"Use It Up" Challenge ... Let's Keep It Up!

 I returned from my road trip with food. My mom gave me many pounds of meat - pork belly, ground pork, pork and beef ribs, pork steaks, and I don't even know what else. She also gave me frozen broccoli, cauliflower, jalapenos, onions and red bell peppers that she had put up and a load of freeze dried green bell peppers. Additionally, she gave me a whole heap of pantry items that she had salvaged, from where I am uncertain but I'm not particular. There are loads of beans, garbanzo and otherwise, tuna, almond butter, pasta, hominy, canned veggies, salsa, English muffins, eggs and more. So, with this 'free to me' haul, I am going to press on with my 'use it up' challenge. I will, of course, purchase perishables. This seems like a good time to use my grocery money to stock up on household items. Let's see if I can get ahead of the game!

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 April 25: B- eggs and English muffin; L/D- tacos.

April 26: B- boiled eggs, Bishop's bread, tangerine; L- 1/2 bologna sandwich, charcuterie; D- green chile chicken enchiladas. Fridge = 2.

April 27: B- boiled eggs, Bishop's bread, tangerine; L- leftover green chile chicken enchiladas; D- tostada; Snack- English muffin with damson plum jelly. Fridge = 3.

April 28: B- boiled eggs, Bishop's bread, tangerine; Snack- work supplied donut, banana; L- charcuterie; D- scrambled eggs, sausage, English muffin. Fridge = 2.

April 29: B- fried eggs, English muffin; L- quesadilla with refried black beans and Mama's salsa. D- Applebees.

April 30: B- Panera breakfast sandwich; L- ramen with scrambled eggs and mushrooms; D- short ribs, grits, and roasted carrots.

May 1: B- corn flakes; L- breakfast burrito; Snack- peanut buster parfait; D- philly cheesesteaks. Pantry= 2; Freezer = 2.

May 2: B- sausage, eggs, English muffin with plum jelly; L- ramen with egg and mushrooms; D- quesadilla with homemade salsa.

Total Pantry = 2

Total Fridge = 7

Total Freezer = 2

I'm getting there!

"Use It Up" Challenge Continued... Again

 I am heading out on a road trip, yet I continue to accept the challenge to use up what I have. When I sorted the pantry, fridge and freezer out not too long ago, I determined that I would take as much of my own food as possible on this trip. I made a list of things that I could take inspired by what I had on hand but knowing that it would have to be supplemented with some grocery shopping, i.e. cowboy caviar and chips and pasta salad. I was proud of this plan. After getting through a birthday celebration and a special Easter dinner, I found that I only had $7 left in my grocery budget. I decided NOT to go to the store and get those supplemental items. I would HAVE to make do and USE IT UP. I found bologna and honey ham in the freezer. In the pantry, I found mustard, peanut butter, bread, sweet potato chips gifted to me by a friend, British chips brought by Maceo at Christmas time, a bag of crackers leftover from Christmas charcuterie, cheese puffs that were given to me at work, a handful of nilla wafers, and a small box of Moroccan cookies. Also, in the pantry, I found pretzel rods and white chocolate and made chocolate covered pretzels. I found, in the fridge, cheeses leftover from Valentine's charcuterie and Easter dinner; as well as, gourmet jams and mustard. I found lemon drops and gum from my Christmas stocking, leftover biscuits wrapped in plastic wrap on the table, a banana and tangerines in the fruit bowl, and a grapefruit in my lunchbox. I packed all this up, tossed in some boiled eggs and the bread Bishop baked for me the evening before the trip and press on with the challenge.

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April 18: B- boiled eggs, biscuits and plum jelly; L- bologna sandwich and sweet potato chips; Snack- chocolate covered pretzels; D- boiled eggs, cheese, tangerine and Bishop's bread. 

April 19: B- gouda and ham on crackers with brown mustard, sweet potato chips, half a grapefruit, banana; Snack- chocolate covered pretzels; L- bologna sandwiches, cheese puffs; D- Blake's Lotaburger green chile cheeseburger and seasoned fries. Pantry = 2.

April 20: B- leftover Blake's; L/D- New Mexican food at a restaurant, enchiladas with green chile.

April 21: B- bologna sandwiches; L/D- pizza from the hut, pepperoni with green chili; Snack- Moroccan cookies. 

April 22: B- leftover pizza, the other half of the grapefruit, Bishop's bread, tangerine; L- green chile cheeseburger, pineapple slaw, and a strawberry and chile lemonade from Sparky's; D- baked potato. Fridge = 1.

April 23: B- Mama made eggs, bacon and toast; L- treated to stuffed sopaipillas at a cafe; D- Mama made a roast with carrots.

April 24: B- Mama made eggs, bacon and toast; L/Snacks- bologna sandwiches, Maceo's British chips, nilla wafers, lemon drops and gum; D- Bishop greeted me with steak, avocado, potatoes, chocolate and oat cake with hazelnuts and fruit compote topped with whipped cream. Pantry = 1, Freezer = 1.

Total Pantry = 3

Total Fridge = 1

Total Freezer = 1

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I didn't end up finishing off a ton of stuff from the pantry, fridge and freezer but I did make a dent!

"Use It Up" Challenge Continued

 I am going to press on with my "Use It Up" Challenge. I am going to attempt to reset my food storage. This was a goal that I had at the beginning of this year and some new developments seem to reinforce that goal. Our grocery budget has now been divided amongst the three of us remaining at home and we are largely preparing our food independently. Herb is eating keto, Bishop has gone largely meat free and sugar free, and that leaves me to my own devices. So, I am digging deep into my food storage, using what I have, and learning what works for me; what foods I prefer and how much time I want to devote to food preparation. I am evaluating what aspects of my meal planning, storage and prep method that I developed while raising the kiddos still applies and what I should let go of. I am purchasing perishables; otherwise, I am crafting meals from what I have on hand.

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April 1: B- a breakfast sandwich given to me by a coworker; L- spaghetti, tangerine; D- a very healthy meal of donuts leftover from work. Pantry = 3; Freezer = 1.

April 2: B- breakfast sandwich from Panera; L- leftover hamburger helper, roll, mini tomatoes, chips and salsa; D - huevos rancheros. Pantry= 1; Fridge= 2.

April 3: B- cornflakes; L-leftover brisket, greens and coleslaw; Snack- bran muffin; D- pork stir fry and dumplings. Pantry = 5; Freezer = 3. 

April 4: B- boiled eggs and muffins; L- leftover stir fry; Snack- muffins; D- spaghetti with Italian sausage marinara, broccoli. Pantry = 2; Freezer = 1.

April 5: B- boiled eggs and muffins; L- leftover hamburger helper, greens; D- roast chicken and root vegetables. Freezer = 1.

April 6: B- boiled eggs and muffins; L- potluck at work; D- Texas Roadhouse for Christian's birthday.

April 7: B- leftover steak from Texas Roadhouse and eggs; L/D- Christian's birthday meal of grilled bacon and onion sandwich, grilled veggies, and New York style cheesecake. Pantry = 1; Fridge = 1; Freezer = 2.

April 8: B- cornflakes with blueberries; L- leftover chicken and grilled veggies; D- leftover bacon sandwich and grilled veggies.

April 9: B- cornflakes; L/D- Easter meal of ham, peach chutney, oven roasted asparagus, loaded brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, rolls, cream cheese pie. Pantry = 8; Fridge = 1; Freezer = 1.

April 10: B- cornflakes; L/D- Easter leftovers.

April 11: B- cornflakes; L/D spaghetti and leftover greens. Pantry = 2; Fridge = 2.

