|
  
|
|
|
|
|
Save by Shopping at Home
I see you've been here before, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed.
This week, I’m wanting to save money so that we can get a new electric water heater. Right now we have propane gas, which is costly and we run out a couple times a year. I’ve had a bad time with that water heater since its been installed and I’d be willing to go without hot water for a week (not like I haven’t before) just to get an electric one. It may seem like a crazy idea, but its really the only thing on my mind today! lol
So first off I need to get an inventory of what I have on hand for meals. I’ve wanted a pantry list for a while, and there’s no better time.
What’s a pantry list you ask? Its an inventory of everything you have in your pantry, freezer and fridge.
These things can change daily, but I really want to know what I have that’s been sitting there for a while that can be used now instead of me shopping for new foods.
A few things that I know that I have that will be used this week are egg noodles, rotini pasta, whole wheat flour, various varieties of canned beans, canned tomatoes, a pound or two of ground beef and some pepperoni.
I have a lot more than that, my cupboard has never been bare, but its about as bare as it has ever been before. so this is going to be interesting. Oh yeah, I need to send my husband a lunch every day also, so I have to have something that he will eat at work (this can be tougher than you think).
So I’m going to be using this printable pantry inventory sheet to help me out today. I like that there is a check in and a check out. Not sure this would work with my quantities, but it would be perfect if it was laminated and I could use a dry erase marker.
I’ll come back tomorrow to let you know what my menu will look like, and give you an idea of what I’ll be buying this evening to fill in the blanks.
Only 100 Shopping Days til Christmas!
Christmas is right around the corner. Start planning your holidays now! Get a good calender and start writing down what you know now like the last day of school before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Start a Christmas List for your family. What do they need? Start talking to your kids today! What will your menu be for the holidays? Write it down on your calender now! Start a shopping list, and put it into a Holiday binder.
What other ideas do you have for planning your holidays?
The Perfect Calendar
A few weeks back, I shared with you that I had ordered a new calender instead of my usual Flylady Calender. It came in. The only part that I’m not ecstatic about is the part where it took 2 weeks to arrive. That’s Amazon for you, but it was a great deal at under $15 with shipping!
As soon as it arrived I found a few features that I loved.
The first part that I love, the size of the boxes. Each month is 2 pages, and each day has a nice sized box to write in. Very nice when you have several things to write down.
2 Pages for 1 month
The second feature that I really really loved, a place for my menu on each day! Basically its the last space on each day, shaded in for your menu. Cool right?!
Huge Block with Dinner Menu on each Day
The third favorite feature? The last page has important information that you fill in. I should have taken a picture before I filled everything in, but you can guess right.
Emergency Phone Numbers and More page
The fourth thing that I really love more than almost everything else. That little page of stickers that comes with most calenders these days…is attached! like its the last page of the calendar, not yet another page of stickers that I won’t use because they are in my desk, or the kids swipe.
The stickers are attached!
Seriously, this is my favorite calender of all times! You should totally hop on over to Amazon and pick one up, because you need this!
Excuse the shoddy pics. I’m still getting use to my phone, and it does great pics most of the time! Check out more posts on WFMW.
Check the comments too for more information! Wanna know more, just ask.
How Has Clutter Taken Over Your Life?
Right now I want to purge. I feel like purging everything that I own. I need the money to sell things, but feel like God will bless me if I just give it all away.
Can any charity take everything that I have? Leave me with the essentials?
photo credit: bgottsab
I just counted 5 colanders. Why do I need 5 colanders?! This has crossed my mine more than once this week.
What got me to thinking? This Article.
I know that my house is not nearly that bad. I don’t have anything stacked to the ceiling, not even on the top shelf of any closet.
There’s still clutter in every room of my house. Did I mention 5 colanders?
Sure there are things that we need more than one, but what are those things? Do we have numerous items because we can’t find them? I have an excuse for 5 colanders, but when I say it outloud it makes me want to toss them anyways. All of them but 2 I think, because they serve different purposes. But only 1 is needed strickly speaking.
I feel like purging, before someone comes to my house and finds my decaying body under a pile of clutter….
Menu Plan Monday: Calender
I know a few weeks back I said that I would not be doing my menu here anymore. Well a girl has the right to change her mind right? 
This week I’m excited, I ordered a new calender! I know, do you get that same feeling that I do when a new calender is in your hands? I always feel like “this is THE week to get organized for a new year!” I know, its August but school has already started way down here in the south.
I’m a big calender kinda girl. No not a calender girl. Ok, so I am a “big” girl, plus sized girl and….never mind. I like my calenders huge! I want somewhere to write everything. You know I’ve used the Flylady calender for years, but this year I’m changing.
