Still Picking up the Pennies

While the weather in the UP has been very chilly compared to past years, we have had a pretty fun summer so far! My oldest DS and I just got back from 4H camp. While it was completely exhausting, it was the BEST!! Both of us promised to return next year. We also have a few more fun things scheduled. But also got back on track with our semi-homeschooling summer plans. My DH is still unemployed, but we may have some good news lurking in the near future. If you could send good thoughts or prayers our way, it sure would be appreciated. He has been busy collecting the winter's wood and fishing. Although we have had NO fish dinners lately, we sure should stay warm all winter. He has also kept himself busy by planting a small garden. His next project is to build on the the chicken coop, as the babies are nearly ready to be evicted from the basement. I am sick of the "barnyard" smell in the basement! The boys have been busy also this summer. The oldest is done with summer school...

Monday was Pizza Hut Pazons Tuesday Ham and potatoes, or Noodles and green beans Wednesday-CORD Thursday-Sunday night we will be out of town and staying at my Gram's house so we will be at her mercy. If you want to see more menus go over to organizedjunkie

I am going to try to get back into the swing of menu planning. To see a lot of great menus skip on over to organizedjunkie Monday - pasta bake and Tammy's Italian Cheese Bread Tuesday CP chicken, butter noodles and salad Wednesday HM chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches Thursday Ham and cheesy taters Friday is HM pizza day Saturday is burgers on the grill Sunday is TBA I hope to post on a more regular basis but for now have a great week!

Last night I went coupon shopping. I got 3 free easy mac. I went to a Tupperware party last night. I walked a way with so many freebies, I was giddy. I won a bingo game and won a great set of three bowls, then the little bowl for attending the party. Then I booked a party, so I got a tiny bowl key chain(so cute!) and a reusable shopping bag. In the mail I got Aveeno and Dove shampoo and conditioner samples, they went right into the camper. My boys have been lazing around so much lately, with DH home we have NO routine established, it is getting on my nerves a bit. But DH is going on a male bonding camping trip with his cousin :) After he leaves, the boys and I will do a couple lessons in math and about 30 minutes of reading. And finally turn off that darn tv!! I made a big breakfast this morning of pancakes and sausages. I made a double batch of pancakes and threw about 30 pancakes in the freezer for later use. This is the only bit of OMACing I have done in a while. I am still going on...

so sorry if anyone even reads this! My DH got laided off one month ago to the day. So things have changed and changed a lot. He is looking for work but of course there is none to be had, we are not in total panic mode yet. I got myself a little part time job cleaning a house for some one I know. I hope to expand the hours as we go. I have also started taking a few cake orders from friends and family, in hopes to raise a few bucks. I have done pretty well with my pantry challenge, but have not post the details, sorry. I have applied for medicaid, and food stamps also so that may be another route of writing for me. I surely am glad that we are not starving because i has been a good 3 weeks since I applied and no word yet. I am also taking a course to become a medical transcriptionist starting about 2 weeks ago as well so lots of news from here. OH also we 'won' ok, well the kids won two gold fish last night so they are our household new creatures. We orders 6 baby chickens toda...

Well it has been a few days,so I will update. On 4-26 we had to run our eldest son, age 9 to the walkin clinic 68 miles away, he had strep throat but feeling better. We stopped at taco bell, for a total of $5.98 for four people, over budget but not by much. On Monday we had left overs of the chicken enchiladas(which were shit food btw!) for a total of $3+ Tuesday, my life changed a bit, my DH lost his job, downsized and his position was terminated. There was NO notice at all, we honestly thought we would never be in this position again, no income, no future legacy to pass on to our children. I hope and pray that we will be ok. He will get a severance package and unemployment but as a single income family, I am in complete panic mode!! and for the pantry challenge, now it looks REALLY important! We had hot dogs 88cents, buns $1.02 and baked beans $.92 for a total of $2.82. but NOT the most nutrious meal ever! but good comfort food.

During the month of May I am going to do a pantry challenge. With another additional feature, I am going to try to keep the cost of each dinner meal to $5 or under. I picked up my SHARE order today and I can NOT fit anymore food in the freezers, all three of them. I am going to start my challenge a week early, TODAY! Tonight we are going to have Stouffer's Chicken Enchiladas with cheese sauce and rice, with cauliflower. My calucalations for the cost of this meal is $7 for the Stoffer's dinner and 78 cents for the cauliflower BUT it will serve us TWO Meals so $7.78 divided by two is $3.89 for a dinner for 4 :woot not bad for the first day of my challenge.