by Beks
My husband wanted to throw a party at our house to celebrate the fourth of July. We can see two fireworks shows from our backyard and we’ve enjoyed watching them from our home for the last three years.
Problem? I was so anxious to pay down the truck, I didn’t leave any money in our account. Yes, we received two extra paychecks in July but… I but somehow I forgot to budget silly, unimportant things like food and gasoline from those checks.
I was starting to panic until I opened the mail to find a check from the State of California. It has been so long since I submitted my claim to the California unclaimed property division that I completely forgot about it.
I ran to the bank, cashed the check, set aside money for groceries and gasoline, and gave $60 to my husband for Sunday’s event.
I’m not sure how he pulled it off, but he kept his food and bbq supply bill under $60 – which leads me to believe that given a goal, my husband can do pretty much anything.
How was your fourth? Did you stay safe? Did you stay away from ATM machines and credit cards?
Beks is a full-time government employee who enjoys blogging late into the night after her four kids have gone to sleep. She’s been married to Chris, her college sweetheart, for 15 years. In 2017, after 3 long years working the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, they paid off more than $70K and became debt free. When she’s not working or blogging, she’s exploring the great outdoors.
For me, it was a family cookout… then down to the local park to watch the fireworks and also volunteer to serve food to all of the local police officers that were on duty for the fireworks event. And I didn’t spend a penny! Bought the groceries for my contribution to the cookout earlier this week, so it made for a very relaxing weekend!
LOL on the not leaving any money for the essentials. Not that it’s funny but it’s good you were so focused on your goal. That’s impressive too that your husband kept your bill under $60.
I live debt free but also live on a tight budget since I stay home to care for my severely disabled son and work one day a week. I purchased groceries but stayed within budget by shopping with a list and knowing exactly how much I would spend. Staying on budget takes work but it’s a great feeling not having to stress about finances.
Fourth of July was spent with family and friends… we set of many fireworks that our friends brought with them.
Good food.. good fun.. all done with minimal expense..
It doesn’t have to be expensive at all.
Happy 4th!
Good times sweet daughter. And kudos to Christopher for the fabulous meal! Dad and I enjoyed ourselves very much… well except for….. JK! We loved it just like we love you, mom
That can be a problem with the extra cheque/check… we think it’s all extra, but don’t realize there’s still 2 weeks to eat, live, drive!
Glad you were able to celebrate! That was a BONUS!
What mom said.
See how the universe tends to provide what you need? That’s so wonderful! We selected the coolest day during the holiday week and we bbq’d tons of delicious stuff and have been enjoying it for a few days. On Sunday, we went to our favorite restaurant and enjoyed a lovely afternoon before fireworks.