• Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Save A Lot | RiteAid

    It has a whirlwind of weeks this year from traveling, school, work, volunteering weekly, and so much more.  The first few weeks of the year I did the No Grocery Shopping Challenge in order to use up some of the items we had in stock in both our refrigerator, freezers, and pantry.   It really well and we made it a little over 7 weeks which I was thankful for since it was my goal to make it at least a month.  Now that we are starting to get lower on some items I decided it was time to start our regular weekly $40 for 4 grocery budget again.    I even remembered to take pictures this week so I could do the post for you! 🙂

    Jake has been in Charleston for some work meetings, so we are looking forward to spending time with him this weekend.  I did manage to get a lot of projects done (just not necessarily things that I planned to do).  Do you ever have weeks like that?  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $18.45 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 3 containers Fresh Strawberries (marked down), 1 container Fresh Mushrooms (marked down), 3 Mountain Dew 2 liters, 1 gallon of Milk, 1 box Pillsbury Fudge Brownie Mix, 1 can Canola Cooking Spray, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 bag Sandwich Bread, 1 bag Kiggins Cereal, 2 cans Sliced Pineapple. (Everything I purchased at Save A Lot | RiteAid was either on sale or marked down.  All the produce was marked down as low as 99 cents as you can see from the bright green and orange stickers.)

    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $24.66 at Ingles for 1 bag English Muffins, 1 container Yogurt (marked down), 1 container Chip Dip (marked down), 1 package Ground Beef (marked down), 1 package Pork (marked down), 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, 1 container Blue Cheese Crumbles, 1 bag Bananas (marked down), 27 packs Wylers Red Koolaide, and 1 bottle Pepsi Next 2 liter (free after coupon).  (Most items were either marked down or on sale with an exception of the blue cheese.  I got the Blue Cheese as a special treat for my man since he was away working all week, couldn’t help spoiling him a little bit! 🙂 )

    This week I spent $43.11  on groceries.   I went over on the budget this week, but thankfully it was over by only $3 dollars.   I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on a few items we were needing to replenish in our fridge and pantry.  Hopefully next week we can come under budget and March will be a good month for us!

    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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Ingles & BiLo

    It was a whirlwind of a week with the girls off two days from school, elections, and numerous unexpected activities.  Despite the busyness I was determined to give you a grocery update this week (thanks for bearing with me).  I even remembered to take pictures this week!

    Jake has been in Charleston for some work meetings, so we are looking forward to spending time with him this weekend.  I did manage to get a lot of projects done (just not necessarily things that I planned to do).  Do you ever have weeks like that?  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $13.04 at Ingles for 2 containers Fresh Strawberries (marked down), 1 bag Lenders Bagels (sale), 1 (5 pound) bag Fresh Grapefruit (sale), 1 bag Fresh Bananas (marked down), 1 container Fresh Potatoes (marked down), 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread (sale), 1 bag Fresh Spinach (marked down)(Everything I purchased at Ingles was either on sale or marked down or I had a coupon.  All the produce was marked down some as low as 99 cents as you can see from the bright green stickers.)

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $2.48 at BiLo for 1 container Southern Home Butter Spread (This was on sale and it is about the only reasonable priced butter that we have found that is made out of soy instead of dairy since we have a family member not eating dairy right now.  I also received an additional 5 cent discount for bringing my own reusable bag.)

    Groceries from KMart

    KMart Groceries:

    • $6.00 at KMart for 6 big bags Smart Sense Wavy Potato Chips (I cannot remember the last time I found plain potato chips on sale for $1.00 recently.  With all the upcoming events and activities these will come in really handy!  Actually, I purchased them on Thursday and that same evening I used up one bag when a group of friends came over at last minute.)

    This week I spent $21.52  on groceries.   I went under on the budget this week, YAY!!!   I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on a few items we were needing to replenish in our fridge and pantry.  Hopefully next week we can come under budget and November will be a better month for us!

    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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Walmart &  Ingles

    It was a whirlwind of a week.  Jake had to head to Charleston for some work meetings, but we are thankful to have him back home with us again.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $8.96 at Walmart for 1 bag of Great Value Splenda Sugar Substitute, 1 bag Lindt Assorted Chocolate Truffles (FREE after coupon), and 1 jar Hellman’s Mayonnaise.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $38.66 at Ingles for 6 boxes Jiffy Corn Bread Mix, 2 packs McCormick  Enchilada Mix, 2 packs McCormick Chicken, 2 packs McCormick Burrito Mix, 2 packs McCormick Fajitas Marinade, 2 packs McCormick Taco Seasoning, 2 packs McCormick Chili Mix, 2 packs Chili-O Seasoning, 2 packs Chicken Marinade, 2 packs Meatball Seasoning, 1 bag Laura Lynn Potato Chips, 1 bag Laura Lynn Tortilla Chips, 2 bags Laura Lynn Sandwich Bread, 2 gallons Laura Lynn 2% Milk, 1 bag Sorrento String Cheese (sale plus coupon), 1 container Chocolate Cool Whip (marked down), 2 packs Laura Lynn English Muffins, 1 bag Rhodes Dinner Rolls, 1 box Tai Pei Orange Chicken (FREE product coupon), 1 bag Broccoli Coleslaw (marked down), 1 bag mixed Vegetables (marked down), 1 bag Yellow Delicious Apples (marked down), 1 tube All World Garlic (marked down), and 1 tube All World Sweet Basil (marked down).  (Everything I purchased at Ingles was either on sale or marked down or I had a free product coupon.  All the produce was marked down to 99 cents as you can see from the bright green stickers.)

