Wednesday, November 29, 2017

December plan for groceries/non food

This is a MAYBE list since it's been awhile since I have shopped this way. As it will depend on when we go to the store. It looks to be around the 4th since I have to be in town for blood work. This might be a every other week list as we go to appts already in town. OR I might go once a month if I get the extra frig cleared enough of stuff for Christmas dealt with.

FOOD

GREEN ONIONS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CABBAGE
CARROTS
CELERY
MUSHROOMS
MILK
GREEK YOGURT (or extra milk to make yogurt) (doctor's orders)
HEAVY CREAM
HALF AND HALF
COTTAGE CHEESE

BELL PEPPERS

Will order prime rib for Christmas eve.

NON FOOD

DOG FOOD
2 PICTURE FRAMES FOR GIFTS
SOME GIFT CARDS , there are a few people that asked for gift cards instead of a gift due to losing hours at work and being in food service.

Truck and car tags renewed.

Vet bill will be high as we have at least 1 if not 2 getting fixed (thinking of hold off on the 2nd one until Jan just to lower the bill for Dec) and Rabies shots are due for 2 and regular shots for 1. 

All of it's in budget and in the savings :)

Blessed Be






Monday, November 27, 2017

Frugal buys and menu

My daughter's 8 qrt crock pot and my 7 qrt crock pot died at the beginning of our Tday dinner last week, I've been waiting for cyber Monday to see if I could replace them within reason. I found 2-8 qrt crock pots (manual) and between my discounts and the sale I bought both for the price of 1 on sale with free shipping.That was the only shopping we have done.We actually put off going to the hardware store just to see if there was anything else that would need bought.

 This week we will have to buy 2 picture frames for the Christmas gifts, dog food,if I can find them a certain dog chew bone that the 3 of them all enjoy and some boxing tape so I can finish taping the windows. Don't you love old drafty farm houses? LOL I will buy Vit D milk as I am making coconut cream pies for Daddy and he needs the fat and Vit D. If I have coupons for fresh mushrooms and they are on sale or marked down I will get them. My Christmas shopping is done.

Our menu for the week with everything coming from the freezers or pantry except Friday lunch. That will either be Bob Evans if Daddy feels up to going out or Bologna sandwiches, fig newtons and what ever Daddy offers.

Bfast is fix it yourself, we have oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits. cold cereal, eggs and assorted breads, pancake and waffles if one of us is adventurous.

Lunch is tortilla or flatbread wraps with whatever is available to put in them.

Monday Turkey cacciatore soup (turkey carcass meat, homemade pasta sauce, canned mushrooms, onion from the garden, half a carrot and a bell pepper) with Turkey salad wrap (turkey carcass meat, 2 boiled eggs (eggs 59¢/doz)pickle relish (garden) onion (garden) the other half of carrot, celery rib, spicy brown mustard and Miracle Whip (score for half price and stocked up for the year), Tortilla wraps (Krogers Psst 99¢) pineapple (home canned).

Tuesday  Stuffed shells (pantry including cheeses, sauce homemade) Cheddar garlic biscuits (bisquick)  green beans home canned and tropical fruit.

Wednesday Big egg(frittata)  or quiche using ham (leftover) cheese(freezer) and onion (garden) Applesauce home canned and dinner rolls (leftover Tday), I have a late doctor's appt. so this will be quiche if I make it or big egg if Hubby makes it.

Thursday What we call the blue plate special  Roast beef over mashed potatoes or stuffing or bread covered with gravy and served with coleslaw (I have a cabbage and carrot in frig) and peaches(home canned)

Friday We will be at Daddy's for a big lunch to celebrate Hubby retiring, So I planned meat (have pepperoni ,Canadian bacon, ham,turkey and roast beef ) cheese (have a nice variety using sales and coupons) and crackers , carrots and celery sticks with Ranch dressing and any leftover fruit or fruit cocktail for dinner

Saturday Salmon loaf (recipe from J posted at http://www.theprudenthomemaker.com/blog/entry/frugal-accomplishments-for-the-second-week-in-october?start=20
Mashed potatoes (root cellar), peas and carrots( freezer) and pears(home canned)dinner rolls (Tday leftovers freezer)

