My Thrifty Grocery Budget 2020 - April

Grocery shopping and maintaining a budget has become quite a bit trickier.  Along with the struggle to find the items I want to purchase prices have been creeping up and sales are not so good.  I find myself shopping more at Cash & Carry and the Grocery Outlet than I have before simply because they usually seem to have what I want.  The problem, and it isn't a big problem, is that Cash & Carry sells items in much larger quantities than what I usually buy, not unlike Costco, but without the membership fees.

In order to get what we need I'm shopping at a lot of different stores.

Despite a small handful of challenges I've been able to feed my family quite well and maintain our food stores in our pantry and freezer in the process.  I'm cooking larger meals on the weekends with leftovers to keep us going throughout the week.  That seems to be working pretty well for everyone.  I spent a total of $156.34 so I am over budget by $6.34 which I will roll over to next month and begin the month with that much less to spend.

Grocery outlet had dish soap and beans.  Coconut oil for my prepper pantry too.

The hardest thing for me to find this month was dish soap and I noticed the laundry supplies were pretty picked over as well.  We have plenty of laundry stuff, but I did want to get some dish soap and our grocery stores were out.  I did find plenty at Grocery Outlet and picked up a two pack there so we should be fine for quite a while.  Our $25 non food budget came in $26.19 with some carryover from previous months so I still have $4.01 in that budget to carryover to next month.

I find I am shopping more at stores I don't normally shop at all that often.

This is what I bought for food in April:

Most of you know I've started a prepper pantry and I literally have no budget to do this.  I'm getting creative in accumulating my supplies and food items and I will be going over that in more detail in an upcoming post.  The prepper pantry is not at all part of my regular grocery budget right now.

The prepper pantry has its own budget.  It is coming right along.

$156.34 ÷ 30 days ÷3 people = $1.74 per person per day!!

The grocery outlet has been great for finding things.
I can't get at my regular grocery store and at low prices too.

Not unhappy with that total to be quite honest.  In fact, I'm quite relieved that it wasn't worse or that we had to go without anything.  For that I am truly grateful.  I hope and pray that all of you are doing well and finding the groceries that you need.  I also hope that you are weathering this storm and able to keep the roof over your heads and your families fed.  This is such a crazy time for all of us right now.  Let me know how you are all doing at the grocery stores lately.

The New Dehydrator

I was super excited to get to add a food dehydrator to my kitchen arsenal.  I had done quite a bit of research and really thought about it a lot before I actually placed my order.  My plan is to be able to dry fruits and vegetables so I can store more food on a much smaller scale and in a way that will make them last much longer.  And it looks like that is exactly what I will be able to do.

I began by purchasing three 5# bags of frozens vegetables on sale at Cash & Carry.  Peas, sliced carrots and corn.  I laid them out on the trays, set the temperature and timer and let it do its thing.  I worked perfectly.  I had put a way a quart bag full of each vegetable into our freezer and dehydrated the rest until I had two pint jars full of peas, a pint of carrots and a pint and a half of corn.  That freed up a lot of freezer space and I will have all of these veggies to add to soups, stews and other recipes down the road.

These were some tomatoes we had that were going soft
Great way to curb potential food waste!

My girls are fascinated by this process and have really enjoyed helping me.  They were amazed when they rehydrated a pea, a carrot slice and a corn kernel in a cup of warm water and they came right back to their original form.  To be honest, so was I.  So I guess this is going to work!

It is crazy how tiny this stuff got

I have big plans to dehydrate a lot more things to add to my prepper pantry.  As I do I will be sure to share with you all the things I am doing in my new little machine.  I think it works really well and it wasn't expensive at all.  I ordered it on eBay and it came with free shipping for $34.99.  It is a Rosewill digital  five tray dehydrator and doesn't take up a whole lot of counter space either.  It works like a charm and I could be happier about it.  Do any of you own and use a dehydrator?  If so, what is your favorite thing to dehydrate?

