Mom’s Family Budget Update

As many of you know, our family is in the midst of a $20 dollars a day challenge. To say that it has been challenging would obviously be repetitive, but it would also be true. We are only half-way through and we are fatigued by the whole process. We are sick of talking about money, looking at receipts, chasing down lost cents, and keeping tabs on everything. I am just being honest here. We also worry that this really isn’t sustainable going forward. However, saying all of that, our family agrees that we have learned some incredibly important lessons so far. They include:

We now see where our money is going and on what. And guess what? It is mostly on food. I tallied up all of our shopping costs so far to find that we spent almost $30 on milk, $25 on tomatoes (can you believe that???), and $10 on apples. Are we going to give up those items? No, but if we are going to need that much of one product, than we need to buy it in bulk. (We should also consider growing tomatoes for goodness sakes!).

We have realized that cutting costs has to be a priority. So we have given up dry cleaning, dinner out, driving long distances, and certain luxury goods. We also realize that we need to cut costs further or increase income to actually get ahead.

We probably spent more last month than we did so far this month – and yet $20 dollars a day adds up to be a lot of money in a month. It is a wake-up call that we are still buying & spending too much.

In the second half of the month, we are going to change it up a bit. Instead of shopping everyday (which is exhausting) we are going to do a large shop at the beginning of the pay cycle to see if our money will go further. We noticed that we were going to the grocery store every single day, and not necessarily taking advantage of 2 for 1 deals or other discounts because we didn’t want to spend more than our allotted $20. That means we will have less cash to spend for the rest of the month, but hopefully we won’t need it as much.

Little things do add up. In using coupons, bringing in our own cloth bags, and checking our receipts, we have saved more than $20 since July 1st, which isn’t too bad (and it is a whole day’s spend!).

So although we aren’t done, we are going to see if spending our money upfront on groceries & household items works. We will keep you updated on our progress. But continue to wish us luck & share your cost saving tips with us as well – we need all the help we can get.

Reasonable Health Food For Your Body & Soul

I love the concept of “soul food,” though I find food categorized as such a bit too rich for me. But the idea of “soul food” is a very important one – it reminds us that food, health, and our very well being & soul are interconnected. As such, what we eat matters. There is no big surprise there. Even on a family budget we try and pay attention to what we are eating. A lot of research suggests that the cheapest foods in the grocery store are usually the ones that are worse for you. In the last few weeks of trying to only spend $20 a day, I believe this claim. I have been shocked to see what is on sale for $1 or less – mostly cheap, sweet condiments & relishes, candy products, and what can only be described as “junk food.” But there are many foods out there that are reasonable & healthy. Some of these foods recently have had attention brought to them in a great article from the NY Times, “The 11 Healthy Foods You Aren’t Eating.” This list was originally put together by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. at Men’s Health Magazine, and has received wide circulation recently. The eleven with Mom’s Favorite twist & tips for preparation include:

1. Beets: Buy fresh whole beets and roast them in foil with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Price: $2.99 for a bunch.
2. Cabbage: Buy a head of cabbage and grate it with vinegar, oil, sugar, sunflower seeds, and shredded carrots for a healthy version of slaw. Price: $0.69/lb.
3. Swiss Chard. This is a largely ignored vegetable in the West, but it is cheap, and easily prepared. The NY Times suggests simply sauteing it with a bit of olive oil. Price: $2-3 a bunch.
4. Cinnamon. Once you buy it, it lasts forever! Put it in hot chocolate (not kidding), in bread recipes, on top of toast or cereal, and even sprinkle a bit onto ice cream or yogurt for a special kick. Price: $3-5 for a bottle of ground cinnamon.
5. Pomegranate juice: This comes in the pure juice form, which I find to be quite expensive. Instead buy a few pomegranates in season, pluck out the seeds, and simply pop them on top of a salad (or in your mouth). Price: $4-5 for 6-10 fluid ounces (but a little goes a long way!).
6. Dried plums: Buy prunes in bulk and store them properly, and they will last a long time. You can puree them and add them as a replacement for sugar and/or butter in most recipes. Price: $2-3 for a bag.
7. Pumpkin seeds: These are pretty reasonable in bulk or already packaged. Roast them in a dry skillet or baking sheet to bring out their natural “nuttiness” and them simply snack on them or add them to a salad. Price: $2.00 a bag.
8. Sardines: These are not my favorite. But the NY Times suggests that you “choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with Dijon mustard and onions as a spread.” Price: $3.50
9. Turmeric: A reasonable spice, simply add to eggs, baked vegetables, or rice for color, flavor, and nutrients. Price: $4-5 a bottle.
10. Blueberries: My personal favorite. Buy them frozen or fresh. Eat them plain, throw them into cereal, bake a cobbler or some bread, and these will make any dish “pow” with both nutrients & flavor. A cost saving tip from Mom’s Favorite is to buy blueberries now when stores are doing “2 for 1″ deals, rinse them, and store them in the freezer (in their own container). They freeze well, last a long time, and you don’t have to buy them out of season. Price: $2-4 a large container.
11. Pumpkin. I love pumpkin and canned pumpkin is reasonable (at our Whole Foods it sold for 99 cents last Winter) and we make desserts, breads, and side dishes out of it. I have roasted pumpkin as you would a squash (flesh side down with olive oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg) and though messy, this tastes amazing (buy the small “pie pumpkins” – not the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins). Price: $1-2 a can.

