Small Change: Month Two Recap

Well, I didn't exactly follow this month's challenge. The challenge was to make a sacrifice and donate the money from the thing you sacrificed to charity. Beth's example was to top eating out or using takeout.
We rarely go out to eat, and when we do, it's because we are running errands and get hungry, or it's a date night out, or we are with our families and they are paying. We used to eat out all the time, but once Michael was born that just got to be not so easy, although Michael tends to do well in Restaurants. He goes to bed at 7, and during the week Doug gets home at 6:30, and Michael has normally already eaten dinner. We do eat out on the weekend sometimes, normally lunch because we are out and about.
When Michael was first born we ordered takeout a lot, at least once a week. But we cut back when I went back to work part-time and took a pay cut. Now we are down to 1-2 times a month, and normally there is a very good reason neither one of us feels like cooking. I make dinner most weeknights, and Doug will cook on the weekends.
I couldn't think of anything else that we could sacrifice. I guess it could have been Starbucks, or shopping, or other things, but I jut never did it.
But, we still made two charity donations. We donated some furniture and Michael's old toys to The Salvation Army, who will sell them in their thrift stores and donate the money to a needy family.
I also made a contribution to a friend of mine who is doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is a charity near and dear to my heart because I did the walk a few years ago when it is was three days and run by Pallotta Team Works. It was one of the best things I have ever done. I made lifelong friends and I signed up completely on my own and joined a team. If you are thinking about doing it at some point you really should, especially since it's two days now and has better organizers, but that is another post. I know breast cancer is not a children's charity, but I think kids benefit from their moms not dying, so it fits the bill.
Also this month was Michael's birthday party, which asked for charity donations instead of gifts. About half of the attendees followed that request, and people picked really neat charities that I had not heard of which made me glad.
If you have not gotten involved yet with Small Change and would like to, tomorrow the new challenge will be up. I hope to actually do that one.