T-SHIRT CONTEST... name the song and songwriter referenced in the post title and win a TOTP t-shirt. Genice, I haven't forgotten you. Your shirt from the last contest should be delivered in 4-6 months.
Once in a while amateur bloggers like myself go for a long stretch with no posts. Sometimes I feel like an explanation is warranted, other times not.
Here's a short one. May sound strange, but I've not posted here in a couple of months mostly because I've had a lot to say. Trouble was, lots of other folks had a lot to say and I didn't feel compelled to contribute to the noise.
My last post was just prior to the election. I did my best to refrain from sharing political opinions on TOTP this year, at least I think I did, but the polls are long since closed so I thought I'd share a few thoughts now. Not just all about politics, but here are a few snippets of what's been on my mind. Thoughts that could have become whole posts, but didn't. Remember, I take requests, so if there's something you'd like to see a full post on, let me know.
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If you say things like "We need to get prayer back into schools!" when discussing politics, but are not praying in your home. Repent.
If you complain about the national debt, fiscal responsibility, and the nanny state, but do not have your own finances in order and are not giving to help the poor, orphans, and widows. Repent.
If you think that a POTUS can create jobs, then you are mistaken.
If you think that millionaires should be taxed more and pay their "fair share", would you please define millionaire? Is it someone who makes a million dollars a year, or someone who took care of their money over a lifetime of hard work and good stewardship and now has assets of over $1 million?
I've been called a "one of those rich one-percenters" by a co-worker of mine whose household income is twice mine. He says he's not one because he has trouble keeping up with his payments and votes for democrats. (He's from California)
There are Christians in China even though it has never been a "Christian" nation. You can still be a disciple of Jesus even if you think the USA doomed from hell to breakfast. Ain't it so, Granny Rose?
Are we the first culture in history whose poor folks are fat and rich folks are skinny?
I don't believe that banning guns or posting armed guards at schools are answers to a problem. I think "the problem" is not really a problem, but a symptom of the degradation of our society. It's a forest and trees thing.
I'm proud to be a Texican.
I'm really enjoying being married to my wife and the life we have together. I find myself being more thankful for her and the fact that "she loves me in spite of my ways that she don't understand."
I don't have a problem with people being ignorant of current events and politics because of disinterest or lack of television watching. I'm perturbed that so many in our society (from all political persuasions) are getting their "news" from facebook, Comedy Central, and email forwards and believing themselves to be well informed.
I shared with my wife recently that this Christmas season just seemed to be sad and without hope for many around us and for our world at large. But isn't Christmas all about "the thrill of hope" and a chance and reminder for the weary world to rejoice? So let us put our hope in Christ and as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians...."Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
I'll leave you with my one of my favorite songs of the year...
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween
We had several events to dress up for this year. The girls always love an opportunity to dress up! And the boys didn't really care.
The first was our church's Trunk or Treat.
J not really dressed up, but sporting the black plastic teeth. J was a little cautious this year. She kept asking, "Mom, are you sure everyone will be dressed up. You lied last year. No one was dressed up.". My response to that,"Yes. Ummmm, I don't think I did, pretty sure everyone was dressed up last year too.".
G is an angel, or a princess or a bride. Depending on what answer she gave to whom she was answering, or what she felt like at the time of questioning.
A is a candy corn.
W is a cowboy with a horse.
L is a pirate.
Then there was the school dress up day. J was Merida and G was a Barbie princess.
Fairytale Feast. G is Princess from one of her Barbie books. Her sweet friend was Gretel.
A. could wear whatever and she chose to be candy corn. W. went with me to take A and he was wearing his Superman costume/pjs that day too.
And lastly was October 31st. Church had crafts and games. Then we came home and walked the block.
G with her caramel apple.
J making her caramel apple.
W painting with water colors.
A with MN and HS bedazzling a leaf.
J is Hannah Montana. G is Taylor Swift. A is Cinderella. W didn't want to wear a costume, so he wore his I Love My Mummy shirt. L is a pirate.
The first was our church's Trunk or Treat.
J not really dressed up, but sporting the black plastic teeth. J was a little cautious this year. She kept asking, "Mom, are you sure everyone will be dressed up. You lied last year. No one was dressed up.". My response to that,"Yes. Ummmm, I don't think I did, pretty sure everyone was dressed up last year too.".
