Weekly Budget Review - Are we eating for $1 Per Day?

Time for our weekly budget review!!  As a family, we have agreed to the challenge of $1 per day per person for a food allowance.  In our family, this equals $28.00 per week to be spent only on food!  Are we eating for $1 per day?

We budget $10.00 each week above our food budget for soda - Justin and I are addicted!!  We're a couple of serious Dew drinkers (even if it is the store brand!!).  This is the only product that we specifically say that we're going to spend above our $28.00 budget for food.

All other areas have their own amounts - toiletries, cleaning, pets, paper products, etc.


Sorry this post is a little late this week, its been busy here, and we have company staying right now (AND its Halloween!).

Walgreens

Retail total $39.80, Paid $2.69, Saved $37.11

Food total:  $1.26

Items Purchased:

3 Bugles Sweet & Salty

4 Bags Chex Mix

1 Royal Gelatin

2 Mentos Gums

2 Walgreen's Toilet Paper

1 Colgate Sensitive

1 Contac Cold & Flu

1 Scotch Tape

Wal-Mart Trip #1

Retail total $29.17, paid $12.62, Saved $16.55

Food Total:  $4.44

Items Purchased:

1 Green Giant Frozen corn

1 Hostess Donuts

1 Progresso Chicken Soup

1 Good Earth Meal

1 Box Fiber One Bars

1 3.5 bag Cat Chow

1 7lb Feline Pine

1 Box Success Rice

1 Package Kotex Liners

1 Package Turkey Drumsticks

1 Loaf Bread

3 Store Brand Soda

3 Diet Store Brand Soda

Country Mart

Retail total $21.79, paid $12.79, Saved $9.00
Food Total:  $12.79

Items Purchased:

2 Packages Chi-Chi's Tortillas

2 Store Brand Biscuits

6 Williams Taco Seasoning

4 Tonys Meatball Pockets

2 Tonys Cheese Pizzas

2 Tonys Supreme Pizzas

1 Smoked Sausage Links

2 Bar-S Bolognas

1 Package Pork Chops
 

Food Giant

Retail total $16.60, paid $10.99, Saved $5.61

Food Total:  $10.99

Items Purchased:

2 Whole Fryer Hens

2 Pork Cutlets

1 Blue Bonnet Spread

1 Imperial Butter

2 Mt. Dew 2-Liters

2 Diet Mt. Dew 2-Liters

Wal-Mart #2 (No Picture)

Retail total $13.48, paid $7.48, Saved $6.00
Food Total:  $7.48

Items Purchased:

1/2 Gallon Prairie Farms 1% Milk

1 Container Quaker Quick Oats

3 Kraft Taco Mix Shredded Cheese

2 Kraft Colby/Jack Shredded Cheese 

Total Retail:  $120.84

Total Spent:  $46.57

Total Saved:  $74.27

Food Total:  $36.96 (overbudget, yes, I know!!)

Are you eating for $1 Per Day this week?  Tell me about it!

The Great Pumpkin(s)!!!

Tomorrow night, our little family will watch one of my favorite childhood memories unfold on the screen in our living room.  One thing that I never did do as a child was carve a pumpkin.  I'm sure that to my mother, there were lots of good reasons not to...but I still can't think of any of them.  My kids (including the big one that I'm married to!) had a great time.

*WINNER* Pink Together, Connecting for a Cure Giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered!!  My winner was picked by Random.org, and the winner is:

Comment #10!!

Blogger Amy said...

I memorialize a physician I used to worked with who passed with breast cancer before she was 40. She was the person who held my baby shower for me when I was pregnant with my son. While her story did not end on a hopeful note, she fought hard and with hope.

Congratulations!!!  You have until 8:30 am on October 29, 2010 to claim your prize!!

Didn't win?  Remember, all this month General Mills is donating additional money for breast cancer research!  Read more HERE.

CLOSED Final Chance for the Pink Together Giveaway!

Closing tonight - enter this great giveaway sponsored by General Mills through MyBlogSpark by clicking HERE

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 25

Thanks for visiting for our weekly Menu!!  This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com.

