A Grocery Budget Challenge

A blog that I've recently started reading called Don't Waste the Crumbs has inspired and challenged me to get my grocery budget severely back under control.  Sure, gone are the days of the $50.00 grocery trip for the week but I don't think I need to be spending $800.00 a month on groceries/toiletries either.  Geesh.  I'm the first to admit that we I buy a lot of "fun" stuff at the store and we do enjoy food :-)  Yes, I know I over spend and we sometimes are wasteful but, I've been working on changing that - I made better choices in January, used coupons and online store savings but I can still do more.  Obviously.  The author of the blog mentioned above has a grocery budget of $330.00 a month.  Now, truth be told, my grocery budget is "only" $500.00 a month (which is still huge) but we spend well over that thanks to the mid-week, sometimes every day runs to the store to get just "one" thing.  That one thing turns into a $60.00 trip (trust me, I did that on Sunday when I went for Milk and Ice.) Back to the blog author, that budget is for a family of 4 and includes paper products and toiletries.  So, what is my grocery budget goal for this month? (Drum roll please) My goal is $400.00 this month.  Sure, I'd love to do $330.00 but I think starting out by cutting it in half is a good start.  This months project is two fold.  1) To try and knock down the grocery spending but also 2)To follow the concept of keeping track of all of the grocery spending and breaking down it all down at the end of the month to see what I'm really spending on.  Then I can make a more realistic budget and maybe even save more money.  I think that in order to do this, I also need to create our monthly meal plan so that I can watch for clearance items (like my husbands favorite juice that is normally $4.00 but was "clearanced" for $1.50 a jug) and also buy items when they are on sale and match up with the digital coupons.

I will say right now, and I've said it before, we are heavy drinkers HA  - Milk, Juice, Water, Soda, coffee k-cups . . .A HUGE part of my grocery budget usually goes to drinks.  I've got to figure that out! My plan is to give you a weekly update (thrilled, aren't you) on the grocery trip, which usually occurs on Thursday evening (so look for it on Saturday!).  I am probably going to have to shop multiple stores to get the best deals - Meijer, Wal-Mart, and a local store, McCords but we'll see!  I really don't like going to multiple stores but when I know I can get a BIG box of pop-tarts for less money at Walmart and my husband and boys LIVE on those, well I need to do it!

Anyway, I plan on sharing my spending/savings on Saturdays with you (aren't you all thrilled).  I love what my husband said when I told him this.  He said, "But you still need to buy what we need so don't freak out if you can't stay under that budget."  He so gets me!

This week I'm going to work on some planning for the month and come up with some menus.  My husband told me that our local market has chicken leg quarters on sale for $0.57 a pound so I know I want to pick up some of those to use in soup and some of our favorite chicken thigh recipes.   I also plan on going through the pantry, freezers and cupboards and cleaning stuff out plus making a list of everything I have on hand so I can use what we have and work towards buying stuff on sale. 

Things My Kids Say

* One day last week, Nate came walking into the kitchen, pulled down his pants, turned around and mooned us . . .and laughed.  This happened the day he returned from Papa and Nana's which tells me one thing - he learned that at their house! HA!

* Nate was eating a popscicle one afternoon when he ate the end of it (he usually just licks them and throws them away).  He said, "Mom, I ate the big part, I'm so proud of myself." :-)

* Nate picked out socks to put on before going outside but they happened to be slightly different. He said it was ok because that is how God made them at his sock factory in heaven. 

*It is so much fun to watch my kid with a vivid imagination teach the kid that is realist how to play make believe. "Come on, Josh those are hot lava rocks, jump over them", "Where, Nate, that's just the floor", "No LOOK, they are so hot don't touch them", (Josh) - "Ohhhhh I think I might see them now." hahahahaha

 

Snow, Snow Snow!

Michigan has gotten hit hard in January with snow and freezing cold temperatures.  Be freezing I mean air temperatures that feel like -30 below.  Every day the boys open the door to see if it is too cold out and, it has been for weeks.  We have told them that their ears would fall off and China, the dog, would eat them as snacks.  I know, I know, but at least they stop asking to go outside.  Well, yesterday it was finally a nice day; in the upper 20's without any wind so after lunch, the boys and I headed outside.  I was able to get most of the Christmas stuff done . . .. except the lights and extension cords that are frozen under 8 inches of snow . . .and another 8 inches of ice under that!  Then, we had fun.  Our plow guy has made huge drifts along the driveway so we got the sleds out and, let me tell you, a 6 foot drift to a 4 and 5 year old is the perfect sledding hill :-)

 Josh quickly mastered getting up the hill,getting on his sled and getting himself down the "hill".