Sunday Leftovers or bfast for dinner.  We have talked about making this our eat out after lunch and then go to the store if needed but we are waiting to see how things work as we won't need to go every week.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

What we bought this week

2 turkeys at 48¢/lb to can.
cheesecloth to filter turkey broth
mice poison
30 gal trash bags. on sale with coupon
milk with expire date of Dec 2nd
ice cream on sale with coupon
50% off a caramel apple crumb pie (since we didn't have any leftover from Tday dinner Sunday and I am fighting 2 infections)
Beef tip roast...are you sitting down? Please sit down...$1.99/lb. I got  5 lbs as that was all I could afford. We decided to not freeze it but go ahead and eat it for our Tday dinner tomorrow as we both are tired of turkey and then I will slice and freeze the rest packaged as meal servings.

What we didn't buy was new Christmas lights to replace the ones that died last year on the front porch. The wind beats them a lot.We used what had been at the back door and used LED rope lighting for the back door.  We decided against  live trees for the porch and house as Wilbur uses the evergreen in the back yard as his "dump" station and I don't want him starting in the house or on the porch. LOL the pup Charlotte is almost house broke and I can see that going downhill fast if Wilbur starts.We have some small fake trees I might put one on the dining table where Charlotte won't get ahold of it and make it a chew toy like she does all the sticks in the yard.

We priced different health insurances against what we will get with retirement (at a cost to us of course). Some are definitely cheaper but don't cover pre-existing conditions not catastrophic , we both have heart issues plus I have Cerebral palsy, Crohn's, and deformed spine. I usually hit catastrophic on my health ins in March. So we will bite the bullet and pay for the insurance the company offers the retirees that will cover pre-existing and does cover catastrophic. We will look for a different dentist that charges less for cash payments along with a different eye/glasses place.

I have to change my primary and my GI .My GI referred me and I have to call them this coming week to start that process on my end. My primary is trying to see if he can be added to our ins  as a provider.I have about 30 days to get this switched.

Hubby and I sat down and refigured our budget with paying for the ins and the deductibles along with cash for the dental and eyes. We added car payments (which we haven't had in over 20 yrs) and re-investments as we don't want to run out of money. We planned for the worse and then added 4% for raising costs. It's not as bad as we thought it would be as long as we stay on budget with in reason (less would be better). Hubby is looking into starting a ledger like he did when he farmed. He can go for it LOL.

We have a few things to pick up at Walmart this week. Two picture frames for the puzzles we did for his parents and box tape as I use to tape the windows to keep the winds out during the winter.

Blessed Be

Monday, November 20, 2017

Thanksgiving dinner over

This year siblings picture of 2017. The two missing are working..Shannon 45 and Josh 35.
From right to left. Heidi 34 in Jan. Kira 33 (just turned) Katie 38 and Blane 35 (not twins, the boys are stepbrothers)

Renting a hall was great, plenty of parking, room for the grandkids to move around and get away from us adults but be in view where we could make sure they were behaving. Plenty of area to spread the food out, easy to clean up afterwards ($75 refund for cleaning it) trash was in their bin instead instead of over loading ours or Blane's. No carpet to clean due to spills. Nice 6 burner gas stove which helped when 2 ..not 1 but 2 crock pots died before anyone arrived for the dinner. Figures it was the homemade noodles and mashed potatoes.

Blane fixed 4 plates for the employees that were working that morning.

