So, one of my goals this fall was to try and restock the pantry and the chest freezer. We did a pantry clean out over the summer to use everything up and save on groceries (to help pay for the trip we took) so when the chest freezer was close to empty, I packed the fridge freezer with what little remained and defrosted it. We kept the weekly shop as low as possible, eating up what we already had and tossed the remainder into the vacation account.
I came home to an empty fridge, an empty chest freezer and some pretty bare cupboards.
I used to stockpile--not hard core, but I usually had 2-3 months of food storage in the house at any given time back in the auld lang syne but I drifted away from that when we decided to get serious about getting out of debt. Now that we have done that, I decided it was high time to relive some of my former glory days in this area.
So, I plugged the chest freezer back in once we got home from vacation and began shopping to fill it. I also decided to dedicate $10 each week (I shop weekly) to shelf stable food storage for stockpiling. It was a pretty fun game actually, challenging myself to get those shelves filled as quickly as possible on such a small budget and with shopping the sales, price matching and couponing, I've managed to get quite a bit put by for my $70 so far. It's taken me seven weeks (hence the $70), but my shelves are filling fast and that chest freezer...well, that bad boy is nearly to the top...for the first time in years!!
The amazing thing is that I stayed within my food budget each week AND I managed to build up the kitchen pantry shelves as well as several shelves in the basement for a good stockpile start!! My secret...no junk food purchased with the grocery money. It's interesting how much more inclined I am to MAKE treats when they have to come from such a small MISC budget.
Chips and ice cream used to take quite a bite out of our available food funds, but I think we've got that corrected now. We DO still buy nachos for when we have taco night and ice cream still makes the shopping list occasionally, but anything else comes from the MISC money and we are really strict with that budget!
I just can't believe how FUN this goal is, and I even got a few friends on board with it as well. We post photos of our $10 purchases each week on facebook and (because we are all local) tell each other of any especially good deals going on. So, I thought I'd share the info in case any of you think that is something you might like to try.
Anyway, I didn't come here only to brag about that...also to whine a bit...no one minds, do they?
So, we are two thirds of the way through the month and I am broke...like $2.47 in the hole broke once everything clears. I have enough gasoline and grocery money for this coming Friday, which is the final shop before the next payday and the savings and other bills are all there, but our MISC money was overtaxed this month...ridiculously so...because stuff just kept popping up! We only budget $20 a week for the irregular once in a while expenses and generally, that's more than enough...but for some reason, this month has been pretty costly.
Cubs popcorn $20 (And that was us cheaping out!!)
Girl Guide cookies $5 (Again, cheaping out!)
Home canned applesauce ($5...my girlfriend has apple trees in her yard and gave us nine jars of applesauce for free, but I paid her for the lids and liners)
We were $7 over budget on our TS dinner this month (apparently, my math skills aren't so great!! LOL If I'd have realized the mistake I would have ordered a cheaper entree)
Canadian thanksgiving was last weekend and my mom had no food for lunch for us though she assured us she'd feed us (she'd gone to Wendy's...gee, thanks mom!) so we got pizza $15
Tipping the paper girl $6
Various dollar store expenses (snack bags, sandwich bags, cheesies, gum, birthday card etc) $9
Halloween decorations $10
I paid the tip for DH and my Anniversary lunch with the last $3 I had in cash (luckily, DH's parents gave us enough cash to cover the meal)
Now, I DO have $50 in Murphy money in the account, so I've got a bit of wiggle room, but as this is the first month where I've actually put any by specifically for this reason, I kind of wanted not to have to use it for dumb little stuff--at least, not this early on, anyway.
I also have $100 of tomorrow's government money going towards the house, so I guess in a pinch that money could be made available as well. Here's hoping nothing else comes up until after the 28th!!
How is everyone else's month going?
I cannot believe I now have a teenager!) [faint] For some crazy reason I decided I'm making our Christmas cards this year. Then when I went searching my house, I actually found card stock and thick, quality envelopes that I can use, so I don't even have to buy those! I bought a Michael's card off Raise and then purchased a few things to add to the cards. Just ordered one sheet of cute, holiday return address labels off Tinyprints using a discount code this morning. Anyway, I'm more excited about this stupid handmade card project then about actually Christmas shopping! We are taking a family trip to Europe next June, so I've said that I'll just stick their airline confirmation in their stocking along with a candy cane. Done. No.....not really, but they're not used to getting tons of presents anyway, and they are reasonable kids and will understand if there is less under the tree this year in particular.
