Because Without You I'd Be Destitute. Okay, Not Really, But Doesn't That Make You Feel Wanted?

Problem 1: I need to create a budget. Granted we just moved so expenses are a bit higher than usual (seriously, that first grocery bill is a killer), but I'm thinking I need to just get on it. If you use a budget, how do you do it (Quicken? Excel? Back of your kid's coloring books?) and if so, how the hell do you stop from having to go to the supermarket three times a week? (I know. Meal planning. I loathe it. But am willing to do it. Just need help).

Problem 2: I need to lose 20lbs. I realize this may not happen because I just moved and I'm running around like a nut with no working dryer yet (it's plugged in but all it does is toss my wet clothes around). There's a gym in my neighborhood that has a kid's room -- so I can actually go, use the treadmill, and they can play! When it's not so hot, I can walk outside as well. And I know I'll have to put down the ice cream, just drink water, you know, all that crap wonderful lose weight stuff. Any other suggestions?

Problem 3: So, I'm feeling the ovarian rumblings. I don't remember these from my daughter. I've been tired, cranky, bloated, gassy, exhausted, weirdly hungry, icky, and bitchy. I got my period back with her the night before her first birthday party. At the beach. TOTALLY no warning.

Before we moved, I took a pregnancy test because, you know, why not spend $14 on a stick, right? and it was negative. But now I'm wondering if it's possible that I'm pregnant or my body is getting ready to have my blessed period again. My boobs don't hurt, my son is nursing fine again, and I haven't had any weird nose or gum bleeds (typically a sign for me). BUT, I have been peeing a lot and did I mention I'm tired. Of course, my son isn't sleeping that great either. And yes, I know. Test again. I will. But let's have fun and speculate til we're blue in the face, shall we?

So, care to bestow your wisdom upon me?

Comments

[VDog]

There is NO WAY you need to lose 20 pounds! You look like a skinny bitch to me! (At least from what I can tell from BlogHer photos.) And I mean that in the best possible way. ;)

But if you must, Weight Watchers worked for me, too. Until I got really sick of counting points. Oops. Maintenance is the hard part.

[Kristi A.]

I do make a list of things we will need for the week. Normally I don't forget anything and Itry to plan different meals each week. It helps to be very familiar with your grocery store so you don't skip things.

[jaelithe]

I don't exactly do the meal plan thing, mostly because I kind of like making what I FEEL like eating, but there are certain things (aside from the standard pasta, rice, and flour, of course) that I make sure I buy every week so that I have a number of options on hand at all times:

1.) Potatoes. Buy good ones in a five-pound bag, keep them in a dark cool place, and they will keep for at least a week. I get red potatoes because they are versatile enough to work as mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, potatoes au gratin, spanish tortillas, etc.

2.) Frozen vegetables. These can be thrown into stir fry, soup, pot pies, etcetera. I make sure I always have frozen broccoli, frozen carrots, frozen peas, frozen sliced bell peppers, and a couple of packs of mixed vegetables in my freezer at all times. Fresh veggies are great, but you can't keep them all week without some of them going bad. This time of year I get the fresh veggies out of my garden, but it's good to always have a backup on hand.

3.) Shredded cheese. Yes, it's slightly more expensive, but it's SUCH a time saver. I buy whatever decent brand is on sale, and when there are good sales, I stock up and put the extra in the freezer. This can go in baked pasta, casseroles, quesadillas, mac and cheese, homemade pizza, etc.

4.) Yellow onions and garlic. These will also keep all week.

5.) Good tomato sauce and good alfredo sauce.

6.) Bisquick: It's not just for pancakes. It makes biscuits. And dumplings. And a pretty mean pot pie.

[beth]

well, dear as far as pregnant.. i'm not up on when ur daughters b.day was..but when i had my first child i had 2 periods within 6 weeks....your body has to get all straightened back out, hormone levels are all levelling out. question is.. have u and sweetie pie been having freestyle sex? no protection, pill, condom? if so then maybe u are pregnant. but your body just might be figuring out the hormone schedule and might take a few months to become regular and timeable again.

meal planning..sorry we don't do it cus i'm disabled and can't always getg up to cook.

budget..i learned something about one in high school.. used one when single..thats it..

hope i helped some. good luck dear..and on losing weight when u figure it out help me i need to dump at least 20 to get my blood sugar down before i get into deep kimshee.

[Dana]

With all this "trying for a second baby" stuff going on here, I thought I was pregnant because I was three weeks late. But my test was negative, too. Must have been stress. But it sure is discouraging! Especially when I finally got my period on Monday. Gotta try again.

As for the budget stuff, I suck at that. I'm a spendy gal. I hate it!

[Heather]

"tired, cranky, bloated, gassy, exhausted, weirdly hungry, icky, and bitchy"

I personally blame it on the heat. Because crap it's hot!

When I lose my own weight that needs to be drop, then I'll come sweep your porch. Until then, who am I to give advice?

[B]

Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover has done wonders for my spending self control. But don't listen on the radio if you don't like preachy people.

Losing weight...Ha! Still working on my 20lbs, so I could give you pointers, but it would be from a really hypocritical stand point.

I miss Atlanta, are you loving it yet?

Grocery store thing: Freeze extra milk. That's what I was always running to the store for. Now I go once a week and it's LOVELY!

