Category Archives: Budgeting

Food For Thought

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Up until this Saturday, I had done no grocery shopping in the month of April. Matt actually ran to the store to pick up milk after we came home from the beach.  Because of the limited shopping our budget has stayed very low for the month. My goal for the month was to keep our grocery budget low and to use up as much as possible from our stockpile so I had already decided that I did now want to spend a great deal and I am pleased to report that I was successful. Saturday turned out to be a very rainy and nasty day, Amanda had planned to spend the day with the kids so she offered to watch all three of the little one while Matt and I went to the grocery store. After ten years of marriage, this even is considered a date! Matt has a free drink from Starbucks so that was our first stop. Next we went to Harris Teeter, I saved around 50% and only used 3 coupons, $3 off a 12 pack of diet coke, $3 off 2 boxes of Starbucks K-cups and $5 off purchase of $50. This last coupon was after all other coupons as well. I did shop in the clearance buggy where I found 3 boxes of ant bait.  We also purchased sausage, bacon and pepperoni with our total our of pocket being $47.67. Next we stopped at Food Lion where we purchased 10 boxes of fruit snacks, 5 boxes of pop tarts and a gallon of milk for $22. I was very pleased with our trip> I am actually still under $200 for the month so I may go to Food Lion for a couple more rounds of Fruit snacks.

After keeping our food budget extremely low for the month of April, I am already looking ahead to May, I know that we are going to need to make a Costco trip at the beginning of the month and it also appears as if we will be purchasing 40# of ground beef from Zaycon to last us through the summer. My goal is to stay under $600 for the month so between these two large purchase we most likely will continue to adapt and ate things that we have on hand. Otherwise if the budget goes extremely high it will negate our positive gains in April.

Next item on our food list is that our square foot garden is growing! I am so excited that not only did all the plants that I have initially planted survive but they are growing. Matt has also added a 2×6 box that we will be planting corn in. Depending how well the corn grows and if we really like it, we may add a third box just for corn.

Finally, meal planning for the week. This will be a special week as both girls have Field Day this week, several appointments on Thursday and we are headed to our last competition for Cheerleading next weekend.

Breakfast-French toast (leftovers) , Cereal, Poptarts, eggs and Baked oatmeal.

Lunch-Lunches are going to be packed later today(Sunday) and I will be taking either a salad or leftovers.

Dinner– Crazy evening schedule with several quick and easy meals thrown in.

Saturday- Lunch: new chicken recipe, Dinner- Homemade pizza with sourdough crust.
Sunday- Lunch- at my parents, Dinner- Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggie and fruit.
Monday- leftovers
Tuesday- Hamburger helper
Wednesday-Chicken pie and Squash casserole, I am taking the day off so I will be cooking!
Thursday-  hot pockets or pizza roles
Friday- Pepper steak and rice.

Five Things Friday 4/10/2015

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So glad that Carla did this post today! So I “borrowed” her cute picture and will share my five things!

  1. The white van was treated to yet another set of repairs yesterday. A new heater hose and  air conditioner compressor. This depleted our emergency fund by $450. I am hoping to be able to add a little bit  back to the fund this month but even more so am praying that this is the end of repairs at least  for a couple of months.
  2. I was driving the van to cheerleading last night and on the way home suffered an allergy attack. After a little bit of thinking, realized that it was most likely due to “dust” that had accumulated in the air condition system. This morning, Matt spent another $10 to replace the cabin air filters. I am so frustrated with this van at the moment.
  3. I did have a major success in saving for Groceries. Our menu plan called for Baked Potato on Thursday.  I realized when getting out the potatoes that I still had about a fourth of bag of potatoes that were starting to spout. In order not to waste food, I filled the crockpot with potatoes, used the remaining ones after dinner to make mashed potatoes. One 2 cup set I will use for “shepherd pie” this weekend and the others (2)  are frozen for later use. I also started a crock pot with “potato corn chowder” which will be a second meal for the weekend and then at least two additional meals in the future. So I have managed to cook a minimum of 5 meals in one day using crock pots and food on hand.
  4.  I am working toward a goal of significantly lowering our grocery cost for the month. To accomplish this I want to stick to shopping at CVS and Aldi, no Costco trips. So far for the month, we have spent $38 on groceries. The goal is to spend less than $50, purchase some landscape items and plants for the square foot garden with another $200 and use the remainder to now cover the unexpected van expense.
  5.  In NC on Saturday, the temperature is suppose to be in the low 70s and sunny so we are planning to spend the day working on the Square Foot Garden. I hope to post pictures of all the yard tomorrow.

