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.

   

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

Food Cost Breakdown - December

Pet Care

Straw Bale - $21.45

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds - 33.88

Total Pet Care - $55.33

Food

Whipping Cream $32.66

Powdered Sugar - $2.18

Cheddar Cheese - $8.78

Pretzels - 2.98

Flour - $17.65

Candy for gift plates - $33.60

White Chocolate chips - $9.78

Milk Chocolate chips - $6.58

diced Jalapeno - $10.24

Milk - $51.99

Pork Roast - $ 11.63

Ruffles - $15.38

Reeses - $28.78

Tomatoes - $25.97

Lettuce -$ 7.47

Ranch Dressing - $10.19

Almonds - $13.99

Flour Tortillas - $11.29

Cookies - $10.89

Oyster Crackers - $6.38

Sunflower Kernels - $2.39

Frozen Veggies - $3.19

Avocados - $9.99

Zucchini - $2.15

Green Onions - $1.29

Peanut Butter - $13.39

Pizza - $5.98

Eggs - $8.99

Coffee - 29.96

Total Food Cost - $388.26

Health Care

Cough drops - $3.62

Bio Identical Cream - $18.95

Kidz Vitamin C - $15.69
Total Health Care - $38.26

Household Items - $0.00

Total December Food Cost - $481.85

So happy to see this number!  I thought I was blowing it with all the extra shopping for Christmas plates and dinner but well under the budget and I can add $18.15 to either my greenhouse fund or buy two boxes of Tattler lids for my canning jars.

   

All I Want To Do Is Read More - 2017

Once again I have been absent from this blog.  Some not serious health issues have kept me from enjoying life.  I'm still not back to normal but getting closer.  All this down time has given me time to contemplate life and what I would like to see different in 2017.

I just want to open up a honest to goodness book and read more.  Before we had wi-fi in our home and smart phones I would read 4-5 books a month, now I am only reading 4-5 a year.  Part of my recovery is to rest and to truly rest I need to turn off the screens and open those books.

 Currently I am reading three books.  Dune - yep still reading it.  The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker and a Janette Oke book on my kindle.  I would like to get back into the classics, especially Dickens and the Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie.

Here's to 2017 and getting back to the basics. 

Lovin' Life.

Food Cost Breakdown for November

Canning and Food Storage
Evaporated Milk (case) $25.92
Popcorn 50 lbs $32.59
Mints $11.49
Pepperoni $13.09
Corn (case) $9.48
Kerrygold Butter (to can) $31.56 
Garlic granulated $6.39
Brown Sugar $25.80
Clear Jel $9.50
Pecans $21.46
Vitamin Gummies $46.17
Red pepper Flakes $13.51
Black Pepper $13.39
Toothpaste 6.79

Total cost of food toward Food Storage $267.14

Pet Supplies
Cracked Corn $15.11
Dog Food $55.88
Total cost for pet supplies: $70.99

Monthly Groceries
Milk $67.91
Ruffles $30.36
Fruit Snacks $9.99
Poptarts $5.00
Ranch Dressing $10.19
Orange Juice $4.29
Lunch Meat $12.7
Tillamook Cheddar Cheese $52.48 (we have 2 big blocks for December)
Egg Nog$29.47
Cream $19.58
Apple Cider $2.69
Pumpkin $8.79
String Cheese $19.98
Cream Whip $8.99
Blackberries $6.49
Capri Sun Juice $11.09 
Candy $41.97
Corn Tortillas $5.59
Flour Tortillas $11.29
Flour $7.69
Garlic granulated $6.39
Sharp Cheddar $12.29
Pepper Jack $10.19
Yogurt (for starter) $1.39
Ice Cream cups $3.58
Ice Cream Bucket $13.59 
Coffee 31.99
  
Total cost of monthly groceries $445.96

Household Items
Toilet Paper $22.99
Total cost of Household Items $22.99

Total September Food and Household Cost: $807.08

All I can say is WOWZA!  Way over this month and I mean way over!  In my defense I will say I see reflected in this is the holiday shopping for meals and candy to be given as gifts.  Mainly I see that I need to stop sending my hubby to do the shopping because he loves to spoil us and he has with candy, chips and ice cream. 

Food Cost Breakdown for October

Canning and Food Storage
Grapeseed Oil 23.69
Mashed potato flakes 10.39
Mayo (case) 29.94
Ketchup (case) 21.96 
Kerrygold Butter 31.56 
Mozzarella cheese 11.99
Heavy Whipping Cream 17.98
  Total cost of food toward Food Storage $147.51

Pet Supplies
Chicken scratch 20.99
Pullet Grower 20.50
DE 17.99
Cracked corn 6.99  
Cat Food 19.69
Dog food 24.49
Cat Litter 8.99  
Total cost for pet supplies: $119.64


Monthly Groceries

Milk 50.33
Egg Nog35.96
Bread13.78
Heavy Whipping Cream 11.99
Reeses 30.36
Noodles 11.49
Yogurt for starter 1.39
Corn tortilla 5.59
Flour tortilla 11.29
Onion 1.19 
Flour - organic 14.69
String cheese 9.99
Cheddar Cheese  35.06
Oreo cookies 7.79
Almonds 17.89
Sparkling water 22.29
Cheez it 4.69
  
Total cost of monthly groceries $285.77

Household Items


Total cost of Household Items $0.00

Total September Food and Household Cost $552.92

A little bit over but I'm OK with that.  Most of that reflects items in food storage from our Costco run  and my hubby beloved eggnog.