This is Mom’s Favorite adapted and shared list, and I think it is easy to see that many of these foods are not only good for the soul, but that they can be good for the pocket-book too.

Crying Over Spilled Milk

Yes, it has been one of those weeks. Normal life presents us with the usual challenges of getting to work on time, making sure everyone is fed (and eats what they are fed), making sure we all have clean (enough) clothes to wear, and oh yes, trying to remember to pay that pile of bills sitting under the coloring books. This week we also took on a ridiculous house cleaning project (where everything came out of the cupboards and about an hour later we felt like giving up) in preparation for our house guests arriving. Oh, did I forget to mention that this was going on while trying to stick to our $20 dollars a day spending limit (while having guests???) and while having a very sick toddler who was running a 102 fever? Well as our guests pulled away early this morning, I began a premature pat on the back telling myself “good job for holding it all together” – especially as this morning our toddler seemed inconsolably miserable. So when our little boy went for a nap I dreamed of the quiet-time to reassemble our lives - that is until I heard this terrible crying from our toddler’s room, only to run in and see him standing on an island of a soggy book, surronded by a sea of milk that he must have smuggled with him to bed. An hour later, the washing machine going, all the tea towels dirtied, no errands done, but finally with a little peace, I had to shed a few tears over that spilled milk and the thought of a sick little boy covered in it.

Family Budget Update – Days 5 & 6

We are out of paper towels, swiffers, sponges, trash bags, and plastic wrap. We are using rags to wipe down the floor and other surfaces and considering buying a mop next month instead of parting with nine precious dollars for swiffers. To top it all off we have guests coming in today, and I am trying to figure out how to get my $20 daily budget to incorporate two more people. The upshot is – the self-righteousness of “Mom’s Family Budget Challenge” is over, and the reality is hitting that the $20 dollars we have to spend each day doesn’t go that far. This isn’t necessarily causing us to have a “pity party” as we realize how blessed and fortunate we are and that others are far, far worse off than us. But we are realizing how little attention we paid to what we were getting for our money before our family challenge. I would walk into a grocery store, hand over that debit card, and almost always bought $50 or more in groceries. Now times have changed and if we spend $50 that is two and half days money! We are not even half way through the month and I already can’t wait until payday. We have talked about giving ourselves an extra “bill” from Costco at the beginning of next month to see if stocking up on items like milk, cheese, and bread would help the $20 go further (i.e. we might need a bit of a head start each month), but we know sometimes walking into stores like Costco means walking out with far more than we might need. The major lesson we have learned in the last few days is that we are returning to the way my mother used to clean the house – with a broom, mop, hot water, vinegar, and lots of elbow grease – why? Because it is way cheaper!

A Beautiful Personalized Gift for Mom

As a result of our recent family budgeting, we have a new found appreciation for gifts that we receive. I almost wept when I opened the mail from a friend and discovered something I had always secretly wanted – a lovely sterling silver necklace with my son’s name engraved on it. It really was such a beautiful gift that showed that extra bit of thought and consideration. The necklace is from a small boutique called Tiny Tag Designs. They produce “handmade jewelry with love”  and that is evident from the packaging, delivery, and quality of the item.  After doing a bit of investigation, I discovered that this company also produces personalized bracelets and additional disks can be added to the bracelets or necklaces if mom has an expanding family.  I know that Tiny Tag Designs is going to become one of this mom’s favorite places to buy that ”just right” gift for a baby shower, birthday, or other special occasion.

