This week has been a normal week in regard to our budgeting and spending. After last week, that was welcomed!
There is just a bit less than one week left in this month and the anticipation of meeting this month's financial goal is building in both my hubby and me.
We speak of it often, which is a good way to keep it in the forefront of our minds.
We want to meet this month's goal really badly and have been putting in some extra diligence to make it happen.
~Smile~ we're already talking about next month's financial goal as Lord willing and nothing happens between now and the end of the month, our financial goal for this month will be met ... the anticipation is building in the both of us!
So, what did hunkering down look like for us this past week ...
We continued to do all the normal things we've put into place for this month:
Hubby took his lunch to work every day ... (it was necessary for him to eat out once this week)
I cooked our meals from scratch ...
We continue to watch and being aware of our power usage ...
I continue to look for homemade replacements of store-bought items we use. The next item on my list of things to start making at home is yogurt. I used to make our yogurt on a regular basis, but over the years just let it slip and as a result we started purchasing it again. Sometimes purchasing items of convenience can start us down a road of excessive spending, not always, but sometimes. It's up to us to determine what is a convenience in our lives and what is necessary for the season we're in. It will look different for everyone. In this season of 'hunkering down' for us, some of our 'convenience' items can be replaced with good ole old fashioned skills and planning. I plan to bring this skill back into our lives this week and mark this item off the grocery store shopping list.
It's been a week of staying the course and working our plan. No big break through accomplishments, just the daily implementing of the slow steps of our plan in action.
Sometimes success comes as a result of staying the course, not necessarily doing anything different, but the continuation of doing the same thing over and over, every day, day in and day out. That's where the real challenge comes in, isn't it?
That was our week, slow and steady, we continued moving toward our goal one 'turtle step' at a time.
How did you do, I can't wait to read your comments!
until next time,
mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
Sharing 44 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building
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We seem to get almost to the end of a thrifty month and along comes an unexpected expense- tires this month. My husband loves a biscuit in the morning so I have started making them and freezing batches. I so enjoy your posts.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, that end of the month thing has caught us in the past too, but we're holding on and thinking positive thoughts. That's a good idea to batch make biscuits and freeze them. Thank you for your encouragement.
DeleteI too, find slow and steady wins the rest. I did go out once this week for a scheduled luncheon, otherwise just staying home and using what I have.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, I find 'using what I have' to be fun and challenging. It brings out the 'can do' spirit in me even more!
DeletePatsi, it's a gluten free book called "Baked To Perfection.". I then googled for a recipe for homemade vanilla paste and found one that will use up something I already have.
DeleteGood morning Patsi. We feel the same excitement over meeting our monthly savings goals. Slow and steady does win the race. After nearly two years of hunkering down to replace what had to come out of the emergency fund, we are almost there. Making my own things at home is a way of life for us. Having ingredients on hand means we have the ability to make almost anything if needed. And while I make my own vanilla extract and have for years, I just came across a recipe for vanilla paste, which uses up the vanilla pods that are left over from the brewing of vanilla. This item is pretty pricey and can run upwards to $35 for a 4 ounce jar. One of the baking books I have uses the paste exclusively rather than extract. It was a quiet week at home. Cookie
ReplyDeleteCookie, congratulations on almost having your emergency fund rebuilt, way to go! I have vanilla extract and vanilla powder, but I don't know that I have heard of vanilla paste. Can you tell me the name of the baking book, I just might have it!!
DeleteWoohoo! on nearing your goals!
ReplyDeleteWe did well this week. No grocery shopping. We actually got a refund on our taxes this year and after a donation to our crisis pregnancy center the balance will go into savings. But, we had to fork out a chunk of money after a huge tree limb blew down and took out a section of our back fence. Most of the money was sitting in gift cards bought some time ago for a discount but good grief, one fence post was $27 plus $123 for 50 feet of top rail! I cannot imagine the cost of putting in a fence from scratch these days. Hubby says that he is hoping to have some materials leftover which he will return. We have had to face the facts that we have to pay to have some things done now whether we like it or not so on Monday we are getting an estimate to have our house pressure washed.
Lana, while hubby and I have always been able to do most anything we set our minds too DIY wise, we are also beginning to realize that for the bigger projects, it's time to hire them done. Construction materials are so very expensive, as is most everything else! I'm glad you had a good week!
DeleteLana, I'm not sure how you feel about used building materials, but we have found things like fence posts, wire, wood, tin, etc on Craigslist. We are building a sheep shed, and I found 27 sheets of used tin in good shape for $150. That is a good price considering one sheet of tin is nearly $20 these days.
DeleteGood advice, Patsy, on so many levels. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIn our house this week...
--well under budget for groceries/sundries, this week less than $50 total spent
--precooked meats from the freezer finished, so in the coming week I'll make more
--potato salad finished LOL!
