Saturday, August 6, 2011

Unemployment Week 5

We're going in to the 5th week of unemployment, and I'm tired. And feeling a little defeated. My husband did at least get his official letter saying he qualifies for unemployment benefits. Finally. We might even see some money here eventually.

I ran around like a crazy person trying to get groceries yesterday, and I did not take a SINGLE picture. I hit the Oroweat outlet, where I got 3 loaves of bread, a bag of blueberry bagel thins and a small bag of donuts for $6. I called Hen House ahead of time, and they held some expiring milk for me. I picked up a gallon of milk, a few boxes of cereal, 8 boxes of macaroni and cheese and a few other things I can't remember at the moment. After work, we hit Wal-Mart to price match Aldi's strawberries. I got 8 lbs of strawberries, a few lbs of bananas, some saran wrap and a bag of cotton balls. THEN, Archer and I went to Price Chopper, where I picked up several bags of cheese, some chicken, a few packages of hot dogs, a couple boxes of Bakers chocolate and again, I can't remember what else.

So yes, I'm feeling defeated because I am fresh out of cash, and I have a whole bunch of stuff that I can't really do much with. I did save a lot of money at least. That counts for something. It was just a rough week of catching up on the basics, I guess.

Oh yeah, and I'm also feeling defeated because after ALL of that, I got home, and the main line drain to our house was backed up. Thankfully, Roto Rooter came and fixed it at 11 o'clock last night. Bye, bye $175.

Our meal plan for the week will be a little interesting. Here's what I've got planned,

Saturday - Our Bible study provided lunch for our local Ronald McDonald house (I made chocolate covered strawberries.) We got to share in a really delicious lunch of pulled pork, baked beans and some other deliciousness. Dinner is grilled cheese with tomato soup

Sunday - cereal / a new recipe for chicken buffalo wraps and strawberries / PBJ at the pool, leftover pulled pork sandwiches from Saturday's lunch

Daddy has one more week off work. He will be in charge of lunches at home. I will be eating leftovers, or my favorite no effort lunch, PBJ on 100% whole wheat Wheat Thins. We will all be eating cereal for breakfast. 

Dinners will include,

Monday - cheese enchiladas and veggies
Tuesday - free pizza from Papa Johns
Wednesday - cavatini
Thursday - tuna noodle salad
Friday - macaroni and cheese

Snacks will include yogurt, red hot jello, bagel thins with butter, cheese and crackers, etc.

I know it's a bit of a sad menu plan! We are trying to avoid taking money out of savings for consumables, so as long as we are hanging in there ok, we will stick with what we've got. I'm hoping to take a chunk out of my husband's unemployment (maybe $100 or so) to rebuild our stock pile. We should be ok for a week or two until we see that cash.

For more meal planning, visit www.orgjunkie.com
Posted by Lisette at 5:43 PM
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7 comments:

  1. A Woman that Fears the LordAugust 7, 2011 at 12:15 AM

    I do pray that your husband finds work soon. A pot of pinto beans with fried potatoes is a great cheap meal. I use Laine's recipe at Laine's Letters. Also, a pot of chicken strip dumplings can stretch a chicken to many meals. Just a few ideas.

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  2. SerendipityAugust 8, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    I can only imagine, since when my fiance was laid off he was able just to go full time at work. I hope this week goes by fast and you guys can bounce back quickly. I hope you can get some rest, I know feeling defeated is the pits.

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  3. UnknownAugust 8, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Looks like you are doing a fantastic job with what you've got. God seems to help us stretch it when we need to.

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  4. NOVA Frugal FamilyAugust 8, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    I sypathize with your situtation because it is tough to make it on one income but it sounds like you are doing a great job at it. I quit my job after a long time tossing and turning over the decision. One of the thoughts being that so many people are out of work that it seems like the worst time to quit a job. I am now a stay at home mom and a strict couponer/budget enforcement. I worked my household budget down to $250 per month. The last two months I have been working to stay under $150 sucessfully and I am hoping to continue for at least the next two months. It takes a lot of creative meal planning to make food everyone likes, have snacks, and come in under budget. My husband and I just cheered that we got our internet bill $10 less a month. I think that most families out there are dealing with similar challenges and I love that you are so forthcoming with all of your families struggles so that the rest of us don't feel like we are out there alone. I will be thinking of you and your family and wish that things start to go your way.

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  5. LisetteAugust 9, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    You guys are wonderful. Thanks for the kind comments. : )

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  6. CandiAugust 9, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    You're doing great. Just hang in there. Have you considered adding a bean night or breakfast for dinner. We do that to save our budget. Eggs are cheaper than meat and beans are so cheap, well, sometimes we eat them 3 nights a week!

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  7. KatieAugust 9, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    You're doing a great job getting by with what you have! I'm very impressed. I think it's so smart not to dip into your savings if you can avoid it.

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