Thankful Letter To The Husband

Babe,

Another year.  Praise Jesus we made it.

This year had a few more lows then anticipated but through it all, I had you.  We struggled a bit but we worked through it and we are stronger for it.  I am so thankful to have you by my side, always.

We've always been a team but this year proved how great we really are together.

The outside influences were strong this year and at times- trying.  But you will always be my steady force and for that, I am thankful.

A few days ago, we celebrated 13 years of marriage.  Wow.  I am so incredibly proud of us and so thankful for you, our marriage, the sweet little family we've created, the house we've turned into a home and all the beautiful blessings we've MADE together simply because two people fell in love.

We are quickly coming up on 17 years together total and in that time, you have been my constant.  I have never doubted that you loved me and that is the most amazing gift any husband can give to his wife.

Thank You.

For always loving me, for accepting me, for working for the future, for believing in us and our family, for setting aside the outside influences and remembering what truly matters- thank you.

I love you.

Your Wife.

How To Tell People You're "Traditional"

Recently the blog has seen quite an increase in visits to all things "traditional".  I've also had quite a few wives or wives to be reach out to me with questions and pleas for help.  While I'm not entirely sure what to attribute this recent interest in being a traditional wife or part of a more traditional household to- I am so happy that you are reaching out!

Being a traditional wife can at times feel TENDER and I for one, have a desire to protect it.  I don't share with my family or friends about our lifestyle and marriage choices because I don't want to open up our relationship for speculation and harsh judgments.  Truth be told- we've already experienced enough of that, I certainly don't need to add any more to it!  We aren't hiding, we just aren't sharing ALL the things ALL the time.

Living this way is no longer the norm and when people find out that your husband is the head of your household, they look at you as if you've grown a second head.  Yes, the open mouthed stares are INTENSE and I for one, don't need it.  So I reserve my sharing for this safe space and do my very best to encourage you all from this small little platform that I can speak to like minded people.

When you do decide to let people know and how do you go about it?

This is a question that I've answered quite a bit in the last couple of months.  My advice is to just keep it simple.  Do not tell everything all at once.  If you know that your marriage will be Biblical, will follow more traditional roles, that you will homeschool, that you won't work outside the home, that your husband will be the head of the household- well, HOLY BUCKETS but that's a lot of new, and sometimes scary, information for your people to process all at once.

So just don't.

Tell them what they need to hear with as little detail as possible.  And honestly- if you can avoid speaking on it at all, then go with that.  Ease your people in.  Show them what this lifestyle is before they even know what is happening.  When we bombard people with what is viewed as unfavorable information, you simply never know how they will react.  Keep it simple, be honest but limit the information you share.

Why am I advising this?

In all honestly, there's lots of folks out there who embrace the different.  This is our new society and while I for one think it's great that people can be free to be themselves- if you are expressing something more traditional, the ridicule is STRONG.  Need I remind anyone of the letter to wives Facebook fiasco?  My own family members were sharing this post on their Facebook wall and saying the most horrible things about any woman who dare to live this way.  Family members that are living a very non-traditional lifestyle and DEMANDING to be accepted had NO tolerance, grace or understanding for how someone else chooses to live.

This makes my heart sad.  Why should we have to be constantly defending our choices?  If we are expected to respect their choices, they should damn well respect ours.  But y'all- this has NOT been my experience.  So instead, we have chosen to simply share as little as we can, be open and honest when needed and life our best life.  Let people witness for themselves and then make their judgments and speak their opinions if they feel the need.

We are very private, especially when it comes to our marriage and family.  I know that may seem hard to believe given all the sharing I do here.  But at the end of the day, what matters most is that you are happy with your choices and that they work well for both of you.

Please remember that there are only TWO people in your marriage.  Guard the gate ladies and keep the peanut gallery out.  You will know how much and when to share, so listen to your gut instinct, talk with your husband and follow your heart.  You got this.

So that happened last night....

Anyone else wake up with a massive headache and feeling just a bit bruised and battered after last night's election?

