Menu Planning
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I started the week out a little stronger, but still have a lot of areas I need to work on regarding my goals. Next week I hope to do better. The good news is I am at least taking small steps in the right direction.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday- Read a book to the girls everyday – I didn’t quite get everyday this week
Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) we missed two nights 🙁
Start the process of getting the girls passportsGo on Mother Daughter Date NightI had a blast with Karlie! 🙂- File the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder – halfway done
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – more than last week but not there yet
Finish reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary ChapmanListen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday – I made it a one night.
Home Management Goals
Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by MondaySpend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the houseDinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one daySummer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now)
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – hopefully no one will be looking at my desk today (need to tackle this one daily or it gets overwhelming).
Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Research ways to create more residual income – didn’t get there this week
Upcoming events, activities, and posted to my upcoming calendar
Ministry Goals
- Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others. – Made a little over $8
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsAlms & Legs Ministry – Email Meeting Notes to the Team- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – Schedules got a little crazy this week, hope to pick back up next week
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate. – bank has delayed the closing again and had to extend our rate, maybe next week?!
- Pay off remaining debt – almost there…..I see the light….
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until our debt is paid off completely
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
- Get the girls passport pictures taken
- Finish filing the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Finish reading The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!)
- Listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday
Home Management Goals
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- File the receipts for the last couple of months and organize the table in the office.
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Research ways to create more residual income
- Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012
Ministry Goals
- Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate.
- Pay off remaining debt
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Fresh & Healthy: Fall Harvest – Community Supported Agriculture (Week 6)
We are enjoying our Fall Harvest with our Local Farm with Community Supported Agriculture program. The pumpkin we received last week was amazing we found out that it was called a Musquee de Provence Pumpkin, delicious! We are now over halfway through our fall harvest, we just picked up week number 6. The Fall harvest is 10 weeks long through our farm. We are thrilled to get the produce and fresh eggs. Our family is doing a half share again for this harvest.
Fall Harvest Week 6 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!
Fresh goodies from our Local CSA Farm! Items in our Basket this Week:
- 3 Green Tomatoes
- 1 large bundle Bok Choy
- 3 Beets
- 6 Brown Potatoes
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Half Dozen Fresh Eggs
I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week! Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes! To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported FarmsLiving on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
The week went by quickly. I have been fighting off a cold so I didn’t do as well bargain shopping throughout the entire week. Thankfully I was able to find some amazing deals early in the week and was able to stock up on some candy to share with others (including the girls school) during some upcoming events and parties. I was running low on shredded cheeses (a big no-no in our house) so I was able to stock up on it and other items this week. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles Ingles Groceries:
- $29.28 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 blocks Laura Lynn Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 5 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 1 box Margarine, 1 bag Ham Lunch Meat, 1 whole Chicken, 1 box Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix, 1 box Pillsbury Brownie Mix, 1 bag Laura Lynn Miniature Marshmallows, 1 container Fresh Lemons, 1 Sweet Yellow Onion, 1 bag Regular White Pitas, 1 bag Onion Pitas, 2 bags Deli Egg Roll Wraps, and 1 container Spinach Bites. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance including the meat, diary, and produce!)
Groceries from CVS CVS Groceries:
- $0.70 at CVS for 4 bags Oreo Mini Snack Packs, 2 bags Wonka Nerds, 2 bags Milky Way Simply Caramel, 2 bags Hershey’s Cookies N Cream, 1 bag Twizzlers Strawberry Twists Snack Pack, 2 bags Butterfinger Fun Size, 1 bag 100 Grand Fun Size, 2 bags Nestle Crunch Fun Size, 2 bags Whoppers Snack Size, and 2 jars Skippy Peanut Butter. (My family will not be eating all this candy and sugar, but I was thrilled to get it since I have several upcoming parties and celebrations where I need to bring goody bags. All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday or on sale and will come in handy for upcoming events. It was a great price on clearance items and none of the items expire until late 2012. The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help. To see more details about this shopping trip go to my CVS: Spent $0.70 and Got $3 ECB’s)
This week I spent $29.98 on groceries. Even though I only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. The Halloween Clearance at CVS was pretty amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for several different upcoming events so it was worth to stock up the pantry at those prices. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Recipe: Pumpkin Dip
Fresh Pumpkin Dip Our family had fun making jack-o-lanterns this year for the holidays. Brina choose to do a happy one and Karlie wanted to do a scary one. While we were having fun doing the activity we set aside the pumpkin seeds and the pieces of pumpkin that we cut out so we could make more goodies with them. The pumpkin seeds were a huge hit and were gone in less than 24 hours. We used our Seasoned Pumpkin Seed recipe and shared them with friends. With the chunks of pumpkin that were remaining we made Pumpkin Dip for the evening meal. It smelled amazing walking into the house as the aroma of sweet pumpkin soup greeted us.
