Over the weekend, I got entangled in a discussion about how much people spend on groceries, and it got me thinking.
The question posted online was: On average, how much do you spend a week on groceries, including paper goods and take out? How many people are in your family?
Some of the answers:
Family of 6, $250/week.
Family of 5, $300/week.
Family of 3, $250/week.
Family of 4, $250/week.
Family of 2, $100/week.
Family of 3, $150/week.
Family of 6, $150/week.
Family of 2, $75/week.
Family of 4, $400/week.
Family of 3, $175/week.
I'd like to think I spend $150 a week, but it's been a while since I've actually added it all up. I know when I was trying to cut expenses last fall, I deliberately kept expenses as low as possible, but I fell off the wagon as soon as I quit tracking every single expense. I currently have all the kids home for the summer, so I'm positive our expenses have gone up, but I have no idea how MUCH they've gone up.
I know, bad me, right? I'm trying to pay cash for tuition for two college students next month, save to replace a car, and save to remodel the bathroom. It's irresponsible of me to not keep track of expenses when I am actively trying to keep our expenses as low as possible.
So, this week, I am going to track our expenses. I'm not going to deliberately set out to spend less than I normally do. Instead, I'm going to go about business as usual and add up what I am spending.
I'm issuing this challenge to you, also. How much are you spending per week on food? Take a week, and keep all of your receipts and count it all up. Fast food, Starbucks, the grocery store, candy bars at the vending machine, water bottles, etc.
For the purpose of this exercise, let's keep our personal hygiene and paper products off of the list. I know all of these expenses add up fast, but these are also really easy to pick up on sale, and I don't think most people pick those up weekly. I tend to pick that up monthly, and on sale. I'll keep track of it, but it's not going to be in the weekly tally.
So, are you willing to join me in this challenge? Track what you spend on groceries for a week.
I'm really curious to see how much we are spending on food.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Book Review: Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers
 |
| image: amazon.com |
Book Review:
This fun and fanciful flight of fiction is a graphic novel. OK, OK, it could also be called a comic book. And this particular version might also be a compilation of many comic books.
I really enjoyed reading this, too.
As always, the art work is phenomenal, but it is driven by a powerful storyline that involves the Earth in the year 3015. The world has been taken over by the evil Badoon, and most of the human population has been wiped out.
A small band of defenders from the colonies on the outlying planets have survived. These defenders band together to save the earth from it's terrible fate.
Unexpected plot twists abound, and new allies are found as the group struggles to free humanity from the yoke of their oppressors.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Tomorrow's Avengers.
Unfortunately, this is only Volume 1. I must now go out and find Volume 2.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Graduation Pictures
I don't know who was happier to hit the graduation ceremony on Thursday night - the kids, the parents, or the teachers!
Needless to say, we are very proud of our daughter. She graduated with an unweighted 3.97. Not too shabby! She also received a pin (the black one in the picture below) for being one of the top ten earners of Service Learning Hours in her class. She had almost 900 service learning hours for her high school career. The Gold and Silver pin below are the President's Volunteer Service Award (As in President of the United States of America), recognizing her outstanding service. She wore these pins, along with her Girl Scout Gold Award on her graduation gown.
 |
| Honors Cord, and pins. |
 | |||
| Speakers addressing the crowd. |
 |
| The graduates celebrate at the end of the ceremony! |
 |
| Honors Cord,Tassel, and her volunteer recognitions. |
It was a grand ceremony. And also, a relief. This marks the end of my association with the public schools. I love our schools. They do a fantastic job of educating our children. Over the years, we've had some fantastic teachers who I will forever love and respect, and we've had a handful that I will go to any lengths to avoid in the grocery store. (Less than 5, so I'm fortunate, really.)
Daughter and her Dad are off on her graduation trip. We have always taken our kids away for a week after graduation to any destination East of the Mississippi River for them to explore. Oldest child went hiking along the Appalachian Trail with Dad. Middle Child and I went to New York City. And daughter? They are spending a week hiking in Upstate New York.