April 12: B- boiled eggs, baked cheese crackers; L- leftover spaghetti and greens; Snack- graham crackers with frosting; D- steak, baked potato, banana pudding. Pantry = 3; Fridge = 1; Freezer = 1.

April 13: B- boiled eggs, baked cheese crackers; L- leftover steak and greens; D- leftover steak, egg and biscuits with jam. Pantry = 1; Fridge = 1.

April 14: B- boiled eggs and biscuits; L- leftover ham and greens; Snack- baked cheese crackers; D- macaroni and tomato sauce, grapes. Pantry = 5; Freezer = 2.

April 15: B- cornflakes and scrambled eggs; L- leftover ham and green bean casserole; D- spaghetti at Roxie's and pie day.

April 16: B- panera breakfast sandwich; L- leftover ham and green beans; Snack- leftover banana pudding; D- leftover macaroni and tomato sauce, greens, blueberries. Fridge = 1.

April 17: B- cornflakes, boiled egg; Snack- chocolate covered pretzels; L- leftover macaroni and tomato sauce, greens; D- scrambled eggs with ham, leftover biscuits with the absolute best damson plum jam that has just been languishing in my pantry forevsies, leftover greens.  Pantry = 3 

Total Pantry = 34

Total Fridge = 9

Total Freezer = 12

"Use It Up" Challenge

 From the beginning of the year until now, I have been focusing on preparing meals using what I have on hand. It can be referred to as a pantry challenge but I refer to it as my "Use It Up" Challenge. This is an opportunity to dig deep in my food storage and use up what I have on hand. It encourages me to clean, organize and rotate my food storage and to use those odd bits that somehow make it into my pantry and have been left languishing. And, let me tell you, this challenge has been desperately needed; as is evidenced by the fact that I am STILL challenging myself nearly three months into 2023. Every bit of my food storage space had become a chaotic mess, overcrowded and disorganized, so it was past time to do this "Use It Up" Challenge. Challenges such as this also help me reduce my spending, which is a good thing in helping me reach certain goals. In the past, I have tracked my progress in this challenge by documenting what I served for meals and how many items have been entirely used up from the fridge, freezer, and pantries. This go around I haven't been tracking this information because I would do that on my IG page and have determined not to use that page. However, now that I have revived this blog I can track my progress in this challenge right here. Let's do it!

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March 19: B- Panera mac&cheese and smoothie; L- Panera salad and fried chicken thigh, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies; D- Italian sausage and peppers pasta, green beans, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Pantry = 2; Fridge = 1.

March 20: B- Panera sandwich; L- leftover pasta and green beans; D- chili sauce marinated chicken thighs, sauteed cabbage, and blueberry cream cheese filled chimichanga. Pantry = 3; Fridge = 1.

March 21: B- blueberry cream cheese filled chimichanga; L- peanut butter crackers; D- chicken and veggie stir fry, dumplings, apple with caramel dip. Pantry = 5; Fridge = 1.

March 22: B- boiled eggs and toast; snack- apples and caramel dip; L- leftover chili sauce chicken and cabbage; D- leftover corned beef and cabbage. Pantry = 1.

March 23: B- boiled egg, mozzarella sticks, and cheesy crackers; L- leftover corned beef and cabbage; D- steak and green bean casserole. Pantry = 5; Freezer = 1.

March 24: B- boiled egg, mozzarella stick, and toast; L- potluck at work, I brought snickerdoodles; D- leftover steak and green bean casserole.

March 25: B- bagel with cream cheese; L/D- brisket, coleslaw, greens, chimichurri, peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. Freezer = 3

March 26: B- muffins; Snack- chips and salsa; L- leftover corned beef and cabbage; D- leftover brisket and peanut butter cheesecake. Pantry = 1.

March 27: B- charcuterie; Snack- chips and salsa; L/D- tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Pantry= 3; Fridge= 1.

March 28: B- Panera breakfast sandwich; L/D: leftover green bean casserole, hamburger helper. Pantry= 1.

March 29: B- boiled egg, mozzarella stick; L- leftover hamburger helper, leftover green bean casserole; D- 1 1/2 mini pizzas.

March 30: B- boiled egg, mozzarella stick, pumpkin bread; L- leftover hamburger helper, chickpea fritter; D- new hamburger helper, leftover fritter. Pantry = 2; Freezer = 1.

March 31: B- boiled eggs, mozzarella stick; Snack- donuts at work!; L- leftover hamburger helper and fritter; D- 1 1/2 mini pizzas. Pantry = 1; Fridge = 1.

Total Pantry = 24

Total Fridge = 5

Total Freezer = 5

Frugal Accomplishments: A Very Brief Update

Christmas.  New Years.  A Funeral. 

Life is coming at me fast and furious.  As is often the case when life gets to moving so quickly, I have failed to post routinely.  But now I am back and ready to go.  Obviously I won't be able to share all of my frugal accomplishments but I do have some good ones to share with you.

I am really quite pleased with my Christmas-related frugal accomplishments.  I will share those accomplishments with you in a separate post.

I have also challenged myself to No Spend 2019.  I have my own unique parameters and goals.  This, too, will get it's own post.

So what is left to post here?  Hmmm....let's see...

-The hubby and I were successful with staying within our agreed upon grocery budget of $600 per month.  I would like to see this amount come down a little bit but having grocery-related restrictions is new to the hubby and is difficult for him so I will settle for this amount and consider it a success when we stay within this amount.  I should clarify that this amount does cover household and hygiene items in addition to food items.

-After having such wonderful success keeping my Christmas expenses down by using Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks I am intent on working Swagbucks this year and finding other similar ways to earn some cashola.  I have signed on to several other survey sites and am using some apps that involve uploading my receipts.  I have already earned enough swagbucks to get a $10 Amazon gift card.  And I have more than $60 between the other sites.  I am not one to spend a ton of time doing these sorts of things.  I have many other things that I need to accomplish so I am just intent on working them slow and steady.  I am finding that some are more natural for me to use than others.  I will do a post reviewing these sites a bit later.

-Another little thing that I have done is to sign up for free stuff.  Just little free stuff.  It's a fun little hobby that doesn't cost me a thing, well, maybe a little time.  (Again, I guard my time pretty carefully so I only put in minimal effort).  I have already received three packages of free stuff and it's a little like Christmas receiving those packages.  The first was cat and dog food.  There was enough food in those samples to feed my pets two meals and they gave me coupons.  I have received a package with a travel size deodorant and some gum which, of course, will come in handy at some point.  And, finally, I received the little package below which will be wonderful in the hubby's stocking next year.  It's fun, it's easy, it's free!

-I really prefer to have a well-stocked "pantry"; one that is full of food, household and hygiene items and even gifts.  Presently my supplies are low and I really want to change that - intentionally, incrementally.  As we were down to samples of toothpaste given to us by the dentist (note: the boys had the toothpaste that was in their stockings but the hubby and I were not so fortunate to receive such a prize in our stockings) I decided to focus on household and hygiene items.  I have been working CVS.  At this point in time all my purchases have fit in our grocery budget; I really hope that I don't go over.  I have been doing a great job though.  Twice I have made purchases in which the balance due was $0.  Yup, $0.  I literally got two tubes of toothpaste, two bottles of conditioner and a large bottle of dish soap with $0 out of pocket.  I now have us well stocked on shampoo and conditioner and reasonably stocked on razors, toothpaste and laundry detergent.  I really need to get a good stock of toilet paper and dish soap so I'm going to keep working.