You aren't pregnant, that's my guess.

[Jill]

Menu planning- DH chooses two meals a week, DS 6yo chooses one and DS 3yo chooses one, I choose two. I cook what they ask, within reason, because if I don't then they'll stop helping me plan. My kids started helping plan meals when they were old enough to talk. Cracked me up when my son was two and said things like "eat pork chops maybe?"

[DREGINA]

My partner and I use a google docs spreadsheet, so we can both easily get in, regardless of where we are, and update our spending. We get together once a month and do a projected expenses for the month so we have an idea of how much wiggle room we have, and we keep a tally of what we've actually spent in a column right next to the projected expenses.

I use Mighty Girl's menu planning approach and it works like a charm....
http://mightygirl.com/2007/05/11/i-heart-menu-planning/

[marialice]

My mom and I often do what we call "Modified Southbeach" as we both lost a lot of weight (about 10lbs it 2 weeks) quickly with the Southbeach Diet but couldn't stick it out for the long run. The modified version makes for more like 2lbs a week but is much easier to follow. Goes something like this:

Breakfast:
Some eggs and turkey bacon OR an omlette OR high fiber/low sugar cereal w/milk OR cottage cheese/yogurt w/ fruit and some fiber one mixed in.

Lunch- protein and veg with whole grain carb (if we didn't have carbs for breakfast)
Salad w/ any kind of dressing no croutons or other starchy stuff OR tuna salad (tuna/mayo/celery/onion) on one slice whole grain bread OR turkey and cheese with some veggie.

Dinner- protein, fiber, veg
Grilled meat, chili, roasted meat and veggies, repeat of lunch items..you get the idea.

Snack-
Any veggies or lean protein, sugar free jello, low fat ricotta w/ equal and cinnamon.

Drinks- coffee (no real sugar), tea, diet soda, skim milk, occaionally vodka/gin and diet tonic or wine.

[amy]

Budgeting? lacking in the skills of that art here

Weight loss? don't hate me cause I'm skinny... although I'm horribly out of shape, so I hear the ice cream call and the water (blech)...

Pg? Stress maybe? You just moved which involved driving and staying at ppls' houses and you have no furniture and your are dishevelled with your husband... I'll stop, you know these things. Take a test, but I bet it's stress.

haha I'm a poet

[Mrs. Chicken]

Ummmmm, No. 3 - if you are really that concerned (but I think the test was probably accurate) I'd go to a doc or to a clinic and get a test. Just. To. Be. Sure.

No. 2 - I agree - WW helped me lose 10 pounds this winter, and I am hopping back on board to lose the other 10 this fall. Nothing like seeing pictures of yourself in a bathing suit to motivate. I'm taping that photo to my fridge.

No. 1 - No help from me there. I am a notoriously bad budgeter. But my hubs uses Excel and he is a major budgeter. That is why we aren't getting free food right now.

[Wendy]

We use Excel for the year and then transfer that month's budget to it's own excel sheet. It was real easy to pay the bills. I had them separated twice a month and then the 3rd check we got went to our Edward Jones acct.

Now, that hubby doesnt work for that company anymore and he is trying to get his own up and running, we are running on survival mode. We still use the budget, it just doesnt mean much anymore.

I do meal planning. I make a menu using my cookbooks (I only cooked 3 times a week, more in the summer. We usually have tons of leftovers.)and then a grocery list from that. It is all in word docs.

I am experiencing the last problem, but too afraid to test. I fear that if I know I will have to actually do all the things that pregnant women do.

[Fairly Odd Mother]

I can't help much on #1 except to say that my husband (anal retentive and I love it!) made this chart in Excel that has all the rows of our supermarket and the major items we usually buy in each row. Every week, I just check off what we need and bring this list to the store. It keeps me from forgetting things when I shop.

[ImpostorMom]

I do the meal planning stuff and it has worked out well. I sit down on Sat or Sun and plan all our meals for the next week, then I write the menu on the fridge and go to the store. Lately I've been forgetting stuff though, like we were supposed to have a roast and I forgot to buy the actual roast.

The budgeting seems to be hopeless for us. As far as the weight loss, my big issue is time. I can't seem to make time for the exercise. I do ok with the eating, despite my love of Ben & Jerry's cinnamon bun ice cream. I recently ordered a book recommended on Ask Moxie. I think it's called T-Tapp. Supposedly only takes 15 a day, which in itself makes me skeptical but hey something is better than nothing at this point.

[Awesome Mom]

If you want to only go to the grocery store once a week you have to plan ahead. I use Recipezaar to find new and exciting things to add to my usual bag of tinner time tricks. It helps liven things up and you can find a ton of quick and easy recipes to make. We don't budget because both of us are tightwads to the extreme.

[Bill]

Well, thank goodness I can't comment on #3. But for #2 (not THAT #2 you sicko), Weight Watchers rules - I lost 115 pounds doing it (and unfortunately need to re-lose 5 or 10 after last week's vacation where I just didn't give a crap). Plus, it can help with the meal planning too, which can help out with #1.

Budget? Well, we keep track in Quicken, but don't actually plan anything in advance. If it starts looking like we're spending more than we want, we try to cut back. Fortunately we're both cheapskates.

Bill