Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

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alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

ephofma wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 3:45 pm Well, I got 1 of the 2 no spend days in on Wednesday. Of course, I have vertigo and was still so dizzy I was cross-eyed then and not about to drive anywhere; but, I'll take it however it comes. Absolutely loving all the inspiration from all of you.
I think just making an effort is good and if it is only one day that is ok...It is better than not trying at all.Keep making the effort. Janet Alliesemama
Janet Alliesmama
ephofma
Posts: 88
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:09 pm

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by ephofma »

Thank you for the encouragement Janet.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

Spent a lot of time cleaning out some of my earth boxes yesterday (two). I was able to refill one of them with the potting mix and dolomite but we had severe storms moving in so had to quit. The earth boxes are on a second story deck and there is no access from the outside..So everything had to be dug out of the boxes and put in to a garden cart and hauled out through the kitchen and garage and then down a fairly steep hill to be dumped..It is not costing anything this year to refill the earth boxes since I bought enough last year and did not get around to cleaning all of the earth boxes. The plants that I have planted are doing well.. I have to keep picking the blossoms off of the strawberry plants..The first year you have to do that so they will be stronger plants next year.. I am excited about next years harvest and since all of them are all planted in terracotta pots it is easier to keep close watch on them. They will winter over in the basement.

I received a 7.5 lb chicken from my aide. Someone gave it to her and she did not want to be bothered with it so she gave it to me. I was going to bake it today but after looking up the time involved decided to cut the chicken up and will freeze it for different meal ideas.. I will be saving money on the cost of electricity to bake it..

I have what is left from my free rotisserie chicken in a pot of water on the stove. I am just warming it since it is easier to pick the meat off of the bones when it is warm.. I will use some of the meat to make enchiladas with a sauce pouch I bought at Aldi's for .90 cents on sale. I will cook the bones and meat scraps to make broth and plan on making chicken and dumplings in the near future. I will use some or all of what is left from the chicken after making the enchiladas. I have my $1.99 bacon baking in the oven.. I got a big discount at Shop and Save when the advertised bacon had not arrived so we were allow to take another brand for the same price. I will have two rashers each morning for breakfast.. Bacon is so expensive and the packages are smaller ie 12 oz compared to the 1 lb we use to get.. Also if I get around to making bread I will make a BLT without the " T ". This time of year tomatoes are not that tasty but a BL sandwich is still good. I guess that is it for now.. Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
Momof2Still
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 10:05 pm

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by Momof2Still »

It has been a productive weekend. I bought more groceries than I planned. I was only planning on picking up some lettuce mix and carrots for my rabbits, but there were some great sales. Combine the great sales along with the gift cards I received from my kiddos for Mother’s day, I really stocked up- I spent $10.56 out of pocket. Both of my kids gave me a gift card to a grocery store- one to Aldi and the other to Publix.

I have lots of left-overs to use for lunches this week. The red beans I cooked last week in the saved broth from the pork roast was so tasty. I cooked them and then froze them in a couple of larger containers along with two smaller lunch size containers since I had other meals that were planned and used up items that really needed using. I pulled one of the larger containers from the freezer. I made rice, cornbread (used up some of the blue cornmeal I bought on a whim), and the plantains I bought the last time I went shopping. I also used up a few lemons that has been in the fridge for a while to make lemon-aide. I have a container of left-over beans and rice along with some of the cornbread to take to work with for lunch tomorrow.

Tonight I used up a red onion, some mini sweet peppers and the yellow pepper that were getting a little wrinkled, one yellow squash, a zucchini squash, garlic, and herbed chicken breast in the indoor grill. Along with that I used up two ears of corn I picked up today at the grocery store. I have two different containers in the fridge with left-overs to take to work for lunch a couple of days this week. Unfortunately I did toss a couple of items that got shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten about. It wasn’t a lot, but I really hate wasting food.

