Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR/DECADE!!!!

So.... I've been a bad, bad blogger! Santa surely kept that in mind this year! (lumps of coal found in my stocking...?)

I've decided to skip over Christmas & go straight into the new year with a burning focus on my goals: both in blogging, in "real" life and in NT practices...

• Menu Planning - I've tried a couple different methods, which clearly haven't worked out for me.... so I am still looking for one, I have a feeling I need to apply some Fly Lady Principles & just tweak them so they work for me... more on this process to come, please bear with me!
• Speaking of FlyLady, I REALLY need to get some basic home care routines going...
• In Blogging, my goal is be a bit more consistent, maybe even just once a week, but regularly wold be an improvement! I have much bigger ideas, but I wouldn't want to get your hopes up!
• As far as real life, I'd like to find a bit more time for me. Selfish, eh? ;) I'd like to lose a few inches, which means changing up what I eat (less carbs, less alcohol...? ugh!) and making some time for regular exercise....(double ugh!)
• And for NT practices.... well.... I tried a LOT of different things last year, some were great, some were huge flops, but in the end I only really stuck with a few, So this year I'd like to try to get a few more to 'stick"...

Ok, so here's Step 1, a Pantry challenge, from Money Saving Mom & Life as Mom that I'm goign to take on, to start the New Year right!

Here's the scoop (and some extra goals):

• I will take a full inventory of pantry & freezer (by the end of the week).
• Figure out menus based on what I have in stock. And use up those supplies. I have a well stocked pantry, and my fridge is stuffed to the brim. I get a produce box this weekend, and it will have to last me 2 weeks. No grocery store stops unless absolutely necessary.
• No eating out (unless it's an unforeseeable emergancy)!
• Try to eat less grains (unless sprouted) & carbs & sweeteners (I get 1 sweet drink per day, morning tea, but that's it!)
• Drink more water! I got an adorable Stainless Steel bottle for Christmas, so now I must USE it! I'm really quite terrible about drinking water! It's shameful, really!
• Take my FCLO!

I'm hoping this will accomplish several things:

1. I'll spend less on food this month. My food budget is $400/month, I'd like to see if I can spend about half that & put any savings towards our most immediate concern - our property taxes!
2. It absolutely drives my DH crazy that I keep buying more food when we 'have so much still'! So, it'll make JoeBacon happy to not buy any more...(for awhile! LOL)
3. Also, I think it'll be a good exercise in Meal Planning... which, as mentioned above, is something I struggle with a LOT.

I have a couple of things I'm allowed to buy weekly: farm fresh dairy, eggs & produce. I buy these from CSA's & Co-Ops:

• 2-3 Half-Gallons of Whole RAW Milk - $12-19/per week
• 1 pint RAW CREAM - $9/week
• 2 Doz Eggs - $8/wk
• 1 Small Produce Box - $20/every other week

I just stocked up at Trader Joe's tonight ($160) & on Tuesday I have a large 'catch-up' order coming from Azure ($150), so I should be set for grains & such. **Update: I had to run to Vons (ugh!) tonight to get cat food, because it will NOT be on my Azure Order (they are out) and I also grabbed a few other items, abut $35 in total.**

I'm ready. BRING IT!

**Update 1/4**

So already, I've spent $55+$160+$150+$35 = $400 (except the Azure order got placed & paid for in December, so really that doesn't count. So, adjust that, and we have:

This week: $250 (a little over my month's goal, but next week I don't get my CSA box & I really shouldn't need hardly anything from the store... so I think this is do-able!)

The Quest - Part 1 - Minty Fresh?

OK!  I've decided to dramatically cut my food budget, and one step I'm taking that is helping (or I'm very much hoping that it will really help) make this easier for me is:

Mint.com - I added the App to my iPhone (but you can totally use this w/o an iPhone - don't use this as an excuse to not try it if you need help!) & can access it easily from your home computer.  

It sets up your budget, you load in ALL your credit cards, all your checking accounts, even saving accounts & investments and it tracks everything for you & gathers updates on activity & transactions directly from your banks, so there's almost NO lame, time-sucking data entry!  

I LOVE it!  It sends email alerts warning you of large purchases & deposits, and when bills are due, but the BEST thing so far (for me in the quest of lowering my grocery budget) is it warns you when you are over your set budget amount!!!   It even tells you what you normally spend! 

Isn't that great!  I really thing this is going to help me stay on track with my spending.  

So far, this month I've only spent $23 on Groceries, my budget is set at $350....if you've met me, you KNOW this is nothing short of a miracle!  The old me was notorious for WAY overspending on groceries (and then letting at least half of the produce rot in the fridge while we ate out every other night!)  

This month after the first week (that was still 'the Holidays' & we lived it up!), we set a "no eating out" rule & my DS/DH have been pretty darn supportive.  We've been tempted, but have stayed the course, which makes me so proud, it's SO empowering to think we are actually capable of this!  Woo Hoo!