budget updated

Misc face wash/pregnancy tests: 13

Husband toolbox: 1,070

Husband storage for his man cave and hobbies: 50

Home (storage shelf for garage/tile saw): 135

Gas me: 75

Husband clothes: 50

Me clothes: 46

Home décor (me): 62 lamps

Sold on craigslist =50

Wedding gift: 100
makeup 27 dollars
cards: 15

so I have spent 135 dollars - 50 made on selling stuff= 85 dollars 

husband has spent:   1170 dollars (he spent a ton but the tool box is what did him in, I brought him the pants but he needed/wanted them)

Home renovation stuff: 135

misc/other/wedding gift: 113

gas me: 75 dollars
cards: 15

and we wont even go over how bad we are doing on the food budget.

shopping JcPenny Lamps

I got two of these lamp today from Jcpenny's for 30 dollars (original 75) a dress for 14 dollars, a pair of tights for 2 dollars,  and 2 pairs of socks for 1 dollar each. So spent about 80 dollars.  I plan to put the lamps in the bedroom and get rid of the black ones we have in there since they don't match our bedroom set anyways.  I was temped to buy a rug that was 60 down from 200 dollars but decided to wait and see if I still wanted it in couple of days, since i didn't want to spend the money.

So total spent today on shopping: 80 dollars
food budget: $428 (went to cheesecake factory last night and used a gift card the husband got for his b-day, but still ended up paying 24 dollars after tax and top, today when shopping with a friend I got 2 egg rolls, and a diet coke.)

Budget and shopping updated

subway: 10 dollars
Alcohol: 16 dollars (went to a wedding and it was a cash bar and then we went to a bar afterwards and got a beer, luckily we aren't big drinkers- we had a total of 3 drinks together)

Total spent this month: 400 dollars

So it looks like we will be going over the 400 budget this month considering we have 12 more days in the month and are already at our limit. I might not to adjust the 400 dollars since we like to eat out (although I would like to cut back on some of this) and this is our main form of entertainment, socializing. Plus I am including alcohol (not that we spend much on this) and toilet paper and all that stuff as part of the food budget.


Shopping:

Jcpenny: 61 dollars (2 pairs of pants for husband (50 dollars), and 2 shirts  for me (9 dollars)
Gap:12 dollars  (one pair of work pants)

Wedding: 100 dollar cash gift

The gap pants are a size 4, and I really am a size 6 (used to be a size 4 until we started eating out way to much!). They fit but are very tight at the waist, hopefully this will motivate me to workout more, since many of my clothes are too tight. The pants were super nice and like 80 percent off, so I brought them but need to lose a couple pounds to make them not so tight, if I don't lose it I will have to give them to my sister who is the same height but like 15 pounds thinner!

things sold on craigslist

This  bedspread set came with the beds and bedroom furniture we brought from the estate sale.
I wasn't a fan of the bedspread for our house, plus didn't like the idea of a used bedspread, so listed it on craigslist and surprisingly someone brought it for 30 dollars.

We also redid our dining room now sitting room, one day to be a playroom. We turned the living room into the dining room since it is much larger. There was a fruit light in there I posted on Craigslist.

I sold this for 20 dollars. So I made 50 dollars this month selling these things on craigslist.

budget updated

14 grocery store
20 dollars chinese
7 sub/drink

total food:374

gas: 55
total gas this month: 75

food budget update and Bargains

We were at 250 then I went to the grocery store and spent about 43 dollars- stocked up on the smart taste pasta we liked since they were bogo and got the husband the bagels he wanted also bogo, 3 frozen pizza and breadsticks that were on sale and I had a coupon, toliet papers and a couple of other things added up fast. Then we went out to eat with another couple and spent 40 dollars. So we are now at $333! And we are only a little less then half way through the month, we have a lot of food in the house though, so we just have to stick to eating in. I don't know if will make our 400 dollar budget but going still try. I read today the average family of 4 with 2 school aged kids spends 233 a week at the grocery store, thats 900 dollars a month and thats not even including if they eat out!