--unexpected check came in the mail equal to 2/3 oral surgery costs, which was a huge blessing
--went out for an early bird dinner last night; Hubs says he misses those date nights, so we'll add dinner out 2X per month into the budget, and if we can maintain the lower grocery costs, will still be ahead
--talked about where we are and what's needed for next month**
Overall, knock wood, we're staying the course and learning how to go forward comfortably. --Elise
**My mom is failing/fading fast. She lost 2 lbs. in her 1st week in memory/nursing care and refuses to eat. We need to get our single vehicle serviced to be ready to make a cross-country trip and also have funds ready to kennel our dogs. March will involve those things. It's important to be flexibly frugal sometimes. I'm so grateful you cover that regularly in this blog, because life (and death) happens.
I'm sorry about your Mom. It is so hard to have to put a loved one in a facility. We did not have any other options but it still hurts.
DeleteNot to get too far off topic, but yes, Lana; it's all been hard. She weighs under 90 lbs. It won't be long. Today's verse in my daily devotional is, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19
DeleteThat speaks to me. It fits today's blog post and Patsy's theme for the year. He goes before us, making a path and providing for our needs while on this earth, and prepares a place for us in heaven. He's with us on every step of the journey. Even the tough ones. --Elise
Sorry to hear that about your mom.
DeleteElise, yes, life happens, and we simply do the best we can and then go into recover mode afterwards.
DeleteI'm so very sorry about your mom, it sounds like you are doing all the physical things you can to be ready to go at moment's notice. You are wise to focus on what you can do now and not what you can't.
Yes, our heavenly Father is with us every step of the way ... even the tough ones ... especially the tough ones and thankfully, the tough ones.
Thank you for your kind words. Please know I wasn't seeking attention (for any who may have thought that). My husband and I looked at where we are and what's ahead, trying to re-adjust our 2024 plans accordingly, trusting God in everything. Financially we're still on track; I'll transfer Feb.'s "slush" into savings on March 1st. --Elise
DeletePainting as repairs done in the inside of our home. In a few weeks gutters and siding repair should finish up. Praying for a very mild spring/summer storm season
ReplyDeleteLeeAnn, me and you both!
DeleteI'm glad the repair work is getting done.
Doing good here and also planning on continuing on for an additional month. When I get the desire to buy something, I keep asking myself if there is some way that I can make it myself or find a substitute. It hasn't always been easy, but so far I am holding out. I keep asking myself, " Why are you paying money for something that you already have?".
ReplyDeleteApril, that is such a good question to ask ourselves. I'm proud of you!
DeletePatsy, I think it is the daily things that count the most. It is building good habits and strengthening those saving muscles.
ReplyDeleteI harvested more nettle to dry this week. I was going to store the dried nettle (for the chickens) in a feed sack, but I wanted something prettier, so I turned a vintage pillowcase I had into a drawstring bag. The weather has been beautiful so I took the opportunity to dry clothes on the line. Our Amazon Prime was up for renewal this month, so I canceled it. I removed the app from the homescreen on my phone, as well as all other shopping apps that don't pertain to groceries. I was on a roll so I unsubscribed from marketing emails also. Most of the time, I just browse these when I take a break from my work, and that's when I see things I never knew I "needed". This should solve that.
I've also been decluttering, which may not seem like it saves money, but it shows me that I already have everything I need and it makes me not want to bring anymore clutter (needless purchases) into the house. Over the last few months I have grown more and more content with what I have to the point that I do not enjoy shopping unless I am looking for something specific. Not even at the thrift store.
We had more advancement in our homesteading efforts this week that resulted in a lot of savings. We had planned on getting a Pyranees puppy to guard our livestock. It is a long story, but the man we got our puppy from this week also unexpectedly had the sheep we've been looking at. We got our two ewes and puppy yesterday! Now we have all the animals we had planned, plus the pigs, and we saved ourselves a 12 hour round trip, an overnight stay, and $1050. My goal for this month had been to set aside half the cost of the livestock for next month, but everything ended up being half of the originally planned cost, so now there is no need. This is such a win in so many ways, I could hardly sleep last night for the excitement of it all.
What HUGE blessings, Kelsey!!!
DeleteYou're so right about decluttering. And about those apps/email adds. --Elise
Kelsey, YES! YES! YES! let me repeat ... YES! YES! YES!
DeleteI'm also decluttering as well and for the same reasons!
I'm so happy your animal purchases came about in such a financially beneficial way.
Our tight time is the first week of the month due to not getting Social Security until the second Wednesday. I've learned to pay all the bills due before the 15 of the following month and not transfer to savings until the next round of $$ comes in. Then I don't have to worry about transferring money as our savings is online because I refuse to put money in an acct that pays less than 1 %.
ReplyDeleteChef Owings, I like your strategy.
Delete