The not-so-American way around here.

Just this morning my husband mentioned our shortness on expendable cash... I tried to respond in an even tone so as not to give away the fact that my feelings were hurt and always are a little hurt when he utters the "short on expendable cash" phrase.

The reason for my hurt feelings? Well, I like to consider myself a considerably low spender as of the past few years since having kids. We don't rent movies, we check them out from the library. We rarely buy food while out and about, we pack lunches. My husband, if he doesn't pack a lunch to work, snacks on his stash of almonds and protein bars purchased at Costco months before. I rarely purchase brand new clothes, I shop consignment - the only time clothes are purchased new is if that sale is better than the consignment store could offer me. I'm a Craigslist addict... I've realized McDonalds nickels and dimes Moms to death... the Grocery Game is the only way to shop and I get really disappointed if the sales receipt calculates less than 50% savings - and that's not a stretch. I drive an '01 minivan and I don't insist on having anything newer. Note I said both '01 and minivan... no SUV. No overwhelmingly high gas pump receipts and no "hot Mom with kids" feeling while driving. We ask for gift certificates for birthdays and holidays which has afforded our family a Woodland Park Zoo Membership and Kyle and I wonderful romantic dinners out. I've never thrown a big birthday party for any of my kids since Katie was born in '04 and William was born in '06 - we bake a cake, if that, and give a gift or two - they've never doubted the specialness of the day as they've always woken to hideously AWESOME white-trash streamers and non-helium balloons spewed across the kitchen! I've been cheap - expensive only where it counts.

As I sat across his office desk from him this morning as he offered me unsolicited information on our cash situation I began to cry. He looked from his computer screen to my face in astonishment. Truly. He was astonished! I explained to him through a low but wavy voice that I try so hard to spend as little as possible! Not because we need to but because there's so much more joy in creating a lifestyle that isn't growing in expense with every penny more that he makes! I do better now than I did when he was a full time pastor and making next to nothing! All this rolled off my tongue as he sat back in disbelief that I had very little clue as to how proud he has always been of my efforts.

My wonderful husband started into a pep talk that spoke from my mothering our kids to saving our family money and keeping the budget low. It meant the world to me and it was a wonderful moment to hear from the one man that I care the most to impress and amaze.

So, in a continuous effort to amaze him, I will throw the cheapest and most fun "Fancy Nancy" Party for my 4 year old this coming week. As I said before, she has never had a "birthday party" with friends and this will be the first. Lord knows I didn't buy any "Fancy Nancy" paraphernalia but we will have everything that Fancy Nancy would love... decorations and sparkles; cupcakes and glitter; crafts and fancy clothes. 6-8 4 year old girls dancing and twirling after decorating refrigerator boxes (aka cardboard houses) and/or puffy painting white t-shirts.

It should be a lot of fun. And it should be a lot of cheap.