Day: February 1, 2019

Posted in Budget

February Budget Challenge Day 1 – $166.39 Left

Posted on by 3toddlermom

January went by faster than I expected so why not try this $300 budget again in February! It is only a 28 day month so it should be a breeze, right?!? 😬

We finally got out of the house for the first time this week and guess what? We needed gas! So already spent $39.91.

And we were basically out of groceries. Plus I’m going to try fasting a bit this month. My husband got inspired by a couple different friends. One friend was fasting meat for 21 days, another sweets and another friend is almost always fasting something. He’s even done multiple day water only fasts. No food. Just water. What?!? I’m not quite to that point yet but maybe someday!

So I’m going to start simple next week with a Daniel Fast. So I’m basically cutting out meat and other animal by-products and sweets! Eek! Although I’m not a fan of giving up sweets I can do anything for 7 days. I’m determined. I think it will help me keep my body and cravings in check. It should also help my family eat healthier for a week. I’m trying to be the best wife I can be and it is partially my job to ensure my husband has healthy options…at least while he’s at home.

Here we go! But eating this meal plan requires slightly different foods than I typically have on hand. I always have cheeses, deli meat, eggs, bread and chocolate. So my meal plan and grocery list consisted of tons of fresh veggies and fruits. Wow! It’s going to be a great week.

I spent $91.56 at Aldi today. I stuck to my list. I went over the meal plan several times and made my grocery list carefully. I even priced out my estimates for how much each item costs so I had a rough idea of how much I’d be spending. I estimated $80. I wasn’t too far off. The good part is that tampons and kitty litter were also on my list so it wasn’t entirely all groceries.

Here’s my meal plan for the week.

I’ve already changed a couple things because ALDI didn’t have Brussels sprouts and my husband told me he didn’t like vegan meatballs. I’ll let you know what I decide to do instead!

After the grocery store, my sister picked up pizza and we headed to the mall play place because our kids HAD to get out of the house! We’ve been inside all week because of this crazy sub-zero weather. So I grabbed two Dr. Peppers at McDonald’s for $2.14. 😁

Ok, so I’ve already spent $133.61.

$166.39 left. 27 days to go.

Posted in Scripture Memory

Scripture Memory Challenge Day 1 – Psalm 16:7-8

Posted on by 3toddlermom

First I simply bless Him. I turn my attention to Him; start thinking about His goodness rather than my troubling thoughts. Then I LET, ALLOW Him, ASK Him and LISTEN to Him guiding me. I do what He asks.

I just get to sit back and take in the beauty of the journey. As long as I stay with my guide, I won’t get lost. He may take me up some rocky paths that seem steep and treacherous so I can look down from above and be in awe of the beauty. But He will be at my right hand through it so I won’t be shaken. Because He is at my right hand – He’s closer than anyone else in my life. I let His words speak louder than anyone else in my life. I remind myself that He made it all, experienced it all and literally knows it all!

vs 9 Therefore my heart is glad.

When my focus is on my counselor and guide then my heart can be glad and light. I have a guide. It’s not up to me to figure out the path and remember the map.

Posted in Scripture Memory

6 Simple Steps to Memorize Scripture

Posted on by 3toddlermom

1. UNDERLINE IT

When I read a verse I really like, I underline it in my Bible. My cool brother-in-law got me a fantastic note-taking Bible for Christmas. It has space in the margin for notes. Thanks Bro! Even if your Bible doesn’t have lines for notes, you should still write in it. Might as well use it and help yourself remember things that stuck out to you. They print new Bibles every day. If it gets too marked up, just get another one. 🙂

2. READ IT

Then I read it out loud. Several times. As I read it, I’m not just saying words. I’m getting them in my heart. I’m getting myself excited about how they apply to my life. I’m thanking God for them.

3. SAY IT

Then I attempt to say the verse with my eyes closed. I might do one sentence at a time, or even one phrase at a time.

4. WRITE IT

Next, I try writing the verse without looking at it in the Bible.

5. JOURNAL ABOUT IT

I then take time to journal about the verse. I write down what I think and I don’t attempt to make it eloquent. I want to actually use this verse in my life so I try to be as raw as possible while I journal. This is surprisingly the most important step for me. If the verse doesn’t apply to my life, or I simply don’t take the time to think about how it applies then it’s just empty words I’m trying to remember. When I see how it makes sense in my life, I remember it because I have a connection point in my brain.

6. RECITE IT

And then all day I recite it to my husband, kids, the cat. I say it out loud while I’m doing dishes, laundry, sitting down for dinner. I let it roll off my tongue constantly. All day. I try to put it into words that my kids understand and use it as a devotional time for our family.

And then each morning when I memorize a new verse, I recite the previous ones. Phew! This is going to be a CHALLENGE! I guess that’s kinda the point. Gotta push myself if I want to be the fabulous woman God’s made me to be!

Posted in Budget

3 Ways To Save Money At The Grocery Store

Posted on by 3toddlermom

I only spent $280 during the month of January!! What?! I’m amazed! This included groceries, some gas, extra toiletries, and basically anything that wasn’t a monthly bill. In the past, I would easily spend at least $400 -$500 on groceries alone each month. But I decided to be super intentional and it really paid off! If I can complete this challenge, you can too.

The top 3 things I learned from this challenge:

1. Meal Plan

Always make a meal plan before shopping and try to plan meals with food you already have in the house. This was amazing because I was able to use up food that I already had in the house and I didn’t throw as much old food away at the end of each week. See 5 Easy Ways to Meal Plan on a Tight Budget for specific tips on meal planning.

2. Always Shop with a List

Always make a grocery list and don’t deviate from it once you’re in the store. This was great for the kids too because I asked for their input while making the list and then if they wanted something extra while in the store I was able to simply reply that it’s not on our list this week.  Let’s put it on the list next time.  I’m helping them to be planners too! And I’m not having to say “We can’t afford that!” I can simply help them be better planners and not impulse buyers.

Making a list also helped me reevaluate what are “staples” in our kitchen.  Do we always need 7 jars of cream of mushroom soup in the pantry?  Having a meal plan and a list helped me feel like I didn’t need to buy extra of something to have on hand just in case I decided to make a different meal.  I just made the meals I planned for. 

I also paid closer attention to what we chose for snacks.  Apples, bananas and cheese slices are pretty important for us to have on hand because they are easy and healthy go-to options that hardly ever go bad because we eat through them quickly.  

I use my reminders app for my grocery list. It’s easy and I always have my phone with me so it prevents me from forgetting the list!

3. Never Shop Under Pressure

I learned to never shop with extra people or under extreme time limits. As a mom, you can’t always shop alone. That’s just crazy talk! But you can choose to shop when you have the least amount of kids with you. I usually choose the couple hours while my toddlers are in preschool so I can shop alone with Sweet Love.

I also go to the store at the least busy time of day. The Aldi in my town opens at 9 am so I head there right after school drop off and walk in as the doors open. On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9am, there are usually only a handful of people in the store. Less busy hours make shopping easier because the pressure to go through an aisle quicker is removed. I can slow down and take my time to make the best financial decisions.

I can’t wait to hear how your grocery shopping goes this month!

Posted in Budget

Challenge #1 Complete

Posted on by 3toddlermom

Wow! I actually made it. I went a whole month and spent less than $300. Sure I cheated a bit but I’m still pretty proud of myself.

Today we ordered a gift for a neighbor online for $20 so my final left over amount was $20.18!!

I’m totally carrying that money over into February and I’m doing it again! Anyone want to join me?!