75 lbs of deep fried turkey... there was 15 lbs left over that the girls split between them after giving Blane the legs.48¢/lb
10 lb ham that only the bone and a little meat was left (Katie who brought it  took it with her)
Sweet potatoes casserole  (6 large) Blane...GONE He was told to double the amount next year.
Mac and cheese (4 lbs cheese 2 lbs mac) GONE
30 lbs mashed potatoes (potatoes came from Katie and I made them) 5 lbs donated to those working the VFW hall that evening.
8 lbs of homemade noodles (us) 2 lbs donated to those working VFW hall that evening
2 pints corn...(us) drop to 1 pint next year.
2 pints green beans(us) was forgotten to be put out until mid dinner. Drop to 1 pint next year
green bean casserole (friend) 2/3 rds gone.
baked beans with wieners (friend's specialty and it was more for me to bring home and eat)
veggie tray with dip (friend) gone
Spinach dip with bread (friend) not a lot eaten but Kira took it home as it is her favorite.
Fruit tray (Katie) gone
dried beef pickles (we bought ingredients granddaughter made) gone
deviled eggs (we bought ingredients , grandson made) gone.
rolls (us 10/$10 ) 2 dozen gone.
We found 10 inch pies on sale for $4. I bought 5 pumpkin, 2 apple, 2 cherry, 1 mixed berry , 1 strawberry rhubarb, 1 strawberry cream, 1 key lime, 1 lemon meringue. Donated 1 pumpkin to workers the rest GONE, didn't even get a slice to bring home.
3 dump cakes and 1 pan of brownies GONE (from pantry)
pop what wasn't drank the kids split between them as they know I don't drink 2 lt pop.
went through 2 gal drinking water and 2 pots of coffee. gone

We were down 5 of the kids(work, Washington DC trip) so I will note that when I finish writing up the final count in the Thanksgiving folder.

BEST yet was we only took the truck with trailer loaded one trip instead of 4 because we didn't have take tables and chairs and twice as much food.


Thursday, November 16, 2017

From the pantry

This unit has taken a big hit , green chilis gone, canned beans down by a two dozen, dried beans down by four pounds, canned mushrooms down by a dozen, 1/4 of the cheese sauces gone... I've been canning soups. The mushrooms,cheese sauce and beans won't be replaced until next year but the green chilis will be this week.

I'm out of fresh carrots,fresh celery,romaine lettuce, green onions and almost out of milk...that's my Aldi's run.

I still need to go get my dried beef that I have a rain check for at Krogers. I only buy it this time of year and get enough for the year. I use it for dried beef pickles (with cream cheese) and dried beef gravy.It goes on this shelf also.

Except for the juice, everything on the top shelf will be gone this weekend as it's the items I've stock piled for Thanksgiving. The canned veggies was for emergency supplies( I don't store anything glass during tornado season in the root cellar, it's where we take cover) I always use at Thanksgiving, they will be replaced in the spring when I restock the root cellar for tornados. .About 25 lbs of potatoes to make mashed potatoes.  I will used the oldest first.

I had to refill my kitchen onion basket which took one strand of these onions
I pulled 18 rolls of toilet paper, a package of paper towels (thanks to Charlotte not being completely house broke yet) and the last box of black trash bags (had another large box but gave it to daughter to use when we moved her).
I pulled a box of dog snaps treats, a box of dog dental treats, a bottle of Dawn, a bottle of Bayer back and body  and 2 containers of coffee for us and 1 for Thanksgiving dinner.
I still haven't gotten the dried fruit /veggie cabinet sorted out or the herbs and spices cabinet sorted out yet either and they need done soon, they are full I just can't find anything LOL

Blessed Be







Sunday, November 12, 2017

Frugal Frugal Frugal

The paper plate was because Hubby was having issues with his hands so he uses a paper plate for a spill guard...it's about 5 days old in this picture.The cereal is the frugal....HA HA really it is as we didn't buy it. Daughter that was moving (the kids and her are staying with friends to keep the kids in the same school district while she hunts for a new place) gave us the cereal.She didn't know why the boys weren't eating it but it had been there a week so she gave it to us...might not have been eating because it was STALE. That didn't stop Hubby ...it is now gone into his tummy.

I went to Aldi's, spent $54 and got $5 off with the grand opening coupon they gave me last week. I have 2  more coupons for the following 2 wks (1 a wk). Not sure what will be on those lists besides another ham, maybe cream cheese . The only thing we need for stocking up I have a rain check for at Krogers and Aldi's doesn't sell it. I'll see, have to spend $35 to get the $5 off but I am not going to be buying something just to get $5 off.

