I didn't get this post up last week, because I thought I might go grocery shopping on Thursday, which would have changed my totals, of course. Then on Friday Elliott had a musical festival. His class went on at 8:55 AM and once all the kids in his class were done with solos and groups, they were dismissed for the day. I don't like to blog when he is home, unless he's busy with my husband or sister, since blogging and reading blogs can too easily suck me in, and I don't want to ignore him. :)
Anyway, last week we didn't do any grocery shopping at all. By the time I went on Friday, I don't think we had any fresh produce left at all, but luckily we still had some frozen stuff left! :)
Our weekly total this week was $0.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for
our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1196.80.
We are 15.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $353.20 under our budget for the year.
Elliott and I did go grocery shopping on Friday after his musical festival, but we didn't spend anywhere near $450, so we are still under budget. :)
Monday, April 22, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Buying Books
I've talked about how much my son likes to read on here pretty frequently. I've even started listing some of the books that he likes, in hopes of helping other parents find books that their children might like.
It seems like we are constantly adding to our home library. Elliott checks out 2 books at a time from his school library, 1-2 times each week. Otherwise most of the books we read are books that we have at home. We don't have a library in town, and we just don't make it onto base during library hours very often. We live far enough away from base that driving there just for a trip to the library isn't worth the time or money ($6-7 in gas to get there and back).
So to add new books to our rotation, we order books from scholastic book orders from school or look for them used. During the summer, we can usually find a few at yard sales. We don't make it to enough yard sales to make that one of the places that we buy lots of books, though.
We also like to look for used books when we are shopping at a thrift store. Once again, though, we just don't make it there often enough. There are some we like in Minot, but it's 45 minutes away, so definitely not worth a trip just to go to thrift stores. We've been trying to go more lately when we are already in Minot, though. For instance on Monday after my doctor's appointment we stopped in at our favorite one and Elliott found 8 books he wanted for $.50 each, and I even found 1 I wanted for only $1!
We've also bought books online from a few different places, but have decided that it's hard to beat the prices on Ebay. If we can find a lot of books that I know Elliott will like, I can often get them for under $1 each, including shipping! While I was stuck in my recliner recovering from gallbaldder surgery, I ended up doing a lot (too much) of shopping on Ebay and stocked up on some great titles for Elliott for his summer reading plans. The most I paid per book was $1.27 including shipping. I even scored some chapter books for him in a big lot for under $.50 each with free shipping!
It seems like we are constantly adding to our home library. Elliott checks out 2 books at a time from his school library, 1-2 times each week. Otherwise most of the books we read are books that we have at home. We don't have a library in town, and we just don't make it onto base during library hours very often. We live far enough away from base that driving there just for a trip to the library isn't worth the time or money ($6-7 in gas to get there and back).
So to add new books to our rotation, we order books from scholastic book orders from school or look for them used. During the summer, we can usually find a few at yard sales. We don't make it to enough yard sales to make that one of the places that we buy lots of books, though.
We also like to look for used books when we are shopping at a thrift store. Once again, though, we just don't make it there often enough. There are some we like in Minot, but it's 45 minutes away, so definitely not worth a trip just to go to thrift stores. We've been trying to go more lately when we are already in Minot, though. For instance on Monday after my doctor's appointment we stopped in at our favorite one and Elliott found 8 books he wanted for $.50 each, and I even found 1 I wanted for only $1!
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| Elliott's finds at the thrift store this week. |
We've also bought books online from a few different places, but have decided that it's hard to beat the prices on Ebay. If we can find a lot of books that I know Elliott will like, I can often get them for under $1 each, including shipping! While I was stuck in my recliner recovering from gallbaldder surgery, I ended up doing a lot (too much) of shopping on Ebay and stocked up on some great titles for Elliott for his summer reading plans. The most I paid per book was $1.27 including shipping. I even scored some chapter books for him in a big lot for under $.50 each with free shipping!