I'll just come right out and say it- that did NOT go how I was expecting.  I was fully prepared for Hillary to win.  Because the alternative?  Umm...yeah.  And before anyone starts blasting me for supporting either of them, let me be clear-

They both suck.

But I legit thought Hillary would take it, if for nothing else beyond that fact that she's a career politician and a woman.  Regardless of how we all feel about her, I know many of my friends and family who voted for her simply because they could cast a vote for the very 1st female President.

And now we are left with a country of people wondering how in the world we have a Donald for President.

In speaking with the husband this morning, we honestly felt that it came down to one big point.  Our country is FED UP.  We are so sick of the BS that is being forced upon us and frustrated over the lack of an honest leader that we are willing to swing the complete opposite of anything being presented to us.

The complete opposite.

So here we are.  Left with a horrible human being (but hey- at least we know he's morally corrupt right?) who has literally NO experience because we simply couldn't bring ourselves to vote for the establishment yet again.

Hmm.....

The feelings are strong this morning.  For all of us.

I want to encourage all of you to speak with your children about this election and it's outcome.  Really speak to them.  Let's try to move past the feelings and find the facts.  Let's teach our children that no matter who you voted for, at the end of the day we should still be kind and respectful towards each other.  We need to show our children how to move forward with hearts open for acceptance and love.

A lot will change in the next four years.  Of this, we can be certain.  But what happens in your home is what will have the biggest impact on them.  Model love.  Model kindness.  Model respect.

United We Stand.  Divided We Fall.

Election Day

Well here it is- Election Day.

Meh.

I have steadfastly been sticking my head in the sand since April.  How is this possible that out of millions billions of people in our country- these two are our only choices?  For reals?  What happened here folks?  Truth be told- I honestly thought Trump would be like, "oops never mind" and Hillary would be....well...yeah.

But here we are.

As a homeschooling Mom, you best believe we've used this epic election as some valuable learning tools.  We have been talking about this awful thing since summer it would seem and recently we began teaching the kiddo the mechanics behind an election.  You know- the boring stuff that elections are made up of- the three branches of government, electoral votes, house/senate and yada yada.....boo.

I'm trying here folks.

In every thing we can learn something.  I believe in this wholeheartedly but what I don't believe in is this ridiculous government we've got now.  Blech.  How in the world did this happen?!?

So today as we mark a passage in time, I want to share a recent conversation that I had with the kiddo regarding our two wonderful candidates.  I did share it over on the the Facebook page, so if you aren't already there- you NEED to be my friend.

My hope is that more folks will realize there are other options beyond the two we see on TV.  Umm....hello?  There was like 7 candidates on the ballot and truth be told, it just plain sucks that the majority of voters had only ever heard of two.  While it's most likely too late for this election, it's not too late for the next one.  In four long years....

You do NOT have to pick between the lesser of two evils.  
You do NOT need to "sit out" from voting.  
Your vote WILL always matter.  
A vote for a 3rd party is a vote AGAINST another party.  
There is NO wasted vote.

So please y'all....get your vote on!  For whichever candidate you choose, just get out there and make your voice heard.

And as promised, below is the conversation I shared last month.  Good stuff right there mmkay...

Convos In the Car:

Kiddo- Mom, I like watching the debates. I like to actually try to listen to both sides when they are talking about stuff. You know...from their point of view & not just agree with what Dad has to say about it.

Me- That's part of why we have debates, so you can try to hear opposing viewpoints on the same subject. When they aren't screaming & behaving crazy that is....

Kiddo- I still don't like Hillary.

Me- Well, lots of people don't. But Trump isn't great either.

Kiddo- You just want Hillary.

Me- Not true. Let's say you are applying for the MOST important job in the world. A big job, with lots of responsibilities....now let's imagine that you have literally NO experience. And what limited experience you do have within your own companies, were not at all successful. Now let's imagine you call everyone who disagrees with you horrible names & say bad things about at least half of the people you will be working for. Would you hire this person?

Kiddo- No.