We are feeding our family on $1 per person per day - with as very little eating out as possible.  We will have slip ups, but as a family of 4 working to pay off our consumer debt, we are dedicated to as many home-cooked meals as possible.

Monday:  Turkey Legs, Noodles, Green Beans

Tuesday:  Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Wednesday:  Frozen Pizza

Thursday:  Dinner With The Finley's (Financial Peace University night)

Friday:  Breakfast Friday!! Egg Sandwiches

Saturday Lunch:  Hamburger Steak, Green Beans, Perogies

Saturday Dinner:  Pork Chops with Mushroom soup, Corn, Fried Potatoes

Sunday Lunch: Tacos

Sunday Dinner: Leftover Buffet

We always plan our weekly menu on our current stock of food.  This is how we can most reliably feed our family on a minimal amount of money!

Weekly Budget Review - Are we eating for $1 Per Day?

Time for our weekly budget review!!  As a family, we have agreed to the challenge of $1 per day per person for a food allowance.  In our family, this equals $28.00 per week to be spent only on food!  Are we eating for $1 per day?

We budget $10.00 each week above our food budget for soda - Justin and I are addicted!!  We're a couple of serious Dew drinkers (even if it is the store brand!!).  This is the only product that we specifically say that we're going to spend above our $28.00 budget for food.

All other areas have their own amounts - toiletries, cleaning, pets, paper products, etc.

Walgreens

Retail total $44.52, Paid $4.80, Saved $39.72

Food total:  $.35

Items Purchased:

1 Mucinex Nasal Spray
1 Halloween Sack
1 Bag Hershey Candy
2 Coffee Mate Creamers
2 Glade 4 oz Candles
2 Nivea for Men Body Washes

1 Blistex Medicated Ointment

3 Campbell's Mushroom Soup

1 Oreo Brownie Cake

Schnucks

Retail total $38.82, paid $18.82, Saved $20.00

Food Total:  $18.82

Items Purchased:

2 Hot Pocket Sideshots

6 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-Ups

1 Bag Santitas Chips

4 Packages Idahoan Mashed Potatoes

1 Bag Johnathon Apples

4 Yakisoba Noodles

6 Boxes Mrs. T's Perogies

1/2 Gallon Schnucks Brand 1% Milk

Wal-Mart

Retail total $25.70, paid $9.26, Saved $16.44
Food Total:  $2.30

Items Purchased:
 
4 Beneful Dog Food

1 7lb Bag Feline Pine 

1 3.5 lb Bag Purina Cat Chow

3 Store Brand Loaves Bread

1 Box Success Rice

6 Renuzit Air Fresheners

4 Gain Dish Soap

Food Giant (no picture)

Retail total $7.45, paid $7.45, Saved $0
Food Total:  $0

Items Purchased:
 
1 17.6 lb  Bag Dad's Lamb & Rice Dog Food

Total Retail:  $116.49

Total Spent:  $40.33

Total Saved:  $76.16

Food Total:  $21.47

This means that we *should* have over $6.00 left, but I took the kids for an after school snack and we had a trip to Aldi to buy salad mix for a dinner we took to a family that just had a baby at church.  The rest of the "loose change" goes into our jar here at home.  So my envelope is actually empty :(

Are you eating for $1 Per Day this week?  Tell me about it! 

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

CLOSED Pink Together, Connecting for a Cure Giveaway!

October...the beginning of my very favorite time of year.  This month holds so many special memories for me and so many warm feelings of fall are evident during October.

October is a special month for many women in this world for reasons other than the warm sweaters that we pull out of storage and the evenings watching the fall sunsets that I enjoy so much.  The frost in the mornings brings a solemn peace to me, but to many women who have been diagnosed and conquered the affliction of breast cancer, the killing frost may represent the closure of a battle they never chose to fight and never expected to survive.

I just took a deep breath.  Maybe I just realized what it does mean.  Scanning the community at PinkTogether.com, I realize how truly blessed I am.  Stories of greatness often arise in our deep desperation, and God will prevail in His greatness because His plan is perfect.  Breast cancer...as long-suffering as it may be...is a blessing in the lives of many when the frost diminishes and life begins fresh and anew.