-Unfortunately, I had to travel nearly a thousand miles for a funeral.  Anticipating the new year I knew that this trip would happen at some point this year; however, I was not prepared for it to happen so early in the year.  There is never a good time for these sorts of things but this moment was really not the best financially - property taxes were due, entry fees for Bishop's art shows and college application fees were needing paid, there was a birthday and we were just coming off of Christmas.  Fortunately, I did not overextend us during Christmas and I found ways to keep the travel expenses down.  We took that trip and still paid the property taxes on time.  Here are some things that I did.  I packed all of the on-the-road meals.  I boiled eggs and made mini muffins for our breakfasts.  I packed sandwich fixings for our other meals.  All the candy from our Christmas stockings and such were packed for snacks.   The funeral service was scheduled for 9 am and the gravesite portion of the service was an hour away from the church so I knew that we wouldn't have a good chance to eat if we didn't eat first thing in the morning so I baked some chocolate quick bread and some mini quiches and packed some fruit.  It worked out really well and held us over until the family dinner at 3:30.  Everything worked out really well and saved us a lot of money.  I do wish that I had thrown a case of water in the vehicle as we did purchase two bottles of water at convenience stores on the way there and then again on the way back.  We could have had an entire case of water for less then those four bottles of water cost me.

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

December 9 - 15

Just throwing together some thoughts and accomplishments here...

-Bishop has pottery for sale at the studio that he creates at and he sold more of it.  It's so affirming for him and gives him some cashola.  It also serves as a reminder that I need to get my act together making some money of my own!

-We have friends that host an annual gingerbread house decorating gathering where we bring our own stuff, share decorating items and just have fun together.  Bishop never actually does the gingerbread.  Keeping that in mind I just didn't buy a kit.  I did need to take something to the gathering as we always have munchies on hand so I made cupcakes from items that I had stocked in the pantry.  I had cake mix that I stocked up on at $1 and frosting for $1.50  and I decorated it with festive sixlets that I had leftover from a previous project.  So nothing out of pocket at this time and the items were previously purchased at lowest price.  I love a well-stocked pantry.

-I don't typically send out Christmas cards anymore.  I'm not certain what happened.  I used to send them out like clockwork - they would be sent out the day after Thanksgiving.  Now I just don't send them out.  However, this year I did want cards to accompany some gifts that I was sending out to my son in London and daughter in L.A., my parents and siblings.  I didn't purchase nor give them Christmas specific cards.  I just looked through my stash and used what I had on hand.  Some received cards painted by a family member.  Others received cards made with my photography.  And others received quirky postcards; such as, a postcard that encourages you to collage fruit stickers all over it.

-I mailed out the aforementioned packages to family member with stamps that I had on hand.  These were a hodgepodge collection of stamps from pre-"Forever" stamp times.  I used the self-serve machine in the lobby of the post office to determine the price and put on the appropriate amount of postage.  I think they look fun and interesting!

-I worked Swagbucks and redeemed some for an Amazon gift card that I will use for Christmas presents.

-I discovered some free samples sites.  It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

-I created a progress chart for paying things off.  It is good for me to have visual reminders.

-Bishop has been helping a bakery with their Christmas orders and they have been sending food home with him.  It is so appreciated.  He is learning new skills and helping feed the family!  Double score!

-Gift giving done quite frugally with pride.  Total spent is $328.79.  Although I am not done yet it does include gifts for 25 people, this includes my kiddos (and husband) who have multiple gifts, shipping for those that are going to family in other parts of the country or world, and wrapping for all.  At this point the only thing that is not included are stockings, some odds and ends, and I might add a little cashola to a gift or two.  Full disclosure I don't count the cost of items that have been in the gift stash for over a year.  Examples of this would be the flannel shirts and pajamas that I bought through Kohl's, Ebates, etc. years ago and had never gifted the boys.  If it was added to the gift stash after Christmas of last year than what I spent counts towards this total.  An example of this is that towards the end of December 2018 I made a calendar for my Dad and his wife, I had a coupon for a free calendar from Shutterfly but I did pay for it to be shipped to me, I counted that expenditure in the above total.  Some items were absolutely free; such as the items purchased through Amazon using gift cards earned through Swagbucks. (give referral info).

-I purchased highly discounted toothpaste and stocking stuffers at CVS using Extracare rewards and coupons.  The hubby needed a new tube of toothpaste and the second tube I saved for a son's stocking.

-The buche de noel that is pictured above was made by Bishop at a baking class.  This is a class that we paid for and he learned to make four different traditional Christmas treats, including stollen and panettone.  Everything he made he brought home.  Although the class was not cheap I do consider classes such as this as a frugal accomplishment as long as I am budgeting them in properly.  And here is why...  These types of classes function as education and entertainment.  They teach a skill that can be parlayed into a money-making or money-saving venture in the future.  Additionally, they produce something that benefits the family.

That is all I have for you this week!
See you again soon!

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

December 2 - 8

The husband and I came to an agreement regarding the grocery budget.  We put it into practice this week and it has been a success.  He has agreed to a $600 per month grocery budget; for us this includes all household and hygiene items as well as food for family members and fur babies.  I put $150 cash in an envelope at the beginning of this week for us to use for our shopping.  We spent $156.45 this week so we went a little over the weekly amount but are still definitely on track for the agreed to monthly amount.  This is an area that has caused a great deal of stress for me over the last year and a half and it is so encouraging to have had a successful week.  To top it all off, when assessing how the week went the hubby and I both thought that we had eaten well over the week; there was no sense of deprivation.  This is huge; this totally increases the odds that we can persist and succeed.  Accordingly, most of the successes of the week that are noted below have to do with food.

So, here are a few of my successes for the week:

-One day I unexpectedly became responsible for dinner after having been out of the house all day.  I was so tired and so tempted to just get some pizza.  I resisted that temptation.  Instead, I thawed ground beef in the microwave and made tacos.  I added a bit of diced pepper that I had harvested from the garden just before the big freeze.  This one lonely pepper was beginning to shrivel but I got to it just in time and it added a nice little something to the meat.  I served it with taco shells that I purchased at a highly discounted price because the packaging had been damaged.  Of course, the taco shells had been broken just a bit, as well.  We just used the broken bits of taco shell to make taco bowls.  Everyone enjoyed it, maybe even better than pizza.

-Our little group of homeschoolers get together for a science group on Wednesday mornings.  Then those same kiddos have pottery in the afternoon so we have taken to having lunch together; we affectionately refer to this as lunch club.  When deciding where to have lunch I spoke up and requested that we select some place that is inexpensive.  Everyone else seemed relieved.  We ended up having Chinese at a restaurant that has been around for 24 years but none of us had ever been to it.  It was so cheap and so very good!

-Bishop's pottery studio hosted an open house and pottery show and sale.  Bishop participated and sold some of his pottery.  He earned $45.  They also had a special for that one day that allowed me to buy $100 gift certificates for 20% off.  I purchased $300 worth for $240 as I knew that Bishop's class (pottery, drawing and painting) would be coming due soon!

-The hubby made an excessive amount of bacon one morning for breakfast.  He then utilized it for lunch - he made a pasta dish akin to pasta carbonara.  He used  a box of fettuccine that I got for 66 cents as the box was slightly damaged.  It was very delicious and satisfying.

-For St. Nicholas Day we cobbled together a feast using what we had on hand.  Herb made schnitzel and served it alongside dirty rice and a tomato salad that were leftover from lunch.  The tomato salad would normally be made with balsamic vinegar and olive oil but we were out of those ingredients so he used red wine vinegar and sesame oil.  He also added some olives that we had leftover from Thanksgiving.  I made a pitcher of lemonade using some concentrate that I had in the freezer so that the beverage would be a little festive.

-I haven't pulled out any of my Christmas decorations yet so I improvised for my St. Nicholas Day centerpiece.  Using part of our grocery budget I had purchased the gold coins and chocolates and spiced cookies so I put them in a wooden trencher alongside some oranges removed from our fruit bowl and mixed nuts leftover from Thanksgiving.  Beautiful and festive and everyone has enjoyed grazing on it all week.

