Recipe
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items but overall it was a quiet grocery shopping week. I stocked up on non-perishable products this week. We are trying to eat up our perishables this week since we have a lot of produce already in the fridge from previous weeks and the garden. A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer! I am hoping to get back on schedule next week with grocery shopping. Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!
Groceries from Dollar Tree and Publix! Publix Groceries:
- $4.36 at Publix for 1 Capri Sun Fruit Punch (10 packs), 1 Inglehuffer Wasabi & Horseradish (on clearance and great dip with fried green beans), 1 French’s Mustard (on clearance), 1 Publix Vanilla Waffer (1 penny with a $10 purchase, bought 3 birthday cards and a dog treat for Skipper which brought my total up to $10 so I could get the wafers for $0.01). I used a coupon to get the 1 penny Vanilla Wafers and a $2 coupon for the 3 Hallmark cards (not pictured but helped bring up my total to $10).
Dollar Tree Groceries:
- $10.15 at Dollar Tree for 1 box Alphabet Crackers, 1 box Lance Chocolate Cookies (6 individually wrapped packages), 1 box Animal Crackers (6 individually wrapped packages), 1 Stax Sour Cream & Onion, 3 Kool Aid Freezer Pops (24 Count), 2 packages of Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread, and 1 box of Minees Cookies (10 individually wrapped packages). These items are great for summer activities and traveling. I am looking forward to our upcoming road trip adventures with the family!
Groceries from Family Dollar & Walgreens Family Dollar Groceries:
- $1.75 at Family Dollar for Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit, Mrs Freshley Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vitners Potato Chips Sweet BBQ, and Vitners Potato Chips Triple Cheese. All these items were on clearance and will come in handy for our upcoming road trips.
Walgreens Groceries:
- $0.00 at Walgreens 2 Cheeseburger Hamburger Helpers Meals. These items were on clearance and I used a register reward to pay for them.
I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again. This week I spent $16.26 on groceries. Even though I wasn’t even close to the budgeted amount for the week I was still able to stock up on several items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason although I would like to see a little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over. Plus I hope to have more time next week to do more regular grocery shopping. We were down to one vehicle this week because the van was in the shop so it was a little more difficult juggling 4 schedules with 1 vehicle but we managed to make it happen!
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: Taco Lasagna
Taco Lasagna, one of our family's favorites! Taco Lasagna is a favorite menu request in our household. It is one that my husband requests at least once a month and it is super easy to make. Our friend, Terry, from church was kind enough to share the recipe with us. If you like taco’s this is a great recipe to check out. It uses flour tortillas instead of pasta to separate the layers. Brina helped me put this one together, she even sliced the olives all by herself, did one complete layer and added cheese. Glad that she enjoys helping Mommy in the kitchen! Thanks for sharing the recipe Terry!
Taco Lasagna:
- 1 pound ground Beef or Turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped Green Pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped Onions
- 2/3 cup Water
- 1 package of Taco Seasoning
- 1 (15 oz) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5 oz ) can Mexican Tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (16 oz) can Refried Beans
- 6 (8 inch) Flour Tortillas
- 3 cups shredded Mexican Cheese
In a large skillet, cook the meat, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until done. Add water and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 2 minutes. Stir in black beans and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Place 2 flour tortillas in a greased 13 x 9 pan. Spread half of the refried beans then half of the beef mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup Mexican cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese (I try to add a little extra cheese if I have it and sliced olives if we have them in the pantry or fridge). Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted. I usually take the foil off the last few minutes to let the cheese on top get a little crispy since our family likes it that way.
Fresh & Healthy: How We Split Our First Cherry Tomato 4 Ways
- Our first tomato this year was a sweet little cherry tomato!
The garden has been a wonderful teaching opportunity for our kids in many ways from the science of preparing, planting, and maintaining it to sharing with others and many more great learning moments. One of the most exciting parts about the garden is seeing the plants start producing vegetables and fruits. The tomato plants took (months according to the girls) to turn from green to red. We have made it a point to split the first type of vegetable or fruit that comes out of the garden four ways. The first pick of lettuce, summer squash, zucchini, etc….were easy to split among the family. The first tomato happened to be a little red cherry tomato. The girls giggled thinking their was no way we could split it four ways. We teased them about making 4 sandwiches out of the tomato and they thought that would be impossible. My sweet husband came up with a great solution that was a huge hit. The girls had a blasting watching us come up with a delicious treat to share with the whole family. They were amused and excited to eat their first BLT sandwich of the summer!
