Sunday, October 16, 2011

Weekly Wrap & Other Crap

So October is officially half over. Which means in only 2 more weeks it'll be November...quick aren't I? I have a gift for stating the obvious. Bet you're jealous! 


I was happy to be paid on Friday...very happy. How happy was I? I was so happy that I went out and bought MORE FOOD! And you know what? I think we could have managed very adequately with what we already had! But old habits die hard and like a little robot I trotted off to the farmer's market and the grocery store, not to mention the gas station. 


When I came home I squished all of that food into an already full fridge. Then I made soup, ladled it into plastic containers and squished that into an already full freezer.  Then I thought to myself..."self? who's in charge here, who exactly is sitting in the budget director's chair?"  "Me", I answered, "oh please, let it be me!" So, acknowledging to myself that I am indeed in charge of my budget, I am going to challenge myself, no direct myself, to purchase no NEW food until November except for the following items: 

  • milk
  • bread
  • salad fixings
Perhaps I won't even buy any more salad fixings as we have so many veggies in the fridge that need to be eaten up. So that will be my personal challenge for the remainder of October. 

NO MORE UNNECESSARY FOOD PURCHASES!!!

Because you know what happens when you purchase more food than you can possibly eat - WASTE AND SPOILAGE!! And that makes me sad. AND MAD!! If successful,no, when successful, I'll have $100 extra that I will put into my Emergency Fund as I really really want to get it back up to $2000 again.

I am also going to challenge my wee family to keep the furnace TURNED OFF for two more weeks. That won't save me any money this month as I've already paid my Union Gas bill but it will help with November's bill. Oh, by the way, I decided to NOT go with Superior Energy for my natural gas for the coming year. Their fixed rate was way higher than the market price that Union Gas is offering. I'm taking a wee risk in that Union Gas adjusts their rate every 3 months based on the market but right now the spread between Union Gas and Superior is wide enough to make me  think that it'll be cheaper in the long run. Time will tell.

Since I just posted financial charts on the 12th I'll spare you that today. I am still out of rhythm on my blog topics so will try to get back to doing my Friday Weekly Wrap on Fridays!

7 comments:

  1. Look at you, showing off with all your food in your Freezer. What if some poor starving kid in Ethiopia is reading this on his IPad? Won't you feel bad then!
    Keep up the good work. I hope you make it.
    m.

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  2. Hello
    Please, please tell me how to confront or have a pithy remark to those certain people that want to pick on people of shorter stature?
    Thank you so much for your website
    I appreciate this so much
    Pauline

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  3. I do the same thing - feel I need to buy something like food just because it's time to buy it! It's strange to think what we buy though for other reasons - when my Grandma passed in '98 she had TONS of dresses in her closet with the tags still on them. She even talked about it before she passed. For her a new dress meant something other than having plenty to wear (she hardly wore dresses except for Sunday church service)if she didn't get a new dress every so often she didn't feel 'right'. My mom would ALWAYS buy extra and freak out if someone took the last bottle of mustard from the pantry and put in the fridge without writing it on the grocery list immediately - when she passed the freezer was PACKED and the fridge as well and let's not talk about the cabinet with all the canned stuff. My dad was giving stuff away - it was shocking to go up there last week and see a few cans in the cabinet! I told him I'd been doing the same - paring down- but mine was because I couldn't find what I wanted and was overwhelmed with stuff going past the expiration. I know many stockpile but so far it hasn't worked well for my unorganized self! I also push it on produce and if I'm 'good' and 'with it' I make myself put stuff back because I know what happens when I have too many perishables in the fridge then run out of time/motivation and don't use them for the recipe/meals intended!

    I think you do ok with spending -at least overall. I think there's room for all of us to cut back though - myself included...and here I go again tomorrow or Tues for a few more groceries that are on sale at the store near the library - hey bananas and potatoes!!

    Susanna

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  4. food is still the thing I overspend on, old habits, convenience. I need to take charge of my food budget too.
    ( love your header pic today!)

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  5. Yes we shall cheer each other on - I'm only buying bread milk and produce too!

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  6. Jane,
    We also have the same problem so now I meal plan for the week and shop once. Since I car pool it was usually hubby who would stop off after work. Those little white sugar coated donuts and other sweets where always calling his name. No more and he is eating what is around the house.
    I really think we all over spend on grocery. But you are so right the extra money looks great in my bank account.
    The jar money Gail VazOxlade sets aside for food always seems so low but it is probably very true to what we should be spending as a family of two.
    Your soup looked yum and I'm going to try it soon.

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  7. My fridge and freezer are full too. I NEED to not spend any money for the next two weeks either! I spent most of my food budget this weekend with out of town guests...(Way to bust a budget!) The next couple of weeks look quiet so I hope to not need to go to the store. I think you and I are on the same wavelength Jane..Keep me on track!

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