Operation GOSS

Warning: This is going to be long.

Before launching into GOSS (get organized, stop spending) here's an update:

I "won" NaNo- hit 52k words (give or take) but the novel itself is not exactly finished. There is still the editing and such to do. But a goal accomplished is still satisfying.

Christmas came and went. So did Thanksgiving. So did New Years. They were all nice, but not fully appreciated as I was in the throes of NaNo and then a three-month long panic attack over having to grow up. Christmas craftiness: 2 paintings, 2 quilled monograms, 2 scarves, and 1 giant stuffed penguin. Pictures will be posted on those some day.

The hubs is now the SAHD.

After what felt like hundreds of applications, and fewer interviews, I finally got hired. Its not a dream job, but since I don't really know how to become a person who thinks up names for nail polish colors, it's not a horrible job either. And, lets face it, I am super happy to just have a job. The job: taking calls for Starbucks. Because people actually call that 1-800 number. The problem: they keep pushing back my start date and I've been looking forward to starting work. Weird, right?

I opened an etsy shop. There's nothing in it right now since I'm still trying to make more things to sell in it (and procrastinating like a crazy person) but one day I will sell paintings and quilled artwork.


So what is GOSS? I told you already. Why GOSS? Because everything I do needs some catchy name that I then turn into an anagram. I'm just that cool.

Our biggest spending area (outside of cars and the house) is groceries. The biggest problem is impulse buying and since we used to go to the grocery store every other day, that added up really quickly. So to eliminate the chance of impulse buying, I decided to try something different. Here's what we're doing now:

I went to this this site, liked what I saw, then sat down and came up with a dinner menu for the month of March. I don't have every day assigned a meal, some just have "leftovers" written in since we always have leftovers.

Our calendar. Originally purchased to write down appointments and book releases (March is going to be a fantastic reading month for me!) Dinner is on the bottom line.

Then I put together a grocery list for the entire month. It was hard and I'm not sure exactly how we're going to keep all of the veggies fresh until they are needed (still working on that.)

One side of "The List." 

My guess is that we will have to go to the store one more time since we don't have our chest freezer up and running yet and can't store milk the way the woman suggests until we do.  Also, you get a lot of funny looks at the store when your shopping cart is overflowing. I almost wanted to yell that that's not the reason why I'm fat.

The vehicle after shopping. Thank God I cleaned my trunk out last week!

I tend to keep a well stocked pantry, but I had to restock this month since we apparently run out of a bunch of spices, cooking wine, and various cooking oils all at once. I've had a few people ask how I keep a stocked pantry and the simple (and perhaps snooty) answer is that we cook at home more than we eat out, which means I need a stocked pantry. I almost always buy more of something when I run low; I know what we need and use so I keep those stocked at all times. Since I know that's not a helpful answer, this list contains what we keep on us at all times and then some.

Finally, I've been making my own bread for a few months now. I have yet to find a sandwich bread recipe that I love, so I've been using my french loaf recipe instead.

I also do my own canning. It's an expensive hobby at first, but saves money in the long run, especially since we're planning to start our own garden this year.

They're growing! Well, the onions and garlic are. Not so much the basil plant. And yes, I started some veggies indoors. In my craft room.

We also make our own broths. Right now we only have beef broth, but once that stupid turkey taking up a huge amount of space in my fridge thaws, we'll make broth out of that (in leu of chicken.) I just picked up a pressure canner (insert huge squee here) so I will start to can broth, tomato sauce, and veggies! Yay!

 So that's the haps. Sorry if this was uninteresting for you. I'm super excited about it.

I'm also more than happy to share recipes and cookbook recommendations if peoples want them.