Sunday, December 13, 2009

cute lil painted things

(posting here so that the kids won't see the pics on my other blog)

I've been painting all day! No sewing done at all, but at least I'm done with the painting. The blocks are still drying, so I'll post pics of those later. Here's what's done so far:

A trio of ladies (I love these.):




A little family (I tried to keep them pretty gender neutral, so that Kira can play with them however she wants.):




Bowling pins (yes, I'm classy and am illustrating their height by comparing them to a beer bottle. It's good beer, though.):




A trio of tops for Jackson's stocking:




So, blocks are drying and I have a little painted box with a lid. I'm not sure which kid will get it. I guess it will go into the stocking that looks emptier.


Looks like I'll be up late sewing the next few nights, but I'm WAY ahead of where I thought I would be by now.









Saturday, October 10, 2009

try not to faint

Yes, I'm actually posting. Sorry I've been MIA. I haven't had much to say I guess. Kam, stop laughing.

Anyway, mainly I wanted to give DFW peeps a heads up. Through tomorrow, Tom Thumb has Tillamook cheese on for $3.99/ 2lb package, limit 2. That is an AWESOME price for rbgh-free cheese - really an awesome price for any cheese. So, go. Buy cheese.

If you're not in the DFW area, Tom Thumb is a Safeway store, so if you have Safeway, Randalls, Vons, or Dominicks - you might check your store, too.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Around the 'sphere

Morning! I was up early today and found several interesting posts I thought y'all might like.

Small Notebook has an interesting post that makes batch or OAMC (once a month cooking) seem very approachable. - Batch Cooking: Meal Starters

Saver Queen is celebrating her blog's one year birthday with a look back at her favorite posts. This one highlights couponing in Canada - (I thought you might want to check it out, Lacia!)

Hillbilly Housewife shares some info on Depression Era cooking that I thought was kind of interesting.

I did a big shop on Friday, so I may post those receipts later. We'll see how the day goes - hope your day is lovely!

Friday, September 11, 2009

good read

Great post over at Simple Mom on setting small goals for big results - check it out!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Down to Earth now has a forum!

Morning y'all. Sorry I've been MIA. I've had a lovely case of tonsillitis and am just now feeling human again. Anyway, I wanted to share that Down to Earth now has a forum.

...a community forum for people wanting to live more simply. We discuss slowing down, living well on a budget, cooking from scratch, baking, preserving and canning food, growing organic vegetable and fruit, homesteading and home making, knitting, sewing and much more. Join us, share your story and knowledge and help build this positive and strong community.

Click on the link below to get started. (You may get an error message. If you do, click on "sign up" to get started.)

Down to Earth

I'm wendypsaves over there, too. I just signed up and I'm looking forward to exploring it more. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

saving on groceries without using coupons

I thought I'd write a little bit about easy ways to save on groceries without using coupons. Some of this will repeat things I've said before, but I think it always helps to hear it again.

Don't waste time or energy feeling guilty
This I think applies to lots of areas in our lives and I, well I'm a Virgo, I'm kind of a pro at the guilt stuff. I'll spend tons of my valuable time and energy worrying about stuff and not actually do anything productive about it. So, if saving money on groceries is one of the things that you feel guilty about not working toward - just don't.

Here's my suggestion: Instead of worrying for 2-3 minutes use that time to open your fridge and check your pantry and plan 2 or 3 meals using what you have right now, or check your produce and see what you should go ahead and use or chop up and throw in the freezer to keep it from going into your trashcan rather than in your body, or send a quick email to a company letting them know how much you like their product (ok that's technically couponing, but it's easy couponing).

Then you'll have spent your 2-3 minutes actively saving your grocery money and you get to feel good not guilty.

Stretch out your grocery trips by a day or two
If you go to the store every week and generally spend about the same amount every week, see if you can wait a couple of extra days. Again, use what you have - check your freezer and your pantry. Then, when you do go to the store, spend what you usually spend going weekly. I doubt you'll even feel deprived, and you'll have saved a percentage of your monthly spending. If you're feeling really brave, try to skip a whole week.

If there is just one day that you can shop and you need to shop weekly, try dropping your spending by $5. When you're comfortable with that, drop it by $5 more.

You don't have to shop more than one store, as long as you know your store.
Although you will save more money if you have the time/ability/inclination to shop more than one store, you don't have to do that to save. You have tons of ways to save when shopping one store.

-Pay attention to prices. Is there a snack that your family loves? If you need it today, check the various package sizes, buy the one that gives you the best per ounce price. Even better, pay attention to the sales cycles. When it goes on sale for a great price, buy an extra one, or if there's room in your budget that week, buy 5 extra. (Of course, if it's a snack they really love, you might want to hide the extra boxes and bring them out periodically.)

-The fact that you're going to need laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, etc isn't a surprise or an emergency. Use the above pricing tip to know when to buy an extra or two of the items you know you'll need. Yes, you'd save more using coupons, but if you're saving off of the price you would normally spend, you're still saving.

