$500 challenge - update

Busy day today! I'm still getting over a cold, so I'm actually amazed at what we've accomplished.

The kids and I went to our local rec center for their play time. $1 per kid for an hour and a half of running around in the gym, getting completely worn out, and practically guaranteeing nap synchronicity later. Totally worth it. Spent: $2

Then we went to the library and checked out a whole stack of books, kits, and cds. Free

Stopped at Tom Thumb. I cannot find my receipt to save my life. I can recreate the prices, but have no idea on my savings. Dang it.

Purchased:
1 cantaloupe .88
1 onion @ .88/lb - so about $1
1 gallon organic milk marked down - $2 (expire date of 5/31 - we can kill a gallon of milk in 4 days easy)
1 rotisserie chicken - $4.99 (more on this in a moment)
1 7 oz package of Kraft shredded cheese - $1.99 and used .50/1 (doubled) tearpad coupon that was hanging right in front of it - so .99
1 organic herb salad mix
1 organic spinach salad - these were BOGO, so $3.99 for both

Spent $14 (rounding up, it was just under $14. I'll change if I find the receipt.)
Saved: $1 with the coupon and $3 off of the milk for sure - so $4 savings, again I'll update if I find that @#%%$# receipt!

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $80.06 ($85.03 savings)
gas: 35.01
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $264.69
Remaining: $235.31

Now, about the chicken. I love to get rotisserie chickens when I know I need a quick meal. I frequently get them at Whole Foods, as well - usually $8.99 there.

We usually eat chicken with whatever quick veggies/fruits/grains I have. So, today's lunch was nosh plates of chicken, cheddar cheese cubes, raw carrots, and fresh cherries (Thanks Kam and Teri for the cherries!)

The next day I pull more chicken off and usually make a casserole-esque thing with it - chicken, cheese, veggie, pasta/rice. Finally, I pull off whatever chicken remains and boil the bones. I strain it and freeze a couple of bags of broth and add the remaining chicken to one more bag of broth and freeze it. That way I have broth for rice, a quick soup, or mashed potatoes and a broth/chicken ready to mix with frozen veggies and egg noodles for a quick chicken noodle soup.

So, 3-5 meals out of the $4.99-$8.99 chicken. We do the same thing when I buy fresh whole chickens, too. It seems like kind of a pain, with the boiling, straining and everything. But really, it's a minimal amount of work for several quick easy meals that keep us from going out.

This really illustrates how most of our meals come together - they're usually made up of fresh produce, what needs to be eaten, and stockpiled freezer items.

Another example (if you're not bored to tears, yet!): We had yummy grilled pork loin at my in-laws this weekend. Derek made it with whole garlic cloves pushed into the pork - it was so good! We had a couple of slices that we brought home. The kids were with the in-laws yesterday (God bless them) and I needed a quick dinner for Derek's dinner break. So I sliced up the leftover pork, chopped up the garlic that it was cooked with and added it to frozen broccoli and rice from the pantry for a quick stir-fry. Easy, delicious, and healthy! I just wish I had stockpiled lo mein noodles.

Prior to couponing/budgeting, I guarantee you I would have found that bag of leftovers pushed to the back of the fridge sometime in mid-July.

My goal with this blog is to show that you really can eat well and have fun on a budget. Hopefully, I'm illustrating that. I'd love to hear your tips, too!