The day

It started with me running to the store to get some turkey bacon since my mom was making breakfast, but I don't eat regular bacon. After breakfast, RF helped my dad haul out their busted dryer then I went and did some gift shopping. We got home about 11 and went grocery shopping at Aldi's. Brought that home and put it all away, using the fab t-shirt bags that Missy made me.

By then it was time to "rest", although rest time amounted to us laying there for an hour. I alternated watching stuff on my computer while ignoring her and yelling at her to lay down and be quite. Neither work and we just wasted an hour. We got up and RF and I went to County Market while the kids stayed with my mom. We spent outrageous amounts of money at the various stores and it made me sad.

Home and put away the groceries, again. Then I cooked dinner while my mom played with the kids in the yard. After dinner (grilled chicken with salad and tater tots), we went to Target to do yet more gift shopping. I had planned to buy school supplies (so don't even get me started on school supplies, I ranted about it last year at this time and I feel the same way this time around)today, but I couldn't get online to print the list so by the time I found one at Target, I didn't want to shop for them anymore.

Now we are home and watching TV. The Boy wants me to help him get through a level on Lego Indy, so we may work on that and then ice cream and bed :)

Nothing exciting here and I'm really ok with that. Yesterday was a long day and it was nice to have a day where we didn't do much :)

Shop til we drop

For the first time, I went to Aldi's yesterday ofr goroceries. Some of you remember that one of my 2008 goals was to spend less money. I succeeded in paying off my van, which was a huge help, but groceries were kicking my butt (as is gas but we ride the bus when we can so I'm doing what I can with high prices). I budget $300 a month for a family of 4. We were under most of the time, which was great. Then 2 weeks ago, I spent $160+, not including the meat that I got (we don't get meat at the grocery store anymore because Old Time Meat and Deli is way better). Time for a change, I say.

I knew there were a few things on my list that I couldn't get there since they carry mainly off brands and I needed a couple of name brands (I don't eat generic Jello, for instance). I ended up getting everything on my list aside from the things I expected and a couple of other things I was a little surprised about. I spent $60 on 90% of my groceries. Then I went to County Market and spent another $40 on the things that I couldn't get at Aldi's. Total was about $108, including some things I had to pick up at Walmart that I would have gotten with groceries, had I gone to Mejiers. Now I still need meat but that has to wait until I'm out that way anyway. Probably not for a couple of more days but still, I spent $50 less by going to 2 different stores instead of one.

The major problem is that you have to take your own bags. I need to learn to sew so that I can make the cool t-shirt bags that Missy made. Then I could kill 2 birds with one stone byt making my own bags AND cleaning out my overflowing closet :)