Eating From The Pantry Update #3

Well, things are still going great with our pantry challenge this month. Saturday I went through our two freezers to see exactly what we have on hand, and ended up with FOUR pages of stuff! Some of those things are veggies, or sides, but many of them were the makings of full meals. So we should be pretty much set for the remainder of the month.

I have spent about $65 so far this month, that's it. And most of the money that I spent last week, actually made me money. I spent about $17, but ended up with over $35 in grocery catalinas to use for the remainder of the month. There is not much we need at the store this week...so I am not even sure if I will go to the store at all for food. I may go once to pick up some clearance makeup that I have coupons to match up with. I love to get as much as I can when the sales are going on so that I can replenish my Ebay stuff and yard sale stuff to sell.

Our menu for the week:

Monday: We had pancakes for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, and pulled BBQ pork panini's with homemade french fries for dinner.

Tuesday: Breakfast was cereal, lunch was leftovers, and dinner is Turkey noodle soup with buttermilk biscuits. (using the rest of the leftover turkey from Sunday dinner and the free biscuits I got at the store this week.)

Wednesday: Breakfast will likely be cereal again, lunch will be leftover soup, and dinner will be fried tilapia, salad and rice.

Thursday: Breakfast...cereal. (yes again) Lunch...leftovers...yes, again. Dinner will be chicken spaghetti, with salad and garlic bread.

Friday: Breakfast and lunch will be the same. Dinner will be tacos, with chips and salsa.

Saturday: Breakfast will be eggs, or pancakes. Lunch will be leftovers. (likely nachos) and dinner will be eating out with Jeremy's parents.

Sunday: Eggs, and/or waffles for breakfast, lunch will be any one of a number of leftovers, and dinner will be baked salmon with various sides. (all provided by my parents for all of the meals that we have provided in the last few weeks)

So...that's it. In looking at the menu, the ONLY things that I can see I need from the store are some flour tortillas for the taco's and some tortilla chips. I have everything else to make all of these meals....so, I may have to spend $5 this week at the store and that is about it. We have two gallons of milk, so we are set there, and I have a few loaves of bread frozen ahead too. I may pick up some fresh fruit if I can find some good deals...so I may end up spending $10-$15 total, but I will use my grocery catalina's so it will be nothing out of pocket this week. :)

I am so excited that we are doing so well. My goal budget for the month at the store was $100...and we should easily be able to hit that mark...and I certainly have not stayed out of the store!! How are you doing this month?? I would love to hear your updates too!!

Eating From the Pantry Update #2

Well, I think we are doing great as a family on this challenge so far. It is the 14th of January...almost mid-way through the challenge and I have spent just over $40 at the store so far, and I have $13.50 in custom grocery coupons to use, as well as $10 left in my budget for this week. I will likely use that up because there is a great deal going on at my store on fruit snacks that ends up being a money maker for every 4 that I buy...I end up paying about $1.00 for four, but then I earn back $2.50to use the next time at the store. Can't beat that :)

We have done fantastic at using the stuff we have on hand, and sticking to our menu this week. Last night I did not cook at all and we just used up some leftovers, and I don't plan to cook again tonight as we still have leftovers we can eat up. I fixed a ham dinner on Monday night, and have gotten creative with using that all up. I even boiled the ham bone for some stock, that I plan to use in a Baked potato and ham soup on Saturday.

I anticipate another good week next week...and then the last week of the month may get a bit tighter for us. It is not that we don't have plenty here to eat (mush more than we need to make it through one whole month) The issue is that my family is getting a bit pickier as the month goes by. Leftovers are not a big hit with them...and I have gotten the famous eye roll a few times already. Hopefully though, if I continue on the pace that we are on, I will still be able to fix some interesting meals, and keep them on board for the month. Next month they may be in trouble however, because I have really LOVED not spending much at the store...the extra money has went into my debt payoff goal, and I was able to add much more than I had even hoped for before the year started....so, even with a few setbacks (like my son crashing the car, and paying out the deductible) we are still way ahead of my planned amount for the month.

Thanks for reading...and I would love to hear how your challenge is going...if you are struggling, etc.

