90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #12 Update

Challenge #12

Now that you've saved money, give something away.  Make a donation from your "stash".  Now that you are saving money, was it easier to give?  Did you have more to give?  What did you give and where did you donate it?  Was it worth it?  Also discuss the overall challenge - your ups and downs, struggles, if it's helped your budget, what helped most, what you will or will not continue, and if the benefits are worth it.

I am so happy to have been a party of such a wonderful & amazing teaching challenge; just the other day I had my greatest saving moment yet.  I walked into Babies R Us & purchased a 140 count box of Pampers, 2 new silverware sets for B & some new hangers & paid ZERO DOLLARS!!!  I couldn't believe it when the cashier said thank you & have a great day instead that will be $50 some odd dollars; it was an amazing feeling & I can't wait for it to happen again!!  We are now a one income family so every penny saved is a great help & I am hoping that as more time passes I become more & more saving savvy!!

This week we had to give something away so I cleaned out my closet & gave what I had to a local battered women & children's shelter.  I also used my coupon savvyness to get some of the more personal items that they are always in need of from CVS, Walgreens, & Kroger.  I only spend about $20 but managed to get them 5 very full bags of feminine hygiene products, kids socks, bath essentials, & a few toys & books for the kids!  I hope that everything I sent them helps & I am going to try to make it a monthly thing that we do in the Goodson household.  I plan on donating more of our in the future as well; I really didn't have any extra time this past week but I know that I can make some in the near future!!

The was the last challenge of Budget Boot Camp is sponsored by Peter Pan, not only did they send us challengers 4 jars of their delicious peanut butter but they are also hosting a giveaway so make sure you go sign up!!

I have really enjoyed being a part of this challenge & know that with time our savings will increase tremendously.  I have learned that their is a technique to this whole thing & that once you take the time to get into the groove of it all it can be fun & in the long run VERY rewarding for the wallet!!

90 Day Boot Camp - Challenge #11 Update

Challenge #11

Start a rewards program this week, make one purchase, and roll your rewards. Was it hard to figure out what to buy initially? What about what to purchase to roll your rewards? Do you think there is a benefit to taking part in a rewards program? Would it benefit you? Do you think the time investment is worth it the savings?

I have been using reward programs for a while now & it all started when I was pregnant with Brayden & we registered at Babies R Us they were telling me about their rewards program so we signed up but I really thought that nothing would really come in the mail because nothing ever had in the past with all the little "thingys" I used on my key chain.  Well, I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised when I received the mail one day because when I opened the envelope that said Babies R Us Rewards I found that they had sent $50worth of FREE money that I could use at their store as well as pages of coupons.

I was hooked from then on out & made sure that for every "thingy" I had on my key chain that I used they had my correct address & information & I love to open the mail & find free money & coupons for things that I use all day everyday.  It was time consuming to go back & update the information but it has been so worth it in the long run. 

The next challenge is our final challenge & I can't believe that this adventure with the other ladies will be done; thankfully the things that I have learned with continue to help our overall budget!!

Challenge #12

Now that you've saved money, give something away.  Make a donation from your "stash".  Now that you are saving money, was it easier to give?  Did you have more to give?  What did you give and where did you donate it?  Was it worth it?  Also discuss the overall challenge - your ups and downs, struggles, if it's helped your budget, what helped most, what you will or will not continue, and if the benefits are worth it.

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #10 Update

Challenge #10

Think about one thing your family purchases that you could do without to save money - paper towels? Disposable diapers? Now, go without it for the week. How did it effect your life? How would it effect your budget if you no longer purchased it? What other items could you family do without? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

This week we went without any snacks in the house; I know that this might not seem like something hard to give up but it was for us.  We like to munch on popcorn while watching TV at night & we really enjoy chips & salsa on almost a daily basis & not to mention the sweets.  I didn't buy anything like that this week & although it sucked when we wanted something it really wasn't that bad & we are probably better off from a health stand point as well.

Overall I would love to continue to do this, maybe not to the extreme of having NO snack foods but cutting back tremendously would be great for our budget & waistlines.  It is amazing to me how much that type of food cost & most of the time we think nothing of it because we "want" it.  Without purchasing any snack type foods & really only buying things that were on sale or that I had a coupon for I saved a ton this week & it really was a great feeling & I think the most that I have saved during a single shopping trip.........that was the best feeling!!

I can't believe that the challenge is almost over with; I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of it & so is my wallet!!