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| Our most expensive recent Ebay finds. Several of these look like they've never even been opened and we paid less than $11.50 for all nine! |
Friday, April 12, 2013
Elliott's Reading List April 12
Elliott and I have recently been adding to his book collection again. We got rid of over 300 books that he decided he had outgrown earlier this year, and we've been working on adding more chapter books and looking for new ones to try.
This week he didn't read any new chapter book series, but he wanted me to tell you about other books that he likes. He's decided to help me write these blog posts, by doing book reports for me.
One of the series that he thinks is perfect for kids who like picture books is Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin. He thinks that the books are appropriate for preschool to second graders. The reading levels range from kindergarten to end of first grade.
We like that the books are upbeat and fun. He also likes that the cat wears shoes. He has two of them, and while they aren't books that we have ever read every week or anything, they are ones that he goes back to, and has read several times.
Another series that is relatively new to Elliott is Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. These books have been around since the 70's, so some of you probably remember them from your own childhood.
Elliott loves the Nate the Great books he has read so far. He thinks they are funny, and he likes the mystery. His favorite characters are Nate and his dog Sludge. Elliott really likes it that Nate is independent and can do a lot of things for himself. He especially thinks it's cool that Nate makes his own pancakes.
Elliott says this book was a little easy to read, and probably best for readers that are 7-10. He thinks that preschoolers through third or fourth graders would probably like the stories.
This week he didn't read any new chapter book series, but he wanted me to tell you about other books that he likes. He's decided to help me write these blog posts, by doing book reports for me.
One of the series that he thinks is perfect for kids who like picture books is Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin. He thinks that the books are appropriate for preschool to second graders. The reading levels range from kindergarten to end of first grade.
We like that the books are upbeat and fun. He also likes that the cat wears shoes. He has two of them, and while they aren't books that we have ever read every week or anything, they are ones that he goes back to, and has read several times.
Another series that is relatively new to Elliott is Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. These books have been around since the 70's, so some of you probably remember them from your own childhood.
Elliott loves the Nate the Great books he has read so far. He thinks they are funny, and he likes the mystery. His favorite characters are Nate and his dog Sludge. Elliott really likes it that Nate is independent and can do a lot of things for himself. He especially thinks it's cool that Nate makes his own pancakes.
Elliott says this book was a little easy to read, and probably best for readers that are 7-10. He thinks that preschoolers through third or fourth graders would probably like the stories.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending April 5-11
We didn't make it to the commissary for a big trip this week, due to neither of us being able to carry much. It makes me very happy that we normally keep a very well stocked pantry, so it's not a big deal that we haven't done much shopping in nearly a month now.
We did go to Walmart over the weekend and spent $22.27 on groceries. It turns out that the pets didn't need food quite yet after all, so we just bought yogurt and produce.
Then on Tuesday my husband went to the commissary for bread and more veggies. He spent $11.40. That was it for groceries this week.
So our weekly total this week was $33.67.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1196.80.
We are 14.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $253.20 under our budget for the year.
Once we are up to carrying a bunch of groceries again, we will probably be making a huge shopping trip, but I'm still not sure how soon that will be.
We did go to Walmart over the weekend and spent $22.27 on groceries. It turns out that the pets didn't need food quite yet after all, so we just bought yogurt and produce.
Then on Tuesday my husband went to the commissary for bread and more veggies. He spent $11.40. That was it for groceries this week.
So our weekly total this week was $33.67.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1196.80.
We are 14.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $253.20 under our budget for the year.
Once we are up to carrying a bunch of groceries again, we will probably be making a huge shopping trip, but I'm still not sure how soon that will be.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
When It Rains (Snows?), It Pours
As you all probably know, I had to have my gallbladder removed almost two weeks ago. It was really inflamed and infected, and had stones, too. The doctor said the stones probably developed while I was pregnant with Elliott, and they just hadn't bothered me before (they saw them on a scan for the first time right around Elliott's fourth birthday, but they weren't bothering me then). Anyway, I saw the doctor last week, and he kept me on pretty major restrictions. Still no lifting, minimal bending, and no exercising, other than walking. I'm about to go out of my mind! :)
Then last Thursday, my husband started having back pain and some men's health issues. So he's been in and out of the doctor's office. Right now we are waiting to hear what his ultrasound and urine test said. The doctor thinks he could have a kidney stone, along with a probable hernia or twisted vein. So now he is restricted from heavy lifting as well.