Eating From The Pantry Update

Well...I am 5 days in to the challenge, and feel like I have taken several steps backwards already!! I have been to the store three times this week, and should have planned the beginning out better. I have spent $17.02 of my $25 for the week already. IF I had been thinking ahead I would have remembered that my hubbies birthday was on Monday, and I did not have a card yet (nor the extra time to make one) and I did not have a cheesecake (his favorite!) as his birthday cake. So those two, unplanned trips, were costly ones. Not to mention, I sent my 17 year old with a $2.00 off coupon to get the cheesecake, without accurately telling him how to scan it at the U-scan....thus he just put it into the coupon slot, without scanning it. So, I paid full price for the cheesecake, and LOST that $2. AND if that were not enough for the week....I wasted an entire bag of potatoes by boiling them too long, and they were a gooey mess, AND wasted another bag to spoilage in the garage. (not sure why....but the entire bag went bad, and I only had it about a week!)

On a positive note, however, I still have a $2.00 off grocery coupon, and a $20 off groceries that I can use this week. (or next) And I also have $37 on a gift card from returning a few things to Walmart without the receipt. (so if I needed to I could also use that for groceries in the coming weeks ahead.) And I have a coupon for a $10 grocery purchase when I fill my next script at Meijers (and I have one to fill.) So...I guess I am not doing too bad in that avenue...just am failing at how many times I have already been to the store this week. I do know that I do not HAVE to go to the store again this week. I plan to go...only because I can get some 8 boxes of cereal for about $2.00, and there is a good deal on Kraft cheese. I am going to wait until Saturday though...and until then I am going to do all I can to not set foot in the store. I should be able to do it. Wish me luck!!

So, my menu for the week....

Monday: Breakfast was cereal for hubbie and kids, and eggs with left over green peppers for me. Lunch was left overs from New Year's dinner out. (on a gift card)Dinner was special as it was my hubbies bday...so I fixed a turkey, with stuffing, potatoes (ended up making instant ones) and some gravy. ALL of which I had on hand, except the cheesecake for dessert.

Tuesday: Breakfast for hubbie and kids was cereal again. I skipped breakfast because we had a doctors appointment at 10:30 for shots for the younger kids. We ended up having McDonalds for lunch as a special treat. (I eat out once a week usually...so this was my day for the week.) Dinner will be leftover Turkey dinner.

Wednesday: Breakfast will likely be cereal (yeah, I know....not much variety there for my family.) Lunch...my two youngest will be at Daycare for the day. (my one day that I take to myself) I will have whatever leftovers are in the fridge. Dinner will be spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.

Thursday: Cereal, leftover spaghetti for lunch, and dinner will be fried tilapia, carrotts, and rice pilaf.

Friday: Cereal, leftovers or a soup frozen ahead, and dinner will be tacos.

Saturday: Breakfast will be either pancakes, or waffles. Lunch will be grilled cheese sandwiches, with veggies, and likely soup. Dinner will be chicken lasagna, with salad and garlic bread.

Sunday: Omelets for breakfast for the adults, and either cereal or pancakes again for the kids. Lunch: Likely will be the leftover chicken lasagna, and dinner will be a baked ham, with augatin potatoes, and a veggie like green beans.

January Eat From The Pantry Challenge

I have mentioned before what I HUGE fan of Crystals I am over at Money Saving Mom. (see the link saved under my favorites) This month she is teaming up with FishMama on a special challenge, and I have decided to give it a shot. Over the last few months I have stockpiled so much food, in my pantry and in my freezer, that I really could go a very long time eating just what we have on hand.

So the challenge is to eat the entire month using up what you have on hand already. Each family sets up the challenge rules around their specific needs, but the overall goal is to use up the food you already have, and not spend as much at the grocery store for the month. Want to give it a try??

As I said, each family would create their own rules for the challenge...so here are mine:

1. Create as many meals as possible using what I already have on hand in my pantry and freezer. (even when I think I don't have anything left that we can make a meal out of....I will try to get extra creative in order to not spend money, and use up what I already have.)

2. Only go to the store for items that we apsolutely need OR for items that I can get as close to free as possible. (I will still go for things like milk, and bread...and maybe some veggies...but mostly my plan is to stay out of the store completely.)

3. My normal monthly food budget goal is $300...so this month I am going to try hard to keep my food budget at $100. $25 a week for just the basics. Anything left from that original $300 will be placed into my $10,000 Snowflake account.

4. I do have two grocery food coupons from the end of last month. One is for $20.00 off my next grocery purchase, and one is for $2.00 off. So I am starting the month off having $22 to put towards groceries without even touching my food money for the month. The $20.00 coupon has to be used all at once, so I will try hard to use that one when I need multiple items.

