I am glad that I have reached week 35! Though I am not considered full term I could mostly likely safely have the baby at home. Monday I had my midwife appointment and all is well with baby. My iron level is good, I am measuring and weighing normal.
My husband lost his job so we are really tightening the reigns on any spending, even food spending. I am going to have to get really creative as to how I'm going to make healthy cheap meals. It's easy to make unhealthy cheap meals, but healthy, well balanced meals is a challenge. Beans, rice, veggies. They say there is so much you can do with them, but I lack creativity.
We are grateful that we no longer have a mortgage. We have a small bit of debt left over from the sale of the house, but thankfully that will be able to be paid over time (as much as we wanted to just throw big chunks of payments in there, that is not an option right now.) Plus Jake is out from under a very stressful job that was becoming too much pressure for him to perform as his boss desired and he hated to see all the poor decisions being made that have made the company go into this place of detriment. I am happy to have a hard working husband that does the best he can to provide for our family.
Time to get the birth kit together as we anticipate baby coming. My list is big, but I think everything will come together nicely. God knows our needs and we have so much family surrounding us if we get in tight spots. Plus, our midwife is so understanding regarding financials with the birth of the baby. If our health sharing network does not pay for 100% of the payment then we will need to make a couple payments to her. We are confident that things will work out just fine.
Christmas is just around the corner and we are looking forward to being with family, having fun, eating good food and being grateful for our eternal gift of life that Jesus brought to earth.
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, September 27, 2010
Cheap Ingredients
Times are tight financially for many of us and for stay at home moms its really not anything new. Lately, though, my husband I are really feeling the economy. Our home value has gone down about a third of its value in the last three years and I'm sure it will continue to sink until the economy turns around. This gives us extra pressure to pay extra on our mortgage. So in an attempt to save money we are cutting our grocery bill down considerably. Here are some ways we are doing this:
1) We are buying the least expensive food items. This is also the healthier choice. That means no processed foods, less salty/sweet snacks, and more "ingredients" rather than "prepared" foods.
2) We are doing as much self preparation of the meals ourselves as possible.
3) I will be planning and searching for meals with these less costly ingredients to try to maintain variety in our foods. Just because we are using inexpensive foods doesn't mean our table has to look the same every night.
So prior to throwing together my meal plan and shopping list I decided to sit down and compile a list of the least expensive foods to help build my meals around.
1) dry beans - I am currently on a quest to find crockpot recipes that include dry beans/lentils
2) lentils
3) whole wheat pasta (or make your own. I haven't gotten to that point yet though!)
4) Rice (We scored a 25 lbs bag at Sam's club for $15)
5) Potatoes
6) Bread flour instead of bread (I recommend buying a bread maker at a thrift store (make sure it has its owners manual) and make your own bread. It's not hard to dump some ingredients in and push a button)
7) Cabbage
8) Carrots
9) Celery
10) Onion
11) Canned tomatoes (I recommend canning your own rather than using store bought canned. It is much healthier, but I am sure I will resort to using canned at some point when my canned tomato stash is gone.)
12) Eggs This is especially inexpensive when you have family with chickens! Buying them from a farm in the country is also an inexpensive choice if they are not too far out in the country.
13) Bulk cheddar cheese - Sam's Club sells large block of cheese from around $10-$13. If you don't have a Sam's membership GFS is another excellent choice. Otherwise any other bulk food store should have large cheese blocks as an option.
14) Frozen veggies such as peas, broccoli, spinach, corn
15) Bananas (Packed with nutrients.)
16) Seasonal Fruits (The prices are going to vary depending on where you live. Check your local grocery ad for the best deals.)
17) Seasonal Veggies
That's all I can find for now, but I may update this post as I locate good inexpensive foods or if any of you have ideas for me.
1) We are buying the least expensive food items. This is also the healthier choice. That means no processed foods, less salty/sweet snacks, and more "ingredients" rather than "prepared" foods.
2) We are doing as much self preparation of the meals ourselves as possible.
