What is the 13 Week Challenge?

What is the 13 week challenge and why am I calling this site the “Low Ryder” (other than the awesomeness of it)?  Well, I have long been known for my cheapness, but this summer will present a new challenge.  The question is “how low can we go?”  Our summer will last 13 weeks, almost to the day. Since Jeremy is a teacher, he doesn’t have any income over the summer. We have set aside our tax return and his last month’s paycheck as the way that we will survive for the three summer months.  (For those with notions of dividing the ten paychecks into twelve, maybe that will be next year.  So far we need the whole month each month.)  Last summer things were quite crazy and very tight financially, especially since we had a baby in August. We left summer with a big scary chunk on our credit card.  This year we’ve decided to use a cash budget and a strict plan to keep that from happening.  With that said, I wouldn’t mind if we could take a family vacation and eat something other rice, so . . . here’s the plan.

After our tithe, bills, investments, and mortgage are paid, we will try to keep our budget to what I’ve indicated.  This money will have to cover food, gas, entertainment, travel, and gifts.  I’ve put financial considerations down for each week and I will update how we’re doing as the summer progresses.  Ackk, just as I’m typing this I realize that I’ve neglected the new tires for the car and the massively awesome surprise Father’s Day present for Jeremy.  Okay, pause for recalculation . . .

Week 1: May 25-31 $140

Dylan’s Birthday

Week 2: June 1- 7 $140

Week 3: June 8- 14 $160

Sister Laura’s Birthday

Week 4: June 15- 21 $200

Nephew Britt’s 6th b-day, Father’s Day, and  travel to Beach week with J’s Family

Week 5: June 22- 28 $200

Beach Week

Week 6: June 29-July 5 $160

July 4th and the third anniversary of my 29th b-day

Week 7: July 6-12 $180

Nieces Karissa and Brother Shane’s b-day

(I know, seriously, can people be born in other seasons of the year?)

Week 8: July 13-19 $300

Niece Lilia’s B-day and hopefully family vacation to campground in mountains if we can afford it 🙂

(And to the previous question, no, clearly summer is the only season for childbirth.)

Week 9: July 20-26 $140

Week 10: July 27-Aug 2 $180

Sister-in-law Kim and daughter Anika (rhymes with Monica) b-day

Week 11: Aug 3- 9 $140

Alternate dates for family vacation in which case amounts would switch

Week 12: Aug 10-16 $140

Week 13: Aug 17-24 $160

Nephew Ben’s b-day and Jeremy starts workdays

AUGUST 25th PAYDAY!!! HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY!!

7 thoughts on “What is the 13 Week Challenge?

  1. Sorry but you may want to correct “Catagories” to “Categories” 🙂 This is an awesome idea, and I’d also like to suggest bumping up the allocation for the week of your parents’ 37th anniversary by a hundred bucks or so 🙂 Love you all ………

  2. I don’t know if you like shopping at Target or not, and maybe you already know this, but… Around the end of July Target does a HUGE toy clearance–often a couple aisles full of things at 75% off. Some of it is clearly summer stuff, but some just regular toys. That might help with the late summer birthdays. =)

  3. I just want to point out that it will be the THIRD anniversary of your 29th birthday… don’t make yourself older than you are!! 🙂

  4. Katrina! Seriously! EVERYONE in your family is born in the summer months. Seesh! 🙂

    This is a great idea and inspiring. I was going to ask you about how this was going (the planning part) when I saw it on your fb page. We’ll have to compare notes and ideas through the summer…

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