Me- And now lets imagine that you have years of experience to help prepare you for this big job. You know all the important stuff & you can present yourself fairly well during your interviews. But let's just imagine that you haven't really accomplished all that much in the years you've been working towards this big job. And what little you have accomplished has come from sponging off others, making poor choices & behaving unethically. So while you might look good on your resume, your actions and behavior says something quite different. Would you hire this person?

Kiddo- Well probably not. What does this have to do with the debate?

Me- These people are Trump & Hillary.

Kiddo- I don't understand. How come we don't have better choices?

Me- Exactly child. How come we don't have better choices?

#NotAllLessonsComeFromATextbook
#WeNeedBetterChoices

Simplify Your House

I don't like STUFF.

There, I said it.  My people know that I'm just not a big fan of lots of EXCESS.  Everything in my life is as paired down as I can possibly make it while still enjoying life and living fabulous.  I like things that serve more than one purpose and I am constantly re-inventing ways to use things.  If I only use something one time a year for one thing- then most likely it's already been shipped off to donation by now.

But here's the thing- I didn't always use to be this way.  As I've gotten older and the running of my home has become a passion of mine, I have made some major changes towards keeping things simple.  Part of my battle in the early years was that I just couldn't afford to spend lots of money on organizational items.  So while I may have wanted a certain look, style, aesthetic in my home- finances were tight for the husband and I and such frivolous things as baskets for blankets or a couch in my color scheme was simply NOT in our budget.

Today, I want to share with you all how I turned chaos into calm and hopefully inspire you to do the same!

Do Your Research.

I know this seems weird, "research"?!?  Say what?  But trust me on this one.  Look at home decor magazines, books, Pinterest, window shop the stores and get a general idea of the style that you prefer.

For me- I like clean, simple lines and more of a modern look without being TOO modern.  Confusing right?  Ha!  But I classify my style as comfy modern.  Find out what appeals to you BEFORE you get started.

List It!

Oh Lord how I do love my lists!  

Once you have a general idea of style, it's time to really get to work.  Take inventory of what you already have in your home.  What will work with this new concept?  What do you NEED?  Can you re-vamp existing items, like an old antique sideboard into a fabulous TV stand or a cracked water pitcher into a floral vase?  Think outside the box!  Then simply make a list FOR EACH ROOM.

PSST....I have an old radio cabinet that was hand crafted by someone's grandpa.  The woman gave it to me for free because no one had use for an old radio cabinet and she wasn't able to sell it.  The furniture is excellent quality and with a day's work sanding and staining, it now makes a wonderful sideboard for my fancy china and table linens.  So yes- I highly recommend you think outside the box and consider reusing as much as you possibly can.  If something isn't quite working in one room, perhaps it will be great in another.

Start Small.

Now that you have a general idea, I highly recommend you start with just one room.  The living room is best because this is typically the one people see first when visiting your home.  If you try to do everything at once, you will easily become overwhelmed and may falter in your task.  Stay the course by keeping it to just one room at a time.

As time and budget allows- spread out into the other rooms of your house.  

Everything In It's Place.

My super easy way to keep my home looking neat and tidy is by simply making sure that everything has a designated spot.  Now if I could just get my husband and child to put things back in it's spot every time....but really, I cannot recommend this enough.  

Going along with this idea is to give things a resting place that is OUT OF VIEW to the eye.  So instead of buying one of those sweet blanket ladders to rest against your wall and display your coziest blankets, put them out of sight in a covered basket or nearby linen closest.  When we SEE less stuff, it makes our home appear more clean.

Hooks work wonders for this too!  In our downstairs coat closest, these hooks are where I store my purse.  Ah yes- every ladies nemesis.  Where to put your purse where it's easily accessible but not an eyesore?  Hooks ladies.  Hooks!

Upstairs in the bedrooms the kiddo's backpack hangs off one in his closest, the husband keeps his belts on his and they also work great for hanging up necklaces.  Hooks are simply brilliant for a cheap, easy and effective storage solution!

 I am also a fan of baskets.  Let's be real- baskets are the unsung hero's of home storage and organization!  They can look great and become part of the decor but are so damn functional that you'd be crazy not to buy a few.

Color Chromatic.