Then there was the school dress up day. J was Merida and G was a Barbie princess.
A. could wear whatever and she chose to be candy corn. W. went with me to take A and he was wearing his Superman costume/pjs that day too.
And lastly was October 31st. Church had crafts and games. Then we came home and walked the block.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Great Expectations vs. Reality
Great Expectations
Beyond just providing for their needs and protection, daddys love to do special things just for their daughters just because. A couple of months ago we found out that Francesca Battistelli was going to be playing in Waco. We saw her play a set at Sea World 18 months ago, but this was going to be her tour. She's the headliner. We knew that we wanted to take the girls, she's their favorite, but I wanted to give them something more. I looked into it and found out that there were VIP tickets available so I called the company producing the tour to get the details. VIP tickets would include those cool laminate VIP cards on a lanyard, a poster, preferred seating, and a meet and greet session with Francesca before show. It was an easy sell. By midnight on the 23rd of October I was going to be the best daddy in Texas. The girls would get to meet one of their heroes. The boys would have splendid behavior. Leslie and Francesca would become great friends and would exchange parenting stories and emails.
Reality Strikes
We picked the girls up from school, drove to Waco, and had an early supper at Chuy's. My first time at Chuy's and I was impressed. Good food, good service, reasonable prices. Loved the creamy jalapeno and boom-boom sauces. After stuffing our guts, Jones and Annie changed into their Francesca t-shirts. (Georgia had worn her's to school.)
We loaded up and made our way to Columbia Avenue Baptist Church. VIP seating was at 5:30. We were given our posters and put on our cool VIP pass lanyards and were shown to the front row. I asked about the meet and greet session and was told that they weren't sure if that was going to happen, but that there would be an autograph line after the show. My plans were already falling apart.
The concert wasn't supposed to start until 7:00. Now we had five kids on our hands, 90 minutes to kill, plus three opening acts to get through until Francesca time. Fortunately, I'm married to a woman who makes instant friends where ever she goes. We met a lady and her seven-year-old daughter who had traveled from Roundrock with the same plans that we had. The girls and moms spent the time playing and visiting with their new friends while I did my best to entertain the boys. I was proud of the kids for their patience and good behavior.
Finally, the hour was nigh.
Concert Review
The church was a slightly smaller version of the Ryman Auditorium, my favorite concert venue.
City Harbor, a guy and gal duo, opened the show. Great acoustic sound accompanied by the drummer from Sidwalk Prophets playing a box with his hands and a suitcase and tamborine with foot pedals. Their short set concluded with a great version of one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I liked them enough to by their 4 song EP after the show. I wasn't sure what the girls thought of them at the time, but it was what Georgia and Annie wanted to listen to on repeat the next morning.
Here is their best song...
Andy Cherry was next. I didn't like the looks of the guy when he came on stage, but by the end of the first song I was a fan. Things got loud when he hit the stage. I'd brought foam earplugs for the kids, but it was a little too loud for Annie and Loden. She snuggled her hear against my chest and Leslie papoosed Loden against hers. A one man show, he built his songs using looped guitar riffs and got the crowd involved and singing with him. He had every one on their feet and finished his set with a roof raising version of Nothing But the Blood.
Sidewalk Prophets came on next and put on a great show. The kids were more responsive to them since they were familiar with some of their songs from the radio. They are a great rock-and-roll band. Much better live and loud than they are on the radio. I listened to their Live Like That CD all the way through today. My favorite song is the one they opened with at the concert, Wrecking Ball. Check it out....
Right after Sidewalk Prophets left the stage, Francesca strolled out by herself and kind of took everyone off guard. You expect the headliner to have some big intro or something, but we looked up and there she was. She thanked everyone for coming, then brought out her husband and they talked about World Vision and opportunities to sponsor children in third world countries. I think this was a good time for my girls to see that Francesca was just a regular person with a husband and kids. She left the stage and there was a 15 min intermission before her showtime.
By the time Francesca hit the stage with her band it was past bedtime for our kids, but they hung in there. Annie and West spent most of the time in our laps. Jones and Georgia and their new friend mostly just sat in their seats and stared with rapt attention as their favorite singer sang the favorite songs 10 feet in front of them. She shared with the audience some personal stories about herself, her family, and some of the band members, and that it had been a stressful day personally. Turned out that this was the 20th date on this particular tour.
