January Frugalistas

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, BarbecueMom said:

Definitely a no-spend weekend.  10 inches of snow yesterday and last night, and it’s still snowing.  We’re making up for last year, when we didn’t have ANY snow at all.

At least I didn’t waste money buying a (probably too expensive) three-kid sled at Costco last month.  After I bought it, I worried it would be money wasted if we didn’t end up with snow again.  I think it’ll get some use this weekend!

 

Jealous of the snow.  We haven't had more than an inch.  i want the snow if it is cold out.   Come on. 

[mommyoffive]

14 hours ago, hjffkj said:

We are officially under contract!!!  Dh bought some whiskey to celebrate, but after that we are strictly no spend

 

OH my gosh.  Congrats.  Such a crazy ride how it all turned out.  Yay

[Soror]

So, I had a scrip to fill up, I used our FSA card which I had forgot is refilled for the New Year and it occurred to me that we should have enough on there to cover dh's CAT scan or most of it anyway, freeing up a good chunk of this month's surplus. I told dh we might be able to pull off paying off the truck this month, especially with all the OT he's clocked already this month. That is highly motivating to keep the grocery and extraneous spending down, down, down. Let's see if we can pull it off!!!!

[hjffkj]

19 hours ago, myblessings4 said:

 

Congratulations!  Will your parents be moving into the house with y'all?

 

Yes!  The house has a handicap accessible, not that they need that yet,  in-law suite on the first floor.

[hjffkj]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

OH my gosh.  Congrats.  Such a crazy ride how it all turned out.  Yay

 

Crazy indeed.  I was seriously set to be at my parents' house for the long haul and then BAM perfect house appears.

[mommyoffive]

26 minutes ago, soror said:

So, I had a scrip to fill up, I used our FSA card which I had forgot is refilled for the New Year and it occurred to me that we should have enough on there to cover dh's CAT scan or most of it anyway, freeing up a good chunk of this month's surplus. I told dh we might be able to pull off paying off the truck this month, especially with all the OT he's clocked already this month. That is highly motivating to keep the grocery and extraneous spending down, down, down. Let's see if we can pull it off!!!!

 

Oh what an awesome surprise.  You can do it, the month is almost half over. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Posting my menu:

Sunday: Homemade pizza

Monday: In-laws

Tuesday: Turkey enchiladas, mango, green salad

Wednesday: Cabbage roll casserole (make this with Farrow), Sweet potato mash

Thursday: Chicken cauliflower soup, popovers, green salad

Friday: Beef and Veggie meatloaf, broccoli, baked potatoes

Saturday: Cumin Spiced Tacos over rice with cabbage slaw, cheese, sour cream, salsa. 

Lunches: Broccoli Cheese soup, Hotdogs, Chicken nuggets and tater-tots, Grilled Cheese, cucumbers, peppers, mango, leftovers

[hjffkj]

We're snowed in today so not spending money has been easy. I started packing, decluttering, and trashing stuff today since we couldn't do our regular Sunday things.  I've got a load of things to go to Goodwill tomorrow.  I keep debating trying to sell some stuff but really I just don't have it in me to do it anymore.

I got a last minute pet sitting job that starts Tuesday, so that'll be an easy $300 this week.  I couldn't have asked for better timing on that because our bank account is below $100 right now simply because we had to put $5000 in earnest money down.

[BarbecueMom]

Oooh, menus.  I'm working on mine instead of writing until my hand falls off out the kids' work for the week (because I am too lazy to fix the printer link from my computer so I can type and print it).  Except now I really want cabbage roll casserole... and cauliflower soup... and broccoli cheese soup.

Tonight: Leftovers.  Two kinds of chicken tortilla soup (chipotle or reflux-friendly), ham and bean soup, baked pears and granola, cornbread, salad, homemade GF pretzel bites and cheese sauce, and snow.
Monday: Black Bean Enchiladas, Roasted Potatoes, Avocado Ranch Dip, Salad
Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, Brussels Sprouts... although I don't have any lemon pepper, so it may just be pepper chicken
Wednesday: Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Brazilian Cheese Balls (depending on my mood), Salad
Thursday: Ranch Pork Chops, Roasted Whatever Vegetables are Left, Apples (Baked? Raw? Sauced?)
Friday: Junk Food Night (Frozen Pizzas and Tater Tots)
Saturday: Ham, Cheese Grits, Toast, Fruit and Veggies (for lunch, weekend dinners are leftovers)
Sunday:  Lentil Risotto, Veggies TBD

There's a lot of ranch-this and ranch-that.  I stocked up on ranch dressing last summer when it was really cheap at Costco, and the expiration date is the 23rd of this month.  I'm trying to use up the last bottle before the end of the month.

[Soror]

23 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Oh what an awesome surprise.  You can do it, the month is almost half over. 

Aww thanks, that is good motivation to think the month is nearly over!

___________________________

Thanks, ladies for posting your menus, I've been working on mine today too, I plan menus mid week b/c I shop on Tues or Thurs. I have a big dish of chopped cooked chicken for chicken wraps and soup for lunches. So far my list is about at $65, we'll see what I've forgotten. I have to get bread again towards the end of the week. 

Thurs: GF chx nuggets  &  homemade fries & salad(got half-off at Aldi's and the kid's love them having them on a TKD night when we are short on time)

Fri: homemade pizza

Sat: turkey chili

sun: chicken pho (w/ whatever chicken pieces on the best sale)

Mon: lentil risotto- roasted veggies- I see BBQ Mom has this on her menu and I've been meaning to try it

Tuesday: turkey tacos w/ black beans and cilantro rice

Wed: beef stir fry w/ carrots, peppers, onions and broccoli (using chopped roast I found on sale and noodles from the discount store, sauce from Krogers tweaked)

 

[Soror]

I'm nervous Feb's paycheck might not be the best, evidently this time of year can be very up and down w/ bookings w/ Chinese New Year coming up and the kids having exams and vacations. I only have 14.5 hrs booked so far next week, goal is 17 and the following week is booked tonight. I'm thinking I might have to add Sunday back in or Fri and Sat night to make up for it, we'll see. As it is I took a booking for 2 evening classes next week on Mon. and Wed and I never work then but they are off school and I guess some parents like to get in some extra classes. We'll see how it all shakes out. 