Pumpkin Dip:
- 1 pound Pumpkin, seeded and peeled
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cube Chicken Bouillon
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Crackers, Pretzels, or Bagel Pieces (for dipping)
- Dash of Chili Pepper for Spicy Kick (optional) OR Dash of Brown Sugar for a sweeter dip (optional)
1. Cut up the seeded and peeled pumpkin into one inch cubes. Place the pumpkin, water, and chicken bouillon into the crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or until the pumpkin is tender).
2. Use a hand blender to blend the pumpkin mixture in the crockpot. Add the cream and pumpkin spice to the pumpkin mixture. Let it cook for another 10 minutes and stir or blend until smooth. Pour the pumpkin dip into a serving dish, add your favorite dipping items and enjoy. You could add a little chili powders to make it a spicy dip or a little brown sugar to make it a sweeter dip.
Pieces of Jack O' Lantern ready for Pumpkin Dip We used the pieces from our jack-o-lantern activity but you could use a regular pumpkin or canned pumpkin as well. This would be a good one for upcoming Holidays and potlucks. We used plain bagels cut up into bite size pieces to dip. The girls loved it!
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 9 – 15, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per lb
Fresh Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs – $0.99 per lb
Port Side Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count / 10 oz) – $3.99
Half Cut Boneless Pork Loin – $1.99 per lb
Beef Sirloin Tip Roast – $2.99 per lb.
Sugardale Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.19 per lb
Half Cut Beef Eye of Round Roast – $3.99 per lb
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders or Nuggets (24 oz) – $2.99
Home Churned Butter Quarters (Salted or Unsalted) 16 oz – $1.99
Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry (27 oz) – $2.50
Meadow Gold Premium Ice Cream, Vanilla or Chocolate (48 oz) – $2.50
Red Barron Classic Pizza, Assorted Varieties (20 to 22 oz) – $3.29
Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage (39 count) – $3.49
Marvella Cheese Loaf (32 oz) – $3.99
Port Side Fish Sticks, Fillets, or Battered Fillets (19 – 24 oz) – $3.29
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.69
Morning Delight Waffles (10 count) – $1.79
Morning Delight Jumbo Biscuits, Butter or Buttermilk (16 oz) – $1.59
Tree Ripe Premium Orange Juice (59 oz) – $2.99
Produce
Biggin’s Russet Potatoes (10 lbs) – $2.99
Red and Gold Delicious Apples (5 lbs) – $2.99
Yellow Onions (3 lbs) – $1.49
Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.49
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 roll) – $0.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Protector & Gamble (Expires 11/30/11)
As low as FREE (or with OVERAGE back if your store allows it) each after couponSolo Plastic Cups (20 count) – $1.29
Chenard Plastic Cutlery – Knife, Fork, Spoon, & Assorted (48 count) – $1.69
Max Force Alkaline Batteries (AA or AAA 6 pack or DC 2 pack) – $1.99
Grocery
Domino Granulated Sugar (4 lb) – $2.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 11/25/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from October 2011 Woman’s Day Magazine (Expires 11/30/11)
Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $1.89 each after couponWesson Pure Vegetable Oil (48 oz) – $2.99
General Mills Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 11/12/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/23 Smart Source (Expires 12/3/11)
$1.66 each after couponHills Bros Coffee (33 oz) – $6.99
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Smart Source
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 10/30 Smart Source (Expires 12/4/11)
As low as $5.99 each after couponTipton Grove Fruit Cocktail – $1.79
Kraft Handi-Snack Pudding Cups – $0.99
Save A Lot Fridge Ready Soda (12 packs) – $2.69
Kaskey’s Broth (32 oz) – $1.39
Wylwood Cut Sweet Potatoes (15 oz) – $0.89
Kaskey’s Cream Soup, Assorted Varieties (10.5 oz) – $0.59
Grissom’s Brown n’ Serve Rolls (12 oz) – $1.19
J. Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
J. Higgs Saltines (16 oz) – $1.19
Marcum Seasoned Salt (12 oz) – $1.49
Marcum Ground Black Pepper (4 oz) – $1.99
Albany Bakery Pecan Shortbread Cookies (16 oz) – $2.49
Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce – $1.29
Portmann’s Tartar Sauce (11.5 oz) – $1.49
Betty Crocker Potato Buds – $1.69
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
As Low As $0.67 each after couponBetty Crocker Hamburger Helper Dinners (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mill (Expires 11/26/11)
$0.75 each after couponGinger Evans Light Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar (32 oz) – $1.69
Ginger Evans Deluxe Fudge Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.59
Ginger Evans Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Gold Leaf 9 inch Pie Shell (10 oz) – $1.79
Bay Mist Splash Tropical or Berry Blend (64 oz) – $1.99
Morning Delight Toaster Pastries (22 oz) – $1.99
McDaniel’s Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $1.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
