A preface

A new year means a new resolution, which in turn means a new blog to help keep me on track!

During my journey to go green last year, I learned that being more eco-aware also tended to work out better financially.

As you all know, the economy is in a downturn, and people are trying to find ways to do things cheaper so that they can maintain their lifestyles (for the most part) without a great deal of sacrifice.

As I learned in my 2008 journey, sometimes doing a lot of small things can really add up to a big thing.

So, this year I will be making a daily effort to spend less where I can, so that my husband, myself, and our pets can continue to live our lives as closely as possible to before, but with less cost.

First off, I will tell you a bit about ourselves and our habits.

My name is Cathie. I am currently 29, and my husband Joel is 28. We have 6 (!) pets - one dog, 3 cats, and 2 baby guinea pigs. We live in a small house in the country. I work in retail management, and my husband owns his own business.

I don't spend money like crazy; I do not have a shoe fetish, I do not own expensive purses or clothes. I do take indulgent baths, and I cannot resist a good clearance rack or sale.

I am also a huge fan of "girl math", which says you will spend $50 to get something valued at $10 for free, even if you only needed to buy $30 worth of stuff.

I eat most of my meals out when I am working, simply because it is more convenient. This means I can eat up to 8 meals a week at any given assortment of the fast-food joints in my mall.

My husband is a "convenience" shopper. He will buy something because it's convenient, not because it's the best deal, or even because he needs it. He also eats most of his work-day meals on the go, and hates preparing food at home; if he had his way, we would go out to eat for every meal. If left to his own devices, he would never buy anything that was not a name brand, which is why I do most of our shopping.

So, the journey begins today. I will be documenting our triumphs and our struggles, and I will even try to document how much any given activity or change has saved us. I can't wait to watch the numbers grow!