grocery Shopping + Christmas Ideas

Since i had to pick up dryer sheets and bleach (to do laundry tonight... in need clean work shirts after all) and because i had no fruit to eat left... i broke and went grocery shopping.

So far i'm still in budget which is good. I'm trying to keep food and necessities under 150 a month. (which sucks when you have to buy all your necessities in the same month!!!) I didn't get much at the grocery store ( but i think i did better than my sis tho), but i got staples. A few can items, soups, and some stuff i can mix with the food my mom has at home to make a meal out of: (apple sauce for some pork chops) (sour cream (yum) and flour tortillas for some cheese and chicken etc) (mushrooms for some spaghetti....) etc... I know it will be more expensive when i have to buy the "real" food too.

I also know i need to go by Costco and pick up some deli meat for lunches (i eat it on crackers) and also go through the store and find prices and sizes for the foods i normally eat, that way i can compare and figure out what's the best way to buy and how often i need to budget for those amounts. I still need q-tips... I wasn't going to pay the price they were in the grocery store... outrageous... i wish Walmart were closer tho... by the time i drive there i've eaten the discount i'd save in gas...

So i'll have to save my Walmart shopping for times when i need multiple things... So it's down to the new CVS Pharmacy.... (i miss saying Sav-on..... but i think CVS is nicer and cheaper).

With Christmas on the horizon, I had this idea worked out with my mom for extended family... and while i was gone, she changed it all up on me... I was going to get my "aunt" (my mom's best friend) this thing my mom found on QVC... it was pricey but really cute... I shouldn't really be complaining because now i'm "getting off" cheaper since she now wants me and my sis to get it together... I like saving money, but i really hate doing things like that. (going in on gifts with my sister i mean... she's pissed me off so much i just don't like the association when i don't have to associate in the first place....)

But it saves me money in the short term so there is some silver lining... The CHRISTMAS list so far:

• my "aunt"- 17 bucks... plus a card i need to buy. (i better give my mom the money tonight just to make sure i remember too)
• My Real Aunt (my mom's sister) i'm going to get some coffee and teas and put in a basket... I'm going to try Costco... but if not i saw some neat stuff amazingly enough at the Dollar store to help put in a basket!
• Grandpa- i think some old B/W movies... (he said he wanted this... or XXXL white undershirts) But i think i'll go with the movies if i can find them at Costco... if not, my mom will buy stuff and i'll just pay for it....
• Mom- Chipping in 50 bucks for her rug cleaner machine.... or an iorn... she hasn't decided yet
• my sis- 50 dollar gift card probably to MAC...

In case you couldn't tell, i told everyone this year they have a spending dollar limit... 50 bucks a person... my sister wasn't too happy with that but i'm okay with it... in the past its always been this buy my love scenario and i just want to move away from that.

my sis' b-day is done.... (its in mid December) its a nice purse she picked out and i just paid for it... $60 bucks (ouch!)

okay i best get my booty back to my college courses..... Mid December and this semester are over... then i have one glorious year until i graduate and its all down hill from there!!!!!!

----> i'm gonna go check and see if that pretty refund is in my box and look to see if my money is in my account from ING to transfer to Emigrant.