January-Month of Nothing!

Just like last year we are doing a "Month-of-Nothing" otherwise known as a no-spend month to give the bank account a break after all the spending of December.  It's hard because I LIKE to shop!  And January is such a dreary month!

Here is a recap from last year's post...

If you've been reading here long, you know that at least twice a year, I attempt a Month-of-Nothing.  In fact, it is actually part of my 101 in 1001 goals. I'm at about 50%  half the time I do a great job, the other half...not-so-much. 

 After the "spending" of November (I am a big fan of Black Friday) and December, it's time to have a "Fiscal Fast" for January.  

Want to join me?

Leave a comment, so I can be an encouragement. 

Fiscal Fast requires you to not only stop shopping, but mainly, use what you have for 31 days.

Here's the "rules"

– For 31 days, Don't buy anything . If it isn’t food or medicine, you don’t buy it. And as far as food goes, we make our food budget (for the 3 of us) $100 or less. For the MONTH ($25 a week)

Go through the freezer, use up the cans of veggies, the dried pasta and the non-perishables that are collecting dust and doomed to expire. You can still spend money on fresh fruits and veggies, but ONLY if they are needed to complete a recipe with existing foods that you find in the cupboard.  Food this month is focused on using up, not creating magazine worthy meals but that’s OK- it’s just a month and you’re using up those random cans and boxes you would have wasted otherwise.

We also greatly reduce our auto fuel budget during the month-of-nothing, so we reduce trips and combine trip.  Honestly, most of my "excess" driving is to go to the grocery just because I'm "bored" and like wandering the grocery store!  And knowing that we live "OUT" it is too many extra miles!

– For 31 days, you should declutter, donate and reuse.   

Instead of going out to shop, focus on making space in your life.  Donate what you don’t use, fix what you can, or pitch it. Go through your closets and shelves..  

– For 31 days, you should make do with whatever you have in the house. 

Use up those travels soaps and shampoos that are sitting around.  What can you bake from scratch? Use the stuff you received for Christmas instead of saving it for "good". 

– For 31 days, you will focus on finishing those annoying unfinished projects.

 Your half finished scrapbook will finally get done.  That empty recipe book should finally get filled.  Fill up the free time you’d normally spend on shopping, spending money out or entertaining yourself with things that need to get DONE. (and that's a whole 'nother goal list and chart :) )

– Before A "Month-of-Nothing" do NOT Stockpile.  

As much as it seems like you should stock up to "get ready" to go a month without shopping, don't.  You are going 31 days without shopping in order to make do with what you have, reduce waste, make it last or, alas- go without.

 If 31 days sounds too hard- start with 7 days.  One week of NO shopping...not even groceries (except the truly essential perishables or medicine.)  You have a small budget for that.

So the new year....

It's almost here...the New Year.  That day that everything is "new". 

 I am drawn in by resolutions, plans, charts, lists of how to be a "better YOU".  

And like most...by February...I have to make another list, resolution and plan...however it doesn't curb the urge!

If you've been reading here long, you know that at least twice a year, I attempt a Month-of-Nothing.  In fact, it is actually part of my 101 in 1001 goals. I'm at about 50%  half the time I do a great job, the other half...not-so-much. 

 After the "spending" of November (I am a big fan of Black Friday) and December, it's time to have a "Fiscal Fast" for January.  

Want to join me?

Leave a comment, so I can be an encouragement. 

Fiscal Fast requires you to not only stop shopping, but mainly, use what you have for 31 days.

Here's the "rules"

– For 31 days, Don't buy anything . If it isn’t food or medicine, you don’t buy it. And as far as food goes, we make our food budget (for the 3 of us) $100 or less. For the MONTH ($25 a week)

Go through the freezer, use up the cans of veggies, the dried pasta and the non-perishables that are collecting dust and doomed to expire. You can still spend money on fresh fruits and veggies, but ONLY if they are needed to complete a recipe with existing foods that you find in the cupboard.  Food this month is focused on using up, not creating magazine worthy meals but that’s OK- it’s just a month and you’re using up those random cans and boxes you would have wasted otherwise.