-Speaking of not having decorations out yet...  I wanted to put together our advent calendar but didn't have out our most traditional one.  Last year I did something unconventional and bought one from Aldi with little chocolates in it.  I had saved the calendar thinking that I might try to make a variety of homemade chocolates to put in it.  I didn't make any progress throughout the year on learning how to make proper chocolates but that calendar was readily available in my food storage pantry so I just put some mini chocolate bars in it.  I used part of the grocery budget to get the candy and the remainder will be put in the stockings.  It was convenient and fit in the budget!

-At one point during the week the hubby had it in his head that he needed a couple of whole chicken fryers.  He kept texting me whenever I would be out and about asking me to get these chickens.  I simply replied that I would only get them if I were already going to the store for something, I wouldn't make an extra trip, and if there was enough money in the envelope.  He accepted that.  One morning he went to the store with the envelope and purchased two fryers that had just been marked down.  Success.

-The hubby was also amenable to having a conversation about menu planning.  He is accustomed to cooking what he is desiring when he desires it and that is not the best way to keep a grocery budget under control.  One day he got several meat items out of the freezer and when I asked what he had planned he said that it depended on what the family wanted to eat.  I suggested to him that there was a different way to plan menus based on the best use of our resources - that we make those items that utilize perishables first and those that utilize shelf stable items towards the end of the week.  He heard that and enacted that.  Another success.

-I got my 2019 planner for $5 after using Walgreens rewards when purchasing.

-I got that planner just in time as the very next day I had the need to use it to schedule some time with a photographer.  There is a photographer in town that has decided to do a project - 40 Women Over 40.  I simply made an appreciative comment related to the project on his facebook page and he invited me to participate.  I agreed.  I will get a makeover, photo shoot and $250 in prints just for agreeing to be part of the project.  I am a little overwhelmed but a lot delighted.  I haven't had a professional picture taken in probably 17 years and being the family photographer there just aren't that many pictures of me.  I think that the timing is perfect as I explore who I am separate from my role as homeschooling mom.  Isn't this cool?

-Even at the end of this week there are no Christmas decorations out but the living room has been taken over with Christmas wrapping supplies.  I typically don't love to wrap presents but I have been having a good time this go around.  It has long been my goal to only use brown craft paper for my wrapping (and any gift bags that I might still have on hand).  I have steadily worked my way through my wrapping paper stash over the years and have resisted the urge to buy any clearance paper.  I like the idea of using the craft paper (that I get at the dollar store) because it works for all occasions, there is no need to have different types of paper for Christmas and birthdays (adult vs child) and baby showers, etc.  I just use different ribbons and tags for different occasions.  I think that this approach is going to work for me.  So I pulled out the tags that I punched from scrapbook paper and vintage ephemera.  And I pulled out the ribbon that I have owned for years after buying it a thrift store, and the twine that I purchased at the dollar store and the ribbon that I have purchased at Hobby Lobby on 50% discount.  And I wrapped some gifts.  I love them.  I think they are beautiful.  I know that they are frugal.  And they are so me!

The Weeks Frugal Accomplishments

November 25 - December 1

Sunday:  Well, it wasn't a no spend day but I didn't spend on anything that wasn't necessary.  I did make a trip to Lowe's to by some things that were needed for Bishop to finish a couple of Boy Scout merit badges.  This isn't something that could even be delayed.  Bishop has his Eagle Scout Board of Review in a week and he really needs to have his merit badges completed for his Eagle Palms.  That being said, I made the best choices possible.  I went cheap!

I am also making significant progress on developing a plan for a side hustle.

I can do this!

Monday:  I splurged a tiny bit.  For our Boy Scout meeting this evening I had planned an art walk through part of our city.  It has turned quite cold here so I thought it would be delightful to have hot chocolate available for the boys to take with them on the walk or to have after the walk or both.  So I did swing by Aldi and score some hot chocolate and disposable coffee cups with lids.  A friend, who is a caterer, brought a big pump thermos filled with hot water and some leftover flavored whipped creams that she wanted out of her refrigerator.  I grabbed a bag of marshmallows that I had on hand.  Altogether it was a fabulous treat to go along with a fabulous evening and was totally worth the $10.
Our meals were a win today.  We successfully used some leftovers.  I made some more rolls using the bread dough in the freezer.  Than we used the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and white cheddar leftover from the Thanksgiving grazing table to make sliders.  For dessert we had leftover cranberry sauce.  Yum!

Tuesday:  OK, I had a fail today.  Sigh.  I had my keys stolen and this will cost me.  Tomorrow I will pay about $36 to have the computer adjusted in the car so that it will not recognize the stolen key fob.  Then at some point in the future I will have to buy a new fob and those things are NOT cheap.  Ugh.  On the other hand, I also had a frugal success and made significant progress on my Christmas giving.  There is a project that I have long had in mind and I have now completed the project.  I will be sharing it with many members of my family.  Because of that fact, I must remain a bit cryptic on my blog but I can say that I am really proud of it.  When I completed the first one I actually cried a smidge and each one cost less than $6!
On Sunday Herb had made chili for hot dogs, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Today, for lunch, we utilized that chili to make chili mac and then, for dinner, we had chili dogs again.  A little redundant but a stellar use of our leftovers and of what we have in the freezer.  During the summer we stocked up on really good hot dogs and shoved them in the freezer.  And by stocked up, I mean that we could probably feed our family lunch and dinner for a month on those hot dogs alone.  It feels good to be using what we have on hand.
Last week the hubby and I had a good conversation about our finances.  He agreed to a budgeted amount for our groceries.  That amount is really generous in my opinion as it is the same amount that I used for the groceries when all six members of our family were home.  But I felt that he needed that little bit extra so that is what I suggested and that is what he agreed to.  He also agreed to the envelope system for the groceries.  Yet after we got paid today he went by the grocery store for no real reason at all.  He came home with $42 worth of groceries.  I deducted that amount from the budgeted amount and reminded him of the agreement.  He took it well.  I hope this works.  I will consider it a win for today!

Wednesday:  Bishop and I had science group today which usually means that we also go out to eat (we call this lunch club :)).  Today we didn't eat out but each family brought food for a fantastic smorgasbord.  I used items leftover from Thanksgiving to create a grazing board.  After lunch we went to our local science center.  They actually had a sale on annual memberships.  So I paid just a smidge more than what was necessary for today's admission but I know have a full years membership.  We already have plans for our science group to return.  Money well spent.
I also took the vehicle in to the shop to deal with the key issue.  It didn't get taken care of.  I spent two hours of time only to find out that they couldn't do what they said they could.  At least I didn't have to pay any money out on this situation just yet.
I met a friend for dinner and decided to treat her.  We only ordered soup and an appetizer.  Good food and great company for a low price.  Score!
The ornaments that I purchased at buy one get one free came in today.  I also sorted through my gift stash.  With the gifts that I made yesterday and the ones that I found and received today I have a total of 27 gifts.  I spent an average of $4.83 on each gift.  I am feeling pretty good right now.  I still have some presents to go and I have to get some things shipped but I am doing pretty well thus far.