Stick to one or two MAIN colors throughout your entire home.  This is your BASE or foundation and then anything you add into this basic color scheme will really pop.

My home is brown and black.  I know...I know...seems boring right?  But when I add splashes of orange for the fall or bright reds in Christmas, these colors really stand out.  The result is an intentional look that really pulls my home all together.

It is also very easy to mix and match within a simple color scheme.  And of course this is a simple way to create some DRAMA or a focal point to your space when you start with a basic canvas.

Throw It Away.

For Heaven's sakes!  Throw away your stuff!  Do not allow things to pile up but rather take 5 minutes to go through the mail and automatically recycle, open bills and file.  When something breaks, automatically toss it.  If you are no longer using an item, donate it.  Do not hold on to the stuff!  It will weigh you down and make your home look cluttered.

Pull an Elsa and just LET IT GO.  

I am constantly donating items and selling on Ebay.  Mainly clothes and shoes since my child is still growing but really- as soon as something is no longer useful to you, LET IT GO.  

Do Not Fill The Space.

For some reason, people feel the need to fill up every spot/corner/wall etc in their home.  Not all people, but still...I just don't get this one.  Less decor will have a bigger impact than tchotchke's stuffed in every nook and cranny of your home.  Trust me on this one.

I once went to someone's house and y'all- the house itself was a showstopper!  So gorgeous and the homeowners had done some amazing updgrades.  But this poor woman had decorated every single available spot and my eyes just didn't know where to look!  It made the house feel smaller and I found myself wondering how she had time to CLEAN all of it! 

Less is always more.  Believe me.

Decorate With Intention.

When you do start to decorate, keep in mind a few things.  Beyond the less is more concept, do not forget that the items you do choose to display are literally the finishing touch on your home.  So for this reason, I suggest you make these items PERSONAL.  Yes, metal balls from Crate and Barrel might look fancy but are they really YOU?  Display family photos, monograms are your new BFF and be sparing with artwork.  Now is also the time to intentionally place one or two sentimental items in prominent places in your home.

While the jade green antique bulldog does NOT go with a single thing in my home, it proudly sits on my entry table.  Why?  Because it's important and SPECIAL to my husband and therefore it has it's place of honor within our home.  When we remove the excess, we can then make room for the special.

Rethink Your Space.

You guys- my office and kitchen pantry is now in what would normally be the dining room of my home.  Do not be afraid to switch up the floor plan!

If I had kept to the original layout- each room would have been overcrowded and this would have made my small home appear even smaller.  What space I do have can NOT be wasted!  In addition, I would have had to purchase more furniture for a family room (out of the initial budget) and would have lost out on a larger dining room.  By simply mixing it up and rethinking my floor plan, I was able to save myself money, have a more open layout, gain a designated office space (which is much needed since we homeschool & I work from home!) and I have an actual "formal" dining room.  Win win!

Make Room For Clutter.

Say what?!?  I know that this may seem counter productive but the truth is that we all have it.  Clutter exists!  We all need a spot for the random bits and pieces of life so allow yourself a junk drawer or other easily accessible spot to place all this random clutter that you can't seem to find a home for but insist upon keeping.  

But y'all- just ONE spot.  And don't forget to routinely go through it and clean it out.

Train Your People.

All of this effort will be in vain if you do not teach your family these rules.  Show your children where things belong, help them to remember to put those tennis shoes in the shoe basket, remind them to pick up after themselves and at some point, it will just become second nature.  Hopefully!

It is everyone's job to keep things picked up and looking tidy.  If we all make a few small changes, it's easy to keep your house looking nice.  Sometimes we have to start with training ourselves in a new way of doing things (just like I did) but I can promise you that the payoff is BIG! It is wonderful to know where everything is at any given moment, what items I have in my home that can serve double duty and it makes holiday decorating that much easier!  Plus- it really turns your house into a home.  We aren't looking for a showpiece here but rather a place that is comfortable, inviting and reflective of the people who live here.  Too much clutter makes this impossible.

Best of luck to you as you go about the process of simplifying your home.

I'm Back!