    This week I spent $47.62  on groceries.   I went over on the budget this week.   I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on a few items we were needing to replenish in our fridge and pantry.  Hopefully next week we can come under budget and October will be a better month for us!

    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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Walmart, BiLo, & Ingles

    I didn’t have my act together enough last week to post pictures of my grocery shopping trip so I made a point even though this week was crazy to squeeze it in again.  When I stay on track with posting my grocery budget tends to do better too.  Earlier this week my husband informed me that we no longer had any bacon in the house so I picked up a couple packs for him.  🙂  This week I mainly stocked up on some fresh produce and bacon.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $2.61 at Walmart for 1 pack of Carolina Pride Bacon

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $6.46 at BiLo for 1 pack Smoked Sausage, 1 pack Southern Home Bacon, and 1 container Southern Home Spread (everything purchased at BiLo was on sale this week.)

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $18.93 at Ingles for 1bag Laura Lynn Tortilla Corn Chips (sale), 1 bag Laura Lynn Potato Chips (sale), 1 pack Laura Lynn Hamburger Buns , 1 loaf Laura Lynn Sandwich Bread, 1.25 pounds White Grapes, 1.55 pounds Red Grapes, 1 bag Yellow Apples (5 pounds), 1 container fresh Mushrooms, 1 container Idaho Bleu Cheese, 1 container Avocado Dip, 1 container fresh Strawberries, 1 container fresh Tomatoes, and 1 bag Fresh Express Caesar Salad. (Everything I purchased at Ingles was either on sale or marked down.  All the produce was marked down to 99 cents to $1.49 as you can see from the bright green stickers.)

    This week I spent $28.00  on groceries.   I went under on the budget this week.  I am not sure how I did it but somehow I managed to spend money at three stores and end up with an even amount (that doesn’t happen very often).  Hopefully that is a sign that it will be a good grocery month for us.  I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on bacon for my hubby.  Hopefully next week we can come under budget and September will be a better month for us!

    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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Ingles

    Now that I am home again and school is in full swing I am trying to do better at posting my weekly grocery update.  Thanks for hanging in there with me as I traveled, spent time with my family over summer vacation, and transitioned in the new school schedule.  It is nice to get back in to the routine and giving you regular updates (they really do help me stay on target).   I was super excited to score some great fresh produce on clearance at Ingles this week (our garden is almost done producing).  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $16.83 at Ingles for 1 container of Mushrooms (clearance), 1 loaf Laura Lynn Sandwich Bread (sale), 2 packs Vegan Gourmet Cheese (clearance),  1 bag fresh Brussel Sprouts (clearance), 1 bag fresh Broccoli (clearance), 1 gallon Milk (sale), 2 pack Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough (clearance), 1 tray Apple Slices & Cheese (clearance), 1 pack fresh Snow Peas (clearance), 1 pack fresh Sugar Snap Beans (clearance), 1 bag Chipotle Coleslaw (clearance), and 1 bag fresh Cauliflower, Carrots, & Broccoli (clearance).   Everything was marked down, on sale, or on clearance including the non-dairy cheese because we have a family member who is not currently eating dairy (all produce was $0.99 or less) at Ingles.

    This week I spent $16.83  on groceries.   I went under on the budget this week, but only because I had a few weeks that I wasn’t tracking the spending well and went way over!  Thankfully we are stocked up on most items so I could save a little from this week to spread out over the rest of the month .  I was happy to find some cheese deals and some fresh produce on clearance that should last us for quite awhile especially with the girls taking lunches to school everyday.  Hopefully next week we can come under budget and September will be a better month for us!

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I made some progress last week on my goals!  Thankful for the opportunity move forward on my goals despite a busy 2012 first quarter.  Since I have a conference for part of the week the list will be shorter.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week – the girls were sick this week
    4. Go on my Date Night with Jake (we got free movie tickets so excited to enjoy some time away together) – We gave away our free movie tickets because we had to cancel our Date Night, the kiddos got sick.  🙁 I am hoping to get it rescheduled soon.
    5. Get the girls Birthday Party Details Started

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this weekI did it again (victory dance).  It has helped give me more energy throughout my days too!
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – was bad about this one, it was after 1 am one night
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – still working on it
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Get my Travel Visa Application Sent

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – it was closer to 6 pm a couple of days
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office
    6. Update Family & Friends Contact Information – glad to have this information updated 🙂

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Start working on 2011 business taxes – gathered the information and paperwork but nothing more yet