Congratulations to the class of 2015!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Graduation
Daughter's high school graduation is today.
I'm going to take a couple of days off to spend some time with the kids.
I'll be back no later than Monday! Enjoy your weekend!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
What Would You Do?
A not so hypothetical question for the parents and want to be parents out there:
Your teenage daughter/son comes home and tells you that they have found out they are going to have a baby.
What is going to be your response? How are you going to handle this?
No, none of my children are in this situation. I ask because I hear of this situation a lot. Obviously, at this point it's too late to have "the talk" about protection and prevention. What, as a parent, are you going to do? Your child is terrified, and they are going to look to you for guidance.
Nobody wants to think about this situation, but it happens. Even with the easy availability of birth control. Many parents shirk the sex talk with their children. Whether you have a boy or a girl, the act of having sex can cause the formation of a new human. I've had very frank discussions with my children about sex and birth control from the time they began middle school. Sadly, kids can and do get pregnant early. As soon as girls begin menstruating, they can get pregnant. And the onset of menses is getting younger and younger. Our middle school has at least one pregnancy each year in the student body. If you talk to the shell shocked parents, they'll blankly look at you and say "I never thought they even knew how to do that. I never even thought it was possible to get pregnant that young. I thought we didn't need to have that talk until they were 16."
Here are several real life actions by parents that I personally know. Agree or disagree with them as you will....
1) At the age of 16, L. and her boyfriend found out that she was pregnant. They approached their parents. Her parents promptly told her that she was going to finish high school, and go to college. They would do whatever it took - as a family - to raise that little baby so that she and her boyfriend could get an education. His parents agreed. After much discussion, the young couple got married and moved into her parents house. In home childcare was provided by both sets of grandparents while L and her boyfriend finished high school. A young set of adoring aunts and uncles helped constantly. The grandparents all chipped in for preschool so that L. and her boyfriend could go to college and not worry about childcare. Both graduated from college in 5 years - and co-oped during that time. They parted ways very amicably a few years later. Both are very successful professionals now, over 20 years later. Their daughter recently graduated from college.
2) A. found out she was pregnant at 19. When her boyfriend found out, he left her and never looked back. His parents told her that "anyone could be the father", and refused to submit to a DNA test. A. told her parents that she was pregnant, and they promptly threw their pregnant daughter out of the house. She worked at Wal-Mart full time, but as anyone knows, Wal-Mart wages barely cover living expenses. With no place to go, she ended up in a shelter. She carried the baby to term, and is attempting to make ends meet and raise the baby while working at Wal-Mart. She's been on the list for subsidized housing for almost a year. In the meantime, she and her baby have continued to live in the shelter. Her parents, who are local, refuse to acknowledge her or their granddaughter. A family friend recently took in A. and the baby. The parents now refuse to speak to the family friend, telling her that she is enabling the daughter's bad decisions.
3) C. and J. found out that they were expecting a baby at the age of 20. They were Juniors in college at the time. The parents on both sides got together and insisted that they finish their college education, and provided financial support to them both until they finished. C's father told her at the time, "If I don't support you now, the system will be supporting you for the rest of your lives." Both C. and J. continued to co-op through college - alternating one semester of real world work with one semester of college work. The grandparents paid for child care for their grandchild for the duration of their kids' college degrees. C and J finished college 2 years later. That beautiful baby graduated with her PhD not too long ago, and her parents are still very happily married.
4) K's family had recently moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere when she was 15. Months after the move, she told her parents that she was pregnant. Her parents promptly threw her out on the street. She moved to a warmer climate, and with no way to support herself, she turned to prostitution. The state took her baby away from her months after she was born. K. died months later when a client killed her. (K. was my friend freshman year of high school. I remember the day her family moved, and I was devastated when I found how she had died. It still bothers me, and it's been over 30 years.)
