Fast Weekends, and Money

Where does the weekend go?  I left work on Friday to grab the kids. I wanted to leave earlier, but I had a few things that had to be done. We were in the door before 5:00, which is early for us. I knew there was tons to do. Over vacation I had worked hard to put things in order, catch up on laundry, organize (some parts of the house). I would like to stay caught up.  Friday night included three loads of laundry that I still need to put away. Folding and putting away laundry is my least favorite part of laundry. Yesterday included basketball, grocery shopping, and cleaning the house. I squeezed it all into one day since we were having company. Now today is already Sunday and includes more activities, and I have lesson plans and work to do, AND I must go to the gym. I just could not do it this first week back.  I was so bad.  I am going today, no questions asked.

Yesterday's grocery shopping was amazing. I was able to use two different $5.00 coupons off my order, get a few items free (water and carrots), and use a few more store coupons. I don't bother printing the coupon.com coupons because my old lap top can't handle the software.  We had homemade dinner Sunday through Friday.  I prepped and really planned it out, making changes as needed. The kids took yogurts, leftover holiday treats, and fruit with their lunches. Saturday we ordered pizza since my friend and her children came over for dinner.  Today it is pizza for lunch. I roasted a chicken yesterday which I hope to get three meals out of, including soup. Can you hear my family groaning?  Last Sunday I spent $79.00 and yesterday I spent $117. That is under $200. I typically have been spending over $160 plus additional trips for a family of four. We don't have a ton of food storage, which is why I spent what I did yesterday, but we will make this work. I made sure to buy enough milk and bread so there is no need to hit a store or send my husband who always adds cookies to the milk.  I even passed up some holiday tea for .75 per box. I almost bought avocados and my nine year old joked "It's not on the list".  Well guess who did not buy avocados? It is funny to hear your own words used against you. I hear sweet voices and feet. Time to start my day. 

A Challenge Helps to Keep Me Focused

So I am really into this January pantry challenge because it is day 4. Talk to me on day 25. We have done so well this week. This kids didn't even realize that they have not purchased lunch at school. It doesn't mean that they won't, but so far it has all come from home. 

I am also really into coffee and have written many times about the whole stop and get coffee problem that I, and many Americans, have. Well, when I leave my classroom, and the air is cold, and my eyes are closing, gosh I want some coffee. Monday I left work and knew it had to happen. Coffee. So I stopped at Dunkin Donuts, knowing that the over $50 worth of gift cards we got for Christmas were home. So I bought a cup of coffee. Well Tuesday I planned to get coffee, but I forgot to take the right turn. I was suddenly motivated to skip the coffee and focus on not spending. Yesterday I followed suit as well. Today I was really dying for hot chocolate, but I stuck to my guns and did not stop. I envisioned sitting around the table with the kids drinking homemade hot chocolate. Well, I did make them hot chocolate, while I made dinner, helped with homework, emptied the dishwasher, reminded my six year old to wash the blueberries off his hand and sit in a chair while eating etc. I did manage to drink some coffee at home of course. So now with my goals in hand, I have decided that I am going to stay away from buying coffee, or try really hard, while we are doing the pantry challenge. I can buy a lot of ground coffee with those gift cards, which will certainly help my pantry stay full for free.  

A Great Starter

That is what I am. I am really good at getting started, but I am not always good at finishing.

Take gyms for instance. I have joined so many gyms, but I don't look great. I just joined another one, but I hope to actually go this time. However, this week has been so cold I just want to grab the kids and get home after spending all day at work.

This week I have been doing a really good job planning meals and staying focused on eating from the pantry.  I don't have much left for protein, so I will have to shop this weekend, but I am going to set a specific spending limit. Not sure what it will be yet. Saturday we are going to order pizza because we have some friends coming over. I am always focused when I start something, and then.........I fizzle. This week I made a crock pot dinner for Sunday that we finished tonight. We had soup Monday and lasagna last night. The lasagna is gone. We ate it all. It was only a 9 x 9, and I did not make it very thick, but I was still sort of surprised we finished it.  Tomorrow will probably be an egg bake or homemade mac and cheese. I guess I will figure it out when I walk in the door (after I go to the gym).

A New Financial Goal

 

  I have one credit card left that I really want to pay off. It is a zero percent interest card that I opened in August for some stupid reason*. We did need to use it for a short time, but now we are okay. I want to use the money I save during the pantry challenge to pay on this card. I did put a few Christmas things on there that I will be paying off on Thursday. After I pay that off my balance will be $1371. My goal is to pay that off by May.  I think I can do it by putting as much on the card as possible each pay period. There will be on interest on the card until August. Cutting the grocery bill and using what we have well will help support this goal. We will eat well. I will always buy produce and feed us a healthy diet with a few treats here and there.  I am excited for my goal.  It will start after my next pay day.  


* Stupid reason-This is a cash back card and I thought it would be so great to get cash back on stuff that I already buy, but I forgot that I can't really handle that sort of thing and at almost 44 I should know that about myself.

I am doing well with using what we have. I got some great ideas from other sites and am super excited to make it work.  When I shopped on Sunday I only spent $79.61. I had a few good store coupons and bought produce, dairy, bread, deli meat and cheese and some nonfood items like Q-Tips. I do tend to grab what I need at one place even though it is not always the most economical choice, because time is money too.