Thursday:  A no spend day!!!  Love it!!  Although the hubby really wanted to go to the store to pick up a couple of items for a recipe he wanted to try, we avoided the grocery store using what we had on hand to prepare meals.  I promised him I would do bigger shopping tomorrow.  In preparation for that shopping trip I made a tentative menu and shopping list.  (Tentative because I am not the only one that prepares meals and things don't always go as I planned).  In the freezer, I have a corned beef so I added cabbage to the shopping list.  With the leftover corned beef I will make reubens, so I added rye bread to the shopping list.  We have a ton of hot dogs in the freezer.  We will probably have a meal of hot dogs but I also want to come up with something different so that we aren't too bored.  I have puff pastry in the freezer so I can make puffy pig in a blankets.  I might use them in a grilled cheese sandwich or in corn muffins for a corn dog type meal.  I have leftover spaghetti noodles from this evenings meal that I will either try in a frittata or make a pan fried noodle dish with.  Herb wants to make sweet and sour pork and a pork belly bacon sandwich (I think, that's what he said).  That gives us a week of main meals.  We can use leftovers, ramen and tuna for other meals and, of course, eggs and oatmeal for breakfasts.  I even gave thought to what to send with Bishop for his lunch tomorrow.  Bishop has history classes on Friday's.  The classes run back to back and they just eat lunch during class so we pack a lunch.  I admit that I usually pick up something for him at Panera.  I was prepared to do that again tomorrow then realized that if I got around properly in the morning I could make him something delicious.  I thawed some chicken today.  I thought that it was a couple of thighs that I could make a chicken noodle soup with but it turned out that it was chicken wings.  I am thinking that I can cook those up in the morning before class.  Buffalo wings or even fried chicken would make a great lunch.  Another option would be pizza.  I have a can of pizza dough in the fridge that could quickly be prepared.  Planning ahead is the key to making wise choices.
Other successes for the day include putting together a box of 46 homeschool resources to take to the consignment shop tomorrow.  I also put together a bag of stuff to take to the thrift store.  I will remember to get a receipt for my donation.

Friday:  I failed to mention some things yesterday that I will take liberty and put on today's record.  We have been doing better on utility usage as of late.  For years the hubby lived in housing where utilities were included in his rent and became accustomed to leaving lights on and running the a/c on high non-stop, etc.  To be honest, I think he also kept lights and music on because he was alone and it felt less lonely to him to have it all on.  His habit has continued now that he has returned home.  He will turn on nearly every light in the house and leave them on.  I have been gently trying to get him to be more conscious of just how much that habit costs us.  My thought is that if it increases the quality of his life significantly than it is worth the output in funds, assuming we have the funds, but if it doesn't than that money could be better spent.  Unfortunately, I don't think that he thinks that much about such things so it has been difficult to ascertain whether this expenditure serves any real purpose or not.  All of that to say, for whatever reason he has begun turning lights off with more regularity.  I hope that this continues.  Additionally, I have been working on a habit of mine.  I don't like to be cold and, unfortunately, I get cold rather easily so I tend to keep the heater higher than most might.  I evaluated the cost of my preference and wondered if I would rather spend that money in a different way.  The truth is, it is more important to me that Maceo's tuition be paid and that Bishop's college application fees are met.  For that, I can adjust my habit and I have.  I sleep in the coldest room in the house but I have piled on wonderfully warm blankets and have stayed rather toasty...mostly.  When I get a little nippy I play a little game.  It is my dream to live in a campervan for a while and tour the country.  There will be cold evenings during that venture so I try to look at this moment in this cold room as training.  I think about how I will address a similar situation in the campervan and I try out ideas.  So, yes, sometimes I find myself sleeping with a stocking cap on in my own home.  It doesn't feel like deprivation because of the goals that I have set for myself and the dreams that I have.

Saturday:  I took that bag of donations to the thrift store.  I remembered to grab a receipt so that we can deduct it on our taxes.  I also took the time to look at the children's books.  I needed two more gifts and thought that it was worth looking since I was already there.  I found two like new books that are just classics!  I am delighted with them and I only paid $1.50 for them.  I now only have to get gifts for two more people... oh, and wrap gifts... and get gifts shipped... and plan when the extended family will come over for hot chocolate and their little gifts... and plan and set up the hot chocolate bar!!!
I worked some on the little business that I hope to get going very soon - a little cottage industry.  I have a bit of a timeline in place and did significant research and planning today.  I am feeling very positive about the venture.  I am feeling like it is a good fit for me - that it works with my strengths and interests and time.  I will be sharing more very soon!  (There is a hint contained in this post!!)
And I have a HUGE blessing to report - I found my vehicle keys!!!  I am now so thankful that the auto shop was unsuccessful on Wednesday!  My keys were in another bag that I had in the vehicle.  I'm not certain how the vehicle locked with the key fob in the car.  That has happened one other time although it is not supposed to happen.  Curious!  I am sooo happy to have my keys - to know that the vehicle is secure and to not have to put out hundreds of dollars for a new fob!!!

It has been a good week financially.  We have been focused and deliberate.  It has felt very good.  I hope the success continues next week.
See you then!

Getting Back on Track and Celebrating Frugal Accomplishments

November 15 - 24

I know.  It has been so very long since I have written about my frugal accomplishments.  It has been many months of exciting and unexpected things happening in our family.  Maceo and I traveled to London twice for acting school auditions.  Maceo got in to the school of choice so there was tuition and room and board to come up with and a trip to London for Maceo and Christian.  We had Maceo's graduation celebration with a lot of family in from out of town.  We had a scheduled family trip to New Mexico and then a second unexpected trip after a nephew/cousin unexpectedly died.  We've had plays to be in and attend, scout camps and court of honors to organize and attend, an Eagle Scout project to do and so much more.  This year has been quite the doozy.  Now I find myself at the end of the year trying to catch my breath and find some balance.  And what I find is Christmas is upon me, the property taxes are due, our monthly house payment is going up because our property values have increased, Maceo's tuition has to be secured as the G.I. Bill will not cover the school he is in (this was unexpected, sigh), Bishop will be graduating and possibly heading off to school, Keegan just got engaged, and a family member in another state is in poor health.  There have been moments (just brief moments) of anxiety but, as a whole, I am feeling inspired to get focused and do the wonderful, responsible, creative things that save money and allow me to spend it on what is most important.  So, with renewed determination and focus I resume my celebration of frugal accomplishments!

Thursday/November 15:  Last night I made our Thanksgiving Day menus and a thorough grocery list.  Today I cleaned out the main freezer, food storage pantry and everyday pantry, a task that was seriously overdue.  I was able to cross many grocery items off of the shopping list as I had them in stock.  I also made an inventory list of the items that we have on hand and began constructing menus around these items.  This is a technique that I have found to be very successful but I have had limited ability to employ once my husband retired and returned home.  My rhythm has been totally disrupted but I am trying to resume doing the things that I know will help us be more efficient.

One of the things that I resumed was to have a smorgasbord on the day I clean the freezer or fridge.  It is so odd how little tiny bits of this or that end up lost in the freezer.  There were three buffalo chicken tenders, three egg rolls, two spring rolls, a handful of fries, three breakfast burritos, five waffles, two servings of meatballs, a slice of pizza and some potstickers.  So I cooked them all up and offered them up to the family buffet style.  They loved it.  My boys said that they missed me doing this.  My boys are happy and my freezer has space for Thanksgiving groceries.  We also had a treat of hot chocolate with big dollops of cool whip in them.  I found a little bit of cool whip in the freezer.  It was not enough for our Thanksgiving meal so I really wanted it out of the way.  Everyone thought that it was a decadent treat.  This is a great start to another beginning.

Friday:  I spent some time today exploring some websites and facebook pages about frugality.  I am finding inspiration and motivation.  I found Mr. and Mrs. Frugalwoods and they said something that has really stuck with me.  They said, "We decided to start from the assumption that we'd spend $0 each day and that every dollar we did spend was a debit against our future."  There were several times during this day in which this came to mind, when I wanted to buy just a nibble to snack on or a delightful little extra and I resisted.  Even while grocery shopping this quote came to mind.  I would consider little extras but this thought gave me a new perspective and I found it easy to stick to the shopping list.  Towards the end of the day I ran into an old friend who I hadn't spent time with in quite awhile.  She wanted to have dinner and catch up with each other.  I thought about the quote and determined that this moment in the present was worth that debit against the future and agreed to dinner.  I was truly surprised and blessed when she refused to let me pay; how very gracious of her.  And what a truly successful day.

