Week 1 of the $25 Game

Sorry - can't get it turned right!!!

Back from my first $25 grocery trip.
Total: $25.89

Biggest expenses:
2.89 - Milk: $2.89
2. 78 - Hot dogs: $2.78 (thought they were on sale for $1.67 but it didn't ring up that way.  Should have been paying better attention!)
3. 98 - 4 lbs of apples, they were 99 cents a pound.  10 apples
3.50 - yogurt was 50cents each, so I got 7.
2.99 - 4 lb bag of sugar.

Reflections:
There were other things I wanted to get, but didn't because of my limit.  Tuna was 2/$1 and I should have gotten some.  I wanted to get a dozen eggs but didn't have money left.
I probably spent too much on bread.  2 loaves at .98 each and buns and bagels at 1.19 means I spent 1/5th of my budget on bread.

And it was stressful.  I had both boys with me, and Adam threw a fit when I wouldn't buy him a package of muffins in the snack aisle.  We bought muffin mix instead, but even that (1.29) hurt.  I would have rather bought the eggs.

The stress made me crabby, and I snapped at my boys and husband.  I can't imagine how hard it would be to be a loving mom and/or wife if I were constantly dealing with the stress of money issues.  As a teacher, I would sometimes criticize parents because they weren't doing as good a job at parenting as I thought they should.  But the longer I am a mom, the more I realize that everyone has battles that limit their ability to be the best parent they possibly can.  Whether it's money, health problems, an addition, relationship stress...it doesn't matter.  It definitely affects your ability to parent!

I am starting out with a fairly full freezer, fridge and pantry.  Without that, I do NOT know how we would survive on this budget.  Maybe the 4/$10 frozen pizzas they had?  I could have gotten 10 pizzas with my budget - would that feed a family of 4 for a week?  probably not.

And formula, and diapers?  I'm still nursing, mostly, but we do use some formula.  If I had to buy a can of formula, my budget would have been shot.

We also have free turkey.  I prefer to have more variety in meats, but when your budget is this tight, you don't always have a lot of choices.


Last year, when I did the $25/week for 4 weeks, there were only 3 of us, and 2 of us had our lunches outside the house most of the time (me at school, Adam at daycare) so it all feels a little more daunting this time. I did not coupon, or really plan anything this week, but I may have to from now on!

7 by Jen Hatmaker

 

I just read the introduction to 7 and I am floored.  At first, I was totally overcome with guilt.  When Jen said how $10,000 could be used in Africa, I felt so guilty for the home improvements we have planned.  We have spent way more than that on our house, just to improve OUR lives a LITTLE, when it could have been used to improve so MANY OTHERS’ lives a LOT.

 

And she said she was so tired of justifying her spending.  Even as I read it the intro and started to feel guilty, I started justifying our spending, as well.

 

The way she described her church was just amazing to me.  They are truly putting others’ needs in front of their own, and it is so unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life.

---

 

Lent just started, but I’ve never given anything up for Lent.  However, last year around this time, I spent around $25/week on groceries (without coupons) for 4 weeks in a row, and it was such a great learning experience.  I learned to be more resourceful in my meal planning, and I learned to be pickier in the grocery store.  When you only have $25 to spend, you want to make every dollar count, so you avoid unhealthy foods and instead spend the money where you’ll get the most nutrition and “filling.”

 

I think I’m going to do it again this year, for Lent.  But this time, I want to donate the money that I save ($100/week.)  I am thinking two different things:

1) maybe donate $100 worth of non-perishables to a food pantry.

2) help a young, married, pregnant, un-insured girl with her medical expenses.

Gratitude and Giving

This post will be going live on my regular blog soon, but I’m looking for a related Bible verse.  I haven’t been able to find anything.  Any suggestions?

 

Last night was rough.  For a minute, I found myself wondering what life would be like if something were to happen to Isaac.

He had been kind of fussy, and hadn’t really napped all afternoon.  He projectile vomited after he nursed in the evening, and was even fussier after that.  I had been going through the mental-mommy-checklist all day…warm enough? cool enough? teeth? something weird that I ate?  And then, I undressed him for bed and noticed that his belly button was dark purple.

A purple belly button is obviously not normal, and it can be a sign of serious problems.  Sometimes, umbilical hernias can block the intestines and surgery is needed immediately. 

I was terrified.  I held it together at first, but in the car on the way to the emergency room, I kind of lost it.  I told Bart that I had never been so scared in my life, and it was true.  What if he needed surgery that night?  What if they had to take him from me for tests?  What if he cried while they were examining him and there was nothing I could do to help?

 

And then, the what-ifs became worse. 

What if that was the last time I would ever hold him in my arms and nurse him?

What if the photos I posted yesterday were the last ones I took of him?

What if I had to go home and tell Adam that his Baby Brudder was gone?

What if this sweet, beautiful, easy to care for baby really was too good to be true?

