Dave Ramsey Support Thread ~ Feb 4 - Feb 10

[drabekgirl]

Originally Posted by slimy72 We majorly upped the budget when dh went gluten free, and I started trying to loose weight, which was about the same time we became debt free and finished the EF. We had decided that since we are back in debt again it needed to be cut again. We used to do $200 a month for our family of 3. Then when we upped it we went $400. We'll we decided to compromise and go $250. But last month I ended up using $50 of my gas and scrounging around from all the other budgets to cover it. And here we are 10 days into the month and I've spent almost $200 already. I know I can do better I just need to. I have dry beans soaking on the counter right now. I needed canned beans for soup this week, but realized that I could get dry beans for 1/3 the price so dry beans it is. It's just hard for me sometimes. I want to do all these great money saving things, but I"m also working full time, and have to cook most things from scratch so dh can eat them. But I guess for a while we'll be using even less convenience food than we already were.

Do you can your beans? I know you pressure can and although beans take 90 minutes in the caner, its always nice to know that they are available on demand. Are you doing a freezer challenge still this month? We aren't but instead I'm going GF and sugar free for the month (the boys are iffy on joining me). But still using the items we have on hand first and I've only spent $120 on groceries so far this month (but I haven't hit the cheese factory for $30 worth of cheese) for us 4. And the rest of the month should end up around $400 if it all works according to plans. BTW I can see more of freezers now that I could mid last month that's for sure.

[AmberP]

I am struggling with groceries too. Part of it is pregnancy and morning sickness. Grain free for DH, dairy free for DS and whatever I want to eat (mostly vegetarian) for right now for DD and me. I am hoping that next weekend I manage to stay on budget since I have a bunch of bulk stuff stashed in the kitchen.

The last two weeks, I seriously spent around $560 on groceries. My budget was $350. I feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't seem to make $700/m work.

[Marianna1988]

Originally Posted by lyn1270 working on saving up the EF. DH was supposed to do that when he had the finances, but he didn't smh. so, i'm doing it now. don't think we will even come CLOSE to having enough saved up for our taxes in April, but I'm gonna try to get as much as possible. I may have to either work out payment plan w/IRS or put it on a CC. depends on where I get the best interest rate. Seems like last time I had to do this, the CC had the better interest rate. Most of our CCs have really low rates. Even though we owe a LOT of $$, we pay on time, so our interest rates are always really low. been selling things like a crazy woman LOLOL. It's not much....$30 here...$40 there...but it all helps. $50 of what I made this week will go to DH this week for his spending $$. On our new budget he gets $50/week for his gas and spending. I told him if he couldn't make it on that, then to drink his can of Suck It Up so while it looks bleak, we are on the way!

Bwahahahaha. I just spit out my imaginary water

[Marianna1988]

Originally Posted by AmberP I am struggling with groceries too. Part of it is pregnancy and morning sickness. Grain free for DH, dairy free for DS and whatever I want to eat (mostly vegetarian) for right now for DD and me. I am hoping that next weekend I manage to stay on budget since I have a bunch of bulk stuff stashed in the kitchen. The last two weeks, I seriously spent around $560 on groceries. My budget was $350. I feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't seem to make $700/m work.

Maybe I'm inferring this wrong... Do you make different meals for everyone? Ods is gluten free (I'm not a big rice or quinoa fan, and special gf substitutes are too pricey, so were pretty much grain free except for corn tortillas), and YDS is dairy free. I find its easier to just make one meal that they can both eat. I found its cheaper to do that, even though the ingredients are more expensive, since there's less waste over all. (Not cheap, just cheapER.) I would save more money if I didn't go and do things like crave shrimp scampi 1.5 pounds of shrimp and some white wine set me back a pretty penny lol. I feel guilty knowing I spent 3+ dinners worth of money for one meal, but not as guilty as I would have been if we'd gone out to eat because I couldn't shake that craving

[AmberP]