We also greatly reduce our auto fuel budget during the month-of-nothing, so we reduce trips and combine trip.  Honestly, most of my "excess" driving is to go to the grocery just because I'm "bored" and like wandering the grocery store!  And knowing that we live "OUT" it is too many extra miles!

– For 31 days, you should declutter, donate and reuse.   

Instead of going out to shop, focus on making space in your life.  Donate what you don’t use, fix what you can, or pitch it. Go through your closets and shelves..  

– For 31 days, you should make do with whatever you have in the house. 

Use up those travels soaps and shampoos that are sitting around.  What can you bake from scratch? Use the stuff you received for Christmas instead of saving it for "good". 

– For 31 days, you will focus on finishing those annoying unfinished projects.

 Your half finished scrapbook will finally get done.  That empty recipe book should finally get filled.  Fill up the free time you’d normally spend on shopping, spending money out or entertaining yourself with things that need to get DONE. (and that's a whole 'nother goal list and chart :) )

– Before A "Month-of-Nothing" do NOT Stockpile.  

As much as it seems like you should stock up to "get ready" to go a month without shopping, don't.  You are going 31 days without shopping in order to make do with what you have, reduce waste, make it last or, alas- go without.

 If 31 days sounds too hard- start with 7 days.  One week of NO shopping...not even groceries (except the truly essential perishables or medicine.)  You have a small budget for that.

Happy 2014!!

Here it is another Happy New Year!  I pray that you will have a great one.

I'm already making lots of lists and plans for the farm for the year. And for finishing up my 101 in 1001 list.  And to be a much better blogger...even if it is only a few lines.

One of the things we are doing for January is a "Month-of-Nothing."  Our grocery bill has been inching up and inching up (ok, maybe more than an inch) with the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  Buying fancy stuff that we don't normally eat...some name brand stuff.  But now it's time to go back to reality.  And our freezers and pantry are stuffed with good stuff, so time to use some of it up.

The goal is no more than $25 per week on perishables. (Too bad we don't have a milk cow...I could make that $10!!)  So fresh veggies like spinach, fruit like bananas.  Milk, cheese (except we do have some cheese in the freezer-woot).  And gas for the car.  I like to go to the grocery store.  I like to shop, even if I don't spend, so I am lumping the gas with the groceries so I am not going down just to wander around.

If we choose to have Chinese take-out, etc that comes out of the $25 for the week.

I haven't figured out our menu for the week yet, I'll post that when it gets done (which is another goal--instead of wondering at 6pm what to have for supper)

I also have an "Out-of-Control" scrapbooking goal, but I will post that stuff over on the Scraptastrophe blog.

There are 329 days left of my challenge....I want to finish up strong.

What are you doing for the New Year?

Do you want to see my lists?  Or would that be boring??

Dinner last night

We had butternut squash from the WallaceHomestead Garden.  It was delish!

My dear cousin was...um...intrigued by how I was preparing it.  I don't take the time to try to cut it in half and clean it out and all that nonsense.  The shell is too hard anyway.  I just toss 'em in the oven at 350* then go out to chore.  45 minutes later, I come in to hear them steaming and whistling at me.  It makes a bit of a pocket between the skin and the meat, so I'm able to just peel it. (Carefully--it's hot--no joke!)

Then toss the pieces in a cassarole dish, add salt, pepper and bake for another 20 minutes-ish (while the rest of dinner is cooking-pork chops and sour cream "all-rotten" potatoes, and homemade bread-in the background)

Is it done yet??

The siding that is...the answer is well mostly!  It's a balmy 42* outside today, but no workers.  I guess they need to wait for the next 19* day. Grin.

All the siding is actually on the house...now it is down to just the trim around the windows and doors.  It looks really nice.  I wish they had sided the 'mudroom' add on.  It looks odd now without matching the house. :(  But it is what it is.  I'll just need to paint that part in the spring.  On my 101 goals, I had that I wanted to paint the back door, so....

