Big, Happy Sigh

We moved and unpacked!!! No, really. We're done. Friday after work my brother, Dad, a friend of Bill & I, Bill & myself all gathered and started hauling. It took two (VERY FULL) trailer loads of stuff from the condo and another 1/2 full load from Bill's parents house, but all of our furniture is here.

Yesterday we spent the entire day unpacking, one box at a time.

This morning my parents arrived with bagels and smiling faces, ready to be put to work. Dad and Bill worked on lots of little projects that NEEDED to be done (new door knobs, light bulbs in the fixtures, etc.) while Mom and I kept unpacking, tidying and putting away....and then, at 1PM..it was all done.

We are totally moved in. Hallelujah. That was so fast!!

After  a nice nap, I made a meal plan for the week and went grocery shopping. I gathered foods for our meals this week, as well as a few essentials we had run out of in the GC'12. Guess how much I spent?

Yes, $88.66. After not shopping for 51 days, I only spent $88.66. Well, there was that one incident last week with the almonds, but a tub of almonds & some dried apricots don't really count as "grocery shopping".

Want to know my secrets?

How To Grocery Shop On A Budget

1. USE A LIST!!!!! I cannot emphasis this enough. I've mentioned before that you should only buy what you'll eat, which is true, but you need to make a detailed list before you shop and STICK TO IT! No, "Ohh these look yummy" or "But this is on sale!" excuses. Buy what's on the list and nothing else. Sometimes, I will give myself some leeway and say "Fruits" on my list - meaning buy a few of what looks great and is IN SEASON, but technically..that's still "on the list" 
2. Keep items to $2-3. While you're shopping, keep a running total of what you're spending. This is easier when you shop with base prices for everything. Sure, some special items are more than $2-3, but for the most part...you'd be surprised how many things fall in that range. That said, the best way to ensure you stay in the $2-3 per item budget is to...
3. Buy house brands. Most of the time, you can't tell the difference!!! House brand items taste just as great and are a fraction of the cost when compared to name brands. Some stores are tricky and even have extra-special design for their own house brands so you can't tell the difference in packaging!

It feels great to have the shopping off my chest. I have a few items that I need to buy at Costco this week after work, but I'm excited to admit what I spent on groceries today was all but 2 items on my list. Hooray! It felt great to have a home-cooked meal tonight :) 

My list of projects for our new home is piling up and now with everything unpacked, I can start to get to work! NOT. 

Unfortunately, it's so humid here in lovely Chicagoland that I cannot paint anything. I have lamps, desks, end tables, china cabinets....so many incredible finds that simply are put on hold until Mother Nature chooses to take her damp air elsewhere. Here are some project teasers: 

I'm not telling what they're for :)

Sadly I only have this photo from Friday night to share with you - our living room as Bill was unpacking the bookshelves. When I have a "final" image, I'll definitely share. Meanwhile, enjoy our obsession with Crate & Barrel. Princess sure does.