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So far this month is looking very unorganized. Our spending plan runs from June 23 to July 22 to coincide with Joe’s once a month paydays. Last month we planned on $505 for the month to be divided up between Azure Standard, Cow share, Beef CSA, grocery store and dining out. We ended up going over budget by $60 due to dinner out for Angel’s 20th birthday and a date night that we snuck in. Both were well worth it!

This month, there are a couple of things that will be different. Joe is on vacation this week and we had planned on a road trip to California and Oregon but were not able to take it. So instead we are going to do a few local things and if we eat out while doing those things we will not be using our food budget but rather a specific vacation budget. I think what I will do is keep track of what we spend this week if we eat out and then report it but not actually budget for it, does that make sense? I’ll still count all of the groceries purchased or meals made at home during the week or even prepared at home (such as yesterday we took a picnic lunch to have while we were out during the day, that food is included in my spending).

I was given some meat again this month. My friend who gave me the lamb last month called and asked if we would take some beef. Her mother in law was needing to empty out last years beef to make room for this years (they have a ranch). She came over with a full cooler and anther box. It was a challenge getting it all to fit in my side by side freezer and extra apartment sized above fridge freezer thing. Thankfully, Angel was here too and took a couple of packages home with her. My friend said that her MIL kept asking if it was okay to send odd cuts to us. I haven’t done a complete inventory but there is alot of liver, some oxtail, hamburger and a few steaks (we’ve already eaten a package of rib eye and T-bones) plus two stewing hens (one went home with Angel) and a few more packages of lamb. On Monday, we bought an upright freezer so I’ll be moving it all to that in the near future and will do an inventory. At first glance though I see many beef liver meals in our near future.

I think for the month my budget will be $415 once again dividing it among Azure Standard (includes shipping costs), Cow share, Beef CSA, grocery and dining out.

My Azure order has already came and the total on food items was just under $140. My cow share will be lower than month than most months because I sold some chickens to the cow share organizer and instead of exchanging money for those and then me paying my share, she is just taking the chickens off my share amount. My cow share total will be $23.20. My Beef CSA will be $50. And I intend to spend a total of $151.80 at the grocery store this month but I’ve went to the grocery store a couple of times already for a total spending amount of $76.86 and don’t actually know what I bought. So I think I may go over the $150 amount. And our dining out budget is $50-not counting vacation dining out.

BUT this budget is rather lose this month. My oldest daughter and her boyfriend will be moving here next week. They will be staying in our camp trailer. Sierra will stay until it is time to go back for her Senior year of college (Senior year. I can’t believe that) and her boyfriend will stay even after. I’m thinking (hoping) that they will want to take some meals with us until they can get settled and find work. So my budget is very low with anticipation of increasing.

$415 total budget for July minus Azure ($140) and grocery already spent ($76.86) leaves me with $198.14 to spend. I’m interested to see how this month plays out.