We Joined A Club!

Well, we did it.  We joined Costco.  With our family growing by number, and going over just how much food a two- and three-year-old can actually put away, we decided that it was finally time to start buying some things in bulk.

It was an interesting experience - from driving into the indoor parking lot, to waiting a half hour in line just to sign up, to spending two hours in a store and still not seeing everything they had.  My mom has been a long-time member of Sam's, and I've always really enjoyed visiting there with her. But going in to a big place like this and having to be a responsible adult in a store full of, well, everything?   That was an overwhelming feeling!  I wanted it all!

Our first choice was the type of membership we wanted to own.  We chose the more expensive one, with the promise of receiving 2% back on every purchase and a gift card to start our shopping.  David did the math, and we'll need to spend an average of $229 a month in order to earn back every dollar we spent on the "upgrade" membership.  I don't think that will be a problem.

Honestly, who could resist spending part of that "welcome" gift card on this?!?!

That being said, we certainly don't intend on regularly spending our money on such things unless we're celebrating a special occasion!  How quickly our budget could be blown . . .

The goal is for us to go to Costco once each month and stock up on things such as canned goods, dressings and sauces, etc.  I noticed how much junk food there is, which will probably be another temptation we'll avoid for the most part. 

Here is a shot of some of the things we bought on Saturday.

I don't really have any doubts about being able to finish off the pickles, celery, grapes, cheese, or cream cheese.  What I'm a bit concerned about is what we're going to do with all that lettuce!  Any ideas for using it before it goes bad?  So far I've thought of BLTs and lettuce salads, but that's about it.

I have a couple of other questions for anyone who may be willing to share thoughts regarding buying in bulk.

1. As I've written about previously, I am a menu planner.  I usually go shopping every two weeks and buy very specific items that will be eaten and not much more.  So, for those menu planners who also buy in bulk, do you have any hints on how to keep track of what we have stored and how to plan for each meal without wasting things?

2. We are thinking of investing in a vacuum sealer for our foods.  Has anyone used one, or does anyone have any different thoughts regarding preservation for things that won't be eaten quickly such as meats, cheeses, etc?

We didn't buy a whole lot on Saturday just because of these uncertainties.  The number one concern I have is buying food that goes to waste, which is a complete no-no in our house.  I can see this new venture of buying in bulk as being beneficial in the long run, and I'm excited about it, but I'd really like to get a plan in order before we do any major buying there!

A last thought about our new Costco membership: When pregnant and for the most part feeling great but still getting woozy from time to time, it is not the wisest idea to grab every single sample in the store without first thinking about food combinations.  This leads to an evening of tummy troubles. 

That being said . . . any sage wisdom will be much appreciated regarding my questions or any other thoughts, and I look forward to sharing future finds at Costco!

ch-ch-ch-changes!

We are experiencing several changes at our house right now.  For one, yesterday we started the process of refinancing.  That's some fun stuff, let me tell you!  Actually, I am very thankful for a husband who is willing to figure all of that out and get the ball rolling.  I wouldn't get past the "thinking about it" stage!  Can you believe, though, by refinancing, we will be paying less per month for 15 years than we are right now for 30??  That's crazy!  I'd like to keep all that extra money, thank you!

David has also been working really hard to get the outside of our home looking decent.  We decided after 5 years of being here, we should probably repaint the windows, mulch the landscaping, trim the bushes, etc.  He's doing a great job!

Here's another change: my children are learning to be more self-sufficient.  Not necessarily because they want to, but because lately if they want something, they either have to be very patient or to get it themselves.  I simply have been too sick.  With "morning sickness", that is :-)

Sweet baby Julia helping her sick mommy with cleaning

A bit of a story goes with this one.

David's brother Jeff and his wife Courtney, along with David and myself, came up with this awesome plan.  We would hold off on any babies for about a year, so that we could take a trip to Florida next April and Courtney and I would be pregnant at the time.  We were pretty excited about it.

But God started placing all these "circumstances" in my path as He showed me that my plan (as usual) is not His.  I kept on hearing radio program after radio program that talked about babies.  Sanctity of life.  Women who wanted to be pregnant and couldn't do so.  And the list goes on.  It seemed like everytime I turned on my radio for at least a month's time, another of these programs would be on.

I was really struggling with this, wondering if it wasn't all part of God's plan for me to hear those programs.  Finally, at the end of March, I was really down about it and David could tell.  I finally explained to him what was going on, and he said he'd been having the same conviction that maybe our "baby plan" wasn't perfect.  We decided to see how God would work.

I got sick about a week later. 

I must have already been pregnant!  With Samuel, we were so new at everything - married less than a year when we found out we were expecting him.  With Julia, I was so full of resentment that I couldn't enjoy my pregnancy or even her as a baby for way too long.  With this one, I have peace. 

Here's the funny part.  The day after we got a positive test, Jeff and Courtney called.  They had the same story as us - becoming convicted about their plan and then getting pregnant right away after deciding to surrender to God's best for them!  We didn't tell them for 2 more weeks - that was pure torture!  I wanted to share with Courtney so badly my excitement for both of us, but we wanted to wait until we could tell them in person.  It was worth the wait!  And to think, we were both a bit nervous that the other would be upset for ruining the "plan"!

So here's the official announcement.  Baby #3 is due on or around December 11th, just about a week after my sister-in-law is due.  We couldn't be happier!

Which brings me to another change . . . adding a bedroom so we have a place for Baby to sleep!  I'm sure there will be plenty more posts on that subject!

Meat Bundling

Here is the newest addition to my freezer: Meat Bundle #5 from Fareway. 

David and I have tossed around the idea of purchasing a 1/4 beef or 1/2 hog for quite some time, because when I go to the store, the bulk of my cost is in meats.  One of the best things I've been able to do is look at online ads for each store that I'm going to in order to find which one has sales on what.  This has been espcially helpful with the cost of produce, simply because though couponing is nice, there is a lot of junk to be bought just with coupons. 

I've been amazed to find cabbage for 17c./lb, celery at 88c/pkg., broccoli at 99c/lb, etc.  I am enjoying the preparation of meals using fresh produce that I've found at a great price!  But still, the meat is so hard to find without getting the cheap stuff - bologna and hot dogs.  Overall, I have found better deals on higher quality meats at Fareway than any other place I've found.

After checking pricing and availability with several places, we decided that this time we would go with Fareway for our large meat purchase.  I am really excited because by getting the "bundle" rather than just beef or pork, I can make a variety of things using all different meats.

Here is what it included:

5# boneless chuck roast

5# ground beef

5# chicken hind quarters

5# boneless pork roast

5# boneless pork steak

3# bacon

2# ham

Ideally, our goal is to one day be able to have a self-sustaining farm.  David loves cattle, and we'd like to have a couple of pigs and chickens.  I'd like to have a larger space for a garden (this year, though, it will be my biggest yet so stay tuned for how it turns out!)  But for now, we'll take what we can.  I think overall we saved money, provided I don't start planning super meaty meals just because we have the meat! 

How about anyone else?  Do you buy meat bundles, parts of cows or pigs, etc?