 Nate needed a  little help controlling his sled while he was getting on it so his best friend helped him out . . Josh.  These two boys have become each others "I've got your back" friend and it is awesome.

 I love the smiles - they had so much fun!!!

 Josh had to take a rest after a few trips down the "hill".

 Nate was in and out about 3 times throughout the afternoon but Josh stayed outside for about 3 hours before finally coming inside.

 

The boys ended the day by playing games with Darryl.  They played Bingo, Memory and Trouble.  They are just now starting to learn how to play by the rules . . . . well, kinda.  If Josh starts losing he wants to quit . . or cheat HA! 

We are home today ready for another "huge" storm.  It's supposed to decent temperatures though so who knows, the boys may end up back outside before the day is done! 

Food Friday - Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops

Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops
Adapted from Show Me Nan

  I've been on the search for some new recipes that we like and that don't require me to make changes and eliminate dairy for Darryl.  This were so easy and tasted so good!  I did cook the pork chops for 45 minutes . . .20-25 just didn't seem long enough to get the meat cooked through. 

 Ingredients

4 bone-in pork loin chops (7 ounces each)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Directions

Place pork chops in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Yield: 4 servings.

Weekly Menu - The one with the Superbowl

Yes, we love Football so therefore we love the Super Bowl!  Past years, we've had all kinds of awesome snacks and dips and enjoy them all day long.  Well, the hubs and his "dairy issues" have put a nix on a lot of our favorite snacks and I've discovered that it is so easy to come up with "main dish" snacks but so hard to come up with snacky snacks!  And wait, can you believe that it is going to be February?

Here's the plan for this week:

Friday - I'm trying to get back into "Taco Night" but I came across a recipe for Baked Chicken Chimichangas that looked super good so I figured that kinda fit.  I'm going to make homemade salsa and guacamole to go along them and, of course, chips.

Saturday - Mac and Cheese for the Kids and we are going to order in.  I love getting a pizza and Darryl loves getting a Subway sub so we both are happy :-)

Sunday - So, today is Superbowl Sunday.  I have to main goals - 1)To have good food and 2)To have very little prep work or extensive cooking.  I picked stuff that could be prepped on Saturday for the most part or that went into a crock pot/large soup pot to cook all day!  We really have to eat lunch, then snack all afternoon, and have "dinner" so here's the plan.  After church, we are going to have Fajitas.  Simple Chicken Fajitas along with homemade salsa and quac.  Then for the rest of the day - Baked Teriyaki Chicken (More for when the game starts), Maple Meatballs (in the crock pot to nibble on all day), Bruschetta (to snack on all day), Fruit Salad (again, to snack on throughout the day), Southwestern Salad Dip (to snack on), Pineapple Cheese ball (for me) and crackers, Hummus (for Darryl) and crackers.  I also plan to make Molasses Cookies and Tie Die Cupcakes (for the kids!)

Monday - So, today I wanted something simple so we will have Goulash and bread.

Tuesday - Santa Fe Chicken, Green Beans and Corn Chips

Wednesday - Lemon Chicken, Asian Coleslaw, Carrots

Thursday - Chicken Fried Steak, Quick Cherry Marinated salad, Corn and Gravy

*As a disclaimer, we tend to have rolls with almost every meal because my kids eat them HA!

That's a lot of food but it sure does sound good!

What I'm reading

"7"
So this week I finished up the book "7" by Jen Hatmaker.  She dealt with 7 challenges over the course of 7 months in order to increase her awareness of certain areas.  The 7 areas were Food, Clothes, Possessions, Media, Waste, Spending and Stress.  Over all, the concept of the book was great - it put the concept of "fasting" into a modern day feel.  For example, during month one she only hate 7 foods.  She "fasted" from everything else and learned to appreciate tastes, flavors and her own health.  It also brought her closer to God as she cried out for strength to get through the day.  When I started the book I think I mentioned I had a different concept of what the book would be like and was a little turned off but I kept reading and changed my thinking.  Instead of thinking what she was doing was dumb crazy, I started thinking of things that I could do in my own life. No, I'm not only going to eat 7 foods or wear 7 pieces of clothing but I can limit myself on something I love and make sure our closets are housing only clothes we wear. Over all, the reason I picked this book to start off the year is because I wanted to focus on my theme, "Simplify" and this book made me do just that.  I do plan on working on my own "7" project and will post my goals for that project soon.  Would I recommend this book?  Yes, to someone who was looking to challenge and/or simplify their life.

