OCTOBER challenge: Living Off Of Your Stockpile. WINNERS declared!

[valerie160]

Happy October! I'm starting out with:
$8.50 in ECBs
$25 in wags

My biggest challenge this month will be spending on meat. We go to a specialty butcher because we get organic and halal meat so it really adds up. I spent the better part of yesterday morning jotting down a menu for the entire month of october to see how much meat I would use and how to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our menu. We were down to one pound of ground beef in our freezer, so hubby picked up the meat for Oct yesterday based on my menu for the month. Even though it doesn't count for Oct, he spent $67. That is over 1/4 of my $200 budget for the month. For Nov we will have to buy the meat at the end of Oct, so I have to still account for the meat being 1/4 of my budget. Grrr - it's so frustrating.

Our breakfasts during the week usually consists of either poptarts, Toaster Strudels, cereal, toast etc. Whatever you can find. On the weekends, we have bigger breakfasts and I usually plan those out with my weekly menu. Lunch is usually Mac and Cheese, hot dogs, leftovers or something prepared from the freezer (bagel bites, ravioli). Dinner is always planned out atleast a week in advance (whether I make what is on the menu or not is another story, but atleast I have something to fall back on and the items to make it in my pantry and fridge).

Our Dinner Menu for this week:

Thurs: Homemade Spinach Gnocchi (so easy to make from scratch if anyone wants the recipe let me know) with cream sauce. I will probably add olives and anchovies for hubby.

Fri: Pizza with mini sausage balls, onions, mushrooms and peppers (I make the mini sausage balls and keep a big bag of them in the freezer to put on pizza or in spaghetti for the kids etc).

Sat: Breakfast will be cinnamon buns. Dinner will be butternut squash soup with french bread.

Sun: Breakfast will be Peanut Butter and Banana stuffed french toast with maple syrup and Dinner will be BBQ Beef Brisket on buns.

Monday: Salmon burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Tues: Lebanese Chicken with Naan

Wed: Clam chowder with French Bread

Thurs: Trout

Fri: BBQ chicken Pizza


I make all of my breads/buns/doughs etc from scratch because it's cheaper (and I kind of enjoy it too ). This week I plan on doubling up on some of the dinner items (like the salmon burgers, the Brisket, the buns and the pizza dough) and freezing the other half to pull out at the second half of the month. I'm probably being overly optimistic (esp with 3 kids ages 6, 4, and 1 to run after) but we'll see how it goes.

Fingers Crossed for a good month! Good Luck to everyone!!

Valerie

[ELLE-TN]

Checking in to report that I have absolutely nothing to start this month with. I used all my Gift Cards, ECB, RR etc.... last month to buy necessary things like milk, eggs, bread, laundry detergeant. I stayed well below my budget last month and need/have to do so again this month ... a family of 5 living on unemployment isn't fun.

Today will definitely be a no spend day. I am hoping to be able to go do a little grocery necessity pickup tomorrow. I will need milk, bread, eggs, etc...and of course will look for any fresh meat or produce deals.

[grainne15]

Hi, all! Excited about this challenge.

Amazing how much less interesting the sales flyers look when I am really looking at produce, dairy and only the very best deals.

I have to hit Acme today for muffin cups for DS#2's birthday cupcakes, and bananas. Other than that I think I'm clear until the weekend...

Goals are $200 for the month, to clean out some of the random junk food that has accumulated in the pantry because it was cheap (or free, thank you General Mills), and to see what's lurking in the bottom of the freezer.

[ELLE-TN]

I've not been doing well with posting my meal plans but here is the deal for the day:

breakfast - poptarts & milk
lunch - turkey sandwich (just for me - kids at school, hubby helping a friend today)
dinner - baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade rolls

[saving-n-va]

Oh Valerie I'm so jealous, you make your own breads. I haven't mastered that skill yet. I can even mess up bread machine bread. (yeah, forgot to put the stirrer in there more than once..lol.) I'm hoping to try my hand at making bread (without the bread machine) this winter.

