But not until next month. We are buying a new bed this month (thank you Ikea sales!), and getting TB's computer upgraded and fixed. That'll be a whole lot of money, but it will be well spent.
Today is budget making day.
This is gonna hurt.
Wish me luck.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Ideas and Plans
So, I've been reading a lot of other Frugal blogs, and I have to say that I'm leaning towards trying to do $100 a month for groceries. It will be easier when the garden is in and in full swing, but we will see. Neither of us are working currently, and funds are VERY tight.
I am very much looking forward to a larger garden this year. TB made a garden for me last year that was probably 5x5 ft, with a little 2x2 addition on one end for the blueberry bush and the strawberries. I had several sugar snap pea plants, five roma tomato plants, five potato, some onions, and four cucumber plants. Two of the cucumbers died within two weeks of planting, the other two were..sickly looking, but we managed to get three cucumbers from them. I got a colander full of potatoes, almost a bushel of tomatoes, the onions didn't do so well, and we ate the peas from the vines. BB loved the peas most, but I recently found a tomato on the floor (store bought, alas) that he had eaten half of then discarded.
This year, I'm hoping for at least twice as much as we did this year, plus lettuces, carrots, radishes, maybe even some corn. I didn't mention yet that the blueberry bush seems fine, but we didn't get any this year. The strawberries, however... we had been told not to expect any berries this year. When I bought the plants, they had a couple of berries on them, then they stopped producing. In late August, they started blooming like mad, and we ended up getting berries right up until the frost! We're going to let the strawberries take over the small garden this year, and build a bigger one for the vegetables. The strawberries were already trying to take it over by the time we were harvesting the tomatoes!
I'll let you know how the rest of the 'no spend' month goes. So far, we've stuck to our guns, with the minor exceptions of pj's for BB and a couple of McD's meals when we were in a rush with stuff. I couldn't resist the pirate jammies for BB, although the Viking ones were tempting as well.
I am very much looking forward to a larger garden this year. TB made a garden for me last year that was probably 5x5 ft, with a little 2x2 addition on one end for the blueberry bush and the strawberries. I had several sugar snap pea plants, five roma tomato plants, five potato, some onions, and four cucumber plants. Two of the cucumbers died within two weeks of planting, the other two were..sickly looking, but we managed to get three cucumbers from them. I got a colander full of potatoes, almost a bushel of tomatoes, the onions didn't do so well, and we ate the peas from the vines. BB loved the peas most, but I recently found a tomato on the floor (store bought, alas) that he had eaten half of then discarded.
This year, I'm hoping for at least twice as much as we did this year, plus lettuces, carrots, radishes, maybe even some corn. I didn't mention yet that the blueberry bush seems fine, but we didn't get any this year. The strawberries, however... we had been told not to expect any berries this year. When I bought the plants, they had a couple of berries on them, then they stopped producing. In late August, they started blooming like mad, and we ended up getting berries right up until the frost! We're going to let the strawberries take over the small garden this year, and build a bigger one for the vegetables. The strawberries were already trying to take it over by the time we were harvesting the tomatoes!
I'll let you know how the rest of the 'no spend' month goes. So far, we've stuck to our guns, with the minor exceptions of pj's for BB and a couple of McD's meals when we were in a rush with stuff. I couldn't resist the pirate jammies for BB, although the Viking ones were tempting as well.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Day Three
Other than a quick jaunt out to the grocery store yesterday, we've pretty much hunkered down in the house. Thankfully, we haven't had any more snow, so TB did not have to shovel in the past couple of days, especially since the temperatures are so low that 10 minutes outside WILL cause frostbite.
Today's to dos are tidying up the kitchen, going through the pantry and freezers to assess stock, and making meal plans based on what we have. So far, we have a lot of pasta, some sauce, and a LOT of gravy.
This should make meal planning interesting.
I wonder how many vegetarian meals I can sneak in there.....
Today's to dos are tidying up the kitchen, going through the pantry and freezers to assess stock, and making meal plans based on what we have. So far, we have a lot of pasta, some sauce, and a LOT of gravy.
This should make meal planning interesting.
I wonder how many vegetarian meals I can sneak in there.....