I have been working diligently on said list....Month of Nothing is going semi-well.  Had to go to the grocery store yesterday and spent more than I wanted to.  Right now, I'm blogging because I have a terrible urge to go to my local Goodwill and see what I "need" there.  I love reading Pinterest...but the side effect is that I need to go to the store to find stuff to "repurpose."   Also, yesterday was gym day for my boy.  We had to run errands all day, and I didn't plan ahead very well....so we stopped at Subway.  However, I used up the "points" that we have been saving forever, so really no out of pocket on that, so I will say that the "no fast food" is actually "spend no money on fast food / take out"  Gift cards and such are allowed.

• Grocery Store $51.89
• Fuel $38.66

I also did something wonderful.  I had 6 boxes FULL of homeschooling curriculum, teachers manuals, etc.  A lady from our group, sells curriculum online.  So I brought the whole lot of it down for her. She may not be able to use much of it as it is older, but some of it may be marketable, and she'll give me a bit of $$ for it.  The stuff she can't sell, she has a resource that takes homeschooling materials as donations for low income homeschoolers, and she donates it.  I may not get what I may have from the curriculum fair, but I've taken it to the fair for the past 2 years and in between it sits here taking up room in both the pump house and my mind...and now it's gone!!

Also, yesterday, I worked hard on learning the whole crochet thing.  My great friend, KA gave me for Christmas: yarn (which she tricked me into picking out myself on Black Friday), crochet hooks and a hilarious book called "Learn Crochet in One Day."  Seriously??? I had mentioned to her I wanted to learn how to crochet or knit, one day.....so she decided that it was going to be THIS day.  Christmas eve was spent with her and her family.  We played Apples to Apples (Thanks Nana & Pawpa), eating the finger food buffet (see the p'guins below) and then "learning" how to crochet.  They were no sooner out of the driveway and everything I learned went right out the window.  I had a brain freeze and couldn't remember how to turn around.  So I tried 3 more rows....but it was getting narrower, so I knew it was not going well.     Yesterday at gym time, it was confirmed that, no I was not doing it right....as the last 3 rows got pulled out.  (Inside I was throwing a 3-year-old hissy fit!)  But I sat there and worked on it as the "mummies" chatted...and got lessons from KA and two other moms that crochet.  I also got words of encouragement from another close friend who tried to knit once and discovered it was not for her.  She said that you HAVE to finish at least one project.  That she persevered and finished her project.....a scarf...for a WEBKIN.  I think I will follow her example! Grin! 

I stayed up last night, working and working on my crochet...I think I may have finally gotten the hang of turning around and such.  I am not yet to the point where it is even remotely relaxing.  But we'll see.  Then I worked on "Milly" for 30 minutes.  "Milly" is a tiger counted cross-stitch that I've been working on for ....mumble....mumble....OK....since Christmas 1990.  It was named by my DH in 1999, Milly the Millenium Tiger.  I said because I would work all of 99 to get it done by the millenium.  But No, she's Milly because it's going to take me a millenium to finish it!!  But it's on the 101 list so I pulled it down from the closet.  My BFF/cousin told me I should just frame it and call it done and maybe when it's getting down to the wire, I may follow that advice, but for now....15 minutes here and there.....we'll see.

Long post...nothing earth shaking or important, just the day to day, but I wanted to update.

OH...and I'm working on something in my kitchen that I'll be putting up as a tutorial later....AND we may be getting goats in two weeks....more on both soon!

January - Month of Nothing!

On my 101 in 1001 list, I decided to do 3 Month of Nothings per year.  All the saved grocery money, etc going to debt.  With me not working now and not getting an income, it's even more important to save $$.  The money saved likely will not go to pay the debt, but to pay the ordinary bills.

Along with this Month of Nothing (MON), I am going to hit a few other goals on the 101 list,

#95-No Fast Food or Take out!
#5-Put something in my Etsy Store.
#2-Money into Emergency Fund

Here is  a great list of "Golden Rules" that came from one of my Scrapbooking Groups for a "No Buy January"

 1. Thou shall not spend ANY money on Crafts and home decor or go into a craft or Dollar store
 2. Thou shall not spend ANY money on DVDs, CDs, Books or Clothes
 3. Thou shall not spend any money on Sweets or Treats (make whatever you got for Christmas last until February young lady!)
4. Thou shall only buy essential groceries and make savings wherever possible!
5. Thou shall only complete crafts with the items already in the house
6. Thou shall not go to `Coffee' or `Lunch' with other Mummies unless invited to their home or them to mine.
7. Thou shall think "Thrifty".

