A plan to save

I am always trying to find ways to save money--and now more than ever.  Let me tell you, homeschooling is NOT CHEAP.  I suppose I could rein myself in a little more than I do, but I want the kids to have the overall experience.  So I feel like I am always finding new ways to spend money--memberships to the zoo and museums, monthly curriculum supplements, new textbooks, ink for the printer/copier and really books, books and more books.  And now we've got the girls set up in their music lessons!  They are SO excited--Chloe is doing violin and Audrey  is starting the cello.  (Lincoln is also desperate to start the cello, but we are having a hard time finding a 1/4 size instrument for him!)  But then again, money for instruments, money for lessons, money for books...it never ends.

Practice, practice, practice!!

Ryan's mom is like a master violinist, so she was able to give Chloe a few pointers last week!

Before you know it, we are going to have our own orchestra!

Kirby and Lincoln were enjoying the music from a safe distance.

Our trip to the zoo this week--the day before a blizzard rolled in.  We went to study the penguins to finish off our unit study.  Too bad we only saw three of them!!

I came across a blog the other day about a family that claims to live off of $14,000 a year.  Hmm...when I started calculating things I realized that we spend almost that much a year on food alone!!  I'm not totally sure what to think of this girl's blog because frankly, she makes some blatantly INCORRECT statements on her blog and doesn't even bother to acknowledge that she is wrong even when like 60 people comment and tell her she is.  (She said that margarine is healthier than butter.  What planet is she living on?!  I feel like she lost a lot of credibility with me right there.)  But she does something to save money that intrigues me.  She only grocery shops once a month.  I am going to give it a try and see how it goes!  I will be sure to keep you updated.

The basic idea is that if you go less, you will spend less.  She claims that you can actually cut your grocery budget in half!  You obviously have to plan well in advance--which is no big deal, I have been doing that for years.  My biggest concern is fresh produce, but she does address that--she freezes a lot of stuff, and the stuff that won't freeze well, she eats at the beginning of the month.

I am planning my big shopping trip for next week some time.  I wasn't wanting to shop at all before then, but we are getting low on some foods AND Kirby the stinker jumped up and ate a half block of cheddar this afternoon!  He never does that--I almost strangled him!  So I might have to get really creative here in the next few days until I go on the big shopping trip to last a whole month!!  My goal is to spend less than $500--ideally closer to $400.  I have been trying really hard to work on getting a year's supply of food put in food storage this year (a New Year's resolution) so it will really be a balancing act--fresh food we eat and food to stock and store.  Crossing my fingers...