[hjffkj]

I gotta get back in the habit of menu planning.  Tomorrow I'm cooking a turkey for dinner.  That'll get me at least 3 dinners plus some lunch meat.  So lets see

Monday:  Roasted turkey, baked sweet potatoes, spinach salad

Tuesday: Golden Coconut Lentil soup, spinach salah

Wed: Turkey enchiladas

Thurs: Sausages and roasted vegetables

Fri: Baked Cod, not sure what else

Sat: Leftover Turkey Jambalaya

Sun:  Dinner at mil's

[HomeAgain]

Menu for this week:

Tonight: Beef stew, sourdough bread, hot tea.  (It's really cold out!)
Mon: leftovers.  Sleepover canceled, or would have been homemade pizzas for the kids.
Tues: cilantro chicken enchiladas, rice, black beans
Weds: Italian sausage sandwiches or over pasta with red sauce
Thurs: leftovers/make your own meal night
Friday: pork chops & kale salad

Next week:
pseudo pasta carbonara.  Mostly there, but with bacon instead of pancetta.
tacos of some sort
potato soup (expecting snow next weekend)
harissa chicken with tabouleh salad and yogurt sauce, along with homemade flatbread

I'm waiting for the ads to finish planning everything, but I'll go shopping on Thurs or Friday morning to avoid the weekend crush.
 

[BarbecueMom]

You know what's pretty cool?  Even though we all have different dietary needs and live in different parts of the country, our menus have a lot of common themes - winter veggies, tacos and enchiladas, meat stocked up from recent sales, using up leftovers, soup and chili.  That's really neat to see the variety of ways frugal meal planning works with family preferences and needs.

We're heading into our fourth zero-spending day (that includes bills and automatic payments, too!).  The kids have a couple activities today that are either free or already paid for.  DH is sick, but I tried to stock up on cold and flu meds with sales before the season of illness hit.  Hopefully that will be enough.

[SamanthaCarter]

44 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

You know what's pretty cool?  Even though we all have different dietary needs and live in different parts of the country, our menus have a lot of common themes - winter veggies, tacos and enchiladas, meat stocked up from recent sales, using up leftovers, soup and chili.  That's really neat to see the variety of ways frugal meal planning works with family preferences and needs.

I noticed too! Very cool.

[Soror]

1 hour ago, BarbecueMom said:

You know what's pretty cool?  Even though we all have different dietary needs and live in different parts of the country, our menus have a lot of common themes - winter veggies, tacos and enchiladas, meat stocked up from recent sales, using up leftovers, soup and chili.  That's really neat to see the variety of ways frugal meal planning works with family preferences and needs.

We're heading into our fourth zero-spending day (that includes bills and automatic payments, too!).  The kids have a couple activities today that are either free or already paid for.  DH is sick, but I tried to stock up on cold and flu meds with sales before the season of illness hit.  Hopefully that will be enough.

0 no-spend days here! But it is things that have been planned for. Dh had to get a couple of little things to finish up his truck maintenance yesterday, a couple of clamps broke but he worked on it all day, saving us a ton in labor fees. Today our electricity bill drafted. 

40 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I noticed too! Very cool.

Easy, fairly cheap, and family friendly fare!!!!

[BarbecueMom]

40 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I’m a little stumped for meal planning. Dh is on a diet and the FDA is not reliably inspecting meats & produce which admittedly has given me pause. I did buy some stuff before I gave it any thought and I plan to use it but did not buy more last night. 

I made Korean bbq sauce this week and Dh and ds loved it but Dh wants me to use less sugar next time. I already cut the soy sauce content because I didn’t own low sodium soy sauce (I do now and used Checkout 51 when I bought it). There’s also a good CO51 on tomato sauce I’ve redeemed twice recently. I found mini cans this time. I don’t always need a full can and I spent less out of pocket that way. 

Here’s the Korean meal: 

https://therecipecritic.com/korean-ground-beef-rice-bowls/

I’m making it with ground turkey next time. 

I think I’ll make quinoa tonight. Dh can eat with the leftover chicken breast and veggies. Kids can finish up the hot dogs maybe. Dh is fine with some rice but we’ve had a lot lately. I got a huge minute rice box for $4 at Sam’s recently. 

I need to do what my friend does. She writes down every purchase each day in her planner. I need to make myself more conscious of what I’m spending even if it’s stuff I think we need/know we will use. 

Don't quote me on this, because this was what I remember from news reports, but I believe the USDA actually covers meat inspections, not the FDA, and I don't think their inspections are included in the partial shutdown (at this time).  <insert caveat about USDA and competing interests here> Even using maximum caution, frozen and/or cooked produce should be okay, and I think seafood is high-risk and would be an essential inspection.

DH was a non-essential contractor with both USDA and DoD during previous shutdowns and was never sent home.  Although shutdown concerns is part of the reason why he's not a contractor anymore.

ETA: Second bolded part - I started doing that on January 1st this year.  Every purchase, listed by category and method of payment.  I also started trying to "clump together" purchases on certain days, instead of making a stop here and a stop there all week long.  And all online purchasing happens on Sunday only.  I think it is helping reduce those little trips that add up, and there's some gratification in having so many days with no money spent at all.

Edited January 14, 2019 by BarbecueMom

[SamanthaCarter]

Yes, FDA and USDA have a lot of similar responsibilities. Clear as mud. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/12/who-inspects-what-a-food-safety-scramble/

[HomeAgain]

5 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

You know what's pretty cool?  Even though we all have different dietary needs and live in different parts of the country, our menus have a lot of common themes - winter veggies, tacos and enchiladas, meat stocked up from recent sales, using up leftovers, soup and chili.  That's really neat to see the variety of ways frugal meal planning works with family preferences and needs.

We're heading into our fourth zero-spending day (that includes bills and automatic payments, too!).  The kids have a couple activities today that are either free or already paid for.  DH is sick, but I tried to stock up on cold and flu meds with sales before the season of illness hit.  Hopefully that will be enough.