My additional rules:

• If I do any "Coupon Stockpiling" I need to be saving at least 65% to purchase it. And the weekly budget may NOT go over.
• Cash only at the grocery store!
• Egg Money is to go to new chicks this month.
• Money made on eBay or Craigslist is to go towards paying Christmas debt, once paid, any excess gets divided 
• Overall Debt (40%)
• 2012 Christmas fund (20%)
• Emergency fund (20%)
• Retreat Fund (10%)
• Farm Fund (10%)

Month of Nothing - October 2011

We're off to a good start.  I have the freezers inventoried (and even made a spreadsheet-ooooo), I'll go down into the root cellar and get a current count of the canning done this summer in a bit.
I have already spent money...boo!...but the budget for our family is set at $50 per week.  This is for groceries, gas, etc.  I do already have a few extras I see coming up.  I've committed to three fairly local "mystery shops".  That will add expenses this month, but will be reimbursed with a small "pay" next month (plus, we can have a sub for lunch one day, a coffee another, and a fast food sandwich the third-actually all this week!)

After going through the freezers and planning menus, I discovered that we needed hamburger and cheese.  We also needed vegetable oil and our sodas (Big K-gotta pop that drop!).  So after spending a little under $40 (I also needed chocolate to get my mood regulated-grin), we're ready to go.

Menus for this week:
Sun: S:Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Baked Apples

Mon: B: Oatmeal with Peach Jelly or Syrup
L:Turkey Wraps, carrots
S:Cheesy Fish and Chips Cassarole, Zucchini Slaw

Tues: B: Homemade Granola, Apple Slices
L: 1/3 Sub Sandwich, Chips
S: Bacon wrapped Chicken, Oven fries, Green Beans

Wed: B: Corn Flakes & Milk, Bananas
L: Meatloaf Sandwich
S: Spinach Chef Salad

Thur: B:Oatmeal with Cinnamon & Apples
L:Other Myst. Sandwich or Turkey Wrap
S: Cranberry Pork Loin Chops, Steamed Broccoli

Fri: 24 Fast before Yom Kippur

Sat: B:Bacon & Eggs, Toast & Jelly
L: Hot dogs on grill, grilled zucchini, pasta salad
S: Homemade 10 layer Lasagna & Salad

I do actually have all the menus planned for 22 of the days this month.  Before the day is over I should have the rest figured out. On my list for tomorrow is to get granola made.  And homemade granola bars.  I know that when it's here, we will eat it.  The granola bars don't last long!  I'll post a recipe when I make them. (if you are interested).

I'll also put up a link, button or something going to any ebay, etsy, craigslist if you want to shop.  (Shop today...it may pay for YOUR Christmas gift-grin! Or it could BE your Christmas gift!)

Comments and suggestions ENCOURAGED!!

Change is in the Air

Officially, my favorite season is fall.  However, I still need brought into it kicking and hollaring because summmer is a very close second.  It's now fall and frankly the past few days have been feeling long past the beginning of Fall and quite close to Winter (my least favorite).

So with the change of the seasons, it's time to put new goals in focus and shift gears. On my 101 list, I've listed two "Month-of-Nothings" per year.  The year is almost over and we only had a half of a "M-o-N" back in April.  With my disablity pay ending and the economy looking worse and worse, October is declared "Month-of-Nothing PLUS!"  This will make up for the unstellar show in April.  This month we will be frugal PLUS hit another goal of making some money on Ebay and Craigslist.  (Oh, and I kinda hit another goal, in a sideways way, I did post on Etsy last month, but under a new account for Man's business).  But I will post in Etsy on my account too! 

Other goals that we will be accomplishing (like the positive thinking) by doing MoN:

• Menu planning
• Going after Debt
• Clean out Barn (gotta have room for the cow/goat!)
• Inventory freezer and pantry (get count of what was canned!)

