One month down!

We made it!  One month under our belts and many lessons learned.  Overall I feel like our first month, with a grocery budget of $275 for a family of 6, eating all whole and homemade foods, has been a success.  In addition to my original shopping list, I had to add more butter, another 5 lbs of ground beef, more yeast, some barley, more onions, some garlic, more apples, some bananas, white flour (for certain baking projects), and several gallons of whole milk. 

LET'S TALK MONEY

Our first shopping trip cost us $197.00, leaving me $78.00 to work with.  I spent a total of  $92.00 on the additional shopping trips.  Leaving me with a total expenditure of $289.00.  I went over budget by $14.00. I think I can manage to find ways to cut out that extra $14 this month.  

NOW FOR THE RESULTS

I have to admit that this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! (And I've given birth a few times).  I feel successful in a lot of ways, but there are still some areas that need some practice.  

By far the most challenging part has been the constant bread baking.  But I'm glad I can say that I haven't had any store-bought bread, of any kind, in 36 days!  I tried to plan the bread baking for Mondays and Fridays.  Two loaves each time.  Giving us 4 loaves per week.  We could have easily gone through more, but we managed to make it work.  Phoebe (3) LOVES bread days.  We put on our aprons and get to work in the kitchen together as soon as I'm done exercising; around 6:15.  At first I found her to be a distraction (I've always had a hard time having "helpers" when I'm cooking), but now I look forward to this special time we have together. I hope it becomes a tradition that she'll remember fondly when she's grown.  The whole process from start to finish takes about 4 hours.  While the bread rises and bakes, we clean house, have breakfast, get everyone ready for the day, and start school with the older two.  The simple act of baking bread has changed our whole routine for the better.  

One thing that needs some work is my Homemade Yogurt.  Tried once and failed.  I will try again soon.  Wish me luck!

I have found it necessary to become much more creative with my meals. I feel like this has been fairly successful. We have had all sorts of soups and stews and chili.  We have tried different ways of re-using leftovers.  Eating on this type of a budget means having a smaller variety of food/ingredients at your fingertips. We have the same sorts of meals over and over again, so it's been important to me to try and tweak them just enough to make it seem like it's something new or different. 

I am amazed at how huge of an impact this has had on my children. Simply cutting out prepackaged snacks and goodies (full of artificial coloring and other questionable ingredients), and juices (which are full of unnecessary sugars and calories), has made them more alert, more active, less grouchy, and less hungry all the time.  Lucy (7) and Frankie (6) have been more attentive during their schooling. They are able to stay focused longer, get distracted less, and we have less whining going on in general. They even sleep better at night.  They are used to grabbing a carrot or an apple when they get hungry for a snack.  Even Greta (13 months) eats an entire apple every day!  

I could go on and on about all the wonderful blessings we have seen in the past month.

ON A MORE PERSONAL & SPIRITUAL NOTE

Somehow, by making these changes, I have increased my workload, yet simultaneously simplified my life drastically.  I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it. Money is being saved, order has been established, goals have been set and achieved, and our lives are healthier and richer.  I am astonished that just over a month ago I felt overwhelmed with my life and it seemed like there were never enough hours in the day.  But today I feel more productive and optimistic than ever. It's true that, through God, weak things can be made strong.  As I stay focused on the simple parts of life that matter most, I am fulfilled and happy.