So guess what happened over the weekend? Our basement had minor flooding. Just about all of our furniture is up off the ground to prevent it from getting damaged, but now we have no way of MOVING the stuff to get everything dry underneath. My sister did what she could by herself, but the heavy stuff requires two people. Add to that the fact that apparently I'm the only one in our house that can clean, so my house hasn't been cleaned in nearly three weeks (and yes I'm highly irritated by that)! I would be embarrassed to have anyone come over to help my sister move stuff!
Then last Thursday, my husband started having back pain and some men's health issues. So he's been in and out of the doctor's office. Right now we are waiting to hear what his ultrasound and urine test said. The doctor thinks he could have a kidney stone, along with a probable hernia or twisted vein. So now he is restricted from heavy lifting as well.
So guess what happened over the weekend? Our basement had minor flooding. Just about all of our furniture is up off the ground to prevent it from getting damaged, but now we have no way of MOVING the stuff to get everything dry underneath. My sister did what she could by herself, but the heavy stuff requires two people. Add to that the fact that apparently I'm the only one in our house that can clean, so my house hasn't been cleaned in nearly three weeks (and yes I'm highly irritated by that)! I would be embarrassed to have anyone come over to help my sister move stuff!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending March 29- April 4
Last Friday my husband went to the commissary to get some foods that would be easy for me to prepare for myself for the first 2 or 3 days after I came home from the hospital, it was things like premade salad, precooked chicken strips, etc. It did make it MUCH easier for me to "cook" my own food when no one else was around. :) He spent $13.59.
Then on Tuesday he went back to buy some produce, milk, etc. We didn't have a complete grocery list or anything, but did have just a few things that we were out of, or almost out of, etc. He spent $40.67.
So our weekly total this week was $54.56.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1163.13.
We are 13.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $186.87 under our budget for the year.
We haven't worked on a menu plan at all since I got home from the hospital a week ago. We've been winging it based on who is cooking, and how much time we have. I'm ready to take back over on most of the cooking chores now, though, so a menu plan is definitely going to be made tonight during dinner. :) So I'll probably go over budget this week when I figure out what all we need. Plus we will probably buy dog food this week as well, and that certainly adds to the budget! I don't think we will go over the $186 cushion, though!
Then on Tuesday he went back to buy some produce, milk, etc. We didn't have a complete grocery list or anything, but did have just a few things that we were out of, or almost out of, etc. He spent $40.67.
So our weekly total this week was $54.56.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1163.13.
We are 13.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $186.87 under our budget for the year.
We haven't worked on a menu plan at all since I got home from the hospital a week ago. We've been winging it based on who is cooking, and how much time we have. I'm ready to take back over on most of the cooking chores now, though, so a menu plan is definitely going to be made tonight during dinner. :) So I'll probably go over budget this week when I figure out what all we need. Plus we will probably buy dog food this week as well, and that certainly adds to the budget! I don't think we will go over the $186 cushion, though!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending March 22-28
Last Friday my husband went to the commissary for eggs, produce, and 2 or 3 other small things. He ended up spending $21.21.
Then last week no one ended up going to the commissary or grocery store or anything until the weekend. Since I was in the hospital from Monday night until Thursday evening, my guys and my sister ended up eating out Tuesday and Wednesday night, since they had to drive into Minot to see me anyway.
So our weekly total this week was $21.21.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $11.08.87.
We are 12.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $141.13 under our budget for the year.
Then last week no one ended up going to the commissary or grocery store or anything until the weekend. Since I was in the hospital from Monday night until Thursday evening, my guys and my sister ended up eating out Tuesday and Wednesday night, since they had to drive into Minot to see me anyway.
So our weekly total this week was $21.21.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $11.08.87.
We are 12.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $141.13 under our budget for the year.
