One Hundred Dollars a Month

I was sick to my stomach this week but not because I was sick. Remember those charred veggies on the grill that was supposed to be a corn salad for HB boys Boy Scout troop pot luck? Well I wasn’t able to whip up anything before the event so I decide to stop in Main & Vine. Why do you ask that store? Well I knew it would be delicious and it was on the way and figured the the lines would not be as long. So got there but no corn salad.

Bummer what’s a girl to do? Sample a couple of options of course. The tarragon chicken salad caught my eye and it was delicious. I decided to get two big tubs. But then thought, I said I was bringing a veggie salad so I better get something to replace what I was going to bring. I tasted a sweet pea, feta and mint salad. Delicious and got two big tubs of that too.

Standing there I did notice the price but I didn’t have my glasses on so I REALLY didn’t notice the price. It’s time to wear those babies all the time. I go to the checkout feeling rushed like I used to when I would pop into the grocery store after to work to buy sometime, everything for dinner. I didn’t like that feeling. But then I go to pay and notice the price. Now if you are standing you may want to sit down for this one…… it showed $66.98!!!!! MY STARS!!!! That’s my whole spend for a weekly grocery visit! I literally felt nauseated! But I couldn’t put it back, could I? It was just horrible!

Speaking of groceries, this week was a no Costco week so I just went to FM. I did take HB boy with me. Normally any sane person would tell you don’t take you kids with you when you go to the grocery or Costco if you can at all help it. But he wanted to accompany me and he is growing up way too fast so how many more times will he want to spend time with his Momma, SO I said ok. Plus he loves to cook!

Well I ended up spending $91.03 a bit more than normal but let’s back it up and see what I bought because HB boy was there: three can of Bush’s baked beans (they were on sale), two large bottles of cucumber Gatorade (HB boy’s favorite and hard to find), a bottle of shampoo, two lollipops (HB boy convinced my it could be for HB kids Easter baskets), a little yellow mango we have never tried, Tillamook sliced cheese (the most expensive but the tastiest), a gallon on choco milk (should have never started this when half gallon was on sale for .99), and lastly a waterproof instant camera.

Remember those? Well HB boy convinced me this could also go in his Easter basket. He had a good argument. He is going on his first white water rafting trip with his Boy Scout troop next month and wants to take lots of pictures. Well at least it will save our family camera from getting waterlogged! All in all I spent an extra $33.90. But we had fun and how many people can say they their adolescent boy wants to go to the grocery with his Mom and actually have a great time?

Ah yes it is Easter week and of course I wanted to do Easter baskets for the kids. They are growing up too fast and I want to do this while I still can. So I went to the dollar store and got a couple of the traditional stuffers like choco bunny, eggs, gum, etc. I also wanted to get a happy and had asked the HB kids for ideas. Do you know what the HB boy wanted? An electric razor! What ! Can it be true ? Isn’t it too soon? Well I guess if you look from the side and the light is hitting it just right you do see that tell tail dark fuzz that is indicative of a young boy passing into that time. This is killing my Mother in Law and myself and I just can’t talk of it anymore except to the fact that I did buy him that razor at Costco.

I surveyed about 5 customers (men) while standing there looking at all of them, trying to figure out what they all did and how anyone would need three large round razors on one device. Thank you Costco men customers. I couldn’t have done it without you. HB girl didn’t want much of anything but did mention her favorite online clothes store. So I made a gift certificate for her to use later when she finds something she wants.

In a way HB girl saved me this week. I have been dreading this week a little just because I knew I would want to go into TJ or Marshalls to look for Easter goodies. I would have used her as an excuse to shop for something for her. Although I knew she probably would not necessarily like it. We have different taste and I seldom get it right. Anyway because she mentioned the online store I had no “need” to go into THOSE stores! YAY!

And how could I almost forget? I spent $180 on a wonderfully used chicken coop. I have been searching high and low for the right one and was just about to give up and do something I know I would regret. That would be to buy a new one for 3 or 6 hundred dollars. But I looked on Craig’s List one last time and wha-la there it was. The seller obviously has chickens but has expanded his flock so built himself a bigger and better coop. It did look nice. But this little one was exactly what we needed for a new little girls. He had posted it for $220 but I asked what his best price was and he said $180 so I said sold!

It is solid and sturdy and he had even weather stained it! All the girls love it. Already two have laid eggs in it but we keep the “babies” in the new one and the big girls in the other one at night. Our old coop just wasn’t big enough for them all. So the pen is almost 100% complete just waiting for our new gate.

Confession time. I didn’t do any meal prep this week. Not even my beloved quinoa salad. Ms. Mavis was out of town on the day we normally cook and we just had so much going on that I chose to be lazy with my meal prep. I am a little nervous that when Ms. Mavis and my time is “over”, I might become very lazy.

However, I do know the value of this spent prep time because I now have a lot of meals in the freezer. So much that when I have to go out of town, for work this week, I don’t need to prepare anything. If my Mother in Law wants to use some they are there. She usually stays at our house when I have to travel to help HB Hubby with kid transportation and everything else. I know I am truly blessed to have my In-Laws here to help out. They moved up from the South a while back.

Anyway I have been wondering how you all have been doing with your budgets. Is it as hard for you as it is for me? I think for the most part things are on track, expect for the Main and Vine debacle this week. I have taken many of your suggestions to heart. Like having a little money set aside for peace of mind incidentals, using only cash (fell off that for a while but back on track), just stay out of THE stores (this one makes a big difference) and occupy myself with a book, computer work or walking. Now that the sun has started to come out I want to do that one, taking my tennis shoes with me and walk when I have down time. Just not in the Mall. LOL.

Until next week, Mrs HB