Saturday:  I did spend money today, let's see what it was on...
I filled up my gas tank and look forward to seeing just how long I can make this tank of gas last.  I used to know just how much I spent on gas per month.  I am now out of touch.  It is now time to refresh my memory and adjust for new habits.
One suggestion that has been given is to wait 72 hours before making a purchase.  I have heard this many times in the past but have never employed the technique.  I thought I might give this a go but I did make a purchase today that I didn't think on for 72 hours ... not exactly anyway.  It is traditional for me to give Christmas ornaments to each of the kiddos.  I purchased some of the ornaments today as I found some that I liked for 'buy one, get one free.'  That offer was set to expire today.  Now I only thought about these particular ornaments for about 12 hours but I had researched other ornaments so maybe, in some sense, I had a 72 hour thinking period!
I bought some poster board at Walgreens today.  I used $5 in reward and ended up spending about $2 for multiple sheets of poster board.  The quote mentioned yesterday popped into my head as I was at the store.  Then, immediately, I realized that this $2 wasn't a debit against our future but an investment towards our future as I needed white poster board to use as a backdrop for Bishop's art that I need to photograph for art school applications and art competitions.  An investment, I tell you!!
A definite win today was dinner.  I was put on the spot suddenly as to what was going to be served for dinner.  (There is a back story to why this happens but I will share that later, maybe).  I remembered that I had found a bag of taco meat in the freezer while cleaning it out.  So I pulled it out, heated it up along with some refried beans, and served it alongside the rest of the fixings for burritos.  The kiddos gave it rave reviews!
I also got the yard cleaned up today.  It was really important that I get the yard work done as some cold weather is supposed to be moving in.  I cut what was remaining of the herbs.  I harvested quite a bit!  I also brought in the succulents before the freeze sets in.
It was a pretty good day!

Sunday:  I had some disappointment when I really took a good look at the checking accounts.  Sigh.  Otherwise, the day was successful.  I finished the grocery shopping, picking out the remainder of the Thanksgiving items and some odds and ends to make some quick meals if the need arises.  I bought only what was on the list, nothing more.
Herb made a nice lunch using what we had on hand, including some of my herbs.
I made banana bread for a snack and for tomorrow's breakfast.  When I cleaned out the freezers I found approximately a million frozen bananas.  We have lots of banana bread in our future.
I ended my evening eating some warm banana bread and sipping hot apple cider out of a mug that Bishop gifted me for Christmas some years back.  It was my first cider of the season.  Others had had some cider so there was only a little bit left.  That bread and cider made for a wonderful, and frugal, end to the day.

Monday:  The other day I got the Shutterfly app and, through it, received a code for ten free cards.  I made thank you cards using photos of Maceo in London to send out to those who gave him graduation gifts.  I paid $7 for the shipping and received 10 perfectly stunning cards in return.  Now it's time to do some 'thanking'.
I have also been doing some brainstorming about ways to bring in some money.  I am working on some ideas that I am certain I will share with you soon!

Tuesday:  Today was a really great day full of fun and fulfilling activities.  Bishop and I started our day with a field trip.  Our science group and some other friends went on a field trip to the landfill.  It may not sound exciting but it was actually very interesting.  We love activities like this and it was free, other than the gas needed to get there.
From there Bishop needed to get to a little bakery where he was having the opportunity to help them fill their Thanksgiving pie orders.  This was a huge win that redeemed a huge fail.  I had signed Bishop up for a pie making class at this bakery.  It was to have been a week ago but I forgot and he missed the class.  I sent them a message apologizing for having missed the class and they offered to have him come in, give them a hand getting their Thanksgiving pies made while he worked on his pie making skills.  He took them up on the offer.  He spent four hours in a professional bakery using big time professional equipment making the pie crusts for their pies.  He even brought home a maple bourbon pecan pie (with his pie crust) that is absolutely amazing.  These pies sell for around $45.  I think that was a pretty good "makeup lesson."
Now, between the field trip and the pie making I did swing through the Taco Bell drive through.  It was the only money that I spent today.  No regrets!  It was relatively inexpensive and sustained Bishop through all of his activities, including the drawing class that he had after pie making.
He had a really great day!!!

Wednesday:  This proved to be a very special day.  The kiddos bought me tickets to see Elvis Costello in concert in St. Louis.  They even paid for the gas that I would need for the drive and gave me money to stay at a hotel if I needed it (I decided to just drive home, may have been folly but I managed).  Bishop joined me and treated me to dinner.  I, personally, did spend $60 to buy shirts for  Bishop and I and I have zero regrets about that.  The evening was amazing.  It was a dream come true.

Thursday:  Ahhhh, Thanksgiving!  The day was full of food prep and visiting and sleeping.  I kept busy which is a great way to keep from spending money.  I did buy a bag of ice and a small bottle of tea; otherwise, spent nada.  I prepared way too much food which I hope will feed us for days.  I guess, we'll see.

Friday:  Feasted on leftovers today which, of course, makes for a fabulously frugal WIN!  The other frugal win of the day would be processing some photos that are needed for some Christmas presents.  After utilizing a code for 50% off then using my rewards for a further reduction in price, I spent 85 cents.  Also, I was originally going to have these gifts printed and bound at a printing center.  I, instead, purchased some presentation folders from Staples online.  I saved the nearly ten dollars in shipping but just requesting that it be picked up in-store.  And to top it all off, I used the shop & earn feature to get some Swagbucks from those purchases.

Saturday:  I'm going to end the week on a really strong note.  I spent $0 today!!!
I was tempted several times but resisted.  Also, I accomplished a task that I have been failing to complete for months.  I love how being determined not to spend money not only frees up money but seems to free up time as well, time to complete things left undone or begin things that have long been desired but somehow never had time for. 

Ta-da!  I did it!
I managed to complete a blog post and make some progress on financial awareness and goals.
Hopefully, you will be hearing from me again soon!!!

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments - Using What I Have

February 11 - 17

What has happened this week?
I have been busy using what I have!

I did a LOT of scrapbooking.  I have made a lot of progress on Maceo's senior scrapbook without spending a penny.  I will soon be in need of glue sticks but I have still have plenty of paper and such.  There will be a lot more pages next week.  Awesome.

The boys and I went to the museum to scope out some cool exhibits and it was FREE!

I went by Walmart for a gallon of milk and I came out with quite a bit more.  Typically that would be a bad thing but not this time.  This time I scored - I spent $55 and I got 30 3/4 lb. meat which means I got the meat for what would be $1.78 lb. ; however, it is not all I bought for that $55.  I also got a large jar of spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, hoagie rolls, a gallon of milk, two gallons of water, four toothbrushes and four bottles of fingernail polish.  Big SCORE!!!

I kept it simple for Valentine's Day.  I did buy the requisite heart shaped donuts and pizzas.  I also bought one bag of Valentine's themed hershey's kisses.  Otherwise, I used what I have to present it in a special way.  I plated the donuts on cake plates.  I refreshed the hot chocolate bar putting everything in pretty little glass dishes.  I pulled out the white with red trim diner plates and the red cloth napkins.  Then I placed vintage valentines around the set up.  It was cute, simple, festive.

