Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

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gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by gaylejackson2 »

I don't think I've posted any no-spend since Feb, or perhaps early March -- I subbed 15 differnt jobs on 13 days in March, and most days I came home to do much more than grab something out of the freezer, and feed the family... however I still managed to be at grocery store 3-4 extra times that month too.

I want to do better in April, both in posting and not spending. I'm hopeful for 15 No-Spend days in April. Here's how this month is looking so far:

Spend: 4
No-spend: 5

I may spend tomorrow (April 10), but am hoping to wait to grocery shop until Thursday or Friday -- our milk supply will determine that though. :lol:

I have 10 full days, and 1 half day of subbing currently scheduled... hopefully I can stay out of the store too.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by Dgflorida »

Excellent Gayle.
Momof2
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:42 pm

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by Momof2 »

Janet- thanks for the baking powder recipe. I usually keep those items on hand and use them enough they stay relatively fresh.

I am still using things up. Monday I took some of the Egg and Spinach bake (I used a small spring form pan instead of muffin tins, so it was a bake instead of cups) for breakfast. For dinner last night I used the last zucchini, yellow squash, a partial green pepper along with a red pepper, an onion, some mushrooms, and two small chicken breasts to make Chicken Kabobs. I let the chicken marinate in some soy sauce mixed with a little apple juice that was in the fridge. I also used the last two baby cucumbers sprinkled with a little olive oil, white wine vinegar that has been in my pantry for a long while, salt and pepper.

This morning for breakfast I took a boiled egg along with a couple pieces of turkey bacon I precooked and put into the freezer. I took the left-over chicken from the kabobs along with some of the veggies for lunch. Tonight I am baking fish. I took the little bit of left-over kabob veggies and chopped them pretty fine and then sprinkled that over the fish fillets. I then finely chopped the last tomato from a pkg. opened earlier and sprinkled that over the veggie mix. I drizzled a little olive oil over the fish and veggies, sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper. It is baking now. I will use up the left-over buttered peas from a couple nights ago, the sautéed zucchini from a couple nights ago, and the left-over roasted veggie mix that needs using or tossing after tonight (so I am using it). I need to dig around in the freezer and pull out a couple other things to thaw for tomorrow night and the next couple of nights.
floridacatlover
Posts: 8056
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by floridacatlover »

Momof2 wrote: Tue Apr 10, 2018 7:42 pm Janet- thanks for the baking powder recipe. I usually keep those items on hand and use them enough they stay relatively fresh.

I am still using things up. Monday I took some of the Egg and Spinach bake (I used a small spring form pan instead of muffin tins, so it was a bake instead of cups) for breakfast. For dinner last night I used the last zucchini, yellow squash, a partial green pepper along with a red pepper, an onion, some mushrooms, and two small chicken breasts to make Chicken Kabobs. I let the chicken marinate in some soy sauce mixed with a little apple juice that was in the fridge. I also used the last two baby cucumbers sprinkled with a little olive oil, white wine vinegar that has been in my pantry for a long while, salt and pepper.

This morning for breakfast I took a boiled egg along with a couple pieces of turkey bacon I precooked and put into the freezer. I took the left-over chicken from the kabobs along with some of the veggies for lunch. Tonight I am baking fish. I took the little bit of left-over kabob veggies and chopped them pretty fine and then sprinkled that over the fish fillets. I then finely chopped the last tomato from a pkg. opened earlier and sprinkled that over the veggie mix. I drizzled a little olive oil over the fish and veggies, sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper. It is baking now. I will use up the left-over buttered peas from a couple nights ago, the sautéed zucchini from a couple nights ago, and the left-over roasted veggie mix that needs using or tossing after tonight (so I am using it). I need to dig around in the freezer and pull out a couple other things to thaw for tomorrow night and the next couple of nights.
Your meals always sound delicious! You are a very good cook.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

gaylejackson2 wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:16 pm I don't think I've posted any no-spend since Feb, or perhaps early March -- I subbed 15 differnt jobs on 13 days in March, and most days I came home to do much more than grab something out of the freezer, and feed the family... however I still managed to be at grocery store 3-4 extra times that month too.

I want to do better in April, both in posting and not spending. I'm hopeful for 15 No-Spend days in April. Here's how this month is looking so far:

Spend: 4
No-spend: 5

I may spend tomorrow (April 10), but am hoping to wait to grocery shop until Thursday or Friday -- our milk supply will determine that though. :lol:

I have 10 full days, and 1 half day of subbing currently scheduled... hopefully I can stay out of the store too.
Gayle as busy as you are I think we can forgive you for not posting as often as you would like.. I do not know how you manage all that you do.Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Starting our 2018 No Spend Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

Yesterday I decided I needed to buy whole milk so drove in to town.. Bought two half gal. for .89 cent each..After removing a portion of milk from one of them it went in to the freezer. While at the grocery store saw a package of natural chicken tenders marked down to $3.35 so I grabbed them. Some will be used to make Thai yellow curry. I have Thai yellow curry paste in the fridge, It was free from Amazon with a gift card. I have one red potato to be used and some coconut milk in the pantry so it will be a nice fill in meal. Also have rice in the freezer from when I stopped making doggie nephew home cooked meals. Went to another low cost store for eggs. The last time I was there, around Easter, eggs were .83 cents a doz now $1.30..yikes! I picked up one carton to tide me over while I check out other stores. Also yellow onions have gone up considerably.. I bought a bag of radishes and an English cucumber .99 cent each. I need to eat more fresh veggies since you can be too frugal and ruin your health. They had bacon on sale so I bought a package.Not necessarily a needed food to be healthy but a tasty treat to be use sparingly I feel as if you are too frugal you go off the rails sooner. I also bought a few chips type snacks for a 1.00 each. Doggie nephews doggie treat were .50 cent cheaper than normal at Dollar General so I bought him two bags. Amazing how a 1.00 here and 2.00 there all add up so quickly. However all things considered I have been doing well in the use it up food category.

Oops must confess that it was late afternoon when I was out and realized I had not had anything since early morning breakfast..so I bought two roast beef sliders at Arby's. Teddi only gets the meat from one of them and in fact I did take some of the meat off and put it on my sandwich.. He still had plenty to eat. I saved his bun and ate it for breakfast.I toasted the bun in the toaster oven and it was really good. one half still had all of the cheese. So for $3.00 and a few pennies I had two meals from the sliders Teddi had a snack. Maybe not frugal but as I said if you do not have the occasional treat you go off of the rails easier.

Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
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