So, what would you do if your child came to you and told you that they were about to become a parent? How would you react?
More importantly, have you had quiet, calm discussions with your teenagers about sex, love, and birth control? Have you discussed your values and expectations with them? Are you the first voice your child will hear about morals and values? Your kids really do want to hear what you have to say - if you can say it in a non-judgemental, loving way.
Work at keeping those lines of communication open. You need them during the teenage years more than any other time of their lives. Listen to what they have to say, consider it, and answer them respectfully. It's hard. Very hard. I won't lie. BUT, it is crucial that these lines be open through their teenage years. So much happens during middle school and high school. I have always been grateful that our kids will talk with us about anything. I still get a little thrill when I hear the words "Mom, I need to talk with you, and I need your opinion."
That's when I'll take that child, we'll go get an ice cream cone, or a snow cone, or a coffee, and we'll sit in the car where nobody else can hear us and talk through their problem.
It's been 2 weeks since my last deep conversation with one of the kids. So thankful he thinks enough of me that he wanted to have this discussion with me.
Your teenage daughter/son comes home and tells you that they have found out they are going to have a baby.
What is going to be your response? How are you going to handle this?
No, none of my children are in this situation. I ask because I hear of this situation a lot. Obviously, at this point it's too late to have "the talk" about protection and prevention. What, as a parent, are you going to do? Your child is terrified, and they are going to look to you for guidance.
Nobody wants to think about this situation, but it happens. Even with the easy availability of birth control. Many parents shirk the sex talk with their children. Whether you have a boy or a girl, the act of having sex can cause the formation of a new human. I've had very frank discussions with my children about sex and birth control from the time they began middle school. Sadly, kids can and do get pregnant early. As soon as girls begin menstruating, they can get pregnant. And the onset of menses is getting younger and younger. Our middle school has at least one pregnancy each year in the student body. If you talk to the shell shocked parents, they'll blankly look at you and say "I never thought they even knew how to do that. I never even thought it was possible to get pregnant that young. I thought we didn't need to have that talk until they were 16."
Here are several real life actions by parents that I personally know. Agree or disagree with them as you will....
1) At the age of 16, L. and her boyfriend found out that she was pregnant. They approached their parents. Her parents promptly told her that she was going to finish high school, and go to college. They would do whatever it took - as a family - to raise that little baby so that she and her boyfriend could get an education. His parents agreed. After much discussion, the young couple got married and moved into her parents house. In home childcare was provided by both sets of grandparents while L and her boyfriend finished high school. A young set of adoring aunts and uncles helped constantly. The grandparents all chipped in for preschool so that L. and her boyfriend could go to college and not worry about childcare. Both graduated from college in 5 years - and co-oped during that time. They parted ways very amicably a few years later. Both are very successful professionals now, over 20 years later. Their daughter recently graduated from college.
2) A. found out she was pregnant at 19. When her boyfriend found out, he left her and never looked back. His parents told her that "anyone could be the father", and refused to submit to a DNA test. A. told her parents that she was pregnant, and they promptly threw their pregnant daughter out of the house. She worked at Wal-Mart full time, but as anyone knows, Wal-Mart wages barely cover living expenses. With no place to go, she ended up in a shelter. She carried the baby to term, and is attempting to make ends meet and raise the baby while working at Wal-Mart. She's been on the list for subsidized housing for almost a year. In the meantime, she and her baby have continued to live in the shelter. Her parents, who are local, refuse to acknowledge her or their granddaughter. A family friend recently took in A. and the baby. The parents now refuse to speak to the family friend, telling her that she is enabling the daughter's bad decisions.