That's it...my plan for the month. I will try to keep updating my progress throughout the month, and will get my basic menu plan up as well. Hope you will join me in saving some money this month, and using up some stuff you have on hand.

Happy New Year....and welcome to round three!

Once again I am going to give this blogging thing a shot! I keep trying, and failing at it, but I REALLY want to keep it up this time. I think that I finally have things somewhat under control now at my house...I have something that resembles a schedule with the four kids....and am finally a BIT more organized...so here we go yet again. Round three....

My plan for the blog this year is to try to blog at least three times a week. I would love to get back to my orginal plan of sharing tips and tricks, posting freebies, and just sharing all I can about living a more frugal life...and becoming more organzied. I will be the first to admit that I am nowhere near the expert on any of these matters, so my plan is not to come across as a know it all, but rather to just share what I read, and to share anything that I learn myself from trial and error. I would love to have you along for my journey...love to have your input, and would love to begin a give/take relationship about how to become a better mother, wife, and overall person :)

It is the new year, and a new decade. My resolutions for the year are as follows:

1. Save/earn a minumum of $10,000 extra this year to pay down our debt even faster.
2. Get my house, and life more organized.
3. Spend more time with my husband.

Hope that you will join me, and if nothing more, cheer me on!! Be back soon!!

Recap of last two weeks shopping for the month

Meijers
Spent: $65.24
Saved: $99.10

Here's what I bought (in three trips):
2.14 lbs. bananas
3 cans tuna
4 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can nacho cheese soup
3 boxes Little Debbie Snack Cakes (I'm pregnant and this is a CRAVING!)
1 Energy Drink (my 16 year old was helping me shop that day)
2 Packs Nestle Cookie Dough (earned back $1.00 Upromise)
2 Boneless Sizzler steaks
2 Pks. Hot Italian Sausage
2 Pks. (6 total) Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
2 lbs. deli Turkey breast
2 lbs. Deli ham
1.57 lbs. apples
2 packs shredded cheese
30 boxes of Muellers pastas (seeral different varieties)
2 pks. Kraft cheese slices
1 pk. bacon
3 Ph. Formula eye shadows
1 pk. hot dog buns
1 Pizza kit
1 doz. lg. eggs
2 Dole bagged salads
1 head of lettuce
2 roma tomoates
2 gal. of milk
3 Pace salsa's
1 Axe shower gel
1 pt. strawberries
1 bag chex mix
sliced watermelon
1 can refried beans
2 pks. taco seasoning


Walgreens:

Spent: $7.45
Saved: $36.79
Earned: $11.00 in register rewards

Here's what I bought:

2 Rembrandt Toothpastes
1 box ecotrin
2 Bayer Quick release
4 Walgreens Brand childrens aspirin
1 Nivea Body Wash
4 Bliss candy bars

CVS:

Spent: $7.76
Saved: $269.88
Earned: $61.00 in ECB's

Here's what I bought:

6 sets command hooks
1 bottle soft soap scrub
1 Palmolive dish soap
1 Schick intuition razor
Edge shave gel
2 bottle Excederin Menstrual
8 bottles of Aveeno face wash
12 bottles of Tresemme
6 Loreal Eye shadows
1 Bic Soleil Razor
2 Act Rinses
2 Crest Prohealth toothpastes
2 Bayer Quick Release
Stamps
P. Formula Powder
2 P. Formula concealers
CVS Recycled bag
Axe Body Wash

Keep the dime, toss the Penny??

I was recently watching the local news and the broadcaster made a statement that made me start thinking even more about how money is viewed by many. I don't even remember the subject matter, but vividly recall hearing him make the statement "keep your dimes and toss your pennies" as he pushed a dime into his pocket, and tossed a handfull of pennies on the sidewalk. What is wrong with our culture that we think nothing of tossing money away? Sure, it was just a few pennies, but it was MONEY.

I have read many posts on MSM money under the subject "Find a Penny, Pick it Up..." and they made me feel grateful to see that there are still people in this world that find the value in a found penny. I decided to keep track of all of the "found" pennies (and change) that I happen to pick up from the road, the couch cushions, the car wash...anywhere that I may find it. (this does NOT include any change that I get back from a purchase, or money that may be in the bottom of my purse as that is already put into a change jar to go towards debt) In a few short weeks, I have found $1.32. For my own fun, I am going to save all of my found money for one year and add it to my debt as one big (or small) snowflake. It will be great to see how much money I can find that others have just tossed away. Wish I had been standing nearby when that broadcaster tossed that handful of his unwanted pennies way