Women Living Well
I'm continuing on with the Study of the book "Women Living Well".  This week the study started on the chapters about Marriage.  Chapter 6, entitled, "The Time-Warp Wife" talks about the simple fact that the husband is the leader of the home and the wife needs to be  helper, respecter, and allow our husband to lead.  Courtney really focused how figuring out how to help our husbands - even little things like getting him something to drink after a long day at work.  We can do this by knowing our husbands, not comparing our husbands to others, and don't wait for him to be deserving of that help.  Chapter 7 dealt with Marriage in the age of Media.  Obviously we all have much more media in our homes then we did even 10 years ago.  TV's, DVR's, Computers, Laptops, Phones, Ipads - you name it and there are distractions.  It's easy to both sit and type away at the computer but it is important to make time for each other.  I know that Darryl and I try to have conversation every night HA!  

Power of a Positive Mom
 I set a goal last week to get a few chapters read in this book this week and I am happy to say I accomplished it :-) In one of the chapters I read, the author focused on the power of Encouragement.  How often do we only say negative things to our kids like, "Pick up your toys", "Stop hitting the chair", "Don't jump on the bed".  Sure, we need to correct and lead them in right directions but what about stopping to give them accolades.  After reading that chapter I have challenged myself to watch for those things.  Just yesterday Nate was walking on his "Monster Feet" so I took the time to tell him how great he was at balancing and how when he first got them he couldn't walk at all and now he takes at least 5 steps.  His smile was huge and then he said, "Mom, count my steps!".  He was so excited that I noticed.  The next chapter I read dealt with expectations.  It was really a chapter on setting goals for your kids.  Not that we should dictate what are kids chose to become but, rather, to watch their interests and what they are good at to direct them towards things so they can achieve good things.  For example, Josh loves to take photos and he does a pretty good job.  I'm watching that talent and, in another year or so plan to get him some help.  What a great tool to have in his "tool belt".  Nate can't wait for soccer . .. and swimming.  Little things to help them go in a direction to succeed.  It is so important to know your kids - their personalities and what makes them tick!

The List
I just started this book yesterday and haven't gotten far but the concept is breaking free from those lists we tend to make about our perfect lives.  I'm not 100% sold on this book yet for where I am at in life but I'll give it a couple of chapters and see if my mind changes.

Organize Now!  Think and Live Clutter Free
This is a book I picked up back in November and slowly started it.  It is a "week-by-week action plan for a happier, healthier life".  The concept is that there is a small section to read each week with an assignment to accomplish.  I had decided to start slow and then really pick it up in January so I could finish it by year end but, well, we already know I ran about three weeks behind in January!  Anyway, Weeks 1-17 are all about organizing your mind beginning with Organizing your Priorities.  This I did back in December - I made a list of the 10 most important priorities in my life and went from there.  Then came organizing a vision board.  This is where I'm at right now.  It's supposed to be something to keep in front of you to keep focused on what you want and yes, it is something that changes.  For example, one of the visions I have is to be able to camp often with the family and to accomplish that we need a camper.  I have a vision of what I want, we have some money put away for it and now we are waiting.  Once we get that camper, I can take that item down.  I finally moved a bulletin board to my desk area and want to print off some quotes and photos to put on my vision board for where I'm at right now.  My goal is to finish up my first "vision board" this week so I can move on to the next area :-)  (If I really get moving on the concept of this book, I will probably move this to its own blog post!)

Hands Free Mama
I just started this book as well.  I saw it in the bookstore last week and it hits on one of my goals which is to "unplug" more this year.  (As I sit at the table writing this post and my boys are watching cartoons HA).  I did not realize that it is also a book written as a year long project with the idea that you read a chapter a month and then focus on that item for the whole month.  I understand that building habits are so important so we'll see how it goes.  I think, depending on the chapter and my level of  . . conviction . . I may or may not read more that one chapter a month.