I went shopping this weekend, but only to Kohls and didn't spend any money. I took back a christmas gift we never ended up giving someone and got 20 dollars in store credit- I then brought some underwear 4 pairs for about 6 dollars and a 2 pieces wall art set for about 6 dollars (originally 59.99) it was on clearnace for 80 percent off then used an additional 30 percent off coupon. Then I went back the next day and brought anther all art set since it was such a good deal and went with our bedroom colors that needs wall art- it was 8 dollar however, since only had a 15 percent off coupon this time. However, we also brough back a crock pot we got for Christmas (already had one) and got 20 dollars for that so I still have around 20 dollars in store credit to Kohls, so have more money then I started with.

We did however spend 5 dollars at the dollar store on pregnancy tests just to have for when I need them and toenail clippers.


So total

Food: 333 dollars
Shopping this weekend: 5 dollars

Budge/ Meal Planning

 we spent 10 dollars on a pizza box from pizza hut friday night so now we are up to $250 for this month, We also have plans to go out with another couple tomorrow night to TGIF so that is going to be more spending.

No additional spending on anything not business related. Although I am going shopping with my mom today to Kohls.



Meal planning revised based on what we have left:
thai cocnut milk and noddles
Nachos
homemade pizza
taco soup
bean gorditos
pasta with pesto
homemade mac and cheese

Easy Lunches:
bean burritoes to heat up
pasta


Breakfast
Oatmeal
 eggs

budget continued

We have not spend any more money on food so far this week yet so : $239 still
The husband spend 100 dollars to have the bar top for his mancave cut down/sanded

will update more later

Food budget/ meal planning

Monday:
husband went to subway for lunch and spend almost 7 dollars
then went to bufallo wild wings and spend another 10 dollars on wings. I ate food from home for both meals
Tueday:
7 dollars on breakfast for husband and I
Grocery shopping: 75 dollars (didn't use coupons, which is rare for me but just wanted to get it done) 

total: 239 dollars


shopping/other spending
Monday I spent 16 dollars on cards hallmark had the musical cards for 1 dollars for birthday normally 4.99 or more and holiday cards 10 for 1 dollar (got father day ones, graduation, and wedding) so I stocked up
Spend 27 dollars on my clinque coverup I use (expensive but prob only buy it 3 times a year since I don't use much and don;t buy much other makeup)
 Tuesday: nothing

so 43 dollars total

Meal planning:
bean/ranch tacos
Thai stir fri and noddles
Nachos
homemade pizza
potato, onion, carrot with dry rub seasoning in crockpot
pasta with pesto
homemade mac and cheese
soup of some kind? 

Easy Lunches:
bean burritoes to heat up
pasta
Velveeta mac and cheese

Breakfast
Oatmeal and bananas
eggs

Food/shopping Spending

Trying to figure out what we spend on food a month because I have no idea and we eat out a lot:

This week:
Jan 1st: Grocery Shopping: 70 dollars
Jan 2nd wednesday:out to eat with another couple to Olive Garden: 40 dollars
Jan 3rd: Thursday: 8 dollars on 2 subs
Jan 4th Friday We went to TGIF but used gift card so only spend 2 dollars
Jan 5th Saturday: 10 dollars on 2 subs
Jan 6th Sunday: 5 dollars at Taco Bell with friend and about 5 dollars on a mac and cheese box and toliet paper at Target 

$140 so far, a ton of eating out this week.

On shopping this week: 13 dollars on socks, little makeup applier things, and acne cream at target

of course the 1,000 dollar tool box put us way back and we brought 3 shelves at 35 each and a couple small things for the home improvement for the house so like 1200 dollars this week at Lowes! 

target 90 percent off clearance

Target Christmas clearance was down to 90 percent off this weekend the neighbor texted me it went down yesterday, but I decided not to go since I had already went when it was 70 percent off last week and didn't need anything (we have so many Christmas decorations since I shopped the sale last Christmas) and I ended up buying a whole much of cheap candy and kind of regret it since I have been eating too much of it. However, I was shopping with a friend today and it was right next door so I went. Didn't get anything great, got socks for 50 cents (I can wear them all year around because they are gray stripped with some red and the Christmas part is on the top which you won't see with pants. I got some white tissue paper for 10 cents and that was pretty much it. I was going to buy some other stuff but put it back because I didn't really need it. I am trying to be better about not buying stuff I don't need just because it is a good deal. We are working on reducing the clutter in our house- we have cleaned out many things in the past couple of weeks.

