Well I don’t think I took a few things into consideration as I planned out my Farm to Table 365 Challenge for this year. What would that be you ask????? The family! Sometimes I get super excited to try some new Challenge and love working towards bettering our savings or paying off the house faster, but totally forget life and this house is not just about me.
Last week Hubby and DD both went to normal stores and picked up things I had not planned nor did we really need. Hubby was insistent on having Brunswick stew this week and having his diet soda. He doesn’t ask for tons so its fine by me to have to adjust for him when needed. That’s life after all right? Ebbs and flows. Of course, I originally felt a bit upset, but then I thought about it. Did I even ask them if they wanted to do this? Did I just assume they would follow my lead and eat what I gave them? Where they excited about it? Did I even mention it to DD? Ummm, nope! Was it even something they wanted to do? What about the fact that they make their own foods a lot. DD is 19 and in college, so she makes most of her own breakfast, lunch and dinners separate from us. She still uses some of our foods but will buy her own main food. Hubby eats Breakfast most mornings where I do not. I don’t get hungry until 10-11 am so eat my first meal usually then. He likes his breakfast , lunch, and dinner. We have always eating breakfast, lunch and dinner as a family for the 28 years but now with all the kids grown up and most moved out of the house, schedules have changed. I never accounted for that.
So I decided to adjust the goal a bit. I will still try my best to stay Farm to table, on my side, but will allow minor store runs to help with the budget and the families spur of the moment dinner wants. I have also decided to reduce my original food budget of $125 = $500 monthly to only $200. I know it’s a huge decrease and a totally outrageous amount if you knew what my last few years food totals looked liked, but this way Hubby and DD can include some items they enjoy into the mix. I will moving any special dinner my hubby wants that I have not plan for the week into our Date night or Entertainment budget instead.
With all the food we still have already bought from the Farm Stores and everything Hubby and DD bought picked up at Costco and the other stores this last week, we should be good for groceries this week. Cross your fingers!
Because of the extra spending, I do plan to reduce the spending over the next few months on food even more to make up for this month. I want to see if I can even out the whole year to total $200 monthly. Only time will tell but no matter what happens it has to be better than the last few years.
What I (or family) spent on food for week #3?
Costco – $106.57, Aldi – $13.13, Weis – $35.01
Total’s: 154.71
- Week #1 = $30.89
- Week #2 = $156.97
- Week #3 = 154.71
Total spent this month = $342.57
Here are a few meals I made last week:
- Italian Sausages (Costco)
- BBQ Beef ribs & Asparagus (Costco)
- Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Farm store and our Farm)
- Brunswick Stew (Weis)
There you have it. Another week down. Getting better, tweaking as we go and working on a better life.