This would be a longer post, but my friend down the road and I planned a "Road Party" for our two Country Roads to get to know one another and it is taking place in just a few hours.  It may be two families, it could be 42 families.  We'll see.  It's really nasty out today, so our hopes of having an outdoor party is pretty much a bust.

Angel Food Boxes and the Month of (almost) Nothing

Have you ever heard of Angel Food Boxes?  If not, let me tell you about it.

From the website: Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 45 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

Blessings by the box

Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.


A friend told me about them a few years ago, but I always seemed to miss the cut off date. As one of my New Year Resolutions to be more aggressive about debt, I decided to do a month-of-almost-nothing at the grocery store.  It seems like that is the only place you can really try to cut back.  I have done a pretty good job in recent months of "Grocery Gaming" and doubling up coupons so that the pantry is fairly full.  The deep freeze is also in good shape and we still have most of the chickens butchered from the homestead.  I was looking for menus and recipes in my anticipation for February being "the" month and came across the Angel Food site again.  It just so happened that the night I was looking at it was the cut off night.  SO, I quickly ordered a box to be delivered to the church down the road from us. (OK, it's about 9 miles...)
 
So here we are.  I got the box today.  I sat down and did what I've always said I wanted to do and planned out almost ALL the meals for the month of February.  (I was bragging that I had planned out all the meals and challenged Man to ask me a day and I'd tell him what we were having...and he picked one of the three days I HADN"T planned....that will teach me to brag!)  We have a few "special" days in February, that's why it is the month of ALMOST nothing.  Our 18th Anniversary is coming up, as is Valentine's Day, and my dreaded milestone birthday...you know the one with the 0 at the end.  So we've planned a night out with dear friends of ours on the 19th.
 
Here's what is in our box this month:

• 1.5 pounds choice beef netted roast with pop-up timer
• 2.5 pounds IQF split chicken breast
• 2.5 pounds breaded chicken breast assorted pieces
• 1.5 pounds fully cooked meatballs
• 2 pounds fully cooked ministrone soup
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound sweet italian sausage
• 1 pound yellow squash and zucchini
• 1 pound sugar snap peas and carrots
• 5 pounds waffle fries
• 6.9 ounce beef-flavored rice and vermicelli
• 1 pound pasta
• 25 ounces pasta sauce
• 1 pound Northern dry beans
• 18 ounces quick oatmeal
• 32 ounces 2 percent shelf stable milk
• Dozen eggs
• One dessert item-Sugar Cookies

After picking up our box, we went over to Kroger and picked up 2 bagged lettuce, 1 of coleslaw, tomatoes, and dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese) and 10 boxes of tissues as Boy was sick most of this week and now Man is getting it.  Oh, and cold medicine.

Come along with us...on this adventure.  I'll post our menu tomorrow.

MON: Day 6

Well, today was a bit of a bust on the homestead-except we were back to getting 4 eggs! Good girls!

I'm working mandatory OT at my J.O.B. on both Mondays and Tuesdays for the whole entire month, add to that already working an extra 14 hours this weekend....I'm tired.

Boy had a vision therapy appointment, but we didn't make it because he woke up sick. Poor thing. Might have something to do with the fact that he was out riding his razor yesterday with a spring jacket on...but Stormy the dog, now HE had on a winter coat, over his God-given fur coat. SIGH.

Money spent today $2.29 for my Diet Citrus Drop addiction. (12 pack- should last 4 days)

Breakfast: Bananas, Cookie Crisp Cereal, and vitamins
Lunch: Man had canned soup and crackers, Boy and I slept through lunch
Dinner: Man had frozen lasagna, Boy had boiled Star egg, peanut butter crackers, cheese stick, and lego fruit snacks (I orginally gave him Mac n Cheese and was told it smelled like poison-yeah, I feel great about my cooking ability. grin)

OK, so our meal options were not great today, that happens with oodles of overtime and sick kids. Tomorrow I will be making bread again, and something warm and nutritious.