I am looking forward to doing some new recipes along with family favorites this week. Last weekend Jake and I made the Sunday meal together with the girls and this is the comment we got from Brina “I love every one of these recipes!” Karlie wanted to know if it was a new or old recipe. It goes to show that sometimes the easiest meals if done together as a family are the best (Ham, Mash Potatoes, and Green Beans). I am very grateful to have a family that enjoys some of the traditional family meals and for their willingness to try some new ones. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Enchiladas, Spanish Rice
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Ham & Potato Au Gratin, Fresh Fruit Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Honey Mustard Chicken, Fresh Garden Salad
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Vegetable Medley Bake
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was a busy one, about halfway through the week I started wondering if I was going to finish anything on the list, but slowly some got checked off. The personal goals were the hardest for me to do because everything else kept me busy. This upcoming week I hope to do better on my personal goals so I can keep my life / time and resources in balance as I work towards my goals.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday- Read a book to the girls everyday – Monday was a super busy day with the Holiday
Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – Didn’t get this done every night with the busy evenings, a couple late nights including our couple Date Night on Saturday.
Schedule a Date Night with Jake– Went on our Date Night on 11/5Schedule a Date Night with each child– Date Night Scheduled for 11/11/11
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – As hard as I tried this didn’t get done, it was busy and a couple unexpected things came up. I hope to do a lot better next week with this one.
- Finish reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman – Made it through a couple more chapters, maybe I will get it done next week.
Listen to The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday – We had a couple late nights with extra projects and activities going on (I think I only made it to bed on time once).
Home Management Goals
Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday– Completed a day early 🙂Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – Dinner was ready but not on the table on Monday because of the Fall Festival Activities
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day– Completed all the laundry from striping beds, washing, folding, putting away, and remaking the beds on Monday- Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now) – about halfway through this task
Pick the fresh vegetables that are ready and start preparing the garden for the first freeze.– big thanks to my sweet husband and girls for doing this for me and we even were able to share some of the goodies with friends!
Business Goals
Spend 10 minutes cleaning and organizing my desk (somehow everyone stacks stuff on my desk, myself included, and within a day I have a pile sometimes piles)Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Research ways to create more residual income – didn’t get to this one
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsAlms & Legs Ministry – Email upcoming meeting reminder to members, write and print the meeting agendaMeet a friend for Breakfast or LunchPack our Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – I went over budget this week. (thankful for the opportunity to stock up and a budget guideline even though I went over it this week.)
- Pay off remaining debt – working on it and I see light at the end of the tunnel
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – work in progress (we had two vehicle repairs recently which set us back a little bit)
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
- Start the process of getting the girls passports
- Go on Mother Daughter Date Night
- File the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Finish reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman
- Listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday
Home Management Goals
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now)
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Research ways to create more residual income
- Upcoming events, activities, and posted to my upcoming calendar
Ministry Goals
- Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Alms & Legs Ministry – Email Meeting Notes to the Team
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate.
- Pay off remaining debt
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Fresh & Healthy: Fall Harvest – Community Supported Agriculture (Week 5)
We are enjoying our Fall Harvest with our Local Farm with Community Supported Agriculture program. We are now halfway through our fall harvest, we just picked up week number 5. The Fall harvest is 10 weeks long through our farm. We are thrilled to get the produce and fresh eggs. Our family is doing a half share again for this harvest.
Fall Harvest Week 5 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!
