My children love to eat cereal for breakfast (you know, the crappy sugary stuff) and I limit them to one box a week (rest of the time its English muffins, fruit, yogurt, etc). Well, this week our grocery store chain Jewel (that I frequent usually for their buy one-get one deals only) has cereal 3/$5(these are the small boxes that will give us exactly one generous serving per person for seven). There is also a sale going on if you buy 7 boxes in one trip you get $10 coupon off of next purchase. I am going to go buy ten boxe for $11.65 and I'm applying my $3 coupon from Thursday's purchase. My cereal stash will be fully funded for the next two months.

Haven't blogged in awhile, somewhat discouraged by money plan's performance here. January was so good! Shopped once a week at Aldi's and conserved gas by not driving a lot. Also little to extraneous spending ...

Not realistic for the long haul - Feb and March included $65 for soccer, extra money for Easter donation and ham dinner for extended family, $700 car repair to older minivan, $250 deductible for car that was a total loss. We didn't incur any new debt, but only paid the minimum on AmEx Blue and the student loan payment.

Got the income tax refund today in the checking account - transferred that to Vanguard right away to use to pay the real estate taxes. Economic stimulus package check will be used to pay real estate taxes on the rental property. The tenant has not paid the rent due on March 15th. Not happy about that ...

Well, this is a ramble, isn't it?

My goal for April:
(1) Come up with a realistic spending plan (I did read Mary Hunt again and Howard Dayton's Money Map)
(2) Continue with contributions to IRA and HSA
(3) Come up with reasonable goal for debt eradication for second half of 2008

All for now -