That is cool!  I actually don't mind winter planning so much as spring.  Potatoes and rice go a long way to fill hungry bellies in the winter!

4 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

 

I need to do what my friend does. She writes down every purchase each day in her planner. I need to make myself more conscious of what I’m spending even if it’s stuff I think we need/know we will use. 

This is the only way we can function here.  When we were first doing Dave Ramsey, I would write on the back of each envelope what/when I spent so that I had a record (all receipts were also slipped inside).  Now I keep the same record on my phone in the Everydollar app, where it lets me make notes under each transaction.  It's a nice way to be able to go back and be critical about where we can trim instead of where we *want* to trim, kwim? 

[historically accurate]

4 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I’m a little stumped for meal planning. Dh is on a diet and the FDA is not reliably inspecting meats & produce which admittedly has given me pause. I did buy some stuff before I gave it any thought and I plan to use it but did not buy more last night. 

I made Korean bbq sauce this week and Dh and ds loved it but Dh wants me to use less sugar next time. I already cut the soy sauce content because I didn’t own low sodium soy sauce (I do now and used Checkout 51 when I bought it). There’s also a good CO51 on tomato sauce I’ve redeemed twice recently. I found mini cans this time. I don’t always need a full can and I spent less out of pocket that way. 

Here’s the Korean meal: 

https://therecipecritic.com/korean-ground-beef-rice-bowls/

I’m making it with ground turkey next time. 

I think I’ll make quinoa tonight. Dh can eat with the leftover chicken breast and veggies. Kids can finish up the hot dogs maybe. Dh is fine with some rice but we’ve had a lot lately. I got a huge minute rice box for $4 at Sam’s recently. 

I need to do what my friend does. She writes down every purchase each day in her planner. I need to make myself more conscious of what I’m spending even if it’s stuff I think we need/know we will use. 

I use the no-spend thread for this. I need to keep track of miscellaneous spending, so that thread works for that. 

[HomeAgain]

46 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

 

Is that like Mint and the other program? We have one on our PC. 

I really meant for myself more so than the joint bank account. I see our spending all the time. We rarely use cash, so there’s usually a digital trail. I have most of my spending in my Fetch account from scanning receipts — works with grocery stores & convenience stores/pharmacies like CVS etc. I scan mainly for points but it is also good if I need to check back on a date or item. If I needed to reprint the receipt I could from my Walmart Pay or tell customer service at Sam’s for those two stores, but I just haven’t been organizing my spending and that’s my real issue. If I stop and take the time I could probably map out what I spent this month and where. The cash I spent at the homeschool game day was more or less covered by the cash I earned at the consignment store so I’m not too worried about that. 

Kind of.  It doesn't connect to your bank account.  It's a budgeting app that you do manually.  I use the site on the PC and the app on my laptop:https://www.everydollar.com/ It didn't work out so well for us when dh was paid differently, but I have tweaked it and I guess gotten used to it enough that it's working well enough for us now. My bank account has a similar budgeting feature but I don't rely on it nearly as often as this.

[BarbecueMom]

2 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

my concerns were based on this:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/avoid-these-foods-during-the-government-shutdown-experts-warn/ar-BBS7GWX?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280&amp;fbclid=IwAR2Tlf7Tg2DQPInECRJLafgkcyz2LB22uo4em45PIIo6PyrJG4R74FPD2lU

They said anything without a "kill step" but also said just avoid ground beef in general. We've had ground beef and I bought ground turkey... 

TBH, and this is coming from someone who is emetophobic and germaphobic, the quotes are mostly rehashes of common articles about "things that people who specialize in food poisoning NEVER eat" - bean sprouts, raw stuff, etc. - but tailored toward the Top News Item, the shutdown.  Ground meats have always been a bit iffy because they don't come from a single source animal, unless they are ground in the shop (or at home) from a single cut.  The risk is a bit overblown, and inspections at full force can't be as thorough or frequent as we imagine them to be.

The vast majority of "food poisoning" cases are going to come from a sick or still-recovering person preparing your food in a restaurant, or some protocol not being followed during the preparation.  After we had to change our diet and stopped eating anything not prepared by ourselves, stomach illnesses happened way, way, WAY less frequently.  Almost never.  That's where it was all coming from, restaurant and fast food (and stall-licking toddlers, thank goodness we've outgrown that).  Much more frugal too!

[Soror]

Dh returned $5 of some auto parts stuff to Wal-Mart and got a refund on a part from Amazon that he ordered for the car he sold that never arrived (it was a new dipstick- not crucial and as cheap as we sold it the guy can buy his own)- that was $26 (that was on the CC we use for online purchases and will be taken off the bill for next month). The $5 will go to AHG, I had not been paying this year due to the financial stress we had but things are looking up so I'm going to pay up what we owe there.

Dh stopped by Wal-Mart- he bought ham and Qtips and a beef stick. It was $15 though and I dont' see how that adds up. 

Dh finally got ahold of the FSA people and we have $967, which is nearly the exact amount his CAT Scan will cost, which is very good. So, after the refund we'll end up w/ about $300 for medical expenses for scrips and whatever else, we both have monthly prescriptions so it will be used.

Dh is very focused on us pinching pennies and paying off the truck, we work well together when we have a big goal. According to the numbers it looks like we can make it but we'll see.

fingers crossed but as of now my VIPKID schedule this week is at 16.5 hrs and next week 17. I'm thrilled considering everything I've heard, here's hoping I don't get a bunch of dropped classes (they can drop more than 24 hrs out) and I make it through Chinese New Year with a steady schedule!

I do not think we have any spending to do today. I have gas, I think dh does too. Although I need to ask ds if he wants a yearbook, that is $30. He's said nothing about it but it seems I should buy him one, IDK. Dh could care less about his, maybe we'll wait until highschool.

Edited January 15, 2019 by soror

[SamanthaCarter]

Nothing much to buy this week but gas. I need to pay co-op tuition. I might try to get a night out at a coffee shop one night this week. DH took off to Ohio to inspect some outsourced manufacturing today, I probably won’t see him until dinner time Thursday, unless he finishes quickly, drives home and crawls into bed at some stupid-late hour. 

