Whew! What a busy week! We've been involved in vacation Bible school most of the week which meant we had very little time to think about our financial goals.
Sometimes, it's that way, isn't it? Busyness just takes over and we go into survival mode just trying to get from one thing to the next. But what happens to our financial goals when we find ourselves in these seasons?
Let's take a look at how it played out for us this week ...
Here are the financial goals we set for the week ...
Stay within our grocery budget. We did it! This wasn't really hard as we had very little time at home and no groceries were needed (thank you well-stocked pantry). Hence, our grocery budget went for grabbing meals on the run in and around vacation Bible school prep and activities. We worked with and alongside a group all week, consequently, we ate together as well.
Being able to use our grocery budget for this purpose meant we could stay on track with our financial goals. It was a win, win week in so many ways!
Have as many no-spend days as possible (Exception: food/groceries, fuel for vehicle and bills that are due.) We did good on this one too! With the exceptions mentioned above we had a week of 6 no-spend days ... a rarity for us! We can usually manage 2 or 3, but this week we managed 6. I think it was because we were so busy! Busyness can be a good thing when we're working toward financial goals.
Pay extra on our targeted debt. This was a good week in this area too; we were able to pay the regular payment x's two. Yep, we made a double payment on our targeted debt. I can't tell you how good that felt after just being able to tread water for the last two months.
What do our financial goals look like for next week?
Stay within our grocery budget
Have as many no-spend days as possible
Add any amount to our savings
Take advantage of anything that comes our way that will help us further our financial goals.
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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I was going stir-crazy staying at home while my husband went out, so I decided that I needed a day out myself. I just went into the local town and had a good wander around. I bought some DIY materials (hey, this girl knows how to treat herself!) and I also bought a big bag of felt for crafting from a charity shop that supports our local hospital. I was looking at buying a felt Christmas Tree skirt last year, but they were really expensive, so I think that may be a good use for it. I have also mended a few things around the house, which is always very satisfying.
ReplyDeleteTracy, sometimes, we just need a day out don't we! It doesn't have to be an expensive day out but a day out non the less! Sounds like you enjoyed yours!
DeleteIt was a good week here, too. But I did have a small but unexpected expense. I did a thorough clean of my bedroom and laundered all of the bedding including the mattress pad and pillows. Unfortunately, the washing machine ate one of my pillows. A corner of the pillow got caught between the drum and the door gasket (front loader, older Whirlpool Duet). It ripped apart the pillow and as the drum rotated and spun, my pillow washed entire underside of that gasket seal. Even though I run a washer cleaner every couple of months, oh how gross that pillow was! Not only ripped up, but it absorbed all of that grossness from under the seal. That pillow went directly into the trash bin and I headed out to purchase replacement bed pillows. On the plus side, I now have a really clean washer.
ReplyDeleteLori, whew, I bet that was a mess to clean up! I hope you enjoy your new pillows; it sounds like you earned them!
Delete👏👏👏
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful that you could double your payment on the debt. I was just telling friends about paying off our house ten years ago and the satisfaction it brought us. You will have it all wiped out in a hurry that way!
ReplyDeleteWe had prepared to be at home without a vehicle so it was nice not to need anything. Monday on our anniversary we went out for breakfast and a late lunch. We saved $19 on the two with coupons from our local coupon book. It was a very nice day and I don't mind spending money to celebrate 46 years. Leftovers were taken home and not wasted.
We are enjoying flowers cut from our yard. There are baby birds in the box near our screen porch where we often eat our meals. We watch hummingbirds come to the feeder from our kitchen window. Tomorrow we will begin our summer Saturday tradition of taking our breakfast to the nearby lake park. We enjoy watching the kayaks, fishermen and the sailboat racing club. So often the things we enjoy the most are free.
Lana, what a peaceful sounding week you had! I'd say spending money to celebrate 46 years of marriage is very much within reason! Congratulations!
DeleteMy granddaughter is coming to visit from North Dakota this next week. My goal for next week is to have fun with her for the three days she'll be here. To that purpose, I have set aside a portion of grocery, entertainment and allowance funds so that I can take her a few places without overspending. I've also been careful to plan for places that are not really expensive, like going to watch the peach packing process at one of the nearby sheds (and have peach ice cream).
ReplyDeleteI needed a dress for my youngest daughter's upcoming wedding and was able to purchase one with a gift card, and earned rebate for less than $20.
And I went to the discount grocery where I picked up chicken breasts and a special cut of shortrib (it's flat and grillable) for under $3 a pound, as well as a variety of produce (zucchini, bananas, apricots (!), tomatoes and blueberries) for less than $1 per package.
Terri, I hope you have a fabulous time with your granddaughter! How wise and smart of you to set aside money for her visit, I would be doing the same thing!