-Lose brand loyalty. Try your store's brand on items. Many stores now have in-house organics lines. I've often found that I like the store brand better on some things. Again, pay attention to price per unit, to make sure that you're getting the best deal.

-Pay attention to your store's markdown areas. If you don't know where they are or if your store even does markdowns, then ask. Markdowns are usually done on soon to expire items, but often you'll find deals when your store is re-setting the aisles.

-If your store has a shopper's card, get it. You'll save on items in the store and will get on the mailing list for coupons.

-Pay attention to produce. Instead of absentmindedly chunking five apples into a bag, think about how many apples your family actually eats in a week. And I don't mean how many apples you dole out. When your kids have an apple, do they eat the whole thing? Or do they eat half of it and throw the rest away? Buy what you really think you'll eat and then portion it out effectively at home. If you run out before your next trip, it'll be ok. You'll just know to put one more apple in the bag next time.

-If your one store is a Costco, BJs, or Sam's - then look at what you can freeze as soon as you get home. Great deal on onions or bell peppers? Then take the time to chop some up, throw them in a ziploc ('cause you know you just bought 500 of them), and toss them in the freezer. Bust up big portions of things that can go stale (crackers, etc) into smaller portions, or even into snack size portions for the kids. Yes, it may take some time, but it also takes time to go back to the store 4 or 5 days before you really needed to.

Don't overfill your fridge
This is one that I've had to learn. I used to love looking at a stocked full fridge - oh, the choices! Of course, I'd throw away a good third of the the contents every week or so. Now, I like to keep our fridge only about a third to a half full. When I open the fridge, I can easily see what produce we have available, I know what leftovers we need to use up, and I actually had a spot to put said leftovers in. Also, I actually put together more varied meals. When there is an abundance of choices, I end up overwhelmed and reaching for the old standbys - and then I'm right back to throwing my grocery money into the trashcan.

Ok, I think I'll stop there. Hopefully at least some of it was new and helpful!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

this n that (and recipes!)

I recently found the Happy Foody blog and I have to say it's really inspiring. Sara is a vegan and eats a mainly raw food diet. I was a vegetarian for seven years, and while I don't have the desire to be totally meat free, I do tend to prepare primarily vegetarian meals when it's my turn to cook.

We eat lots of produce already, but I'm trying to get more (and more varied) into our diet. It's kind of hard on a limited budget, but definitely doable. I've written about this before, but here's how I do it:

1. Watch the ads for the loss leader organic produce
2. Shop Whole Foods - again, primarily buying what's in season and on sale
3. Stalk the Kroger markdown area - I end up with great deals on organic bananas, spinach, and salad mixes.
4. Use the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists for deciding on organic vs. non-organic

Our lunch today was so good, I wanted to share a couple of recipes. I saw this post over at Happy Foody and the sweet potatoes sounded awesome! I love sweet potatoes, but only ever eat them around the holidays and then, only when someone else has prepared them. I didn't realize how easy and fast they are - so forgive me if you've been making them forever. I kind of adapted a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Easy Sweet Potatoes
about 2 lbs of sweet potatoes (I used one huge one) - cubed
about 2 Tbs of butter
about 2 Tbs of maple syrup (Ours is a mix of maple syrup and agave nectar - both from the bulk aisle at WF)
a little bit of salt, and pepper if you like

I threw all of the above in the pot with about a 1/2 cup of water. Heat it all up on medium until the water boils - then cover it and turn it down to a simmer. Stir it every five minutes or so until the potatoes are soft (or whatever level of tenderness you like) - takes about 20 minutes all together.

It made enough for everyone to have huge servings and I have some leftover that I'll be snacking on in a bit.

Last week I made up a big batch of beans in the slow cooker. Sort of recipe:

4 Bean Mess o' mess
1/2 cup pinto beans
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup adzuki beans (these are packed with protein, but we've discovered that we don't really care for them by themselves - they were great mixed in with the others, though.)
about a cup of chopped onion
about a cup of chopped red bell pepper
four strips of bacon (you could leave this out of course)
salt and pepper to taste

I rinsed all of the beans and picked them over, but I don't soak them before slow cooking. Throw all of the above in the slow cooker and then add enough water so that the water is about 2 inches over the beans. Cook on high for 6-8 hours (until the beans are soft). Keep an eye on the water level - you may need to add more. You could also add stock if you wanted, but I figured with the bacon it would be overkill.

We had beans and rice the other night, leftovers the next day, and I froze three 2-cup servings for later.

So, for lunch today the kids had cheese quesadillas, beans, and sweet potatoes. Derek and I had cheese, bean, and lettuce soft tacos with sweet potatoes on the side. It was so good!

I also wanted to share a link that Tara sent me. It's really the way we shop/cook/eat - I think she sums it up perfectly: Saving Money on Food (the No Compromise Way) - I've added her blog over in my blogroll, too. Check it out, if you get a chance!

Friday, August 21, 2009

good read

This so sums up how I'm feeling lately: The beauty of forced frugality

This month has been such a challenge for us and next month looks to be tight as we climb out of August. Surprisingly, though, I've had lots of little moments of reflection and appreciation lately. A glass of iced tea, a wonderful meal that comes together out of bits and pieces, time spent with the kids playing in the sprinkler, and so many opportunities to see friends and family - money is just money, you know? Experience is the real deal.

