As Our Year Comes To A Close

 

I am ready to bid 2013 adieu and welcome in 2014 with new hope and promise.  It has been a tumultuous year for us, but also for a lot of people in our lives.  I think I'm more than ready for a fresh start. 

Despite all our challenges this year I realize I am still so truly blessed.  These are the things I am most grateful for: 

·         My two beautiful and loving daughters, my dear friends and my family.

·         Our little place we call home and the abilities and resources to make it work.

·         That we are very blessed to have everything we need and most of what we want.

·         My pretty little car and my tough little truck.

·         Our two kitties who add extra joy to our lives.

·         Opportunities to accomplish new things and meet new people along the way.

·         Realizing one of my big dreams coming true by having my first novel published.

·         My faith.  Despite everything bad that has happened, to us and to our loved ones, my faith has endured and sustained me.  I have learned to listen to Him and pay better attention too. 

I am hopeful for a better year in 2014.  I pray that there are fewer challenges and struggles and that we all enjoy better health.  Most of all I wish for continued strength and perseverance, that my faith remains steady and that I am able to maintain my sense of optimism and hope. 

How was 2013 for you?  Are you ready for the New Year?

Last Week’s Thrifty Moves

 

My last Thrifty Week post for 2013, but alas, I'll be back with another one next week in 2014.

Amazingly, I did not do any grocery shopping this week.  I didn't read the ads or worry about clipping coupons either because we are so well stocked up at home.  I also didn’t buy any gasoline or propane.  How about that?! 

I cleaned out and reorganized the cabinet underneath the bathroom sink.  I was able to combine the items from my overflow storage tote with the items I store there and eliminated the tote altogether. 

Guess what?  When I was reorganizing the toiletries a I found a small half full bottle of lotion.  I thought we'd gone through all of those and taken care of them, but apparently not.  I was laughing about it to my oldest and she handed me another one she had found amongst her things that was about a third full.  Where did they all come from?!  So now we are on a mission to use these two pesky little bottles up so we can enjoy our new stuff we got for Christmas. 

I made more refill solution for the foaming soap dispenser in our bathroom. 

 

On Christmas morning I gathered up gift bags, bows, gift boxes and tissue paper to re-use for next year.  I consolidated everything so it fit inside one medium sized gift bag with all the bows inside a gift box.  It takes up much less storage space now in the storage area underneath my bed. 

One of the gifts the girls received were throw blankets.  Each one had a wide grosgrain ribbon tied around them.  I saved them to use for a ribbon to wrap a gift.  All I'll have to do is press them with an iron to remove the wrinkles where they were tied. 

My daughters made thank you cards to send friends and relatives for their Christmas gifts. 

The semi-annual coupon pack from Fred Meyer arrived in the mail so I was uber excited about that, cause I'm weird that way.  I have several coupons to use next month when I go grocery shopping that will help me save quite a bit.  They even included cat food coupons. 

That pretty much sums up my thrifty week.  How about yours?

Grocery Budget Update - December

 

I ended last month at-29¢.  I know what you are thinking - Oh, my goodness gracious! 

I added my deficit to my budget and started the month with $124.71 as a beginning budget.  I spent $116.60 and ended the month with $8.11 left.  I'll add this to next month's budget and then I'll begin all over again. 

Our non-food spending came in at $10.91 (of our allotted $25 budget) for two 20 lb bags of cat litter, a box of facial tissues and a bottle of laundry detergent.  Whatever is leftover each month goes into savings and I start fresh with $25. 

This is what I bought for groceries this month:

		$$$
Lettuce (2)		1.76
Tortillas		1.49
Rice - 5#		2.89
Black beans		1.49
Pot pies (6)		4.74
Frozen veg (4)		2.76	Store Coupon
Olives (2)		1.98	Store Coupon
Bread (3)		4.00	Store Coupon
Stuffing mix (2)		1.78	Store Coupon
Milk - 1/2 gal (2)		2.50	Store Coupon
Orange juice - 1/2 gal		1.25	Store Coupon
Clam chowder (6)		4.69	Store Coupon/Coupon
Ground turkey - 3#		3.99	Markdown
Lasagna noodles		1.00	Dollar Store
Green olives		0.99	Store Coupon
Lettuce		1.88	Sale
Milk - 1 gal		2.08
Eggs - 18ct		1.58	Store Promotion
Bananas		1.02	Markdown
Carrots		0.49	Sale
Avocado		0.98	Sale
Cereal		1.13	Sale/Coupon
Green beans (4)		1.96	Sale
Olives (2)		1.00	Sale/Coupon
Cream cheese (4)		4.00	Sale
Cranberry juice (2)		2.76	Store Coupon
Pasta (4)		3.12	Store Coupon
Cake mix		0.99	Store Coupon
Crackers (3)		5.00	Store Coupon
Bread (3)		4.00	Store Coupon
Clam chowder (2)		2.00	Sale/Coupon
Cranberry juice (2)		3.34	Store Coupon
Ground turkey - 20 oz.		2.99	Sale
Cookies (4)		4.00	Dollar Store
Tortilla Chips (2)		2.00	Sale
Cheese (2)		3.00	Store Coupon
Bagels (2)		1.60	Markdown
English Muffins		0.60	Markdown
Orange juice - 1/2 gal (2)		2.50	Store Coupon
Breakfast rolls (2)		2.76	Sale/Coupon
Roasted pepper dip		2.49	Markdown
Cheese (4)		6.00	Sale
Bananas		0.66	Markdown
Spinach dip		2.04
Tomato sauce (8)		2.00	Markdown
Bread		1.78
Spinach		1.66
Ground beef		2.23
Italian sausage		3.65	Sale
Total		$      116.60

I so did not need to buy the four packages of cookies at the dollar store but I did.  I'm not quite sure what on earth possessed me, especially at Christmas time when there is so much junk around.  Oh well. 

Do you set a grocery budget each month?  How did you do?  How are some ways you save $$ at the grocery store?