Beef and Beer

I am so proud of my husband. To tell the story in reverse order:

I was going to get myself a snack, and I jokingly told my hubby that I had bought the chips out of 'my allowance money' and that he wasn't to have any. One of the things we have always done is have allowance money for both Ray and I. He is not a big spender, so he just buys himself a case of beer once every two weeks - one beer a day. Other than that he doesn't buy junk food or anything. Mind you, he does enjoy his icecream!

I used to drink pop, but then stopped it because it is pure junk - sugar and chemicals. But then the girls came home, and my 12 year old became an 'preteen', plus I have two teens. Suddenly, I needed my fix of pop again. Not just pop: Coke! A drink my kids are not allowed to drink.

So I have been enjoying my Coke and some ripple chips some evenings. Ray has his icecream.

Now, since we have instituted our monthly grocery budget we have done really well. It is not like we are being 'poor' - not at all. We are just aware now of where our money is going. I did my big shop one month ago, and spent all but about $200.

Since then I have bought a few items for about $150. I have quite liked shopping just once a month! Dane thought it was very interesting to see us come to the end of our month today and see the extra fridge have its last item removed (a pound of butter) and he said, "It is neat how we have got to the end of the month, and the food is gone, but we didn't run out before it was time."

I pointed out to him that that was because I had figured out our budget so well. A menu and figuring of all the things we really needed (and wanted). No waste, and enough for everything we needed. But yes, we shop on Saturday and it is just in time. Very cool and *amazing* to see how much we saved this month already!!

So anyhow, about two weeks ago, Ray went shopping to get some ground beef that was on sale. It was all part of my budgeted amount. He brought three - 5lb chubs of ground beef, plus some milk and fresh fruit. He arrived home carrying in three bags and said to me, "Some birds got into the ground beef. Can you just chop off that part and keep the meat?"

To which I said, "What?? No, you can't keep meat that was touched by crows!" Me, the freaky hygienic food person going to eat food touched by crows?! Not likely! I could just see the germs crawling all over the package!

Then suddenly I am thinking and saying, "HOW did birds get it anyway?"

It turns out he put it in the back of his pickup truck and the birds got into the bag and pecked at two of the chubs. Okay, so I wasn't thrilled, as I was having such a good time trying out our new budget, doing so well, and now we were $20 off course. Not a big deal you might say, but yes, we were trying hard to keep to a plan and $20 is $20 - wasted.

Of course, I tossed the meat out and had to proceed to buy some more at full price the next time I was in town.

That was the end of it, or so I thought.

Then tonight, I make a joke about the chips and tell Ray, "Those are my chips. You have your beer." And he makes some kind of comment about not having beer.

Whoa. Hang on. This rings a bell with a vague comment I heard the other day about no beer. I remember thinking, he must be out of beer and not gone to the store yet.

So now tonight, when he made this quiet non-confrontational comment I suddenly clued in and asked him, "What do you mean you have no beer?" To which he said that he hadn't had beer for almost two weeks and I hadn't noticed. Huh?

He said, "A few more days to go." (smile from him)

You should have seen the look on my face. At first quizzical. Then stunned. Then proud. My husband never drinks more than one beer, but he does enjoy a beer after work. And suddenly two and two are adding up and I realize what he is saying. I was so impressed! I told him how proud of him I was. He was grinning big when I said that.

He gave up beer for two weeks to make up for his mistake with the ground beef. He didn't even tell anyone. He wasn't tooting his own horn. He simply took $20 from his own allowance to make right. I am so impressed. Talk about a lesson in financial responsibility and sacrifice for his sons!

It was so neat to see Dane's face when I told him what his Dad had done - Pleasure in my reaction and pride for his dad.
.