Pantry Challenge Update
Last night's dinner was chicken tortellini soup. My own version based on recipes I have used in the past. I love it, and my husband, who is not a soup fan, will eat it as well. Tonight we are having a lasagna that I threw together last night. Tomorrow night will be left over chicken from Sunday's crock pot dinner of gingery chicken breasts. Quite gingery, but pretty tasty.  Thursday is eggs, left over soup or left over lasagna. That is my problem with menus. I change my mind a lot. I should not write my menu in pen. What ever doesn't get eaten gets put in the freezer or become my work lunch. We are really pretty good about not wasting food. Not sure what we will eat on Friday.

 Doesn't the cold make you want to burrow under a heavy blanket for days.  Last night I stayed up so late. Not sure why, but sometimes I do that. I could have slept for days.  I think the low temperatures make our beds feel more comfortable.

A fresh start with some New Year's Resolutions

My family has experienced some heartache in the past few months, but I would like to approach 2016 with a positive attitude and put my best foot forward for my husband, children, mother, sister, and friends.  I am dedicating my list of resolutions to my father, who is no longer with us in person, but I am convinced is always here.  I miss you Dad.

• Appreciate each day, even the bad ones
• Utilize my time and give the proper amount of time to my family, myself and my job (tough one)
• Spend time with my children and when with them give them all my attention (see resolution 2)
• Spent time at the gym to improve my health, lower my weight, and relieve stress (see resolution 2)
• Go out with my husband alone once a month
• Cook at home, utilize what we have, don't go overboard at the store
• Don't waste food (see prior resolution)
• Spend money wisely
• Be a good friend
• Don't be angry even if I am not wrong
• Work hard at my job but remember it is a job and not the only thing in my life. I promise I will find a balance and make it work or find another job.
• Blog a bit more than every three month

Mid Week News

It is only Wednesday, but feels much more like Friday. Would you believe I have only worked one day this week?  A sick child kept me home Monday, and yesterday was a stressful day, to say the least. After a day of work we had a swimming lesson and then I drove to my sister's so the kids could spend the night, due to a teacher professional day.  We have our own on Friday. 

Needless to say I was hungry and did not want to only cook for myself because it was just me for dinner. I stopped at a local grocery store and bought a fresh precooked entree for $5.00. I have had bad luck before, so I blame myself. It was orange sesame chicken and rice. The rice was so raw it was crunchy. I could not eat it.  Bummer.  At least I did not order out.

This weekend I made a chicken tortellini soup that I love and others eat with minimal complaining. We ate it two nights in a row because Sunday was sort of a rough day.  Monday I roasted a whole cut up chicken. Tonight when I get home from work I will make a quick pizza dough and get the pizza made before I meet my sister and the kids at soccer practice.  Tomorrow I have the making for fajitas. Friday might just have to be eggs. Saturday it is back to the store.

Why it is okay to spend $200 a week on food

I have been enjoying the solitude of the morning and trying out different posts. I am on my second cup of coffee. It will all change once people wake up. It is Saturday, so we need to get to soccer and go food shopping. I have to color my hair. I feel like it goes from fine to dreadful over night!

Here's the reason for my title.  My original title was going to be "What is Wrong With Me?" I spent $156 at a local grocery store on Saturday with a $57 follow up trip the following Wednesday. This is the best priced store in the area.  My purchases included a lot of produce that the kids were willing to eat, lasagna ingredients, ground beef and chicken cutlets that were on sale and, deli turkey and cheese.

Menu

• Saturday- lasagna (and Sunday because I was out)
• Monday-chicken cutlets
• Tuesday-beef lettuce wraps
• Wednesday-homemade pizza
• Thursday-chicken and spinach ravioli
• Friday-chicken fried rice

The last two dinners used chicken from my freezer. I also made tons of lunches for the week.  On Wednesday I had to go back and spent another $57. Wednesday's trip included laundry detergent and dishwasher soap for good prices. It also included fruit and necessities like milk. I did not remember to buy bread, but we got by.  I also skipped the impulse purchases like hummus and pizza dough. I went home with my tired self and made it from scratch.
 
Is something wrong with me that we in a week we ate over $200 worth of food? Actually I think we are doing pretty well. Our portions could be smaller, and we could cut back a little on the snack food, but overall we are making good use of our money.  I think my new monthly grocery budget is going to be $800.00. I am in awe of those spending under $400 a month on groceries; they have my respect and admiration, but I don't see it working for us. One take out meal could cost $40. If you did that five nights in a row there is your $200. My $200 included breakfast, lunch, and seven dinners. I could serve soup two or three nights in a row, but there would be hecklers. Personally I love it, and I try to sneak it in, however, some people (other adult in house) don't consider it a meal. I actually made a butternut squash soup this week to celebrate fall, but it was all for me. I took it for lunch each day.  I could start serving beans, but there would be a revolt.

It is all about situation. Our situation is that we both work full-time, and the kids go to an after care program after school. In their lunch bags they need snacks for snack time, lunch and after school. That is a lot of food. Also, we both take lunch to work. Most days I am making four lunches with multiple snacks. The past few weeks have included too many Oreos. This weekend I plan to bake some snacks in lieu of purchasing them. Also, I am trying to mix up breakfast so the kids eat less cereal. If I could get them to love oatmeal that would be helpful.

This month I am going to track my spending and cooking and see if $800.00 is legitimate, spendy, or enough.