Vacationing on a budget

How do I budget when on vacation? Great question self, how do YOU do this? Honestly, I am having some trouble with it.

 Looking back over the past year of marriage, Stephen and I had some pretty big trips. We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon, Maui for our one year anniversary and a couple of day trips here and there.

You see, for all these trips, I was employed full time except Maui, which we used my payout from my former jobs vacation days to pay for this. We haven't taken a vacation since I quit my job and I am trying to figure out how to even go about taking one without breaking the bank. I do pull an income, but almost all of the money I bring in besides tithe goes to our savings and emergency fund. We want to have a safe nest egg in case life hands us tons of lemons. So not dipping into the saving or giving up our financial goals is important. 

So how do I take Stephen on a much needed break from his work that's cost efficient and fun? My plan is to go this month to Savannah, GA (about 7 hours away from our home) and enjoy 3 days of  "us" time. If you're like me in this, here are 3 ways to manage to enjoy ourselves without trouble financial issues afterwards.

1. Staying in a hotel that's off the beaten path. 

For us, we don't plan on staying in the hotel room much, besides sleeping. We are spending most of our time exploring, so we don't need the most luxurious hotel in the hot spot of the city. We aren't going to stay in a scary, near abandoned unsafe area, but we don't need the most fantastic hotel ever. 

2. Shop at your local grocery store and pack meals to go. 

I know this is not the most exciting way to have fun, but it can save so much money besides eating out. Most hotel rooms have a mini fridge for cold foods. If not, by non refrigerated foods like bread, bananas and peanut butter for lunches. Simple is key here. Don't spend hours slaving in the kitchen.

3. Make a plan on what activities we want to do ahead of time. 

Making a "plan" can help cut down on costs. If there is a certain  tour we want to go on, we look up coupons before we leave home or cheaper times to go. We also research free things to do that still give us a great experience on vacation. 

 You can apply all three of these ways to save on any trip anywhere and feel good about being smart with your money. 

Clean Living | Farmer's Market and not breaking the bank

Hellooooooo! I have to admit, Wednesday is my favorite day now because I get to talk about Clean Living with you all. It makes my heart happy to share it with you. 

Last week, I talked about cleaning out the pantry/frig and restocking it with some "necessary" items for clean eating. 

This week, I want to share with you where we normally get all of our other groceries during the week. In Birmingham (where we live), every Saturday is Alabama's largest farmers market - Pepper Place. Stephen and I get up early every Saturday, grab our bag and head to the market. There are over 50 booth of local artisans and farmers selling their produce. 

The farmer's market is a wonderful place to get local, healthy food. I love talking to the farmers I buy from each week. I highly recommend going to your local farmer's market and asking your grower how he/she grows, what they fertilize with, what types of pesticides do they use and so forth. They are very willing to chat with you about their product. Its become a family tradition to go get our foods from Pepper Place each week. Come November, I will actually setting up a booth to sell my Dad's satsumas and lemons. I can't wait to be more involved with our market!

We also discovered some farmers who aren't just fruit and vegetable growers.  We have met several pig, cow and chicken farmers. We actually just bought our first cow last week from a farmer about an hour away from our home. We talked with the supplier about the cows diet, process of slaughter and packaging and were very excited about ordering our own. We ended up splitting the meat with Stephen's parents because it was pretty pricey and we didn't need all the meat.

So,

I know what you're thinking, farmers markets and buying a whole cow is expensive. Yes, it truly is. BUT, we don't buy and junk food or extras and are have a budget in place to keep up on track. We have found that you can eat within your budget with clean eating. I received an email the other day from a girl wanting to know how to not overspend with eating clean. You do have to get creative at times, but it is well worth it. 

For instance, I only take $40 a week to the farmers market. I check out each booth for their prices and always take a list of items we need. I am careful not to get sucked in to overbuying, because it all looks fantastic. If I took more money, I guarantee I would spend it all. I also check out recipes beforehand that can use the same ingredients each week in different meals. I bought a bag of kale for $3.00 and have used it for two weeks now in smoothies, on salads, in soups and made kale chips. It lasts a long time, is in season and there are tons of ways to use it. 

With meats, you really don't want to skimp on quality. Normal meats loaded with extra hormones and GMO's, that you need to be careful. These hormones have fattened the cow up quickly and not allowed for  healthy meat. Did you know that normal meat you purchase at the grocery store has even been colored so that it appears better longer? SICK! You really want to be eating that?

 We bought our cow from a farmer who is USDA certified grass fed beef. We have actually met and spoken with him about his process and know what he does every step of the way. What grocery store do you have a relationship with or knows the answers to your questions?

The meat is expensive (around $7.44lb), so we only eat our meats at dinnertime. During breakfast and lunch, we get our protein in from eggs and almonds. We stay full and feel better about what we place in our bodies. 

Food Babe (a blogger I adore) did a post not long ago on 75 ways to eat organic on a budget. I had already been doing some of these, but there were new ones that have helped out a great deal. Don't let the cost of eating organic and clean freak you out - it really is doable and smarter for you in the long run. Check it out when you get the chance.

Also, if you are interested in writing a post about your experience with clean eating or products you love, send me an email at clarasschoen@gmail.com.

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