Next Challenge #11
Start a pharmacy program this week, make one purchase, and roll your rewards. Was it hard to figure out what to buy initially? What about what to purchase to roll your rewards? Do you think there is a benefit to taking part in a pharmacy program? Would it benefit you? Do you think the time investment is worth it the savings?

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #9 Update

Challenge #9

Make something from scratch - bread, pita pockets, hot pockets? Laundry detergent? Cleaning products? Anything you often purchase. In the end, how much did the homemade version cost versus the price you typically pay? Was it worth it? Did it save you money? Where did you struggle with this challenge? What things do you think your family could make at home to save you money?

This wasn't a hard challenge for me since I like to make things from scratch; this week I attempted biscuits though!!  They turned out alright I guess but not great really; I think that there is an art to making really wonderful "southern" style biscuits & I am now determined to make them perfect in look & taste!!  Baking from scratch is always going to be a little time consuming but I find it very relaxing.........just like laundry is too me!  I am going to attempt to make bread for the week next week so wish me luck :)
 
I didn't get around to any other DIY projects; however I was reading one of the other 90 Day Budget Boot Campers updates yesterday & WILL be making a daily shower spray that she uses ASAP!!  It sound pretty easy & I hope that it works well too.
 

Daily Shower Spray

3 cups rubbing alcohol

1 tablespoon dish soap

4 tablespoons rinse detergent

3 quarts water

scented oil {your favorite scent, as much as is needed}

1/2 cup – 2/3 cup peroxide {depending on bottle size}

Mix all ingredients except peroxide in a large container, with a lid.

This makes a lot, and be saved for future use.

For a 24 oz bottle, add 1/2 cup peroxide. Fill the rest of the bottle with the pre-mixed solution.

For a 32 oz bottle, add 2/3 cup peroxide. Fill the rest of the bottle with the pre-mixed solution.

Up Next: Challenge #10

Think about one thing your family purchases that you could do without to save money - paper towels? Disposable diapers? Now, go without it for the week. How did it effect your life? How would it effect your budget if you no longer purchased it? What other items could you family do without? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #8 Update

Challenge #8

Make an extra meal and freeze it to use when you don't feel like cooking or are short on time. Do you think this added extra time or saved you time in your cooking? Benefits? Pros/Cons? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not. We'll also be discussing splitting bulk purchases into family-size portions for freezing.

When I delivered Brayden my family came to help for the first 2 weeks & while they were here helping they were preparing meals that could freeze & this was a tremendous help when they were gone & I had no time to cook!!  I always said that I was going to start doing that again so thanks to this challenge I am finally doing it.  This is not only going to help make sure that Brayden, Lance & I all get a home cooked meal but it is also going to help cut back on buying Brayden "filler" meals as I like to call them!

I consider the pre-made meals "filler" meals/food & although there is nothing wrong with them I just prefer that we eat home cooked meals even if that means defrosting one.  I feel so much better knowing what exactly is in what my family is eating; not to mention that fact that I have a picky eater for a husband so if he doesn't like what I am cooking that night I can simply & easily prepare something else for him to eat.

We had friends over for dinner last Friday night & I made spaghetti...........a ton of it!!  I always worry that I am not going to have enough to feed everyone so I always over do it a tad but I over did it alot this time but it was intentional.  I have frozen the meat sauce & am going to use it in the future to make lasagna which I will also make enough of to freeze!!  I also made Brayden blueberry pancakes this week for breakfast & made extra so that I could throw them in the freezer as well; just 45 seconds in the microwave & voila he gets a warm homemade breakfast!  I am loving the potential that this challenge has for my upcoming meal plans & I am also loving how by only doing this for a week & I saved time & reduced the needed items on my grocery list which in the grand scheme pf things is saving money & that is what this is all about right??

I am still tracking prices but so far no great decreases BUT my coupon collection is growing so hopefully the "huge" savings I have seen others be able to accomplish will soon be something I can brag about as well!!

Next Challenge...........

Challenge #9

Make something from scratch - bread, pita pockets, hot pockets? Laundry detergent? Cleaning products? Anything you often purchase. In the end, how much did the homemade version cost versus the price you typically pay? Was it worth it? Did it save you money? Where did you struggle with this challenge? What things do you think your family could make at home to save you money?

