Winter Blues - Getting Back on Track

 

Lilly in her new winter blanket

Well, winter is here...but it's not even winter yet! We still have over a week until the Solistice but here we have had a total of 15" of snow in about two weeks. Every Monday has been horrible and I have been unable to leave the house with my insufficient rear wheel drive vehicle. Jake, being a Minnesota boy, can drive a junk car with bald tires down an icy switchback in reverse without leaving the road. So we can get out. And as long as the grocery stores are open we are good. Though there was, no joke, ONE loaf of bread at the store yesterday. In...The...Whole...STORE!  People are so brainwashed.

 

I witnessed a fellow shopper experience an epiphany at our local grocery store meat counter last week. I often spend most of my time in front of the meat at the store looking for bargains and the best price per pound available. Most other shoppers just pick up what they see without even considering price. And they get aggravated waiting for me to finish picking and choosing what I need for that week and to stockpile for later. I often feel guilty, but realize that the money I save is most important to my family. With the recent economical challenges we are facing today, I saw a fellow shopper stop and pour over the meat as I do while I patiently waited for my turn. She remarked "Why, the ground chuck is actually cheaper in these bigger packages! Why would I buy this little package when I could get double the amount for the same price?" We got into a conversation about how to save and how to conserve. She had just run into hard times and had to adopt a budget. How many of us have had to do that recently? 

As you can see from the receipt above, I saved over $1000 dollars this year with coupons and buying items on sale. My rule is that I only buy things that are on sale or couponed cheaper than the store brand or the store brand itself.  My strategy may sound stingy, but my husband has agreed to live without the brand name foods and has admitted that he can tell no difference. We have a few luxuries, like coffee, that we buy full price. But if I find a coupon...whoo boy! I stock up. I think the receipt above shows volumes. I started with a $100 per week budget, but have squeezed it down to $80 per week utilizing stockpiling and growing our vegetables. 

Our newest addition has been our pasture. With the help of good friends and early frosts, we cleared our north pasture of excess trees and brush and fenced it in for our beloved horses. Now they are in our own yard where they can get daily care and know that we are right there to nicker at for treats and attentions. It has made the year end worth it to see our hard work pay off. Next up is the chickens. I'll have to poke and prod at Jake some more for that this spring. Crossing my fingers!