Day 53
Lot's of little updates!
Construction
We’re getting ready to pour the new foundation! Very excited for this stage, because it means that we’re finally getting to the building portion of The Project. Next up: subfloor framing and under-floor plumbing and HVAC.
PG&E
On Tuesday, PG&E is planning to hook up the temporary power pole in our backyard. This is exciting, because it means that this section of the house (which is currently supporting the existing electrical panel) can finally be demoed.
We’ve made progress with plans for our future electrical panel as well. We remain a little worried about how many branches need to come off the oak tree, though.
Food Spending: Mid-Month Update
Oof.
We are now at the midpoint of the month, and I have spent 63% of my targeted spending. That’s not great. Let’s review:
As of today, I have spent $1,634 on groceries for my family of four. Here’s how it breaks down, based on categories:
Beverages: $546. We drink five things in this family: wine, seltzer, coffee, tea, and tap water. $308 of this total comes from a wine club shipment from Ridge Vineyards that a) we forgot about and b) could not cancel in time. Another $128 is additional wine purchases. Basically, we could save a bunch if the Husband and I weren’t total lushes. We spent $59 on Topo Chico, to which the Husband and I are ridiculously addicted, and $30 on coffee beans. The rest went to various pumpkin-spiced things Daughter #2 wanted, because ‘tis the season.
Snacks: $271. This is a tough one. Husband works from home, Daughter #1 is a grazer who basically lives on snacks, and Daughter #2 is the hungriest little string bean you have ever met.
Produce: $248. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. No desired savings here.
Meat: $141. Mostly poultry.
Pantry Items: $108. Bread, spices, condiments, etc.
Prepared Meals: $71. Frozen pizzas and back-up lunches for girls.
Breakfast Items: $52. GF bagels, muffins, etc.
Eggs: $42. I made this its own category because we use lots of them, and for meals other than breakfast.
Unknown: $155. Purchases with no receipts. I mostly blame the Husband.
Dining out stands at $434. It’s mostly tacos and weekly Stacks breakfasts.
My focus for the latter half of the month will be on reviewing what’s left in the pantry/freezer/fridge and trying to come up with some lower-cost meals.
Tile Selection
I decided to go with Heath Ceramics for most of our tile needs. In order to keep costs down, we’ll be using a mixture of 1sts and 2nds from the marvelous tile shed. I basically make weekly pilgrimages to Sausalito right now.