I roasted the two turkeys today we bought at Krogers for 57¢/lb(Walmart at 68¢ and Aldi's was         99 ¢) We had turkey wraps for dinner. I made a small batch of white bean/Poultry  chili and we try that for Monday night dinner. IF we like it I will make more and can it.  I tossed both carcasses in water today and made bone broth. Will be straining it and canning that also.
The meat will be bagged(tomorrow in 2 cups bags and frozen for meals.By putting it in the freezer already cooked the meat from 2 turkeys takes up less room than 1-15 lb turkey would.

We ate out after going to viewing and before going to Aldi's, ate the special and used a coupon we had. Provided us dinner that night, lunch for Hubby that night and dinner the next night for both of us. I added veggies and melted cheese over the french fries (neither of us prefer french fries) along with some cooked bulk sausage that I keep in the freezer) . I would definitely say we got bang for our buck.

I picked up another 10 lbs of pasta at Krogers for 49¢/box.

We are trying to set the frigs up to reflect how we will be eating from the pantry and not be wasteful as I know it's easy in the winter to get tired of heavy winter meals. We love variety so I need to keep that in mind.

I mended a shirt and pair pants.

I added water to my lotion bottle.

We ate from the pantry except for once. Our week's run Saturday to Sunday. 

Tonight a couple friends called and asked if we could go out to dinner with them because they are leaving after Thanksgiving for about a month. I told them we would love to but it's not in the budget for this month due to spending extra money paying for the gas to move our daughter and the new vet bills, there was some silence but then oh , okay, we understand. They called back and offered to pay for our dinner as an early Christmas present so I accepted.Since they are retired and on a budget they understand the "it's not in the budget".

Blessed be

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Our Thanksgiving Dinner Sunday before the holiday

This is 4 of our six kids LAST year. Left to right, Heidi 32 (33 in Jan) Katie 37 Kira 32(just turned) Blane 34. Josh 34 (not twins ..stepbrothers) and Shannon 44 (late hubby's daughter) were working.

This year Blane rented a hall for us and I changed it to pot luck instead of us providing all the food.

Menu this year is :

Deep fried turkey ( 3 which is down from the 4 of last year., us ..oil paid for by friend 3) Will buy this during this week

Mashed potatoes (us) ( in pantry)

Sweet potatoes (Blane as he has bragged too much about making better sweet potatoes than Katie because he uses their grandmother's so we stuck him with it)

Mac and cheese (Blane as requested from all his nieces and nephews)

Ham and fruit tray (Katie)

Deviled eggs, dried beef pickles and rolls (Kira and kids)

Dirt pudding (Heidi as requested from a couple nephews)

Veggie tray with dip and spinach dip with Hawaiian bread (friend 1)

Baked beans (friend 2)

corn( in freezer), green beans (in pantry), turkey gravy (have broth),Italian dry dressing cheese ball and crackers (in pantry),butter (in frig), apple butter(in pantry)
and whatever desserts I decide to do from what I have in the pantry. More it's what I have time to do.
I will need whipped topping.

Kira offered to make noodles but she starts a new job on Monday so I am waiting to see if either of us has the time.

Water (brought from home as I warned the water is crappy) for drinking ,coffee and tea.
creamer and sugar.

2 liters of soda pop that I got on sale and added a coupon with. I usually don't buy pop, that's who ever is having the meal (floats between Katie and Blane) but since Blane paid for a hall to deal with the issue of parking we now have I got the pop.

I did notice when I specified you had to bring a dish...the I'm coming dropped drastically. I figured it would as when Mother had it the same thing happened.Bothered my kids but not us. Lives change. Grandkids start going out on their own and it will change again.

Blessed Be





Friday, November 10, 2017

What I have so far staying in budget and where I was a year ago

I have a habit of looking back a year or two at pictures and seeing what I was doing at this time of year. These are from last year.


Well I am not doing tomatoes.. but I do have some apples to finish up and a few tomatoes to use fresh along with red bell peppers.Butter to can.

We priced taking our daughter's dogs to a different vet but it's the same price after driving to it.The other vet was closer to her so would be easy for her to meet us there and her deal with it instead of transferring stuff to our vet. She hasn't lived long in the area she has been living in and wants a regular vet. But for now they will go to our vet and she's already called him about their past records since our vet gives us a paper at the end of each appt of what was done. I can just keep those until she takes the dogs back to her.If she ends up in an apartment we will most likely keep them. Neither are apartment dogs.

