Budget Update - Week 3

This week was going to be a great week as far as funds toward the trip, but once again the clothing budget took a bite out of it for some reason people needed sneakers and dress shoes . But there is always next week. We also went out to dinner, which doesn't happen often but we had a lot to celebrate here.

Food- 183.60
Non- Food- 10.69
Clothing Budget- 41.60
Kathryn's Trip- 40.00
Dinner out- 40.00

Total so far for the year:

Food - 511.31 ( average 170.44 per pay period or 85.22 per week)
Non-Food- 50.50
Animals- 15.00
Clothing- 125.19
Kathryn's Trip- 120.00
Dinner Out- 40.00



So what was bought with the food budget:

Dairy: 
12- yogurt                                            10- gallons milk
5# Ricotta Cheese                                1# provolone Cheese
5# Cottage Cheese                                1- fresh mozzarella
2# butter                                                5# Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

 Bread:
5- packages flour tortillas                      2- Baguette
2- loves sandwich bread                        2- bags sub rolls
Case Frozen Waffles

Fruits and Veggies:
1- Head of Cauliflower                          4#- onions
2- packs roma tomatoes                         mini cucumbers  
2 head broccoli                                       baby spinach
spring mix                                               5# Carrots 
3# bananas                                              Romaine Hearts
3# apples                                                 10# Potatoes
1 bunch celery                                         Garlic

Pantry:

salad dressing                                      2- cans tomato soup
1- box fruit snacks                               1 bbq Sauce
1- jar salsa                                            1 box granola bars
1- mustard                                            1- caramel coffee syrup
#10 can sauce

Meat :

2# Salami
1# Ham
3# Turkey



Next shopping week I hope to add pictures, finally found the camera the lovely daughter borrowed it.

I MADE IT - update

This week I have been a bit more successful on my goals, each morning the family has had breakfast and that even includes the husband who mind you was a bit surprised. Since he leaves before the kids get up all he usually gets is coffee and a lunch.

This weeks breakfasts included frozen waffles, chocolate chip pancakes, cereal, bagel sandwiches ( bagels, eggs, cheese, sausage), waffle sandwich ( waffles with sausage). This week I am adding to the morning breakfast goal by aiming to serve fruit smoothies with breakfast at least three times this week.

The other morning goal I am adding is cleaning the upstairs bathroom every morning, I figure it should take me no more then five min's to do, verses the twenty it does now when I only do it two times a week. This bathroom is still the job of Kathryn to deep clean once a week during the school year, and she still has the litter box every day. 

Afternoon goals, I can say that one is still taking a bit. There have been a few more blogs written this week but not really as often as I would like. I really need to move from thinking up blogs in my head to getting them written out. I do know that part of the issue is allotting time to do it and then doing it. But I am also adding another goal to this time slot and that is to exercise Monday- Friday.

I have no excuse not to exercise as I work at a Senior Center with a exercise room, so this week my goal is to stay after work for 30 min each day and use that exercise room. 

Dinner time goals, we have had dinner each night this week, except for one day when we had leftovers and cereal on a crazy night. This week menu has included cheesy potatoes with ham, meatloaf, chicken enchilada's , chicken and dumplings, pizza night, and a dinner out to celebrate a lot of good things happening around here.

So this week I am adding a goal to not only serve dinner each night but to also serve a salad each night or raw veggies.

Evening goal, I did it each night before I went to bed the sink was empty the dishes were done, note I said when I went to bed it was empty. Somehow there was always a dish or two in there in the morning, but at least they are placing the dishes in the sink. So this week I am going to add another goal and that is to bring back dinner chores for the kids.

For a while it has been easier to do it myself, or ask one or two children to help me with something, but not anymore it's time for the kids to step up and start helping. The hardest part has been trying to think of a way to get dinner chores done when we are never sure who will be home for dinner but I have a idea, that I will share later this week if it works.

So that is this weeks update and new goals. So the question is why did meeting goals work this week, when it hasn't worked in the last month. Well I had been keeping this to myself, but last Sunday I shared with the family my goals and that they should encourage me to meet them. And it worked, so goals are easier to make if you share them with those that can help you out.

The Budget- week 2

A bit late of a update, but this last pay week:

208.16 on food
21.15- on non food items
50.83- clothing

The clothing budget was a bit bigger this trip as Kathryn needed some clothes since she seems to be finally growing a bit taller.

So this weeks total was 280.14

So nothing went toward the trip this week, as a combination of increased non food expenses, and a lower then normal pay check. The food budget also was high as I bought my husband some k-cups for nights he is studying, but they should last for more then two months.

Looking forward to staying more on track this week.

Shortcuts in the Kitchen

Tonight's dinner is Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, it is dinner that uses a lot of my favorite short cuts to make. The recipe I use is from a friends site Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Recipie, we just leave out the peppers and serve with salsa.

First I cooked the chicken in the crock-pot , all I did was I toss the chicken in the crock-pot with a bit of salt and pepper and out the door I went. 

Later when I got home I used another of my favorite short-cuts, shredding chicken with my kitchen aid mixer. If you have a kitchen aid mixer and need to shred chicken it is something you just have to do the very next time you need shredded chicken or just add shredded chicken to the menu tomorrow, it is that much fun. 

I went years before learning the trick and it makes me sad to think of all those years I could have been having  fun shredding. All you do is toss the cooked chicken into the mixer, use the beater blade on the lower setting and in seconds you have beautiful shredded chicken. 

The final short- cut that this meal used, was the Make One Freeze One method of cooking. I don't have time to do large all day cooking events like I used to, when I was able to take a Saturday and cook all day for the month. 

So something that I do is when I have a meal that will freeze well I make one for dinner and one for the freezer. That way on days when life is more hectic or I am leaving the thirteen year old in charge of dinner we will have something eat that isn't pasta and sauce. Even though we do eat plenty of pasta and sauce.

I Made It - Update

As you can see from the post's or I should say lack of posts I am not doing so well with my I Made It Goals. But it's a new week and a new day so I am going to try again this week to make my goals, as I really would like to move onto the next set of goals that I have planned.

One thing that wasn't a "goal" but that I have been working on is getting rid of things in this house, this week alone 4 bags of clothes have left. Also a huge bag of papers and some stuff that belonged other places then my home. This is the time of year for getting rid of stuff, because soon enough the outside work will be calling and time for sorting out closets, and drawers will be limited to rainy days.

A funny from my life today my son Aidan was taking about wanting to sell his brother for a million dollars, he wasn't very happy when told that was illegal. He then asked if it was ok in the back in days. I had to ask what the back in days were, because with a 7 year old that could be last year. He clarified it as the time when they only had sliver money. Yes it was legal then but not a good idea. I guess he did pay attention to the movie that we used for the second half of Sunday School as most of my class today needed naps.