February's Grocery Budget- How Did We Do?

If you recall, I started at the first of the year working on my grocery budget again. I had let it go over Thanksgiving and Christmas, and was kindly asked by my husband to start back up on it. Our grocery budget before I had quit, was $70 per week for the 6 of us. That included diapers, wipes, toiletries, food and more.

Last month, just starting back, I gave our budget plenty to work with while I tried to get back into "deal shopping". Well, luckily I had no trouble remembering what I was supposed to do. I spent about $70 per week, right back on track. But my goal for February was to bring my total down even more. But slowly!

So, if any of you are also visitors to my other blog, you know how I have been personally working towards making things from scratch. Not buying the mixes but making the mixes myself, not buying the bread but making the bread myself... So, I gave myself the $70 a week budget, but with the goal of working on not buying so much pre-made but making more homemade.

The result? For the month of February, I kept under my budget, and spent about $69. per week. We spent $277. for the month on 193 items. Figured out, that is only a 39% saving with coupons and everything.

This month, I bought more flour, baking soda, baking powder, oil, etc. than I have in previous months. The problem with these items is they rarely go on sale, and when they do they rarely have coupons. So I bought flour on sale, buy there was no coupons for it. So savings total goes up... I'm not complaining though. We kept our budget, AND I have been making more from scratch. So I am happy!

The challenge next month is that I am lowering my monthly budget by $10. It doesn't seem like a lot, but we will see! I am going to continue on the road of making more from scratch, and keep plugging away at finding the sales. I am also going to be working at getting my almost 2 year old to NOT be afraid of the potty! Getting rid of diapers and wipe will be a HUGE savings! (February alone I probably spent around $32. on diapers and wipes! YIKES!)

So, how did YOU do in February? Any new goals? Any new "tricks" you'd like to share?

To see how I work on saving money, go HERE.

January's Grocery Budget- How Did We End Up?

I told you earlier about, how I fell of the wagon for a while with my grocery deals...

And how this month, I was asked by my hubby to start back doing 'the deals' again. I knew it was time. Our grocery budget was normally $70. or less per week for our family of 6. And at the end of this year, we were over $100. and more towards $130. on average weeks. And that was using some coupons, but not really trying hard to find the BEST deals.

Well, working at finding the best deals is worth it! In the end, my average per week for groceries, was $70. Which is where I was when I 'fell off the wagon' before. In the month of January, my first month back to 'deal shopping', I spent $284.71 for 284 items! That is $1 per item! Considering, each week I buy 6-7 gallons of milk ($2.29 ea), 3 gallons of Soy milk ($2.95 ea), and diapers ($8.99 on sale), I think my average is pretty decent!

And in fact, my goal for up coming months, is even LOWER. I had a high goal of $380. for January, which is a little higher than I wanted it to be, but I was getting back into the 'groove'. Heck, I still had over $95. to spend! :)

So, my goal for February is $285. I am hoping to get lower than that. My goal for March (as of right now) is $280. Then when Spring hits and I start being able to produce some garden vegetation, I am going to slowly start to lower my budget again. I am also planning on canning and freezing lots of garden veggies, so this will bring my grocery bill down even more!

On our small farm, we are going to be getting some meat chickens, a cow (for meat), more egg laying chickens, turkeys, and we will have goats for milk. We already have a freezer full of venison from my hubby this last Fall. I am hoping our budget can drop even more than I am planning. I am hoping at the end of the summer, I will only be spending $200. per month. So in August and September (5 shopping weeks) I will only have $40 to spend on my family of 6!

One thing that may help in that equation is that I am planning on having my littlest one potty trained... We shall see how THAT goes! :)

I am excited again, to be working on reducing our grocery budget. I am going lower than we have even gone before, and I am excited about it!

We have some other areas we are looking to apply that $$ to. We are hoping in a year from now to take our kids to Florida and go to Disney. We are of course doing this in the most economical way possible! More on THAT later! We are also starting the process of adoption. We would LOVE to add a little girl to our mostly masculine family. And unfortunately, to place a child in a good and loving home, is very expensive.

But, I think we can do this. So far, God is leading the way. And I pray that we continue to follow in His footsteps.

So, are you on a grocery budget? How did you do this month??? What changes are you planning on making for the future???