3) I will be planning and searching for meals with these less costly ingredients to try to maintain variety in our foods. Just because we are using inexpensive foods doesn't mean our table has to look the same every night.
So prior to throwing together my meal plan and shopping list I decided to sit down and compile a list of the least expensive foods to help build my meals around.
1) dry beans - I am currently on a quest to find crockpot recipes that include dry beans/lentils
2) lentils
3) whole wheat pasta (or make your own. I haven't gotten to that point yet though!)
4) Rice (We scored a 25 lbs bag at Sam's club for $15)
5) Potatoes
6) Bread flour instead of bread (I recommend buying a bread maker at a thrift store (make sure it has its owners manual) and make your own bread. It's not hard to dump some ingredients in and push a button)
7) Cabbage
8) Carrots
9) Celery
10) Onion
11) Canned tomatoes (I recommend canning your own rather than using store bought canned. It is much healthier, but I am sure I will resort to using canned at some point when my canned tomato stash is gone.)
12) Eggs This is especially inexpensive when you have family with chickens! Buying them from a farm in the country is also an inexpensive choice if they are not too far out in the country.
13) Bulk cheddar cheese - Sam's Club sells large block of cheese from around $10-$13. If you don't have a Sam's membership GFS is another excellent choice. Otherwise any other bulk food store should have large cheese blocks as an option.
14) Frozen veggies such as peas, broccoli, spinach, corn
15) Bananas (Packed with nutrients.)
16) Seasonal Fruits (The prices are going to vary depending on where you live. Check your local grocery ad for the best deals.)
17) Seasonal Veggies
That's all I can find for now, but I may update this post as I locate good inexpensive foods or if any of you have ideas for me.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
10 Common Sense Consuming Tips
Being a one income family puts us into somewhat of a minority category. Those who have two full-time incomes might ask "How do you do it?"
Here are a few things we do to keep our spending at bay:
1) Keep up on our budget. Every 6 months or so I have to mentally prepare myself for the next period of life. So we (I) write down all our monthly expenses such as mortgage, this bill, that bill, food, household needs, etc. This gives me a good view of what we have and keeps me from spending too much.
2) Any shopping is done with cash. After each paycheck we make a run to the ATM to pull out our budgeted spending money and put it into envelopes. This includes food, toiletries, gifts for family, and other household purchases. If there is no cash left none is spent. This took me a little while to get used to. You have to remember to grab the cash you need before you head out to the store. For those grocery trips it keeps you from grabbing the expensive stuff and other extras like unneeded snacks and beverages. (Meal planning and making a shopping list is vital to saving on your grocery bill. This topic deserves its own post.)
3) Simplify eating habits. This includes not going out to eat, cooking with seasonal foods, and doing as much homemade bread baking as possible. Discover the bread maker. Find one at your local thrift store. (I have yet to calculate the amount I'm saving on making my own bread.) This can be a huge sacrifice for some people, but if you want to save good money strap on your cooking boot straps and get a low cost cook book at your local thrift store. You can do it.
4) Eat at the in-laws. This is my humorous tip. I know it is not for everyone, but it is something we do because my in laws are so generous. At least once a week, sometimes twice, we make our way over to Grandpa and Grandma's for supper. This is where my hubby gets his fill on steak and roast beef, which is meat we don't usually splurge on at the store. Plus I am the self proclaimed casserole queen who would rather dirty one dish than two or three.
5) Always be on the search for free fun in your community. Go to your town's website and find out what free things are offered. Connect with mom groups, schedule play groups at your house, etc. Get creative and work your right brain for a bit. Make a list so you have something to go to when you need some free fun.
6) Spend time at home. This sounds so silly, but its so true. If you go out somewhere you are more than likely to spend money unless you have a specific plan in which money is not involved. (Remember, gas is money too, so wherever you go you are spending money on gas.)
7) Need/want a big item? Go through your closet and find a pile of stuff to sell on craigslist. It is way easier than you would think. While going through your things keep on your mind "Do I want this item more than the one I want to buy?" to help you decide what should go and what should stay. Plus, your clutter gets cleared at the same time! It's always good to have a nice incentive for those mundane tasks.
