~ from my home to yours, living the Working Pantry lifestyle ~ surviving today's economy ~ a can-do spirit and attitude ~

Thursday, January 22, 2015

This Is Why! ... part 2

Part 2


Before I start sharing specifics of how I keep a well-stocked pantry in this series, I want to share where what grocery money we currently have is coming from.
Remember from the last post this is our situation …
Recently my husband and I received the news that one of our monthly expenses … health insurance, was going to increase substantially.  In the same month we also received news that our income was being reduced substantially as well.  Double whammy!  Our first reaction was dismay, our second reaction was to pray and then we set down with our budget and started making changes to accommodate our new financial situation.  When all was said and done, we had some good news and some bad news … the good news was that we could still pay our bills each month … the bad news was that there was nothing left in the budget for groceries.

Where is our grocery money coming from since we don’t have anything left in the budget for groceries?  Here's what we're currently doing ...
We have a set amount budgeted for auto gasoline and for utilities.  Whatever … if … anything is left from these categories, we use for groceries.  Sometimes its $5, sometimes it might be $10, other times it might be a bit more and then sometimes there’s nothing left.
Also, as we make the last payment on a debt, instead of snow balling that amount into the next smallest debt, we are using it instead for groceries.  By doing this we are slowing down the pace at which we can pay off our debt, but it does allow us to have something each month we can count on to work with.  For instance, we have several medical bills and are making monthly payments on them.  This month we made the final payment on one which will give us $20/month that we can actually depend on/call our grocery budget.  It’s not much, but it’s a start and we are praising God and asking Him to bless us and give us wisdom in spending it.
In addition, we are selling things to supplement what we have to spend whenever possible.
Right now, these are the ways we’re getting the money we spend on groceries.  These methods supplemented with our well-stocked pantry, is how we are able to provide food for ourselves during this lean time … and we are doing good.  So many have expressed concern over our situation and have offered help to us in various forms.  My heart is full and overflowing with love and appreciation for your offers, but we are okay.  Sure, there are things that we would like to have but can’t during this season due to this situation, but that is okay too.  We are taking our needs and wants to God and laying them at His feet in prayer.  So please understand, we are doing good, we are okay … please don’t worry about us.  The only thing I would ask that you do is lift us, and any others who you know that may be going through something similar, in prayer to our Heavenly Father. 
So, how did I get a pantry stocked well enough to be able to weather our current financial storm?  I’ll start sharing specifics on that in part 3.  The goal is to post a new entry every Wednesday ... but don't be upset if it's a day early or late ... I'll do my best to stay on track, but I lead a very busy life ... which is helpful in dealing with this situation ... get busy and stay busy!

Patsi 

Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

A Working Pantry

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine 

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

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