This summer I really stepped back from social media.  I was present and active but not nearly as much.  It may have had something to do with a houseful of kiddo's but really- it was all about slowing down and taking time IN REAL LIFE to be more engaged.

So I took a bit of a break.

Some time away to refresh, think, NOT WRITE or share.  It's been relieving in a way and absolutely needed.  But not too worry- I'm back.  And just in time for the holidays.  Woop!  Woop!

I hope you all had a beautiful summer while I was away and let me be the first to say- 

LET'S DO THIS.

Extreme Grocery Budgeting

Sometimes I get a little crazy and decide that I'm going to give myself "fun" challenges.  This week, I wanted to use only the cash I had on hand to buy our weekly groceries.

I had $80 in my wallet people.  Eighty....dollars....with which to buy an entire week's worth of food for our family, including one NEVER FULL tweenager.  Now, I don't know about you, but $80 bucks is less than half of what I normally spend.  That's right, I set out to cut my grocery budget by about 60% with no real advance planning or thought.  I'm crazy like that y'all....and yes, we really DO spend that much on groceries each week.  SWEET JESUS WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?

We eat almost every meal at home, perhaps we eat out together once per week but this is usually it.  All of our meals are made from scratch, we eat our leftovers and there is almost NO processed foods in our home.  In addition, we eat a fresh, plant based diet with very limited amounts of meat and we are about 95% organic.  So yeah....this gets expensive.  Like- FOR REALS.

I worked my magic, pushed myself to succeed in this crazy challenge and when all was said and done, I came in $15 under budget.  That's right y'all- I spent just $65 for a week's worth of food.  HELLS YEAH!!!!  Read on people and find out how I did this.  And how you can do this.  Because YOU CAN do this!

Proof Positive! Spent $65.33!!!

#1- Brainstorm and research.

Let's be honest, the only way this will work is if you make a list and STICK TO IT.

Get out a piece of paper and start brainstorming meals that are CHEAP, that will do double duty and perhaps provide you with an additional meal (a twofer!) and while you're at it- get on the Pinterest and search for cheap, healthy meals.

Don't forget to include meals you already have ingredients for or perhaps partial ingredients.  For example, you have a jar of marinara in your pantry and no noodles.  You should most definitely add "Spaghetti" to your list of meals to make this week.


#2- Take out the most expensive item.  MEAT.

Y'all.  Meat will drive your budget WAY up.  Like, a lot.

The truth of this is that you don't need meat to have a healthy, well balanced meal.  You just don't.  And I promise you that you will survive one week without it.  God's honest truth here- you'll be fine.

Instead- search out meatless meals and other cheap sources of protein.  A bag of dried beans cost $1 at my local grocery store and I can get at least two meals out of this.  Versus one pound of regular (not organic, not local, not grass fed, not special) ground beef at $3.99 per pound that will only make one meal.  If you are any good at math, you know that you've made one meal at .50 cents versus a meat based meal at $4.  No brainer y'all.

And for those of you who are completely unable to walk away and go cold turkey- re think how you use the meat in your meals.  If you MUST have meat, use it as a flavor enhancer rather than the star of the show.  Not everyone needs their own chicken breast at dinner time- take one piece of chicken and cook it up with lots of veggies and serve it stir fry style over some rice.  Your people still feel like they are getting meat but you know its WAY less and WAY cheaper.

#3- Shop your pantry.

To be clear, this method of EXTREME grocery budgeting is NOT meant to be used as your normal.  It's just not.  It's for week's where you don't have as much money, or you want to cut back a bit on your spending or perhaps save some of that grocery money for another area in your home and life.

So with all that being said- you should first be shopping your AT HOME GROCERY STORE, your fridge and pantry.  Use the ingredients you already have on hand to help you build cheap meals.  And if you've been building your freezer stockpile, now is the time to use one or two of those meals to help you keep your budget down this week.

#4- No frills.

This week is all about shopping the NEEDS and not the WANTS.  So things like cookies, ice cream, deli meat- yeah, not gonna happen this week.

