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Archive for June, 2015

Eat from the Pantry Challenge Weeks 3 and 4 Complete

June 30th, 2015 at 11:34 pm

I did really well on this. I spent maybe $75 on groceries for the entire month of June. I saved $750 from eating from the pantry, freezer, and garden and not going out to eat at all. I only went into the grocery stores to buy milk and a little bit of vegetables. I stopped by a fruit stand for cherries a couple of times. In season WA state cherries are something I seemingly can't resist.

I did videos of the meals if anyone wants to see them. If you go to the actual entry they are hyperlinked and you can just click through. They don't seem to be hyperlinked otherwise.

Week 3:

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5v1V_ExMTk and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5v1V_ExMTk

Week 4:

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEkj54qsp2U and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEkj54qsp2U

And if you are curious to see how I did my meal planning under these circumstances, I did a video on that as well. I really learned a lot about myself and my habits from this challenge. I was also surprised at just how much more variety I had in my meals than usual when I buy groceries more often. I had thought it would go the other way, but it didn't.

Pantry Meal Planning:

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LdgFPZ4aQM and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LdgFPZ4aQM

Tire Fund Goal Met

June 30th, 2015 at 11:17 pm

$600.00 Old Balance
+400.00 Deposit
-------------------
1000.00 New Balance

$750 came from the grocery and eating out budget that I saved from doing the Eat from the Pantry Challenge for 4 weeks.

January Money Fund Deposit

June 30th, 2015 at 11:06 pm

$2715.91 Old Balance
+__10.00 Weekly Deposit (6/25)
------------------
$2725.91 New Balance

$1274.09 to go to hit 4K.

January Money Fund Update

June 20th, 2015 at 09:53 am

$2705.91 Beginning Balance
+__10.00 Weekly Deposit
-----------------
$2715.91 New Balance

$1284.09 to go to hit my goal of $4000.

Eat from the Pantry Challenge Week 2 Complete

June 16th, 2015 at 11:00 am

This has gone much better than expected. I did give in any buy fresh local WA state cherries and the husband got his jar of bread and butter pickle chips and the yogurt he likes. He doesn't like what is on hand that the kids eat. Otherwise no spending on groceries this week.

I am starting to see space in my freezer again and that is good. I will need that room and any more I can make when we purchase a half a beef later this year and for when we butcher our 30 meat chickens in 10 more weeks. Not to mention the 8 rabbits we are doing this week, though I may debone and can it instead of freezing it. I like having it canned, but I don't like picking out the bones when I open the jar.

Anyway I posted this week's meal plan. I deviated somewhat from my last meal plan, but not from the pantry challenge really, other than to get those cherries.

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8duz3Dlkoc and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8duz3Dlkoc

Menu Planning for the Week

June 16th, 2015 at 10:50 am

Monday:
BBQ Chicken Legs
Broccoli/cauliflower
Cherries
Home canned corn
Chocolate

Tuesday:
Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Chili for boys
Chicken noodle soup for the girls
Strawberries
Kohlrabi

Wednesday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Home canned Applesauce
Broccoli/cauliflower

Thursday:
Sloppy Hoppies on homemade buns
Sweet potato fries
Blueberries
Salad

Friday:
Meatloaf
Fried potatoes
Green beans
Snow peas

Saturday:
Homemade pizza with ham, sausage, pepperoni, bell pepper strips, onion strips, basil
Salad

Sunday:
Tacos
Strawberries

January Money Fund and Tire Fund Updates

June 13th, 2015 at 12:40 am

$2663.91 Old Balance
+__10.00 Weekly Deposit
+___9.00 Egg Money
+__23.00 Coin Jar Money
-------------------
$2705.91 New Balance

$1294.09 to go to hit my goal of $4000.

$400.00 Old Balance
+200.00 Deposit
---------------
$600.00 New Balance

$400.00 to go to hit my goal of $1000.



Garden and Eat from the Pantry Challenge

June 9th, 2015 at 11:12 pm

I feel like I am starting to settle into a routine now between the garden and the farm chores and making all of my meals from what is available here and not by making a quick run to the store or getting take out. As the garden moves into heavier production more time needs to be spent there.

I have harvested a pound of snow peas from the garden this week, 2 bunches of kale, 1 head of lettuce, 2 bunches of green onions, and 3 kohlrabi. My broccoli is getting close to harvest size, which astounds me. It is all so early, but with this weather, I can't blame it.