8) Get out your mortgage now and then and do some figures. Look at your principle balance and remind yourself of your debt and make it a priority to get that paid off before you live the "high life" buying whatever you want.
9) Save your pennies. Since you're using cash to spend find a place to put it when you get home. when your jar/container/piggy bank is full do some good old fashioned coin rolling! It's a fund activity the whole family can get into.
10) Be thankful for what you have. If you are a person who loves to shop and you want to stop being the overspending consumer get yourself a grateful journal. Make one last special shopping trip to get a pretty journal because if you dedicate yourself to not spending you're going to need a way to vent. Whenever you get that itch to go out and spend write in this journal. Spend time thinking about what you have, material or otherwise and remind yourself that life does not consist of stuff. Write about family, memories, fond thoughts of your favorite places in nature.
Here are a few things we do to keep our spending at bay:
1) Keep up on our budget. Every 6 months or so I have to mentally prepare myself for the next period of life. So we (I) write down all our monthly expenses such as mortgage, this bill, that bill, food, household needs, etc. This gives me a good view of what we have and keeps me from spending too much.
2) Any shopping is done with cash. After each paycheck we make a run to the ATM to pull out our budgeted spending money and put it into envelopes. This includes food, toiletries, gifts for family, and other household purchases. If there is no cash left none is spent. This took me a little while to get used to. You have to remember to grab the cash you need before you head out to the store. For those grocery trips it keeps you from grabbing the expensive stuff and other extras like unneeded snacks and beverages. (Meal planning and making a shopping list is vital to saving on your grocery bill. This topic deserves its own post.)
3) Simplify eating habits. This includes not going out to eat, cooking with seasonal foods, and doing as much homemade bread baking as possible. Discover the bread maker. Find one at your local thrift store. (I have yet to calculate the amount I'm saving on making my own bread.) This can be a huge sacrifice for some people, but if you want to save good money strap on your cooking boot straps and get a low cost cook book at your local thrift store. You can do it.
4) Eat at the in-laws. This is my humorous tip. I know it is not for everyone, but it is something we do because my in laws are so generous. At least once a week, sometimes twice, we make our way over to Grandpa and Grandma's for supper. This is where my hubby gets his fill on steak and roast beef, which is meat we don't usually splurge on at the store. Plus I am the self proclaimed casserole queen who would rather dirty one dish than two or three.
5) Always be on the search for free fun in your community. Go to your town's website and find out what free things are offered. Connect with mom groups, schedule play groups at your house, etc. Get creative and work your right brain for a bit. Make a list so you have something to go to when you need some free fun.
6) Spend time at home. This sounds so silly, but its so true. If you go out somewhere you are more than likely to spend money unless you have a specific plan in which money is not involved. (Remember, gas is money too, so wherever you go you are spending money on gas.)
7) Need/want a big item? Go through your closet and find a pile of stuff to sell on craigslist. It is way easier than you would think. While going through your things keep on your mind "Do I want this item more than the one I want to buy?" to help you decide what should go and what should stay. Plus, your clutter gets cleared at the same time! It's always good to have a nice incentive for those mundane tasks.
8) Get out your mortgage now and then and do some figures. Look at your principle balance and remind yourself of your debt and make it a priority to get that paid off before you live the "high life" buying whatever you want.
9) Save your pennies. Since you're using cash to spend find a place to put it when you get home. when your jar/container/piggy bank is full do some good old fashioned coin rolling! It's a fund activity the whole family can get into.
10) Be thankful for what you have. If you are a person who loves to shop and you want to stop being the overspending consumer get yourself a grateful journal. Make one last special shopping trip to get a pretty journal because if you dedicate yourself to not spending you're going to need a way to vent. Whenever you get that itch to go out and spend write in this journal. Spend time thinking about what you have, material or otherwise and remind yourself that life does not consist of stuff. Write about family, memories, fond thoughts of your favorite places in nature.
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