The fingernail polish was such a great deal that I went back to get a couple of bottles for my grand niece who celebrated her 6th birthday this week.  She loves to paint her nails.  So I made her very happy for only $3.  It was top line nail polish for $1 each.  I wrapped them in a small red bag with a flocked heart on it.  This bag was purchased about a decade ago (while I was living in Utah) at a post-Valentine's sale.  I tell you, I can work gift wrapping!

I have been doing some deep cleaning and found bags of sample sized products.  I am beginning to work my way through them yet am leaving some for all the trips I will be taking next month.


52-Week Challenge:  I didn't deposit anything new into this account so the balance remains $55.

Learning Jar O' Change:  The previous balance was $79.93.  To that I add $3.04 for a new balance of  $82.97.

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments and a Step Toward Financial Fitness (aka a credit card was paid off)

February 4 - 10

Sunday:
Most us stayed close to home for Super Bowl festivities.  Our family teams weren't represented in the Super Bowl so the party was more simple than it would be otherwise.  However, football food has to be prepared for this football-loving family.  I scored a great deal on brats so that became imperative to serve.  Then we made three different types of dips.  For a little something sweet I made football shaped chocolate sugar cookies.  This dough was found in the freezer clean out and made for a perfect Super Bowl sweet treat.  I also have a supply of football themed serving dishes and such so I pulled them out for an instant party.  Go Eagles!
Yay Eagles!

Monday:
We ate leftovers today.  There were even extra brats.  The boys were happy!
For a sweet treat today, however, I heated up the homemade chocolate sauce that I made the other day.  I used it on the last of the ice cream.  The boys used it as fondue with some marshmallows we had on hand.  Yum!
I bought a couple of new clothing items to freshen up my wardrobe.  They were deeply discounted.  I hope they are all that they appear to be.
I have a pair of black patent doc martens that I bought a couple of years back.  I needed them to finish an ensemble for an event I was going to.  Well, I really wanted the regular finish but the store didn't have them and I needed a pair so I bought the patent pair.  I have found, however, that I don't like the shininess of them so I haven't worn them in over a year.  This evening I researched ways to paint those boots.  I am optimistic that I can create something that I will enjoy wearing.  I will keep you updated.

Tuesday:
I had to go to the store for some milk and roses (for a gift and the smile on the recipients face was totally worth the cashola spent!).  While there I picked up some chicken at eighty-nine cents per pound, two packages of brats at $1.99 each, and ground beef that was discounted by $2.
Maceo's first college audition has been scheduled.  He is applying to schools in the UK so a trip is in our near future.  I began planning the trip and am trying to be responsible, trying to make good choices.  I am getting in the right mindset.

Wednesday:
Although last weeks emphasis was on communication and some progress seemed to have been made, the struggle continues.  Today I noted that I struggle with differences in the way that my husband and I view our food resources.  He researched a marinara sauce that involves using ribs and chicken to add flavor to the sauce, not substance just flavor.  Although I had no doubt that this would be yummy and, of course, I let him cook as it is his hobby, I struggled with the notion that these were all going to be rolled into one dish instead of three separate dishes.  We did find a bit of a compromise.  All the meat was pulled out of the sauce and will be used.
This evening I used the chicken and sauce to make chicken cacciatore.  I served it with rice and kale chips.  Yum.
A bit of a fail (but only a bit because the company was stellar) I did spend money eating out for lunch.
I made an effort to try to organize my clothes a bit so as to be more resourceful with outfits.

Thursday:
We used the sauce that Herb made yesterday to have spaghetti for lunch.  I topped mine with leftover kale chips and it was absolutely wonderful!
Dinner was simple with hot dogs and Super Bowl leftovers - queso, cheesesteak dip, and veggies.
A relatively large check of back pay came in today.  We deposited using the banks mobile app then used it to pay off a credit card.  Outstanding debt is now the house, one vehicle and a student loan.  We are making progress!
On the "not intentionally frugal but turned out ok" front:  Maceo and I went to Kohl's to by him a tie to match the dress that is girlfriend will be wearing to a dance they will be going to together.  I thought I had a 20% off coupon but it wasn't effective yet.  Shrug, we went ahead and picked out a tie, went to the register and learned that these ties were buy one get one half off.  The lady at the register was so helpful and generous.  We were already at the the checkout and were hesitant to grab another tie because he didn't really need another one so she offered to mark this tie down by 25% which is what it would have cost individually if we had done the deal.  Isn't that sweet?

Friday:
Herb made some great taco meat.  We actually had tacos for both lunch and dinner.
We received a check, a back payment, that allowed me to pay off our last credit card.  That's awesome.
A little less awesome is the difficulty that the hubby and had today conversing about finances.  On the surface it seemed to go well but things happened that confirmed that there is a disconnect.  So frustrating.  This transition is difficult.

Saturday:
I spent money today.
I had a LOT of photos developed.  I realized that I had to get moving on Maceo's Senior year scrapbook and Bishop's scouting scrapbooks.  Maceo graduates in June and Bishop, if he is going to rank up to Eagle, has to Eagle before January 5, 2019.  So, I decided that I needed to get focused.  As I said, I printed a LOT of photos.  Walgreens had a discount code that I used getting each photo printed at 10 cents instead of 29.  Then I spent the evening organizing Maceo's senior year photos and ephemera and got a little scrapbooked.  It will be slow going at first as it has been a long time since I have scrapbooked but it will pick up I am certain.  I did have to buy glue sticks, otherwise I am using what I have on hand.  I have plenty on hand.

52-Week Challenge:  The previous balance was $50.  To that I add $5 for a new total of $55.  (I have now done the 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 25).

Learning Jar O' Change:  Bishop donated $10.47 to the learning jar.  That donation is added to the previous total of $69.46 for a new total of $79.93.

Last Weeks Frugal Accomplishments - Gaining Traction by Getting on the Same Page (or at least trying to)

January 28 - February 3

Sunday:

The most fun frugal thing of the day would be going to see Maceo perform Titus Andronicus for free.  When I arrived I was pleased to see several friends there.  So, in addition to seeing a great performance I got to have some great conversation and connect socially.  Yay me!!!

Although the performance was free I did choose to donate some money to the theatre group as I believe that what they contribute to our community is of great value!

The most important accomplishment of the day that contributes to financial fitness was having a very good conversation about finances, priorities and the vision that we each have for our lives.  He has lived alone for some quite some time and I have lived with the kiddos and we have each developed different approaches to grocery shopping and such.  I buy groceries once every two weeks, he buys groceries nearly every day.  This difference makes it very difficult to budget effectively.  When he first came home I would go do the big grocery shopping then I would note that he would go to the store almost every morning to pick up other items and our budget would be big time blown.  I have since reduced my big shopping as a way to accommodate his preference.  I am still not absolutely satisfied but the talk today might help get us on the same page.  We also talked about more than just groceries, such as the need to have money for Maceo's college applications.  He knew we were getting ready to submit the applications but hadn't thought about the application fees.  We have to work hard to have a common understanding of our financial situation.

Another frugal accomplishment would be my solution for dinner.  Herb had plans to make dinner and I assumed it would be done when Maceo and I returned from his show; however, we returned and there was no dinner as Herb was not feeling well and had slept the entire time.  I decided that I would make a lasagna with the meat sauce that I had in the freezer and some oven ready noodles that I had in the pantry.  I had just begun assembling it when Herb awoke and wanted to go to the deli to buy some fried chicken.  After he saw that I had already started dinner he opted not to go to the deli and I was pleased that that money stayed in our account and we used resources that we had on hand.