Making our first "tomato" sandwiches of the summer season! We took a tortilla, small scoop and cut out 8 little circles to make our sandwiches.
Cutting up our first tomato to eat on our sandwiches! Daddy carefully cut the tomato into 4 slices.
Our first BLT sandwich - the mini version! The first cherry tomato became a mini BLT’s for the family. We had tortilla’s for the bread, fresh lettuce from the garden, the fresh cherry tomato and a small piece of bacon. Who’s ready for a BLT?!
My first BLT sandwich of the summer with fresh lettuce and our first tomato from the garden! The girls giggled while eating their bite sized BLT sandwiches. They didn’t think Mommy and Daddy could make 4 sandwiches with our first tomato since it was a cherry tomato. We did it and they tasted delicious! These would make great appetizers and you can use fresh garden veggies to put them together. Make up a few, your kids will LOVE them!
Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Cabbage, Tomatoes, Purple Beans, Green Beans, Strawberries, Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Peppers, Lettuce, and Peas!
We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden! I didn’t have a chance to take pictures last week with all the traveling, guests, and fun activities. This week I did better at taking pictures but the girls ate a few items before the camera came out, they have been enjoying helping more in the garden now that they are on summer break from school.
Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:
Fresh Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peppers, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Purple Beans 
Fresh from the Garden Leafy Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, Regular Tomatoes, Sweet Basil, Dill, Snow Peas, Beans, and Banana Pepper. 
Fresh Fruit and Veggies - Tomatoes, Zucchini, Pepper, Summer Squash, Purple Beans, our first Cucumbers, Lettuce, Strawberry, and Snow Peas A few strawberries, tomatoes, and some other veggies barely made it inside to be rinsed before they ate them so the pictures didn’t happen. After picking one day the girls informed me “we picked a rainbow of food from our garden today Mom”. We had a lot of stormy nights the past couple weeks with hail, heavy rain, and high winds. We even had a tree fall down in the yard and break our fence during one of the storms. The garden has “shifted” a little bit but thankfully continues to produce some goodies despite the damage. We haven’t gotten a lot of any one vegetable or fruit but we have a nice variety of goodies to eat every week. Plus we haven’t had to water for a couple weeks.
We were able to share some of the veggies this week with family, friends and people at our church. During the summer months our church does a “Corner Harvest” where people can share fresh produce from their garden. It is neat to see what other families are growing and share our produce.
What are you eating out of your garden this week?
Fresh & Healthy: Having Fun with Produce
Fruit and Veggie Snack The girls have enjoyed helping pick vegetables and fruits from our garden this summer. They don’t get too excited about pulling the weeds but have gotten better at spotting produce and picking it. Once the fresh produce is washed they are always fascinated at seeing all the goodies spread out on the counter. Many times they pick a variety of pieces to eat at that time. One night as they were getting into their pj’s I put together a special fruit / veggie snack from the produce we had picked that day (see picture above). They giggled as they ate their special goodies from the garden and talked about how to grow food in a garden.