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Year
Well, it's 2014, and all three of us are down with the ick. BB has had it the longest, TB second longest. I held of until yesterday to catch this darn cold. Ick indeed.
So, January 2014 is no spend month, which means we are not buying anything unless it is absolutely necessary (like fresh fruit and milk for BB). I've read several blogs about doing a month of no spending - and a couple of them who have done it for a year! I'm testing the waters this month, and if I succeed, then I'm going to go another month. It might be hard to do once the snow is gone and gardening is firmly in my mind (not that it isn't already, just hard to do with two feet of snow to dig through first).
What are your plans/resolutions for 2014?
So, January 2014 is no spend month, which means we are not buying anything unless it is absolutely necessary (like fresh fruit and milk for BB). I've read several blogs about doing a month of no spending - and a couple of them who have done it for a year! I'm testing the waters this month, and if I succeed, then I'm going to go another month. It might be hard to do once the snow is gone and gardening is firmly in my mind (not that it isn't already, just hard to do with two feet of snow to dig through first).
What are your plans/resolutions for 2014?
Friday, November 1, 2013
Disappearing Acts
for those who actually read this, you're probably wondering what happened in the past two years.. well, I got a job, got busy, found out I was preggers, had a baby & the boyfriend moved in with us (me and the baby), spent all my time with my baby and the bf, bought a house, moved to said house, settling in still.
Owning a house is an adventure. Babies are a HUGE adventure. I haven't had time to make anything other than food recently. I really need to have my sewing machines serviced. Between caring for my little family and the house, my time has really been eaten up, but I'll try to post on here more often. Perhaps with actual crafty stuff made, too!
Owning a house is an adventure. Babies are a HUGE adventure. I haven't had time to make anything other than food recently. I really need to have my sewing machines serviced. Between caring for my little family and the house, my time has really been eaten up, but I'll try to post on here more often. Perhaps with actual crafty stuff made, too!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Food Bank Frustrations
Today, I read a post about how some people look down on those who use food banks. I haven't had to use them myself (yet), but I have had friends who have. I realized that I tend to stock up in good times, and can cover the lean times with the stored food and some creative cooking. The Boy has never had to use a food bank either, and has never been unemployed (until now), doesn't seem to understand my need to keep the shelves full. I'm not talking about hording, but just keeping a couple extra jars of whatever I use regularly, just in case.
It frustrates me that people still ASSUME that people using the food banks are 'losers', 'freeloaders', 'abusing the system', when the majority of us are only a step away from using them ourselves, and most of the people using them are working poor and are only using it because they have no other alternative.
Just my rant for today.
It frustrates me that people still ASSUME that people using the food banks are 'losers', 'freeloaders', 'abusing the system', when the majority of us are only a step away from using them ourselves, and most of the people using them are working poor and are only using it because they have no other alternative.
Just my rant for today.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Money Woes
I really hate when there's more month than money. I'm going to have to do something drastic soon....
I've gotten to the point where i'm frustrated beyond belief job hunting. The temp agencies here are seriously unhelpful, and i'm really tired of the attitude here. Ugh. AND I hate interviews. REALLY hate interviews. Enough with the b.s. already!
Anyways, I'm hoping to find something (even in retail/bar) that will help me get through this joblessness.
Other than that, I had my first tomatoes from the balcony today for lunch. They were good! I baked bread this morning, almost have all the dishes done (I also hate washing dishes, but I like them more than interviews!), and I have food in the kitchen. I'm doing okay. I have a Boy who likes me, friends who love me, and i'm still mostly sane...
that's good, right?
I've gotten to the point where i'm frustrated beyond belief job hunting. The temp agencies here are seriously unhelpful, and i'm really tired of the attitude here. Ugh. AND I hate interviews. REALLY hate interviews. Enough with the b.s. already!
Anyways, I'm hoping to find something (even in retail/bar) that will help me get through this joblessness.
Other than that, I had my first tomatoes from the balcony today for lunch. They were good! I baked bread this morning, almost have all the dishes done (I also hate washing dishes, but I like them more than interviews!), and I have food in the kitchen. I'm doing okay. I have a Boy who likes me, friends who love me, and i'm still mostly sane...
that's good, right?
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