I encourage you to make a personal connection at PinkTogether.com, and when you do, General Mills will donate $1 (up to $20,000) to the Susan G. Komen foundation for each inspirational story posted, encouraging comment, or virtual flower sent.  Each shared message of hope posted on PinkTogether's Facebook page will also spark a donation (up to $5,000).  General Mills is pledging this $25,000 in addition to the $2 million donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation to advance breast cancer research and support education and community outreach projects.

I participated in this blog post and giveaway last year on my old blog, and I am honored to  have the opportunity to post again this year.  I hope that instead of just subscribing to my blog or posting a comment, that you will feel encouraged to prayerfully consider visiting the PinkTogether community and Facebook page.  Wear pink...you may never know who's life you will touch.

Thanks to General Mills through MyBlogSpark, our family received a prize pack with the following:

A Pink Ribbon Car Magnet, Key Chain, Travel Mug (which is SO pretty!!), and Drawstring Backpack

In addition, we received these GREAT coupons for FREE products:

1 Big G Cereal (ours is Cheerios)

1 Green Giant Frozen Veggies

1 Macaroni Grill Dinner Kit

1 Box Fiber One Bars

1 Progresso Soup

All of the items in the prize pack are available for purchase through ShopKomen.com, where 25% of the merchandise purchase price benefits Komen. 

Here's your chance to win an identical prize pack, including the coupons for the free products!!

Methods of Entry

Every reader has 4 ways to enter (#1 is REQUIRED for a valid entry in this contest), make sure you leave (1) comment for (each) way you enter this giveaway!

1. Sign-up as a follower of our family's blog and leave a comment on this post.  If you are already a follower, tell me that you're a "Follower via (insert method).  Facebook,  RSS, Twitter etc.
2. Leave a comment #1:  Do you know someone who has a celebration story related to October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month?  Tell me about it (you don't have to mention names) or leave a memorial.
3. Post a comment or send flowers on PinkTogether's community or comment on their Facebook page.  Come back and leave me a comment here so that I know you did!
4. Pink YOUR page!!  Do you have a blog?  Spread notification of PinkTogether on YOUR blog, and leave me the link as a comment here!  Remember to link back to my giveaway, and let your readers know how General Mills is donating $1 per comment on PinkTogether and Facebook!

*******Please make sure you leave your email address for notification!!!!*******

This contest will begin today, October 19, 2010 and run until 11:59 pm Central time, October 26, 2010. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be notified on October 27, 2010 by me via email and posted as a winner on this blog. After confirmation of the offer and a valid mailing address and phone number is received, I will send your information to MyBlogSpark to be shipped directly.  Thanks again to General Mills through MyBlogSpark for this great giveaway! Good Luck!!!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 18

Thanks for visiting for our weekly Menu!!  This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com.

We are feeding our family on $1 per person per day - with as very little eating out as possible.  We will have slip ups, but as a family of 4 working to pay off our consumer debt, we are dedicated to as many home-cooked meals as possible.

Monday:  Oven BBQ Chicken Breast, corn, mashed potatoes (Yes, this was listed as last night's dinner, but we actually made some quick nachos instead, so this meal has been moved to today!)

Tuesday:  Shepherd's Pie

Wednesday:  Frozen Pizza

Thursday:  Dinner With The Finley's (Financial Peace University night)

Friday:  Breakfast Friday!!  French Toast

Saturday Lunch:  Cajun Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday Dinner:  Chili

Sunday Lunch:  Tuna Patties, Oven baked Potato Circles

Sunday Dinner:  Chicken & Rice

We always plan our weekly menu on our current stock of food.  This is how we can most reliably feed our family on a minimal amount of money!

Weekly Budget Review - Are we eating for $1 Per Day?

Time for our first weekly budget review!!  Remember, I had $10 left from last week, so we decided to use some of that to buy each of the kiddos a pumpkin (Yes, I know this is technically not a consumable since we're carving them, but I'm hoping to salvage the seeds to make a snack!) and splurge a little above our $28.00 weekly food allowance.

