Operation: Portland on a Budget

The first full day of school is upon this family. My oldest child, Josephine, is going into first grade. Bring on the tears. We've gotten the first day of school outfit. We've gotten the pencils and glue sticks. We've gotten the spruce-up-for-school haircut. Now it's time for Operation: Last Hurray Before First Grade!

For most families, Labor Day means hitting the sticks. Been there done that . . . all summer! So our last big bye bye to summer took us to the city - 1 hour north to Portland, OR. With the back-to-school budget already in Target's cash register, our Portland Day had to ring in low . . . real low.

Rachel Ray has $40 a day. That's because she makes the big bucks. I can take my 5 person family to Portland, OR and have a blast for less than $25 bucks (admission fees included). Take that Ray Ray!

Breakfast approximately $3.00

Home - Zoom hot cereal with brown sugar and walnuts. Lattes made by wonderful hubby.

Activity $0.00

Courthouse Athletic Club - Exercise while the kids play with their favorite gal Alicia in the Kid's Court.

Lunch $13.23

Roth's Grocery - 2 cups of coffee, water for the kiddos (free at the soda fountain), 5 bagels from the bakery, 1lb nitrate free deli turkey, and 5 bananas. Eaten in the car on our way to the Oregon Zoo!

Activity $0.00

Oregon Zoo - A membership purchased to Coyote Point Museum for $65 a year ago gives us free admission to the Oregon Zoo as well as OMSI, Evergreen Aviation Museum, Gilbert House Children's Museum, and more. We've gotten our money's worth!

Dinner $3.99

IKEA - Kids Eat Free! We split Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Preserves and Mashed Potatoes and finished off our kid's leftovers, which is pretty standard. Yes, there was more than enough food to leave us all full. Yes, it was pretty blah but nice that the kids ate up without complaint and had a play area to hop over too while my husband and I polished off their mac and cheese and leftover sugar cookie (quite soft and tasty in fact).

Activity $0.00

IKEA - The kiddos played in the IKEA playland (so fun!).

We shopped and talked and sat on miniature couches. Swedish vikings must be a lot smaller than my Norwegian variety cause the IKEA world was not made for my 6'4" hubby.

Dessert $4.75

IKEA - Even more coffee and a pack of 6 cinnamon rolls + 1 (1 eaten out of a stale 6 pack, remaining 5 returned, a new batch of 6 picked out, 3 eaten in the car on the way home, 3 leftover for breakfast tomorrow). I love how IKEA cinnamon rolls have so much cinnamon that they have a little hint of bite.

Last Hurray in Portland TOTAL: $24.97

VOILA! After a day of Exercise, Elephants, Fresh Air, Shopping, a mini IKEA date with my hubby, and an army's ration of caffiene, I'm ready to take my preserved budget to the grocery store and buy a cart load of fruits and veggies to make up for the Swedish Meatballs.

Operation: Last Hurray Before First Grade . . . Success!

Operation: Gluten Free Pizza and Operation: School Lunches are still on the menu for this week.

PLUS!

It's back to the bush with some family hiking at Smith Rock State Park next weekend.

Stay Tuned!