Since dh is gone, the kids eat like birds, and I’m trying to cut calories, I’m gonna pull a couple steaks out of the freezer and make those with leftover sides from the fridge tomorrow. I just noticed I have enough green beans and roasted potoayoes in there to feed the four of us just fine. That’ll add another dinner to my menu plan with no additional cash out. 

Edited January 16, 2019 by SamanthaCarter

[Soror]

5 hours ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Nothing much to buy this week but gas. I need to pay co-op tuition. I might try to get a night out at a coffee shop one night this week. DH took off to Ohio to inspect some outsourced manufacturing today, I probably won’t see him until dinner time Thursday, unless he finishes quickly, drives home and crawls into bed at some stupid-late hour. 

Since dh is gone, the kids eat like birds, and I’m trying to cut calories, I’m gonna pull a couple steaks out of the freezer and make those with leftover sides from the fridge tomorrow. I just noticed I have enough green beans and roasted potoayoes in there to feed the four of us just fine. That’ll add another dinner to my menu plan with no additional cash out. 

That is the perk of dh gone, it is less food!

So, I didn't realize dd1 ran out of service on her cell-phone yesterday. She doesn't use it much but in case she's out without us, which isn't that much now that she's home but anyway. We went ahead and spent $132 (tax included) for 1 yr service for her.

I popped into the grocery store and spent 20- they had Powerade on a big sale- ds takes those for school. And I got tofu on sale, and chicken legs. 

Today I'm going in to meet a friend, might grab a cheap (under $5) after we walk together and I'm getting the rest of my groceries. I keep cutting my list and thinking of things I forgot.

[BarbecueMom]

I finally got the cell phone stuff straightened out.  DH’s old phone is now a yearly prepaid backup, he’s using his (free) work phone, and I dropped mine down to the cheapest plan I could without switching providers.  It would be a bit cheaper elsewhere, but for a few reasons it makes sense to stay where I’m at for now.  $40/month saved.  I think the only bill I can work on reducing is trash pickup. We have the more expensive company, but they don’t charge extra for bulk item pickup, which was handy during renovations.  Once I’m sure we’re done with the DIY and large item removal, I’ll see about switching.  Maybe I’ll call for a quote this week.

Car insurance came out of the account, but other than that, zero spending for five days!  I have to go grocery shopping tonight though.  DH is still sick, which saves a bunch on gas, and so far we’ve had enough meds on hand without running to Walgreens.

I had my first Instant Pot failure last night, but managed to switch it to the stove/oven and salvage the meal.  Gluten free orzo is NOT IP friendly!  It’s barely stovetop friendly!  Apparently it burns and sticks to everything it touches.  We were still able to eat it, eventually, and very little had to be trashed (just the really burned chunks of pasta).  The two youngest did end up with PB&J for their main course, because it ended up taking me almost two hours to get it done.  Oh well.

[Condessa]

We’re doing pretty well on our grocery budget here.  I’m over half my budget, but I’ve got ingredients for the next week already.  

 One budget area we struggle with is dh buying food out while working.  He’s teaching an evening class at the community college this term to bring in some extra money, but I’m concerned that his eating out on evenings he is teaching or out lesson prepping/grading will eat a significant chunk of what he earns.  In the past I have tried making extra dinner to send leftovers with him, but he doesn’t like eating leftovers.  At least, that was my excuse to myself for giving up on that one, but I realized that he doesn’t really mind eating leftovers when it’s something he really likes—so this week I’m finding something he’s willing to take with to eat at least twice, to start with.  

The three older kids started swimming lessons, which the charter school paid for.  But I did pay to take my four-year-old swimming at the same time.  $10.75 for the two of us.  Trying to figure out how to not pay that for the next seven sessions, without leaving him feeling miserable and excluded.  I might see if my nephew wants to go with us—two kids would only be $4.50, and they could play together in the kiddie pool.

[HomeAgain]

16 days into our no-spend month:
The kids and I went shopping and bought all the things we and/or we thought a young family might run out of first when they miss a payday:
coffee
diapers (specifically bigger sizes that come less to a package: 4, 5, 6s)
wipes
formula
breastmilk bags
laundry detergent
milk & cereal (shelf stable parmalat milk)
and so on. It was much appreciated when I got a chance to drop it off today at the food bank.  Turns out, it was all top of their list items, too!

I intentionally planned a "whatever" meal at home tonight because it was just going to be me and the 8yo here.  Ha!  I got home from my drop-off to find a non-working oven, dh home sick, and the oldest getting the evening off work because of a screw up in the schedule.  So I have a whole house full and the meat for dinner tonight is still in the freezer.  And it doesn't matter, because my oven isn't working anyway. *sigh*  The repairman comes tomorrow.  I'm hoping it's a quick fix. It's a rather nice stove and I'd hate to part with it (and have to replan next week) because we don't have it working.

[BarbecueMom]

On 1/13/2019 at 4:10 PM, BarbecueMom said:

Oooh, menus.  I'm working on mine instead of writing until my hand falls off out the kids' work for the week (because I am too lazy to fix the printer link from my computer so I can type and print it).  Except now I really want cabbage roll casserole... and cauliflower soup... and broccoli cheese soup.

Tonight: Leftovers.  Two kinds of chicken tortilla soup (chipotle or reflux-friendly), ham and bean soup, baked pears and granola, cornbread, salad, homemade GF pretzel bites and cheese sauce, and snow.
Monday: Black Bean Enchiladas, Roasted Potatoes, Avocado Ranch Dip, Salad
Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, Brussels Sprouts... although I don't have any lemon pepper, so it may just be pepper chicken
Wednesday: Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Brazilian Cheese Balls (depending on my mood), Salad
Thursday: Ranch Pork Chops, Roasted Whatever Vegetables are Left, Apples (Baked? Raw? Sauced?)
Friday: Junk Food Night (Frozen Pizzas and Tater Tots)
Saturday: Ham, Cheese Grits, Toast, Fruit and Veggies (for lunch, weekend dinners are leftovers)
Sunday:  Lentil Risotto, Veggies TBD

There's a lot of ranch-this and ranch-that.  I stocked up on ranch dressing last summer when it was really cheap at Costco, and the expiration date is the 23rd of this month.  I'm trying to use up the last bottle before the end of the month.

