It Was Just Like New Year's Eve

The All You Grocery Challenge has started.



I went shopping on Sunday.



I actually feel a little guilty. I didn't go shopping to get a head start on the challenge. You know, stockpile. My husband and a friend were hanging interior doors, and I went in search of lunch for them and something for dinner. Something quick and easy because I was painting and grouting. We are on countdown to getting the house ready to receive some very important guests. Guests who deserve to have bedroom and bathroom doors.

I spent way more on this trip than I had planned. Looking back, it was just like New Year's Eve... indulge, because the diet starts tomorrow! But if anything, it really was a lesson on what I need to do to be successful in this challenge. And it's the same basic sage advice that has been bestowed on the masses through the generations:

Look both ways before crossing the street.

Wear clean underwear because you never know when you will be in an accident.

Use a grocery list to shop and stick to the list.

Week one of the challenge has started. I already know that tomorrow's meals will come from the pantry. Or the freezer. And the garden. I can't forget the garden. And given that I have so much squash... I am already rethinking my dinner menu for tomorrow. I think it will involve squash.

Getting a Game Plan

I've been thinking about the best way to tackle this All You Grocery Challenge. A lot. Like when I went to the grand opening of Sprouts Market and tried to decide between two russets at 69 cents a pound or a 5 pound bag of russets for 1.99 or so. Given that the premise is that I have $50 a week to spend (or will as on Monday), it should be a no-brainer. The bag of taters has a lower cost per pound. But I thought about waste... would I really use all the potatoes before they sprout eyes and turn soft? Where is the money savings in that?

As I think about my game plan, I find myself thinking about the rules. One in particular: You can use stockpiled food to supplement your weekly budget. The challenge starts on a Monday. I would think that a lot of people shopped on the weekends. I normally do. I could rush out and buy loads of stuff to stockpile, but that somehow feels like cheating. I want to rely on the things I already have "stockpiled." Yes, I went shopping today. Spent about $35 dollars at Sprouts, but I was able to pick up ribeye steak for 4.99 a pound and cheddar cheese for $1.77/lb. And I got a resuable bag of goodies for being one of the first 200! Gotta love free!

So, how am I going to approach this experiment?

1. I could (and should) plan a menu. But it has been a very long time since Tuesday was Taco night in my household. Come to think of it, Tuesday never was taco night in my household. I think growing up we had tacos on Fridays, or Wednesdays, or whatever days. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that I can say "let's have such and such for dinner" in the morning, but by the time I get home from work, a frozen pizza or a short drive to one of our favorite diners is much more to my liking. So my menu plan needs to have a Plan B as well as a Plan A. Perhaps a C too.

2. I need to carry cash. It is way too easy to disregard how much money is spent when you swipe that debit card. A few things here, a few things there. It adds up. Plus cash would allow me to give my hubby "an allowance" for his coffee or breakfasts out.

3. One word. Coupons.

4. Another word. Sales. There are several markets within a 10-15 minute drive. Some of the specialty/ethnic markets offer great values on produce. What produce I need to buy, that is. Which leads me to another word:

5. Garden. Our garden is really starting to produce. I have a bunch of squash I need to parboil and seal for freezing (I am glad that I don't have to count the price of the Food Saver!) Let's see, there is also eggplant and cucumbers. Oh, and squash! And I can't forget the squash... all EIGHT varieties of summer squash.

Don't ask.

The exitement of having a garden may have made me temporarily insane. Either that, or I must really, really lkie squash!

Back to Business

It has been 2 years since my last post. So many times I had thought about blogging about our house hunt. Especially when we had looked at what seemed like a bajillion houses and signed so many offers that I thought my hand would fall off. Then I thought about blogging about becoming a new home owner and a DIYer... not to mention the joys and frustrations of living in a house that has been in a constant state of remodel for nine months. And that baby is no where close to being born! Maybe I will touch on this in another post on another day.

What brings me back to blogging?

A challenge.

Not a challenge to blog. A challenge to spend no more than $25 per person per week on groceries. This includes eating out AND Starbucks. It's the All You Grocery Challenge.

That's 25 bucks a person. A whole 3.57 a day! 3.58 on Sundays. Some people spend that much a day on coffee! Not me. I only spend about two-thirds of that. Maybe.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee... all for $3.50ish. At first it sounded do-able. When I broke it down, it sounded a bit... hmmmmm, scary (for the lack of a better word). But now... well, it's challenging!

But this is a challenge I am up to meeting! It will require a complete, and I do me COMPLETE change in how I do things now. It is so easy to grab a bite out rely on conveniece food. One time I looked at how much we spent in one month on just restaurants and Starbucks... it was EIGHT TIMES what this challenge allows. Whoa. I will have to go back to planning meals and clipping coupons. Of course, I also need to get my husband (THE Starbucks fanatic in our household... he goes so much they GAVE him a special Starbucks Gold Card) to cooperate. I am blessed, though, because he is supprtive. I am sure that he will be game!