Tomorrow night RM will be out, so I think I will make a BLT and have some fruit on the side. I bought a pkg. of bacon at the grocery store today along with the lettuce and tomato just for this. I have not had a BLT in such a long time. I have some red potatoes, maybe I will also make a small dish of potato salad. I can take potato salad to lunch along with half a sandwich one or two days next week and that will finish of this week as well as this school year. It will be summer break, so I can eat at home after this week. Well off to get ready for tomorrow.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

Momof2Still wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 10:12 pm It has been a productive weekend. I bought more groceries than I planned. I was only planning on picking up some lettuce mix and carrots for my rabbits, but there were some great sales. Combine the great sales along with the gift cards I received from my kiddos for Mother’s day, I really stocked up- I spent $10.56 out of pocket. Both of my kids gave me a gift card to a grocery store- one to Aldi and the other to Publix.

I have lots of left-overs to use for lunches this week. The red beans I cooked last week in the saved broth from the pork roast was so tasty. I cooked them and then froze them in a couple of larger containers along with two smaller lunch size containers since I had other meals that were planned and used up items that really needed using. I pulled one of the larger containers from the freezer. I made rice, cornbread (used up some of the blue cornmeal I bought on a whim), and the plantains I bought the last time I went shopping. I also used up a few lemons that has been in the fridge for a while to make lemon-aide. I have a container of left-over beans and rice along with some of the cornbread to take to work with for lunch tomorrow.

Tonight I used up a red onion, some mini sweet peppers and the yellow pepper that were getting a little wrinkled, one yellow squash, a zucchini squash, garlic, and herbed chicken breast in the indoor grill. Along with that I used up two ears of corn I picked up today at the grocery store. I have two different containers in the fridge with left-overs to take to work for lunch a couple of days this week. Unfortunately I did toss a couple of items that got shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten about. It wasn’t a lot, but I really hate wasting food.

Tomorrow night RM will be out, so I think I will make a BLT and have some fruit on the side. I bought a pkg. of bacon at the grocery store today along with the lettuce and tomato just for this. I have not had a BLT in such a long time. I have some red potatoes, maybe I will also make a small dish of potato salad. I can take potato salad to lunch along with half a sandwich one or two days next week and that will finish of this week as well as this school year. It will be summer break, so I can eat at home after this week. Well off to get ready for tomorrow.
Momof2 I bet your tomatoes are a lot better than what we have here since you live in Florida.. They pick them green for shipping here and they lose some taste due to that.. Sounds like you are making good use of your produce too.. Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I have enjoyed my chicken enchiladas for the last three nights.. dinner was about .45 cents for each meal. I have a lot of chicken to work with. Tomorrow will be making Thai yellow curry. The chicken is free from survey money and the Thai yellow curry paste is also free from Amazon. I used a gift card to purchase it also earned through BING. The only cost will be for one onion, one potato, and coconut milk all of which I already have in the house. I have rice cooked and in the freezer..So I most likely will have meals for the next three days that come to around .45 cents each if that. I am not going to break it down any further at this point Maybe some year when I am not so busy I might go that nuts..lol. Breakfast will be ketogenic sausage gravy made with cream cheese and almond flour biscuits. All items are in the house and bought on sale or discount. Lunch will be a green salad with the last of a cucumber, green olives, cheese, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds and homemade ranch dressing. I use herbs from the pantry I do not buy the powdered salad mix from the store. I find it more tasty, fresher, and no chemicals. I need to come up with some kind of dessert. I am down to the bottom of my yogurt so I am thinking cranberry bread since I still have frozen cranberries from Thanksgiving that need to be used.

Staying on track for no spending except for food and medication for myself and Teddi. Next month will be spendy with Teddi he has to have his rabies shot, more medication for fleas/ticks, heart worms and his grooming.. His groomers are two young ladies and very reasonable and so popular that unless you are already a client they are no longer taking new clients. So I am glad to be able to take him there. Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
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