Goals For January

We certainly enjoyed a wonderful Christmas this year.  And with so much to look forward to in 2017 I figured I'd make the most of it right from the start and continue with my lists of monthly goals.  I love that I am able to manage projects with a good list and I feel I accomplish more in the process.

Last month I pretty much knocked everything off the list in the first ten days.  It felt really good too.  This is what I have planned for this month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone (and so it begins - 😆 ha, ha)

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Do some investment cooking

6.         Make Valentine's Day cards with my girls

7.         Start preparing to file my tax returns

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Create a new menu plan for February

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Update the home improvement list

12.        Enjoy a Family Movie Nite and a Family Game Nite!

13.        Brew a new batch of beer

14.       Complete a retirement house project

15.        Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or dinner

This is how I did last month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something  I did a gob of stuff!

5.         Do some investment cooking with so much in the freezers already this one can definitely wait

6.         Decorate for Christmas, put up the tree

7.         Make a new 2017 day planner

8.         Take my oldest on a Mommy/Daughter date took both girls out to breakfast

9.         Create a new menu plan for January

10.       Organize/back up my photos/files on the computer

11.        Plan my goals for 2017

12.        Enjoy a Family Christmas Movie Nite or Family Game Nite! Prancer, White Christmas, various Hallmark movies, we watched a bunch!

13.        Bake something to share at work

14.       Bake something to share with our neighbors

15.        Complete a retirement house project

16.       Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or dinner quality time spent with friends!

I did manage to finish up this item I didn't complete last month.  And it turned out better than I imagined!  😁

11.        Make my youngest daughter's orchestra dress

I am super excited about my first "To Do" list of the New Year.  How about you?  What are some projects you are planning to accomplish in 2017?

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

How was your first week of 2017?  I hope it was fantastic!

It has been cooooooold here with lows hovering just above 0° until the end of the week when it dipped down below.  Brrrrrr.  We've also had a lot of snow.

Before

After

In the spirit of winter I gloved up, went out to the garage and reorganized the chest freezer.  Not sure what the heck I was thinking, although I think the freezer is much warmer than outside.  I used plastic bins I already had to keep everything sorted and organized.  The bins will also make it easier to get to items, especially at the bottom.

My original shopping list for Cash & Carry started out much differently until I saw they had a fantastic sale on meat.  Since I am on a mission this year to spend as little as possible on everything I can, these prices were just too good to pass up.

40# of boneless skinless chicken breast for $43.90 ($1.09/lb!)

10# package of lean ground beef for $17.90 ($1.79/lb)

5#  package of pork sausage for $6.98 ($1.39/lb)

5# package of Italian pork sausage for $6.98 ($1.39/lb)

5# of grated cheddar cheese for $11.58

10# bag of navel oranges for $5.98

40 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

I am fairly certain this is enough chicken to last us the entire year.

Picked up these steaks at Alberstons half price $3.70!

On the way to Cash & Carry the youngest and I made a quick stop at the library to return books and check out some new ones.  Even though she got a Kindle for Christmas she still likes the feel of a book in her hands.  I'm kind of the same way, myself.  Books are awesome!

I spent two days laying out chicken breast on baking sheets and rotating them through the freezer.  Once frozen I put then in gallon sized Ziploc bags. 

I used up the sizeable stack of Ziploc bags I had washed to reuse packaging all of the meat I purchased.

Shredded chicken verde

I took two large chicken breasts I already had and some leftover verde sauce from the freezer and put it in the slow cooker.  Once they had cooked down I shredded them with forks and had enough to fill two large freezer containers and one small one for quick meals to enjoy later on.

To start the week off I made a large pot of Taco Soup and a pan of cornbread.  We had plenty of leftovers for another supper and a few lunches.

I made and sent out some New Years cards to a few special people.

I purged a pile of papers, junk mail and receipts.  Most of it ended up in our recycle bin.

Sunday breakfast

I took some fast food restaurant coupons to work and gave them to a co-worker.  I've noticed most of my co-workers go out to eat a lot or have something delivered for lunch pretty much on a regular basis.

