Food Budget Challenges

We have been successfully using a budget plan for over a year now. (Thanks to Dave Ramsey) It is quite an accomplishment for us. We have paid off all of our credit card and medical debt and all we have left is David's student loans.

One thing I have still found challenging, however, is budgeting food. The constant change in the price of food, the variety that I like to cook, examining the various purchasing options (local food store vs. Costco wholesale), perishability (is that a word?), etc. There are so many variables, plus the fact that I just haven't gotten this meal planning thing down because either I plan too much or I don't plan enough or something comes up like getting invited over for dinner last-minute and then what do you do with what you planned to make....

Food was also the hardest to budget because of my fear of depriving my family of nutrition. Weighing the value based on NUTRITIONAL VALUE instead of weight or volume is very complex. While refined food is cheaper, it is also less nutritional. While I want to buy nutritional food, I also have to stay within a certain budget that is reasonable for our overall budget. Then there is that thing that I'm a foodie. I love deli olives and fancy cheeses. I love to try new recipes with obscure ingredients like that $6 bottle of gluten-free soy sauce that I will use only once a month that I really cannot justify in the budget any more.

Two months ago it occurred to me that what worked for our overall budget could work for our food budget. Namely itemization and prioritization of items. Like Dave Ramsey's irregular income budget (which you can print for free off his website) you make a list of all the things you buy and their average cost, then you prioritize the most important and then the next most important, until you get to the end. Because of the varying cost of food, I must buy proteins and vegetables, dairy and eggs before I buy gluten-free bread or convenience snacks for my toddler. If the price of meat goes up, things at the bottom of the list just don't get purchased that month. It makes so much sense to me I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

Yes, it is tedious at first to write down everything we buy and the cost. I grouped items on a spreadsheet by type (meats, vegetables, dairy, frozen (veg and fruit), non-perishable, convenience-packaged food (string cheese, individual yogurt, etc.), and other. The first month I just tried to stay on budget and bought things like I normally did. The second month I put the items in order of priority. Tried to buy the things we needed before the lower-priority items. I found that just doing this helped me stay on budget better. This is the third month and I am refining my list.

Not only do I have a better idea of what things cost, I also have a better idea of our monthly consumption of each group of items. That is very useful when budgeting because then you can see if it is worthwhile to buy in bulk. I was hesitating to buy some more perishable items (dairy and deli meats) at Costco for fear that they would spoil before we ate them, but it turns out we can save about 30% by buying certain items now because I know we will go through them.

For now I am still keeping track of each item and how much I am buying in each category to see if I can refine the system more, but it really seems to be helping me plan meals better. I know I am kind of a perfectionist but making the most of our food budget is my job. I take it seriously.

Will It Be The Perfect Christmas?

My childhood memories of Christmas include baking cookies, decorating the tree, making ornaments, visiting with friends and family, big dinners, homemade tortellini, hot cocoa and cinnamon rolls or homemade donuts on Christmas morning. Every year I would look forward to unwrap the carefully packaged ornaments to rediscover each and every one. Those familiar objects brought back memories of past Christmases. Each one being linked to a person, meaning or moment. Setting up the nativity was also a big part of my childhood Christmas. I always had more fun watching people open the presents I gave them than opening my own gifts.

We are preparing to move soon, so packing has begun. While I am good at organizing, David has to do all the heavy lifting due to my pregnant state. We debated not putting up a tree this year since we will be moving shortly after Christmas and after our son is born. But these things times are not the times to be practical. It is the little family traditions and memories that enrich our family and our daughter's life.

Ours will not be the Pinterest Perfect Christmas, but it will be full of tradition and familiarity. We will make ornaments and decorate our tree. We will rejoice for the birth of our Lord and Savior and these beautiful, familiar things will enrich and enhance the memory of our celebration for years to come. Taking the time to do so is a form of worship. Some argue that the Christmas tree originates from pagan traditions, but I would argue that in my life and in my family it has always been a way to honor our own traditions and our own Faith. It is my belief that rituals and traditions are all about intent. "As for me and my house, we serve the Lord."

We have so very few traditions any more. We will savor the ones we have and try to make new ones. Making the most out of each time and situation. Is every Christmas perfect? Yes. It is what you make of it, not because of how much money you spend or whether you get to see everyone you intend to or make the number of batches of cookies that you think you should (or whether they all turn out as they should).

This year, as in the year I was pregnant with Blueberry, there has been some illness in the family that would threaten my health at a very vulnerable time. It saddens me to disappoint people by staying away from those sick and exposed, but my hope is that they understand the situation and forgive the inevitability of my absence from their holidays. As for my little family, we will make the most of this time. We hope that others will not let this ruin relationships (or their own holidays) so we can enjoy future holidays together when everyone is healthy. Families are complicated.

So this will not be the perfect Christmas because we have to disappoint people. It WILL be the perfect Christmas because of the memories we will build and the traditions that we keep. Will yours be the perfect Christmas?

Thankful Day 22

Happy Thanksgiving!

My husband volunteered to work today so while I miss him, I am thankful for double-time-and-a half pay he will get and appreciate his desire to put money aside so he can take a week off when the baby comes. I am so happy to see him enjoying his work, excelling through challenges and feeling recognized for his strengths and talents.

