So, I have a contract for the frame and roof on the future imaginary home. It's more than I want to pay and less than the builder wants to get.
One contract term was left open and I'm not super happy with it. It has to do with some deferred payments.
Pretty sure I can avoid the term entirely if I pay without the deferred bit. Hence the new budget cuts.
It's summer. The garden is going. The community garden is going. The farmers market is going with some folks selling veg for 1$/lb and less which is below the grocery store prices by 30-500% for the same veggies.
AND it's berry season. AND Mom (Hi mom) and my sister (HI!) sent some dehydrated mushrooms and stuff.
It seem sensible to cut the food budget.
No coffee out. I do that some months anyway. This month again.
Limited dining out to the meals I'd committed to with friends BEFORE this month started.
No grocery store trip in August. Grocery shopping is a habit for me. I check for deals at a rotating cast of stores. That's fine. It also seems to involve 1 treat per trip at 1$. That isn't a huge amount, but it's a habit I can break.
Instead of the grocery trips this month, I'm eating what I have including the veg and eggs. The neighbor lady is bringing me potatoes about once a week. I have potatoes in the garden so I can dig those if I feel like it. I've picked service berries and have 3 quarts set by. A friend has strawberries on. I got a quart of huckleberries the other day. My blueberries are a bust. Oh well. The apples will be ready on the trees next month but fruit this month will be tomatoes (farmers market and friends) and berries mostly. I hear there is a "you pick" blueberry place near me so perhaps check that out and can them with a friend which will leave me with more fruit for the winter.
I've got cracked wheat and rice in the pantry stash so I'm not lacking on starch. I got a loaf of bread at the farmers market and will cut down to a few rolls next week. Also got bagels from a new marketer. I try to support folks who join up. Next week, nope. The cookie kids weren't at the market so I didn't have to drop that 50cents. Next week I will also skip one of the 2 markets. I buy very little at the Thursday market and will cut back to every other week I think. A friend's kids sell really nice honey based lemonade and I like to support them. A friend sells scones but she sells whether I buy or not so I can cut those out easily.
Since I don't do milk products, skipping the store isn't that hard.
For protein I have jarred up pekin duck meat and my fresh eggs from the hens, and some sunflower seeds. Also peas and beans in the garden. Basically high end stuff which I will eat. I have enough eggs to share back with the neighbor.
I still have greens going and hope to plant some kale or lettuce today to help get through more of the fall with greens. Have sprouting seeds if all else fails. The beets are coming on as well. Garlic will be picked shortly. And more horseradish.
No problem with fiber or iron or vitamin C or anything else I can think of so, no grocery trip needed.
It is a habit to break though! Yesterday I did laundry and almost automatically started the grocery store rounds. One stop includes food for donation. Instead of that, I will donate $$ online to a local food bank or something.
The other area I can cut, I think, is fuel. Driving slower gets the mileage up about 10% which should mean a 10% savings. And making do rather than running to town should help. I usually do that, but will double down now.
The subaru shows me my miles per gallon average and I'm trying to keep that at 27 or higher. Probably should trade out the air filter. I'll see what they cost. I know it's clogged up.
Also need to swap out a headlamp. Dang it. I have it...15$!!!! GEEZ. Anyway, doing it myself as usual and expected to use some of my bandaid stock pile as a result.
Other than that, sticking with just what I need.
I have a garden spending debate. Some tiny black beetle in the raised bed that ate the leaves of radishes and the arugula. Dang things! I hope the seeds on those still come on. That's what I was going for at the moment. As of yesterday the bugs hated the kale. I think the best solution is diatomaceous earth so I need to price that.
I also need to get some peat in to get the composting toilet through winter. Dang.
No clothing purchases this month. Use what I have.
I brought the laundry home to dry and saved 4 or 5 bucks. Next week I'll do the delicates and lightweight stuff at home. I've cut laundry to every 2 weeks at the laundromat, but with more diligent home laundry I might be able to push that to every 3 weeks.
I'll keep looking at other cuts to make.
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