Yard Sale Success

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I have hinted  for several weeks that we were preparing for a yard sale. I am excited and eager to announce that the physical yard sale actually took place this past Saturday.  I actually began planning for this the first weekend of March. I am not at all  new to yard sales. In fact, I remember travelling with my mother to a flea market as a child in order to bring in some extra money. Since becoming an adult, I usually participate in a yard sale either once a year or once every other year. For the past several years, I have been going to a small bank and setting up with our cheer gym.  The standard that makes a yard sale successful has not changed over the year either. If I am able to bring home a profit of $100 then that is a very successful yard sale.

One new thing that I have never tried before was “online” yard sale. Basically this is a free facebook group., where you post a picture and description of the item, along with price and general area for meeting.   I decided to only place 1-2 items for sale at a time.   I also only arranged pick up and meeting in private messages and did not consider an item sold until the meeting was arranged.  I was nervous at first due to the publicity of recent bad horrible stories from meeting arranged on craigslist and also some of the stories that I had heard about people just not showing up. I am excited to say that my experiences with this have been overall positive. I had one person come to  what I thought was purchase an item but they looked at the item and decided they did not want it. I replaced this item for sale and in less than 2 hours had another person arrive and purchase the item.  I also had one experience where I arranged to meet someone and they did not show up.  Otherwise everyone showed up with cash in hand and  it was the easiest way to sell items that I would consider big and I did not attempt to sell anything under $10 as I didn’t consider it worth the gas.  Matt ended up doing some of the meeting during the day but even he will agree how easy and quick most were. I made around $400 just on the online part.

After the huge success via online selling, I decide to go all out with the advertising and not only pay for advertising in our local paper which cost $38 for 3 days, but also placed an ad on craigslist and on the site I use on Facebook. We also placed several signs on Friday night as well. I am so excited to announce that on Saturday we had a profit of $350 after covering the cost of advertising and two meals for us!

OVERALL YARD SALE PROFIT $750…………………..my most successful/profitable Yard Sale EVER!!!

 

So how are we spending this money.  1) Purchased a new stroller to use at Disney.  2)Purchased several gift items for the kids including Autograph books and a dress for Kendall to wear.    3) Purchased matching shirts from the Disney store to wear  4) Applied $400 toward our trip cost!

 

Monday Menu Plan

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One of our biggest expenses is and has always been Groceries. I am forever trying to figure out ways to either save money and or stay in budget with this expense. In March I was so far over budget that I was even hesitate to post my monthly update. So in April I am already stressing and trying to come up with ways to make up the difference. After some discussion with Matt, we have decided to eliminate Costco shopping for the month and try to eat what we have with minimal trips to Aldi as needed. On Saturday, we did end up eating out twice but used profits from the yard sale to do so. Sunday was back on track with a creative yet traditional “Easter Dinner”. Matt grilled a can of ham on the grill with pineapple, I added a box of scalloped potatoes, made deviled eggs from our Easter eggs, add coleslaw and cucumber relish to complete. We also used some money from the yard sale to refill our gas cylinder for grill. As the weather gets warmer you notice a lot more use of this.  A huge part of not shopping this month will be menu planning so here is the start.

Breakfast-French toast (leftovers) , Cereal, toast, eggs and Pumpkin Baked oatmeal.

Lunch-The girls are out of school this week until Thursday so they will be eating at home and I will pack both their lunches on Thursday. I did go ahead and make a salad for myself and probably will eat some leftovers one day this week.

Dinner– Since we have at least 2 nights at home this week, Matt will be cooking a little bit more then previous weeks but we do plan to eat from our pantry and freezer.

Monday- Pork chops with mac and cheese and glazed carrots.
Tuesday- Beef Enchiladas
Wednesday-Breakfast casserole
Thursday-  Baked potatoes
Friday- Grilled Chicken
Saturday- Shrimp cocktail or coconut shrimp. Dinner- pizza ( need to use up the store bought crust we purchased.

March in Review

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Blogging:  Goal: 15 per month Goal Met!  I think I have finally got my groove with blogging!

Weight: Goal:  Met and maintain weight of 175. This goal will be considered met each month that weight loss is achieved and once this weight is achieved, each month maintained is considered achieved.  Fail again!

Spiritual-  Goal. I want to spend time reading and or studying the Bible at least 5 days a week for the year. Doing better but still not achieved

Personal Goals: Achieved 1 of 3

Financial Goals:  Achieved 4 of 4

We are continuing to make small steady progress in this area. Income wise this was an awesome month as we received an expected boast. I am also hoping to keep on track during April with our Beach trip.

1.  Pay off all debit by December  2015, except for mortgage.  
a. JC Penny- 79.32– . DONE
b. Home Depot-     $270 a month Payment.  Will be paid off in July Goal met!
c. American Express   – pay $2300 this month Goal Met!
d. Personal Loan (used to purchase van) .The current scheduled payment is $217 a month with this scheduled to be paid off in December 2015. Goal Met!

