Sacrifice

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.   Hebrews 10:10

Sacrifice - the act of losing or surrendering something.

Sacrifice has been on my mind a lot lately.  I can't help but think that there must be something I can sacrifice to raise money for this adoption.  We live pretty frugally, so at some point you really start to feel like there is nothing else to cut out.  Most of you who know me would say I'm CHEAP! 

Over the last few years we have cut several things out of our lives and our budget, with the goal to pay off debt.  The biggest shocker to most people is that we don't pay for cable or satellite TV.  About 3 years ago we spent $50 on an HD antenna and have never looked back.  We dropped our internet plan to the slooooowest speed to save a few extra dollars.  We dumped our cell phone contract and went prepaid.  We shop on craigslist and ebay to find things we need at a cheaper price.  Couponing has been a struggle for me.  I used to be coupon crazy but lately feel overwhelmed with coupons.  I still clip what I can and save a few dollars.  Last year we paid off our Jeep.  Folks we have been married almost 10 years and this is the first car we have EVER paid off.  And I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off!

So what's left to sacrifice?  Well I'm struggling a bit but I've been able to come up with a few things:

Credit Cards - It shames me to say that while trying to pay off debt I've held on to my credit cards.  We rarely keep a balance on them and I've always said I need them for "emergencies".  Though they are more likely to get used on a vacation!  My New Years Resolution this year was to quit using my credit cards - for anything!  And I've done great, so yesterday I finally made the call and cut up those cards. 

Vacation - We are the family that loves a good vacation - EVERY YEAR!  We do have a weekend Spring Break trip planned and a weekend Anniversary trip in May, but both of those are paid for.  We had been thinking about a week long trip in October but we're putting that on hold and using that money towards adoption.  And we'll keep those Disney Trips on the back burner until we bring our child home.

Fast Food - Somehow we still manage to hit a fast food restaurant every week.  Not only is that bad for our wallets, but terrible for our health too.  We are going to start Meal Planning to stay on track with meals at home.  This isn't to say that we'll never eat out, but that when we do it will be a planned event and not so spur of the moment.

Meal Planning - We are going to start meal planning each week before we hit the grocery store.  This seems simple but so often we head to the grocery without a list or a plan.  Also planning to have a rice & beans type of meal each week.  This will save us money, and also serve as a reminder to us that there are orphans eating meals like this, and sometimes not even eating for days! 

Clothes - I love a good shopping trip to Kohls (this was the hardest credit card to lose).  But until our adoption is finalized I am going to try to buy more things at consignment/thrift stores and off the clearance racks.  A few exceptions may be socks, undergarments, and shoes.  But still hope to find all of these things on a good sale too!

Soda - We've been spending about $15 a week on soda (for me) and energy drinks (for Shawn).  Now this one is going to be a challenge!  After we finish drinking what we have on hand, we are giving up these drinks.  We may still have them on occasion (eating out or at other outings) but we aren't going to stock these drinks in our home, or buy them from vending machines.  You guys may have to help keep us accountable here!

Haircuts - We invested in a good pair of scissors and clippers.  I will be cutting Shawn, Abby & Ashton's hair at home.  I'm even going to give Shawn a chance to cut mine.  We'll see how this one turns out!

Toys - Since we've been talking about sacrifice at our house this week, I asked Abby what she would be willing to sacrifice.  She has declared that she will not ask for new toys except on special occasions (holidays, and birthday).  To help her stay on track, we are going to try to hit the stores without the kids as much as possible, and remove the temptation.

Laundry Detergent - A good friend of mine makes her own laundry detergent and loves it.  And if I remember correctly, her last batch lasted over a year.  I had her send me her recipe.  So before I run out of detergent again, I'm going to whip up a batch of my own.  Can't wait to give this one a try!

If you have any other ideas/suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Also want to let everyone know that we are getting close to picking a country!  We have been talking to the people at Lifeline about what country would be best for us.  This process is a little overwhelming.  How do you choose between so many available countries and so many children in need?  We have been able to eliminate quite a few, based on requirement, and the length of travel time.  We think we've narrowed it down to Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Ethiopia.  Getting more information on all 3 of these programs!

Please pray that God will lead us to the right country! 

Also, wanted to mention our online donation page.  There's a link at the right if you just want to make a donation!  I'll also keep you updated on my craft sales.  I've had several requests and it's only been up for a week now!  The Holy Spirit is definitely moving in our family and friends too!