Paid the mortgage today and managed to add $200 extra to principal. I can't wait for the new balance to show up.
Other than that, not much news. I'm trying to 'right' the ship financially, so to speak.
We've been doing great lowering the grocery bill. I think we've spent about $100 a week for the four of us lately,and we buy organic milk, etc.
A lot of that is due to the chest freezer being full (so glad I bought one) from farm shares, summer garden stuff, and the gift of meat our friend brought.
I'm making an effort to start 'eating down' the chest freezer, and just buy perishables like fresh fruits/veggies, milk and any odds and ends we need to make recipes during the week.
I do have a spendy weekend coming up. We're redoing the boys' toy room. The carpet is nasty, so we're taking it up shining the hardwood and sticking a large rug over it. (Already bought the rug). We freecycled the old sofa bed in there (single size, from the 1960s), and are getting a larger sofabed with a washable cover from Ikea this weekend. We have a lot of houseguests, so this will give us another sleeping option.
I'm also getting them a new art desk/ lego table future homework station. So that's why this will be a spendy weekend. These are planned expenses. I will try to be judicious with my choices, but not feel bad about spending the cash. These will be good upgrades!
extra mortgage payment
January 17th, 2014 at 01:56 pm
January 17th, 2014 at 06:08 pm 1389982126
If your family will try different meals, www.budgetbytes.com is a fun site with new combinations that keeps our food budget intact and has been making the constant grind of meal making more fun for me. I find it very cost efficient to make a weekly menu plan combining what's on hand with loss leaders at our 3, nearby grocery chains. It's not M-F set but 5 entrees + side dish, snacks, lunch-to-go and an age appropriate, school aged DKs make it. You're several steps ahead with lots of food in your freezer
January 17th, 2014 at 06:27 pm 1389983247