Plate of an 8-Year-Old
8 Jan
Hey there! I hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend. Is it just me, or did this weekend seriously fly by?! Sure, the weekends always go by quickly, but this seemed especially fast! It must be because Christmas break is still a vivid memory. No worries, though… 1 full week this week, then I have off next Monday!
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Two out of my three meals today looked like they came off the plate of an 8-year-old! Not breakfast, though (although this could certainly be served to a kid as well).
Since I’ve recently ignited a love for overnight oats and I had a nearly-empty jar of Jif on hand, I decided to test out the much-raved-about overnight oats in a jar.
In the mix…
- 2/3 c. old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 c. milk
- 2 tsp. chia seeds
- 2 tsp. vanilla Chobani
Added in this morning…
- Leftover dried fruit from my Starbucks oatmeal last Friday
- Brown sugar
I enjoyed my oats (with a cup of coffee, of course) as I scanned the newspaper & clipped coupons (trying to keep up with those January goals).
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After getting ready for the day, it was time to head out to church, & then off to Target & the grocery store.
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I set a little goal for myself…
I’m happy to say my goal was a success! I’m never sure when other bloggers talk about their “weekly spending limits/goals” what they include in that. For me, my weekly budget includes all of the items I stock up on at Target – hair/beauty products, cleaning products, laundry detergent, paper towels, etc. – as well as our groceries for the week.
Luckily, we didn’t need too much at Target & although I bought a lot of meat at the store this week, I managed to pick up some inexpensive cuts & spent around $80 total this week!
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I was pretty hungry when I returned home from the store, although the oats did do a pretty good job of holding me over! In true 8-year-old fashion, I whipped up a quick peanut butter & jelly sandwich with some pretzels on the side.
My afternoon/early-evening flew by – thanks to a long to-do list – & before I knew it, dinner time rolled around.
8-year-old meal #2:
Grilled cheese, made with white Swiss & pepper jack, & some chicken noodle soup!
Filled with ooey, gooey cheese!
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Last, but not least, it’s time for a house update!
Unfortunately, things aren’t looking 100% positive. Our real estate agent called us this afternoon & said she heard from the listing agent & another couple will be putting in an offer as well. We upped our offer to the maximum we can/want to spend, but it’s still about $10,000 less than the asking price. So… if the other couple comes in higher, I guess we’ll have to continue the search. I’ll definitely be bummed because I’ve grown pretty attached to just the thought of living there. We should hear back tomorrow, so keep those fingers crossed extra-tight!!! 
Do you set a weekly budget for yourself? What do you include in it – groceries, or all household items?
I need to actually calculate what I spend on food in a week, to be completely honest- I don’t know, mainly because I usually buy veggies and milk ever week and everything else about every other week. It feels like too much because on milk alone it is over $16 a week!
It is just so beautiful!
I will cross my fingers really tight for you!!! Keep us posted, I think I’m even a little attached to that house
You guys must be big milk-drinkers!
I don’t really know how much I spend per week on food.. but being that I generally always eat from what I have at home, I’d say it comes in around $60 per week. Maybe $70.
We do all of our budgeting on a monthly basis and use mint.com religiously for all of our budgeting and financial planning. Our grocery budget was previously $400/month (close to what you’re aiming to spend!) but we noticed we were spending less as we found more ways to save. This month we’re aiming to keep groceries under $300 so we’ll see how it goes. This is just food groceries though – we have separate budget items on mint.com for home supplies (laundry detergent, toilet paper, ziplock bags, etc) and makeup/toiletries (shampoo, nail polish, soap, etc). At first it seemed a little silly to drill down into our spending so much, but its very revealing and has allowed us to be more in control of where our money goes.
I tried Mint.com a year or two ago, but I got frustrated because it would synch with all of my accounts for some reason! I’ll have to give it another try!
I have a goal every single week to spend less than 100 at the store. THis week I clocked in at 103 and was so bummed. (I almost put back Toly’s cookies.
Sorry to hear about the house. I definitely remember those ups and downs but something will come up. It never seems like it will in the time but it does and it will be worth it…trust me.
Fingers crossed on the house! I set a budget, but never stick to it, so it’s pretty much moot.
That’s exactly what I had for dinner! Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup! But I am sad to say I did not have what you had for lunch…though I wish I did! Sounds like the best meal ever!
haha I seriously love peanut butter & jelly more than any almost-26-year-old should!
Those oats look yummy! I can’t believe I’ve never done them in an almost gone nut butter jar. I have a little almond butter left.. maybe I will experiment tonight!
Definitely do! It was delish!
I’m crossing my fingers on the house for you! I try to keep groceries under 100 too. The weeks when I have a lot of non food items it tends to creep up.
I’ve read recipes for overnight oats but I don’t think I’ve actually seen a photo of them before. Your jar of Jif definitley looks like something I’d eat – and talk about convenience! Sign me up.
The husband and I would love to set better budget goals for ourselves at the grocery store. I’m trying to get better with the coupons, but I just don’t understand the whole couponing thing and how to make the most of it. I guess I better read up on it a bit more!
I’m definitely not one of those “extreme couponers”! A lot of times, there are TONS of coupons in the Sunday paper, but not always for the healiest food options. I actually use coupons more for house-hold products than food.
I will be praying about the house…that is so nerve racking! I keep getting attached to houses and I KNOW I have got to stop!
Your 8-year-old meals look yummy! Sometimes the most simple meals are the best!