It must be where February is a short month, but March's quick arrival has surprised me. Things are looking up. We have had warm weather. We have turned the house from a pit into something resembling neat again. We have cooked some really delicious meals at home (including homemade bread and cinnamon rolls!), and I even managed to go to the gym!
B and I have finally come to an agreement about the housework. I don't know why it took us so long, or seemed so hard, or unfair. What was unfair was always living in a mess, and being angry and eating out because things were too big of a mess, then feeling crummy because we never managed to do anything other than watch TV and eat crap. The new plan divides most weekly tasks up, and we will alternate. I am excited to see how it goes. I can say that already in less than a week it has had a great mental impact. Just thinking...its not my week has left me with less guilt, and thinking its not B's week has left me with much less anger/ frustration when something isn't done.
Budgetary things are not fun. I go in with grand plans about saving tons of money and then way overspend over the weekend on groceries and other things. The $190 trip to Meijer wasn't good. I was buying a lot of things that were one time purchases, and managed to save $32 in coupons! We both needed razors since keeping a battery in a razor for 5 years leads to a battery that looks like it might explode at any minute. I also bought a swiffer mop vacuum thing. Not a need at all, but I thought it would help keep the kitchen floor clean and with my $10 coupon it was only $14. My goal for the rest of the month is to see how little I can spend on groceries and still get by. I need to find better snack options for X, other than the Gerber snacks if I want to cut down on spending, trouble is they are just SO convenient. Convenience is what often ruins my best laid budget plans.
So the remainder of the week I am going to try to stick to our menu. Here is what it looks like
Tuesday - Hamburgers, french fries and green beans
Wednesday - we are being taken out by the In-laws.
Thursday - Leftovers or spaghetti made from Tuesdays hamburger
Friday- Fish Tacos
Saturday-Homemade pizza
And thinking ahead to avoid grocery shopping if possible
Sunday- Chicken stir fry
Monday - BBQ pork in the crock-pot
Tuesday Jambalaya with chicken and pork
Wednesday Pasta of some sort
Thursday BBQ sandwiches
Friday - Omelets
Showing posts with label saving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saving. Show all posts
3.09.2010
12.28.2009
New Years approaches and so do new goals.
Every December the approach of the new year makes people reflect and focus on new goals. I have many things I want to accomplish, just look at my past posts for everything I want to change about myself and my life.
This new year we have some interesting changes coming. Changes I am sure will cause a few challenges. The in-laws are moving to town. Literally, right behind us....as in we can see there town house from our kitchen window. Crazy? Yes, I might be. MIL wants to watch X full time. That will be a significant reduction in our daycare expenses, but at what cost? I am currently taking a "we will see" approach to all of this.
As for myself I have so much I want to accomplish. Small picture, this week I would like to:
1) do all laundry
2) find the kitchen table
3)soak/ wash diapers
4)Re-arrange living room. Want something a little different
5) come up with a budget for 2010
6) write thank you notes for Christmas gifts
7) make cake balls for family gathering
8) make veggie pizza for family gathering
9) make homemade mac n' cheese for guests this week
10) Put away X's toys, divide for Mil's place
11) Build X's play kitchen
12) Arrange and secure furniture to the wall in X's bedroom
13) Put away Christmas decorations
14) dust
15) paint nails
Yes, it is an ambitious list. I hope to keep track of all that i accomplish.
As for the year, my goals are understandably larger. The biggest of which is # 1.
1) Run a 5k before I am 29 years old - I am tired of being fat. I hate running, detest it and sweating but I want to know if it is possible to do it so we shall see.
2) Be more put together. - I am still tired of my frumpy look. the hair cut helped some. My goal for January is to wear different earrings everyday.
3) To do housework every day for at least 15 minutes
4) To sleep more- I don't need to watch 10 pm TV shows I need sleep
5) To spend more time with B - we need to communicate better, work toward common goals and take joy in each other and take the time to appreciate what each of us have to offer.
6) To be more focused and diligent at work - I think it will make me feel better about myself and dread work less
7) To explore faith - be it attending church or reading books that make me think
I hope to post much more regularly, so I can keep myself accountable.
This new year we have some interesting changes coming. Changes I am sure will cause a few challenges. The in-laws are moving to town. Literally, right behind us....as in we can see there town house from our kitchen window. Crazy? Yes, I might be. MIL wants to watch X full time. That will be a significant reduction in our daycare expenses, but at what cost? I am currently taking a "we will see" approach to all of this.
As for myself I have so much I want to accomplish. Small picture, this week I would like to:
1) do all laundry
2) find the kitchen table
3)soak/ wash diapers
4)Re-arrange living room. Want something a little different
5) come up with a budget for 2010
6) write thank you notes for Christmas gifts
7) make cake balls for family gathering
8) make veggie pizza for family gathering
9) make homemade mac n' cheese for guests this week
10) Put away X's toys, divide for Mil's place
11) Build X's play kitchen
12) Arrange and secure furniture to the wall in X's bedroom
13) Put away Christmas decorations
14) dust
15) paint nails
Yes, it is an ambitious list. I hope to keep track of all that i accomplish.
As for the year, my goals are understandably larger. The biggest of which is # 1.
1) Run a 5k before I am 29 years old - I am tired of being fat. I hate running, detest it and sweating but I want to know if it is possible to do it so we shall see.
2) Be more put together. - I am still tired of my frumpy look. the hair cut helped some. My goal for January is to wear different earrings everyday.