It Is Time To Pay Attention & Act Accordingly

A pandemic is exactly what this world needed.  While it is sad that many have become ill and some have lost their lives, as with any illness that strikes us, COVID-19 and all that it entails is actually doing us a lot of favors.  While those that are stuck at home, not working or not going to school and worrying about what their future may hold, know this.  We are all going to make it.  But we're going to have to make some pretty drastic changes in order to do so.  We have to do things much differently from here on out.  It is time to GYST.

We are currently experiencing a global and economical reset.  For far too long the vast majority of us have been going through life at breakneck speed consuming goods and resources like there is no tomorrow.  In order to keep up with demand we manufacture and import those things with total disregard for our planet.  We consume and consume and the byproduct of all that consumption is waste and destruction.  Overflowing landfills, factories spewing pollution and toxic waste, farmland plowed under to make way for urban sprawl, greenhouse gases and global warming.

We drive and drive and drive and no matter how high the price of automobiles or fuel gets we still buy and consume.  Oil is a natural resource that someday will run out, whether in our lifetime or our great great grandchildren's who knows, but it will run out and at the rate we were going probably sooner rather than later.  And while we drive we pump all that exhaust into the air, not to mention the wear and tear on the roadways that need to be expanded and made bigger to accommodate more cars.

We are sick and unhealthy.  We eat too much, weigh too much, spend too much time at work to pay for crap we don't even own anymore.  We spend too much time on our butts, too much time with social media, too much time on our cell phones.  We eat too much crap.  We don't get enough sleep or exercise or fresh air.  We don't spend time with our families, eating together, talking to each other.

Inflation keeps rising.  We have too much debt.  We don't make enough money to support our lifestyles and our spending habits.  Our economy runs on credit and consumerism that is not sustainable long term.  We want what we want and we want it right now.  We own too much stuff.  The excess and waste is out of control.  Something has to happen.  Things have to change.

The pandemic is forcing us to change.  We have no other choice.  If you aren't paying attention to that then you are going to miss the boat.  We need to realign our values and how we behave.  This is about far more than hoarding toilet paper and wearing masks.  Our world was about to implode.  We have to be better people and do a much better job.  Whether we realize it or not, COVID-19 is a blessing and it is not going away anytime soon.  We can't afford to dismiss it.  We have to change.

We have to pay attention.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

 

I appreciate the quiet.  No crowds, less traffic, less busyness and the air is fresher.  Much fresher.  It smells good outside.  The skies are clear over the foothills and everything seems brighter.  Things seem better.  I am grateful for these changes and that life is very good right now.  I hope you all are healthy and doing well.

We cleaned up our flowerbeds and raked the yard

Sunday was the second day of my very productive weekend as I moved outside and enjoyed a warm and sunny day working in our yard.  We spring cleaned our yard and then I used items I already had on hand to complete a small project involving our hose area.  Both of the girls worked full shifts that evening so I had most of the day to myself.  My youngest helped me outside for a while before she had to get ready for work.  It was a very good day.

We love this new area and no longer stepping in mud

Monday evening after I got home from work I spent about an hour working in the yard and enjoying another sunny warm spring day.  Our fruit trees are in bloom right now and they look very pretty.  I raked up and moved the last of the dirt I'd dug up on Friday and cleaned out another flower bed.  That pile of debris will go to the chickens.  They will have a lot of fun with it.

Tuesday evening after I got home from work the youngest and I headed outside to de-thatch the lawn and do a final cleanup.  We set up our hoses and sprinklers so they are ready to go now.  Our neighbor lent us his spreader so the girl and I could get the lawn re-seeded.  We are feeling pretty good about our progress so far.

Our bleeding heart is beginning to bloom

Wednesday and Thursday we got some much appreciated rain to soak the ground and get our grass seed started.  Friday was warmer and drier while Saturday was overcast and we got a few sprinkles.  All in all we had some lovely spring weather last week and no need to run the heat.  If any of us got chilly we just put on warm socks or a sweater.  The average temperature in our home as been about 68° and when it was warm and sunny out I opened doors and windows letting in as much fresh air as possible.

Saturday I puttered around the house doing a load of laundry and working on my prepper pantry some more.  The girls and I started a new exercise routine together and we are enjoying it.  My youngest is leading us and putting us through our paces.