Originally Posted by Marianna1988 Maybe I'm inferring this wrong... Do you make different meals for everyone? Ods is gluten free (I'm not a big rice or quinoa fan, and special gf substitutes are too pricey, so were pretty much grain free except for corn tortillas), and YDS is dairy free. I find its easier to just make one meal that they can both eat. I found its cheaper to do that, even though the ingredients are more expensive, since there's less waste over all. (Not cheap, just cheapER.) I would save more money if I didn't go and do things like crave shrimp scampi 1.5 pounds of shrimp and some white wine set me back a pretty penny lol. I feel guilty knowing I spent 3+ dinners worth of money for one meal, but not as guilty as I would have been if we'd gone out to eat because I couldn't shake that craving

I only make meals for me right now now. Normally we all eat the same thing, but DH eats paleo and I can't stand to look at meat (raw or cooked) Most of what I am eating is carb-heavy rice or wheat based right now. DS doesn't eat meat at all, unless it is bacon or costco chicken. I think he's insane.... but mostly he eats fruit and some veggies. So it is kind of messy all around right now.

But yes, normally, we all have one thing together except for DS who doesn't eat anything we cook.

[lyn1270]

i've got our budget going along smoothly (i think LOL). i allotted $825/month on groceries for the 5 of us. I'm vegan, and I cook 99.9% of every meal from scratch. And we RARELY eat out...and by rarely I mean the kids get to go to Chuck E Cheese if we are invited or they go to Gma's and she takes them to BK. I also include dog/cat food and any kind of cleaners/TP/hygiene products in our grocery budget. anyway....went to the grocery today...spent $104 out of our grocery budget and $40 out of my cash that I got from selling stuff. I'm trying to spend as little out of the actual budget so I can save up as much as I can for the IRS. all that I bought should last us til the end of next week or maybe the middle of the next week. I was happy with the amt considering that 90% of what I bought was produce.

[mrscompgeek]

GAH!!! We literally JUST this week got our Emergency fund up to $1,000 from tax refund. Today- Our fridge died. Seriously? We havent had an Emergency fund for over a year because everytime we get money in it something dies. I am so depressed. We literally can not keep money in it for more then a week.

[slimy72]

I really need to do the pantry challenge. I think that's been part of it this month. With some encouragement from my family (dh and extended) I am getting ready to start a gluten free recipe blog. I've developed a lot of really good recipes and they want me to share them. So I've been doing a ton of testing and playing that I wouldn't normally do, and things like frozen blackberries for a cobbler so I can retest my sourdough biscuit cobbler topping again add up. Last month I had blackberries in the freezer but this month I was out and wanted to give it one more tweak. I need to buckle back down and eat out of the freezer. We've got so much food in the house it's nuts it's just not always what I want or need for a new recipe I'm working on. So, I need to re focus. I still have tons of stuff in the freezer to use but we're down to all the stuff I don't know what to do with or don't like. I need to force myself to use it up. I'm just being lazy is what it's really coming down to. I think of this yummy new muffin flavor I just have to try so instead of using up the oranges and cranberries or blueberries to make a flavor of muffins I know works I"m going out and buying lemons and raspberries to try a new variation and get the measurements right in my recipe. I mean my family is still eating the food so it's not like it's going to waste, it's just not focused on what it should.

[slimy72]

Originally Posted by mrscompgeek GAH!!! We literally JUST this week got our Emergency fund up to $1,000 from tax refund. Today- Our fridge died. Seriously? We havent had an Emergency fund for over a year because everytime we get money in it something dies. I am so depressed. We literally can not keep money in it for more then a week.

But a fridge shouldn't take all of that. We got our old fridge off craigslist for $150. Worked great, nice side by side with water and ice. Unfortunately I "wanted" all new matching appliances. That want is part of what contributed to our debt when we found DR. We had a loan for all new kitchen appliances. If only I'd known what all my wanting things would cause for us...

[mrscompgeek]

Originally Posted by slimy72 But a fridge shouldn't take all of that. We got our old fridge off craigslist for $150. Worked great, nice side by side with water and ice. Unfortunately I "wanted" all new matching appliances. That want is part of what contributed to our debt when we found DR. We had a loan for all new kitchen appliances. If only I'd known what all my wanting things would cause for us...

I know, its just frustrating. We finally felt "caught up" on things and decided to get a much needed couch with what was left of our tax refund. We went and bought the couch yesterday. I feel guilty.