Challenge for Today

Matthew 5:3 (from the Message Bible)~

"You are blessed when you are at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. "

Ever notice THAT is when we call out to God the most? When we are at the end of our rope? That is the time when we realize how much we need Him. Let's make it a habit of calling out to Him BEFORE we get to the end of our rope, thanking Him for all of the blessings in your life and for His mercy and grace in our lives.

Our Reminder...

Titus 3:1 Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way.

3:2 Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone.

3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them.

3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed,

3:5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

3:6 God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,

3:7 so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.

God is SO good. Don't be afraid to remind YOURSELF & OTHERS!

Make a Life Change...

I am calling out another challenge for you ladies, because I think you can handle it. Sometimes we get stuck in this rut... You know, doing the same things day in and day out. Cleaning, cooking, blaa, blaa, blaa... But I want to challenge you today to fill in these blanks, and then DO them. I gave you some options below. WARNING: this WILL make you think outside the box...

Today I will:____________________________________

Tomorrow I will:______________________________________

This week I will:_________________________________________

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This month I will: _________________________________________

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• Say a prayer for someone new.
• tell a stranger how great her outfit looks.
• Bake bread or cookies, FROM SCRATCH.
• Take some flowers to a friend.
• Invite someone new over for coffee or lunch.
• Talk a long walk and talk to God the WHOLE TIME.
• Send 5 friends a post card telling them how much you appreciate them
• Invite a new couple over for dinner.
• Give your husband a back rub or foot rub, after he gets home from work.
• Write or talk to your children and tell them one thing you are very proud of them for.
• Learn a new Bible verse.
• Clean out a much needed area in your home.
• Ask your husband what is one thing you can do for him today.
• Send your pastor a letter of encouragement and appreciation.
• Volunteer to do something new at your church.
• Donate food to a Food/Clothing Basket.
• Drop off gift/groceries to a friend o neighbor in need (but do it in secret!).
• Do something special for someone who is always serving at your church, then tell them how much they are appreciated!
• Start a prayer notebook, and make an entry EVERYDAY!

These are just a few ideas to think outside the box. But DO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! And make sure you are not simply doing these things for YOUR glory but that these kind and loving gestures would point back to our wonderful God!

If you are up to the challenge, make sure you share that with us! =) May God to glorified by you today!

That's Who I Want to Be!

I saw this quote the other day. If you know who said it, please tell me so I can post that too. I thought I would share it, because that is the kind of woman I strive to be!

"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says, "Aww crap, she's up!"

Weekend Inspiration

Encouragement:

Ecc 9:7-9 "Go ahead---eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God. Always look happy and cheerful. Enjoy life with the one you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble."

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Wow. I don't remember reading those verses before. But what an encouragement that God is in control. We can work to try to achieve riches, and it can all be taken away. Or we can enjoy what the Lord has given us, and it is up to Him how long we enjoy it.

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WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL.

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Enjoy what you have and make the most of everyday God has given you.

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Try Something New:\

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In going with our verses above, I want to encourage you all to get out and do something with your family. Something meaningful. Go to the zoo. Go for a picnic. Go to a museum. What does your family enjoy? Go do it! Make some memories that your children (and/or grandchildren) will remember.

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This weekend, we are going to the Dunes along Lake Michigan. I will always remember this place, because my husband proposed to me there. Now 11 years later, I get to take my children back there. They are going to love it. Climbing the sand hills, playing in the water... It isn't anything that will cost much but it will make lots of memories.

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So, again, I encourage you to enjoy what God has given you. Get out there with that wonderful family that God has blessed you with. Have a great weekend!

In His Word Wednesday- Sin

Sin.

Why is it SO HARD for us to keep ourselves from sin? From sinful thoughts? Why is there always that nagging thought that maybe we shouldn't step out in faith because we might get hurt? Why is it we doubt ourselves when we want to call a friend who may need encouragement?

Why do we have 'that still small voice' but then we also have another voice... one that makes us doubt things that could potentially be a working of God?

One word for that 'other voice'. SATAN.

This is reality here folks. We know that there is a God. And we know He is the Ruler of all things, and the Maker of all things. He KNOWS all things! But, Satan is also there. And he wants to further HIS OWN kingdom.

How does he further his kingdom? Making us second guess ourselves. Making us open our mouth when the Lord tells us to keep them shut.

Satan has a BIG MOUTH.