Just Frannie and her husband, Matt, while the rest of the band took a break.
Francesca and her band did a great job with every song. Here's the last minute of "Free To Be Me".....
Reality Settles In
After the show we visited the merchandise tables and were told that Frannie was not feeling well and wouldn't be doing a welcome line or signing autographs. We did the potty shuffle and got everyone into their jammies and seatbelts and started for home around 10:45.
The kids all passed out soon after we left the parking lot and Leslie and I had 30 minutes of driving time to process things on the way home. Whatever bitterness that had started to growing about not getting our meet and greet session melted to disappointment, then faded to understanding on our way home. Francesca is a young mom with a son West's age and a daughter born a couple of weeks before Loden. She'd been traveling around the country on a bus for over a month, had played in Oklahoma the night before, and would be playing another show in Indiana on Thursday. We were dealing with the hassle of traveling 30 miles to Waco and a late bedtime for one night, while she was in the middle of a two month stretch of late nights away from home.
I don't regret the time or money we spent taking the kids to the show. Front and center seats were awesome. It was a great time for all of us. I was reminded of some things though:
Even sort of famous people are still people.
By default I'm the coolest daddy my girls have no matter what kind of tickets I can get. They're stuck with me.
Being a mom is a hard job full of emotions that I can observe, but can't understand.
I love my wife.
My girls probably think that a $2 doughnut date before school is just as special as dinner out and a Francesca concert.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Mix-Tape-CD
What with Pandora on my phone and a 37gigazillion mp3 player, I rarely put a CD in a player anymore.
But I found this one a while back and have been listening to it all week. It's a mix-tape-cd that I gave to Leslie 10 years ago shortly before our engagement.
Scott Meyer said in one of his recent sermons on marriage, "Marriage isn't supposed to make you happy, it's supposed to make you holy." Amen, Scott, but it sure is a lot more pleasant if you can have some happy too. I've figured out that one of the keys to marital bliss is reminding myself of why I wanted to marry that girl in the first place, remembering what I was feeling when I took the time to chose a bunch of songs to put on a CD for her.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from some of those songs:
I've never been good with my thoughts and even worse with my words,
but you read like familiar poetry that I have never heard.
I wish I could tell you,
but I just can't find the words. -from Sandra McCracken
I've got my mind made up I've got to love you or leave you fast,
'cause I've been thinking straight but I don't know how long that will last. -from Derek Webb
Now I know how the river feels when it reaches the sea,
and finally finds the place it was always meant to be. -from Diamond Rio
I know you're wondering what else is on it, so here's the playlist with links to the youtubes of some of them.
Springtime Indiana- Sandra McCracken
For the Longest Time- Billy Joel
She's Always A Woman- Billy Joel
It Ain't Necessarily So- Willie Nelson
Rainbow Connection- Willie Nelson
Daring Daylight Escape- Derek Webb
Theme of Love- The Acappella Company
The Way You Make Me Feel- Michael Jackson
Now I Know How the River Feels- Diamond Rio
Stand By Me- Ben E King
Robin and Marian- Nickle Creek
Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You- Dave Branson and Carrie Tungate
But I found this one a while back and have been listening to it all week. It's a mix-tape-cd that I gave to Leslie 10 years ago shortly before our engagement.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from some of those songs:
I've never been good with my thoughts and even worse with my words,
but you read like familiar poetry that I have never heard.
I wish I could tell you,
but I just can't find the words. -from Sandra McCracken
I've got my mind made up I've got to love you or leave you fast,
'cause I've been thinking straight but I don't know how long that will last. -from Derek Webb
Now I know how the river feels when it reaches the sea,
and finally finds the place it was always meant to be. -from Diamond Rio
I know you're wondering what else is on it, so here's the playlist with links to the youtubes of some of them.
Springtime Indiana- Sandra McCracken
For the Longest Time- Billy Joel
She's Always A Woman- Billy Joel
It Ain't Necessarily So- Willie Nelson
Rainbow Connection- Willie Nelson
Daring Daylight Escape- Derek Webb
Theme of Love- The Acappella Company
The Way You Make Me Feel- Michael Jackson
Now I Know How the River Feels- Diamond Rio
Stand By Me- Ben E King
Robin and Marian- Nickle Creek
Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You- Dave Branson and Carrie Tungate
Friday, October 5, 2012
Yesterday Was A Good Day
Running down the rails last night I was thinking back over my day and was reminded of how blessed I am with my home and family. Here's a review of my day:
I got home around 6 a.m. after a long night at work.
