After my last post, Lani directed me to the USDA's cost of food chart. This was kinda fun =) This is basically a chart that shows the average amount people spend on food based on income (thrifty, low-cost, moderate and liberal). So according to this chart, our family would be spending the following amounts per week..."thrifty" of course:
Daniel: $40.00
Jessy: $35.50
Kelsi: $33.90
Matthias: $22.10
Total: $131.50/ week or $526/month
How much do we really spend? Well, not that much! Our grocery budget is $75/week or $300/month. That is a $56.50/week or $226/month difference. And we want to keep lowering it! Maybe they need to make a "poverty" plan next time.
That was way too much math for this time of night.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Grocery Budget & Meal Planning
We've recently decided to drop our grocery budget down. According to Dave Ramsey, your grocery budget should be about 5-15% of your income. Ours was at 15% so we decided to drop it down to 10%, which is a decent chunk of money. It's been an interesting couple of weeks for me, as I am horrible at meal planning. It's worked out pretty well so far though. Last week we bought a whole chicken and a beef roast. I cooked the chicken in the crock-pot (yay, crock-pots!) and we had some for dinner. The carcass got used for making stock, and the leftover meat got used for chicken salad sandwiches and chicken soup (with the stock I made). Three meals out of one $7 chicken (which by the way was "organic" and "cage free" and all that goodness)! The roast I made in the crock-pot (did I mention I love cooking in the crock-pot?) and we had some for dinner with lots of tasty gravy...yum. The leftovers got used for French dip sandwiches and fajitas. How tasty is that? So we got 6 meals out of two cuts of meat, and I hardly had to do any cooking! Tossed some stuff in the crock-pot a couple of times, but that's about it =)
This week, we've used up some meat that was given to us (thanks for giving us your castaways, Mom and Dad!). We had ribs last night then I made a stock out of the bones which I used today to make a beef stew. I even managed to eat it without thinking of bones! Again, all made in the crock-pot ;) We have lots of leftover rib meat, which I plan on using for some kind of Mexican dish, and lots of stew leftover for Daniel's lunches.
These last couple of weeks have certainly been a good way to learning the benefit of meal planning and how to make foods stretch. One of the best parts about it though, is that we've been doing all our shopping at Pilgrim's. So not only are we spending less on groceries, but we are supporting local business and purchasing organic produce and organic/free range/pastured meats. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm rather proud of our progress (thanks for reading my blabbing). Hopefully we can continue to lower our grocery budget!
This week, we've used up some meat that was given to us (thanks for giving us your castaways, Mom and Dad!). We had ribs last night then I made a stock out of the bones which I used today to make a beef stew. I even managed to eat it without thinking of bones! Again, all made in the crock-pot ;) We have lots of leftover rib meat, which I plan on using for some kind of Mexican dish, and lots of stew leftover for Daniel's lunches.
These last couple of weeks have certainly been a good way to learning the benefit of meal planning and how to make foods stretch. One of the best parts about it though, is that we've been doing all our shopping at Pilgrim's. So not only are we spending less on groceries, but we are supporting local business and purchasing organic produce and organic/free range/pastured meats. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm rather proud of our progress (thanks for reading my blabbing). Hopefully we can continue to lower our grocery budget!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
David, David, David
I decided to make my first guest post a little soapbox moment about what I've been thinking about lately. I hope you enjoy! If you don't, please don't ignore the poor children on my account.
Those of you that go to RLM know we just finished up the Life of David series called Chosen. which I guess is most of you... :) Entertainly enough about halfway through Kelsi got engrossed in her Bible reading 1 and 2 Samuel - again, the life of David. She stopped just short of the end, so we picked up 2 Samuel during our before bedtime Bible reading. And, struck with the "coincidence" of so much David I figured I'd start reading 1 Samuel during my morning "quiet time" on the bus. So yeah, a whole lot of David!
Anyway, poing being, I'm struck by the culture of Israel in those days. There was so much national pride. When the king or the people fell into sin and God stepped in, godly men were agonized that their people had fallen so far - and the consquences so steep.
I don't feel that way. I look at where our country is and I'm angry. I'm sick of bail-outs, I'm sick of health care reform. I'm tired of watching our government stray further from God's ways. I want to yell and complain.
But lately, I've been reading about David. I've been reminded of the prophets. When was the last time I've wept for my fellow Americans? The victims of the system. Or even the people who are responsible? People who make bad decisions, and chase stuff rather than the God that made them. I don't weep for my neighbor... and I should. After all, I bet our loving God does.
Anyway, that's what I have on my mind today. Thanks for reading. :)
Those of you that go to RLM know we just finished up the Life of David series called Chosen. which I guess is most of you... :) Entertainly enough about halfway through Kelsi got engrossed in her Bible reading 1 and 2 Samuel - again, the life of David. She stopped just short of the end, so we picked up 2 Samuel during our before bedtime Bible reading. And, struck with the "coincidence" of so much David I figured I'd start reading 1 Samuel during my morning "quiet time" on the bus. So yeah, a whole lot of David!
Anyway, poing being, I'm struck by the culture of Israel in those days. There was so much national pride. When the king or the people fell into sin and God stepped in, godly men were agonized that their people had fallen so far - and the consquences so steep.
I don't feel that way. I look at where our country is and I'm angry. I'm sick of bail-outs, I'm sick of health care reform. I'm tired of watching our government stray further from God's ways. I want to yell and complain.
But lately, I've been reading about David. I've been reminded of the prophets. When was the last time I've wept for my fellow Americans? The victims of the system. Or even the people who are responsible? People who make bad decisions, and chase stuff rather than the God that made them. I don't weep for my neighbor... and I should. After all, I bet our loving God does.
Anyway, that's what I have on my mind today. Thanks for reading. :)
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