Happy New Year to you all from the Kellers! We rang in the new year in our pajamas, watching Kung Fu Panda, and then a documentary on Netflix after everyone else had gone to sleep. We are super wild like that.

Chances are you finished up your December absolutely tired of spending money, whether you did a little Christmas or a big one.  We paid for Christmas this year for complete cash, and got a new dishwasher to boot (Glory to God in the highest, I am so ready to have that piece of technology back in our lives).

January calls for a No Spend Challenge, which we did back in October and it was pretty eye opening for us.  I am wanting to jumpstart my budget, especially since I have big goals for 2016, and I have the confidence in knowing I can do this (and you can too!).

Today is day one.  Take some time today to assess your budget.  I made a comfy, girly space in my home office where I do not mind sitting and number crunching.  We converted our guest bedroom into our home office last year, so that Cole and I can both do some work at our desks.  I use the free, printable budget binder from justagirlandherblog.com.  But if you are a techie, there is a free app from Dave Ramsey, called EveryDollar, which helps you track, literally, every dollar that you spend.  I also use a debt snowball app for my iPad.  You can plug in every single debt you owe, and put them in order from smallest to largest (that is what I do), or highest interest to lowest.  They do the math for you, to show you how much you can pay to be debt free

So, sit yourself down today and make a list.

My desk cats and I will wait.

I have a binder (of course, sorry I have a weakness for cute binders, and have to write things down) full of printables from my other hero, Ruth Soukup.  Her blog is livingwellspendingless.com.  I use the Ground Rules printable from her!

Our Ground Rules for the No Spend January Challenge.

1. Grocery Items We May Buy This Month

*Minimal Groceries, eat from the pantry and freezer

*Toilet Paper and pet products (of course. We do not want a mutiny)

2. Things I have committed to paying for this month

*Mortgage, Car, All Bills

*Cole’s friend’s birthday gift

*Cole’s Jiujiutsu Class

*Cole’s allowance

*Trip to eat pizza and go to the “big toy store” tomorrow to spend some of Cole’s Christmas money (because the child does not have enough toys)

3. Things we may absolutely not purchase this month

*No eating out, No movies, bowling, etc

Please let me know if you will be joining us in our No Spend month!  October is typically a pretty lean month for us, so that is why we did the challenge then, but we are planning for a lean spring, so that we can have a better fall and winter in 2016.  I am praying and planning to enjoy all that God has entrusted us with, instead of constantly looking for more.

I love you friends, and if you pray for me, I will pray for you.