I spent some time with Blacker, who is recovering from her spay surgery.
Then I got to snuggle with Loden and watch him practice his smile skills after his breakfast.
Then I got to wake up my girls and fix breakfast for them.
When Leslie got home from taking Jonesy and Georgia to school it was my turn to go to bed. Annie tucked me in. She's the best tucker inner, snuggling, patting me, and talking about whatever comes to her mind.
I slept until 1:30, got up and had cookies and milk for breakfast/lunch.
We loaded up with the boys and went to pick Annie up from pre-school, went to HEB for gas, then to pick up Jonesy and Georgia from school.
After we got home, Georgia and Annie went with me to put gas in the pick-up and then to Walgreens to watch me get a flu shot. They were impressed that I didn't cry. We also purchased ice cream and candy bars to smash up for toppings for dessert.
When we got home, Leslie had to leave to go to a conference with Georgia's teacher. No, she's not in trouble.
While Leslie was gone I fixed supper and the kids decorated our front yard for Halloween. Jump ropes hanging from the tree, black crepe paper and orange duck tape stuck to everywhere they could get it to stick.
When Mama got home we had supper.
As we finished our meal I was ordered to go back to work. After I got ready to leave for work we had our dessert.
I got a round of hugs and kisses before I left.
Amen.
I got home around 6 a.m. after a long night at work.
I spent some time with Blacker, who is recovering from her spay surgery.
Then I got to snuggle with Loden and watch him practice his smile skills after his breakfast.
Then I got to wake up my girls and fix breakfast for them.
When Leslie got home from taking Jonesy and Georgia to school it was my turn to go to bed. Annie tucked me in. She's the best tucker inner, snuggling, patting me, and talking about whatever comes to her mind.
I slept until 1:30, got up and had cookies and milk for breakfast/lunch.
We loaded up with the boys and went to pick Annie up from pre-school, went to HEB for gas, then to pick up Jonesy and Georgia from school.
After we got home, Georgia and Annie went with me to put gas in the pick-up and then to Walgreens to watch me get a flu shot. They were impressed that I didn't cry. We also purchased ice cream and candy bars to smash up for toppings for dessert.
When we got home, Leslie had to leave to go to a conference with Georgia's teacher. No, she's not in trouble.
While Leslie was gone I fixed supper and the kids decorated our front yard for Halloween. Jump ropes hanging from the tree, black crepe paper and orange duck tape stuck to everywhere they could get it to stick.
When Mama got home we had supper.
As we finished our meal I was ordered to go back to work. After I got ready to leave for work we had our dessert.
I got a round of hugs and kisses before I left.
Amen.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Flabbergasted- Money Stuff Part 2
Observation: It seemed that the assumption of the writer was that divorce is so normal that people should prepare for it throughout their marriage.
Proposition: If divorce is an option on the table from the day a couple says I do. It is more likely that someday they will opt for that option.
Observation: The advice was to put time and effort into preparing your finances while things are stable so that when you eventually split the sheets you will be prepared.
Proposition: If you put the same time and effort into serving your spouse and communicating together about your finances, perhaps she would still love you when you're 64. (another t-shirt contest...name the song and artist)
Proposition: If she had spent half of that money good marriage counseling and the other half paying for a massage, a makeover, and a long weekend vacation seducing her husband perhaps she might still be married.
Observation: The article is about getting in shape financially for a divorce.
Proposition: Divorce is far less likely if you are in shape financially prior to saying "I do" and continue to work on your financial health throughout the marriage.
Disclaimer: I understand that everyone reading this knows people who have been through a divorce and whose suffering was compounded because they were not financially prepared. I take issue with and grieve over the state of our culture, where financial problems are the leading cause of divorce and failed marriages are so commonplace that this sort of article has a place in the daily paper.
“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.'"
-Jesus the Christ, Gospel of Luke ch. 14
Scott Meyer is in the middle of a series of messages on marriage. Check them out here http://vimeo.com/westernhills.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Grocery Shopping
This is a different sort of post for me. I'd thought about writing it for a while and never did because I didn't think everyone who looks in here at TOTP would be interested. After talking about it with my wife I've decided to go ahead. No, it's not about anything controversial. It's about grocery shopping and how we've learned to reduce the amount of money we spend on food.
