Little Things

Now that 2017 is fully here I am slowly but surely getting into my full-on after the holidays reset.(I actually count today as the first day since TheHub was off through Monday and nothing got done because he is a clock eater and was either wanting to eat, worrying about what he was going to eat for the next meal, eating, talking about dishes that sound good for the near future, or going on his recreational run to Publix to buy crap we didn't need.)  It seems to take me several days to get Christmas completely put away.  There is always some random Christmas item I find that needs to be taken upstairs and put away.  In addition to putting things away, this is the time each year when I clean and reorganize my seasonal decorations closet. So today is also the beginning of the closet clean out, purging anything I no longer need of want and repacking things I truly want to keep.

I have been reviewing my household budget, looking for ways to trim the proverbial fat from it and have decided to stick to 75 dollars a week for groceries. If I did all the shopping this would be a snap, but, as I have said before,  TheHub likes to stop at Publix on his way home and never will buy just that one needed item.  Already this week he has brought home 20 dollars worth of snack foods.  I will make up for it, but I can't do it if he does his usual stopping for things we don't need. As a result of the food inventory I took yesterday, we are going to be doing a boatload of pantry/freezer/refrigerator
clearing before I do any major shopping.

The only exception I am planning on making to this budget is 2 rather large events we are hosting. In mid January I am having 30 or so  people over for either lunch or an early dinner.  The time is a little uncertain, but they are coming and I have budgeted accordingly.  Since this is officially entertainment, I am putting this in the T and E budget, rather than our food budget. The other hit to the food bill will be during the summer when Son3 is supposedly coming to town with several of his friends.  Again I am putting this in the T and E budget, because it is entertainment (for them at least) and I will get some impromptu music/dance/drama from the visit. (Plus a boatload of laundry and clean-up)

So as soon as I finish posting this, I am off to ThePig where pork butts are 99 cents a pound, to buy enough for 30 people. (That's why I have a freezer right?)

Wishing us all a successful and lovely 2017