Heb 11:32-34 "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. "

1Peter 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. "

Have you eve noticed that Satan has no power but his mouth? He can't DO ANYTHING without people. And he has to try to convince us to do things for him.

Beth Moore has a great study of the Fruits of the Spirit, "Living Beyond Yourself". And I would like to highlight a point she makes in one of her studies:

She says we need to look to Daniel for an example (Dan. 6:3-11).

• Get down on your knees and pray.


• Give thanks to God.


• Persevere in the things God has taught us to do.

So, if we are in doubt where the message is coming from, wait until you KNOW you hear God's voice. I think God would rather wait on us to be sure we heard HIM, rather then think we heard Him, and act on things that the lion wants us to do...

Let's shut the lion's mouth.

For other words of encouragement, God's Word and prayers, go and see In His Word Wednesday HERE.

Serve

Why is it that people measure the success in their life by having people serve them? Why do we have to go to hotels to be served, then leave it a mess? Why do we need a house keeper, and expect the mess WE make to be cleaned up?

Jesus came to the earth to be an example for us.

Matthew 20:28 "He didn't come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

Jesus came to serve. Why do WE expect to be served? Are we showing our family that example also? Or are we teaching them the habit too, of "I deserve this, they should be serving us!"?

We need to come down, off our pedestal that we set ourselves on, and start again. Serving. Serving God first, then our families, then others. Start with #1 (God).

God- Help us to stop expecting the Hollywood standard in our lives. Help us to stop acting like spoiled brats, and expecting others to serve US! We need to humble ourselves now, or be humbled later. Thank you that You send Jesus as a perfect example for us. Help us to take Him in and not only act it out, but absorb it. We love you ~Amen

Coming in March...

Before Thanksgiving and Christmas, I did the Organized Christmas thing, where each week you take a room, and you do all there is to do in that room to get it ready for the holidays.

Well, I would LOVE to do that for SPriNg!!! There is so much to do, inside and outside of our homes once the weather FINALLY starts to change.

So, I am going to make up a room by room check list, then hopefully move outdoors... Are you game??? Even if you are too good for my Spring cleaning checklist (yeah, YOU!), you can watch my progress. If you are game, each week we will have a room, showing the before's and the after's, and telling anything interesting along the way! And maybe even getting some items rid out of your homes so you can have a yard sale! Who knows!

So, keep it in mind! We will be starting in March, and I will also have Bible verses to go along with it. This should be fun! (Well, as fun as CLEANING can get...)

See you in March! =)

A Challenge

Yes- I am challenging YOU!!!

One of my goals, as a wife & mother, is to model MY life after the Proverbs 31 Woman. And one of the aspects, I have been pushing myself on, is how she works with her hands. I guess I push myself on this one, because I love working with my hands, and I just haven't done it enough in the past.

About 6 or so years ago, I learned how to crochet from my beautiful grandmother, who has since gone home to be with the Lord. She taught me a basic straight crochet technique. I have made blankets, and scarves. Nothing more because I don't know how!!!

So I am going to challenge myself this next month to learn to fine tune my crocheting skills and make something more complicated, OR to learn how to knit. How will I learn how to knit? I will teach myself on the Internet. Or maybe not... It sounds like such a lofty goal, after I have it all typed out and for all to see...

But, I am giving myself a month to at least start. I am a SAHM but I also have a lot of things to do in a day. SO it isn't like I have loads of time to try to fill up with things. I am just like you, overloaded with housework, piles of laundry, a constant thin layer of dust (because of our stove), endless supply of energy from 4 little boys, homework, barn chores, snuggling, breaking up fights, making dinners, on the Worship Team at my church, serving on the Women's Ministry team, 3 blogs and a web site, and just trying to overall make my husband proud and my children grow in life and the Lord. This is not a list of overwhelming tasks, these are the things that the Lord has blessed me with daily. I love to do these things (well, dusting is boarder line...), but I am also choosing to improve myself.

Plus, I also have the "threat" of having arthritis & possibly Alzheimer's, it is in my family tree. Along with who-knows-what-life-is-gonna-bring. The more I work with my hands and keep my mind sharp, the better for me in the long run... Plus, did you know your mind keeps even sharper when you learn brand new things?

So, that's what I'm doin'... fighting Alzheimer's and keeping my mind sharp!

I am also challenging YOU. I challenge you to find something new, something you have always wanted to do, and DO IT! Please leave a comment here if you take my challenge, then keep me updated!