Back to Debt-Busting

So I said a while ago that I was going to take March and April to get used to living on a budget and, slowly but surely, it is all starting to come together. As of now, the debit cards (both mine and The Hubs') are officially retired. I will be writing checks for all of the bills that go in the mail, but everything else I plan to do in cash. I will be using The Envelope System to help us stick to the new budget.

If you aren't familiar with the envelope system, here's how it works:
1. Make an envelope for each category of expenses you have and label it accordingly. One envelope for gas money, one for grocery money, one for savings, one for your electric bill, etc.
2. Fill each envelope with the money that you have budgeted for that particular expense.
3. Each time you make a purchase, you put the receipt into the envelope the cash came from.
4. No borrowing from other envelopes!
5. At the end of the pay period, whatever you have left in the envelopes goes into savings. (Until my emergency fund reaches the desired amount, then whatever is left will go toward debt.)

That's the plan anyway. I have yet to implement it, but I think it will be great. I think I will be setting everything up over the next few days.

And now, last night's dinner.

The Chicken Chow Mein, most feared of all my freezer dinners, wasn't actually that bad. While it in no way resembled anything Chinese, it wasn't vile. It tasted like chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup. Nothing fancy, but decent. I will concede, however, that the water chestnuts were odd and unnecessary. So overall, it was a keeper, but I will not insult the Chinese people by calling it Chicken Chow Mein next time I make it. I will call it...hmmmm...Mushroom Chicken. Yep, that'll do. I think I will also add broccoli next time.

Chicken Chow Mein a.k.a. Mushroom Chicken:
The Hubs: 5
Me: 5.5

Not spectacular, but reasonably good. Tonight, Cheddar Cheese Soup. (which I added hamburger to, so I call it Cheeseburger Soup instead...)