Now that all the kids and a few grandkids have had their input on our budget. LOL 😄
Daughter 4 has made my basic grocery list with the only thing I am allowed to stock up for is ham for the year * I buy 4* at Christmas. Hubby got a turkey to smoke, I will cut off the legs and wings to roast and he will just smoke the breast for Thanksgiving ... Just the two of us. And I have several packages already of turkey in the freezers
We had a talk about him picking extra thing up at the grocery store , spent $61, when Daughter 4 has cut the budget for groceries to $50 A MONTH with NO stock up. He asked if she gave us a grace period and I said, yes but it is firm starting Dec 21st.
She listed the following. Did price points also so we would know if it is higher something else is not going to get bought.
3 gal of vitamin D milk , I use 1 gal every 2 wks, 3rd gal is for yogurt that I have been told I need to make my self. I will use the whey in baking so it's not wasted.
2 dozen eggs... even our Amish neighbor had to buy store bought eggs this week. She got so mad at her 50 chickens for not laying enough even in a week that she butchered them and canned them. New batch came in but won't be laying for about a month.
2 large curd cottage cheese.
1 sour cream
1 Dean's chip dip though I have been strongly encouraged to change to dill dip and make my own as it will save me 50 cents since I grow my own dill weed and seed and just buy sour cream.
1 qrt half and half. I was reminded I could mix heavy cream with milk for this until she checked prices and decided that the price of making it would be more than the price of buying it.
1 qrt heavy cream.
16 oz. of white mushrooms * half of my normal amt.*
16 oz. of portabella mushrooms *half of my normal amt.*
1 package of tricolor bell peppers * half of my normal amt.* I can't eat the green ones
1 bunch of celery
2 lbs. of regular carrots
3lbs. onions* Not going to be needed for a good month or two*
Baking potatoes or sweet potatoes are limited by price of $4.* I have some sweet potatoes we grew. They didn't get very big and I have some small fresh white potatoes we grew. I would have to bake enough to make a serving. I might get sweet potatoes when I pick up the ham to have enough to late spring.
$ 8 is left for cheese or something else like extra sweet potatoes or frozen peas or broccoli if we shop Kroger's (after chiro as ours closed)or Walmart 5 miles from us.
$17 is left for cheese or something else if we shop Aldi's after chiro appts. There is two things they don't carry we would have to get else where or go with out.
$20 is left for cheese or something else if we shop Save A Lot which is 6 miles from us . There is 1 thing they don't carry that would be picked up else where.
We know one of the gals. of milk will be through the month so what ever is not bought on the main shopping can be bought then.
Daughter 1 who works in a grocery store as a manager told us to do our grocery shopping AFTER the second Wed (social security starts their payments ) and the last week of the month, more clearance of what is Best used by date at that time.
We are not going to starve for sure . I am canning more tomatoes this week and look to finish the last 4 hot sauces.
Goals...
that by end of 2021 Daughter 4 is back on her feet from fighting cancer and can start making payments back. AND can buy my car that she drives most the time anyways. I really don't like how small it is but it was what was available at the right price when the other died.
That we have the huge mortgage, back loans and the work truck (business usually pays unless don't make enough) paid in full... in five years so we only need Social security for living and the Ira be for medical coverage as needed. LIKE my Daddy had been doing. That is $350,000 in 5 yrs. We know we can do it in 8 even if she can't pay us back as fast as she hopes to. But I know we have paid far more off in the same amount of time with 1/4th less income. We can do it again.