Friday, March 29, 2013
I Had To Get My Gallbladder Removed
Sorry I haven't been around much this week, but at least I have a real excuse. :) After a lot of pain at night last week, my husband took me to the ER on Monday. My symptoms weren't typical gallbladder pains, but after a CT scan and ultrasound, they knew for sure that's what it was. I was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning, and had that sucker removed Wednesday morning. The procedure went really well, and I was able to come home yesterday, a day earlier than they had originally thought I would be able to.
I'm still in some pain, but it's pretty minor now. I am certainly glad to be back at my own house. I'm supposed to take it pretty easy for the next week, but so far, so good. :)
I wish it hadn't happened THIS week, but I suppose that's the way it works sometimes. My sister's birthday was on Tuesday, but instead of waking up to a big breakfast, including some of her favorite foods, she had to get up early and get Elliott around for school, and explain why his Mommy wasn't there to do it for him. He called my Mom while Darla was getting ready for school, and told her that I was in the hospital getting a body part removed. :) She thought that was funny, and that's pretty much what she told all the rest of my siblings when she called them (after talking to Darla, of course, and getting the real story). Elliott told his teachers the same thing, only he went on to tell one that he thought it was the part that makes someone mean, because I was really grouchy on Monday night before I went to the hospital. Haha.
Tuesday night my husband and son were still able to take Darla out to dinner, after Darla and Elliott came to see me at the hospital (Carl still hadn't gone home yet), so at least her birthday wasn't TOTALLY ruined. We'll do a redo soon, when I'm feeling completely better, though, including her big breakfast, and dinner out with the whole family. :)
I'm still in some pain, but it's pretty minor now. I am certainly glad to be back at my own house. I'm supposed to take it pretty easy for the next week, but so far, so good. :)
I wish it hadn't happened THIS week, but I suppose that's the way it works sometimes. My sister's birthday was on Tuesday, but instead of waking up to a big breakfast, including some of her favorite foods, she had to get up early and get Elliott around for school, and explain why his Mommy wasn't there to do it for him. He called my Mom while Darla was getting ready for school, and told her that I was in the hospital getting a body part removed. :) She thought that was funny, and that's pretty much what she told all the rest of my siblings when she called them (after talking to Darla, of course, and getting the real story). Elliott told his teachers the same thing, only he went on to tell one that he thought it was the part that makes someone mean, because I was really grouchy on Monday night before I went to the hospital. Haha.
Tuesday night my husband and son were still able to take Darla out to dinner, after Darla and Elliott came to see me at the hospital (Carl still hadn't gone home yet), so at least her birthday wasn't TOTALLY ruined. We'll do a redo soon, when I'm feeling completely better, though, including her big breakfast, and dinner out with the whole family. :)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Our Current Reading List
A reader recently asked me to give some specific books that Elliott has read recently and which series I would suggest for 1st and 2nd grade boys. So I decided just to put up a post every week or two with some of the books that Elliott has read recently and liked. This week I'm going to start with some series that we've been reading, but I'm hoping to post about some individual books later, too.
Right now Elliott is really into the Black Lagoon Adventures chapter books. He reads one pretty much every day. And yes, I mean he reads the entire book (they are only 60 something pages each, with lots of pictures) in a fairly short amount of time. He got a set of 17 for his birthday last month, and already had 2 others. He's read all of them since his birthday, and read a lot of them at least twice. He's read the Halloween one so frequently that he can recite much of it word for word. It's probably his very favorite book right now. They are early chapter books. According to Scholastic, they are for 2nd-3rd grades, and have reading levels from 2.4-3.8.
This reading level system is pretty easy to understand. The number before the period is the grade level, and the number after the period is the month. So for instance, the reading level of 2.4 would be the level that a student that meets standards would be able to read in the fourth month of second grade.
They are fun books to read. The narrator has a very active imagination, and always imagines that things are going to be crazier or scarier than they really are. Elliott laughs and says that things wouldn't REALLY be the way that Hubie imagines that they would be, but still really enjoys the crazy things that Hubie thinks about.