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #7 Update

Challenge #7

Start a grocery price book for the products you most often buy and gather standard prices for your most frequent purchase. Start tracking how low prices go. Discuss if this was time consuming. Do you feel that it's worth the time? Do you already track prices? Do products you buy go on sale often? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

At first I was confused about why I was doing this & how to actually do it but after looking at the samples Beth provided for us I understood better what I was doing & the goal is to track prices so that when the prices do hit rock bottom I can stock up on those items for the savings...........this is an AWESOME concept!!  I have started my price book in the form of a spreadsheet since I love to use them when at all possible & I actually keep all of our receipts so I was decided to start it from 2 weeks ago; from looking at the 3 weeks that I have on the spreadsheet I am not seeing much of a difference or a drop in price but am hopeful that it will be seen very soon.  I have to say that it was pretty time consuming at first but I guess that was just getting the spreadsheet set up so I am hoping now that I just have to plug in the numbers that it will be a breeze!

As suggested I also do take a notebook with me to the store so that I can get prices on the things that I am not buying that week but can still track their prices.  I am actually more excited about this challenge than any of the others for some reason; I am not sure if it because a spreadsheet is involved or if it is because I feel like I really can make a huge difference in our budget with this one...........in any case I am tracking prices with ever trip to the grocery store & will keep you all posted on when I find my 1st rock bottom price drop & purchase!!  Happy Savings Everyone :)

Next:

Challenge #8

Make an extra meal and freeze it to use when you don't feel like cooking or are short on time. Do you think this added extra time or saved you time in your cooking? Benefits? Pros/Cons? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not. We'll also be discussing splitting bulk purchases into family-size portions for freezing.

Challenge #6 Update.............

Challenge #6

Buy only products on sale and that you have a coupon for, excluding dairy, meats, and produce which often offers no coupons. For these products, you can only buy products on sale. Discuss if this was a challenge for you? Did it effect the quality of food you purchased? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

This was the wrong week for this challenge since my family was in town for Brayden's 1st birthday & also for his party this past Sunday & it was a cook out so alot of meat was purchased; we did well on all the meats because we went to Costco & I guess we did well on most of the other stuff that we needed as well since most of what was purchased was Kroger brand however I never realize just how picky people are about what & how they eat certain things until we had 6 adults, 3 kids & 4 dogs here this past week. 

From the specific "Dukes" mayo my pops loves on his sandwiches, to the name brand Miracle Whip that makes my moms potato salad just right; from the Dr. Pepper that my sister loves to sip all day, to the "Club" crackers that she eats when nothing else will do; we all have our little things that we have to have & when there is that many people I guess it all just adds up!  I don't think that indulging in specifics is bad all of the time but if you look at the cost comparison you will see a big difference in the pocket book over time.  I am happy that I can eat the "off" brands & not really care but I do have to admit I made myself a sandwich to take to work today & used the "Dukes" mayo on it & it was I think the best sandwich I have had in quite a while!

I m really going to start looking for more specific coupons so that I can stick to the budget I have laid out for our family but indulge in the name brands when ever possible............Lance is going to love this!!!

What will challenge us next??

Challenge #7:

Start a grocery price book for the products you most often buy and gather standard prices for your most frequent purchase. Start tracking how low prices go. Discuss if this was time consuming. Do you feel that it's worth the time? Do you already track prices? Do products you buy go on sale often? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #5 Update

Organize Coupons

Now that you have your coupons, pick a way to organize them and start a system. Talk about the different organization systems you considered and show/describe the one you finally selected. How time consuming was it to first organize your coupons? Do you think it will get better now that you have a system in place? Pros/cons of the system you selected? Plus, discuss your experience.

I am so used to being able to organize anything & everything but I have to admit that this has been one of the hardest things I have ever tried to organize.  At first I thought that clipping & organizing in a coupon organizer was the way to go but then when I was doing that part I was wondering what I was going to do about the coupons that I had uploaded online onto my Kroger Plus card; I mean how was I going to remember what was on there??  Thus began a lenghty night of figuring it all out.........

I looked over all the coupons that I had clipped, printed out, received in the mail & added to my Kroger card & decided that what would work best for me is to make my grocery list & then pull out all of the coupons that I have for the items that I needed before I even head out to the store.  It seemed to work really well for me this past weekend & I am sure that as time goes on I will get more used to doing it & it won't be as time consuming.  As most of you know, having a walking 1 year old tends to take up the majority of my day so I am having to do as much as I can when he naps & after he is in bed & I had a few late nights getting everything researched & organized but last night I made a list of a few things that we were in need of & pulled the coupons & it only took about 15 minutes so there is hope for me yet.......... 

