Blah Blah Blah

This week has been horrible as far as eating healthy goes.  It's just one of those weeks you want to binge eat, put your hair in a messy bun and watch Netflix all day.  Anyone else have those?  I've lost 49.1 pounds so far and I just can't seem to push myself past that (it's a mental block not a physical one).  Tomorrow's a new day...praise Jesus!

 

I've made my menu for next week and I'm hoping some comfort foods I've tweaked to become clean/healthy will help me ease back into getting on the right track.  I'll be posting at least 2 new recipes next week!!!

 

I've been contemplating whether or not to get a polar watch.  It seems like everyone and their dogs have them these days.  I'm wondering how well they work and if they're worth the money (meaning will I wear it longer than a week).  Of course that would mean I would have to start working out again...ha!  I used to run but now I'm too embarrassed to be seen running.  :)

 

A few months back the hubby and I bought some kettle bells and a gym mat to start a home gym but those things have sat downstairs since the day we got them and haven't moved.  I really just need to quit making excuses and get my butt into gear.  Sigh...

 

In other news, I bought my own website today.  Which means I'll have a new and improved blog coming very soon.  It may take me a few days (or a week) to get it up and running.  I'm hoping to have a better lay out and links to my etsy site and various other things.  With having James now and working on my weight loss journey I would really like to document everything.  I will keep you posted on that soon!



Common Misconceptions About Budget

 

One of the biggest misconceptions of being a stay at home mom and one income family is..."Your husband must make a lot of money for you to stay home!"

 

Umm No. Wrong. False.

 

Actually, for most families, it is a HUGE sacrifice.  You do without a lot of luxuries, frivolous spending, and mindless shopping.  That means we'll have less expensive cars,  a smaller house, and buy a lot of things second hand.  But, nothing compares to seeing that little precious baby day in and day out!!! :)

 

I've learned a lot in the last few years of marriage.  Mainly, money doesn't grow on trees and we have to be wise with the money God has given us.  Spending money wisely shows God we are thankful for what we've been given. 

 

One of the biggest areas for me that I try to work on is food budgeting.  I'm the shopper.  The cook.  The mom.  :) 

 

Here are some tips I've found helpful for our family to stick to a food budget of $300 a month:

 

Buy store brands

Did you know store brands are 20-50% less than name brands? I read in an article not that long ago that store brands were taste tested against name brands and they found that they tasted almost always identical. 

***BUT, always look at the price because when the name brand items go on sale they sometimes end up being less than the store brands.

 

Stock up when things go on sale

If I notice an item I use weekly going on sale I'll buy a few more that week (don't go crazy stockpiling).  I also like to keep an eye out for meat sales because you can really save green in this area (if its less than $2 a pound I'm going to stock up).

 

Don't buy snack foods

Talk about eating up your food budget.  Snack foods are just crazy expensive.  Plus your waistline will thank you.  ;)

 

Have a price list

This might sound extreme but keep track of items in a spreadsheet.  I like to make my grocery list and then check to see which stores have it cheaper and shop accordingly.  Saving .50 cents for an item might not be worth going to another store for you but I promise you that when you're saving .50 cents or more on every product by doing this it REALLY can add up. 

 

Check out clearance aisles

This past week I went to Walmart and found organic baby food and oatmeal marked 50% off or more.  You just never know what you might find. 

 

Coupons

I don't cut coupons.  I would like to get better at this.  However, really expensive items like baby yogurt and things I'll go online and get $1 off coupons.  Most of our food is fresh and not packaged so you can't really use coupons for those items.

 

Stick to a grocery list

I would never go to the grocery store without a list in hand.  I would put a lot more in the shopping cart than we actually needed that week.

 

Make a weekly/monthly meal plan

By planning out every meal you and not buying more than you need it can really help cut down your budget.

 

Don't spend money on drinks

Don't drink your calories.  Soda is crazy expensive.  Juice is just ridiculous.  Those things are full of calories, artificial sweeteners, and tons of sugar.

 

Eat before you shop

Sounds silly BUT the grocery store is full of temptations.