He's also really into Geronimo Stilton right now. He asked me if I thought the Easter Bunny would bring him Geronimo Stilton books this year if he's really good. These books are a little pricier than a lot of chapter books for kids, but they are full color. There are plenty of pictures, and some of the words are in different colors, fonts, and boldness. He doesn't read these nearly as fast, but does enjoy a chapter or two at a time. There are a lot of these books (over 50), so they could keep a child busy for quite some time. According to Scholastic they appeal to grades 2-4, and are 4th grade reading level. Even if your child isn't an advanced reader, these would be a fun series to read together.
Geronimo Stilton is a mouse, and the stories are told from his perspective. Some of the vocabulary used by him is a play on words that we use, just made into mouse-y words. Like he lives in New Mouse City, Mouse Island. Things are fabumouse, etc. The stories are good, and as I said before, the presentation is awesome. The book includes lots of detailed pictures, including maps and charts.
One of Elliott's favorite picture book series is Skippyjon Jones. Skippyjon is a cat who imagines he is a Chihuahua. He imagines that he goes on a lot of adventures. They have some made up words, and some Spanish vocabulary as well, so Elliott has a little trouble with a few words in most of them. They have reading levels 3.3-4.0 and appeal to kids in kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Right now Elliott is really into the Black Lagoon Adventures chapter books. He reads one pretty much every day. And yes, I mean he reads the entire book (they are only 60 something pages each, with lots of pictures) in a fairly short amount of time. He got a set of 17 for his birthday last month, and already had 2 others. He's read all of them since his birthday, and read a lot of them at least twice. He's read the Halloween one so frequently that he can recite much of it word for word. It's probably his very favorite book right now. They are early chapter books. According to Scholastic, they are for 2nd-3rd grades, and have reading levels from 2.4-3.8.
This reading level system is pretty easy to understand. The number before the period is the grade level, and the number after the period is the month. So for instance, the reading level of 2.4 would be the level that a student that meets standards would be able to read in the fourth month of second grade.
They are fun books to read. The narrator has a very active imagination, and always imagines that things are going to be crazier or scarier than they really are. Elliott laughs and says that things wouldn't REALLY be the way that Hubie imagines that they would be, but still really enjoys the crazy things that Hubie thinks about.
He's also really into Geronimo Stilton right now. He asked me if I thought the Easter Bunny would bring him Geronimo Stilton books this year if he's really good. These books are a little pricier than a lot of chapter books for kids, but they are full color. There are plenty of pictures, and some of the words are in different colors, fonts, and boldness. He doesn't read these nearly as fast, but does enjoy a chapter or two at a time. There are a lot of these books (over 50), so they could keep a child busy for quite some time. According to Scholastic they appeal to grades 2-4, and are 4th grade reading level. Even if your child isn't an advanced reader, these would be a fun series to read together.
Geronimo Stilton is a mouse, and the stories are told from his perspective. Some of the vocabulary used by him is a play on words that we use, just made into mouse-y words. Like he lives in New Mouse City, Mouse Island. Things are fabumouse, etc. The stories are good, and as I said before, the presentation is awesome. The book includes lots of detailed pictures, including maps and charts.
One of Elliott's favorite picture book series is Skippyjon Jones. Skippyjon is a cat who imagines he is a Chihuahua. He imagines that he goes on a lot of adventures. They have some made up words, and some Spanish vocabulary as well, so Elliott has a little trouble with a few words in most of them. They have reading levels 3.3-4.0 and appeal to kids in kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending March 15-21
Last week we ended up going to the commissary twice. My husband went after work on Friday to get the things that I had put on our grocery list app that allows either of us to make changes on our own phone. Unfortunately, I hadn't finished putting everything on that list, since he went before Elliott and I had decided what he would be taking to school for lunches and snacks this week. I also hadn't checked the freezer yet, to make sure we had all the meat we needed to make meals for the rest of the month. So we went back on Saturday to grab the stuff for Elliott's lunch and snacks, the two things they were out of on Friday on our list, and some more meat.
Friday my husband spent $66.37, and Saturday we spent $62.55. My sister also went to the grocery store this week for some produce and spent $5.80.
Our weekly total this week was $134.72.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1087.66.