I am thankful for my darling little girl who I took to my Midwife's appointment yesterday. She interacted so sweetly with an 11 month old little boy. She brought him toys and talked to him. She got down to his level and just showed me a glimpse of what a great big sister she is going to be. I had tears in my eyes because of her sweetness. She is SO EXCITED about baby brother. It warms my heart and I pray that they will be close.

I am so thankful for my mother. She drove us to Eugene on Tuesday to look at apartments, then yesterday she drove us to my Midwife appointment. I am kind of on a modified bed-rest. Basically I can't do much but I don't have to lay down. Whenever I get up I have contractions, whenever I walk I have contractions, etc. They stop when I am not doing anything. The midwife says to take it easy and that it is a sign I need to rest. So I am thankful for my Mom who did all the dishes and laundry for me yesterday, plus all the driving lately. I don't know what I would do without her help.

I am thankful for all of my friends, wherever you are. I hope you are with loved ones.

Thankful Day 21

We took a last-minute drive up to Eugene/Springfield yesterday to look at an apartment. I am thankful for my mom being willing to drive Blueberry and me up to the appointment and that David was able to meet us there.

I am also thankful that despite getting very little sleep the night before that I had a great day and that I made it through the day. I am also glad that I only had one Braxton Hicks contraction all day. Blueberry was so cooperative.

Overall it was a great day.

Thankful Day 20

Saturday night David and I got to go out on a date. We were going to go see Wreck it Ralph (because we are nerds like that) but it was sold out. We ended up seeing Skyfall instead. It was really good. We then went to a delicious meal out to Rodeo Steakhouse. We took our time, talked and enjoyed our meal. It was awesome!

We can't afford to go out once a week like some couples, but we have a great time when we do. Setting a monthly budget ahead of time helps me to enjoy it more because I'm wondering (in the back of my mind) if we "should be spending money on this." I have come to enjoy date nights much more since we set a budget for them.

I am so thankful for date nights and the special time with my husband. I enjoy his company MORE all the time. He is my best friend, the best dad and a wonderful husband!

Thankful Day 19

I have made mistakes in my life, but I also learn pretty quickly. I rarely make the same mistake twice. I also have the ability to learn from other people's mistakes. I am grateful for these abilities.

It is hard for me to regret anything I have done (or not done) in my life because all of my choices have brought me here. I am grateful for where I am despite any actions that may have been judged as errors. I have tried to listen to the Spirit and I am so grateful for where my life has led me so far. I often see the hand of God where I had struggled and was lifted out of it. I am grateful for the strength and resolve that I have gained through experience. I am grateful for where I am, my home and family.

Thankful Day 18

The Little Things

I am not a material girl. I don't need the biggest and best of everything. I am a huge fan of useful things, even if they come to me second-hand. Things that I use often, that make my daily tasks easier, faster or just more fun. Some are just sentimental. Things I am thankful for because I don't want to take anything for granted.

Here are my top ten:

10) If you ever had to fiddle with ice trays then you also would appreciate an ice maker. I really appreciate that we had the plumbing put in so we could get a fridge with an ice maker when we moved in. We use it daily.

9) We bought a used van this year, cash. It does not have a perfect body. It has a few quirks, but it is comfortable for our family and it runs well. To us it represents no more debt and family first. Even David is starting to enjoy driving it (though he may not admit it). Already it has proved to be useful on long drives and group adventures.

8) The computer is one of the most useful tools in my house. I use it to organize our household and bills. I keep in contact with friends and family who mean so much to me. I keep and organize our photos. I tried using paper to do a lot of these things and first of all, it didn't work; secondly it is such a waste of paper.

7) This is my favorite mug because David gave it to me. He and Blueberry picked it out when they were out on a Daddy-Daughter date. I love the colors and I love elephants!

Favorite Mug

6) French Press. For coffee! (duh!)

5) I remember my mom wasn't able to afford a Cuisinart Food Processor until I was in high school. I got to use it a lot but I really don't need all of the different blades. Years ago I got a mini-Cuisinart. It is perfect! It lasted nearly 10 years and I recently replaced it with another one. It does everything I need it to do. I mostly use it for chopping stuff for soups and sauces. It also chops nuts for cookies and breads. Recently I found it to be the perfect thing to mix the cheese and flour for gluten-free Cheeze-Its.

4) I am thankful my mom taught me how to sew. I use my sewing machine to mend clothes, make clothes, make gifts and alter clothes. It saves so much money to be able to alter my family's clothes. David's pants, Blueberry's dresses and pants, my shirts and dresses. It is a great tool!

3) My smart phone. While I am looking forward to upgrading when our contract renews next month because our phones have started malfunctioning, it is fun to have. One of the nice things of not having the newest and best whenever it comes out is really appreciating it when you can upgrade.

2) Using my glass tea pot makes me happy, mostly because David gave it to me so I think of him whenever I make myself some tea. I enjoy seeing the loose leaf tea swirl around in the hot water.

1) I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer just about every day. It is the single most useful tool in the kitchen.


There are other things that didn't make the top 10 list that are worth mentioning only because they are things that we do take for granted. Running water and indoor plumbing. My MIL told me that in their first house when they were married they did not have indoor plumbing. I know I take it for granted, but I want to take a moment to acknowledge that I appreciate running water. I think electricity goes in this category too. Access to food and healthcare like we have is not seen everywhere in the world. Even those of us who live modestly in this country, live in luxury compared to some people around the world. May we never stop being thankful for those "little things".