You will also NOT be stocking up on anything this week.  I don't know about you but a regular part of my grocery trips include buying items that I know I will use later when they are on sale now.  Hard as it might be to pass these deals up- there's just no room in your budget to allow for this.  So just walk away mmkay....

#5- Leftovers are where it's at.

Learn the fine of art of eating those damn leftovers.  If we didn't have leftovers, we would legit have nothing to eat for the majority of our lunches.  Because I almost NEVER buy "lunch" food- really, I just don't and instead I force my family to eat these leftovers for lunch.  And then sometimes again for dinner, because that's just how awesome I am!

A leftover is a meal you've already paid for- so don't waste it!

The easiest way to make sure you HAVE leftovers to begin with is to simply make a double batch of your dinner.  Two cups of rice versus one cup of rice, requires NO additional effort to cook on your part and cost you just pennies more.

Another easy way to make leftovers work for you, especially for packed lunches on the go, is to plan meals that pull double duty.  Think- cheese enchiladas and homemade refried beans.  Make a double batch and you get 2 meals out of the enchiladas and then use the leftover beans to make bean burritos for lunches one day.  You have now gotten 3 meals for the price of one.  THREE.

Another favorite is basically any soup or chili dish.  You can make a double batch, eat it once for dinner, twice for lunch and a third time over some rice or cornbread.  That's three meals for the price of one.  Dude.

#6- Cook from scratch.

By far the fastest way to rack up the dollar signs at the grocery store are to buy processed foods.  You might think they are cheap but the truth is- they aren't.  If you don't have the ingredients on hand to make foods from scratch- now probably isn't the best time to buy them.  It will require some initial "investment" and output on your part to get all your baking needs supplied.  So save that for another trip.

However, if you've already got the staples like flour sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder etc- you have an entire world available to you!

Instead of buying bread, make it.  Bake cookies for an after dinner treat, learn how to make tortillas or bake up some biscuits to go with your soups.  Even homemade pizza becomes MUCH cheaper once you've learned how to make the pizza dough at home.  And y'all- pizza dough is way easier to make than you think.

Look for foods in your meal plan that you can make yourself instead of buying.  Yes, this will undoubtedly require WAY more effort and time on your part (they don't call them convenience foods for nothing!) but in the end, the savings will be substantial.

#7- Sacrifice to stay within budget.

What I mean here is that instead of buying ALL organic foods like I would normally do, I have to make sacrifices and choices on what to buy conventional and what to spend that extra money on for organic.  The sad truth is that very few items make the cut and so when I am REALLY going hard core with my budget, very little organic foods make it into my shopping cart.

Organic is expensive.

Listen, I am not the person to blow smoke up your butt and give you all these great tips on how to buy organic foods on the cheap when you are knee deep in an EXTREME grocery budget challenge.  Yes, it can be done.  You can save money on organic foods.  But- the truth is that organic still costs more than conventional.  So if you are faced with having to decide between getting 2 pounds of conventional bananas or just one pound of organic bananas- you should ALWAYS set out to get the most bang for your buck.

Psst- this rule does NOT apply to your normal grocery budgeting.  I will always encourage you to purchase organic foods- especially fresh fruits and veggies for your family because I feel that they are healthier and better for your body and the environment.  However, when you are doing an EXTREME challenge, I want you to eat healthy and at the end of the day, purchasing fresh fruits and veggies needs to happen.  Organic or not.

Another way you might make some sacrifices at the store would be when it comes to brand shopping.  Let's say you ALWAYS buy Hunt's brand tomato sauce at $2.99 for a large can.  But this week the store brand tomato sauce is on sale for $1.50 for the same size can.  This week, you will be buying the cheaper alternative so that you can save the difference.

#8- The LIST.

Now- if you've followed all the steps outlined above, you are now ready to put together your master list for the store.

Take out a sheet of paper.  Fold it in half hotdog style.  Write down all your meals starting with breakfasts on the left hand side.  It should look like this:

Leftover biscuits and jam
Cereal

Leftover beans & tortillas
Tuna
Veggie wraps
Nachos

Cheese enchiladas & beans X2
Chili X2
Spaghetti X2
Vegan split pea soup & biscuits

Chocolate chip cookies

The LIST.  It should look like a hot mess
 when you're done.

