The Big Day Is Tomorrow!

We move into the new building for our business tomorrow.  I am so excited! 

I stopped by yesterday to see all the changes they have done.  It is going to look so nice.  I have been setting stuff up and decorating in my head for weeks now.  I think I know where most everything is going but who knows until I actually start setting things in place. 

I have been a busy girl this week getting ready.  All my stuff is sitting in the garage and family room ready to go into the truck tomorrow morning and head on down.  My parents are coming to help and it will be a busy weekend. 

This week I called the utility companies, went to City Hall to pick up my occupancy permit, got the banking done, bought some plants and pots, made forms, business cards and started working on signs.  I’ve painted shelving, painted a display table, and painted the end of my finger metallic silver.  I’ve gone through a ton of paperwork, put price tags on inventory, made labels and stuck them on bottles of eyeglass cleaner, sorted and organized frames and ordered some more. 

In the middle of all this I have managed to clean up my house, get the laundry done, grocery shop for the month of September (decided to get it done early), raked the yard and picked up a ton of apples – again, and in the middle of all this hosted the ladies for a day of pinochle playing. 

Crazy as it may sound to host a “party” in the midst of everything that is going on it was my salvation.  I needed a day to chill out and do something completely different.  Spending time with my friends, especially when they are so excited for me and my little venture, was the best thing I could have done for myself.  We had a great time. 

My next adventure in life is about to take off.  I can hardly wait!

$100 Christmas Challenge

It’s going around! 

Several of the blogs I follow have either issued or someone has signed on for a big challenge.  To spend no more than $100 cash on Christmas gifts.  Given our current financial situation it sounded like the right challenge for me so I have decided to join them.  What do you think of this?  Could you do it? 

It will be a challenge, no doubt about that, and it will mean that most of my gifts will need to be homemade or very carefully purchased.  I am hoping to combine sales with coupons and use gift cards from my rewards points on my credit card to ensure that I am able to pull this off. 

I got a pretty good start Tuesday.  I had coupons for Pyrex storage bowls and “doubler” coupons to go with them from Albertsons.  I took them to Walmart because they accept them and I was able to pick up a nice gift for just a couple of bucks.  Hurray! 

I’ve been working on the handmade end of things already this year so I do have a few things done and others started.  I plan to do a lot of things from the kitchen as well.  You know, you really don’t need a lot of money to pull off a nice holiday. 

It is going to be a great Christmas this year!

Grocery Wrap Up – August

I stayed right on budget this month!  Once again, a lot of what I bought this month was stock up items for my winter pantry. 

I did the majority of my shopping at the very beginning of the month.  I went back to the store once for milk and to use a coupon for free eggs.  Can’t beat that price for eggs now can you?.  Our non-food budget spent this month was $4.91 for canned cat food, tissues and two bottles of dish soap. 

Here is the final tally of everything I purchased this month: 

Groceries		$$$
Soda - 12pk (4)		3.92	Store Coupon
Sour cream (4)		4.00
Flour - 50#		14.98	Costco
Sugar - 25#		14.05	Costco
Baking cocoa		5.99	Costco
Chocolate chips		10.79	Costco
Onions 10#		3.99	Costco
Flour tortillas-10ct (2)		2.76
Corn tortillas-30ct		1.62
Crackers		1.92
Oatmeal		2.42
Peas & carrots		0.78
Peas		0.78
Corn		0.78
Broccoli florets		1.83
Brown sugar		1.42
Italian sausage 2#		5.76
Almonds		1.22
Pecans		2.09
Gravy mix		1.32
Spinach		1.68
Celery		2.28
Carrots 2#		0.88
Romaine		1.98
Mushrooms		1.73
Fettucine		0.99
Coconut		1.72
Tomato sauce (2)		0.96
Canned tomatoes (4)		2.32
Parmesan		1.98
Tomatoes (2)		0.72
Mushroom soup (3)		1.77
Ramen (6)		1.02
Olives (2)		1.56
Eggs-18ct (2)		3.00	Store Coupon
Grapes		1.97
Cereal (3)		3.30
Cheese (5#)		10.66
Eggs - 1 doz		FREE	Store Coupon
Milk-1 gal		2.00
Total		$ 124.94

 

We have really enjoyed all the produce from the garden too. 

How did you do this month?