2. Emergency Fund to $2000.  Placed $100 in for the month Goal Met!

. 3. Groceries: Spend $600 a month . Currently at $741 for the month.  No real reason for this except we choose to purchase some steaks and convenient foods and this was a 5 week month. Hopefully better on track next month especially with the need to purchase plants for the garden and a trip for meat in our near future. Fail 

4. Gas: Spend $400 a month with any remaining to be move to Auto fund for repairs.  We need to make another repair on the white van this month which cost  $157.  We also have been travelling alot both for cheerleading and for medical appointments. With the repair we ended the month with a total of $474. Because of some extra income we did not need to dip in our emergency fund for this repair so officially this is Goal Met!

Disney- I have decided to add this just to be accountable. This month, I have been selling items online in preparation for our physical yard sale in April. I have been really surprised and excited to see the money come in. I have been able to purchase a stroller that we plan to take and use in Disney, 2 autograph books and a dress.

 

Looking ahead to April- First is going to be to control with grocery budget. I am hoping to eat out of the fridge and freezer for the first 3 weeks of the month prior to our beach trip. I am positive we will at that point have to head to Costco. I will also need to purchase live plants during the last two weeks of the month depending on the weather. I am setting  $100 budget for this which means that I need our grocery spending to stay under $500 for the month. Next is Gas- in April, I am already aware of 3 small repairs that are needed. I am hoping that gas prices will stay low enough to accomplish these repairs in addition to covering our regular expense of gas. Finally, I have reworked our budget and have added a line for saving in our emergency fund. I am so happy to accomplish this goal.

 

The Cost of Vision

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Eyesight is one of the most important things in our world. So it would also make sense that I would have a cost associated with it. However, I am coming to realize just how expensive it can be. Last Thursday, all three of the little kids had eye appointments. Lily and Kendall were scheduled for their yearly exam. Zach was scheduled at the request of our ophthalmologist, at the girls visit six months ago.  It turns out that she wanted to monitor his eyes and she was right he indeed needed glasses and has the same eye condition as the girls, esotropia, but  he also is very far sighted. After the visit, we came out with some news for each of the kids. Lily asked and was given permission to purchase contact to begin using. Lily is also in need of new glasses as her cheerleading pair is very tight and damaged and she recently broke another pair . Kendall was excited to learn that she no longer needs to patch to improve her weak eye but also needs both glasses for cheerleading and regular glass as well. Zach gets to join his sister with new glasses to be worn.  Vision Works is currently offering a buy one get one free promotion which is why the wired arrangement of glasses. Cheerleading glasses need to be black plastic frames with plain lens while other frames where child’s choice and transition lens .  Unfortunately, I made the decision to drop our eye insurance for this year but on a better note, I do have a medflex account just for this reason.

So are you wondering how much eyesight is costing….

Each appointment plus cost of refraction          $115 x 3= $345
Zach two pair of glasses                                    $309.93
Cheerleading glasses x 2                                   $99.00
Lily and Kendall glasses                                     $289.93
Lily second contact appointment                        $60.00
Contact for six months for Lily                            $120

Total cost for vision $953.86 but well worth every cent in my opinion!

 

5 Ways We are Saving Money On Our Disney Trip!

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I will start by saying this has been a post in my head for awhile but one of the big problems for me was to figure out the title.   For the back story, I used actually numbers and talked a little about where most of the money was coming from here. Today’s post is about the specifics of our savings.

1. Separating our large family into two separate groups with one stay in the Campground. This was by far our biggest saving as it allowed not only us to save on the actually cost of staying on property but also were able to purchase the dinning plan for only half the group as well.  Disney does not make life with groups over 4 easy to deal with so by splitting up we saved money and also will be able to enjoy our times together and apart.

2. Travelling to Disney in the over night hours. The drive for us to Disney is approximately 10 hours. Ten hours is a long drive by itself but when you add bathroom stops and three meals you are looking at an overnight stay in an hotel for everyone’s sanity. We are planning to leave around 11pm, the kids will sleep until at least until  5 am so that eliminates at least one bathroom stop. We will stop around 6am for breakfast and will arrive at Disney at lunchtime. We will mostly likely stop just outside Disney for a fast food lunch and then spend the rest of the day enjoying!

3. Purchasing autograph books from Snapfish.  I have already purchased 2 of the 3 autograph books we will be taking with us to Disney. Because I am planning ahead I was able to purchase both book for around $9 each. The books we used 4 years ago are still being looked at and enjoyed today. The lowest cost of a book that I have seen online at Disney is around $25 so I am saving at least $15 on each book.

4. Gift cards- This may sound weird but the little kids and I have already decided that they will be taking $100 in gift cards as their spending money. I am able to purchase these cards in advance from Target. I get a 5% discount for using my Redcard.  This allows me also to use the money that each child usually receives for birthday money to prevent any attacks of the “I NEEDS” while at Disney.

