With Jim and me trying to save money I have decided one of the first places I am going to start is our grocery bill.  I do have to say that I menu plan every week, and we shop for our groceries bi weekly.  And when we go grocery shopping we spend from $150.00 to $200.00 every two weeks for a family of 5, three dogs, and three cats. Not to bad but I want to spend less.

This week I picked up all of our grocery store ads, and started clipping coupons like crazy.  I planned 14 days worth of lunches and suppers off of the ads and what was on sale and what coupons I had.  And I did awesome.

I spent 170.00 at the store and after my coupons and the ads I walked out of the store at 139.00 that is awesome.  And that means that for the next two weeks no eating out. Do you know how much money that alone will save us. I know crazy.  Jim and I eat out lunch normally about 2 times a week and we spend 20 each time.  So that is 40.00  a week and 120.00 a month.  That in it’s self is a lot of money we are saving. 

I plan on keeping this new habit up forever.

Jim and I decided that this year we were going to get out of debt.  It is something we have talked about for quiet some time now but never really done anything about.  Although now that we look back it is something we should have started a long time ago.

I have always heard that things happen for a reason and I am a true believer of that.  Our Church offered a 13 week Financial Peace University Course by Dave Ramsey and we jumped all over it.  It came at the perfect time.  It was defiantly a sign that it was time for us to get rid of our debt and start saving some money.

This last 6 months is the first time we can actually say we are not living paycheck to paycheck.  We are not scraping by the last few days before we get paid.  And that is a great feeling but now we want to not only have that feeling but be rid of our debt and have money in savings.  Have a college fund for the kids and starting buying things with cash not credit. 

I do have to say that we are not doing too badly.  We only have one credit card and don’t owe very much on it.  And during this course we will be cutting it up.  Yes we are excited about this part.   Very excited to be honest. 

After our first week of the course I am proud to say that we have money in savings.  No it is not a huge about but it is there. Waiting for that emergency to come that we all get at least once in our lives.

So until next time.

• Pork Loin Sandwiches
• Pigs in the Blanket
• Chicken Helper 
• Taco Salad
• Keilbasa Soup
• Chicken Enchaladas (we did not have them last week)
  

Do you have a Sunday Routine?  We do at the Gardner Household.  Sundays are a very relaxing day.  A day to spend with our families. And a day to get things done around the house. 

A normal Sunday for us.

Church

Come back home and get in super comfy cloths

Brunch

Clean House

Do Laundry

Play with the kids

Lunch

Play with the kids

Make my to do list for the week

Get office ready for Monday

Laundry

Supper

Bath and bedtime

Nothing super fun going on in our house. What is your Sunday life like?