Prepper Pantry = 3 packages of quick cook oatmeal (4 cups each), 2 packages homemade cinnamon raisin granola (4 cups each), 3 packages of raisins (1 cup each), 1 package dried cranberries (1 cup), 1 pint pancake syrup, 5 packages potato flakes (10 servings each), 5 packages of flavored mashed potatoes, 2 packages of pinto beans (2 cups each), 1 package of black beans (2 cups), 1 package of split peas (2 cups).

Breakfast hash

Some of the 15 Minute Chores I accomplished to keep my home in order:

Laundry Room & Half Bathroom - vacuumed & mopped floors.  Daily swish & swipe.

Dining Room - vacuumed & mopped  floor.

Kitchen -  vacuumed & mopped floor, cleaned microwave, scrubbed sink.

Bedrooms & Main Bathroom - vacuumed & dusted.  Scrubbed tub.  Daily swish & swipe.

Other - two large loads of laundry, vacuumed & dusted living room, hallway & entry, mopped both entry ways,.  Swept front porch.

How was your thrifty week?

Simple Christmas 2020 - Update #2

Well, I'll be honest.  Other than adding another $10 to my Christmas fund I haven't done a darn thing to prepare for Christmas.  No.  Wait a minute.  I found some more sprinkles for 50¢ in the Fred Meyer markdown bin by the cheese.  I did do something!

Confetti Sugar Cookies!

At least I do know there will be some pretty serious cookie baking going on around here come Christmastime.  That's the best part and one of my very favorite activities.  And those cake mix cookies we did last year were a ton of fun.  I would well imagine we'll be doing some of those again.

Every month I am adding $10 to my Christmas fund

Right now it is a bit difficult for me to think about Christmas in the midst of our current pandemic and all that it entails.  I find myself focusing on things more day by day.  I have plenty to motivate me and things I am looking forward to, including Christmas.  I imagine as the time grows nearer I'll find my motivation to get started.

It will help to have the stores open back up too.  Just a thought.

Spring Gardening - Clean Up & A Project

No matter how well we clean up the yard in the fall by the time spring rolls around we need to do some pretty series cleaning.  A lot of debris seems to accumulate across the lawn and in all the nooks and crannies of the flowerbeds.  Sunday was my day to get outside and get busy.  The weather was perfect too.

A fair bit of a mess

Initially when I take stock of what needs to be done I am always overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of getting our yard back in order.  Last year I found that by working on it in sections it seemed much more manageable.  So this year I know from that experience that this is the best way for me to work on my yard.

Already a huge improvement

Starting at the gate I began by cleaning up the flowerbed  and raking up half of the yard.  I had a pretty good pile of sticks, twigs and leaves.  I pulled out all the sticks and large twigs for the firepot.  Then I mowed the lawn.  I'm always amazed how much better the yard looks simply by raking and mowing the lawn.  It didn't take very long either.

Our apple tree is in bloom

My youngest came outside and gave me a hand.  I raked up the next section of the lawn and she took the first pile of leaves to the chicken coop.  After I pulled out the sticks and twigs we added the second debris pile to our new garden bed.  We cleaned out another flowerbed, moving some of the rocks and really getting to all the areas around the pond as well as behind and under the shrubs.  Then it was time for a break and some lunch.  In just over an hour we had made some really good progress.

This area always seems to be a muddy mess

My daughter left for work so I was on my own and decided to tackle a project.  Last year I had spruced up our hose area and although it looked a lot better it was still a bit of a trouble spot.  The way our yard slopes it was always a boggy wet mess so I pulled out all the bricks I'd set in front of the hose bib and grabbed a shovel.  I needed to expand the area and get rid of some of the dirt to level it off.

Re-using pavers from our backyard

I had removed some pavers in the backyard when I built our new garden bed so I decided those would be perfect for this project.  After digging out the extra dirt and leveling the area with a rake I set the pavers in place making the area twice as big as it was before.  I reused the bricks too creating a border that would keep the lawn and any dirt in place creating a kind of retaining wall.  It turned out better than I expected.

I love this old brick

I think this will make a big difference

The extra dirt and sod was moved to a low spot we had in the lawn and now that area looks better too.  I plan to do a lot more out here in our yard, but I feel like I already have a good start and one project under my belt.  I used and repurposed all items I had on hand so nothing needed to be purchased.  That makes it even better.