DeleteIt sounds like you did some wise shopping too! Way to go!
You did well, Patsy. I hope your husband's medical issues have been resolved or at least controlled. We do what we can with the circumstances we're in and you've illustrated how to do that. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOur son headed home on Sunday and we got back to business with a very low spend week. Groceries were only sale ground beef ($1.97 lb. for 80% lean), a little lunchmeat, 99 cent bread and a small amount of fresh produce (total about $30). The ground beef was made into ranch burger patties and frozen in small batches for future grilling. Already had plenty of chicken (79-99 cents lb.) in the freezer for grilling all summer. My plan for the coming week is to partially thaw and cut pork loins into boneless "ribs", refreezing the meat for the grill as well.
It's been HOT; so hot the soil cooked the roots of herbs and I lost them. All that survived was the sage and one lemon thyme. Grateful we have solar so it only costs $16 per month (still) with the a/c running day and night. Today we'll go to a ranch store for lunch that's having a 4H fundraiser selling 25 cent burgers. It's next to Safeway where I'll pick up 20/$1 limes. I'll spend time this week planning fall planting as I still have seeds. Stay safe and cool everyone! --Elise
Elise, we are still waiting for the results for one more medical test to come back on my hubby, it is taking a ridiculously long time! I'll go ahead and tell you that all the other tests that he had done are pointing to a reaction to NSAIDS he was taking for a pulled muscle/muscle spasms that affected his kidneys and heart in a dangerous way. This last test that we are waiting on will either confirm or throw something else into the mix. He is better and regaining strength; he was actually able to help me do the yard work for a little while today which is a huge improvement from where he was.
DeleteI understand the heat, this afternoon when I went to tend the chickens, the heat was so oppressive that it felt like it was just sitting on me. Not much will survive this kind of heat if it continues for very long. What little garden I have out is stressed as well because of the heat. Not a good gardening year at all in our area!
I feel for your Hubby's shoulder. Been there and done that to the point I couldn't put a cup of coffee in the microwave.. Sigh. Good on no spend days. We get one day every week , Sunday.
ReplyDeleteChef Owings, I hope your shoulder is better now!
DeleteI bought blueberries for 99 cents/pint! I bought 24 pints, used a $2 credit I had and decided to WB can them to save on freezer space. Using my steam canner which makes it much faster to do multiple batches, I canned 23 pints, which actually only used 18 pints of my blueberries! Had those 3 batches canned in about an hour! Because I am still down for the count with my allergies, this was a gratifying experience! The store’s normal price is $4.29/pint! That means I saved $79. I was shocked to see the person in front of me in the grocery line pay $244 for things that only went in one cart (which was not overflowing!) My only grocery store shopping now are for those few staples- a gallon of milk every 2 weeks and loss leaders on normal items that are at least 50% off their regular price or more. I am so grateful to have a pantry and freezers that are well stocked and that we eat from daily!
ReplyDeleteGardenpat in Ohio
Gardenpat, I'm sorry your allergies are acting up, allergies are no fun!
DeleteThat was an amazing price on blueberries! How do you use your water bathed blueberries?
We shop the same way you do and like you; it's made possible because we work to keep a well-stocked pantry year-round.
I hope you feel better soon!
I will use the canned blueberries in any recipe that calls for fresh or frozen blueberries. I will drain the water/syrup off first and save that to use as the liquid called for in a muffin or bread recipe to give it a slight blueberry taste.
DeleteGardenpat, thank you!
DeleteWorked a lot in the garden this week. It is a strange gardening season here as well as the temperatures keep ranging from low to very high. Harvested Easter egg radishes, which are very large radishes in different colors, and more heat tolerant loose leaf lettuce. Did a bit of watercolor painting for greeting cards, and did some sewing on an apron and hand embroidery. Picked up a few fresh veggies from the farm and some eggs. Made some chia pudding with homemade almond milk and stevia for a breakfast treat. Homemade almond milk is just putting a tablespoon of almond butter per cup of water into the blender with a little vanilla and blending it until it's smooth. The milk itself will keep in the fridge for 4 days. Big savings too and an almond milk that is additive free and protein rich. I also made corn chips by taking a homemade corn tortilla brushing it with a little avocado oil and cutting into 6 triangles and baking in the airfryer until crispy. We are meeting our savings goals to replenish the emergency fund. I am continually grateful that we have a well stocked pantry and freezers and that we always use everything u p. Cookie
ReplyDeleteCookie, what a simple way to make almond milk!!! I am definitely going to borrow your method! I would never have thought of making corn chips that way either! Thank you for sharing these tips!
DeleteUsing everything up is just as important as having it to use!
Great tips and comment! Thank you!