Girl on a Budget

I hate the word budget.  I feel like it is so restraining!  I wish I just had an endless supply of money... This is gross, but there were two dimes randomly on our couch today... I was like, "Did Jake start pooping money?!"  Wouldn't that just be amazing?  Oh well, since my money supply isn't neverending (and Jakey's poop is indeed not money)... to the budget I go.  Am I good at sticking to a budget, you ask?  NO!  But today is a new day.

Since I was in grad school last year, I was working anywhere from 25-35 hours per week with an agreement that I would start working 40 as soon as school was done.  Well, the awesome economy had other plans for that... we're slow at work right now, so they have cut back my hours to 25 per week.  Can you say ouch?  So I'm making about half as much right now as I expected to be making.  No fun.  But that's okay.  God has definitely been providing for Taylor and me.  He was able to pick up a couple of extra guitar lessons (even though he really didn't want to) and we have just been watching our spending.

Spending watching is no longer going to cut it!  We are budgeting now.  And it is going to be fun!  The area we normally spend way too much money is... food!  We eat out a lot and when I go to the grocery store I just roam the aisles and put whatever I want in the buggy.  I now have a new habit!  From now on, I am going to make a menu beginning on payday and going through the next payday.  So, I'll have one menu that will last from the first of the month through the 15th, then another that will go from the 16th through the end of the month.  I did, of course, build in a couple of eating out days.  Let's face it, it's going to happen!  So, I took my menu and made a grocery list of ONLY things that we would need to make all that was on my menu.  Did I stick to my grocery list?  Why yes, I did!  The only thing we walked out of the store with that was not on the list was a couple of things for Taylor to have at home to eat for lunch over the next couple of weeks (which I initially forgot to put on the list).

I'm pretty excited about this new budget.  I'm hoping we can stop wasting some money and get some stuff paid off!  I'll post more about it later and update on our progress.  I'm also going to blog my menus so that I can hold myself accountable!  If you ever see something on my menu you'd like to try, just ask!  I don't think I have anything too out of the ordinary, we tried to stay pretty inexpensive for this month.  Here goes!

PS... tonight's dish looks pretty yummy... I've never tried it before, but here is the recipe in case it strikes your fancy :)

Chicken Broccoli Au Gratin

Date	Day	Main	Side	Side
1/17/2011	Monday	Chicken Au Gratin	Broccoli	Mashed Potatoes
1/18/2011	Tuesday	Spaghetti
1/19/2011	Wednesday	Tilapia	Green Beans	Rice
1/20/2011	Thursday	Sandwiches
1/21/2011	Friday	Dinner and a Movie Night
1/22/2011	Saturday (L)	BLTs
	Saturday (D)	Chicken Enchiladas
1/23/2011	Sunday (L)	Pizza
	Sunday (D)	Hamburger Helper	Green Beans
1/24/2011	Monday	Chicken Stir Fry	Egg Rolls
1/25/2011	Tuesday	Pork Chops	English Peas	Garlic Potatoes
1/26/2011	Wednesday	Mahi Mahi	Broccoli	Alfredo Noodles
1/27/2011	Thursday	Macaroni Grill Chicken	Asparagus
1/28/2011	Friday	Texas Roadhouse
1/29/2011	Saturday (L)	Hamburgers	Chips
	Saturday (D)	BBQ Chicken Sand	Fries
1/30/2011	Sunday (L)	Leftovers/Sandwich
	Sunday (D)	Pot Roast	Potatoes	Carrots
1/31/2011	Monday	Beef Strips	Asian Veggies