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – moving forward on this goal
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. 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

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time shopping the sales this week with all the extra stuff going on around here (including sick family members for a couple days), but I was able to go to a couple stores and pick up some stuff.  Most of the stuff I stocked up on were items that we can use over the next few weeks.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Walgreens

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $27.93 at Ingles for 1 loaf Laura Lynn Bread, 2 boxes Act II HomePop Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Light Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Butter Popcorn, 2 bags Laura Lynn Oyster Crackers, 2 jars Vlasic Dill Relish, 3 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 1 container Deans Onion Dip, 2 boxes Yogurt (clearance for 50 cents each), 1 block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 bags English Muffins, 4 tubes Laura Lynn Texas Biscuits,  2 tubes Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and 2 loaves French Bread.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  I was able to pick up some more cheese on sale, and used some coupons for the items purchased!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $7.27 at Walgreens for 2 gallons Milk, 1 box South Beach Granola Bars, 4 boxes Mountain Dew (12 packs),  (everything was on sale, I used coupons, registered rewards, and I received $5.99 in Register Rewards back to use towards my next purchase.)

    This week I spent $35.20 on groceries.  Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time.  I was thrilled to stock up on bread and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week.  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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I am back on schedule with sharing my grocery budget for those who asked if I was continuing (thanks for checking on me).  While the girls were out of school for the Holidays and Jake had a few days off work I decided to take a break from posting my Groceries $40 for 4.  I did stay close (I went over by a little bit) to our target budget but did not take any pictures since my priority was spending time with my family during the Holidays.  Now that school and work are back to normal routine I plan to share  regularly with you.   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.


    Groceries from Ingles, Walgreens, and KMart

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $30.04 at Ingles for 3 boxes Fiber One Blueberry Yogurt, 4 boxes Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt, 1 box Laura Lynn Taco Shells, 1 bottle Eggnog, 1 container fresh Portabella Mushrooms,  1 container fresh Black Eye Peas, 1 container fresh Raspberries, 4 packs Laura Lynn Sharp Cheddar block cheese, 4 bags Sargento Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, 4 bags Sargento Shredded Mexican Cheese, 1 box Laura Lynn Oatmeal, 1 head Caulifornia, 1 head Lettuce, and 1 bag Coleslaw. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  All the produce was marked down to $0.99 cents, the yogurt was marked down to 50 cents, and all the cheese was on sale!  We should be stocked up on cheese for awhile, somehow we manage to go through a lot in our house!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $3.58 at Walgreens for 2 gallons of Milk (the milk was on sale for $2.79 each and I used a $2.00 coupon)

    KMart Groceries:

    • $3.00 at KMart for 12 pack A&W Root Beer (on sale and a special treat for my husband since he works so hard to provide for our family I decided it was worth the “splurge” for him.)

    This week I spent $36.61 on groceries.  Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time plus it allows me a little extra to spend next week if I find a great deal.  I was thrilled to stock up on produce and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week.  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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    School is continuing at full throttle and we are finding ways to stay busy, ha!   I was able to get some great items on clearance and stock up on some lunch box items.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Aldi's and Walgreens
    Aldi Groceries:
    • $48.39 at Aldi’s for 4 boxes Macaroni & Cheese, 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 2 boxes Moo Tube Yogurts, 1 box refrigerator Pie Crusts, 4 bags Cheese Sticks, 2 boxes Seasoned Potatoes, 1 three pound bag Chicken, 1 bag White Tortilla Chips, 1 bag Sugar Wafers, 1 bag Cheddar Nuggets, 1 box Oatmeal, 2 packs Taco Seasoning, 1 box Butter, 2 blocks Cheddar Cheese, 4 boxes Vanilla Pudding, 1 container Light Sour Cream, 1 bag Granulated Sugar, 2 Blueberry Pancake Mixes, 5 boxes Tropical Fruit Rolls, 1 bag Carrots, and 2 containers fresh Mushrooms (I was able to get several of these items marked down at Ali’s, which is rare for me, yay!)

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $1.21 at Walmart for 4 boxes Baking Soda, 3 bags Disney Car Marshmallows, 1 two liter Lemon Lime and 2 gallons Milk (the Baking Soda & Milk was on sale and the Marshmallows & Lemon Lime was on clearance.  I used a couple Register Rewards towards the purchase.)

    This week I spent $49.60 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.     Thankfully I had extra in the grocery wallet to cover the expense.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the 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.

  • 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 freezer and pantry so we should be good for awhile. I stocked up on a mix of perishable and 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!

    Aldi’s Groceries Deal:

    • $30.02 at Aldi’s for Graham Crackers, Tator Tots, Vidalia Onions, 4 Cotton Candy, 3 packs 93% Lean Ground Beef (on clearance), Sandwich Wheat Bread, Celery, Ice Cream Cups, 3 packs Easter Frosting, Cheese Sharks, Baby Carrots, Cucumber, Parmesan Cheese, 2 cans Cut Green Beans, and Watermelon.

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week I spent $30.02 on groceries.  Even though I was close to budget 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.

    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.