Last week I decided to try something new.  I have had an Amazon Prime membership for a few years now and I love their free shipping on my orders, the numerous options for television viewing at no additional charge and loads of music to download.  However, I hadn't tried their Prime Pantry yet.  Until now.

I love free stuff!!

A couple weeks ago I made a list of toiletry and household items I was running low on and after perusing the selections on Amazon I realized I could knock quite a few of them off of my list using Prime Pantry and at a considerable savings.  Not everything they have, mind you, is the best price, but I did find several items that were and with coupons attached!  Score!  And free shipping!  And I realized I had extra rewards points to use which knocked over $32 off my total leaving me paying $14.41 for everything I ordered.  Spending less for the things we need.  Whoo hooo!

Lots of shoveling this week!

Tuesday I took all the leftover cubed chicken and steak from our New Years Day fondue dinner and tossed it together in a pan with some fresh broccoli, carrots and half an onion I sliced up for a quick supper.  It was quite nice.

We made a batch of homemade whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.  They were delicious!

Not so thrifty, but very important, I replaced the battery on our truck.  This was a planned expense.  Now I don't have to worry about getting stranded with a vehicle that won't start.  With all of our snowfall I had to drive the truck last week as it was too deep for the car.  So happy and grateful I have my truck!

I rinsed out the big refill bottle of dish soap after I emptied it into a smaller bottle and used that soapy solution to wash up three loads of dishes.

In anticipation of more bad weather and possible power outages I made some preparations.  I'll post more about all of that later this week.

How was your thrifty week?

My Uber Thrifty Month In Review - December

I ended the month of November with about $15 left in the ol' checking account.  I also had some cash in my wallet leftover from our vacation.  I was pretty darn pleased about that.  Once payday came on the 5th I was able to pay all of our monthly bills well ahead of their due dates and I was pretty darn pleased about that as well.

After making a triple payment on my debt elimination goal in November and a double payment in December I was able to go to my spreadsheet and re-work the numbers which, once again, moved up the timeline for completion.  Whooooo hoooooo!

In the second week of December my boss informed me I was to receive a cost of living wage increase.  Yippeee!!  After a couple of days spent thinking about it I decided to put that entire amount into my 401(k) account for retirement.  I don't need the increase in income so it makes much more sense for me to put it into my retirement account and allow it to build there.

With my Christmas shopping completed in November and our freezers and pantry well stocked I was able to treat my girls to a mini shopping spree.  I had some great coupons to use which allowed us to get $10 in free merchandise at Nordstroms Rack and another $10 in free merchandise at JC Penney.  Tights for the youngest and socks for me were purchased at Nordstroms.  I paid an extra $4 and left happy.  We all got the softest slippers ever at JC Penney.  I ended up paying $5 for three pair of slippers by the time all was said and done.  I also had a coupon for a free item at Bath & Body Works.  I bought a bottle of lotion and got a bottle of shower gel for free.  Needless to say, none of those shops turned much of a profit with me that day.

On two separate occasions I treated the girls to meals out.  Breakfast at Denny's and lunch at Outback.  I used my new AARP card to get a 15% discount at both restaurants.  I used funds leftover from our vacation in November to pay for those two meals as well so it made a minimal impact to our budget.

I went online to renew the registration on my car and they sent my new tags to me in the mail.  This saved me a trip to the DMV.  At the same time I also renewed our state parks pass for $10, which is an incredible deal.

We entertained quite a bit last month.  All food and beverages served came from our well stocked kitchen.  No extra grocery shopping required.  And because our freezers and pantry are so well stocked I needed very little in the way of groceries.  Mainly I purchased some fresh produce and dairy.  I did stock up on a handful of items that were on sale for a really good price and managed to come in well under budget for the month.

I filled the gas tank on the car at Fred Meyer using my rewards card.  I saved an extra 3¢ a gallon paying only $1.91 a gallon.  That is the lowest I've spent on fuel in a very, very long time.  Our travels throughout the month were fairly minimal, mostly me going to and from work, so I ended the month with a good quarter tank left.  The truck still has a third of a tank of gas in it and I seriously can't remember when it was I last filled it.  I think it was sometime in April 2016.

