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.

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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.