Shopping Galore!!

Monday I finished up my grocery shopping. I usually go every other week. My first trip for the month is usually the bigger shopping. That is when I pick up things I may need throughout the month instead of waiting until I run out.
As an example: 20 pound bag of rice was on sale for $6.99. I am not quite out yet but I will be by the end of the month so I picked it up.

Spaghetti sauce was on sale for $1 a jar. I make alot of pasta during the month (it's an easy, cheap lunch for me and the kids). So even though I had 5 jars left in the cabinet I picked up another 10 at that price. Better to spend $10 now and have it for the rest of the month than when I go back in 2 weeks I get stuck paying over $2 a jar.

My last example is paper towels. I had a bounty coupon for $1 off plus the market was having a sale for a jumbo pack of 8 for $9.99. I had already been to Target and Wal-mart and found the market was the cheapest for this. I still have 3 in the closet but the coupon expires at the end of the month so I figured I should just go ahead and get it. I won't buy paper towel again until my first July trip.

When it was all said and done, I spent $563.70 so far. OUCH!!! That leaves me $263.30. I have to admit...I am nervous about this one even though I shouldn't need baby products or meats until next month. I want...no I NEED to take a hold of this area of our finances. I can honestly say that groceries was one area I have not budgeted myself on in a VERY long time. Now that I am thinking about it, not since I started working as a nurse.

Finances have always been an area that I have been anxious about. For the 3 months after we got Emily in June I only got a pay check for 6 or 7 of those weeks. I quit my job totally in September. It was definitely a step of faith. I didn't know how we would ever make it on just Chris' pay. 8 months later I am still worried that we somehow won't make it. But that is where trust and faith come in...trust and faith of the Lord not man. God has been so good throughout the years. What I have to remind myself is: There were plenty of times when I did work that things were tight. I am sure you have heard the saying----the more you make, the more you spend. How true. If things got "bad" I know there are areas I could "tweak" things. Phone service on our home phone could be down graded. Cell phones could be shut off. Switch from Direct TV to basic cable. The computer...oh wait...I have to draw the line somewhere : )

What is important to me is the blessing I get daily for being home with them.