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Challenges about Budgeting and Grocery Shopping

Budgeting and grocery shopping is one of the best ways to trim down your monthly expenses and daily spending- but there are dozens of challenges out there- especially the advice that is ultimately unrealistic. Here is a list of budgeting and grocery shopping challenges and how you can make them realistic strategies to save on grocery shopping! Challenges about Budgeting and Grocery Shopping Challenge #1- Unrealistic Research I've spent a lot of time scouring Pinterest and have not felt entirely satisfied with the results. Some articles seem too unreasonable to be applicable. More often than not, it comes down to unrealistic costs of groceries . For example, I cannot find 1 gallon of milk at my local Walmart for $1. And our Dollar Tree out in Montana doesn't have a grocery section- we do have a freezer section, but it is only 2-3 doors of frozen dinners. And our bread and produce is not as cheap as the other articles. What I have done to get around this challeng
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Moving In Prepared

What You Need for Your 1st Apartment
The other day, my friend was asking about some of the things you need to buy when you move into your first apartment/what you need to be a grown up in an apartment, and it really got me thinking about how much Kyler and I really did have to buy when we first moved in. And THEN, it made me think about all the things we are gonna need to buy again when we move into family housing in Bozeman this August; we don’t need to buy everything new, but it will sorta be close.  We are gonna need to go grocery shopping and buy almost everything all over again.
In the meantime, I will share this list of cleaning supplies and groceries that you’ll need when you first move into an apartment! Most of this post will be for you newbies out there!
Sundries-
HOUSE SUPPLIES
  • Paper towels
  • Broom and dustpan
  • Mop
  • Duster
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Clorox Wipes: I have a big bottle in the kitchen and a little one under the bathroom sink for quick wipe downs of the toilet, counters, and sink.
  • Lysol- and the refill solution bottle: As a twenty-something or a broke college student, every time- or penny-saving habit is a bonus.
  • Dish soap and sponges: Last year I bought a Dawn bottle at Costco and we still have it! True, it is just my husband and I- but for you single ladies out there, maybe it’ll last even longer! ;) Last time I was at Target, I bought these brown sponges ( FYI I have the one with the handle, push the button and wash the dishes). They are from recycled material and were the same price as the original ones, so I figured: why not?
  • Baking Soda & Vinegar: I know this is an odd one, but it helps! When I don’t feel like smelling chemicals in my bathroom for the next few hours, I microwave vinegar, add dish soap and baking soda and have it soak in the bathtub for a while. Wipe it all off, and viola! I also keep vinegar in my sponge handle with my dish soap. It keeps the sponge from getting smelly too.
BATHROOM SUPPLIES
  • Toilet brush, and its cup companion. Tip: keep Lysol or bleach in the cup so that the brush gets clean too.
  • Kaboom, Comet, and/or Scrubbing Bubblies
  • Toilet Bowl cleaner- flush the toilet, pour the cleaner along the inside of the rim and go work on something else for a little while.
  • Toilet Bowl bleach cleaner tabs: Some toilets and units are really old, so mold likes to grow in the actual bowl. When Kyler and I moved into our current apartment. Confession: I didn’t even know that it was mold, I figured it was just the color of the toilet at that spot.... But thanks to my parents, I figured it out….
  • Windex (mirrors and windows).
  • Toilet Paper
  • Facial Tissue
A Cleaning Schedule never hurt anyone either, see How to Manage Both Kinds of Homework and get that part of your life together too!
The first week you move in, only grocery shop for that week or the first two weeks- try to keep things from being too crazy. Do diligent meal planning, that way most of your energy can be spent on getting your new living space turned into your new living space and you aren’t eating out or eating a bunch of junk. In August, Kyler and I are moving to Bozeman, and the tip I just wrote will be put to the test- as I will be moving the first week or so before classes start at MSU! And be sure to keep a lookout in August/September for an article I am gonna write to show you how I am gonna take a tiny family housing apartment or townhouse from a blank, tiny and cramped unit into a cozy, spacious looking and organized home. I am gonna really get creative with that project before school starts!
Here’s a quick idea for a grocery list:
Groceries-

  • Fruits & Veggies- enough that can mindlessly be added to meals and snacks. You can also make crock pot meals and just dump them in the crock pot when you get to your new place and then not think about it until your stomach reminds you that it’s time to eat.
    • Apples
    • Bananas
    • Peach cups
    • Nectarines
    • Celery
    • Carrots
    • Squash & Zucchini
    • Potatoes- sweet, red or russet
    • Applesauce
    • Tomatoes
    • Garlic
    • Yellow & Green Onions
      Just to name a few things that can be dumped together
  • Deli meat & Cheese- also an easy way to put something together. Pair it with fruit and something crunchy and you have an quick meal.
  • A cereal box or two- a girl’s gotta have options
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Yogurt and/or Cottage Cheese
  • 2-3 different cuts and kinds of meat- chicken, ground beef, ribs…
  • Tortilla Chips or another favorite kind of chips- healthy or not. 
    Click here to download a checklist for GROCERIES and CLEANING SUPPLIES.
    Have fun in your new apartment.  Happy moving!




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