What's Next??? 

Challenge #6

Buy only products on sale and that you have a coupon for, excluding dairy, meats, and produce which often offers no coupons. For these products, you can only buy products on sale. Discuss if this was a challenge for you? Did it effect the quality of food you purchased? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #5

Organize Coupons

Now that you have your coupons, pick a way to organize them and start a system. Talk about the different organization systems you considered and show/describe the one you finally selected. How time consuming was it to first organize your coupons? Do you think it will get better now that you have a system in place? Pros/cons of the system you selected? Plus, discuss your experience.

I have my work cut out for me this weekend; I feel like I am so behind on the challenges & just need to get caught up ASAP.  I guess ASAP would be in between the million other things I have to do to get ready for B's 1st birthday & party as well as get the house ready for 6 additional people & 2 additional dogs next week!!  It is going to be a house full & I hope that I don't over stress as usual BUT it is going to be amazing having everyone here for Brayden 1st!!!

I promise that I will put my all into this challenge & I am hoping that I can save good bit on the stuff that we need for his party............keep your fingers crossed for me OK??

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #4 Update

This week get a newspaper subscription and start collecting coupons for products you buy most often. Sign up for manufacturer newsletters/e-mails, look for coupons in the grocery store, sign-up for samples, and keep an eye out for hot coupon alerts. Discuss if you already collect coupons and where you typically get them. Or discuss if you found any new coupon sources, how time consuming it was collecting coupons, if the coupons you found seemed worth it, and where you found the best coupons.

I have slowly been signing up at some online sites & getting my coupon collecting organized but then being sick last week kind of through me off.  I am slowly getting back in the swing of things & even managed to use a few of the coupons I already had collected from the Sunday paper this weekend at the grocery store.  I also used some of the rewards that I received in the mail from Babies R Us rewards to get some stuff for Brayden's birthday taken care of.

I have recently learned & started to use the fact the you can add coupons directly to your Kroger plus card online & that way don't have to worry about loosing or forgetting them.  The problem I am having with this is I forget what coupons are on there from week to week & always forget to check the site before I leave the house.  I have been picking up the Sunday paper each week & do have a nice collection going; I tend to really look for coupons for household products like air fresheners, Febreeze plug ins (since I am addicted to them & have them in every room); shampoo, condish & cleaner since those are usually the more expensive things that I purchase.

This is really as far as I have gotten I think; I haven't really been able to put my all into this challenge because I was sick so I am planning on doing a combination of 4 & 5 this week so next week I promise that I will have a better challenge update!!

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #3 Update

Think about what your family often purchases that puts a dent in your budget and try the store brand or generic version. Was it just as good? How much did it save you? Would you try more generics? Why or why do you not purchase generics? What things could your family buy in generic to save money?

I know that I am late posting this but I thankfully was able to complete this challenge before getting sick 2 weekends ago; this is actually something that I already do so this challenge was very easy for me!  I have always shopped like this because I am not one of those people that has a problem with the "generic" food brands however Lance is. He swears that the name brand foods taste 100% better than the generic but I buy the generics anyway.  I did our weeks shopping & did buy a few more things in the generic versions than normal & only spent $65 at the store!!

I have never really shopped any other way so I am not really sure of the saving aspect of doing this.  I do know that the generic brands are not always the cheapest & I am sure that if I collected & used coupons could even get the name brand stuff that Lance likes so thankfully we are about to get into the coupon aspect of this boot camp!!

JUST AN FYI.........
I went to the store on Saturday & then got sick on Sunday; Lance dropped me off at home & had to go get my prescriptions filled at Kroger so he looked in the pantry to see if we needed anything.............$150 later he came home with every brand named product that you could possible dream of.  I asked him why he bought all that stuff when I had just gone to the store & this was his answer: "We needed bread", I said "you bought a lot more than bread", He said " I had to wait for your medicine & was panic shopping until I could get home to you".

Sweet but boy did that panic shopping completely throw off my budget.........it actually just made this past weekends shopping list VERY short!!

Challenge #2 - Sweet Success!!