If you cringe at words like budget and you think Dave Ramsey is a moron then you probably don't want to read this. This may be the first in a series of posts about money. Jesus talked about it a lot so I will too. I've discovered over the last couple of years that, in a lost world suffering through "economic crisis", discussions that start with talk about money have lead to more opportunities for me to witness for Jesus than anything else.
Like me you've probably read plenty of other articles or seen fluffy consumer reporting on how to save money on groceries. They usually boil down to the same things: use coupons, use a list, buy in bulk, etc, but I've discovered that those same things that can save you money can also cause your grocery bill to go up.
Coupons and "It was on sale."
Saving money can cost you more. There is a difference in saving money and sticking to a budget. A budget is not what you spent, it is the predetermined amount you will spend on groceries for a given time period before you go to the store. Coupons can save you money, but they can also inflate your grocery bill. Yes, it's weird, but let me explain. If you use a coupon for $1 off of a $5 jar of pickled pigs feet, you save 20% on your purchase, but you also spend $4 that you wouldn't have otherwise spent if your family doesn't like pork or pickles. If you are shopping on a budget, then beware of buying something just because it is on sale. You need to ask yourself if your family will eat it and if there is room enough in that trip's budget to buy it. Remember, the point is not just to save money on individual items or to get a good deal, the primary goal is to lower your grocery bill so that you can stick to your predetermined grocery budget.
I use them, but I don't spend much time or worry on coupons. I don't subscribe to any coupon service or print them online. I buy a big city Sunday paper when I can and get my coupons from there.
Lists, Menus, and Recipes
Shopping with a list can lower your grocery bill. Basing that list off of a projected menu might allow you to keep things under control, but is unlikely to lower your total at the register. Basing that list off of recipes will likely increase your grocery bill. So how do you make a list without thinking about a menu or recipes???
When making your list, base it on things you need and things you have a coupon for. As you shop and find out what else is on sale, you can begin planning your menu based on the things you are purchasing. If you have picky eaters in your house, you'll need to let them know that being picky is a privilege reserved for rich folks.
Begin your "rough draft" list by limiting it to staples, those things that our household consumes every week. If you are a new at shopping with a budget, estimate the cost as well.
I call it my base list and it might look something like this...
$6 milk x 2 gal
$6 cheese
$2 eggs
$2 bread
$2 tortillas
$6 fruit
$6 vegetables
$3 coffee
$5 cereal/oatmeal
$1 dry frijoles
$1 rice
=$40
If you are shopping with a set budgeted amount (you should), subtract this total from your budget. Your mission will be to get as much as you can with what is left.
Below the base list, make a list based on the rest of your coupons. Then add whatever items your family has requested. Remember that just because it's on the list doesn't mean you have to get it. My kids know that they can add something they want to the list, but that if I don't have a coupon or it's not on sale I won't buy it.
I go shopping with three envelopes. (Yes, I confess that I'm a grocery nerd.) One with my coupons, one with my grocery budget cash, and an empty one. After my rough draft list is complete, I rewrite it on the empty envelope reorganizing it based on where things are in the store. Frozen, dairy, canned, produce, etc. As I shop I move my coupons from the coupon envelope to the list envelope.
Shop At The Grocery Store For Groceries
Crazy concept, huh? I think there are too many non-grocery distractions at places like Wal-Mart , they rarely have in-store sales, and often have limited selections that will limit your coupon use. I don't have anything against Wal-Mart, but you will spend more on groceries there than you will with a purposeful trip to HEB.
*We usually get the meal deal at HEB, but remember if your family won't eat it, then don't buy it.
If the item you have to buy to get the free stuff is prepackaged meat, be sure to sort through the bin and check the price marked on the packages. For example, last month if you bought pre-packaged fajita beef or chicken you could get frijoles, tortillas, cheese, Big Red, and salad for free. The beef packages were priced from $18-$25 and the chicken packages were $9-$15. I could get the same free stuff whether I spent $25 on beef or $9 on chicken, so I sorted through the bin to find the least expensive package of chicken that I could.
*You should never pay for salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and soda pop. Those items are on the meal deal or a combo-loco often enough that you should stay stocked up without ever having to pay for them.