The husband got the tool box he has been eyeing for the last like year. It was way to expensive to buy, )but told him if he got the money from one of his clients who hasn't payed (2600 dollars!) he could buy a tool box (we were thinking about 1,000 dollar couldn't justify buying a 1800 tool box. He took him to court and all that didn't show then had to file all this paperwork ect- did all the work but still hasn't been paid yet. Anyways when we were at Lowes yesterday they had one that was missing a drawer (it had been damaged) so he went to find out how much they were going to mark it down. The manager said they were going to just order a new drawer for however, he could mark it down instead he looked at the price they paid for it 1300 and something dollars and said he would let it go for 1200 dollars, my husband being the bargain shopper he is said I can't do 1200, I was trying to spend around 1,000 he looks at me and says right? And I was like if it was 1,000 no higher so the manager says if you can take it today I will give it you for 1,000. So now he has a huge tool box with a stereo inside of (he is going to order the new drawer or do without if it is too expensive). The husband was ecstatic about the purchase and did a lot of organizing of his tools materials and found 80 something dollars of stuff to bring back to Lowes we had lying around. I figure this will save us money from buying duplicate tools since he can never find what he is looking for since they are scattered all over the house, plus it made our house less cluttered and he already cleaned out the garage. Of course I still think spending 1,000 dollar on a tool box is ridiculous.

To Wait or not to Wait

I still haven't gotten my period yet after the m/c, my midwife says she advises waiting 2 cycles before trying to conceive again, although she said it is up to us what we want to do. The only study I can find on it says their is no need to wait and the study showed that conceiving wihin 6 months of a miscarriage gives you better odds to go on and have a healthy pregnancy when you get pregnant again. A friend who also had a m/c at the same time said her doctor said she can try again whenever she wants. It has been 5 weeks since the miscarriage and I am fairly certain I have not ovulated yet, so if we wait 2 cycles that is a long time. Plus our midwife takes off the month of February so in about 4 months we will have to take a month off from trying because we dont want a different midwife, also it is not ideal to have a spring baby because the husband works super long hours in the spring and often 7 days a week. I am not sure if we will try to avoid trying for a spring baby or not this year.  A healthy baby is of course the most important thing, however since we are still young and not too worried yet about not being able to have a baby we can be a little more picky if we want to be. It would be awesome to have a fall baby because the husband has all winter off and gets up super early anyways so would be a lot easier for me with a newborn and being able to take naps

I guess only time will tell how long it will take.

weight, goals

current weight 153.2 BMI 22.3

this is about the same as I was in the beginning of july (154) and October (152) so about the same since my weight fluctuation day to day.  I would be okay being this, but the pattern goes that you end up gaining a couple pounds a year, so I have to watch it, plus with having kids it makes you even more likely to gain weight. Plus I want to be more fit and stay in shape, so i need to workout more, but if I am this weight next year at this time I would be happy with that


according to the scale Craig is at 220, he was at 214 in July, however I got him to weigh in without his clothes which will prob drop a couple of pounds off, however cooking heathier will benefit him as well. He is 6'6 or 6'7 so still normal BMI but he is creeeping up there. Eli the dog also gained 6 pounds since July. So we all need to eat healthier.

I have been pretty much eating vegetarian since I don't like meat much anyways and I find it cruel to eat meat. Sometimes this makes me eat healthier, however not all the time. I eat more vegetables this way, but also more carbs.

vegetarian menu for week 1/1

menu

Budget:
75 dollars

Dinner and Lunch:
nut pasta
vegetarain nachos
spinach salad 
 mushroom sandwich
eggplant sandwich?
corn chowder

Breakfast:
almond milk   
 protein shakes    
 protein bars
toast/bread