• Living on a Budget: How to Save on Fresh Meat & Produce

    P1290377c

    There are many ways you can save on groceries.  I have had a lot of people ask me for recommendations for ways to save without using coupons or for stores that typically do not allow coupons.  One of the complaints I have heard a number of times is that they find it hard to locate coupons for items that they purchase regularly like fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, and meat.

    I have three easy and simple ways to help you save on groceries and it doesn’t matter where you shop, you can buy organic or not, and you don’t have to find, cut, or bring coupons to the store either!  Are you ready to start saving?!

    1. Snap by Groupon – I learned about this way of savings on groceries from my friend Ashley at Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life  just this week and have already saved over $3.00 in two grocery store trips.  The money saved was for staple items that we needed in our house like milk, bread, fruit, and vegetables!!!  How it works – Go to the Snap website and sign up or you can download the Snap app for your iPhone or Android device.  You can either look through their current offers or go to the store and check their website or app when you are there or when you get home.  I typically get what I need and then check to see if there are any additional savings for anything I purchased.  Once you have purchased your items “snap” a picture of your receipt, pick the items with savings on the website, and you get cash put into your account. You will get an email immediately confirming that your receipt is being processed and in about 48 hours you get another email confirming that the money is in your account.   After you get at least $20 in your account you get a check!  Based on my experience this week it will not take long to get enough money in the account to get your check.  Even though I have just started using Snap by Groupon it is very similar to a program I have been using for awhile now that works really well which I will share with you next!
    2. Checkout 51 – is one I have been using for awhile now.  I have continued to purchase my normal groceries at all the stores I like to shop at and having been earning extra savings along the way.  It really doesn’t take long at all to accumulate your $20 and the extra money back on items I am already purchasing is always nice!  Right now I have am about halfway to getting my next check.  I noticed that some of the items for both Checkout51 and Snap by Groupon are the same so I get extra money back from both sites on the same item which is makes it even better.  How it works – Go to the Checkout 51 website and sign up or you can download the Checkout 51 app for your iPhone or Android device.  Look at the current offers either before or after you go to the store.  Upload your receipt using Checkout 51’s website or app, select the items you purchased, and you will get money added to your account.  You will first receive an email stating they are processing your receipt and usually within a few minutes to hours the money you earned is credited to your account.  Once your balance reaches $20 you cash out and get a check.  The Checkout 51 deals run from 12:00 am Thursday (in each timezone) until the next Wednesday at 11:59 pm.  This is an easy way to get extra money back on your groceries for items you already purchase no matter what store you go to and you don’t need to have any coupons with you, plus based on my experience it adds up pretty quickly.
    3. Shop the Clearance Racks for meat,produce, dairy, and other items –  When I am in the store I always walk the outer aisle to check out the fresh produce, dairy, meat and more.  A lot of times the stores will mark down perfectly good food that is near expiration date.  Most of the time if you use it within the next few days or freeze the items they are fine.  Make sure you look over the items and if they appear to be in good condition go ahead and try it!

    Example of how I saved using these three methods on my most recent grocery trip to Aldi’s:

    • 2 pomegranates – $0.49 each
    • 1 Muller Greek Yogurt + Blackberry and Raspberry – $0.49 (was marked down on clearance)
    • 1 Acorn Squash – $1.29
    • 1 Loaf of Bread – $0.89 (Received $1.00 back from Snap by Groupon which is more than the price of the bread)
    • 1 pound Sweet Mini Peppers – $2.29
    • 8 Roma Tomatoes – $1.49 total (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
    • 2.43 pounds All Natural Ground Beef Sirloin (90% Lean) – $7.15 (was $11.15 and marked down $4.00 on clearance)
    • 2.09 pounds Bananas – $0.92 (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
    • 2 pounds Carrots – $0.79 (Received $0.25 back from Checkout 51)
    • 3 pounds Gala Apples – $1.98 (Received $0.50 back from Snap by Groupon)
    • 2 pounds Bartlett Pears – $1.58
    • 2 pounds Gold Russet Pears – $1.58
    • 2 pounds Red Grapes – $1.98

    On this shopping trip I spent $23.64 at Aldi’s and saved an additional $7.25 on this specific shopping trip on items already on my shopping list between Snap by Groupon, shopping for items on clearance, and Checkout 51.

    P1290388cHealthy & Easy Way to Wash Produce!

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our Target Gift Card Winner!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Myeshia U.

    for winning a

    Target Gift Card!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy your next trip to Target!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.  The actual gift card may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • 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.

  • Giveaway: $10 Target Gift Card

    I am thrilled to announce a new giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Target Gift Card!  The best part about this card is you can use it for almost anything from groceries, household items, clothes, birthday gifts, and much more.  Spring is just around the corner so maybe you want to get something for the yard or buy a treat for Easter or an upcoming trip.  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    Enter the Giveaway (up to 4 entries per person)!

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  Put a separate comment for each way you follow Blessings Multiplied (Email, Twitter, or Facebook) plus an extra entry for your bonus answer!   Each comment counts as an entry into the giveaway.

    All comments must be made by March 31, 2013 at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  Good Luck!

    The actual gift card may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 7)

    Our family finished week 7 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the seventh week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon of milk.  Most of the week we spent trying to clean out the fridge and eat up any leftovers we had because our family took a quick 4 day trip up to Vermont this past weekend!  Our family was not able to travel during the Christmas Holidays so we spread out our time with extended family.  It was great having the opportunity to spend time with Jake’s side of the family over the weekend!  The girls were super excited they got to see some snow too! 🙂

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 6)

    Our family finished week 6 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the sixth week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon of milk and a loaf of bread.  Now that we are back in the groove (at least for the moment) 🙂 it has been fun coming up with our menu plan that uses items we already have in our fridge, deep freezer, and pantry.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 5)

    Our family finished week 5 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the fifth week of this goal!  I have to admit this was the easiest week so far! 🙂  It was a great week for us and I didn’t have to purchase anything for groceries this week mainly because our family was away on vacation with extended family.  The best part is I didn’t have to cook or clean for a whole week while cruising with my family……it was AWESOME!  So thankful for an opportunity to spend some extra time creating memories with family.  The freezer and pantry are starting to show dents in them, but I am planning on continuing this goal at least for the next couple weeks of February.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 4)

    Our family finished week 4 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the fourth week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week were a few small items for an upcoming trip.  I wanted to clean out the fridge so we ate up some of the leftovers from the past weeks meals.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 3)

    Our family finished week 3 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the third week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon, 1 loaf of bread, and a handful of fresh produce.  Our menu was pretty basic this week, but mostly because it was a busy schedule this week.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 2)

    Our family finished week 2 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the second week of this goal.   The only things I purchased this week were a 1 gallon of Milk, a jar of Mayonnaise, and soft foods for my daughter who was recovering from tonsil surgery (bananas, popsicles, drinks, yogurt, etc…).  I was able to plan our menu around the foods we had on hand, plus Jake was traveling for a couple days this week so we tried to keep it a little simpler.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.