*You should never pay full-price for bread, salsa, pre-packaged salads, cereal, or ice cream. There are usually in-store coupons for those items. You may not get to buy the same brand every time, but you will save money.
*You should never pay more than $1 per pound for chicken. HEB regularly runs whole chickens on sale for 87 cents/lb, breasts for $1/lb, and drumsticks for $1/lb. If chicken is not on sale, don't buy it.
ORGANIC
Maybe you are one of those who think that eating all organic all the time is going to save the planet and keep you from dying. That's fine, I enjoy growing my own vegetables and shooting my own protein, but if you insist on buying all-organic at the grocery store you need to understand that you're going to spend more on your groceries and you will still die someday. Ask a starving kid in Tererzikistan if he would reject food because it wasn't certified as "organic" by some government agency he would look at you like you were crazy. If the celebrity that you trust most to give you life advice says that he only eats "orgainc" understand that he can probably afford to buy the whole store. Understand that worrying about and shopping for good organic is a rich people problem. If you aren't rich people, you can't afford to worry about it. Non-organic won't kill you and perhaps you could make being "organic" one of your financial goals.
Additional Tips
*Get to know your store. Become familiar with where things are, what "normal" prices are, where they put the sale items.
*Clean out your pantry and refrigerator before you go shopping. It will help you see what you do and don't need to buy and will make unloading your haul less stressful.
*Don't go shopping in a hurry. Allow yourself enough time to make smart choices.
*Potatoes have gotten bad press in the "carbs are evil" era, but they are versatile, full of vitamins, and cheap. The same can be said of beans, rice, carrots, and pastas.
*Mixing grocery and non-grocery shopping will cost you more money. Don't do it!
*We get paid twice a month, so we budget twice a month. I usually do a big grocery trip every two weeks and spend about two-thirds of our budgeted grocery cash . When I get home, I give the remaining cash to Leslie and she uses that until the next budget cycle to buy things that might run out like milk, fruit, and bread or things that come up like Sonic cravings or something to contribute to our home group meal.
Grocery shopping alone isn't going to make or break your finances, but it can be a small victory that will help spur you on to winning with money. When you win enough small victories in your household budget it can be like getting a raise. So get after it and PUNCH IT IN THE FACE!!!
If you cringe at words like budget and you think Dave Ramsey is a moron then you probably don't want to read this. This may be the first in a series of posts about money. Jesus talked about it a lot so I will too. I've discovered over the last couple of years that, in a lost world suffering through "economic crisis", discussions that start with talk about money have lead to more opportunities for me to witness for Jesus than anything else.
Like me you've probably read plenty of other articles or seen fluffy consumer reporting on how to save money on groceries. They usually boil down to the same things: use coupons, use a list, buy in bulk, etc, but I've discovered that those same things that can save you money can also cause your grocery bill to go up.
Coupons and "It was on sale."
Saving money can cost you more. There is a difference in saving money and sticking to a budget. A budget is not what you spent, it is the predetermined amount you will spend on groceries for a given time period before you go to the store. Coupons can save you money, but they can also inflate your grocery bill. Yes, it's weird, but let me explain. If you use a coupon for $1 off of a $5 jar of pickled pigs feet, you save 20% on your purchase, but you also spend $4 that you wouldn't have otherwise spent if your family doesn't like pork or pickles. If you are shopping on a budget, then beware of buying something just because it is on sale. You need to ask yourself if your family will eat it and if there is room enough in that trip's budget to buy it. Remember, the point is not just to save money on individual items or to get a good deal, the primary goal is to lower your grocery bill so that you can stick to your predetermined grocery budget.
I use them, but I don't spend much time or worry on coupons. I don't subscribe to any coupon service or print them online. I buy a big city Sunday paper when I can and get my coupons from there.
Lists, Menus, and Recipes
Shopping with a list can lower your grocery bill. Basing that list off of a projected menu might allow you to keep things under control, but is unlikely to lower your total at the register. Basing that list off of recipes will likely increase your grocery bill. So how do you make a list without thinking about a menu or recipes???
When making your list, base it on things you need and things you have a coupon for. As you shop and find out what else is on sale, you can begin planning your menu based on the things you are purchasing. If you have picky eaters in your house, you'll need to let them know that being picky is a privilege reserved for rich folks.
