Saturday, March 18, 2017

Food Cost Breakdown February 2017


I love checking my bank account and being shocked by how much money we have saved in the last two months- almost $2000!  We've done it by eating out of the pantry and staying home.  I have easily saved enough for the greenhouse of my dreams and we will shift the rest of it over to our next homestead improvement.
 
Animal Care
The hens are laying eggs again!
 Dog Food - 24.79
Chicken Feed - 28.99
Chicken Scratch - 15.29
 Sunflower Seeds - 28.69
 
Total Animal Care -$97.76


Food
 Fruit snacks - 10.89
Tuna Fish - 13.29 (most of it in long term storage)
Cream - 8.99
Ketchup - 10.98 
Cheddar cheese - 31.98
Mayo - 9.78
Milk -54.31
Sparkling water - 27.85
Ginger Ale - 5.00
Ruffles -14.18
Cheez-Its - 9.38
Tortilla chips - 7.29
Reeses - 14.49
Bananas - 4.36
Spinach - 6.99
Ranch dressing - 10.49
Pineapple Juice - 7.29 (Canning project)
Peeps Candy - 1.69

Total Food Cost -$249.23

Health Care
Cough Drops - 13.39 (bulk package)
Total Health Care -$13.39

Household Items - $0.00
Bath Tissue - 22.99
 
Total December Food Cost - $383.37

We did it!  What an improvement and you can see that we had several snack attack splurges!  We ate a lot of home canned veggies and fruits because the fresh produce in the store didn't look very fresh.  I was able to can up two cases of BBQ sauce with the ketchup and juice that I bought and we did spend a bit on cough drops and ginger ale when the flu struck the house.

   

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Food Cost Breakdown - January 2017


A new year and goals!  I am still striving to keep my food cost under $500 a month including animal food and I added healthcare products as well.  This should keep our total household budget under $1000 a month which includes all bills, fuel costs, clothing and entertainment.  I keep myself motivated by putting any saved money from the food budget or total household budget into a savings for something I really want.  Right now I am saving for a green house and more Tattler canning lids.  I don't beat myself up if I go over and I can't control, nor would I want to, my husband.

Animal Care
Grit - $1.62

Total Animal Care -$1.62


Food
Cheddar Cheese - $31.98
Flour - $16.56
Milk - $24.79
Coffee - 29.96
Ground Beef - $12.34
Eggs - $24.26
Marshmallows - $1.48
Candy for School rewards - $57.89 (we all snack on these and I can't control my husband)
Cookies - $6.52
Almonds -  $3.23
Bananas - $9.16
Apples - $3.70
Green Beans - $1.38
Hamburger buns - $1.88
Poptarts - $13.58
Egg Nog - $7.94
Yeast - 4.39 (in long term storage)
Coconut Oil - $19.99 
Garlic Powder - $4.99 (in long term storage)
Butter -$16.38 (canned and in long term storage)
Olive Oil - $28.99 (in food storage)
Hamburger $87.96 (canned and in long term storage)
Tomatoes - $7.49 
Lettuce - $2.79
 Ruffles - $15.38
Ice Cream cones - $1.79
Ice Cream - $13.59
   
Total Food Cost -$450.29

Health Care

Total Health Care - $0.00

Household Items - $0.00

Total December Food Cost - $451.91

I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical about this number and I am wondering if the handsome hubster forgot to get me a receipt or two.  Until he unearths it I am counting this a victory and will add $48.09 to my greenhouse fund.  
   

Frugal Reading List for 2017

I've been putting in some serious thought about my reading goals this year.  In the past, I typically flip flop fiction and non fiction books at will and try to read 12-20 books a year.  Frugal me decided to create a better approach and actually invest in my home library while accomplishing my reading goals.

This year I want to avoid the library as my main source of books and actually buy books that I want in my house library.  I'm picky about what I add to my bookshelf and only want books that I would feel comfortable having my grandchildren read.  Here's my list and on the frugal side of it, I was able to purchase all books for less than $50.  I either picked them up for free on the Kindle or used my credits on paperbookswap.com



Three books because I love history.... 

1776 by David McCullough
Alaska  by James Michener
O Pioneers by Willa Sibert Cather (Free on Kindle)

Two books because she is my favorite author...

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
(I ordered both these books from the swap for free)
 
Two books because I already own them...

Christy by Catharine Marshall
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Two books because it's time I read them...

1984 by George Orwell
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

 Four books because I love English Literature....

 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
(most of these books can be found free on Kindle)


Read Aloud List for Stormy to finish first grade and summer reading.

Boxcar Children books 1-4 by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Long Winter and Little Town on the Prairie by Laura  Ingalls Wilder
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Just Grace books 1-3 by Charise Mericle Harper


 After typing this up, I am even more impressed that I get to read all of this for under $50 and all of these books are a great investment.  For those of you that know me will be wondering where is the sci-fi at?  What about non-fiction and biographies?  I am sure I will keep reading them this year but I'm not sure I really want to invest in sci-fi for my home library and I have tons of it on my Kindle.  As far as non-fiction goes, I just don't know what direction this year will take me.  I am currently researching three different but related topics (PizzaGate, Liberal Politics and Body Language) and I have not found any books I really want to buy.

 #pizzagate #bodylanguage #liberalpoliticsisareligion