Family Budget Challenge – Day 4

I knew it was only a matter of time when the $20 a day budget our family is trying to live on would yield a bit of public shame. One thing my husband and I have done since embarking on our “Mom’s Family Budget Challenge” is let our friends & family know our spending goal, so they are not surprised if it seems like we are being a bit “cheap” (we of course don’t see it this way – we just see it as us being more fiscally responsible). But we don’t make a public announcement when we go shopping that we are trying to get by on the $20 we have in our wallet that day.  You wouldn’t think other people would even necessarily know this – at least not until you are at the checkout counting pennies, letting the clerk know you need your 5 cents rebate per cloth bag you brought, and yes, sometimes saying “Oh, I am sorry, I must have miscalculated, but could I please return those pears?”  This is exactly what happened to me yesterday. I didn’t feel humiliated, but I also didn’t exactly feel vindicated either. The long line of customers behind me looked on annoyingly, as I handed back the pears that I thought were on sale. I was wondering if someone was going to offer me money as I looked at my total of $20.14.  I couldn’t believe it. $20.14?  I already had the attendant take the pears off the bill.  Did I even have the extra 14 cents? I wasn’t sure I did. How did the total get to $20.14?  I thought I weighed everything, accurately calculated prices in my head, and I thought the bill would be about $16.14 not $20.14.  By chance I had exactly 14 pennies in my purse, and I counted them out thanking the heavens that I had my cloth bag with me – because I needed that 5 cents rebate. As I ashamedly left the line I ignored the gazes/scowls behind me and intensively studied the receipt.  Where did I go wrong? And there is was - screaming from the receipt “MISTAKE, MISTAKE, MISTAKE” – the blueberries were coming in at $3.99 each.  I couldn’t believe it, as the sign clearly read “Buy one get one free.” So with a struggling toddler in tow, I returned to the service counter for the second time this week and inquired about the berries. After seeing the ad in the circular the attendant seemed puzzled too, and called the produce department asking “What the heck is the deal with the blueberries – why aren’t they ringing up properly?”  She mysteriously replied “Oh, really?” Of course my paranoia set in as I thought her response might have something to do with me (like “watch out that lady already has gotten four dollars back from us this week when we mis-charged her for her apples”). But my fears were abated when she informed me that “Those berries are buy one, get one free – but only if you spend $40 on certain brand items such as Wishbone dressing.”  $40 on Wishbone dressing? You have to be kidding me. I looked at her and simply stated “Really? Wow, could I return the berries please?”  With almost eight dollars back in my pocket, I walked out feeling a bit more triumphant than I was feeling five minutes ago and with new knowledge about our budget challenge: saving money is a lot of work, and doesn’t always feel good.

Family Budget Challenge – Day 3

Happy Fourth of July! With our new family budget of $20 a day I was worried that our 4th would feel more like a “fizzle.” But never fear – it is a good time to shop for produce specials, and sure enough I was able to buy quite a lot for our 4th of July feast. Using the supermarkets “saver card” I was able to buy melon, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, nectarines, potatoes and a few other festive items for under $10. I actually used the scale at the grocery store to keep tabs on how much each item cost – again something I haven’t done for a long time. I even found myself putting a few items back to keep our costs down.  Our family decided to use the organic meat & buns we have in the freezer instead of purchasing new items (another thing we never really used to do). And although we are starting to feel a bit of the $20.00 squeeze (especially when window shopping) we were encouraged by our wrapping of coins last night (which I actually almost forgot how to do) only to discover we had exactly $20 to wrap up and take to the bank. Talk about serendipity. So although we are now feeling things are tight, we realize things should feel tight. Grand total spent yesterday $15.00 out $5.00 to our piggy box.

Family Budget Challenge – Day 2

I am starting to feel the pressure of trying to keep to $20 a day. I grabbed lunch “to go” and the total of $7.25 left me reeling – $7.25 for a sandwich, apple & granola bar? Maybe that is a good deal, but all of a sudden it didn’t feel like it. Then I realized that all those times I have spent money on food to go, I never once thought about what else I could buy for that amount. Yesterday, I thought about it. I dreamed of the chocolate bars I could have bought for $7.25 or the basics we probably will need this week, like milk or bread. So although I know our $20 can include a meal out – I think we will be more picky about what kind of meal this is. After all peanut butter & jam still works for me, and at a fraction of the cost. So “Mom’s Family Budget Challenge” lesson of the day was to be careful of meals to go, because they really might not be worth the cost.  At the end of the day with a few groceries included $15.25 out, $4.75 to the piggy box.