We budget $10.00 each week above our food budget for soda - Justin and I are addicted!!  We're a couple of serious Dew drinkers (even if it is the store brand!!).  This is the only product that we specifically say that we're going to spend above our $28.00 budget for food.

All other areas have their own amounts - toiletries, cleaning, pets, paper products, etc.

So here we go!

Walgreens

Retail total $32.70, Paid $3.09, Saved $29.61

Food total:  $.25

Items Purchased:

1 Halls Refresh Drops
2 Old Spice Body Washes
1 Gillette Body Wash
2 Packages No-Nonsense Knee High Stockings
2 Nivea Body Washes
1 Package Noxema Razors

Country Mart

Retail total $21.56, paid $13.38, Saved $8.18

Food Total:  $13.38

Items Purchased:

1/2 Gallon Prairie Farms 1% Milk
4 Bottles KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce
8-lbs Ground Beef
1 Package Bar-S Bologna

Target

Retail total $24.96, paid $6.39, Saved $18.87

Food Total:  $6.21

Items Purchased:

4 Ortega Taco Seasoning

4 Tide Travel Size

2 Kraft Shredded Cheese

2 Kraft Cheese Slices

1 Hershey Kisses

6 The Goodlife Cat Foods

1 Beneful Dog Food

Schnucks

Retail total $23.75, paid $1.75, Saved $22.00

Food Total:  $.50

Items Purchased:

2 Campbell's Chunky Soup

4 Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Detergent

1 Triscuit Thin Crisps

1 Wheat Thinks Stix

Wal-Mart (no picture)

Retail total $34.09, paid $28.42, Saved $5.67
Food Total:  $5.72

Items Purchased:

1 Cottonelle Tub

4 12 packs store brand soda

2 2-liters store brand soda

1 3.5 lb Cat Chow

1 Brawny Trash Bags

1 Scott Toilet Tissue 4 pack

1.97 lb Red Grapes

1 Heinz Ketchup

1 Box Success Rice

1 7 lb bag Feline Pine

2 loaves store brand bread

Aldi (no picture)


Comparable Schnucks price $17.65, paid $10.78, Saved $6.87
Food Total:  $10.78

Items Purchased:

2 Pumpkins

1 Bag Red Onions

1 Package Mini-Marshmallows

1 Jar Applesauce

1 Package Hot Dogs

1 Package Hot Dog Buns

1 Box Honey Buns

1 Box Swiss Rolls

Total Retail:  $154.71

Total Spent:  $63.81

Total Saved:  $90.90

Food Total:  $36.84

This means that I actually have $1.16 left (and I still will be purchasing a bag of salad mix for Saturday night's dinner).

Are you eating for $1 Per Day this week?  Tell me about it! 

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Our First Home

Yesterday evening, I received a call at about 5 o'clock that our old apartment building was on fire.  Instantly, memories flooded my mind of the 7 years that I lived there.  This is the place that many firsts happened, and it also represented the new beginning that I had when I divorced my first husband.

This is the home, as simple and small as it was, where my children were brought home from the hospital, and where we became a family.

First Christmases and first steps were taken within those 4 walls.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, but I've learned today that it is a total loss.  Things had changed a lot in the 2 1/2 years since we'd moved, but it was still a special part of my life and I shed tears seeing it smoldering. 

I'll share with you some of the photos of our family there, and also of the scene last night.

It is a humbling thing for me, knowing that it will never be the same.

I have pictures of Paige as a baby, but I didn't have a digital camera so those aren't loaded to my computer - yes they exist - I took pictures of my daughter - I just need to scan them!

I didn't mention that this building in particular at one time was a restaurant.  That is why it doesn't appear to be a real apartment building.  But I was a duplex - identical on both sides.  If looking at the front of the building, we lived on the right side.  The fire actually started on the left side, which isn't where we lived, but it appears to have spread through the space above the ceiling and the roof according to the smoke that we could see still coming out when we got there.