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzII-hvqugA and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzII-hvqugA

I am enjoying the cooking this week more than I have in a long while. I don't know if it is just access to super fresh ingredients from the garden or knowing it is all food I grew and/or preserved myself, but it feels different. I haven't felt any resentment over cooking like I sometimes do. I mean I love cooking, but I am often irritated when it all falls on me. This last week I don't seem to care about that. It's like an attitude has shifted. Of course the children are helping far more than they ever have before so maybe that is why?

Some things were quite challenging since the hot water tank that feeds the main kitchen went out and had to be replaced. We couldn't use the dishwasher and every pot and pan that we cooked in had to be hauled down to the half-kitchen that had hot water. That went on for 5 days, but we got a new tank put in and had hot water again last night.

As promised here is the video of my meals for the first week of the challenge:

Text is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEWnzVbQ7UA and Link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEWnzVbQ7UA

I am looking forward to the rest of this challenge. It is good to be feeling so positive about it.

January Money Fund Update

June 8th, 2015 at 07:26 am

I forgot to add in the $10 weekly deposit on Thursday to the JMF.

$2653.91 Old Balance
+__10.00 Deposit
---------------
$2663.91 New Balance

$1336.09 to go to hit my goal of $4000.

Pantry Challenge/Meal Planning for the Week

June 8th, 2015 at 02:55 am

So far the Eat from the Pantry/Freezer/Garden Challenge is going very well here. The garden is really getting going so I am very happy with it. Tomorrow will be my seventh day on it, so after dinner I will post a video with all 7 meals so you can see what I've been doing if you want.

I had to shift some things based on what I had already and the kids wanting pizza, but for the most part I stuck to last week's meal plan. This week's will be:

Monday:
Southern Fried Rabbit (this got shifted)
Fried potatoes
Cole slaw
Grapes

Tuesday:
Lamb chops (for me and the kids)
Pulled pork (for DH)
Broccoli
Canned pineapple

Wednesday:
Rabbit enchiladas
Mexican rice
Salad
Canned nectarines

Thursday:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Garlic bread
Snow peas

Friday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Green beans
Applesauce

Saturday:
Homemade pizza (pepperoni, ham, bell peppers and onions)
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Rabbit bacon cheeseburgers
French fries
Salad
Strawberries (frozen if not enough are ripe yet)

Fund Deposits

June 6th, 2015 at 12:44 am

Today is payday so I distributed money to 3 different funds today.

Down Payment Fund

$30,500.00 Beginning Balance
+__,500.00 Deposit
--------------
$31,000.00 Ending Balance

$49K to go to hit my goal.

Tire Fund

$200.00 Beginning Balance
+200.00 Deposit
-----------------
$400.00 Ending Balance

$600 to go to hit my goal of $1000.

January Money Fund

$2523.91 Beginning Balance
+_100.00 Deposit
--------------------
$2653.91 Ending Balance

$1346.09 to go to hit my goal of $4000.

Fund Updates

June 4th, 2015 at 03:40 am

I sent $225 to the January Money Fund today.

$2298.61 Starting Total
+_225.00 Amount Added
-------------
$2523.61 New JM Fund Total

$1476.39 to go to my $4000 goal.

I also sent $200 to start the Tire Fund Today. The goal for that is $1000.

DH Got the Overtime Okayed

June 2nd, 2015 at 06:03 am

So DH texted me and they found a bed for the extra four nights so we won't have to worry about the four days he had to take off to be home for DD's graduation. I won't have to touch the college fund, the January Money Fund, or the Emergency Fund. So now I can focus on building the JMF and the Tire Fund with no stress hanging over my head. Or at least no more stress than usual. Which is quite a relief.

I sold 2 dozen duck eggs this morning for $9. I gave her a discount since she brought me a dozen egg cartons.

We had one litter of kits born today. Ruby had 5 reds. We are still waiting on Serenity and Phoebe to have their litters. They were due on Sunday, so they are overdue now. Phoebe has pulled fur, but other than building a very nice nest, Serenity shows no signs of being in labor. Hopefully I will come out to more kits in the morning.

As I said in my meal planning post I am going to try to go the whole month eating only from the Pantry/Freezers/Garden. I did go and buy flour and sugar today. I will only buy milk, but I will go u-pick some strawberries to make jam as I won't miss out on making jam for the year when the local berries are in season. I do have a jar of pectin so I won't need to buy that for making jam.

