I've been collecting some note-worthy links over the past few days which I wanted to share here for those interested:
::See this beautiful cookie platter here? My sister made those yummy-looking brownies yesterday at our house and, let me tell you, the recipe is quite a winner!
::Amy posted an excellent piece on Seven Tips For Leading a Balanced Blogger Life which every blogger out there should take the time to read. Excellent food for thought!
::Have you ever stopped to think about how much trash your family produces each year? This family committed to go a whole year without sending any garbage to the landfill. They ended up with a single bag of trash for the whole year. Quite inspiring!
::My friend, Amy, has a great post up on Grocery Stewardship
which I highly recommend that everyone go read. It's so important to
not get caught up in the comparison game. We are all in different
situations in life with different needs.
I hope that our $40-$60 grocery trips/menus are an inspiration to you all,
but I never want it to come across like this is the "gold standard" of
grocery budgets. I know many people who have smaller budgets and much
larger budgets and the budget number is not what matters; the fact that
they are seeking to be a wise steward of the resources they have is
what matters most. So be free to do what works for your family and
don't feel the need to apologize!
::And finally, for the many of you who have asked, I wrote a post here on how our family is adjusting to life with three littles.
Thanks for the link! I also read and loved the blogging balance and kitchen stewardship posts.
Now I’m going to click over and read the other links. Thank goodness for nursing, or I’d never get any blog reading done!
I too am grateful for the encouragement that every family is different (and you need to take into account the area you live in, the places you are able to shop at, etc.). I struggle to keep the grocery budget at $100! We have a family of 6, kids are ages 7, almost 5, 3, and almost 2. I often feel discouraged about this…but I know that there is no need for that! I am doing fine! Thanks for all the great info you pass along!
I am going to *try* to keep our budget at $25/week for the months of June, July & August. (We’re a family of 5.)
To be fair, we have a significant stockpile at present and this should be pretty easy from an economic standpoint ….the challenge is really to myself, to eliminate any impulse buys and purchase only essential perishables. All three children are under age six, so milk is a must-have….
Your blog is an inspiration to so many of us!!
Have a blessed weekend!
Thank you for the link about Grocery Stewardship. I often get frustrated because it seems like we spend too much on groceries. I try to keep it under $60 a week which still seems high for only two adults and a daughter under 2. However, there are certain things that we keep in the house even if they aren’t on sale or inexpensive. My daughter loves strawberries and eats them every single day. She also loves grapes and eats them at least once a day. It’s important for me to keep those around the house even if they are a little more expensive. Thanks for the reminder that every family is different. I needed it.