Pinching our Pennies

If you know my husband, you know that he's somewhat of a penny pincher (ok, really, he's Suze Orman on steroids, which really isn't bad at the stage of life we're in right now), so we've talked about making a budget ever since we got married. Well, for the past 2.5 years our "budget" has been DON'T SPEND MONEY. If you know me, you know I'm not very good at sticking to this budget,so whenever I stray from it there is always a "discussion" about whether or not my purchase was necessary. I was pretty sick of these said discussions so I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a real budget. My good friend told me about a website called Mint.com that pretty much does everything for you. I linked all of our bank accounts, entered all of our expenses for the month, and added in a little bit for personal spending (items for our house and clothes, mainly). This is the first month we've done it, and I love it! We can still live super cheaply with out me feeling guilty for buying things or the hubs getting frustrated with me. Everyone wins! It even has the option to set "goals" for future purchases...can anyone say new computer?
My weakness, as of late, is looking at craft and home decor blogs and really wanting to redecorate every room in my house. Since I can't go to Crate and Barrell and get all the cute things I want, I've had to improvise a little bit. I never thought I'd say this, but Good Will has become my favorite store for things to put in my house. If you go in with an open mind, knowing that you'll probably have to do some sanding and painting, you can find some hidden gems in there--especially if, like us, you find a store that is in a nice area. ;o) Here are a few things I've gotten at Good Will and spruced up to put in our home:

Not too shabby, eh? The table was the most expensive item at $25. I've discovered that I really like taking something old that maybe doesn't look like I want it to and reviving it into something completely new and different. I really owe this newfound love of thrifting and restoring things to my husband. He has really taught me the value of saving and delaying my gratification in order to find the best deal. Look at all these things my family is teaching me!