Frugal In Florida

Hi Hi! First menu up for 2016!! So ... we've got a Pantry Challenge AND Whole30 underway ... AND back to a single income household again ... the challenges will just be lining up this month it looks like!  That's ok, I'm ready for it, bring IT ON! First up: Pantry Challenge.  Aiming to only buy produce stuff. Well, and eggs too. Gotta have eggs ;-) ... figuring around $30 to $40 a week but not going to sweat the monetary amount as much as the actual items that are bought.  Reason being, besides saving money, is to eliminate some of the stockpiled stuff we have on hand so that when we are finally ready to sell and move, I won't have all this food to relocate. Second: Whole30 . Does this need explaining? I may have overindulged a bit for the holidays.     There may have been a few cookies there too ;-( All that adds up to major inflammation in the hands, bad skin, bad attitude, and yes, bad weight gain. New Year. New Me. Third: Single income hous...

That last week of the old year was kind to my wallet, thankfully. But not really as the week before was brutal! :-( I had two trips to Trader Joe's, one trip to Target.  I wanted to do Walmart but just couldn't bring myself to make the drive and then fight the crowds and there wasn't really a whole lot I needed, besides trying to price match the avocados ... not a big deal. Sunday had a trip to Trader Joe's to see if they had the riced cauliflower in stock yet, and a few produce items: 2 16 oz packages of frozen grassfed, angus burgers $6.99 each (thinking fast protein) 1 pound bag of frozen fried rice, veggies (for the Boy) $2.29 2 pkgs of mushrooms $1.79 each jar of Ghee $3.99 (this is NOT refrigerated and it's Whole30 compliant, that I can see) 1 hothouse cucumber $1.49 head of iceberg lettuce $1.29 coffee (kcups) $4.99 2 dozen eggs $2.79 each Total spent $37.19. Paid cash ... and NO riced cauliflower Then Trader Joe's on Wednesday ... again...

I can't believe that it's 2016! Seriously? A lot of things will be going on this year: 1.  I'm starting another round of Whole30 today! Would love if Hubby would follow along but no promises there! If you want to follow along or just need some inspiration, go check out the new blog just for Whole30! 2.  We will most likely be putting the house on the market and buy something smaller.  We have a ton of equity and the property is worth a LOT ... we are going to sell, put 50% of that proceeds in to our retirement account and buy something with the other 50% ... I know, I'm making it sound easy but I'm totally confident in this?  We have been looking, casually and there are a few things that surprised us (some stuff is outrageously priced) but as it's still a sellers market right now, I'd like to sell first and then, if necessary, rent short term til we find something we really like. 3.  I'm hoping for a career change. Still working for the same bo...

Hi hi! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a relaxing weekend afterwards?  We did. Well, I seriously considered starting the new round of the Whole30 on Saturday as that past week has had way to much alcohol floating around. I wasn't hung over on Saturday but dang, just tired and blah. Instead, I made myself a bowl of leftovers: beef tenderloin, green beans and riced cauliflower, all heated up in the skillet with a little ghee ... had a cup of coffee and then threw myself on the couch to watch a few movies ;-) We did really good in not killing ourselves financially or mentally on Christmas this year. I'm actually quite proud of ourselves. A lot of things have gone down around here and well, it was just more about everyone coming together and showing our love for one another. It was sunny and hot and the pool cover came off for all (except me) to jump in and play with the pool toys for a bit. That was nice. Ok ... so moving forward. the end of the year is fast approa...

*This is a repost from last New Years and well, it's rather fitting again this year! I currently do not have the Prosecco, but DO have 4  now 6 bottles of Champagne in the freezer  fridge (2 Moet, 3 Cuerve and 1 less expensive brand, NOT Korbel!)  Seriously, this is what I will most likely be drinking on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve!  Definitly on New Years Eve since I figured I'm starting another round of Whole30 on Friday and I sure as hell do NOT want to be hungover!  I have 6 bottles of champagne which should be more than adequate for the dinner toastings, the mimosas AND the midnight toast ... if necessary and see it on sale, will buy a few more bottles of Processo ( if it's on sale). I DO have the POM so that's not a problem! Let's face it ... on a whim, I will sometimes buy things spontaneously, with good intentions ... just like when I bought 2 bottles of Prosecco a few months back. By the time I got around to wanting to use them, I couldn't ...

Hey hey hey, it's getting close to that time of the year where you make all those resolutions and over-acheiver mode goals ;-) Also ... probably time for a Whole30 if you've been following me! So ... here's what we got today:  MAYO. Yes, mayonnaise! I'm a mayo snob, I'll admit it. Do NOT ever put that Miracle stuff anywhere near my plate ... and no, I do not like Kraft either. Only Hellman's ... thank you very much. BUT ... once I made the stuff from scratch (it's really easy, I promise!) I never ever looked at another sale jar of mayo again. Oh. Well. Sort of ... I do buy the jar, I think maybe 2 in the last 12 months? Only because if we are doing something with heavy mayo, I'd be dying in the kitchen to keep up, you know? For the most part though, it's the stuff from scratch. Hubby will even inquire if we have enough for say,  Blackened Chicken Sandwiches  (birthday party, 10 people), or  Blue Cheese Dressing  ... or ... well, a lot o...

Hi Hi! It's that time of the week again and whoa .... we are coming in to the HOLIDAYS fast!! Is anyone else in panic mode that Christmas is like, FIVE days away?? How did that happen?? And then the following week is the New Year ... which also starts a new Whole30 for January! I started a new blog just for that and have been posting my Whole30 recipes over there. I'm also hoping to share my experience there as well so go check it out ! Anyway.  I haven't been posting the menu plan the past few weeks as it's just been busy as heck at work and we've been traveling so really, not a whole lot to share. Doesn't mean that I don't plan, I do! I've started writing on the whiteboard the plan for the week so the rest of the folks in the house can see what I'm looking at too ...  Are you ready for Christmas?? I'm so not. But this year, I said I wasn't going to kill myself (mentally or financially) and so far, so good. Although, I am feelin...