A Plan

I read a quote recently that really resonated with me...


"Without planning, I accomplish very little- because it's so easy for me to respond to the most immediate instead of the most important."


I'm not sure who said/wrote it, but I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.  So much so, that I have resolved to be more intentional in many areas of my life.


HOUSEHOLD


Okay, whether I enjoy it or not, my "job" is to efficiently manage my home and the little ones inhabiting it.  I don't like the word "job" to describe my role in life, though.  It so much more and I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to raise and equip our children.  that doesn't mean that a lot of days aren't hard and that it doesn't take a LOT of self-discipline, something which I lack a good amount of.


{Deep breath...} "I can do all things through Christ that gives me strength." Phil 4:13 NIV. (Repeat as necessary to remind yourself that your strength comes from HIM, the one that blessed you with this role in the first place!)


The biggest struggle I have DAILY is the age-old question, "What's for dinner?!"  Nothing like looking at the clock, seeing 5 PM, and realizing all the meat is still frozen and you've already had pasta the last two nights...


So here is my plan for my household responsibilities, as far as meals and maintenance...


MEALS


I am undergoing a HUGE overhaul in how I do my meal planning.


1.  I making a plan!  That in and of itself is a feat!


2. I'm planning for more than just a week at a time.  Not only do we get paid biweekly, but we also prefer to bulk shop and not run to the store a bajillion times a month.


3. I'm planning all meals out, not just dinner.  I hate running short of supplies for a good breakfast or lunch just because I only planned supplies for dinners.


The New Way:


Pinterest is a great inspiration.  Almost too great!  But, in all my pinning and searching, I came across a mom that plans out her menu for an ENTIRE YEAR.  Wow.  While that sounded crazy, I read on to figure out exactly WHY and HOW she could do this.


The post on her blog, Bold Turquoise, explained that it saved her family a lot of time, stress and money to just know what was coming and could be prepared for what was ahead.  I need that!


So I took the plunge... A YEAR OF MEALS!


While I'm not up to a whole year yet, I am planned out through April!  No, I'm not repeating meals every 30 days, or forgetting that leftovers happen or eating out is a reality.  This plan is surprisingly flexible!


I love being able to stock up on what I will actually use and to stop wasting money on impulses and the maybe-I-will items.  I can also shop with coupons and save quite a bit.  (I'm not one of THOSE couponers, but I'm all about saving a few bucks out of my paper!)


It is still a work in progress, and my friend, Julia, and I are working together to plan delicious, nutritious meals that cost a whole lot less and use what we actually have instead of running to the store 3x a week for that one ingredient to make whatever I felt like.  My plan is already made and prepared.  I love having it already handled!


Look for a post tomorrow on the workings of this planner and some downloads so that you can start planning out your meals, too!  (No, you don't have to do it for a whole year!)


BUDGET


The dreaded "B" word...  I know, but it's something that we need to revisit annually, at least.  Tax time almost always makes us look into what we spent for the last year vs. what we actually made.  sometimes this looks grim, but it does explain why some months just don't work out the way they should.


For the first time in, like, 4 years, we actually added up what we would like to spend annually in the categories of gifts, Christmas, vacation, clothing, haircuts, home maintenance, car maintenance, etc. It was a good wake-up call to where we had been wasting money!  So we've tightened up our spending and figure out where money tends to "leak" so we can plug the "holes".


Then we looked AGAIN at what the Bible says.  Why do we regularly forget to consult god's Word on what we should be doing with HIS money??


1 Timothy 6:7- 8: For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Hebrews 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well--Note: "These things" refer to food, clothes, and life, not "grown up toys" or fancy gadgets.

Proverbs 19:21: Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.


We want to honor God by being good stewards of his resources.  Most of all, we want to teach our kids to be good stewards.  The best way to do that is to lead by example!


Ok... now you know what is going on with our lives... back to our regularly scheduled programming!