Sunday through lunch time today followed the schedule.  Tonight's a bit different though.  I thought I had 6-8 chicken thighs for last night's dinner, but it was 10.  So I burned cooked six and used the other four to make chicken noodle soup in the crock pot for dinner tonight.  I also found a baggie in the freezer with about 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese that DH didn't use for a pizza, so I got out a loaf of GF bread and I'll make cheese garlic toast tonight instead of the tapioca bread ball things.  And I'll cook the sausage and broccoli pasta too, and portion that out for lunches for the next couple days.  That should get us back on track by tomorrow.

I'm curious how closely others end up sticking to their menus for the week, and what ends up causing the changes and derailments.

Groceries ended up a bit higher this time, and I didn't even buy the meat I had planned on due to the grocery store renovation - $75.44.  I did buy cheese, because we'll run out before next month's Costco trip, and DH has been consuming GF pretzels and Dr. Pepper constantly to stave off boredom and dizziness from his cold or pseudo-flu or whatever it is.

[hjffkj]

$375 spent today on the home inspection. 4.5 hours of inspecting revealed nothing major. A few simpe electrical issues need to be addressed and some loose siding. Other than that it looks good.

We also met with our lender today to go through all the details and sign things and I may have gotten a bit dizzy with the cost of settlement and just the idea of having a mortgage again. But I got over it quickly

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, hjffkj said:

$375 spent today on the home inspection. 4.5 hours of inspecting revealed nothing major. A few simpe electrical issues need to be addressed and some loose siding. Other than that it looks good.

We also met with our lender today to go through all the details and sign things and I may have gotten a bit dizzy with the cost of settlement and just the idea of having a mortgage again. But I got over it quickly

 

Yay for a good inspection.  Simple fixes have to sound so much easier than the other house you were going to buy that needed so much. 

[hjffkj]

39 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Yay for a good inspection.  Simple fixes have to sound so much easier than the other house you were going to buy that needed so much. 

 

Yes, indeed!! I'm so happy they we are moving into a house that requires next to no work. We haven't talked to our realtor about if we should ask the seller to fix anything yet.  The few things that showed up are easy fixes for us but also things that are reasonable to ask for because of safety concerns.  Like no GFCI outlets and railings that aren't up to code.

[Soror]

11 hours ago, hjffkj said:

$375 spent today on the home inspection. 4.5 hours of inspecting revealed nothing major. A few simpe electrical issues need to be addressed and some loose siding. Other than that it looks good.

We also met with our lender today to go through all the details and sign things and I may have gotten a bit dizzy with the cost of settlement and just the idea of having a mortgage again. But I got over it quickly

That is great about the inspection, hope it continues to go as well.

11 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

Sunday through lunch time today followed the schedule.  Tonight's a bit different though.  I thought I had 6-8 chicken thighs for last night's dinner, but it was 10.  So I burned cooked six and used the other four to make chicken noodle soup in the crock pot for dinner tonight.  I also found a baggie in the freezer with about 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese that DH didn't use for a pizza, so I got out a loaf of GF bread and I'll make cheese garlic toast tonight instead of the tapioca bread ball things.  And I'll cook the sausage and broccoli pasta too, and portion that out for lunches for the next couple days.  That should get us back on track by tomorrow.

I'm curious how closely others end up sticking to their menus for the week, and what ends up causing the changes and derailments.

Groceries ended up a bit higher this time, and I didn't even buy the meat I had planned on due to the grocery store renovation - $75.44.  I did buy cheese, because we'll run out before next month's Costco trip, and DH has been consuming GF pretzels and Dr. Pepper constantly to stave off boredom and dizziness from his cold or pseudo-flu or whatever it is.

We had been on track with the menu but last night I cooked a different dinner. I ended up meeting a friend and by the time I made it home, I felt like something simpler. I made burgers and homemade fries (already had the burgers on hand as a back-up). My friend and I met at the walking talk and then just talked in my van- $0 spent. 

I got groceries and spent $63, $20 spent the other night (half of that is enough power ades to last the rest of the month). Aldi's had leg quarters on a decent sale so I got those and will put the legs I got yesterday at Krogers into the freezer for next week. 

Big-Lots has a 20% off sale this weekend and my flour stash is getting low, if I get much at all I will surely not make my grocery budget but we will use it..... trying to balance it all.

[HomeAgain]

You ever just have a day full of good? 🙂 That was today.

The oven needed a new part.  We really like this stove so if it had needed to be replaced we looked up the newer model of what we have.  Uh.....$2700. 😮 I'm glad it came with the house!  The total for part and labor today was only $249, which is still better than buying a bottom line appliance.
Dh found a card that someone had stuck on our door.  Turned out to be a gift card for the coffee shop with a "thank you!' scrawled across it.  I don't even know who it's from, or why. 😄 But it is appreciated!
I found several things on our grocery list on the clearance rack.  The bruises on the fruit don't matter since they'll be pie, and the rest is coming near, but not at their expiration date, and will be used before.
And I think I found significant purpose with my volunteer work.  Not that it wasn't good before, but it was kind of 'what needs to be done, I'll do."  I am more finding a direction and specific need to fill than I was, so yay. 🙂

[hjffkj]

spent $150 at the grocery store today.  So that means I'm at roughly 240 for the month so far.

 

we have many sick people in the family, including me, so we spent the day resting and I packed up 5 boxes worth of stuff

[Condessa]

I declare the first goodwill-item reselling experiment a success!  After everything is factored in, I made almost $65 selling the wakeboard I found.

[mommyoffive]

14 hours ago, hjffkj said:

spent $150 at the grocery store today.  So that means I'm at roughly 240 for the month so far.

 

we have many sick people in the family, including me, so we spent the day resting and I packed up 5 boxes worth of stuff

 

OH man feel better soon.  

