Hello June! This first week we regrouped, adjusted our financial plan and got right back to working on our goals!
Rising up out of the ashes of the financial setbacks April and May brought, we're ready to move ahead!
So, what did this week look like?
We paid our bills on time ... more and more I realize that being able to do this is a blessing! So many are having to make difficult choices between paying their bills and providing food and shelter for their families. While I realize that our choices play a big part in being able to pay our bills, I'm also seeing more and more those who are having their ability to choose taken away by our current economy.
We stayed within our grocery budget ... almost all of what we are spending at the grocery store right now is being spent on bargains, loss leaders and clearance. Since we weren't able to do a summer garden this year, we are going to plan B, which is to utilize the grocery store, farmers markets, etc for the best deals we can find to keep our pantry stocked. Keeping a well-stocked pantry is a high priority for us, it has literally been a HUGE help in achieving our financial goals for this year.
Our financial goals for the upcoming week are ...
Stay within our grocery budget
Have as many no-spend days as possible (Exception: food/groceries, fuel for vehicle and bills that are due.)
Pay extra on our targeted debt
I'll report back in the next post and let you know how we did!
How did your week go and what financial goals are you working toward next week?
until next time,
mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
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You're doing so well in making your goals, adjusting, and continuing on your "hunkering down" journey. It's really inspirational. I've got an outdoor concert nearby on Saturday. Tickets were bought long ago and were quite reasonable for residents -- the Village brings in national acts once a month in the summer, all other concerts in the park are free. I'm going with a group of friends and we're in the lawn seating area, not VIP, so we're bringing our own lawn chairs and a fold up "coffee table". This venue allows you to bring in coolers with whatever food and drink you want, and they also have food and beverage vendors for you to purchase. I've made up a batch of Italian rotini pasta salad and have a meat and cheese tray ready to assemble, mostly from items out of my refrig and pantry. And the beverages? Yep, a bottle of wine leftover from Christmas is already chilling in the refrig, a caraffe of iced tea, and some individual bottled water I have on hand, too. Others will contribute to the snacks and will bring their own beverages, as well. I've pulled paper goods from my stash. If my friends want to purchase from the vendors, they can. But, I'm not paying concert food and beverage rates! I'm assuming there will be leftovers when I plate food to take with, so I'm planning a no-spend week next week. I'll eat from the refrig and harvest lettuce for salads from my deck garden. We just keep on keeping on, one foot in front of the other and do what has to be done.
ReplyDeleteLori, it sounds like you have planned wisely! You go girl ... and enjoy your concert!
DeleteI find the farmer markets to be higher in price. It makes me very sad. I totally understand their 'side' but it is just hard to find bargains. But lots of people can not afford to buy the produce there. So we are stuck with the grocery store, old, non nutritional, produce that has been sitting or traveling. I hate it but there isn't much we can do right now.
ReplyDeleteThat is the situation that a lot of us find ourselves in ... wanting to support the local farmers markets but cost wise unable too. Like you we understand the farmers side of the equation too. We support them when we can and when we can't, we just can't.
DeleteYou are so right about being able to pay the bills. The homeless population continues to grow in our area. There is a man and his wife living in a tent and the man has terminal cancer. A group I am in is working to come up with the money to buy them an RV to live in. A spot to put it has been donated. Can you imagine such a thing? It just reminds me daily to be much more thankful than ever.
ReplyDeleteWe are hunkering down for sure. Since our vehicle was totaled and we decided to buy it back and fix it we have to turn in the rental car soon. We have bought all the groceries we think we will need to get by and run all the errands and will just stay at home rather than spend the money out of pocket to have a rental during the two weeks of repair time. The very last day Hubby will run to the dump to get rid of our garbage since we do not pay for garbage pick up. We have plenty of projects to keep us busy during that time. Here's hoping this does not feel like Covid all over again!
What an awesome God we serve! Insurance company gave more than we thought for our totaled vehicle and two more weeks of the rental!
DeleteSo happy for you, Lana!!!!! That *is* awesome!
DeleteWonderful thing that your group is doing for the couple. It truly is. We have RV parks here where people live year round. Yes, homelessness has exploded across the country, it seems. Fewer here than in Phoenix, because we have harsh winters. Our son who is visiting from CA says it has become a crisis there. In some cases it was former business owners who mortgaged their homes to keep the business going during the pandemic, then lost both the business and their homes. God bless you for you efforts.
--Elise
Thank you, Elise. That is sad about the business owners. I wonder if the world will ever be right again.
DeleteLana, I hope your group is successful in helping this couple. What a horrific situation to be in!
DeleteYes, God is good and so thankful that things have turned out the way they have with your van. I just smiled all over when I read your comment about how God worked on your behaves!