I know I need to develop new habits. The amazing thing is, there are people that limit themselves to this kind of budget ALL THE TIME! I figure if they can do it, so can I!

So, this blog will serve as my record of the adventure that awaits. Let's see what's in store!

5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Blast Off!

Well, it is countdown time. I have only 3 more days to work before I concentrate full time on final wedding preparations. Luckily, I am not stressed. I didn't get things done that I wanted to get done this weekend, but that's OK. The biggest task is figuring out the food quantity after double-checking the guest list. I have a week to get that done. But, I don't want to procrastinate!

I went shoe shopping with my MOH this weekend. It is always great to have some girl time with her. We met over at South Coast Plaza. My first stop was Macy's. It was my last stop, too. I think I tried on about 5 pairs of shoes. The last were the ones! They match the dress perfectly (Yep, carted it along), and they are SOOOOO comfortable! I feel like I have slippers on my feet!

There are so many people helping to bring this event together. I couldn't do it without them. Now I just need to firm up the people who will help with the food - either preparing it at church or setting it out/replenishing it at the reception. And coolers. We are going to need to borrow coolers. These are among the last minute details.

Well, since there are only three work days this week, I had better get movin'!

I feel blessed

Well, we have a new date for the wedding. Rescheduling everything went smoothly. I only had to pay $10 to reschedule the venue, and there was no cost to reschedule the photographer and the florist. Of course, the caterer and the cake baker will make this wedding a priority and will reschedule any conflicts that might arise for this new date... just a perk that comes with doing the food and cake ourselves!

The biggest challenge for me has been to let everyone know the new date. Those that had email were sent a notice through Evite, and everyone who accepted, had not responded, or who declined because of being out of town, etc. were sent a postcard with the new date. A few were also called with the news. I just hope that I didn't miss anyone!

There have been days this week that I have wished I was off instead of getting up early, but I know that I am sooo much less stressed than I would have been. And I have all this glorious, extra time to get things done, and I am trying to use the time wisely.... Besides, I will be catering a wedding for 200... I think that will be stress enough!

I truly feel blessed... all things are truly working together for good! (Rom 8:28)

Proberbs 16:9 and Romans 8:28

As a Christian, I should never be surprised at what happens. For example, when I wrote my last entry, I was stressing about the time left and for all the tasks on my "to do" list. Little did I know that before the end of the day, BW and I would be discussing a postponement.

It is so true that although we make our plans, God "directs our steps." If I focused solely on the circumstances that led to the postponement, I could have easily become depressed, angry (at God, at the person responsible for the situation... probably more of the latter), or even more stressed. But I wasn't. I was a peace, although worried about how BW was coping with the situation. I simply KNEW that God was in control. I also know that "all things would work for the good."

The day after this happened, I read an "Upper Room" devotional about always looking for blessings and at least one thing to be thankful for every day. It could even be something as small as "...daffodils popping out of the cold, barren ground...." In the few days since this has happened, I have seen so many blessings beginning to "bloom." People who learned that they would not be able to attend the wedding now have another chance. Details about the ceremony that we so deperately wanted but could not have managed before are now possibilites. Even something so small as a statement I made about one of the songs I was thinking about including in the DVD ("it would be perfect if the wedding was in October!"). And I have more TIME!!!!

If anything, these last few days has shown me that not only does God have a sense of humor (eg, the song), but He truly, truly cares about the details of our life and the desires of our hearts. I know that the wedding will be great, but the marriage will be better, because Christ will be right there in the midst of it all with us!

Tick, tick, tick

Oh my gosh! Where DID the time go? I cannot believe it is the end of August, and I have 16 days (including today) to pull this wedding thing off! Today is supposed to be a day off, but I was up at "normal" time (as if waking up before 5 am is "normal" by any standards). Granted, I haven't accomplished much beyond playing with the puppy (OK, dog ... she is 4 years old), and I need to be out of the house in about 90 minutes to start my various and sundry errands.

I had to fly to Richmond on Wednesday to attend a meeting. It is amazing how my everyday life decisions are revolving around "THE WEDDING." Normally, I would have flown up the day before and stayed at a hotel in Emeryville. But not this time! I decided to fly up and back on the same day. I can't fly out of John Wayne and get to Oakland early enough to make a 9 am meeting, so I had to drive to Ontario. And since I had a rental car to return after the meeting ended at 4:00 (oh, did I mention traffic?), the 5:00 return flight to Ontario is out of the question. Let's just say that it's a good thing I am getting paid for OT right now instead of accruing comp time. If it wasn't for $$, I don't think I would purposely subject myself to a 20+ hour day...

But needless to say, sitting at the airport (and sitting at the airport... oh, did I mention that I was sitting at the airport?) provided me with some time to start putting my "to do" list to actual dates. I was doing OK until we met with Pastor Frank last night to work on the ceremony. I am only 2 days into the "to do list with dates", and I am already a day behind! And now I have 1 hr and 15 minutes to get out of the house. ACK! Where are Franck and Howard from Father of the Bride?