I am a long-time lurker who pops in occasionally

I’ve been trying to follow LS for five years now. It’s been hard because in those five years, we’ve been laid off three times and lived in four different states. All of which made me more determined to get out of debt. We’ve been here in Ohio for two years, and have paid off a bunch of smaller credit cards, an 18-months-same-as-cash, 1000 loan and other various things. Thru this all, Husband has agreed that we needed to get out of debt, discussed the budget with me, and then ignored the whole thing.

I’ve know all along that our/Husband’s weakness, budget-wise, was eating out on the weekend. About a month ago, I asked Husband what he thought about going cash-only for eating out. HE AGREED TO GIVE IT A TRY. (Miracle #1). Friday afternoon I pulled out a normal amount of money that we might spend on the weekend. Sunday evening, HE GAVE ME HALF OF IT BACK. (Miracle #2). We’ve been doing this for about a month, and we’ve never gone over the money we pulled out. (I cut back how much I pulled out.) Then Sunday (yesterday) he mentioned that since we had used some of our cash to go see a Community Theater show, we didn’t have enough left to eat out on Sunday, so WE’LL JUST EAT AT HOME. (Miracle #3, he didn’t suggest using the debit card to replace the theater money!)

AND (one more Miracle), next weekend, we are going back to the town we lived in for 20 years, for a funeral. I told him that we could go back to the debit card because it was easier. His suggestion — PULL OUT THE CASH LIKE USUAL, AND SEE HOW FAR IT GOES!

He is finally on board!!! I can’t believe it. And in return, I have quit bugging him about any other money he spends. Just getting the eating out under control has made life so much easier, money-wise!!! And it feels good to know we’re headed in the same direction.