3) C. and J. found out that they were expecting a baby at the age of 20. They were Juniors in college at the time. The parents on both sides got together and insisted that they finish their college education, and provided financial support to them both until they finished. C's father told her at the time, "If I don't support you now, the system will be supporting you for the rest of your lives." Both C. and J. continued to co-op through college - alternating one semester of real world work with one semester of college work. The grandparents paid for child care for their grandchild for the duration of their kids' college degrees. C and J finished college 2 years later. That beautiful baby graduated with her PhD not too long ago, and her parents are still very happily married.
4) K's family had recently moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere when she was 15. Months after the move, she told her parents that she was pregnant. Her parents promptly threw her out on the street. She moved to a warmer climate, and with no way to support herself, she turned to prostitution. The state took her baby away from her months after she was born. K. died months later when a client killed her. (K. was my friend freshman year of high school. I remember the day her family moved, and I was devastated when I found how she had died. It still bothers me, and it's been over 30 years.)
So, what would you do if your child came to you and told you that they were about to become a parent? How would you react?
More importantly, have you had quiet, calm discussions with your teenagers about sex, love, and birth control? Have you discussed your values and expectations with them? Are you the first voice your child will hear about morals and values? Your kids really do want to hear what you have to say - if you can say it in a non-judgemental, loving way.
Work at keeping those lines of communication open. You need them during the teenage years more than any other time of their lives. Listen to what they have to say, consider it, and answer them respectfully. It's hard. Very hard. I won't lie. BUT, it is crucial that these lines be open through their teenage years. So much happens during middle school and high school. I have always been grateful that our kids will talk with us about anything. I still get a little thrill when I hear the words "Mom, I need to talk with you, and I need your opinion."
That's when I'll take that child, we'll go get an ice cream cone, or a snow cone, or a coffee, and we'll sit in the car where nobody else can hear us and talk through their problem.
It's been 2 weeks since my last deep conversation with one of the kids. So thankful he thinks enough of me that he wanted to have this discussion with me.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Book Review - The Whites
 |
| image: amazon.com |
Book Review:
I am torn about this book. It's a new release, and I found it on the recommended reading list from our county library. This is a crime thriller, and it's outside of the usual genres that I usually read. It's a very gritty book, with some very gritty details and some very heavy action going down. This is not a book for the faint of heart. There were several points in the book where I had to put this down, read another book, or do something else. I thought I'd be finished with it, but the plot was so strong that the story kept calling me back for more.
The book begins with the death of a young man. When the officers of the night shift arrive, they find out that the young man who died was the main suspect of a vicious murder in the nineties. The officer in charge (Billy) of the scene was the officer who tried unsuccessfully to build a case against him at that time.
As Billy moves through the investigation into this unusual death, he begins to find that several other perpetrators of violent crimes who were never prosecuted have recently met untimely and unexpected deaths. How is it that these violent repeat perpetrators are finally meeting their untimely end?
In a secondary storyline, we find officer Milton Ramos, who is haunted by the murder of his brother Rudy at the age of 17. Within a week of Rudy's murder, his younger brother had met his end, and his mother was dead. Convinced that a girl, Carmen, who lived in the same building with them was the cause of his brother's death, Milton has nursed a deep hatred and vow to get even with this woman his entire life. Unfortunately for him, Carmen disappeared shortly after the incident in question, and his hatred for the woman who caused the death of his family has simmered on a slow boil for decades.
In an unexpected twist of fate, Milton suddenly finds Carmen, working as a nurse in the ER. The years of hatred suddenly boil over and Milton finds himself inexorably drawn towards Carmen - and ending the cause of his family pain.
Carmen - the tortured Carmen, who lives with her guilt every day, the cause of Milton's lifelong pain, and the wife of Billy, and the mother of Billy's children.
The tortured twists and turns of this intertwined story will leave you breathless.
Monday, June 1, 2015
2015 Resolutions
We had a massive, swirling thunderstorm here last night. Most of the night, lightning and thunder boomed and roared, and the sound of hail hitting the house woke me up several times. We slept with the weather radio on alert status - and were so glad that the only alerts we received were for flash flood warnings, and nothing more severe.
