range of “celebrity watch” blogs and websites—the bloggers are free and easy with sarcastic commentary that People and US wouldn’t DARE print. Besides, do you even know who Audrina and Zac are, anyway?

7.    Bottle your own water. Do the planet one better and bottle at home with a stainless steel water bottle. An average one-liter bottled water is usually priced around $4. Skipping two of those each month adds up…both in your wallet and in your recycle bin.

8.    Swap babysitting with friends once a month instead of paying your teenage neighbor. Suddenly, that $30 movie date with your hubby is costing you nearly $60.

9.    Avoid Target. I know this is hard. Target has a strong siren song that can be like crack to mothers. I love it too–half my wardrobe is from Target. That’s the problem…moms cross through the doors of Target with the intention of stocking up on toilet paper, pull-ups, and dish soap. And, what happens?? $150 later we have a basket full of DVDs, socks, lipstick, and kids clothes. So, skip it this month. I can’t speak for you, but my unscientific estimate suggests that a savings of at least $50 per month is possible.

10.    BYOB. Having a date night out with your honey? Bring your own bottle of wine and pay an average of $10 for a corkage fee. A decent $15 bottle of wine is at least twice as much when you eat out, add the corkage fee and you are still ahead of the game. If you guys are big wine drinkers and your bottle is in the $35-$60 range, you are WAY ahead of the game.

So, instead of blogging on the topic myself, I wanted to simply include a jump to my sister’s blog. Some things are best succinctly summed by the mom of such amazing kids.

http://thirdfloorhome.blogspot.com/2008/12/1st-birthday.html