Buckling Down

As summer comes to a close and Tyler's vacation days end we are buckling down in several aspects of our life. Together Tyler and I budgeted every. dollar. of our earnings this month in an effort to name our money and where it goes each month instead of looking at each other on the 30th and saying, "Where did that go?"

I do love an excel sheet, the thrill of separating, naming, and using each dollar for what is it labeled, but it is hard. It takes discipline and to be fair, we don't always have that discipline. One big aspect of our budgeting is my planning and cooking meals at home -- to include lunch -- a major weakness of ours. So, I come to you, whoever is still out there, to share my struggle, honesty, and meal plan.

Since we were married I have felt that unless I have a full meal -- meat, a few veggies, possibly a salad -- on the table, we should go out. Tyler HAS NEVER made me feel that way -- it is a pressure that I put on myself and felt I had to live up to. Over time I have come to terms with the fact that a sandwich or grilled cheese is just fine and we are starting to go with it. So without further ado ...

Tuesday -- Salmon, baked sweet potatoes (Emma's favorite!), and broccoli
Wednesday -- Church
Thursday -- Chicken, Broccoli Alfredo Bake
Friday -- Hot Dogs, chips and leftover corn or fruit
Saturday -- London Broil, potato casserole, butterbeans -- all from the freezer
Sunday -- Homemade pizza

Not only am I trying to cook at home more, but I am trying to use what we have in our freezer and pantry efficiently to lower our grocery bill and be less wasteful with the food we have.

Let me know if you want to exchange some recipes and/or ideas to make ingredients go farther!