I like this so much better!
We need to do some re-seeding now and fill it all in.

Have you been able to get outside and get to work on any yard or garden projects?  If so, tell me what you've been up to.

Prepper Pantry - Dry Goods & Supplies

To prep dry goods for my long term storage pantry I invested in a Seal A Meal vacuum sealer and two rolls of sealing bag material.  One roll is 8"x50' and the other 11"x50'..  Both of these items I found on eBay.  They were the best price at the time and came with free shipping arriving in less than a week.  While I waited for this to arrive I began to collect the first few food items I wanted to store.

My great grandmother's kitchen scale, the vacuum sealer & popcorn!
Popcorn is an important prepper item to my girls 😉

Popcorn, long grain white rice and unbleached all purpose flour are great options for long term storage.  I started with the popcorn first measuring it out in one cup increments into white paper lunch bags.  We use 1/2 a cup each time we make popcorn so I wanted to be able to measure it out equally and not have some random amount leftover.  I folded the top of the bag down and used a piece of clear tape to keep it in place.

The white bags allow an additional layer of protection
They help keep out light as well as to prevent the food item
from piercing the bag during sealing

I measured out the eleven inch wide bag material cutting it twelve inches in length.  Once I had enough pieces cut I sealed the bottom of each piece to make my bag.  I placed one of the measured bags of popcorn, each weighing three pounds, into the bag and then vacuum sealed it.

After vacuum sealing each one it was time to label the bags.  I decided to include nutrition facts and simply searched for the correct nutrition facts information and cut the image pasting it onto a word doc pasting until I had enough images.  At the top of each image I typed what the item was and added the date it was packaged, then printed them out.  I cut them with scissors and taped them onto the front of each bag with clear packing tape.  I think they turned out quite nice.

I did the same process to put up a 20# bag of long grain white rice as well as 4# of pinto beans.  In one of the bags that came with the Seal A Meal I was able to put up spice packets I picked up at Winco for 40¢ each.  I found four bricks of espresso grind coffee at Dollar Tree and added that to my stash as they are already vacuum sealed.  Four boxes of gelatin I picked up on markdown last month ended up getting sealed as an experiment and it worked out just fine.

It is a bit time consuming to do all of these steps and I'm sure there are faster, easier and better ways to do this, but I am really enjoying the process and having quite a bit of fun with it.  My plan is to pick up items as I find them and find them at the best possible price so I don't end up going into debt with this project.  I kind of feel that would be counterproductive if I acquired debt in order to put up a prepper pantry.

I have made the decision to prep each of my items in smaller quantities rather than in bulk.  It makes sense for me to do this as we are a small family and eventually it will be just me.  By opening and using the smaller quantities it will help keep everything else fresher longer and reduce waste.  Doing smaller quantities takes more time and will probably use more of the bag material, but I still think it is a better option for me.

The end goal is to have a fully stocked and functional pantry that holds a year's worth of food for two people.  Once I've accomplished that I will evaluate whether I need to increase or change it.  In the meantime I am in no rush and will just plug away at it until I get there.  I will continue to keep you posted on my progress as I know many of you are very interested in this.  Plus, I really like having you come along with me on my journey into prepping.

Financial Management - Paying Off Debt

This is one area I cannot express enough.  If you have debt, pay it off.  If you want to successfully survive a financial crisis you can't have a lot of debt.  It simply will not work.  Do whatever you have to and get your debt paid off.  Sell stuff, downsize, take on an extra job, refinance your home, whatever it needs to be, but get it paid.  Then once you are done, stay out of debt.

Easier said than done, I do know that from my own experiences, but necessary.  Our circumstances can change on a dime as the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated and we need to be better prepared.  For those that have been out of work this is financially devastating.  If we can learn to live with no debt, except maybe  for our mortgage, and have a nice emergency fund established, as well as a full pantry, can you just imagine how much better we could do?  I think that is the best goal we could work toward.

For me I have no time to waste.  I have to be debt free before I can retire.

Think about it.  What can you do to eliminate debt?  How much better off would you be?