There is nothing quite so eye-opening and sobering as doing one’s budget and facing the reality – again – that things aren’t as good as we hoped. It’s a necessary evil, though, and better to find out now than later.

I’m just spending some thought-provoking time sorting out what is really important, and where can our money do the most good.  It’s another two summers and one more school year of daycare before my youngest starts Kindergarten, and then alleviates a lot of the financial pressure.

It won’t be horrible, but it won’t be easy. As my son is currently quite fond of saying, “Life’s not fair!”