I think you should be able to make the extras for later in the month. Just do it while you are doing the rest of the meal. It really doesn't take much more time than regular meal prep to make and extra meal of the same stuff.

I hope the little ones cooperate and let you get that extra cooking done. Do you have a teenage neighbor or someone that could come help you for a few hours? Give her some free goodies from your stockpile for helping.

[ELLE-TN]

Originally Posted by saving-n-va With 2 teenage boys, do you have plenty of snacks on hand? I know how much my teenage son ate...wow. And milk? Will $100 be enough for milk? LOL We used to say we were going to invest in a cow just for the milk when ds was a teen. Good luck on the challenge, its my first time to join the challenge too. But there is only dh and I and I'm aiming for $100. I do send care packages to both grown (college and military) kids at least once a month and I take postage out of my grocery money too.

I sympathize with you as I have two teens too and one tween. You are exactly right about the snacks and the milk. We've seriously thought about the cow too. LOL!

[kandpsmom]

I am so procrastinating on cleaning. Kitchen is half done atleast and I started chili in the crockpot for dinner. Now to finish the kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and the living room:sad: I really hate cleaning with the kitchen still halfway through remodel and a 2 yo destroying the living room and bedrooms. My house always stayed immaculate when dd was this age but ds seems to be a tiny tornado. :hectic1:

Ok if I post again before I'm done cleaning somebody scold me.

[jenrose]

Originally Posted by kandpsmom Sounds like my dh. The first year or so we were together he constantly owed over the limit fees to the bank. He would never right anything down and just go to the ATM and check balances. He was 17/18 at the time so I guess maybe I should cut him a little slack. I finally got fed up and took over our finances and in over 7 years have only goofed up twice. In case anyone's trying to do the math... We started dating right after our 15th and 17th birthdays married right after our 16 th and 18th. We're now 24 and 26 with an 8yo and a 2 yo. I wouldn't go back and change anything if I could. We were broke and clueless starting out but we have been very blessed. Ok sorry for my morning rambling

I love learning little tid bits about others on here's lives. It makes a bit better connection and understanding of why and how others do things. Share anytime.

Originally Posted by kandpsmom I am so procrastinating on cleaning. Kitchen is half done atleast and I started chili in the crockpot for dinner. Now to finish the kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and the living room:sad: I really hate cleaning with the kitchen still halfway through remodel and a 2 yo destroying the living room and bedrooms. My house always stayed immaculate when dd was this age but ds seems to be a tiny tornado. :hectic1: Ok if I post again before I'm done cleaning somebody scold me.

I have 2 little tornados. And I don't like cleaning. So my house seems to always be a mess. The bad part is I also have one BIG tornado. I will finally get the kitchen counters cleaned off and DH will come home and pile more stuff on top of them. It drives me crazy. :hectic1:

I just looked at the clock and I have to take DS to preschool in a half hour and I'm not even dressed yet. :hectic1: This site can get very distracting.

I may go shopping later so may have something to report but for now I have to go get dressed!

[cjpsmom]

Originally Posted by jenrose I love learning little tid bits about others on here's lives. It makes a bit better connection and understanding of why and how others do things. Share anytime.

I agree 100%!

Originally Posted by jenrose I just looked at the clock and I have to take DS to preschool in a half hour and I'm not even dressed yet. :hectic1: This site can get very distracting.

Tell me about it, I swear DH is gonna fire me one day.

[cody82414]

Okay. Back from the city n almost record time.
Everything is fine, "normal".
Thank you Jesus!

I also cashed in rebate checks from Kellogg's, Frito Lay, pumpkin sales, and XM radio refund, so I am $55.10 in the green!!

It is nasty, rainy, so, yes, I already turned on the heat!
Hey, when you are 5'10' and under a buck twenty-five,
there's not meat on the bones to keep the heat in.

C'mon naptime...