Elsie, sadly, there's probably more than we know of the type of business owners trying to save their business but instead losing not only the business but their homes as well. I'm afraid the trend we're seeing unfold now is people maxing out credit cards and home equity loans just to survive and then losing everything because they can't repay the loans. It's certainly time for Christians to be the hands and feet of Jesus if and when possible.
I called our propane provider since I had not received a contract for winter propane and a friend in Alabama is paying close to $4/gallon. Ours held off due to prices dropping, price dropped 20 cents/gallon in 2 wks. Our price is $1.959. I had already put that money in a CD at Ally last year( I put "payments" in savings until I had at least $500 as Ally has no minuim for CDs). I actually have extra so will look at emergency fund and paying off the loan I took for the IRS taxes from Hubby's closed business.
ReplyDeleteHubby called a doctor's office about a bill he got, for some reason Medicare had rejected it, he insisted that they rerun it and also send it to the medigap. The bill was paid by insurance.
I've harvested and stored for winter, snow peas, asparagus(over 600 spears), garlic scapes, cliantro for dehydrator and lavendar for winter tea and over 7 gallons of strawberries in freezer... still doing strawberries as I just finished the pie fillings and jams and now dehydrating... good year for strawberries. Peas are late coming in and slow with the heat that is already in but even with 80 degrees we haven't turned on the AC. The root veggies are not growing.We got over 5 inches of rain in 2 weeks. I might try to replant a little later after July.Tomatoes and beans seem to be holding their own. Garlic is starting to need to be pulled.
I defrosted, inventoried and organized my 5 chest deep freezers. Made a list of what is needed to go a year that is missing (not much). I cleared the small deep freezer so our Amish neighbors can have ice for icecream and a place to store the ice cream. I bought a milkshake blender as they now costs $5 for a medium. We figured that if we made 3 milkshakes for each of us that it would pay for the blender.
We have farmers just now being able to plant corn ... not good when it's suppose to be knee high by July 4th. SO corn prices will be going UP.
Goal is to pay off the loan for the taxes without wiping out the emergency fund. On the good side, the punch list (list of everything needs done) for this house when we bought it 6 yrs ago... is DONE.. We still want to in future replace the windows and siding.
Chef Owings, propane gas is high in our area too. We don't use it, but I have heard others who do comment. It's just one more thing that has increased in price. Sometimes it feels like an avalanche of price increases that just keep coming!
DeleteYou've been really busy. That's not good news about the corn.
We have a punch list for our house too, but ours is not anywhere complete ... but we keep working on it as time and finances allow.
Loved reading your comment!
Patsy, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. It's often in the rough times that we see God at work. When things don't go as we'd planned it's easy to overlook the HUGE blessings we still have. Life happens. Our plans go awry or get sidetracked. God is still there, with us. Your blog is showing every reader how He is working in your life. Yesterday I read Jeremiah 29:11-13 (daily devotional verses) and it's remarkable how your life right now illustrates that scripture. It's truly encouraging. Again, thank you!
ReplyDeleteOur oldest son has been visiting from out-of-state. He and his brother have made some short trips, then back again and off again. It was my husband's birthday on Wednesday. All meaning extra groceries and a few meals out. We've had expenses for materials to further prevent wash issues during the coming monsoon; the first year here we had flash flooding across the acre and have worked hard to prevent that happening again--this year's cost is about $900. June is/will be an expensive month with no funds left to tuck into savings, but I'm not worried. We'll pick up where we left off in July or August. --Elise
Elise, thank you for your encouragement! I love Jeremiah 29:11-13! I also love your attitude about June's expenses, that's what we do don't we? We do the best we can and then pick back up as soon as we can and go on. The further we get into our financial journey, the easier it gets!
DeleteMy husband left a bid on an auction lot, which had a couple of things in that we thought we could make use of around the house. When he went to collect he found that there were 3 boxes crammed full of ornaments, homeware, toys etc. We have spent a good chunk of the week cleaning, repairing and pricing up the things we couldn't make use of and hope to sell on. We enjoyed doing this and should hopefully easily recoup the initial cost of the lot. On the not-so-frugal front some seedling garden plants that I had grown on a windowsill were put outside into a cold-frame to harden off and half were promptly eaten by slugs! We don't like to use chemicals and they seem immune to garlic spray/coffee grounds and various other things we have tried, so the last couple of nights have seen us out in the garden with a torch. The slugs cleared out of the cold-frame have been relocated to our resident hedgehog's favourite feeding spot ;)
ReplyDeleteTracy, we have had our battles with slugs too! I hope you make a nice profit from your 'extras' from the auction lot!
DeleteI have a tip. Here in Australia my neighbour uses boiling kettle water on the weeds. It kills them. Have you tried bay leaves for the slugs ? Or planting a chilli plant ? They don't like it. Regards. Sonia , Sydney Australia 🦘
ReplyDeleteSonia, those are great tips! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteAll these comments are very encouraging. I am learning much. Thank you, Patsy, for your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
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