Meal Planning on a Budget

So I just planned out my meals for the next 5 days and went grocery shopping for everything on it.  I spent $118 on groceries.  I got pumpkin spice oatmeal, a Gatorade, and blackberries that were not on my list so I feel I did really well.  This will feed my family and my daycare for 5 days.  When you stop to think that is approx 20 people with at least 15 eating each meal...that is pretty dang good. I am super excited to see what kind of grocery bill I can create for the next 2 weeks and how much it will cost me.  I am going to do at least 10 freezer meals and 5 non freezer meals.  If I am really thrifty I will do 15 freezer meal kits and 5 non freezer meals.  I will blog about it when I am done ;)

Moving forward with another school year.

I am sitting here with renewed excitement.  We traded in our Honda Odyssey for an accord.  I know to many that will seem stupid as we have 6 kids and an accord will not seat us all.  Reality is we rarely if ever go anywhere together as a family that we do not take 2 vehicles.  We now have an 18 yr old driver and a 15 yr old driver. We also have a 15 passenger van that I drive primarily due to doing daycare.  If we all go as a family and do not take 2 cars we can very easily take Big Red.  Yes I know the think scares the crap out of me as far as attempting to park in crowded parking lots, but I will survive.  We will be saving over $200 a month on the swap.  My goal is to continue paying that $200 a month since we have it budgeted anyways.  Now I will not pay it on the accord, but we will be adding it to our snowball.  We will put it on the lowest debt first and lower them accordingly. 

I am also excited about the fact that I can envision exactly what I want my daycare rooms and layout to look like.  I am excited to have the funds to do the projects I am needing to do.  I cannot wait to paint the rooms and get them ready.  I am hoping to have them done by Nov 1, 2016.  I always seem to have lofty goals with no help and well running a 24 hr daycare with no help really leaves me no time. Preschool will be starting up again soon and I am excited for the every changing growth we experience during this time.  Some kids just take off with it while others sit back and soak it all in.

The 3rd thing that has me screaming from the inside is that I am finally getting things organized.  My living room (primary daycare room) has been cleaned and organized for going on 2 weeks.  We keep it cleaned up, swept, and mopped.  It is looking rather amazing if I do say so myself.  I have moved onto the dining room.  It is also coming along.  Yes much slower but still getting there.  I have been going through all the papers and things that just collect in this room.  I am still in need of all my "office supplies" to continue the organization process, but I will get there one step at a time.

I have 4 kids in one school this year and I can already see the benefits it will have on my time.  I have been getting up and getting breakfast for them in the morning.  They have been able to eat something other than cereal before heading out for the day. Monet is driving this year so that alone is such a huge relief.  She is able to take them all to school so I can attend to the things I need to do here at home.  I have been trying to get on a schedule/routine that allows things to be less chaotic and more organized.  So far this seems to be helping.  I set a list of tasks I would like to accomplish during the day and use meals and nap to work on them.  I have been getting up with the kids in the morning and staying awake which really gives me extra time to work on things before my daycare gets busy.

Next week Serenadi starts school out at Calvary.  This should be a good year.  I still have my reservations on homeschooling this child and think it may be something to look into in the near future, but I think an extra year in school will be good for her.  I am trying now to figure out how to get everything worked out as far as being able to take her to school, pick her up, and also pick up one daycare child.  We always have time to tweek it if things do not work.  I feel guilty for not keeping her home this year...but I just do not feel confident that the time is right.  And it may may never be right.  We will know with God's guidance. 

So here is to another busy school year and hopefully a fun successful year of daycare!  God gets the Glory for all life has to offer and I am expecting to see great things!

Failure

Failure

That is how I feel today.....I had a goal of paying off debt, but my addiction to shopping and spending money on my kids got in the way.  My original goal was $25000.  The goal my mom and a friend got was $100,000.  Well I am only a couple thousand dollars from where I started 7 months ago.  I have failed to be diligent in my quest for becoming debt free.

My eyes are bigger than my bank account so I charge to my credit cards if I have it available.  I have a hard time leaving it alone when I see something I think I have to have.  Using cash is hard when I do not have enough.  Learning patients is not easy.  So right now I do not see how to eliminate enough debt to even come close to the $25000 goal I originally posted.  My greed got in the way.

I am trying again.  In reality I did not fail, I found out what does NOT work for me.  Keeping credit cards on me is not an option for me.  Keeping credit cards on Michael does not work for him.  So now we buckle down and try again.  We push harder this time and push farther than before!  I know we can do this....we both just have to want it bad enough to make it work.

My Debt plan just blew up!

So God is doing some major work in my life.  This is both very exciting and very scary.  To make it worse I do not know how on board my husband is with the whole thing and that scares me.  

I made a debt thermometer and posted a number that was a reach, but pretty likely obtainable ($25,000).  In the back of my head I had a larger number ($30,000) I had not spoke this number to my husband as he wouldn't be able to feel it or see it. Yet God was speaking to me of an even larger number ($48,000).  My mom and I were talking and she felt got was telling her I am supposed to pay off $100,000 in debt.  I do not see this without God.  In no way can I fathom that number.

Well I am a very analytical person.  I analyze everything over and over again especially when I cannot see the probability of it.  I know we serve a mighty God, but I will be honest that number scares me.  We do NOT have a 6 figure income how are we going to pay off 6 figures?  Well I may not see it, but God does so I will put my trust in him.

This last week I have been feeling we are supposed to sell our van.  I am not sure if this is me (trying to figure out what God is doing) or if this is from God.  I asked a friend how do I know if something is me being analytical or if it is from God?  His reply was that I was asking an analytical person who has back up plans for his back up plans so he had no idea, but how was I planning to pay of $100,000 in debt?  I froze.  I had not shared that number with anyone at all.....that number was between mom, God, and myself.  I looked at him and asked where he got that number?  To which he replied that is what came to mind....I take that as confirmation, but that is still a VERY scary thought.  $100,000 I honestly do not see it....I can't even imagine how.  I am trying hard here to believe it.

I really truly do know and believe God can do it.  He is the almighty who can do anything.  I am excited to watch this year unfold.  I am excited to see my husband grow in his faith.  This year is going to be exciting.