Begin your "rough draft" list by limiting it to staples, those things that our household consumes every week. If you are a new at shopping with a budget, estimate the cost as well.
I call it my base list and it might look something like this...
$6 milk x 2 gal
$6 cheese
$2 eggs
$2 bread
$2 tortillas
$6 fruit
$6 vegetables
$3 coffee
$5 cereal/oatmeal
$1 dry frijoles
$1 rice
=$40
If you are shopping with a set budgeted amount (you should), subtract this total from your budget. Your mission will be to get as much as you can with what is left.
Below the base list, make a list based on the rest of your coupons. Then add whatever items your family has requested. Remember that just because it's on the list doesn't mean you have to get it. My kids know that they can add something they want to the list, but that if I don't have a coupon or it's not on sale I won't buy it.
I go shopping with three envelopes. (Yes, I confess that I'm a grocery nerd.) One with my coupons, one with my grocery budget cash, and an empty one. After my rough draft list is complete, I rewrite it on the empty envelope reorganizing it based on where things are in the store. Frozen, dairy, canned, produce, etc. As I shop I move my coupons from the coupon envelope to the list envelope.
Shop At The Grocery Store For Groceries
Crazy concept, huh? I think there are too many non-grocery distractions at places like Wal-Mart , they rarely have in-store sales, and often have limited selections that will limit your coupon use. I don't have anything against Wal-Mart, but you will spend more on groceries there than you will with a purposeful trip to HEB.
*We usually get the meal deal at HEB, but remember if your family won't eat it, then don't buy it.
If the item you have to buy to get the free stuff is prepackaged meat, be sure to sort through the bin and check the price marked on the packages. For example, last month if you bought pre-packaged fajita beef or chicken you could get frijoles, tortillas, cheese, Big Red, and salad for free. The beef packages were priced from $18-$25 and the chicken packages were $9-$15. I could get the same free stuff whether I spent $25 on beef or $9 on chicken, so I sorted through the bin to find the least expensive package of chicken that I could.
*You should never pay for salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and soda pop. Those items are on the meal deal or a combo-loco often enough that you should stay stocked up without ever having to pay for them.
*You should never pay full-price for bread, salsa, pre-packaged salads, cereal, or ice cream. There are usually in-store coupons for those items. You may not get to buy the same brand every time, but you will save money.
*You should never pay more than $1 per pound for chicken. HEB regularly runs whole chickens on sale for 87 cents/lb, breasts for $1/lb, and drumsticks for $1/lb. If chicken is not on sale, don't buy it.
ORGANIC
Maybe you are one of those who think that eating all organic all the time is going to save the planet and keep you from dying. That's fine, I enjoy growing my own vegetables and shooting my own protein, but if you insist on buying all-organic at the grocery store you need to understand that you're going to spend more on your groceries and you will still die someday. Ask a starving kid in Tererzikistan if he would reject food because it wasn't certified as "organic" by some government agency he would look at you like you were crazy. If the celebrity that you trust most to give you life advice says that he only eats "orgainc" understand that he can probably afford to buy the whole store. Understand that worrying about and shopping for good organic is a rich people problem. If you aren't rich people, you can't afford to worry about it. Non-organic won't kill you and perhaps you could make being "organic" one of your financial goals.
Additional Tips
*Get to know your store. Become familiar with where things are, what "normal" prices are, where they put the sale items.
*Clean out your pantry and refrigerator before you go shopping. It will help you see what you do and don't need to buy and will make unloading your haul less stressful.
*Don't go shopping in a hurry. Allow yourself enough time to make smart choices.
*Potatoes have gotten bad press in the "carbs are evil" era, but they are versatile, full of vitamins, and cheap. The same can be said of beans, rice, carrots, and pastas.
*Mixing grocery and non-grocery shopping will cost you more money. Don't do it!
*We get paid twice a month, so we budget twice a month. I usually do a big grocery trip every two weeks and spend about two-thirds of our budgeted grocery cash . When I get home, I give the remaining cash to Leslie and she uses that until the next budget cycle to buy things that might run out like milk, fruit, and bread or things that come up like Sonic cravings or something to contribute to our home group meal.
Grocery shopping alone isn't going to make or break your finances, but it can be a small victory that will help spur you on to winning with money. When you win enough small victories in your household budget it can be like getting a raise. So get after it and PUNCH IT IN THE FACE!!!
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