Challenge # 2 is all wrapped up;  the challenge was to make a grocery list & STICK to it & & I don't mean to toot my own horn but I kicked this ones behind!!  I made my list & checked it twice last Tuesday then decided to go to the grocery store Saturday on my way home from the airport!!  I was confident that I had everything on there when I left on Friday but started to feel like I was missing some stuff Saturday so I went over it all in my head & made some adjustments.

This is what my list actually ended up looking like:

Salmon Fillet

Beef Tips

lunch meat (chicken & turkey)

Pot Roast

Chicken Breasts

Eggs

Turkey Breast

Chicken Fingers

Bacon

BBQ Pork

Bread

Saffron Rice

White Rice

Biscuits

Milk

Yogurt

Shredded Cheese

Cheese Slices

Sour Cream

Cottage Cheese

Brayden's

Yogurt

Puffs

Cheerios

Mandarin Oranges

Bananas

Avocado

Mushrooms

Cucumber

Tomatoes

Carrots

Potatoes

Dried Cranberries

Almond Slivers

Creamed Corn

Peas

Black Beans

Chick Peas

Corn

Sausage Gravy

Plug Ins

Razor

Face Powder

I made he changes headed to the store & was only $3 over the $80 budget I set for myself so I was pretty proud & think that as the weeks pass I will get the budget down below the $80 budget I set.  Some of the changes I made because I remembered we had whatever it was & some of the things I crossed off because we could do without them or they were more expensive & I wanted to try to find a coupon for them!  I am very proud of myself for NOT buying the candy bar that I really wanted & for also sticking to my list!!

I actually found this trip to the grocery store to be a very quick one since I knew exactly what was needed & there was no question in my mind that making/having a list is a better way to shop & control my spending.  I am sure that there will be times when I spend more than I want to but I am alright with that.

Lance & I have decided to make one major adjustment to our food shopping though; I am going to start going to Costco once a month & getting all our meat/fishes, household product/cleaning supplies, & whatever else I have a coupon for in bulk.  We have had our membership for a while but I just started to pay attention when I received the coupon pack from them in the mail & I think that doing this could help our budget tremendously.  I am going to head there this weekend & then head to the regular store once I get unpacked & re organized in the pantry & fridge..............I'll let you know how it goes!!

Challenge #3 - Think about what your family often purchases that puts a dent in your budget and try the store brand or generic version. Was it just as good? How much did it save you? Would you try more generics? Why or why do you not purchase generics? What things could your family buy in generic to save money?

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #2 - The Grocery List

So this week our Challenge is to create grocery list & STICK to it & I am ready to go!!  I have created our weekly meal plan & than created our grocery list from that menu............I should be able to stick to this one pretty easily.  Thursday & Fridays meals are already thing that we have in the pantry/fridge because I am not going to be able to get to the store until Saturday afternoon (I am going to my cousins wedding in VA Friday).  I have my list all set & Lance & I both sat down & decided everything on the menu together so that should help tremendously as well.  I have things that he has suggested & wants so that should help denture him (& me) from eating out.  This week I am also going to give Brayden more of the things that we eat to cut out the pre-made toddler meals which will in turn cut of grocery budget as well.  I am jumping ahead a bit challenge wise but I have also collected a few coupons & am hoping that I will be able to us them for the household items on our list.

Week 2 Meal Plan

Thursday

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Chicken & Dumplings

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Eat Out/Chicken & Dumplings

Brayden: Cereal/Taco/Chicken & Dumplings

Friday

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/out of town - Wedding in VA

Lance: Egg Sandwich/Chicken & Rice/Frozen Pizza

Brayden: Waffle/Chicken & Dumplings/Ravioli

Saturday
Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Grilled Chicken & yellow rice

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Work Lunch - Eat Out/Grilled Steak & yellow rice

Brayden: Oatmeal/Hot Dog & Carrots/Grilled Cheese & Peas

Sunday

Mitzi: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits & Gravy/Sandwich/Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots

Lance: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits & Gravy/Sandwich/Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots

Brayden: Try Eggs Again - Cereal/Chicken Fingers & Veggies/Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots

Monday

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Grilled Salmon, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, & Corn

Lance: Biscuits & Gravy/Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots/Grilled Chicken Salad

Brayden: Oatmeal/Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots/Graduates Meal

Tuesday

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Tuna Sandwich & Tomato Soup

Lance: Egg Sandwich/Grilled Salmon, Loaded Mashed & Corn/Turkey Breast, White Rice & Peas

Brayden: Waffle/Grilled Salmon, Loaded Mashed & Corn/ Turkey Breast, White Rice & Peas

