300 Dollars a Month Challenge, Menu and goals.

I was over at budget 101 the other day and they are trying to only spend 200 dollars a month. Well I got to thinking about that and decided I would give it a try , only I am going to go with 300 a month [which would be 1200 for the rest of the year.]for every thing I buy except for day care supplies and my canning jars. I will not include the canning jars because they are more of an investment then a expenditure. The reason I will do 300 instead of 200 is I will also work on my food storage with this 300. I have the garden and will try to make everything from scratch.


This past week I spent 59.00 at Wal-Mart I did buy 2 loaves of French bread for pizza which I could of made from scratch but was in a hurry. I also got 10 cans of tomato paste a gallon of vinegar  and which I need for my salsa that I am canning. And ne I bought 2 cans of coffee {yes I know that isn't very frugal but it is one of my bad habits] I don't know if my family would be able to stand me with out my morning coffee haha. The other 3 things strawberry extract which I was out of and didn't have to use in my syrup the other day, a vacuum belt and T.P..

 

I also got 2 boxes of green chili to can, they were 20 dollars a box.

So in all I spent 99.00 dollars that leaves me with 201 dollars for the rest of the month.1101 dollars for the rest of the year.

This is what I picked from the garden this week.

55 pounds tomatoes 30 pounds cucumbers, 10 pounds bell peppers, 8 pounds of radishes and 1 small zucchini.
How are your gardens doing?

Our zucchini plants didn't do any thing this year so Andy's boss has been giving us their large ones [ do you know how wrong it is to have to ask for zucchini?] these are the ones they gave us I didn't weigh them but there is a lot.

 


I do have to admit it is a little challenging to try to spend a small amount there was a few other things I thought about getting but didn't because it would more then likely run me over at the end of the month.
So do you think you could just spend  200 or 300 a month on your grocery's ?

So this weeks lunch menu is
mini cheese pizzas and fruit
Chicken noodle soup and crackers
Pancakes and bananas
PB&J with fruit
Mac and cheese

Andy will get leftovers from dinner the night before.

Dinner menu
French bread pizza
Navajo Tacos [recipe here]
Pork chops
Mexican Steak
Chili mac.

 I will add sides to these depending on what I have.

For breakfast I have homemade pancakes, French toast, and waffles in the freezer. Also have oatmeal, cream of wheat and eggs to choose from.

Canning and preserving for this week

7 qts Turkey Broth
10 pts Corn Cob syrup
24 pts Frozen Corn
16 pts Cactus Pear Jelly
1 qt & 1 pt Corn Silk Tinture
12 dried Limes
1 Watermelon dried
6 Celery Stocks dried


This weeks goals are
All the tomatoes into salsa and canned, pickled radishes from the radishes, the bell peppers put in the freezer, I also have a case of plumes to get worked up I will make plum raspberry jam with them, all the zucchini worked up I want to freeze some and make jelly with some and some bread.
Green chili roasted and canned.
I still need to finish cleaning out the camper from week end before last.
Have some things that need to be planted in the yard.
Several herbs that need to be harvested and dried.
Back yard mowed and weeded.
The girls got their new cheer uniforms and they both need to be taken up a little.
Mending Andy's pants.
I am trying to make some  spaghetti strap shirts for the girls [ they wear these under all their shirts.].
Pantry and fridge cleaned out. How on earth a fridge get so ucky is beyond me.
Fall decorations put up out side .

Hope everyone has a great week looks like I will have a busy one.