I picked my first snow peas today. I am so happy to have them. We will have them in this week's stir-fry dinner. It is only one serving's worth, so if we put it in the stir-fry we'll all get to have some. We should have a ton more in a couple days and then we can each have a serving of them.

January Money Fund Update

June 2nd, 2015 at 05:55 am

$2258.43 Beginning January Money Fund Total
+__10.00 Weekly Savings Deposit
+__30.18 C1-360 Interest
-------------------
$2298.61 New January Money Fund Total

Meal Planning for the Week--Pantry/Freezer Challenge

June 2nd, 2015 at 05:49 am

I have decided to take Mrs. Frugalista up on the eating only from the Pantry challenge. My only exception will be to buy milk and also strawberries for making jam, because it is jam making time and my own strawberries will not be enough for that. I will start tomorrow. Today I had to go and buy flour and sugar because I was low on the former and out of the latter, and I can't make jam without sugar.

The garden is doing well enough that we will have lettuce, kale, chard, snow peas, and kohlrabi from it this week. And the broccoli is starting to head up so we should have some later this month. We have canned nectarines and applesauce and pineapple for when we run out of fresh fruit. And our own strawberries are just starting to turn color.

I am hoping to make it the whole month.

Tuesday:
Picnic Ham
Baked potatoes
Green beans
Fruit salad

Wednesday:
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry
Fruit Salad

Thursday:
Baked turkey thighs
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Salad

Friday:
Duck in rabbit broth in the crockpot
Baked potato soup
Kohlrabi

Saturday:
Southern Fried Rabbit
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Cole slaw

Sunday:
Brined pork chops
Fried potatoes
Applesauce
Cole slaw

Cross Your Fingers

June 1st, 2015 at 07:40 am

Well, it looks like DH will be able to get 4 extra days this hitch to make up for the 4 days he will miss by staying over for DD's graduation. There is plenty of work for him to do. It all hinges on whether or not they can find a bed for him at work for those 4 days. I really hope so, because to not have to scramble and cut back and take money from other savings categories to cover this would be very nice.

He will know sometime tomorrow. I was not looking forward to depleting the January Money Fund, which was what I would have to do if he can't get the extra time at work.

Househopeful asked what the January Money Fund is about. Every year over the Christmas holidays, DH's work shuts down for a couple of weeks. So he has to go his usual 2 weeks off from a regular 2 on/2 off shift, plus 2 more weeks off. So he ends up with 4 weeks off in a row with no pay. Now we are used to budgeting for the 2 weeks off and we stretch the money to cover the whole 4 week cycle. But when those four weeks off come up (be it in January or December, we never really know until closer to time), that gives us four weeks we have to stretch money over, which is a lot harder.

This year I started saving for that time period quite early. When we were paying off debt and the mortgage I generally didn't start saving for it until September or October, but now I can save all year for it. Usually we can count on DH's Christmas bonus to help some, but last year most of that went to fixing the leaking moon roofs in the van. So I don't want to depend on the Christmas bonus for anything, because who knows what might come up. So hence this fund.

Plus we still don't know what our tax situation is going to be for next year. Since we only lived in the house we sold 1 out of the last 5 years before it sold, we may have to pay some taxes on the sale. Maybe not, but we won't know for sure how much of the remodel and repairs and improvement we can deduct until we get all the tax paperwork.

I am thinking it will probably all be a wash, but if it is not, we won't owe more than we generally get back, which is around $7000 due to our medical costs. It'll be a bummer if we don't get a refund, because I usually use the money to bump up the Emergency Fund and in the past to pay down debt, but now to save for a down payment on our upcoming farm purchase. But we should at least walk away without having to pay out, which is better than having to pay in by a long shot.

I really do think it is criminal of them to tax our house sale this way, though. We lived in that house for many, many years, and it was our only house. The money that is in savings from the sale is intended for our next home and that should be allowed to be kept. It used to be you could keep it if you rolled it over into a new home, but not anymore. And it's not like it was a huge sale or anything. We're not talking about a $300K plus house here. Or even a $150K house.

Well, this turned into a rant. I guess things have just been on my mind a lot lately.

As a quick update on my daughter, she finally, after 10.5 weeks has stopped bleeding. She's still in a lot of pain though. They are testing her for a clotting disorder and a bleeding disorder. We should find out in the next day or three. She is having nosebleeds, unexplained bruising, and severe cramping in her calves as well. She's still anemic. Please continue to pray for her.