Wow, I've done some reading this past week!  I have been trying to take 30 minutes out first thing in the morning, after the kids are fed and happily watching cartoons to find a quiet place (a hard thing to do with 4 kids in the house) and read.  This allows me to get several chapters read from the above books.  Plus, in the afternoon, when two kids are napping, I enjoy getting to read as well.

February Goals

Lets be honest, I started out 2014 running about 3 weeks behind.  Wow.  I felt like I had a constant barrage of thoughts running through my brain as far as what needed to be done.  Then, I got a break.  My kids visited Papa and Nana, I got to take a day out for me and do some shopping.  January was a tough month in some ways - a good friend of mine almost died due to a massive infection after surgery (Like, the doctors took her organs out of her body to clean them off it was so bad), a Pastor friend of ours died from a massive stroke . . and he is "our" age, a friend went into labor 6 weeks early and delivered a surprisingly healthy little boy who weighed in at just over 3 pounds . .. while her husband was on a missions trip in Haiti trying desperately to get back home. On the flip side . . well, three friends had babies!  The one mentioned above, along with two others who delivered right on time :-)  Crazy month!

So, as January started winding down, I started thinking about February.  My goals in February come from two main places . . .my Goal Listed I posted earlier in January and the book "7" that I finished up last week.  AND, as I've learned over and over, I MUST print this list or it doesn't get done.  I also have to try and write the things into my planner so that they actually get into the calendar.

1. Piano Songs - this next month I want to practice and learn the following three songs: Beautiful, Moment by Moment and Fur Ellise.

2. Books.  You can see the updated list HERE.  I do have some goals for this month: 1) To Finish "Power of a Positive Mom", 2) To read "The List" and "Good and Angry" 3) To continue on with the "Women Living Well" study 4) To start "Hands Free Mama" which is a year long study and continue with another year long study on Organization.   

3. Plan Darryl's birthday weekend

4. Finish up our taxes

5. Do school lessons at least two days a week

6. Plan some fun things for Valentine's Day

7. Create and keep up financial paperwork

8. Scrap booking - I worked last month to try and organize my stuff to make it more user friendly.  This month I really want to start conquering projects.  I'm going to work on three areas starting this month and continuing on throughout the year.  One, finally going back through all of my albums and making sure everything is 100% complete.  I wold like to get through albums 2000-2003 which includes our wedding and honeymoon albums.  Two, I want to work on some special projects  and get those current, in albums.  This month I want to be current on the boys Christmas ornament albums and birthday question albums.  Three, working on photos.  The goal this month is to finish June and July 2013.  In order to accomplish this I really have to plan some scrap booking time!

9. Bible Study - To continue on with the two Bible Studies.  So far I've kept up with them even if I haven't spent as much time doing "study" as I would like.
10.  Scripture Memory - Lets keep it real, I memorized one verse last month.  I didn't catch that there were weekly verses with the "Living Intentionally" Bible Study until week 2 so I'm going to work on memorizing those verses each week during February.
11. Still need to order that "Word a Day Calendar"
12.  Living Room - Never did get that "Vision Board" done so I'm going to work on that again this month.
13. The Date with the hubs this month will be his Birthday Weekend.  I'm working on some plans that I can hopefully pull off  . ..
14. The whole Teeth thing - My plan is to do the Crest Challenge for the entire month of February.  The commercial says you'll notice a change after two weeks so a month should be even better!  The kids have done better at brushing their teeth twice a day but we need to work on it more.
15. Simplify - I'm still working on going through the kitchen cupboards but I'm also adding the Bathroom to this list for February.  I want to make the storage in that room more useful AND clean out the stuff we never use.  I've redecorated some in there and want to finish up the mini-room makeover in February.
16 - Me Time - Need to pick my day once I figure out our schedule for February.

18. Working on Caring for others - I am working on something that I just want to do before I say anything about it.  :-)
19.  Get my cleaning schedule back into motion including those once a month projects to keep everything running nicely.
20. Learn to Use my Cricut
21. Take the boys to see the Dinosaurs at the Museum AND attempt to get to the lake shore to see the HUGE amounts of ice on Lake Michigan (this is something Josh has asked to do so we'll see if we can get there!)
22. (Don't Laugh) Watch as much of the Winter Olympics as possible.  I just love this event - especially learning all of the stories behind the athletes and seeing the underdogs come to the top!

That seems like enough to keep me busy this month :-)  

If you are interested, here is a recap of January's goals and accomplishments.