We are 11.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $62.34 under our budget for the year.
Friday my husband spent $66.37, and Saturday we spent $62.55. My sister also went to the grocery store this week for some produce and spent $5.80.
Our weekly total this week was $134.72.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $1087.66.
We are 11.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $62.34 under our budget for the year.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: First Day of Spring
Although today is the first day of spring it certainly doesn't feel like it. As a reminder that spring weather IS coming, Elliott and I looked at our early spring pictures from Florida in 2011 this morning. This is what we experienced in 2011:
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| Elliott and Abby Cadabby at Busch Gardens |
This is our view this year:
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| The same cozy coupe type truck I posted 2 or 3 weeks ago, with even more snow today. |
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Kohl's Shopping
Anyway, we've been to Kohl's twice now since it opened. Obviously there's not much of any clearance yet, but we did find some decent deals on stuff that was on sale. I take the "You saved...." part of the receipt with a grain of salt, because I would never pay full price for stuff at a place like Kohl's.
We had a 20% off total purchase coupon that was only good this past weekend, so we decided to go look at some summer clothing after church Sunday. We spent a while looking at boys' clothing, but decided we didn't even want to pay the sale price minus 20% on much, since we actually still have a while before we'll need to use summer clothing anyway (it's 9 degrees right now).
We did find some pajamas that he liked and that were within our price range. I noticed when I was going through his clothes recently that he didn't have any lightweight pajamas at all in the size I want him in (he can still wear a size smaller, they are just too short). We found a 2 pack of pajamas with a short sleeve shirt and lightweight pants on sale for $22 (normally $44) and another set that had a short sleeve top, shorts, and lightweight pants for $18 (normally $36).
We also decided to look for workout clothes for me and found a pair of capris for $18 (normally $30).
Friday, March 15, 2013
Dreaming of Spring
I'm watching the snow fall right now. I think the weatherman who called for two inches of snow over night and this morning was wrong. I'm pretty sure we have at least four fresh inches, and it's still coming down pretty good right now. We've also already hit our high for today, and the temps are dropping. It's currently 9 degrees. I'm sure I'm not the only one around here wondering when spring will arrive.
We've had a pretty snowy winter this year, at least for here. It's been a pretty warm winter, though, so we've had more snow melting this year than we usually do. Even still, I would say we have at least 3 feet of snow on the ground in my area right now. The piles of snow on the sides of the road from the plows are taller than even big pick up trucks right now in my neighborhood. It makes driving a challenge, since you never know whether there's going to be a car there or not when you are backing out of your drive (and you never know when a car is going to back out of a drive, when you are already out on the road).
I've lived in North Dakota for almost eight years now. There are definitely positives to living in my area, but weather is certainly not one of them. I think today I'm going to dream about spring...and maybe even getting orders to another base! :)
We've had a pretty snowy winter this year, at least for here. It's been a pretty warm winter, though, so we've had more snow melting this year than we usually do. Even still, I would say we have at least 3 feet of snow on the ground in my area right now. The piles of snow on the sides of the road from the plows are taller than even big pick up trucks right now in my neighborhood. It makes driving a challenge, since you never know whether there's going to be a car there or not when you are backing out of your drive (and you never know when a car is going to back out of a drive, when you are already out on the road).
I've lived in North Dakota for almost eight years now. There are definitely positives to living in my area, but weather is certainly not one of them. I think today I'm going to dream about spring...and maybe even getting orders to another base! :)
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending March 8-14
I didn't go to the commissary again this week. I bought $21.27 worth of produce and bread last weekend at one of the local grocery stores and Walmart. Then Tuesday my husband went to the commissary and spent $23.23 on tortillas, eggs, cheese and even more fresh produce.
Our weekly total this week was $44.50.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $952.94.
We are 10.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $97.06 under our budget for the year.
Our weekly total this week was $44.50.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $952.94.
We are 10.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $97.06 under our budget for the year.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Weekly Grocery Spending March 1-7
I'm a little late in getting this post up again this week. My son's spring break is this weekend, so I haven't been on my computer much for the last few days.
