Since my last post, the McGuire Home Auction has earned $17. I sold off some throw pillows and a glass cake stand with cover (since I have two other cake stands and one other cover).

A buyer is coming tomorrow for a dress I’m selling for $25.

I’m pleased that even though my Facebook newsfeed is now jammed with stuff for sale, from all the yard sale groups I’ve joined, I’ve only bought one thing: a bag of pants for my oldest, for $15 (about $2 each).

I also got some kind of class-action settlement check, for $28; a refund from Kohl’s, since I overpaid a bill, for $14.49; and $13.50 will be coming from eBates (as part of a larger check) for buying my contact lenses.

Monday morning, I was looking at the grocery receipt for the order that we picked up Sunday night and realized it was higher than it should have been. Scanned the receipt and saw that 6 organic apples cost $16.95. Hemmed and hawed… could that be right? I know organic is high but… So I called ShopRite; they were all crazed because of the “blizzard” and I was on hold forever, but it was worth the wait because turns out they overcharged me on the apples by $10. So I got a credit for my next order.

These little payments make me happy, especially in conjunction with cleaning out my house and closet. But the larger questions still loom. I just got back from driving past a house for sale on the other side of town — a somewhat smaller house with many more upgrades than this house and with much less yard to take care of. I know I keep going back and forth on this, but I think — I know — we could save money by downgrading.

The last time I brought this up to my husband, he didn’t really want to hear it. But I think I need to sit down and come up with one of my famous spreadsheets comparing the costs of staying (and refinancing) and moving.

You can’t argue with a spreadsheet! I mean, you could tear it up and throw it away, but you can’t argue with it.

This house I just looked at is also Arts and Crafts bungalow style, which is my new favorite thing. I’ve always liked them, but now I’m actually Pinning stuff about it, which makes it an official obsession. If I could build new somewhere, I’d get house plans from The Bungalow Company.

BTW, the kids hate house drive-by’s. If I veer from the regular route home, they start freaking out. “No! I don’t wanna look at any houses!” And I know if we were to move, they would be super pissed. These guys are not down with change. Just the thought of hearing “I miss our old house/my old room,” for weeks, makes me not want to move. At three, four, and eight, they are already quite sentimental and nostalgic (as am I).

I’ve been doing pretty good with the budget this month. The grocery and “miscellaneous” categories are going to come in under budget. I did spring for an after-school treat at the Pop Shop ($12) the day before the “blizzard” that we didn’t get. All the hemming and hawing I did before deciding to spend $12 — things like that make me want to move. I don’t like being house-poor. (Although, generally, hemming and hawing is just part of the frugal life, and that’s not going to stop, I hope.)

While up on the main drag, I scored “new” X-Men sneakers for my younger son for $2 at the Nesting House — they were $5 but I had $3 of credit left at the store.

Generally, we are in a nice spending lull — post-Christmas, pre-spring clothes/shoes/activities.

The kitchen decluttering has stalled. I need to work on that double-time to be done by January 31. But all that’s left is the pantry, fridge, and freezer, and I did a lot of food decluttering before the holidays. I’m loving the new setup for cereal — the kids can get everything themselves; I just step in to do the milk if necessary. Should have done that a while ago.

I did go through the approximately 3,000 plastic bags that have been living under the kitchen sink. I moved some to where the Pull-Ups are, so they are ready to be used for stinky ones. I put a whole bunch in the car, to take to be recycled. After that I still had at least a thousand left, so I rolled them up following a tutorial similar to this one. I don’t have an empty wipes container yet, so they are back under the sink, all folded up, waiting.

And the plastic bags continue to accumulate, because I can’t ever remember to bring my reusable bags in the store with me! I think I need to tape a post-it note on my windshield.