[mommyoffive]

14 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

I declare the first goodwill-item reselling experiment a success!  After everything is factored in, I made almost $65 selling the wakeboard I found.

 

Awesome!  On to more things now right?  That is an amazing profit. 

[Condessa]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Awesome!  On to more things now right?  That is an amazing profit. 

 

Yep, that’s the idea.  Here’s hoping it wasn’t a fluke.

[BarbecueMom]

17 hours ago, hjffkj said:

spent $150 at the grocery store today.  So that means I'm at roughly 240 for the month so far.

 

we have many sick people in the family, including me, so we spent the day resting and I packed up 5 boxes worth of stuff

Get some rest and feel better soon!  Moving would be a lot harder with a drawn out recovery from illness.

[hjffkj]

8 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

Get some rest and feel better soon!  Moving would be a lot harder with a drawn out recovery from illness.

 

Luckily, I'm not sick anymore.  while the 2 youngest had fevers and a cough, I think I was more so just exhausted.  It has been a crazy week of finding a house, going under contract, getting it inspected, dealing with sick kids, pet sitting, packing, and doing the normal everyday chores that my body just had enough.  Today I feel perfectly fine.

[BarbecueMom]

Here's how we did on last week's menu:

Tonight: Leftovers.  Two kinds of chicken tortilla soup (chipotle or reflux-friendly), ham and bean soup, baked pears and granola, cornbread, salad, homemade GF pretzel bites and cheese sauce, and snow.  I think I threw out one pear that didn't get eaten.
Monday: Black Bean Enchiladas, Roasted Potatoes, Avocado Ranch Dip, Salad Yum, only threw out a couple tablespoons of ranch dip.
Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, Brussels Sprouts... although I don't have any lemon pepper, so it may just be pepper chicken This was kind of a disaster in the Instant Pot, but I transferred it to the stove and made it edible.  The brussels sprouts were tasty as always (roasted and drizzled with kosher salt and maple syrup).  All eaten.
Wednesday: Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Brazilian Cheese Balls (depending on my mood), Salad Had extra chicken, made chicken and orzo soup instead, and garlic cheese toast instead of bread balls.  I made the pasta and divided it up into containers for lunches Thursday and Friday.  All eaten.
Thursday: Ranch Pork Chops, Roasted Whatever Vegetables are Left, Apples (Baked? Raw? Sauced?) Used up the last of the ranch in the pork chop marinade/breading, and baked them on a sheet pan with carrots.  I just sliced up apples and put them on their plates.  I also made a triple batch of savory rice and had enough spinach for small salads.  All eaten.
Friday: Junk Food Night (Frozen Pizzas and Tater Tots) I had a frozen GF pizza and pepperonis bought on markdown for DH (kids get regular Costco frozen pizza), and I also made a batch of spinach dip to go with tortilla chips (Christmas ones bought on markdown, too).  Still a bit of dip left.
Saturday: Ham, Cheese Grits, Toast, Fruit and Veggies (for lunch, weekend dinners are leftovers) I got a late start on breakfast, so I combined the two for brunch - added scrambled eggs, bacon and plain/almond dutch babies, plus I had a roll of blueberry vanilla goat cheese from Christmas that we never ate.  Sauteed peppers and onions from the freezer, too.  About 75% gone, had the grits for breakfast today.
Sunday:  Lentil Risotto, Veggies TBD  Instant pot recipe, turned out MUCH better than the orzo (added Parmesan cheese at the end).  Did green beans almondine and gluten free biscuits for sides.  Delicious!  DH and I will eat these leftovers for lunch today.

Monthly grocery total is $313 so far, which includes some junk food for extra kids in the house today and a whole pork butt roast to make pulled pork next month (probably for DH's birthday - already have a cheesecake and GF pie crust for that too!).  Still quite a bit of leftovers in the fridge too.  This week's menu (I'm kinda winging it on sides for the most part):

Monday: Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Pasta (or spaghetti), Peas and Carrots
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday, Frozen Veggies
Wednesday: Shrimp Dragon Noodles (or plain rice), Salad
Thursday: Tex Mex Black Eyed Peas Casserole, Carrots, Salad
Friday: Junk Food Night
Saturday: Sheet Pan Sausages and Veggies, Some Sort of Bread, Cranberry Sauce
Sunday: Mango Habanero and Barbecue Wings/Drumsticks, Carrots/Celery/Cukes and Dip

I have two more grocery store runs this month, mostly just milk and produce.   I'm still hoping to come in under $400.  Unfortunately, my Costco list for next month is already very long.  At least it's been too cold/snowy/icy to go spend money anywhere.

I mentioned before that I passed up a couple pints of pumpkin spice latte ice cream, even though it was marked down to 99 cents.  It was still there, and this time I bought it.  Turns out, there was an Ibotta rebate for each pint for $1.25 each, so I made a little money off each of them.  The Ibotta money pays for the kids' co-op activities and field trips, so every little bit helps!  I'm going to need that ice cream after having six noisy kids stuck in the house all day.   Oy.

Edited January 21, 2019 by BarbecueMom

[Soror]

40 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

Here's how we did on last week's menu:

Tonight: Leftovers.  Two kinds of chicken tortilla soup (chipotle or reflux-friendly), ham and bean soup, baked pears and granola, cornbread, salad, homemade GF pretzel bites and cheese sauce, and snow.  I think I threw out one pear that didn't get eaten.
Monday: Black Bean Enchiladas, Roasted Potatoes, Avocado Ranch Dip, Salad Yum, only threw out a couple tablespoons of ranch dip.
Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, Brussels Sprouts... although I don't have any lemon pepper, so it may just be pepper chicken This was kind of a disaster in the Instant Pot, but I transferred it to the stove and made it edible.  The brussels sprouts were tasty as always (roasted and drizzled with kosher salt and maple syrup).  All eaten.
Wednesday: Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Brazilian Cheese Balls (depending on my mood), Salad Had extra chicken, made chicken and orzo soup instead, and garlic cheese toast instead of bread balls.  I made the pasta and divided it up into containers for lunches Thursday and Friday.  All eaten.
Thursday: Ranch Pork Chops, Roasted Whatever Vegetables are Left, Apples (Baked? Raw? Sauced?) Used up the last of the ranch in the pork chop marinade/breading, and baked them on a sheet pan with carrots.  I just sliced up apples and put them on their plates.  I also made a triple batch of savory rice and had enough spinach for small salads.  All eaten.
Friday: Junk Food Night (Frozen Pizzas and Tater Tots) I had a frozen GF pizza and pepperonis bought on markdown for DH (kids get regular Costco frozen pizza), and I also made a batch of spinach dip to go with tortilla chips (Christmas ones bought on markdown, too).  Still a bit of dip left.
Saturday: Ham, Cheese Grits, Toast, Fruit and Veggies (for lunch, weekend dinners are leftovers) I got a late start on breakfast, so I combined the two for brunch - added scrambled eggs, bacon and plain/almond dutch babies, plus I had a roll of blueberry vanilla goat cheese from Christmas that we never ate.  Sauteed peppers and onions from the freezer, too.  About 75% gone, had the grits for breakfast today.
Sunday:  Lentil Risotto, Veggies TBD  Instant pot recipe, turned out MUCH better than the orzo (added Parmesan cheese at the end).  Did green beans almondine and gluten free biscuits for sides.  Delicious!  DH and I will eat these leftovers for lunch today.

Monthly grocery total is $313 so far, which includes some junk food for extra kids in the house today and a whole pork butt roast to make pulled pork next month (probably for DH's birthday - already have a cheesecake and GF pie crust for that too!).  Still quite a bit of leftovers in the fridge too.  This week's menu (I'm kinda winging it on sides for the most part):

Monday: Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Pasta (or spaghetti), Peas and Carrots
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday, Frozen Veggies
Wednesday: Shrimp Dragon Noodles (or plain rice), Salad
Thursday: Tex Mex Black Eyed Peas Casserole, Carrots, Salad
Friday: Junk Food Night
Saturday: Sheet Pan Sausages and Veggies, Some Sort of Bread, Cranberry Sauce
Sunday: Mango Habanero and Barbecue Wings/Drumsticks, Carrots/Celery/Cukes and Dip

I have two more grocery store runs this month, mostly just milk and produce.   I'm still hoping to come in under $400.  Unfortunately, my Costco list for next month is already very long.  At least it's been too cold/snowy/icy to go spend money anywhere.

I mentioned before that I passed up a couple pints of pumpkin spice latte ice cream, even though it was marked down to 99 cents.  It was still there, and this time I bought it.  Turns out, there was an Ibotta rebate for each pint for $1.25 each, so I made a little money off each of them.  The Ibotta money pays for the kids' co-op activities and field trips, so every little bit helps!  I'm going to need that ice cream after having six noisy kids stuck in the house all day.   Oy.

Great job staying on budget and menu. 

It's going pretty well here, money spent has been planned or needed expenses.

We ended up having a bday party Fri night so I did not make pizza but there was not quite enough to fill my kids up (1 sm gf pizza doesn't cut it for 4 kids- one that is nearly full grown)- I got fries on the way home since it was already nearly 7:30 when we were leaving(usual bedtime is 8-8:30 here), the kids pitched in a little, that was $6. I swear BK's value fries used to be $1, I guess they are a $1.50 now, sigh! Exhibit A why we don't eat out. 

I had to go in town Sat for the girls TKD so I went ahead and picked up some of our groceries at Aldi's, I also went to Big Lots and did a little bit of stocking up as they had 20% off- I bought 1 gal of coconut oil, 1 quart of org. maple syrup, and 2 big bags of Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour- and a couple bags of gf pretzels on clearance.

I have $60 (out of $500) left for groceries this month, let's see if I can pull it off 🙂 I just a few things left for this week. I'm working on this week's menu today

We are below budget on gas expenses- we've not had any out of town trips and it helps not having so many vehicles that we're driving. Dh did buy oil change supplies for the truck but hasn't got to change it yet w/ the cold weather. 

I'm thinking I might take the kids to the movie using gift certs this afternoon....

I tweaked some on the menu according to leftovers and trying to stretch out some meat I have:

21- Lentil Risotto 

22- chx tacos, black beans, rice (already have chicken cooked, rice and beans)

23- tofu, stir-fry (have tofu and stir-fry noodles)

24- chx nuggets & homemade fries (have nuggets and potatoes)

25- homemade pizza (have sauce, cheese, and flour for crust- will buy dh cheapo pizza)

26- chili- (have hamburger meat)

27- chicken legs, mashed potato and green beans (have chx legs in freezer and plenty of veggies)

28- lasagna (have meat, noodles and ricotta and cheese)

29- black bean w/ taco rice

30- beef stir-fry (have beef and noodles)

31- chx nuggets and fries

That leaves to buy with $60: 

almond milk, choc almond milk (I have 1 full of each will probably need 1 of each more- $5); 

bread (totally out- will be $15  at least for 2 big loaves)

eggs - 6 doz for the rest of the month($5.50)

misc fruits and veggies- will have to make a list

gf wraps- $4

1 bacon- $6

chips for snacks and ds' lunches- $4

fruit snacks- $3.29

hot cocoa mix- $1 (I need to price out the bigger sizes at WM to see if it is any cheaper than 10 Box or maybe try homemade recipes- everyone has been on a cocoa kick lately)

Looks like I might be able to squeak by if I stay really focused, we'll see how I do 🙂

[Baseball mom]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 4:10 PM, BarbecueMom said:

There's a lot of ranch-this and ranch-that.  I stocked up on ranch dressing last summer when it was really cheap at Costco, and the expiration date is the 23rd of this month.  I'm trying to use up the last bottle before the end of the month.

Smart move

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 7:58 AM, heartlikealion said:

I need to do what my friend does. She writes down every purchase each day in her planner. I need to make myself more conscious of what I’m spending even if it’s stuff I think we need/know we will use. 

That's a good idea

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 5:05 PM, hjffkj said:

$375 spent today on the home inspection. 4.5 hours of inspecting revealed nothing major. A few simpe electrical issues need to be addressed and some loose siding. Other than that it looks good.