For the final month in 2016 I felt like I managed to keep it uber thrifty and as we head into 2017 I hope to continue to have more months like this so I can get that debt paid off!  Wish me luck.

Spending Less/Saving More - Making Every $ Count

Last year I worked steadily on my debt elimination goal and to increase my retirement savings.  I was able to make great strides on my goal and boost contributions to my 401(k) which will continue to steadily feed throughout the year.  Mission accomplished!

My big thing this year is to complete my debt elimination goal (cross that puppy off the list!) and increase my personal savings account.  The only way I see to accomplish this is to curb spending, paying as little as I can for the things we need and want.

I have acquired several gift cards.  Three were earned by participating in some health and wellness challenges at work.  One came from accumulated rewards points through my credit card company.  Several were received as gifts.  In the next few months I plan to use these gift cards to help me spend less money acquiring the things we need and want.

I plan to work really hard to seek out the very lowest prices I can on the things I do buy.  That doesn't mean I plan to "cheap out", however.  Quite the contrary.  I think it is a waste of money to overlook quality.  In the long run it isn't really a savings if you need to replace something because it doesn't hold up and work well.

I'll use patience and wait for sales.  Use coupons as much as possible to pair up with sales priced items.  And put more thought into those things that I do purchase to make sure I even need or want that stuff in the first place.

Also, I'll be careful to not be wasteful with the things we have.  Using up things, which is something I try to be careful about.  Fixing items, rather than tossing them out and replacing them.  Maintaining items we have so they stay nice and function well.

I plan on reusing, recycling or repurposing items.  I think it is fun to think outside the box a little bit and find new ways to use items rather than to toss them out.  I wash out and reuse plastic Ziploc bags on a regular basis.

Pretty good strategies, I think.  How are some ways you curb spending?

Our Meal Plan For January

January tends to be very cold here in beautiful Boise, Idaho.  It makes me want to cook a lot of hot and nourishing soups to comfort and warm us.  My family enjoys a really good and flavorful soup.  Paired with homemade bread or biscuits and a nice fresh and crisp salad makes for a delicious well rounded meal.

I usually make a weekly soup meal throughout the year, however, when the weather is bitterly cold outside I tend to make hot soups more often.  Another benefit of these simple meals is that I save a little money on the grocery budget.  Soup is a terrific budget stretcher.

Our meal plan for January is as follows:

Taco Soup, Cornbread w/ Honey Butter, Garden Salad

Cheese Omelet, Toast, Sliced Peaches

Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Potato Chips, Baby Carrots

Asian Beef Noodle Soup, Cabbage Salad

Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Garden Salad

Salisbury Steak & Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Pork Verde, Steamed Rice, Black Beans, Lettuce, Cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa

Thai Curry Soup

Baked Pasta & Sausage, Steamed Broccoli

Chicken Corn Chowder, Biscuits, Garden Salad

Pork Fired Rice, Cabbage Salad

Steak Fajitas, Sour Cream, Spanish Rice

Lentil Soup, Dinner Rolls, Garden Soup

Meat Loaf, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Carrots

Tortellini Soup, Garden Salad

Whole Wheat Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Syrup, Bananas

Black Bean Soup, Corn Bread, Cabbage Salad

Chicken Enchiladas, Garden Salad

Sounds like a good plan to me and the girls heartily agree.  They better, they helped me make this plan. 😃

What yummy things do you plan to feed your family?

A Brand New Year Begins

I get so excited when a new year begins.  For me it signals a fresh start for new goals and a time to continue with existing ones.   A time to re-evaluate where I'm at now and where I want to be.  It is also a good time to focus on the things that are truly important to me.

Family

Continue to spend quality time with my girls

Encourage them in their endeavors and help them to succeed

Continue to teach them life skills they need to become well equipped adults

Travel more, family outings

Live A Simple & Fulfilling Life

Keep our home neat, clean, organized, clutter free and well maintained

Limit the hours of overtime I work

Continue to improve nutrition and keep up healthy habits

Take time to relax, improve sleep habits

Be positive, grateful and happy

Financial Freedom

Spend less

Use and care for what I already have

Continue with my final debt elimination goal

Add more $$ to savings and increase retirement contributions

Plan for the future - daily, weekly, monthly, yearly

I know I can always do more.  I can improve upon what we are already doing and accomplish the goals I've set for myself.  I can learn new things.  I can challenge myself to be a better person in a lot of ways.