Wednesday

Mitzi: Yogurt Salad Egg Salad & Tomatoes

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Turkey Breast, White Rice & Peas/Beef Tips & Loaded Mashed & Creamed Corn

Brayden:Oatmeal/Turkey Breast, White Rice & Peas/Beef Tips & Loaded Mashed & Creamed Corn

From this meal plan these are the things that I need from the store:

Salmon Fillet

Beef Tips

lunch meat (chicken & turkey)

Pot Roast

Chicken Breasts

Eggs

Turkey Breast

Chicken Fingers

Bacon

Bread

Saffron Rice

White Rice

Biscuits

Milk

Yogurt

Shredded Cheese

Brayden's

Yogurt

Puffs

Cheerios

Mandarin Oranges

Bananas

Avocado

Mushrooms

Cucumber

Tomatoes

Carrots

Potatoes

Dried Cranberries

Almond Slivers

Creamed Corn

Peas

Black Beans

Chick Peas

Corn

Sausage Gravy

Plug Ins

Razor

Face Powder

I will let you all know how the grocery shopping goes after I hit the store Saturday & hopefully I will not have to go any other time during the week either!!

Successful Failure???

Does that title even make sense????

I have never actually written down our weekly meal plan; I have decided in my head a few times what I wanted to make & asked Lance what he feels like for dinner next week but had never put it down on paper & honestly I really did enjoy doing it.  I thought that after the hard task of getting it written, printed & posted in our pantry that it would be easy to follow & stick too but at the end of day 6 of our 1st challenge & after 6 breakfast, 6 lunches, & 6 dinners The Goodson Family has failed at only one of each!!  You would think that to be good right??  NOPE; the ratio of 3 to 18 is pretty damn good but the saving over spending is where we failed so I would have to say we failed this challenge!!

Saturday morning we were supposed to have breakfast at home but I had to run out for milk & went right past Chick fil a & I swear that damn cow called out for me to drive thru.....it really did & it was the damnedest thing I have ever seen!!  Saturday night Brayden stayed the night at his JuJu & PaPa house since we had plans to go to the lake so instead of pizza we went out to dinner & pick a place we hadn't been in forever but love & ended up spending WAY TO MUCH; it was so nice to have a dinner with my hubby but Lord have mercy it was kind of steep!!  Lastly, Lance failed to grab his leftovers in the fridge so he ate out for lunch on Monday!!

When I added up what I spent at the grocery store for this weeks meal plan PLUS what we spent on eating out it is way above what I had planned for & so I will say it again we FAILED & I am pretty disappointed in us.  It seems that every weekend our spending gets away from us & we really need to reel it in......ASAP!!!  I am hoping that this week might be a bit easier since the 2nd challenge is to make & stick to a shopping list; I think that with the 2 combined we will have better success.  I have already started next weeks meal plan & am hoping to save on the grocery list because alot of the stuff that is on it we already have it in our pantry or freezer............Wish us luck!!

Here is our posted meal plan:

1st 90-Day Budget Challenge!!

Our first challenge starts today & it is to create & STICK TO a meal plan; easy right????

Not as easy as you might think!!!

Week 1 Meal Plan

Thursday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Sandwich

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Leftover Stroganoff/Sandwich

Brayden: Oatmeal/Leftover Stroganoff/Graduates Meal

Friday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Spaghetti

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Chicken & Rice w/Corn/Soup & Sandwich

Brayden: Waffle/Chicken & Rice w/Corn/Graduates Meal

Saturday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Cereal/Salad/Pizza

Lance: Cereal/Work Lunch/Pizza

Brayden: Oatmeal/Leftover Spaghetti/Graduates Meal

Sunday (Lance & I are going to the Lake for the 4th)

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits & Gravy/Hamburgers & Hot dogs/Sandwich

Lance: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits & Gravy/Hamburgers & Hot dogs/Sandwich

Brayden: Oatmeal/Mac & Cheese & Fruit/Graduates Meal

Monday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Yogurt Salad Chicken Salad & Tomatoes

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Leftover Spaghetti/Chicken Breast Salad

Brayden: Oatmeal/Leftover Spaghetti/Graduates Meal

Tuesday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Taco Salad

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Tuna Salad Sandwich/Taco Salad

Brayden: Waffle/Spinach & Cheese Ravioli/Graduates Meal

Wednesday

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Mitzi: Yogurt/Salad/Tuna Luna Sandwich

Lance: Slim Fast Shake/Taco Salad/His Choice (his night to eat out)

Brayden: Oatmeal/Chicken Pasta & Veggies/Graduates Meal

Brayden also has 2 snacks each day which are a banana & puffs/cheerios plus a milk bottle at 10am & one right before bed.