I woke up at one point to find the cat curled up under my arm, as close to me as he could possibly get. I'm sure he wasn't scared - he was just reassuring me that everything was fine!
Unfortunately, the news this morning was filled with stories of houses that were struck by lightning last night - several of them burned to the ground. I didn't hear of any injuries or deaths in those fires, but the loss of a home is heartbreaking. I feel for everyone who is affected.
Resolutions-
At the beginning of the year, I made a list of resolutions for the new year. At the beginning of each month, I review my resolutions for the year, as well as the progress I have made towards keeping those goals!
I find it interesting to see how I am doing on meeting my goals, and making this list public keeps me honest and on track.
Without further ado, here we go!
1) Exercise More/ Walk 500 Miles
My knee is finally better, and I am slowly beginning to walk greater distances and get more exercise. FINALLY. Slowly, slowly, and oh, does it feel good to move again! On Saturday, I issued myself a challenge to walk 500 miles between June 1 and December 31. I'm hoping that somebody out there who reads this will join me! You can see Saturday's post here: http://mini-van-mom.blogspot.com/2015/05/walk-1000-miles-in-2015.html.
2) Lose 10 pounds
So, for the two months since I hurt my knee, I haven't been able to move, and I've been afraid to weigh myself. I stepped on the scale this morning, and it turns out..... I weigh exactly what I did in April. I am amazed, considering that I haven't been moving much - if at all - over the last 8 weeks. I guess only eating green stuff that was healthy for me made a difference!
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom
Ugh. I need to just light a match and set fire to that bathroom. Too bad it's attached to the rest of the house.
4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
Graduation party is over, so I'm back to quilting again. I hope to have this finished by the end of July. Ten blocks left to quilt, the outside border left to go, and then I need to finish the edges. I'm shooting for a July 31 completion date!
5) Clean and Organize the Family Room in the Basement.
Who thought it could be done? BTW, I still haven't finished the big messy room in the basement, but at least the family room is clean!
6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media.
Fail, fail, fail. I'm struggling with this one.
7) Read 75 books this year.
Making excellent progress! I have read 31 books. I haven't reviewed the last few books, as they are a continuation of a series. I reviewed one book in the series, and I don't think I need to review every book, because if you enjoy one book in the series, you're going to enjoy more of them. I'm currently working my way through a book that I hope to review later this week. It's a crime thriller - and I don't often read that genre.
8) Get out of debt.
We are working on this. Just paid cash to fix a car, so we didn't add to the debt load. We're getting ready to pay tuition for 2 kids this fall - even when you take out the amount of scholarships they've earned, we still have a substantial chunk of change we're going to owe. At this point in time, we're thinking we might change this goal to "Don't go into MORE debt". We'll see.
9) Spend More Time With My Family
This will most likely be the last summer all of my kids are home for the entire summer. Believe me when I tell you I plan to enjoy every single moment of it.
10) 365 Grateful
You can find me on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/librarynut/
11) Replace the car that was totaled.
This ties in with #8... those tuition payments are looming..... I'm holding off on purchasing anything until we make the tuition payments.
12) I will maintain my friendships.
This one is a great joy! I love connecting with my friends!
(I just wish I hadn't had to write it down in order to make it a priority.)
13) I will have more adventures.
Orioles Game. College Graduation. Learning to run a class in Adobe Connect.
14) Craft More
I accomplished several things this month!
Daughter's Scrapbook, based upon the story "Oh! The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss.
This adorable cactus garden. I found the directions to make it here: http://www.polkadotchair.com/2015/03/diy-coke-can-succulent-planter.html/
I made this beautiful blanket from scraps of yarn for Project Linus
So, what kind of progress are you making on your resolutions? Don't tell me you've forgotten them?
I woke up at one point to find the cat curled up under my arm, as close to me as he could possibly get. I'm sure he wasn't scared - he was just reassuring me that everything was fine!