We also met with our lender today to go through all the details and sign things and I may have gotten a bit dizzy with the cost of settlement and just the idea of having a mortgage again. But I got over it quickly

YAYAYAYA

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 3:30 PM, HomeAgain said:

You ever just have a day full of good? 🙂 That was today.

The oven needed a new part.  We really like this stove so if it had needed to be replaced we looked up the newer model of what we have.  Uh.....$2700. 😮 I'm glad it came with the house!  The total for part and labor today was only $249, which is still better than buying a bottom line appliance.
Dh found a card that someone had stuck on our door.  Turned out to be a gift card for the coffee shop with a "thank you!' scrawled across it.  I don't even know who it's from, or why. 😄 But it is appreciated!
I found several things on our grocery list on the clearance rack.  The bruises on the fruit don't matter since they'll be pie, and the rest is coming near, but not at their expiration date, and will be used before.
And I think I found significant purpose with my volunteer work.  Not that it wasn't good before, but it was kind of 'what needs to be done, I'll do."  I am more finding a direction and specific need to fill than I was, so yay. 🙂

AWESOME

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 6:58 PM, Michelle Conde said:

I declare the first goodwill-item reselling experiment a success!  After everything is factored in, I made almost $65 selling the wakeboard I found.

YAY

[Baseball mom]

All the meal plans are awesome.  While reading them I have remembered things I have on hand that would make another meal 😀

Last week I bought 2 hams.  They were on the smaller side but super cheap per pound.  I know from each ham I can get a meal, possibly a casserole with leftovers and definitely use the bone in beans.  So that is good.

Also had a moms get together.  I spent some money to eat out but my coffee at the local coffee house was free.  They have a perk program and I had built up enough points (over time) for a free large drink. 

Other than the moms thing I have mostly stayed home.  That saved money.  

[BarbecueMom]

1 hour ago, Baseball mom said:

All the meal plans are awesome.  While reading them I have remembered things I have on hand that would make another meal 😀

Last week I bought 2 hams.  They were on the smaller side but super cheap per pound.  I know from each ham I can get a meal, possibly a casserole with leftovers and definitely use the bone in beans.  So that is good.

Also had a moms get together.  I spent some money to eat out but my coffee at the local coffee house was free.  They have a perk program and I had built up enough points (over time) for a free large drink. 

Other than the moms thing I have mostly stayed home.  That saved money.  

I made ham and navy bean soup in the Instant Pot last week with a ham bone.  It was so, so, so good.  I had intended to put a couple servings in the freezer for backup lunches, but it didn’t survive that long.🤣

[Condessa]

I updated our budget for the month, and we’re closer to the end of our budgeted food money than I realized.  We put a good chunk of money into savings this month, and I am determined to keep it there and finish the rest of the month in the budget, which means ten days for just under $80.  Which I should totally be able to do, as we have food storage of staples already in the house.  I just need to cook from scratch to utilize them, and save the budget for perishables.  So I’ve been cooking up a storm.

Tonight: French Onion Soup, with homemade bread and salad

Edited January 22, 2019 by Michelle Conde

[mommyoffive]

14 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

I updated our budget for the month, and we’re closer to the end of our budgeted food money than I realized.  We put a good chunk of money into savings this month, and I am determined to keep it there and finish the rest of the month in the budget, which means ten days for just under $80.  Which I should totally be able to do, as we have food storage of staples already in the house.  I just need to cook from scratch to utilize them, and save the budget for perishables.  So I’ve been cooking up a storm.

Tonight: French Onion Soup, with homemade bread and salad

 

Awesome job putting in lots to savings this month.   

I have just about that too for the rest of the month.  I did just shop last night, but still.  I have bought tons of fruit and veggies.  Dh doesn't buy as much when he goes and the kids go through it so fast.  And they have been sick or are sick so I want them getting a lot more fruit and veggies.  So we could be so much farther under our budget if I would let him do the shopping. 

It will be a lot easier in summer, when we have some from the garden and cheaper prices on things.  

But I realize that we do well even when a lot of the spending isn't food.  Like last night at least $50 of it wasn't food.   I bought 3 new shovels, feminine products, toilet paper, and dishwasher liquid. 

[Soror]

I *think* finished up grocery shopping for the month with a few bucks to spare- I'll have to update that after classes. But I might have missed a few things, I'm  *planning* to stay out of the grocery store for 2 weeks, we'll see how I do!

Does anyone here shop for the month? Yesterday I was thinking that doing it a month at a time might be less work and cheaper. I started working on a menu for the month and have all the dinners picked, now just to plan the when. I wouldn't try to get all our food I don't think, maybe put back some for the last 3 weeks for produce that doesn't keep so well.IDK, just throwing it around. We have some big plans we'd like to do and being extra disciplined w/ groceries could really help.

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, soror said:

 

Does anyone here shop for the month? Yesterday I was thinking that doing it a month at a time might be less work and cheaper. I started working on a menu for the month and have all the dinners picked, now just to plan the when. I wouldn't try to get all our food I don't think, maybe put back some for the last 3 weeks for produce that doesn't keep so well.IDK, just throwing it around. We have some big plans we'd like to do and being extra disciplined w/ groceries could really help.

My family used to do this when I was young.  Bread and milk went in the freezer, vegetables were portioned out to have the most delicate eaten first, the hardier ones next, and the last week was mostly frozen veggies and home-canned.

I don't know that it was less work, honestly, because it required all meal planning up front and less flexibility.  When I left home we moved to places where it was seriously frowned upon to have that much food bought at once.  We adopted their 2-3 day planning method and only now have moved back to weekly.  I'm sure it could be cheaper, but then, it might not be.  Shopping weekly gives you access to the loss leaders and lets you plan a meal around them, whereas shopping monthly you are only shopping one sale.

Frugal front in our house:
Well, I'm starting to be very glad we did the no-spend month.  Last week the stove went out, this week we had a corroded pipe spraying water in the basement. I'm not looking forward to the 'rule of three' and what we get next week.  But we've been able to cover these extras without too much shifting.