2017 is destined to be another great year!

Last Week's Thrifty Moves - The Final Week Of 2016!

Happy, Happy New Year!  We were snowed in over Christmas and that made me very happy!  I loved being at home!

Christmas morning was very nice in spite of the fact that my oldest was battling a terrible case of the flu.  We truly felt very sorry for her while we've been trying to keep our distance and not catch it ourselves.  Of course when she's crying and needs a hug from mom all bets are off.  Lots of hand washing and prayers have been said for the rest of us to remain healthy.

I did my usual Christmas morning thing as the gifts were unwrapped and collected all the reusable bows, tissue, gift bags and gift boxes for next year.  After taking the trash out to the garbage and recycle bins I got busy and re-organized the gift wrap tote in our hall closet.  Only took a few minutes and went a long way to quickly tidy up our little living room.  Plus, it made me happy. J

Our Christmas brunch was an easy and thrifty one.  I cooked up half a package of our free bacon from Winco (I got back in October) and made homemade gingerbread waffles served up with butter and homemade syrup.  My youngest said it really hit the spot.  Our Christmas supper was pretty thrifty as well.  I made four cheese manicotti and served up leftover salad and garlic cheddar biscuits from the night before to go along with.  It was delicious!

Messy and then I got the vacuum cord caught up in it

I recycled some denim jeans and made a mat for the floor near our front door to set boots and frozen chicken feeders on.  I needed something durable and washable to contain the mess that was getting tracked on the floor and driving me mad.  I cut the jeans up the inside leg seams and then cut out twelve 8 inch squares, which I sewed together.  To back it I used an old pair of my flannel pajama bottoms  I love the new floor mat.  It cost me nothing but my time, recycled some clothing that was beyond donating and now the mess is no longer.  Win-win! 

Much better!

Cute too!

I set up my ailing laptop on my desk with a keyboard and wireless mouse we already had.  I'll use it more like a desktop PC until I decide what exactly to do with it.  The technology is still relevant so it may be worth a repair.  I gave it a good cleaning and it is running cooler and I've been pricing replacement keyboards.  Right now it seems to be operating well and I want to work with it for a couple of weeks to make sure there isn't something else going on with it.  So we shall see if I end up ordering parts or not.  I really hate to toss it out if it can be fixed.

Somebody thought that I needed a hand

My oldest gave me two old calculators to use since she has upgraded this year to a graphing calculator for school.  I like that they have the bigger buttons and screen than my current one I got at the dollar store about ten years ago.  My youngest has now commandeered the dollar store calculator for herself.  It all works out.

In spite of having an extra two days off for Christmas I volunteered and worked several hours of overtime leading up to the end of the year.  I was able to work those hours from home which made it very nice.  I plan to put the extra income toward my debt elimination goal.

Christmas dinner - baked cheese manicotti with shrimp
It was so good!

I already began my Christmas planning for 2017.  I know...  I know…

I did not grocery shop or doing any other type of shopping, for that matter.  We just didn't need anything. J

I started a January shopping list for Cash & Carry.  They have some really good bargains on meat right now and I could stock up for the year quite easily.

In anticipation of next week's shopping I washed out and re-organized the refrigerator.  It is always nice to get that done ahead of time, I think.

Wednesday morning I impressed myself by using more of the old denim jeans I had saved to make my daughter a case for the Kindle she got for Christmas.  I even put one of the pockets on the front so she had a place to store the charger.  I lined it with the flannel from my old pajama bottoms so it is nice and soft inside.  She loves it!

I saved the rendered fat from frying bacon and put it in the jar I keep in the refrigerator.

I saved the rendered fat from browning ground beef and mixed it with some scratch grains to make the hens a suet cake.  I used a saved Cool Whip container to form it in.

I added a little water to the dish soap bottle and gave it a good shake.  I was able to wash two more loads of dishes.

I added a dab of milk to the mayonnaise jar and gave it a good shake.  I then used it in making up a batch of salad dressing.

How was your thrifty week?