I turned a rotating fan on at the door of the root cellar so it had circulation.

The humidifier is running,kicked off during a power outage and I forget to turn it back on until I got a nose bleed.

We went back to Menards and got another 52 lbs of dog food as our dog has decided to eat it instead of his own and if the boxer eats our dog's food he will get the back door trots,which means I trot out that door with him as we don't trust him to NOT cruise right across the open fields around us. We have a person will to buy our other dog food off us as they use the same thing So that helps there.

AND as of today, I am short ONLY 3 things, (2 I have rain checks for from Krogers so if I don't find them cheaper I can at least buy them later.) on the stock up list.We removed apricots even though they are Hubby's favorite fruit we just can't handle the price I am finding. When they come in season next spring I will be buying them and canning them myself. I haven't been to Aldi's as tomorrow(Friday) we have a viewing to go to (Hubby's coworker grandpa) and decided since we drive within a mile of Aldi's we would just go then. No second trips to the same area as it's not where we go normally.

I need a few things (besides the turkeys) for our Tday dinner.Kind of holding off until the "guests" let me know what they are bringing.

Today I finished stocking the following:

Cranberry sauce whole berry

choc pie crusts

Graham cracker pie crusts

Butter (to be canned as we don't see the price coming down as it's even up in Europe and bought canning jars on clearance for the butter)

worcestershire sauce

Horseradish cream sauce

Rain checks are sauerkraut and dried beef(just in case I can't get kraut at Aldi's)

I bought 2 turkeys (was the limit) for 57¢/lb. They were around 15 lbs. I am roasting them for OUR freezer and for soup and broth. I have a BIT...just a bit of freezer space for that plus that will be a few quick meals this coming weeks as next week asI will be prepping for our Tday dinner that is Sunday. I might get another one later but for now this will be good enough. That leaves the ham for our freezer but I have until Christmas to get those 2.

Bought 5 other items for presents(a real score as they were on clearance) but decided to wait to buy picture frames until after our Tday dinner.I think I'm short one gift but I know what it is and where to get it.

I bought 12 -2 liters of soda pop for our Tday dinner that was marked down to 88¢ and I had $1.50 off if I spent $10.00, getting the price down to 75.5¢ I have plenty of cups..like a black trash sack full as everyone and their brother seems to think we need to have their extra cups.I have been told that water at the hall is bad tasting so I will use my own to make coffee and have water for those that want to drink that. Not hard to refill water jugs with my own water.

My daughter lent me her buffet coffee maker for coffee. I have creamer and sugar and coffee.I will also take some tea bags for those that prefer tea. There will be ice so they can make cold tea if they want from hot tea.

The best news was I spent far less than what we budgeted for stocking up, Thanksgiving and Christmas.Which is good as we just got the $800 bill for getting the truck fuel lines fixed.





Wednesday, November 8, 2017

What I plan to buy this week..new members of the family

Alpo dog food...47 lbs if possible as the price on line at Menards is less than $20.This is Wilbur (boxer AKA lay about ) and Charlotte (cane corso pit husky AKA hyper baby) my daughter's dogs that we are keeping for her while she finds a new home for herself and sons that is within her price range and not in a violent area.

Well let me try to finish  or restart this again LOL as we realized we didn't have as much dog food as our daughter thought she had gave us ...she took the boys word on the amount as they feed the dogs..most the bag was actually closer to a 1/2  bag.We went to Menards and got 2 new collars as Wilbur has lost enough weight his collar won't stay on and Charlotte didn't have one at all as her leash was a slip and adjust collar attached that was starting to get tight.  Plus we got 52 lbs Alpo for less than $20 with tax included... was a 5 lbs extra bag...GO US.

This poor baby , our Rascal has been run ragged because Wilbur  and Charlotte want to sniff him and she wants him to play with her (she's not yet 5 months) That's Wilbur's bed on the floor. We have been making a point of getting one on one time with Rascal.AND he is slowly learning how to play with the pup.

