Just chilling in January (2015 frugal chatter)

[thriftygranny]

I looked back and last year I averaged $129 per month to feed our family of 3 including one teen girl. I think food is more expensive here than in Ontario but cheaper than the far North for sure-no cats and dogs included here! Anyway for less than $20 per day we have a healthy diet with lots of variety. There would of course be room to cut back if there was ever a need to-somehow after watching that Call the Midwife and watching the baby eat bread with condensed milk it is amazing the variety of healthy foods most of us have, compared to post war Britain where I was born!

Please tell me it is 129.00 per week not per month, I try to do 150.00 per week with three of us one being a teenage boy and the never ending revolving door of his friends and two dogs, I also bake for my grand daughters lunches!!

[Ciel]

Borrowed the car to see if the HST payment arrived this weekend-yes! Was able to get some specials from Food Basics, Shoppers and Fortino's (kind of went over budget but treats!). Did not want to wait for tomorrow as the big freeze is setting in tonight. Purchased two newspapers to add to reading options for the family (and hoping the tv stays off longer too).

Tomorrow-goal is to find a winter jacket for under $10 at a secondhand store. Or I'm in for a long winter indoors.

From what's been posted in coupons, there's a Smart Source coming out this week so we'll see some coupons.

Re:family dinners and even household chores-something has to give if the same people are doing them all the time. There have to be days off where other members can fend for themselves or go without. Harder to do if you're the primary caregiver to little ones or have pets that up and at them when you'd rather enjoy another hour at repose.
@jasperandchar-your sons are going to be popular! Hope you can treat them to a points redemption at Shoppers for fun things (joint or individual) to let them know they are helping the family with their efforts and there are rewards too. Great progress on project room reno! I like the idea of rinsing plates and can understand tackling the bigger dishes/pots first-gets them out of the way.
@SassyAshley-yes, you told Mom that the money is going to be lighter for awhile. That's a code red message for the household budget and you did your part. Hope you both can agree on which are your primary stores for groceries and which ones are for the runs you can do together to get those specials you need to stock up on. Room makeover is proceeding-yay! I like the Swiffer duster for nabbing cobwebs in the room corners up by the ceiling-then I don't have to try to balance a vacuum cleaner while reaching out with the wand!
@lizziebargain & @thriftygranny -you are indeed fortunate to have caring family to help out where needed for gatherings and for daily living. It gives you time to enjoy company as well!
@avoncallingu-glad you had DH for company given the potential weather situation. Nice to have a familiar face around for the long drive. The hotel was "insurance" and it gave you peace of mind.
@Angela273-any chance one of your volunteer peers could help you with LO if you needed a morning or afternoon off to rest or to have for your errands/personal time? I can see why you'd want to mention to schools about your pregnancy but would that potentially put you out of consideration for work in that some grade teachers might assume you cannot take on a certain grade because of active or challenging students. Perhaps the interim solution is to mention the pregnancy and what you are still willing to accept as teaching work (that minimizes any movement or activity that could make you ill at this stage), so you are not leaving the teachers/principals to assume on their own that you will more likely refuse to work rather than to work with some boundaries?

[Ciel]

Is anyone making an Epiphany cake tomorrow for the 12th day of Christmas, when the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus? Just curious.

[Angela273]

@Ciel - Thank you for voicing concerns and questions.
I am going to tell the Catholic schools only at this point. They will be happy for a growing Catholic family. The one Catholic school in town has 2 staff out on maternity leave right now, so I don't think they will have any problem with me continuing to teach. I will make sure that they all know that I am going to continue teaching. I had a temporary full-time teaching position when I was pregnant with LO (Jan-Jun, 6.5months at the end).

I teach in the public system but I want to keep it quiet with them for now. If I need 1/2 day "off" from LO, I can take LO to his full-time daycare spot that we pay for. There is one volunteer position that I am going to tell about my pregnancy this week, but the others I will not. I am vice-chair on a board and they are all school related employees, so I don't want them to know yet...if I can avoid it.

[lizzie bargain]

TG-you are right, I meant $129 per week-we would all be malnourished if I only spent that per month!!

[Ciel]

Coupons-erred. It's Red Plum's turn, not Smart Source's, next week. Sorry!

[Frugalbigmama]

Have cookies in the oven for a treat. Nice and warm with cold milk. Yum! Eggs are ready for quick egg muffins for kids. I will make oatmeal in a few moments and put in fridge to grab in morning and pack healthy snacks. Will come home for lunch and get a few things done.

[thriftygranny]

For those of us in the west there is a great deal at Coop if you get the Coupdon App in your area.Vector cereal and all types of Special k are on sale for 3.99(I know there are 1.00 coupons out there but I don't have any) If you have the Coupdon App for Coop there are coupons for both types of cereal for 2.00 as well as a 5.00 rebate on check out 51 if you buy two vector or 1.00 for various special k cereals.
All the boxes I purchased today had pins for a free product coupon on them most of them being valued at 4.00.
so here is the math:
Vector-2 x 3.99=7.98-4.00 Coupdon App = 3.98 -5.00 check out 51=1.02 money maker plus a free product coupon
Special k-3.99 minus 2.00 Coupdon =1.99 - 1.00 Checkout 51 =.99 plus a free product coupon

[jasperandchar]

saundyl I agree with your family I think you need to be looked at as it's been quite a while (Dec. 6th), take care of yourself

[Frugalbigmama]

Had the leftover pasta for dinner since I was too lazy to get Chinese and too cheap to have it delivered lol. Chinese for sure next weekend when we are away for a hockey tournament . Have to plan the food I'm taking to save us time and $$. We have fridges in hotel rooms which is nice.

[thriftygranny]

TG-you are right, I meant $129 per week-we would all be malnourished if I only spent that per month!!

OK i feel better about my budgeting skills!!!I was going to ask for some tutoring.

[jasperandchar]

Is anyone making an Epiphany cake tomorrow for the 12th day of Christmas, when the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus? Just curious.

no but if someone does please post a picture, I would love to see it

[jasperandchar]

ciel glad you were able to get a few treats with your hst

[jasperandchar]

TG-you are right, I meant $129 per week-we would all be malnourished if I only spent that per month!!

or a magic wand lizzie

[jasperandchar]

OK i feel better about my budgeting skills!!!I was going to ask for some tutoring.

so was I