We've been tracking our expenses through Mint.com. The good thing about Mint.com is that you can tie in all of your different accounts and use budgeting tools to figure out where all of your money goes. The bad thing is that you can tie in all of your different accounts and use budgeting tools to figure out where all of your money goes. They say ignorance is bliss, and "they" sure got that right. Damn they. Damn all of they. I think "they" also said "easy come, easy go," and that's another reason why I don't even want to talk to they anymore. They're too spot-on.

So, money is flowing out faster than it's coming in. We've been close to breaking even each month, but there's always something that tips the scales so that the expenses outpace the income. New glasses, baby car seats, new tires, foot surgery bill, license plate renewal, twenty-six dollars to make five servings of homemade pesto. Gasoline is once again ridiculous, and the baby needs a whole crapload of things. Food. Cell phones. Cable. Nicor, ComEd, Lake County Sanitation (I don't know what they do, but I send them thirty dollars each month and never feel more sanitized having done that). Car payments. Literally, the list goes on and on. And, don't get me wrong, in theory, things should eventually get better. The property tax bill will be slightly less this year, making my mortgage payment slightly less. I just got a (small) raise. Day care will go down in October. Chris' car is almost paid off. We're entering what I like to call Awesome Utility Season because between now and mid-to-late June, the Nicor and ComEd bills both go down. Although I guess I shouldn't say ComEd since I switched to Blue Star Energy in a bid to save four extra bucks per month. So, there. In your face. Which leads me to the point of this entry. How to save more money. Here is the list of options I've been putting together. I'm sure you'll find this list both compelling and... whatever.

1) Walk to work. How long do you think it would take to walk twenty miles? Uphill and in the snow?
2) Eat considerably less.
3) Make my own baby food- out of ramen noodles. Use only half of the spice packet to control baby's salt intake.
4) Unplug all appliances when not in use. Unplug certain appliances when they *are* in use.
5) Lamps and light fixtures that use more than one light bulb, take out half of the light bulbs. A dim bathroom can be considered romantic, yes?
6) Substitute a costly habit (drinking wine) for a free habit (sleeping or sitting still).
7) Switch to cloth diapers. No, that's just gross.
8) Get rid of data package on cell phone. Kind of serious about this one. I mean HOW connected do I really need to be? It's ridiculous that I even have this data package. Although I'm sure my "contract" will screw me over on this one, too....
9) No fast food. Chris, I'm looking at you. I mean look up from your computer screen. I'm. Looking. At. You.
10) Stop paying my mortgage, live free for two years or until the bank gets around to kicking me out, then deal with being homeless when the time comes.

All solid ideas, right? Sigh. It's insane how two people can have decent jobs, a modest home and modest cars, be conscientious when shopping and STILL not be able to fully make ends meet. Maybe insane isn't the right word. But the only other word I can think of is bananas, and that's somehow not right either.