Since we have 2 more dogs (our daughter is giving us some money for food and the entire fee  we pay our landlord for having them but we are doing all the rest until she gets back into a place of her own with her boys back with her as they are split up staying with friends) We know we will have to come up with some food, treats, vet care etc. Her boys, my darling grandsons admitted they had been giving the dogs people food and her and I knowing that 3 teenage boys along with all their friends feeding these dogs people food explains the issues the dogs were having AND why her dog food was lasting so long but not her groceries. Like teenage boys don't enough on their own.

I would like to have a turkey this week for our meals and to make soup with and a ham

SO on this week's buy list.. I compared prices between Krogers and Walmart online as our Walmart does not do price match any more. Aldi's only shows what they have on sale in their ads I go to them before Krogers.

Menards 
More Alpo from Menards even if it's not the extra 5 lbs bag. As we have to have enough to go 2 months as I don't see her getting a place that fast that she can have the dogs for now.
canning jars if they still have some

Walmart
if no canning jars at Menards
2 picture frames for gifts we are doing to friends
corn pads for Hubby's toes. He doesn't have corns but his steel toes are rubbing and these work to protect without being bunched up
a present that we know we can get there cheap
and price turkeys and butter.
I might order canned apricots later as this is the only way it's looking like I will get them.

Aldi's I need to spend $35 to use my $5 coupon.
kraut in jar (needs to be cheaper than Krogers 1.99)
ham I found a couple casserole recipes on Amish365.com that also has mock lemon pie which is actually vinegar pie.HE has a lot of Amish recipes on his blog.
cream cheese (needs to be cheaper than Krogers 1.59)
saltines
check on butter (Kroger's 2.49)

Krogers
turkey at 57¢/lb(limit 2)
canning jars (digital coupon)
dried beef in jar (sale)
whole berry cranberry sauce (sale)
horseradish cream sauce
Chocolate cookie pie crust
graham cracker pie crusts (sale)
PSST tortilla wraps(usually 99¢ for a package)
Starbucks coffee(sale ...for Daddy)
Creamette pasta (49¢when I buy 10)
2 lt pop (buy 4 at 88¢ each. I will buy 12 (Tday dinner) and use digital coupon of $1.50 off $10 in pop)
 That's the list but it depends on how much I have after we take 3 dogs to the vets and pay the bills.

This would run about $400 if I get the amount to finish stocking up except for ham, turkey and prime rib ...well and the apricots that might not get bought at all . Hubby was a little surprised I had gotten us that close.






Friday, November 3, 2017

Starting of Nov. Groceries also

We went to Krogers this morning so I could use the 200 bonus points coupon that expires this weekend. With gas almost to $2.70, we can use all the extra help we can get with gas.

Old Orchard juice 2.49 - 50 ¢ coupon = $1.99

Northland juice 3.79-.80¢ sale - 1.00 coupon = $1.99

Mountain dew Kick start 1.69- .69¢- free coupon = $0 ( I don't drink this but 1 of the kids does Christmas gift)

Olay in shower body lotion (Hubby's uses) 6.59-1.60 sale- 1.00 coupon =$3.99

2 Caramel apple cookie dough 2.89-39¢= $2.50 ea ( Hubby wants to try these and then see if we can make our own)

Chloraseptic spray. $6.49- $1.00 coupon = $5.49.(Only thing that kills the pain after a tube down my throat during Crohn's attack)

2 Brown sugar $1.99-.20¢ sale = 1.79 ea

1 Havarti cheese $3.09-60¢ sale- free coupon= 0

10 Butter $ 4.89- $1.90 sale - 50¢(buy 10 get $5 off)= $2.49 each.... I got 10 and told Hubby we didn't need any more (he said if we found it for $1.99 again I was to get it and can it .Canned Butter last 3 yrs)

Uncle Ben's Flavor infusions rice $2.99 -70¢sale - free coupon= 0

2 Bigelow Lemon Ginger herbal tea $2.99- 50¢ sale =$2.49 ea (one is for Mom O for Christmas)

Aleve PM $9.49-$2. coupon =$7.49

Shelf cost $107.72.
Savings $42.64
out of pocket $65.08
Fuel points 268 ( had 200 bonus points for spending over $50)

We ate from the pantry, focusing on eating from the freezers. I now have room for one ham butt.