Smile – sliced Green Peppers
Nose – sliced Strawberry
Eyes – halved Cherry Tomato
Eye Lashes – cut up Purple Beans
It’s a simple way to get the kids excited about eating fruits and vegetables. I love surprising them with special treats and seeing their joy at getting something fun to eat.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 15 – 21, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. There are a lot of great deals that are continued this week at Save A Lot for $1.00. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Eckrich Hot Dogs or Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00
Carolina Ground Turkey (16 oz ) – $1.00
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.65/1 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/10/11)
$0.35 each after couponGwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Center Cut Beef Spare Ribs – $2.49 per lb
Ground Beef (1 lb) – $2.49
Sugardale Bratwurst – $1.99
Smoked Sausage – $0.99
Chicken Breast Strips – $0.99
Meatballs (8 oz) – $0.99
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
Oscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00
Reser’s Assorted Salads & Coleslaw – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
Free after each couponMinute Maid Lemonade or Fruit Punch – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 7/9/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponTotino’s Pizza Rolls – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.66 each after couponBanquet Dinners – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks – $1.00
$0.75/1 printable coupon Fisher Boy
$0.25 each after couponT. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00
Party Treats Ice Cream Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
World’s Fair Orange, Grape and Cherry Popsicles – $0.99
Lemonade – $1.99
Home Churned Squeeze Spread – $0.99
Bright & Early Beverage Drink – $0.99
Household
Poly Steel Sandwich Zipper Bags (50 count) – $1.00
Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00
Produce
Fresh Express Coleslaw (16 oz) – $1.00
Fresh Express Salad Mix (12 oz) – $1.00
Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00
California Cherries – $1.99 per lb
Roma Tomatoes – $0.89 per lb
Red & White Grapes – $1.29 per lb
Grocery
Knorr Side Dishes – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
$0.75 each after couponHamburger Helper Dinner – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/16/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponSave A Lot Apple Juice (64 oz) – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (40 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 printable coupon from Red Gold
$0.75 each after couponWoeber’s Mustard (24 oz) – $1.00
Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.00
Shasta Soda (4 pack) – $1.00
Deer Park Spring Water (3 liter) – $1.00
Crunch & Munch Butter Toffee – $1.00
Dippables – $1.00
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce – $1.00
Shelby’s Grove Sliced Peaches – $1.00
J Higgs Pretzels – $1.00
Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna – $1.00
Allure Zero Calorie Sweetener – $1.00
Jade Dragon Soy Sauce – $1.00
Kraft BBQ Sauce – $0.88
Bugles – $0.79
Harvest Select Juice Cocktails – $0.99
On the Go Powder Drink Sticks – $1.00
Crisp Lemonade – $0.99
Swift Mac – $0.75
Toast Em Strawberry or Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Ups – $0.99
Malt O Meal Cereal – $0.99
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.
Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Agriculture (Week 4)
It is our fourth week receiving fresh produce from our CSA! Our family purchased a half of share and will be receiving fresh produce, local honey, eggs and more for 20 weeks. I plan to give an update on the items we receive from week to week. Jake picked up the fresh veggies this week for us while I was delivering a meal to a friend that recently had her first baby.Week 4 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!
Fresh Vegetables from our CSA!
Items in our Basket this Week:
- Bundle of Swiss Chard
- Bundle of Beets
- Bundle of Carrots
- Half a Dozen of Fresh Eggs
- Onions
- Potatoes
- 3 – Zucchini
I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week! Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes!!! Do you have any amazing recipes to share that use Chards?
To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Farms
Family Recipe: Luscious Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
My mother in law, Kay, is a wonderful cook. I didn’t grow up making cheesecakes but have made a few since marrying into the family. Kay makes amazing cheesecakes, however, her Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake is my favorite! For those of you who enjoy chocolate and cheesecake this is a recipe you need to try, it’s delicious! Add a few fresh strawberries to the finished product and you have an awesome dessert ready for when guests arrive or to celebrate a special evening with your family.Luscious Baked Chocolate Cheesecake:
- 1/3 cup Margarine or Butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 – 8 oz packages Cream Cheese
- 1 – 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 – 12 oz package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted OR 8 – 1 oz squares of Semi-Sweet Chocolate melted
- 4 Eggs
- 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
Preheat the oven to 300°. Combine margarine, crumbs and sugar; pat firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until the cheesecake springs back when lightly touched. Cool to room temperature. Chill. Remove the side of the pan. Garnish as desired. Garnish Ideas – chocolate curls, syrup, fresh strawberries, white chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, or anything that compliments the chocolate cheesecake.
