So, this weekend was interesting. I’ve been learning about the fine art of yardsaling. I don’t know if it’s a real word, but it is a real art. The trick is balance. You have to be able to recognize good deals while not going overboard and becoming a pack rat- or in the case of already being one, supporting your pack rat habit J. But making a list of the things you need and sticking just to that doesn’t work so well either, mostly because you need to be able to recognize a worthy buy when you see one. A worthy buy= something you need and will use + a good deal + you can afford it. If affording it means you have to trim a little somewhere else and it’s worth it to you to do so, go for it. But you can only do that so much. Anyway, this weekend was spent trying to save money, and we did pretty well, but I still need to learn when I don’t really need something.
I’m also working on cutting my food budget in half. My husband says it’s not possible, making it an all-the-more-attractive goal. That would make it $275 per month for a family of 5. If I have a garden it should be relatively easy (and I can have one year round here!) as we generally spend $50 a week on produce, but I don’t have one yet. I’ve been looking through a couple of my favorite sites, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com and www.5dollardinners.com. So one of my mini projects this year is crockpot cooking. That is, cooking dinner in the crockpot at least 3 nights a week. For the moment, it’s every night. I don’t have my pots and pans yet. So I’m getting a good start :).
We liked fajitas in the crockpot- very easy. And we liked the 16-bean soup. The pasta in artichoke sauce didn’t turn out so well, but the kids loved it. And, of course, I had to try refried beans because I have 25 lbs. of dried pinto beans in the pantry. They turned out okay, but need more salt. Then I wanted some rice to go with it…that didn’t work. The brown rice cooked so long it started to go bad. But I’m a glutton for punishment- I’m trying it again on high instead of low.
I know, I know, what a very interesting weekend eh. But I’m learning and progressing and the kids had fun. Writing actually does help me keep myself more organized. Now, why I’m posting my writing on a blog I have no idea. Maybe it keeps me more accountable- even though no one really sees it. :)