Ok- so.....take a look at how the meals are organized.  And then, on the right hand side of your paper, write down the ingredients you'll need to purchase and the quantity.  Then use your super shopping knowledge to write the estimated price down next to each item.  It is VERY important to write down the FINAL price for the quantity you need.  So if you're purchasing two cucumbers at $1 each- then you would write down $2 next to your cucumbers.  Make sense?  If you don't know the price, look it up online at your grocery store's website.  It will look like this:

Milk $2.39
pound dry pinto beans $1
jalapeno's X2 $.50
tortillas $4.99
cucumbers X2 $2
cheese X2 $8
spaghetti noodles X2 $2
chocolate chips $2

The next step in your list is to gather your coupons or add sales to your grocery store app.  I shop at Safeway and before I go, I always browse the app and make sure I've added all my sales, deals and coupons.  Check to see if you've got any freebies on your app (I typically have one or two each week) and make sure you add those to your list.  Even if it's something you don't normally buy- FREE IS FREE.  You can then go back and adjust your prices if need be.

Now add it all up.

My goal is to ALWAYS be $10 under budget.  Because y'all- once you get to the store, it is VERY hard to resist things.  This $10 will give you a little wiggle room.


#9- Shopping.

Now you've reached the most crucial part- the actual shopping.  A word to the wise- DO NOT TAKE YOUR PEOPLE WITH YOU.  Seriously- this EXTREME trip needs to be done as a solo act, trust me on this one mmkay....

Make sure you've grabbed your list and a pen and get cracking!  While you are in the store, when you put an item in your shopping cart, cross if off your list and write down the actual price on the opposite side if it differs from your estimated price.  Here's an example below.

$2.29 Milk $2.39

The $2.39 price on the right was your estimated price.  However, as is very common, the store may have had an in store only sale going, or perhaps you bought a cheaper brand or there was a .10 cent off in store coupon.  So write the actual price to the right.

By doing this one simple act, it will help you stay on budget and know where you can splurge a bit on.  Remember back to those sacrifices I talked about?  Well let's say you would really like to buy the organic bananas but they cost .10 cents more per pound.  If you've been able to unexpectedly save .10 cents on milk- you'll know that you have that .10 cents to spend elsewhere- like on the organic bananas.  Make sense?

Once you've added all your items to your shopping cart, take a moment and add up all the prices.  Make sure you are within your budget.  If you were able to come in under budget- now you can go back and add a few "luxuries" to your cart or things that you had passed up on in sacrifice to your budget.  Or you can choose to save that money and use it for other treats- like a Starbucks, or a cheeseburger.


A few words on this EXTREME budget-

I don't shop this way every week.  Yes, I have a general budget and I do meal plan to help me stay on budget.  However, I am not normally this OCD and strict when it comes to my grocery shopping and I do find myself routinely going a bit over my budget.  By occasionally doing an EXTREME trip like this one, or even my NO Grocery Store Challenge, I'm able to even myself out each month.

Shopping this way takes work and planning.  Be prepared to put in the effort, otherwise it won't work.

Your people might not like it.  Let's face it- this is a NO FRILLS sort of trip.  So many of the foods and items they are used to seeing in the fridge and pantry each week, simply might not be there this time around.  Anticipate the unhappy grumpy and move on.  They will deal.

Try to incorporate a few of these tips into your regular weekly grocery trip.  Once you come down from the high of this EXTREME trip, you can add in one or two of these tips found here.  If you never done a meal plan, give it a try.  Or perhaps you never estimate prices or look for sales and deals before hitting up the store.  Just one or two of these cost saving ideas added to your regular weekly grocery trip will really help you in the long run.

As with any challenge I do, it's meant to be fun.  Don't take it too seriously but rather- push yourself.  See how well you can do, try to beat your lowest weekly budget, set a crazy goal (like $50 for a whole week) and see if you can do it.  It's meant to be extreme and fun- not sad and depressing.

Good luck!