Monday:
I think conversation will be the theme of the week.  I had another good conversation with the husband about our grocery budget.  We haven't fully developed a plan but at least some things have been shared and illuminated.
After an evening of scouts and theatre and such the boys were hungry.  I thought that the hubby was making dinner while we were gone but that didn't quite happen so I had to come up with something quickly.  I found leftover taco meat in the fridge, fried up some taco shells, prepared some other fixings and the boys were content with this late dinner.
As my husband has finally come home from the army and we have tried to transition I have found meals (and our grocery budget) interesting (read: difficult) to plan.  The hubby loves to cook so he wanted to be the primary meal preparer when he returned home.  He is, however, accustomed to certain meals, has his own rhythm and physical limitations (and his own way of shopping).  Sometimes there are meals when anticipated and sometimes there aren't, sometimes the meals work for the kiddos and sometimes they miss the mark.  I have found that it is helpful to have some sort of real quick meal in mind, something that can be thrown together very quickly that will satisfy the boys.  First, I had lasagna in mind because I had meat sauce in the freezer.  I made that on Sunday.  Then I had tacos in mind.  I made that tonight.  So, what next?  I think breakfast burritos.

Tuesday:
I made banana bread for breakfast or lunch or a snack or whatever.  The boys made omelettes to go with it.  Herb made chicken croquette mix for lunch.  Those of us who wanted it for lunch fried up what we wanted.  We dredged the croquettes in crushed pretzels using the last of the pretzels and all the crumbs in the bottom of the bag.  I ate mine with the last of the tzatzki sauce that was leftover from the slouvaki that we had a bit ago.  When I did the grocery shopping last I scored a really large pork shoulder roast.  Herb cut it into fourths, froze some of it and roasted some of it today.  He didn't know what to serve with it and he was fatigued so I removed the roasted pork from the pan and put potatoes, carrots and apples in the drippings to roast them.  Also, I got the chorizo out of the freezer.  After it is thawed I will fry it up and have it ready for breakfast burritos.
Bishop managed to score a little job at the pottery studio as a teaching assistant and earned a bit of cash.  SCORE!
Maceo's performance troupe had a show this evening.  He was given one comp ticket.  I used that ticket to watch a really fantastic show for free.

Wednesday:
I spent the morning paying the bills.  I am still trying to work out a system that works well for both Herb and I.  I guess we'll see if I managed it this month!
When I cleaned the freezer I put the inventory on a chalkboard in the kitchen.  I usually do it on a piece of paper that I post on the freezer but I got to thinking that the chalkboard was larger and in the line of vision so it might work better for Herb.  He noticed and liked it.  Hopefully it will help him keep abreast of the resources that we have on hand and will reduce the amount that he goes to the grocery store.  That's he said as well so that is very encouraging to me.
I ordered some boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Zaycon after my niece recommended it and gave me a coupon code.  I ordered 40 lbs. of breasts and paid $39.  I will pick these up next month.  SCORE!
I was craving something sweet, knew there was a bit of ice cream in the freezer but wanted some chocolate syrup to top it off.  I made some syrup using cocoa powder that was super yummy.  I combined 1 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. cocoa powder, and 1 c. cream and brought it to a boil.  I then added 1/2 c. butter and let it to continue to boil until it thickened.  Then I removed if from heat and stirred in 2 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 tsp. salt.  It was so yummy.  It reminded me of the chocolate sauce my Granny used to make.


Thursday:
I did the grocery shopping today.  I went to Aldi and, for the most part, stuck to the list.  I added a few extras like pork ribs at $1.99/lb.  I also went by Walmart to pick up some items that I couldn't find at Aldi.  I needed a smidge of steak to make a cheesesteak dip for the Superbowl.  I found some sirloins on manager special; two big nice sirloins.  I bought both of them.  Even on manager special it was more than the $2/lb. that I shoot for when purchasing meat but I needed some for the dip and thought the extra would make a nice treat of a meal.  While at Aldi I picked up a take and bake baguette to serve alongside the cheesesteak dip.  When I got to the check out counter I found that the package was torn so, of course, I didn't purchase it.  Which turned out to be a good thing as I found a baguette at Walmart for fifty-five cents.  I also found sliced deli corned beef on manager special.  It did fit my specifications so I bought some and tucked it into the freezer.  I think corned beef sandwiches will be one of those quick dinners that I have on hand when I suddenly become responsible for putting together a meal.  I also picked up some Walmart pizzas to serve for lunch when I got home.  That has been something I have done for years.  It simplified life for me as a geographically single parent.  I didn't know if it would be needed, I didn't know if Herb had made anything but I went ahead and got it figuring it would be eaten at some point if not right away.  I got home and found that it was, in fact, needed.  I was grateful to have it.
When I got home I put those pizzas in the oven and got to unloading groceries, organizing the food stuffs and getting it put away properly, which now includes updating the chalkboard if something goes into the freezer.  This system might just work.
Herb and I reviewed the system and he noted that it looked as though the freezer was quite well stocked.  While doing that I went out on a limb (at least it felt that way) and suggested trying to cook with what was in the house, only going to the store for perishables.  Surprisingly, he liked the idea and accepted the challenge.
Herb used some of that pork roast to make a really fantastic carne adovada.  Everyone loved it and it utilized some of our massive stock of corn tortillas.  Win.
I put together a gift for a friend that lost every material possession, excluding the clothes on their backs and their cars, in a house fire.  I utilized some items that I had on hand and combined it with meaningful things that I purchased.  I collected from around the house theatre memorabilia that would be relevant to her and her son (thank goodness I always pick up extras), a mouse pad that has family art printed on it (a mouse pad is something she requested), a pottery vase that Bishop made and tucked them in an extra basket that I had on hand.  I also printed some photos off of her Facebook, framed them in frames that I purchased at Hobby Lobby and also included a calendar and planner that I purchased at deep discount at Hobby Lobby (again, items that she requested).  I think she will find it all meaningful and I didn't break the bank.
Oh yes, I almost forgot... another great find at Walmart was three different makeup products for $3 each.  I got powder, mascara and brow mascara, all Revlon.  I am actually not brand loyal nor am I loyal to specific products so I look for things on sale.  My all-time favorite pressed powder, which made me look as if I had been airbrushed, only cost me $1.

Friday:
I have a full evening tonight and a full day tomorrow so I felt that I really needed to focus on being organized.  I made pumpkin bread.  I loaf served as a snack for today and the other was saved for a quick breakfast tomorrow morning.
I put baked potatoes in the oven alongside the pumpkin bread to serve alongside the steaks that Bishop made for lunch.
Bishop was having a friend spend the night and I would be having to get out the door so I purchased some pizzas from Papa Murphy's for them to prepare when they were ready for dinner.
I ushered at our community theatre so I was able to see a production of West Side Story at no cost to me.  Afterwards, my sister, who ushered with me, and I went to the improv theatre to watch Maceo perform.  We paid $5 for admission but that is pretty cheap for some quality entertainment.

Saturday:
Bishop, his friend and I got up early to head to a neighboring town for a cool opportunity.  We began our day with the pumpkin bread.  Herb, who gets up much earlier than the rest of us, also made us bacon and scrambled eggs.  It was perfect.
The boys and I took a field trip to watch a high school debate.  It was sooo cool and has contributed much to our conversations.  This experience cost us a little bit in the form of gas but was otherwise free.  Afterwards, we hooked up with some friends who live in the area and had lunch together.  Bishop and I did splurge, we had dessert and everything, so not the most frugal but it did make for a nice afternoon.
Later that evening, Bishop made some dinner after thawing some ground beef.  Herb had leftovers all day long.

52-Week Challenge:  The previous balance was $47 and to that I added $3 for a new balance of $50.  (I have now done 25, 12, 6, 4 and 3).

Learning Jar O' Change:  The previous balance was $67.91.  After adding $1.55 the new balance is $69.46.