The First thing I did when Dusty was laid off a few weeks ago was go back to the basics... What I mean by that is this: Pay attention to monies going out vs monies coming in.....
The First thing I do is access what is in my fridge and pantry.....
Next I do a weekly menu planner (thanks to 5 Dollar Dinners) - when I do this it helps me shop for exactly what I need - there is NO guess work or buying unnecessary items....
I pay very close attention to the weekly grocery ads... Recently Albertson's had a buy one get one free in their meats - I bought two (2) pot roasts, four (4) whole chickens, six (6) pounds of lean ground meat, and two (2) packs of pork chops... There some great deals to be had on certain days... You just have to keep your eye out for them..
I have the Sunday paper delivered just for their coupons - I have to say - I honestly save about $30-50 a month just on the basic coupons alone.... I also buy many of my paper, beauty, boxed items, and dog food at Target... Their prices are much lower than the regular super markets and many times better priced than the warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club..
We always pay off our credit cards off each month - I use the cards because I get great discounts by using them but it only works if you pay them off and never ever have a balance.. We live under the rule - that if you can't pay for it then you can't buy it.... A lesson I learned growing up - watching my parents struggle with finances...
This week's grocery bill about $50.... milk, bread, buns, lettuce, tomato, and avocado....
** On a positive note - the job search is going very well and we hope to have an offer soon...
