Finding Christmas Money in a Tight Budget

We have lived on a tight budget for years. However, this year the budget is much tighter because of the costs associated with providing our daughter, Goldilocks, with mental health boarding home care. Our monthly co-pay after insurance is a fourth of our income. Last year I tried to supplement our grocery bill by eating out of our freezer to clear up Christmas money. While I saw the value of my plan, I hadn't thought of it soon enough to really stockpile. This summer I realized that, if we were going to have Christmas and extra heating bill money, I was needed to half our grocery bill each week from mid-November to Christmas. So, I made a real effort to add one extra thing to the freezer and one extra food item to the pantry each week. We will see how I did.

Week One ~ I spent $90 on groceries to start this week. I usually spend about $180. I hope that I do not need to buy anything more. Our groceries include food and household products. This week I needed a new mop head which set me back $4.70. I also am in charge of providing snack for Lego Club this month. I am feeding the 20+ kids a 3 oz. cup of Whole Grain Goldfish and a 3 oz. cup of grapes. We try to eat as organically as possible, and all of our meat is cage free and as grain free as possible. We eat very little organic dairy.

Menu Plan ~ 

Dinner

• Homemade chicken pot pie
• Chicken drumsticks with rice and salad
• Spaghetti with meatballs and peas
• Colcannon with diced ham and peas
• Pancakes with sausage and oranges
• Baked potato bar

Lunch

• Leftovers a few times
• Homemade bread and fruit salad
• Nut and veggie platter
• Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
• Banana bread with oranges and nuts

Breakfast

• Waffles with apples
• Oatmeal with apples
• Homemade pancakes with oranges
• Smoothies (frozen fruit and Greek yogurt) and toast
• French  toast with oranges

The only things I took from the freezer was a can of orange juice and a bag of smile potatoes which will supplement the kids' luxury liquids when they get bored of tea and cashew milk. We drink water with most meals and snacks.

Here is what our freezer looks like on November 17.

Right side of Freezer

Left side and top trays

If I don't need to spend any more grocery money this week, we will have saved $90. That money will pay some of the donation shipping cost on our Operation Christmas Child boxes and offset the cost of an emergency repair our furnace needed this weekend. The rest of the money for the furnace repair will come from switching cars with my husband this week. He drives much less than me and had almost a full tank of gas. 

Blessings, Dawn