Anyway, over the last week, I spent $26.83 on groceries at Walmart. That included some produce, frozen food, and soda My sister went to the grocery store and spent $38.80 as well. That included mostly produce again, along with some bread, ice cream, and a little bit of meat. Now that it is starting to taste a little better, we're eating a lot more fresh produce, instead of relying so much on frozen.
Our weekly total this week was $65.63.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $908.44.
We are 9.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $41.56 under our budget for the year.
Anyway, over the last week, I spent $26.83 on groceries at Walmart. That included some produce, frozen food, and soda My sister went to the grocery store and spent $38.80 as well. That included mostly produce again, along with some bread, ice cream, and a little bit of meat. Now that it is starting to taste a little better, we're eating a lot more fresh produce, instead of relying so much on frozen.
Our weekly total this week was $65.63.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $908.44.
We are 9.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $41.56 under our budget for the year.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: Stuck In the Snow
Monday, March 4, 2013
Our First Snow Day
It's hard to believe, but today was my son's first ever snow day. We live in North Dakota, so we get lots of snow, but our school just doesn't cancel very often. Several area schools cancelled today, and several have also already called for a late reporting for tomorrow. Our school hasn't announced a late reporting for tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do later. Our school district covers A LOT of miles, and that includes a lot of rural county roads that aren't plowed or anything.
My son was certainly excited about having a snow day. When we talked about the possibility yesterday, we decided we would spend time playing out in the snow, as well as inside watching movies and playing games. I woke up with my eyelid swollen so much that I didn't feel like doing any of that stuff, though. My husband ended up having a snow day from work as well, so he played video games with Elliott for a while and I took some medicine and went to bed. Elliott did end up playing outside for just a few minutes, but spent most of the time inside watching TV or playing games.
Our school calendar includes 2 built in snow days, so Elliott was excited to know that he got today off and won't have to make it up in May. lol This is also the week for their spring break (which is just Thursday and Friday off), so at the most they will have a 2 day school week this week.
My son was certainly excited about having a snow day. When we talked about the possibility yesterday, we decided we would spend time playing out in the snow, as well as inside watching movies and playing games. I woke up with my eyelid swollen so much that I didn't feel like doing any of that stuff, though. My husband ended up having a snow day from work as well, so he played video games with Elliott for a while and I took some medicine and went to bed. Elliott did end up playing outside for just a few minutes, but spent most of the time inside watching TV or playing games.
Our school calendar includes 2 built in snow days, so Elliott was excited to know that he got today off and won't have to make it up in May. lol This is also the week for their spring break (which is just Thursday and Friday off), so at the most they will have a 2 day school week this week.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Grocery Spending February 22-28
Over the last week we've spent $135.72 on groceries. Last Friday my husband and I went to the commissary together. We did pretty good about sticking to our grocery list. The only reason we spent as much as we did is because we ended up buying more meat than we had on our grocery list, because of good meat sales. Our total was $133.01 that day. My husband went back for just a couple of produce items earlier this week, but after using a couple of coupons he only ended up spending $2.71.
Our weekly total this week was $135.72.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $842.81.
We are 7.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $7.19 under our budget for the year.
Our weekly total this week was $135.72.
Our weekly budget is $100 per week for our family of three adults, one child, two dogs, and a cat.
Our total spent on groceries for 2013 so far is $842.81.
We are 7.5 weeks into the year, and our budget is $100 per week, so we are currently $7.19 under our budget for the year.
Monday, February 25, 2013
KMart Clearance Toys are Half Price This Week!
My sister told me on Saturday that KMart clearance toys would be an additional 50% off this week. We had planned on going and picking some stuff up on Sunday after church, but I wasn't feel yesterday morning, so we ended up staying home from church. Then today my husband took my van to work so he could get new tires put on it. While I CAN drive his truck, I prefer to not have to (it's a standard, and it doesn't get around all that well in snow), so I decided to wait on the Kmart sale. My wonderful sister decided to skip coming home for lunch today, and instead head on down to Minot, where she shopped for me before she had to start her shift. Since she is still at work right now, I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll try to remember to snap some tonight or tomorrow and edit this post to include some.