 

I didn’t really know if it was a life-threatening situation, but it was probably the scariest thing I’ve been through as a parent.

 

 

At the ER, they checked all of his vital signs and a very sweet doctor examined him.  She pushed on his belly, and he smiled at her.  We undressed him and did x-rays, and he didn’t cry once.  I started to feel silly, like I had totally overreacted.  This clearly was not a sick baby! 

And the x-rays confirmed that.  Yes, there was an umbilical hernia, but no intestines or anything wrapped up in it.  The x-rays showed a gassy tummy, which probably caused the spitting and fussiness.  The purple belly button was odd, but the absence of other major symptoms meant that he was probably fine.  Just to be safe, the doctor called the pediatrician on duty, and had us wait an hour after I nursed him to make sure he kept it down okay.  He did, and while we were waiting, he filled his diaper; another sign that everything was okay.

 

The doctor could not find an explanation for the purple belly button…maybe it got irritated during tummy time?  Maybe it was just from straining to poo?  But she felt confident that there was nothing seriously wrong with Isaac, and my fears were calmed.

 

We went home, relieved and thankful, saying silent prayers of gratitude.  Now, in the light of the day, with my sweet baby in my arms, I can’t imagine our lives without him.  But last night, I caught a glimpse of what it might be like to be completely helpless, faced with the suffering or death of a child.  I have renewed admiration and heartache for parents who have been through that.  

I believe, more and more, that God gives us certain experiences to shape our character.  Last night, he reminded me that I am selfish and ungrateful.  I have two (three) fabulous, amazing boys in my life, but I am selfish with my time and energy.  Instead of being grateful for the blessings He’s given me, I sometimes resent the fact that those boys NEED so much from me.  Last night, I would have given anything and everything to make sure Isaac was okay, and I would do the same for Bart and Adam.  But what I should really do is just give more everyday – more patience, more time, more energy, more empathy and more gratitude.  

The Lord's purpose prevails

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.~  Proverbs 19:21

House on the Rock

Matthew 7:24-27  The Wise and Foolish Builders

    ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=NIV) 


I remember those verses from Sunday School as a little girl.  Really little, because we were in the "blue" room. :)  And I remember the teacher (may have been my mom at that time) telling us that God is our rock.  But I never really "got it" until this last Sunday, when I heard those lines again.  Yes, I understood the metaphor, but sadly, I didn't believe it.


But now I do.  This is what I'm after - the Rock.  I am trying to move my house onto the rock, since I didn't build it there in the first place.  (Too much metaphor?  Oh well.)  I've had a feeling for months that people who have a strong faith get through hard times more easily.  And now I have some scripture to back me up. :)

Follow, Subscribe and Comment

Hey gals,

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for reading and helping me so much.  I haven't really been replying to each comment, which I normally do.  These are so much more "deep" that I find I need to read them and absorb them and re-read them.  I've been thinking and thinking about all the comments and emails and I appreciate each one, even if I don't reply.  Each of you are helping me learn about others' beliefs, clarify my own beliefs and learn more about scripture.  Thank you!!!

If you want to follow with Google Friend Connect there should be a "follow" button on the toolbar waaaayyy at the top.  There's also a "subscribe" link on the side if you prefer that.  I can't figure out how to put a "subscribe by email" link on here, though.  Anyone know?

Thanks again,
Katie

Where I'm coming from and where I'm going...

I grew up in a Methodist church.  I did not like going.  I had one friend there, and the only other kids were my cousins who I did NOT get along with.  I feel like we went because it was expected of us.

I was confirmed in 7th grade.  I don't remember much about the classes at all.

I belong to a Lutheran church, now.  It is fairly large for our rural area, has a lot of young families and a great Sunday School program.  I hope to give Adam (and future kiddos) a very different experience from what I had.

We don't attend regularly.  It still seems like a "chore."  I'm going to try to change that attitude.  (I think it would help if our church had a coffee hour - what kind of lutheran church doesn't have coffee?)

I believe (or grew up believing...some of these beliefs are changing)

• God is a loving God...he only does "good" things
• Believing in God is enough to get you to heaven
• There's a reason for everything, but only God knows what it is
• God and science/evolution are not opposites  (is "mutually exclusive" the term I'm looking for?)
• Living a good life and making a difference in the world is more important than attending church every weekend.

The three biggest things that I want to focus on now are:

• having faith in hard times
• learning to trust God and give him my worries - I'm prone to anxiety.
• learn how to pray and recognize God's answers

I also need to get to know the Bible better.  Nancy suggested that I get a Bible in the English Standard Version. Any other suggestions?

And basically, I just have a lot of questions.  What do you believe about this, and that, and whatnot...

My "cheerleaders" here all have different religious backgrounds, but very strong faith, so I'm really interested to see what everyone has to say.  I promise, I won't always post 4 times in one day...I was just really focused on this yesterday!