3) To do housework every day for at least 15 minutes
4) To sleep more- I don't need to watch 10 pm TV shows I need sleep
5) To spend more time with B - we need to communicate better, work toward common goals and take joy in each other and take the time to appreciate what each of us have to offer.
6) To be more focused and diligent at work - I think it will make me feel better about myself and dread work less
7) To explore faith - be it attending church or reading books that make me think
I hope to post much more regularly, so I can keep myself accountable.
9.10.2009
And here I go again!
August flew by in a swirl of busyness and sickness. X had an ear infection and ended up at home for 4 days. Then I was sick for over a week. All of my goals and plans never came to fruition. I did manage to have a yard sale, B ran his first race, and X's birthday was a success. Then we went on vacation last weekend. We have not had a weekend free since the beginning of August. My little sister J is having freshman roommate drama so she is coming to stay this weekend.
Maybe I am going about this all the wrong way, expecting everything at once. Though everything goes through my head at once. What is that I hope to achieve? How long until I reach that goal? What do I need to do to get there? There are SO many things where do I begin?
1) I want to be organized and put together. Both at home and work. Currently the house is a disaster, my desk at work is a mess and I look like a 45 year old woman, and I am not quite 28.
2) I want to be able to focus on what I am doing not worrying about every other task in my head. Sitting and writing this is hard because I have 10 other ideas of things I want to do.
3) I want to improve myself. Not only be more put together and look better, but to put time into what I enjoy. I would like to explore my faith/ beliefs, work on scrapbooks, get back into cooking, and maybe find some type of exercise that makes me have more energy
4) I want to save more, spend less and not feel deprived. I am trying very hard to reduce our frivolous spending so we can pay off bills and live the life we want. I really need to sit down with B and discuss this with him.
5) I want to be more on the ball at work. I lack focus and tend to get side tracked. Luckily due to some situations at work, things are slow. I feel like I am just sliding by. Needing to find a new job may still be a very real possibility in the next year. I have slacked since getting pregnant. Perhaps feeling accomplished at work will give me the energy I need to stay motivated in the evenings.
6) B and I need to find time for each other. He has been very affectionate and sweet lately. It has been nice. I still find myself trying to find reasons to be angry with him. That is not good.
There are so many other things, but this is probably more than enough to start with.
I have 2 choices. Things can stay the same or they can change. I am giving myself until Christmas. That is a little over 100 days. So how do I begin? I tend to like to jump in head first, but we can see how well that works. Though baby steps I see no progress and get frustrated and give up.
Maybe I am going about this all the wrong way, expecting everything at once. Though everything goes through my head at once. What is that I hope to achieve? How long until I reach that goal? What do I need to do to get there? There are SO many things where do I begin?
1) I want to be organized and put together. Both at home and work. Currently the house is a disaster, my desk at work is a mess and I look like a 45 year old woman, and I am not quite 28.
2) I want to be able to focus on what I am doing not worrying about every other task in my head. Sitting and writing this is hard because I have 10 other ideas of things I want to do.
3) I want to improve myself. Not only be more put together and look better, but to put time into what I enjoy. I would like to explore my faith/ beliefs, work on scrapbooks, get back into cooking, and maybe find some type of exercise that makes me have more energy
4) I want to save more, spend less and not feel deprived. I am trying very hard to reduce our frivolous spending so we can pay off bills and live the life we want. I really need to sit down with B and discuss this with him.
5) I want to be more on the ball at work. I lack focus and tend to get side tracked. Luckily due to some situations at work, things are slow. I feel like I am just sliding by. Needing to find a new job may still be a very real possibility in the next year. I have slacked since getting pregnant. Perhaps feeling accomplished at work will give me the energy I need to stay motivated in the evenings.
6) B and I need to find time for each other. He has been very affectionate and sweet lately. It has been nice. I still find myself trying to find reasons to be angry with him. That is not good.
There are so many other things, but this is probably more than enough to start with.
I have 2 choices. Things can stay the same or they can change. I am giving myself until Christmas. That is a little over 100 days. So how do I begin? I tend to like to jump in head first, but we can see how well that works. Though baby steps I see no progress and get frustrated and give up.
5.28.2009
Me.
So what is a slacker mom? Me. I lack balance in my life and something gets left out everyday. I slack at something either work, or house work or taking care of myself. I am trying to figure out how to do it all. Not in that super mom conquer the world type way, just how to have a comfortable life where the house isn't a disaster and I manage to get to work on time and actually stay focused on work.
So how does writing a blog help me do this? I need somewhere to be accountable to myself. A place to work out what I am trying, what is work and what isn't. Boring and self centered, probably. However it is cheaper than a therapist.
Are my expectations too unrealistic? As I type this my brand new cloth diapers for my 9 month old are in the wash. Am I crazy to try this with everything else I need to do? In the long run it will save us money if I don't become addicted to buying diapers. It is better for the environment and keeps icky chemicals off of baby X. We will see how it goes.
So how does writing a blog help me do this? I need somewhere to be accountable to myself. A place to work out what I am trying, what is work and what isn't. Boring and self centered, probably. However it is cheaper than a therapist.
Are my expectations too unrealistic? As I type this my brand new cloth diapers for my 9 month old are in the wash. Am I crazy to try this with everything else I need to do? In the long run it will save us money if I don't become addicted to buying diapers. It is better for the environment and keeps icky chemicals off of baby X. We will see how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)