Some of the toys she found for our Christmas/birthday stash include:
Power Rangers Mega bloks set for $18, originally $40.
Smurfette Mega Bloks set $5.50, originally $12.
3 different colors of Mega Bloks Power Rangers Samurai Hero Packs for $1.50 each, originally $6.
Assorted Play Doh sets $7.50, originally $18-20 each.
She also bought some Lego Ninjago carrying cases, but I don't remember how much she said they were. Elliott has been asking for one for a long time, so he will certainly be glad when one shows up in his "store" this week.
Some of the toys she found for our Christmas/birthday stash include:
Power Rangers Mega bloks set for $18, originally $40.
Smurfette Mega Bloks set $5.50, originally $12.
3 different colors of Mega Bloks Power Rangers Samurai Hero Packs for $1.50 each, originally $6.
Assorted Play Doh sets $7.50, originally $18-20 each.
She also bought some Lego Ninjago carrying cases, but I don't remember how much she said they were. Elliott has been asking for one for a long time, so he will certainly be glad when one shows up in his "store" this week.
Growing Up Too Fast!
Saturday we went to a birthday party for one of my son's friends. There must have been a huge snowstorm in May 2005, because five of the 19 kids in Elliott's class have February birthdays. ;) There's one on March 1st as well.
I'm kinda glad that birthday party season is just about over now. I love that my son has a lot of friends and enjoys going to parties with his friends. I don't mind buying them presents or anything either. But I'm ready for a Saturday when we do whatever we want. And go nowhere at all!
The party on Saturday was at a local hotel with a small indoor waterpark. Elliott isn't much of a swimmer, but that didn't stop him from enjoying himself. I stayed for the party since he isn't a great swimmer. There were actually only 3 other boys and one girl from Elliott's class, besides the birthday boy, but he had a lot of other friends and family there as well. Elliott mostly played with one of his best friends, who also can't swim well (both can doggy paddle, but that's about it). He played a little with the other boys from school as well, and one's little brother, but they wanted to do the slides a lot, and Elliott certainly wanted no part of that. :)
Seeing Elliott have so much fun with his friends, and being totally fine on his own is bittersweet. I love it that he's growing into an independent, sweet, polite boy and that he listens well to other kids' parents and does what he is supposed to. I miss the little boy that doesn't want Mommy to go away, though. This weekend on Friday he even told me that he would rather hang out with someone from school, instead of going to see a movie with me (he still ended up going to the movie with my husband and me, but it was apparently a hard choice to make). I have a feeling it won't be long before he only wants to hang out with Mom and Dad when no one else is available, or when he can invite a friend to come along with us.
I'm kinda glad that birthday party season is just about over now. I love that my son has a lot of friends and enjoys going to parties with his friends. I don't mind buying them presents or anything either. But I'm ready for a Saturday when we do whatever we want. And go nowhere at all!
The party on Saturday was at a local hotel with a small indoor waterpark. Elliott isn't much of a swimmer, but that didn't stop him from enjoying himself. I stayed for the party since he isn't a great swimmer. There were actually only 3 other boys and one girl from Elliott's class, besides the birthday boy, but he had a lot of other friends and family there as well. Elliott mostly played with one of his best friends, who also can't swim well (both can doggy paddle, but that's about it). He played a little with the other boys from school as well, and one's little brother, but they wanted to do the slides a lot, and Elliott certainly wanted no part of that. :)
Seeing Elliott have so much fun with his friends, and being totally fine on his own is bittersweet. I love it that he's growing into an independent, sweet, polite boy and that he listens well to other kids' parents and does what he is supposed to. I miss the little boy that doesn't want Mommy to go away, though. This weekend on Friday he even told me that he would rather hang out with someone from school, instead of going to see a movie with me (he still ended up going to the movie with my husband and me, but it was apparently a hard choice to make). I have a feeling it won't be long before he only wants to hang out with Mom and Dad when no one else is available, or when he can invite a friend to come along with us.
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