This Weeks Menu

I went to the grocery store yesterday for the first time this month and dropped $74.70. This is food for the bf and I throughout the week for breakfast/lunch/and dinner. For breakfast we will be having:

bagels with cream cheese, cereal with organic milk, strawberries and peaches.

For lunch we will be eating - smart ones (I know that a lot of you stay away from processed foods. And I wish that we could. Smart ones always just seem like our best option unless we have enough leftovers for lunch.)

And for dinner we will be eating:

Tuesday- Zatarain's dirty rice with Jimmy Dean's sausage and bell peppers
Wednesday- Baked chicken, yellow rice, and veggies
Thursday- Shrimp pasta with zucchini, squash, and feta cheese

I only made a menu through Thursday because my parents will be coming in town this weekend and we will be eating out with them. However, I did buy 5 packages of hamburger meat for the remainder of the month.

Working for the Weekend

As the last three weekends of April are going to be very busy, the bf and I are traveling every weekend with rising gas prices, we decided to take it easy this weekend. We were relatively successful. Over the weekend I spent roughly $78.82. And all has been accounted for in my budget. Here is a breakdown of what I spent:
Lunch with two girlfriends - $11.62
Interceptor and frontline for my puppy - $36
Groceries - $17.13
My prescriptions - $14.07

Overall no frivolous spending. We have enough meals planned throughout the week. Hopefully, we will not have to make a single trip to the store. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The week started off with a bang and will hopefully end that way!

This week has been VERY busy and it is only Wednesday. Monday I had a lunch interview with two gentlemen at the firm in Gulfport that I went down to interview with a couple of weeks ago. These two men would be who I would directly work for so it was enlightening to speak with them. Both guys seems really nice and people that I would enjoy working with. It was also a plus that they drove to Jackson to interview me instead of me making the 3 hour trip back to Gulfport.

Then on Tuesday I had another interview. This interview was actually in Clinton, MS - about 15 miles from where I live. I wasn't as impressed with this job. While it is a government job, the facilites were horrible. The place was run down with people working all in one room at tables. Additionally, they are looking to hire someone immediately and I am not available until August. Needless to say, I don' t think this is the job for me. But, I would never have know if I didn't go on the interview.

On other news for the week:
I have gone over budget in gas this month by$24.56. I was praying that I would be able to keep this section under budget. It just didn't happen. I had to drive to Gulfport for the interview and make the 3 1/2 hour trip home for Easter. All in all, I did good in that category considering. I will have to try next month to really not drive as much.

I have also now sold 7 DVDS and 1 book for a total of $37.13. All of this money is being placed in a camera fund.

Last night the bf and I and some friends went and watched a baseball game. Ole Miss and Southern Miss were playing as Trustmark Park. It was a lot of fun! But kinda expensive. Beer gets you everytime. That means that this weekend is probably going to be one spent at home planting flowers, cleaning house, and watching movies...not out! That is okay though. We had a blast last night.

And last but not least, I have another job interview on Friday! This job is in Jackson working for a law firm. I am really excited about this opportunity and will let everyone know how it went. Keep your fingers crossed and all prayers are welcomed. Life decisions are stressful.

Weekly Grocery Shopping vs. Monthly Grocery Shopping

The bf and I try to sit down at the beginning of every month, make a grocery list for the entire month , and head out to get everything. Then the plan for the remainder of the month is to stop by the grocery store weekly for any small item that we might need. The whole reasoning behind our madness is that we can buy meat in bulk. The bf cannot go a meal without meat. And meat is expensive. So this way, we can go to Sams and get a month's worth of meat at a lower cost per pound. But recently, I have been rethinking this idea. I wonder if it would be better to sit down at the beginning of every week and just make a grocery list for that week. Here are the reasons:

1. There won't be so much food leftover in the freezer/cabinets that goes unused for month's.

2. Each weekly grocery bill will be lower and can be easily calculated to see how much money can be spent towards the end of the month.

3. We can tell how much food we really need per week

How do each of you grocery shop? For the month, for the week, kinda both? I am really trying to pinch the pennies in this area of my budget. We spend a lot of money on food every month and just can't seem to cut back. And we do try to buy cheaper things and in bulk. We cook a lot of pasta, rice, and beans. All of which are fairly inexpensive. We have also started eating leftovers or smartones for lunch everyday instead of going out.