5. Planning in advance- By starting our planning a year in advance and involving the kids we have actually saved money in several ways.  First instead of birthday parties and big gifts, everyone is getting Disney for their birthday. I do have a couple of surprises plan for the kids to open on their birthday.  Zach will be opening the autograph books on his birthday,  He will have a gift to open but also will be able to give the girls their books as well. Kendall will be opening a Sophie dress. I purchased this on clearance and spent $12 instead of $60 along with the dress, she will get a note to share with Lily and Zach that tells about their reservation at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  Lily is most excited we are planning to actually celebrate her birthday in Disney.  I will not be hosting Birthday Parties this year so that will cover the extras for the little kids.  Next the older girls will not be getting Christmas or Easter gifts, instead they get a trip to Disney. Birthday presents will also involve Disney but since they can read that is all I am sharing. Finally, by planning in advance I was able to secure our tickets prior to the increase so I saved money all the way around.

 

Do you know of another way to save?

 

Monday-Menu Plan

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After spending the first weekend at home in the month of March, I am happy to report that we have starting to slow down on our schedule just a wee bit, with a final push coming the middle of April with a 4 day trip. This weekend I was able to actually do some cooking ahead and some planning!

Breakfast-French toast (leftovers) , breakfast burritos ( I made a huge batch of “filling” over the weekend), poptarts (these should be running out soon but until they do, the kids are eating at least 2 times a week). I plan to enjoy “green smoothies” at least 2 days this week to use up our spinach.

Lunch-Lunches for the girls and I have already been packed. I made a huge salad on Saturday and even made some tuna salad as well.  Matt and Zach will be eating leftovers and sandwiches this week.

Dinner– We do have a busy week with at least one scheduled activity every evening but we also have  quite a few left-overs that will be eaten along with using up both the chili and slaw I made over the weekend.

Sunday: Lunch- Mexican for Haley’s Birthday Dinner- Chicken/Broccoli casserole.
Monday- Leftovers
Tuesday- Hamburgers and Tator Tots.
Wednesday-Choice of Hot Dogs, leftovers or sandwiches.
Thursday-  Egg Roll in a bowl; new recipe I will be trying.
Friday- Chicken enchiladas that have been previously made and frozen.
Saturday- Lunch sandwiches or leftovers. Dinner- Pizza

As you can tell we are keeping things simple for the week. The plan is to continue with simple meals of the ingredients that we have already purchased for at least the first couple of weeks in April. I would like to avoid grocery shopping until after our beach trip just to finish cleaning out the freezers prior to May when the growing season get in full swing and I want to restock especially the veggie freezer during the summer months.

Fun CVS Trip

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I was kinda disappointed this past Sunday when I finished my CVS shopping. I ended up not splitting my transactions up the best way and spent $20 out of pocket and ended up with $12 in ECB. My saving total was right at 60% not bad but not great. However the week is saved!!! After work, I discovered a high value Tide coupon ($3 off). I decided to head to CVS just to use the two I printed. I spent $2.15 on the following..

FullSizeRenderI did receive a nice surprise tonight of 2 $5 ECB printing from the Red Machine because of my beauty club purchases.

Total spent for the week $22.31, total value 118.46, total saved 96.15 or 81%!!! And I still have 6 ECB to save till next week.

Random Thursday Thoughts

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  • We are traveling again today. First headed to Matthews for eye appointments for all the kids. Next to IKEA to enjoy some window shopping. Finally back to Winston-Salem to pick out new glasses for the girls. I am estimating that we will be travelling over 150 miles and eating out at least 2 meals.
  • I am continue to list items on several Facebook groups in order to sell them. So far all the transactions have worked out very smoothly. I only have one more item that I am planning to list. The real yard sale is scheduled for the first weekend in April. I am planning to post this both online and in our local paper. I have already made $300 and my goal for all the yard sale is now $500. This is a lofty goal but I am hoping that it works out. If not then I will have a huge donation for the year to go to Goodwill and I have managed to really clean out!
  • After travelling tomorrow, our lives should slow down to a more normal hetic pace. It is a full month until we will be travelling again for cheerleading. That trip is so much fun and I am already looking forward to it. Myrtle Beach is always my favorite spot to visit.
  • Currently our budgets are right on schedule. We had to make a small repair to the white van again this past week but if all goes as well we will stay under our $400 gas budget for the month. The lower price of gas is certainly a nice thing and has helped our budget tremendously so far this year. The grocery budget is also doing well for the month with $170 left in it. I am really trying to clean out the freezers as much as possible with plans to start filling them again in May with freshly frozen fruits and vegetables.
  • My goals for the weekend include: yard work and trying to make homemade granola.

Enough randomness for today!