ON HOMESTEAD NEWS: I've started perusing the seed catalogs and dreaming of spring. Later this month I will get my itty bitty tomato seeds planted under a grow light in the house. I will also be planting lettuce, spinach and herbs to grow because they are so quick growing that we can just eat them from out of the window box.

I also spent last night looking at numerous chicken hatchery sites trying to decide what 3 chickens we are going to add to the family. I really like our 4 and am tempted to just get the same breeds, but then I also want to try other breeds. Boy I wish we were out in the country so I didn't have to limit my chicken habit.

Here are the ones I am thinking of....another Arica, a Cuckoo Maran (lays dark chocolate colored eggs) A silkie bantam. For non-chicken hugging readers: Bantam means smaller than the standard breeds. Silkie is just that, their feathers are more like down and very soft and lays down more like hair. Some also have feathers on their feet that look like slippers. They lay smaller eggs, but from what I've read the yolks are the same size as standard eggs and actually lower in cholesterol. I also like the Lace Wing Sussex because they are really pretty. I've thought about getting a white egg laying hen also. I posted an ad on Craigslist to find others that needed day old chicks, because they won't send less than 25...and really, I CANNOT have 25 more chicks...really...no, Rea, you CANNOT! Opinions are welcome.

I'm also excited because it looks as though I may have more customers for my eggs than I thought. At church on Sunday, I was talking with my one friend who has said all along that she wanted eggs, and another mom piped up that she wanted some too! Horray! I don't think that I will make money at selling eggs. My goal for selling eggs is to maintain the chickens. The money I get for eggs goes back into feed for them, plus we are still getting eggs for our family. I figure at the pace they are currently going, I will be able to do just that. Feed is about $20 a month, two dozen eggs a week at $2.50 a dozen will be exactly that. And leaves about 4 eggs per week for us to use.

MON: Day 5- January 5th

Today was a shopping day! But I stayed in my $25 budget and by grocery gaming I ended up getting $52 worth of items. I >heart< Meijers! $23.45 spent.

1 bag big carrots, 1 bag baby carrots, 2 celery, 1 bag of onions, 3 bags of spinach, 2 bags of premade salad, 1 bag of coleslaw, 4 cans of Campbells tomato soup, 4 cans of Campbells Healthy Select soup, a gallon of milk, bottle of V8 juice, 2 boxes of electrsol (This was my coop buy- Regularly $3.69, on sale for $3.00, and had 2 coupons for $2.50 off-so, $0.50 a box!) and a 2 pound chuck roast. We will be having Roast with veggies tomorrow and salad with hard boiled eggs for lunches.

Lunch: left overs
Dinner: I actually am not sure what they had because I had overtime and was into work by 5:30.

The chickens only laid one egg today. I'm pretty sure it's because of the light. The light had (I thought) burnt out. They need 12-14 hours of light to lay. The boy climbed into the coop at some point while I was napping and discovered the bulb was just loose and tightened it, so the girls have light again. Hopefully tomorrow we will be back to 3-4 eggs.

MON Day 3&4

I don't remember what we ate on Saturday-or most of Sunday. Although I do know that Sunday dinner was a BOY's dream! We had hotdogs and sourkraut, baked beans, macaroni & Cheese (homemade-not from a box), and baked potatoes.

I know on Saturday I made Pumpkin Crunch...oh now I remember, we had rotini pasta, frozen cauliflower/broccoli/carrots, and spaghetti sauce all mixed together and homemade bread made into garlic toast.

I SPENT NO MONEY!!! HORRAY! WHA-HOO!

We got 3 eggs on Saturday the 3rd and 1 on Sunday. Apparently it was a day of rest. :)

Boy started back to choir at church and will be auditioning for the spring musical on the 10th. I'll have to buy a CD of the music at some point this month and that will be $2.50.

January 2nd: Month of Nothing

Today I went returning. Now I would like to say that by returning I have extra money to put into the fund...but that is not the case. I am going to have to do better on that!

