Dec 1st 2023

 Let's see....

We have been eating from our pantry. I bagged 5 meals for freezer from the turkey from Tday and then got another  4 meals when I cooked the caraccas for broth. 

I dealt with pomegranates and those are now bagged in 1 cup of little gems (that is what Hubby calls them) in the freezer.

I added sausage to an apple onion stuffing, prebaked them in large muffin tins and froze them. I can add gravy and a veggie or salad and have a quick meal. Got 9 meals.

I cut up the jumbo pineapple and froze most of it.

Once again I am running out of freezer room. Need a spot for the 2nd prime rib that is coming in 2-3 weeks.

 I told Hubby I was going to make some ice cream and then I could take the ice cream maker bowl out of freezer. Should be close to same size of prime rib.

M asked us to go to Aldi's for her ( they always pay for us to go). She wanted several bunches of bananas and a case of cream cheese. A case is usually 12 or 24. Since I had to get the cash for the kids, grandkids, and great grandkids Christmas, we just drove on over to Aldi's that was about 15 minutes from the bank. He got her stuff and I got the stuff for the HAM radio group's Christmas dinner that is Saturday. We "get" to get the condiments, buns and appetizers this year. I will pull the condiments from the pantry. Got the buns and decided on cream cheese rolled in dry Italian salad dressing mix with crackers, pinwheels of tortilla wrap, cream cheese and small diced red and green bell peppers and lunch meat (beef and ham)with cream cheese wrapped around dill pickle spears. This time cases of cream cheese was 36. M got one and I got one. I can keep it about a year if it's not already gone by then. It most likely will be gone by June.

I also found a ham butt so now I have ham for Christmas week and ham for Easter. That finishes the holiday meat until July 4th 2024. 

I started working on 2024 budget. I first looked are where we started 2023, looked for things we removed from budget through the year and what will be out of the budget for 2024. 

I finished my Medicare stuff. Hubby got Good RX. Gold (daughter 4 pushed it as she uses it more than her health ins drug part) It covers his nasal spray and nitro and my inhaler for 1/4th of what it would be through our Part D. Two fills of each saves more than the cost of the yearly cost of the GOLD. I figured up what we would be out of pocket for all the medical. (I like it to be sitting in the money market earning interest) and realized we will be saving  $15,000 a year. Yes you read that correctly.

Since Hubby closed the business and the "work" truck is now on regular insurance and it is paid off as the insurance money from the totaled flat bed trailer paid it off.... there is now a savings of $9600 a year on the truck insurance.  We also no longer have the truck payment so that is $10080 savings also. He also will not have the wear and tear on the truck since he is not driving it 200-300 miles a day. So I will be keeping track of that this coming year.

Between not using the propane furnace as much and getting wood free from E and cheaper wood from sawmill.  We have lowered the "heat" bill by $3,000.

I canceled some subscriptions Hubby was no longer using due to not working. Savings $1500.

95% of punch list of things to be done on the house (not including windows or siding). We do want to pour concrete at end of front porch ramp at the horse tie up railing (where Amish tie their horse and buggy) so when MIL comes over, she isn't battling the gravel drive way with her walker that has wheels. E said he could get the cement mixer the Amish share for us to use so we only had to buy the concrete mix. I  know we spent $10, 000 on the house with odds and ends needing done and the solar pump being finished.

Total out of the budget ALMOST $50,000. Yes you read that correctly. I went over it 3 times and then Hubby went over it three times. Then OUR Financial guy went over it three times. I quit pulling my IRA completely. I have an annuity that was Daddy's that I will be moving over to go to savings also. It will cover Christmas for 2024. 

I have my seeds for the garden. I told Hubby I need a place for the grow cart as I am going to once again try to start my own plants. Some years it's great other it's almost a waste of time and money.

I need to work on the grocery budget. 

Hubby needs to call about a bill that was lowered and suppose to stay lower for a year that went right back up. Still when compared to what the kids are paying for the same thing ( not our company and ours is not available in their area) we are paying about half of what they are for same service. We know there will come a time we won't be able to get it lowered. 

I texted the kids, out of 30, 15 had some crud. 

Sunday we start getting our vaccines caught up. We are only getting two at a time even though Doc said we could get 4-5 of them together. We were like "no thank you", Neither of us want that sore of an arm.

Got to go feed the fire.

Stay safe

Prayers for peace and sanity 

Blessed Be