Below is Christina’s January Financial Challenge update!
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Here is my update on my January financial challenge and meal plan for this week:
No extra shopping: Last week I went to my two “allowed” clearance sales, Old Navy and Target. I stocked up on 75% off toys at Target, along with some clothes and shoes. Old Navy wasn’t that great, but I did get a new purse for $3.50. I spent more than I budgeted for these sales in January, so some of it will have to come out of February’s budget. But I won’t need to buy any toy gifts until next Christmas. Now I just have to get through the next two weeks of no shopping, and decide how I’m going to handle February’s budget, which will include very limited shopping.
Spending and Meal Plan: Last week I ended up inserting one extra meal instead of eating out, so we can save the money for a special date next weekend. We made homemade pizzas as our extra meal (recipe below). My husband was out of town so I made three individual pizzas and let the kids pick their own toppings. Definitely a hit with the kids and I had all of the ingredients on hand. This week I went to Kroger and spent $11, which included a pack of Pull-Ups and some free items, and my weekend Publix trip was $35.02. I counted my cash and I have exactly $45 left for the month. I do need to buy some more diapers this week, but I think I can make it work, no problem!
Here’s my meal plan for this week:
Sunday- Ham quiche and fruit (ham was leftover from last week)
Monday- Sloppy joes and lima beans
Tuesday- Breakfast for dinner: waffles, strawberries from the freezer and turkey bacon
Wednesday- Dinner at my parents to celebrate my mom’s birthday
Thursday- Ravoli and salad
Friday- Frozen pizza from Trader Joes
Saturday- Not sure yet, most likely some type of chicken recipe!
Here’s my homemade pizza crust recipe that is easy, fast and doesn’t involve a breadmaker or yeast. Pair this with Kelly’s fabulous sauce recipe here and you have a great pizza:
12 oz club soda or beer
2 Tablespoons oil
2-1/2 cups self rising flour
Beat ingredients together to make dough and dump into the center of a greased 12 inch pizza pan. Spread to cover pan evenly using back of large wet spoon, patching any holes. Bake crust without toppings 400F for only 10 minutes. Add your choice of sauce and toppings and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes at 400F. Note: I use a big cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. You can make this as thin or as thick as you want, depending on your crust preference. My crust usually only covers 3/4 of the cookie sheet.
