DH is paid this week and our mortgage is due the day after that, so there will be lots of shuffling of money around here and there in these next few days. As I balance the checkbook this morning, I see we do have a little $$ leftover at the end of this pay period -- perhaps not as much as I would have *preferred* (our heating bills are eating a LOT this winter, despite our efforts to control it) , but there's a little something at least. Some will go to the cc balance, some to savings -- and then it's on to the various savings challenges of this coming pay period.....

I've calculated what I've spent on food so far this month now that it's half over -- $138.74. This includes our little family outing last evening as well. Since V.D. was on a Monday, we were thinking for some time it would be fun to take the kids to our fave little veg restaurant for its' all-u-can-eat vegetarian buffet for $5.00 a person on Monday nights. So in celebration of V.D., that's where we ended up last evening for dinner ( spending a total of $20). Rather extravagant by our standards, since we ate there just last month for DH's birthday. But, it was a fun time for all -- and now with V.D. behind us, I see no other occasion to eat out again until next month, when we will be attending the out-of-town conference.....