Fresh goodies from our Local CSA Farm Items in our Basket this Week:
- 1 Musquee de Provence Pumpkin
- 1 large bundle Bok Choy
- 2 Tomatoes
- 4 Pumpkin on a Stick Branches
- 4 White Radishes
- 1 Half Dozen Fresh Eggs
I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week! Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes! The girls are very excited about cooking up this pumpkin and Jake is excited about eating some more Bok Choy (he has an awesome recipe for it). To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported FarmsLiving on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one. Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget. Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money. I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot. One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable. Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot CVS Groceries:
- $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats. (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches. The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)
Ingles Groceries:
- $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)
Family Dollar Groceries:
- $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count). (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into. I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)
Save A Lot Groceries:
- $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks. (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)
Groceries from Walmart Walmart Groceries:
- $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of. Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)
This week I spent $50.60 on groceries. Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me. I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week. The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget. Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 2 – 8, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per lb
Fresh Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs – $0.99 per lb
Port Side Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count / 10 oz) – $3.99
Half Cut Boneless Pork Loin – $1.99 per lb
Beef Sirloin Tip Roast – $2.99 per lb.
Sugardale Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.19 per lb
Half Cut Beef Eye of Round Roast – $3.99 per lb
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders or Nuggets (24 oz) – $2.99
Home Churned Butter Quarters (Salted or Unsalted) 16 oz – $1.99
Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry (27 oz) – $2.50
Meadow Gold Premium Ice Cream, Vanilla or Chocolate (48 oz) – $2.50
Red Barron Classic Pizza, Assorted Varieties (20 to 22 oz) – $3.29
Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage (39 count) – $3.49
Marvella Cheese Loaf (32 oz) – $3.99
Port Side Fish Sticks, Fillets, or Battered Fillets (19 – 24 oz) – $3.29
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.69
Morning Delight Waffles (10 count) – $1.79
Morning Delight Jumbo Biscuits, Butter or Buttermilk (16 oz) – $1.59
Tree Ripe Premium Orange Juice (59 oz) – $2.99
Produce
Biggin’s Russet Potatoes (10 lbs) – $2.99
Red and Gold Delicious Apples (5 lbs) – $2.99
Yellow Onions (3 lbs) – $1.49
Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.49
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 roll) – $0.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Protector & Gamble (Expires 11/30/11)
As low as FREE (or with OVERAGE back if your store allows it) each after couponSolo Plastic Cups (20 count) – $1.29
Chenard Plastic Cutlery – Knife, Fork, Spoon, & Assorted (48 count) – $1.69
Max Force Alkaline Batteries (AA or AAA 6 pack or DC 2 pack) – $1.99
Grocery
Domino Granulated Sugar (4 lb) – $2.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 11/25/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from October 2011 Woman’s Day Magazine (Expires 11/30/11)
Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $1.89 each after couponWesson Pure Vegetable Oil (48 oz) – $2.99
General Mills Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 11/12/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/23 Smart Source (Expires 12/3/11)
As low as $1.49 each after couponHills Bros Coffee (33 oz) – $6.99
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Smart Source
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 10/30 Smart Source (Expires 12/4/11)
As low as $5.99 each after couponTipton Grove Fruit Cocktail – $1.79
Kraft Handi-Snack Pudding Cups – $0.99
Save A Lot Fridge Ready Soda (12 packs) – $2.69
Kaskey’s Broth (32 oz) – $1.39
Wylwood Cut Sweet Potatoes (15 oz) – $0.89
Kaskey’s Cream Soup, Assorted Varieties (10.5 oz) – $0.59
Grissom’s Brown n’ Serve Rolls (12 oz) – $1.19
J. Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
J. Higgs Saltines (16 oz) – $1.19
Marcum Seasoned Salt (12 oz) – $1.49
Marcum Ground Black Pepper (4 oz) – $1.99
Albany Bakery Pecan Shortbread Cookies (16 oz) – $2.49
Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce – $1.29
Portmann’s Tartar Sauce (11.5 oz) – $1.49
Betty Crocker Potato Buds – $1.69
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
As Low As $0.67 each after couponBetty Crocker Hamburger Helper Dinners (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mill (Expires 11/26/11)
$0.75 each after couponGinger Evans Light Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar (32 oz) – $1.69
Ginger Evans Deluxe Fudge Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.59
Ginger Evans Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Gold Leaf 9 inch Pie Shell (10 oz) – $1.79
Bay Mist Splash Tropical or Berry Blend (64 oz) – $1.99
Morning Delight Toaster Pastries (22 oz) – $1.99
McDaniel’s Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $1.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