Wanna know why? This one has a spot for my menu on EACH DAY! I know, amazing right?! I’ve added a little pic here so you can go get one yourself, you know you want one! I got mine with change left over from 15.00 in Amazon credit (yep from SwagBucks!) and that’s with shipping. Can’t beat the price! I’ll let you know how much I LOVE it after I’ve had time to play with it.
I know, you came here for my menu…I’m getting to that! lol! I just had to share my great find.
- Monday: Red Beans and Sausage
- Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Salad
- Wednesday: Anything Goes
- Thursday: Pioneer Woman’s husband’s Favorite Sandwich
- Friday: Homemade Pizza
- Saturday: Roast Beast with homemade Mac n Cheese
- Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
August is Here
Today is August 1st. Wow! I can’t believe its this late in the summer. The kids start school on August 9th, so we really only have a week to enjoy what’s left of summer vacation.
We’ve had a really laid back summer this year. Funds have been really tight and we stayed at home a lot more than usual. It’s kind of sad, really. This week we want to make some memories.
My goal for being more like Eli is in full swing, and I’m at least holding my own at the moment. I want to get a graph or something up showing how much of the Bible that I’ve read so far. Please continue to cheer me on here, I’ve hit some obstacles for sure, but I’m trying to get through them slowly but steadily.
Many of you know that I love photography. For a couple years I’ve been wanting to upgrade to DSLR but couldn’t decide on what to buy. I’ve made that decision and will be going with the Canon Rebel t2i. Not sure how well this is going to go, but all of the money that’s raised here on Polka Spot Farm will be going into my camera fund.
That being said, my Open Sky store will be open shortly —–see the sidebar———> So please know that a portion of the sales will be going to that fund. There’s also talk about having and Etsy store with some homemade goodies and maybe even a store right here on Polka Spot Farm. I’ll update you as things come up.
This being the month of August, Flylady says the habit is Laundry.
I’m certainly up for having my laundry caught up and declutter a lot of it. How do you maintain your laundry routine? I hope to share a few ideas over the next month, and let you know what works, and doesn’t work for our family.
Family Closet
The idea struck me that I’ve used the idea of a family closet in the past, but when I read a comment on The Keeper of the Home’s Facebook Page about a family closet, it really hit me…Why did I never completely convert?!
For years our clothes stayed in the laundry room, all hung up on the bottom shelf along the wall. My laundry room is a long and semi narrow room, with the washer and dryer sitting beside the water heater. At each end there is a door, one to my kitchen and one to the 3rd bathroom.
I have complained for years about how small our closets are, in truth they are small, not one walk in closet is in my entire house. The correct doors were not installed so you have almost half of the closet space that’s not even reachable! The whole thing needs to be redone, including wall space taken out for new doors.
So Anyways, I’m thinking of redoing my laundry room instead, and using it as a family closet! It really has potential, and its got to be easier than having 7 people’s clothes everywhere, and not knowing who has what, right?
Wonder what all of this crazy talk is about? It’s the new rage, even the Duggars are doing it!
Consensus from my dear loving husband “You and your creativity, I gotta nip it!“
We’ll see about that 
Menu Plan Monday
This week I’m cleaning out the pantry, fridge and freezer so I hope that there will not be a run to buy groceries for anything other than milk between now and the end of the week. These are meals that I know we will have this week, just from what I have on hand. Do you keep a well stocked pantry, so that you could eat for several days without running out to get ingredients?
Monday: Hot Dogs, Mac and Cheese
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday: Vegetable Beef Soup
Thursday: Grilled Salmon
Friday: Grilled Chicken, Pasta Salad
Saturday: Grilled Hamburgers with homemade buns
Sunday: Fried Chicken, Potato Salad
Of course I will be adding side dishes from things made out of the pantry. I will use up some of the dried fruits and cereal into Granola Bars. I may even be baking cupcakes, and sticking them in the freezer for a rainy day. I will add an update next week on MPM, to how I did with emptying my pantry.
Stick around by subscribing to my feed or Facebook “like” page I will be working on a Pantry List, Freezer list and Fridge list, to keep an idea of what we need to keep them well stocked. I’ll be sharing my forms!!
Sale at Get Organized!
I was just looking around and found this! I’m in need of a few things, but thought that I would share this organizational sale with you. Im looking for things to store dry goods in my pantry. What products do you need to help you get organized?i’
Shop New Arrivals Sale now through Monday. Use Promo Code AFG50610
[cjaff keywords="pantry" amount="10" advertiser="1611334"]
-
-
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