Returned shirt to Old Navy...$8.03 back onto the card....went next door to Michaels and put $10.62 on the card (Zachary has a birthday party later this month, I did find things for gifts at 50%-6o% off)

Returned pants to Walmart...$16.01 back...Bought slippers to replace lost ones. $9.50. Bought Bananas, gum, 1 green pepper, air freshener, and a can of sourkraut (it was a quarter!!) OH, and 4 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper for $1.25.

So over all I spent: $10.59
Running Tally $15.93-I am done for the week!

Eggs laid today: 4!!
January Egg total: 5

Breakfast: Cold cereal for Boy, I think Man had potato chips and coffee (yes, we need to work on this) I had to work the night before so I slept.
Lunch: Cane's chicken fingers and fries.....WHOA you say...that looks like dining out, well, yes, technically it was except it was a mystery shop, so I will be reimbursed for it at the end of the month.
Dinner: Made homemade bread, Hamberger Helper, and 1/2 green pepper for man.

January 1st: Month of Nothing

OK, today we did alright on our challenge...kinda.

Breakfast..cold cereal
Lunch...snacked on leftovers from New Years Eve
Dinner...Country Pork Spare Ribs, Cooked Cabbage (which I burn...how do you burn a boiled vegetable??), Brown Rice and Red Beans.

I spent $5.34 at Kroger for 2 heads of cabbage (only used and burnt--arg!) one, the ribs, and hmm...now I can't remeber the third thing...I know it was a vegetable.....oh well...something else.


Running tally: $5.34

Today we only got one egg. Last month from 12/12/08-12/31/08, the girls laid an impressive 61 eggs!!!

OHH! And Boy knocked out one of his bottom teeth (it was loose) while I was at the grocery store. Other details of the day, we enjoyed a roaring fire in the quiet room.

Happy New Year! May 2009 SHINE!

Well, 2008 definitely was not the best...but then again it wasn't the VERY worst! :)

I love New Years Eve (despite having to work this year--UG! at least I was able to run home and kiss my guys at midnight before running back to work!) I like making resolutions and those who know me, know that I set unreasonably high goals and then knock myself around for not achieving them...so in that light....

No really, I've tried to be more reasonable, but still have high expectations.

I don't know if God will have us moving as we hope. As Man pointed out today, we've lived in our current home longer than anywehere else we've lived in our 16 years of marriage (almost 17) but it's not been lack of trying. We've been trying to move for over 3 years now, but His all-knowing hand has come in at the last minute to save us from ourselves. So I still pray this will the year that we move somewhere. But in the meantime, we need to do with what we have so here are the "HOMESTEAD RESOLUTIONS"

1. Improvements and updates as we can afford to make the place more sellable.
2. Add 3 more chickens and start selling eggs.
3. Aggressively working on our debt. (We are so overstrapped!!Stupid surgery--no not really, I'm grateful that I now can walk again!)
4. Eating more homemade / homestead food.
5. Blog regularly...(daily?!?)

With resolution 3 & 4 (and 5), my plan is something I saw on a magazine and then found a blog of someone who did it. So we are going to have "Month-of-Nothing" and "Month-of-Half" What this means is in the Month-of-Nothing (mon) we will spend essentially nothing. This goes for food, gas, etc... Now I realize this is a fairly unrealistic goal as our normal monthly for this type of stuff is about $250 (and know that we do not go out to dinner and movies, rent movies, etc) So we are 'allowed' $25 each week. I've been grocery gaming so we have a fairly good pantry and freezer full. The $25 will also be if there are grocery game deals that are just too good to pass on. We can carry over from previous weeks. We have essentially $3.25 per day, so on weeks like this one where there are only 3 days...it's a $10 week. And on the MOH (Month of half) it won't really be half...I'm going to allow $50...with a bit of play upto $65 per week. This is the game plan, keep tuned in to see how we do. I'll be posting on here for accountablity.

January-Month of Nothing
February-Month of Half
March-Restock Month
April-Month of Nothing
May-Month of Half
June-Restocking Month
July-Month of Nothing
August-Month of Nothing (HARVEST MONTH!)
September-Month of Half
October-Restocking Month
November-Month of Half
December-Month of Half

You can also follow some of my personal resolutions (my faith, faithbooking, and scrapbooking ones HERE.