I put our Tday dinner on Facebook as an invite to make a head count so we don't provide more food than we need. Usually we don't care except for the amount of turkeys we deep fry but with retiring the $800 for 100 people isn't happening. I changed it to POT LUCK and watched the "not going" numbers go up. Figured it would. Kids know it's okay to bring a friend (or their kids bring a friend) they just need to bring a bigger dish of food LOL.

I canned Brandy's steak sauce http://www.theprudenthomemaker.com/steak-sauce
I made 4 times the amount of the recipe as I had cooked down tomatoes (still have about 3 lbs  turning red in the mudroom) to make tomato sauce. I got 6-12 oz jars, I canned 5 and put the last one in the frig.

I dehydrated the last of the red onions, eggs and green bell peppers. (still have red bell peppers).

The time change this weekend will change our routines making it dark by dinner time so the curtains will be closed then...depressing but at least this year we have LED lightbulbs.


Blessed Be












Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Financial goals for Nov..including groceries

Hubby retires in 4 weeks and then there will be the lag time of getting checks from retirement ...4-8 weeks. And the big adjustment of not having a weekly paycheck. So this month we will be paying 2 months of bills from the paychecks and then Jan and Feb from the savings. By then the retirement "paycheck" LOL should be coming in.

GOALS

pay Nov and Dec bill this month WITHOUT touching the savings.

Continue savings.

Have the food for the Thanksgiving dinner in pantry or money set aside example would be turkeys .

Finish stocking the last 19 items on the stock up list. ALL which go on sale this month.I already have the stuff for Christmas cookies and candy.

Limit eating out . I want 0 Hubby is pushing for 2. I have 4 dinners $$ in the budget.

Eat from the freezers. I usually take my veggies/fruit from the pantry during this time of year but I need room for turkey and ham. If I take the bulk of our meals from the freezers the next 17 days I will have enough room for turkeys and a ham.

Set grocery list for every 10-14 days for perishables..work in progress

so far we are thinking milk, half and half, heavy cream(I make my own whipped cream), romaine lettuce, celery and carrots. One dozen eggs a month so Hubby can have his sunny side up eggs once a week. Green onions once a month.I might buy a red,yellow or orange bell pepper if I want it for salad or stuffing it (I can't eat green which is actually an unripe bell pepper due to my Crohns). Cabbage once a month and apples once a month. At this point we are stocked with enough variety that there shouldn't be an issue.

We set the grocery budget based on Mom O budget. She's on what I figure is the high side. But Daddy only spends $85 a  month. I've seen his grocery list, I'm not eating bean soup daily(he can't swallow solid foods any more) She spends $145 every 10 days. so that's $441.04 a month but that is also including her softener salt ,furnace filters,laundry products that we have another fund for house maintenance items and I make my own laundry soap and use vinegar for the softener. But we decided to use her budget and put back the rest for restocking later.

Blessed Be



November goals...for the house

4 weeks until Hubby retires....😀

SO November goals

1667 words a day for National Novel writing month starting Nov 1st

Last of tomatoes canned

Last of the apples canned

Last of bell peppers dealt with (reds roasted, greens frozen or dehydrated)

Pineapple canned

Pomegranates dealt with and frozen

Last of eggs dehydrated (need 3 dozen )

Last of garlic dehydrated for powder

Last of "seconds" of potatoes made into mashed potatoes and dehydrated

Motorcycle to be moved from garage to storage in pig barn (no there are not pigs in it)

Garage cleared for car or truck to be put in

Finish the last of the Christmas gifts

Wrap the Christmas gifts

Sign and mail Christmas cards

Start cookies for Christmas and vacuum pack.

Declutter craft room Check windows for drafts

Declutter boys room (FYI we don't have any kids/grandkids living with us , it's just what we call the rooms as the grandkids have claimed them)..check windows for drafts

Declutter Becka's room...change curtains to ones just bought

Have everything set for Tday dinner at VFW hall Son is providing.

Black Friday decorate the house for Christmas.