Lance, Brayden & I all eat, get up & want different things; I am trying to combine everyones meals when at all possible but it is pretty darn tricky!

I prepare Brayden's lunch's but not a lot of his dinners because of the time crunch & because he is still not eating everything we eat but I think as the weeks pass this will become easier.  Brayden is slowly starting to eat more of what we eat & I am really looking forward to not having to buy the pre-prepared meals for him.

Lance's schedule & the fact that he is a picky eater will always cause our meal plan to be somewhat of a challenge but I am getting new recipes together to get him more of a variety in the hopes that it will help.

My meals may seem boring but if you ever saw one of my salads you might think differently.  I throw what ever I can find on them & that varies each day depending on what I feel like plus I will & can eat whatever & don't really care to much about it!!

I will keep you updated on how it is going & you can also follow me on twitter @ goodsonfamily07.

My 90 Day Budget Boot Camp Goals!!

Over the next 12 weeks (I will have a different challenge each week) while doing this boot camp my goals are as follows:

1.   Spend no more than $80 at the grocery store when I go on Saturdays & NOT go for anything during the week.  That is total spending for Lance, myself, B & the pups.

2.   Stop giving into my impulse buying tendencies; especially things that I always pick up for Brayden that he doesn't even need or will never wear :( 

I am not making any promises about his birthday though; I have been planning that for months now & think that I have done a pretty good job so far on not going crazy expense wise.

3.   Make, take & eat the lunches & dinners that I plan out for our family!  This means no eating out; except for Sundays with Lance's mom & dad but they always pay so that really doesn't effect our budget....right?

4.   Cut back on all of our current household bills wherever we can.

5.   Clip & learn how to best use coupons like a mad woman; I know that people save a ton of money doing this but I just having figured out quite how they are doing it.

6.  Lastly I want to really work on growing our savings account!!

If you are interested you can follow our progress on facebook , visit Mummy Deals & IN Good Cents or you could even join in the fun & challenge yourself!!

Holy Coach.........What A Giveaway!!! $300 Worth Brand New COACH Satchel Bag Contest

You have to go here; but if you don't I will be alright with that too because

I really want to win the COACH satchel myself!!

Check out what MomConversations.com is really having a giveaway for........

Main Sponsors:

College Grants for Women : Fun Family Vacations : Pontoon Boat Cover : Baby Shower Theme Idea

Level 1 Sponsors:

Beauty Tips and Tricks : Get Smart Blog : Practical Beauty Tips : Spices of Life : Review My Opinions : New Haircuts and Hairstyles : Fabulously Frugal : Weight Loss the Healthy Way

I  mean does a giveaway get any better for a Coach loving girl like myself??  I love this purse & don't you think that I would look wonderful carrying it??  The real truth is I just started a 90 Day Budget Boot Camp & this particular item would be something NOT in my the current budget I am working on so winning this pretty piece would be wonderful............

Come on ladies head over to MomConversation.com & join in to win...........
or don't & my odds are better :)

90-Day Budget Boot Camp

Beth & Clair have put together a challenge that I could not pass up!  Lance & I have been talking, fighting & discussing our budget for a while now & this seemed like the perfect thing to give our budgeting skills a much needed jump start!  We have a lot going on right now & all of these the things are affecting our bottom line budget on a day to day basis; I promise that I will blog about everything very soon but just can't right at this moment!

Lance & I do take our lunches most of the time during the week but when he has a night off we get lazy & order in or go out to dinner & it always disgusts me when the check comes!  We tend to really over spend on things that we don't really need on the weekends & I have to admit he & I both love to shop; whether it be for me, him, B, the house, the dogs..........we can find a way to always spend way to much money on the weekend days & I would really love to get a better handle on that.  I do our grocery shopping on Saturdays but need to get better at writing out our list because I seem to have to go to the store at least 2-3 times during the week.  I don't use coupons & I know that they help, I do a little comparison shopping but not like I should, over all I think that this is going to be a great way for Lance & I to both learn how to really save & budget!!

I am excited to get started on our budgeting & will keep you guys updated with how it is all going!