Photo by CEThompson
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 8 – 14, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. There are a lot of great deals that are continued this week at Save A Lot for $1.00. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Eckrich Hot Dogs or Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00
Carolina Ground Turkey (16 oz ) – $1.00
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.65/1 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 7/10/11)
$0.35 each after couponGwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Fresh Pork Tenderloin – $3.88 per lb
Boneless Chicken Breast – $1.88 per lb
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.88 per lb
Half Boneless Pork Loin Roast – $2.49 per lb
80% Lean Ground Chuck – $2.88 per lb
Simmons Buffalo or BBQ Boneless Wings (32 oz) – $6.59
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
Oscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00
Reser’s Assorted Salads & Coleslaw – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
Free after each couponMinute Maid Lemonade or Fruit Punch – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 7/9/11)
Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 3/20 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponTotino’s Pizza Rolls – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.66 each after couponBanquet Dinners – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks – $1.00
T. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00
Party Treats Ice Cream Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
Tombstone Brick Oven Pizza – $2.49
Curly’s BBQ Pulled Pork or Beef – $3.99
Crisp Frozen Lemonade – $1.19
World’s Fair Sundae Cups – $2.49
Household
Poly Steel Sandwich Zipper Bags (50 count) – $1.00
Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00
Bounty Basic Paper Towels (6 count) – $5.99
Use $2.00/2 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
As low as $4.99 each after couponProduce
Iceberg Lettuce – $1.00
Fresh Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00
Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00
Seedless Watermelon – $3.99
Fresh Strawberries – $1.99
Valencia Oranges (3 lb) – $1.99
Vidalia Onions (4 lb) – $1.99
Grocery
Pringles (Original and Sour Cream & Onion) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 6/30/11)
As low as $0.50 each after couponKnorr Side Dishes – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
$0.75 each after couponHamburger Helper Dinner – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/16/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponSave A Lot Apple Juice (64 oz) – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (40 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 printable coupon from Red Gold
$0.75 each after couponWoeber’s Mustard (24 oz) – $1.00
Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.00
Shasta Soda (4 pack) – $1.00
Deer Park Spring Water (3 liter) – $1.00
Crunch & Munch Butter Toffee – $1.00
Dippables – $1.00
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce – $1.00
Shelby’s Grove Sliced Peaches – $1.00
J Higgs Pretzels – $1.00
Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna – $1.00
Allure Zero Calorie Sweetener – $1.00
Jade Dragon Soy Sauce – $1.00
Kellogg’s Cereal – $1.88
Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/15 Red Plum (Expires 6/26/11)
As low as $1.38 each after couponHawaiian Punch (1 gallon) – $1.88
Baumann’s Best Barbeque Sauce – $1.19
Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans – $0.79
Bakery
Mini Cupcakes (12 count) – $2.49
Bundt Cake – $5.99
Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pie – $2.99
Sliced Loaf Cake – $2.99
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.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry so we should be good for awhile now. Most of the items I stocked up were non-perishable products this week. A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer! Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!
Walgreens Grocery Deals! Groceries from Walgreens:
- $2.71 at Walgreens for 2 Pure Bottle Water Packages (24 count each), 4 Sugar Free Strawberry Jello, 1 Sugar Free Orange Jello, 1 Walgreens Cashew Halves, 1 Celsius Ice Tea, 1 Arizona Tea with Blueberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Pomegranate, 1 Arizona Tea with Raspberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Lemon, and 1 Illy Cappucino Coffee Drink. With upcoming road trips and hot months these will come in handy. I spent $2.71 but received $5 in Register Rewards back to use on future purchases.
Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | Riteaid Groceries Groceries from Walmart:
- $0.90 at Walmart for French Bread on Clearance
Groceries from Dollar Tree:
- $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread
Groceries from Save A Lot | Riteaid:
- $21.64 at Save A Lot | Riteaid for 1 Whole Chicken on clearance, 5 packs of Hotdogs ($0.69 each), 1 bag of Carrots, 1 package String Cheese, 1 block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 can Pringles, 1 package of fresh Mushrooms (on clearance), 2 Ham Lunchables, 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, 1 bag Granny Smith Apples
I am excited to be doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget. This week I spent $26.26 on groceries. Even though I was under budget I was still able to stock up on a couple items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason and I was able to have a extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over. I am grateful for the coupons and Register Rewards I was able to use this week on the few items I purchased.
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.