Unfortunately, the news this morning was filled with stories of houses that were struck by lightning last night - several of them burned to the ground. I didn't hear of any injuries or deaths in those fires, but the loss of a home is heartbreaking. I feel for everyone who is affected.
Resolutions-
At the beginning of the year, I made a list of resolutions for the new year. At the beginning of each month, I review my resolutions for the year, as well as the progress I have made towards keeping those goals!
I find it interesting to see how I am doing on meeting my goals, and making this list public keeps me honest and on track.
Without further ado, here we go!
1) Exercise More/ Walk 500 Miles
My knee is finally better, and I am slowly beginning to walk greater distances and get more exercise. FINALLY. Slowly, slowly, and oh, does it feel good to move again! On Saturday, I issued myself a challenge to walk 500 miles between June 1 and December 31. I'm hoping that somebody out there who reads this will join me! You can see Saturday's post here: http://mini-van-mom.blogspot.com/2015/05/walk-1000-miles-in-2015.html.
2) Lose 10 pounds
So, for the two months since I hurt my knee, I haven't been able to move, and I've been afraid to weigh myself. I stepped on the scale this morning, and it turns out..... I weigh exactly what I did in April. I am amazed, considering that I haven't been moving much - if at all - over the last 8 weeks. I guess only eating green stuff that was healthy for me made a difference!
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom
Ugh. I need to just light a match and set fire to that bathroom. Too bad it's attached to the rest of the house.
4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
Graduation party is over, so I'm back to quilting again. I hope to have this finished by the end of July. Ten blocks left to quilt, the outside border left to go, and then I need to finish the edges. I'm shooting for a July 31 completion date!
Who thought it could be done? BTW, I still haven't finished the big messy room in the basement, but at least the family room is clean!
6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media.
Fail, fail, fail. I'm struggling with this one.
7) Read 75 books this year.
Making excellent progress! I have read 31 books. I haven't reviewed the last few books, as they are a continuation of a series. I reviewed one book in the series, and I don't think I need to review every book, because if you enjoy one book in the series, you're going to enjoy more of them. I'm currently working my way through a book that I hope to review later this week. It's a crime thriller - and I don't often read that genre.
8) Get out of debt.
We are working on this. Just paid cash to fix a car, so we didn't add to the debt load. We're getting ready to pay tuition for 2 kids this fall - even when you take out the amount of scholarships they've earned, we still have a substantial chunk of change we're going to owe. At this point in time, we're thinking we might change this goal to "Don't go into MORE debt". We'll see.
9) Spend More Time With My Family
This will most likely be the last summer all of my kids are home for the entire summer. Believe me when I tell you I plan to enjoy every single moment of it.
10) 365 Grateful
You can find me on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/librarynut/
11) Replace the car that was totaled.
This ties in with #8... those tuition payments are looming..... I'm holding off on purchasing anything until we make the tuition payments.
12) I will maintain my friendships.
This one is a great joy! I love connecting with my friends!
(I just wish I hadn't had to write it down in order to make it a priority.)
13) I will have more adventures.
Orioles Game. College Graduation. Learning to run a class in Adobe Connect.
14) Craft More
I accomplished several things this month!
Daughter's Scrapbook, based upon the story "Oh! The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss.
 |
| Dr. Seuss, I am not. Classy stick figure there, isn't it? |
This adorable cactus garden. I found the directions to make it here: http://www.polkadotchair.com/2015/03/diy-coke-can-succulent-planter.html/
 |
| I think the garden turned out splendidly! OK, except for that tiny little can in the very front. That one is just too small for anything to grow. Overall, it was REALLY FUN to make this! |
I made this beautiful blanket from scraps of yarn for Project Linus
 |
| It's more of a "Granny Rectangle" than a "Granny Square". I love the way the colors play together! |
So, what kind of progress are you making on your resolutions? Don't tell me you've forgotten them?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)