So, go and check out the link, she says it way better than I can.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Kettle Corn

I just made this recipe for the kids and I (me? myself?). You should too, but remember:

1. Let it cool - you will burn the %*&#* out of your mouth.
2. You will eat it all and not have a pretty picture for your blog.

Also of note, I went to Target and their only option for non-microwave popcorn was the ALMOST FIVE DOLLAR container of Orville Redenbacher's. Pinto beans were twice the price they are at Kroger. I about passed out in the store. So, we stopped at Kroger on the way home and bought popcorn, a cantaloupe, a bag of black beans, and a bag of pinto beans for what the popcorn and pintos alone would have cost at Target. Crazy.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Free 2010 Calendar from Annie's Homegrown

Head to Annie's Homegrown to find out how to get your FREE 2010 calendar. mmmmm....cheddar bunnies.... Thanks, Tara!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Super doubles wrap-up

Ok, here's the breakdown:

Free after super-doubles:
6 - Buitoni pasta
6 - Wacky Mac pasta
6 - Skintimate shave gel
6 - Ken's Healthy Options salad dressings
3 - Playtex gloves
3 - Oxy pads (Did y'all see that thing on Oprah about using these to smooth your heels?)
2 - Dannon Activia yogurt
2 - Dannon yogurt smoothies
2 - Reach flossers
1 - Dannon kids yogurt
1 - Kotex liners
1 - 4pk Energizer batteries - free after superdoubles and $1 ecoupon
1 - Tabasco sauce
1 - Wishbone Bountifuls salad dressing

Other super-double deals:
5 - Jennie-O Turkey Franks (4 pkgs at .19 ea, 1 at .40)
4 - Kellogg's Rice Krispies - .25 ea after superdoubles and $4 off wyb 4 deal
1 - El Monterey Tornadoes - .49 and will get a $2.49 rebate
1 - Wholly Salsa - .50
2 - Mission Tortillas - .79 ea
1 - Hellmann's mayo - $1.04 after super-doubles and .25 ecoupon
1 - Mt. Olive jalapenos - .79
1 - Sally Hansen nail polish - .09
1 - Kiwi heel savers - the tag said these were $1.99, so I thought they would be free. They actually rang up for $3.99, but I didn't catch that until later. I'm using them to repair a pair of boots that I love, so I'm just going to keep them. - $1.99

other stuff I bought:
1 - pkg hot dog buns - .88
2 - 8oz cheese - $1.00 ea
8 - fancy feast kitten food - .65 ea -Ted's really not doing well and this is the only food I can get him to eat. :(

Bought: 69 items
Spent: $17.21
Saved: $133.75
Savings of: 91.5%
unit cost per item: .25
and I'll get back $2.49 in rebates - I don't like to count future rebates in my total $ spent, though.

I bought produce on Friday with the rest of my giftcard that I won. I spent $12.23 that trip and saved $8.

So, my $30 giftcard netted me $171.75 worth of groceries!!!

Y'all know I ♥ coupons, right?

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Super doubles - quick recap

I'm super tired, so I'll share details later. Until then:

6 trips/2 stores
spent: $17
saved: $133!!

My stores were very well stocked - only out of a couple of things. The staff did a great job and I'm sending an email to corporate tomorrow. I want to let them know how thankful I am for my little neighborhood store. They were awesome today!

Night y'all!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Something cool

A couple of weeks ago, Jenny at Southern Savers, had a post about an upcoming sale at Kroger and offered a $30 giftcard giveaway. She had to pull the post, but went ahead with the giveaway and I WON!

AND, I just received it in the mail - just in time for Super Doubles tomorrow!!

I'm so excited! Thank you Jenny and thank you Kroger!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

it's really true - Super Doubles for sure!

Ok, just saw the ad and it's really really real. I'm going to be clipping like a mad woman and gone all day Saturday. I've already arranged for my sister to come over and entertain the children - thanks S!!

If you haven't checked it out yet, the lovely members of HCW have assembled a google doc of freebies and deals for Sat - complete with insert dates and printable links.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Texas - Kroger - 8/15 only - Super Doubles!!

Alright y'all, I never thought I'd see this happen. At Kroger in Texas on Saturday, 8/15 all coupons .40-$1 will double!!

Details: Kroger will double Manufacturer's "Cents Off" coupons valued between $0.40 and $1.00. Kroger will continue to triple Manufacturer's "Cents Off" coupons valued up to $0.39. Coupons greater than $1.00 will be redeemed at face value. Valid with Plus Card. Limit 1 like coupon per transaction. No cash back. Manufacturer's coupons issued in store do not apply. See store for details.

Check out Jane4girls for more info and here for a list of possible freebies.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Free Freshberry Frozen Yogurt - Dallas - Today

Freshberry Frozen Yogurt is celebrating the grand opening of their Dallas store.

All day Thursday, Aug 6 you can get a Free small yogurt cup with one topping (Dallas location only)!
8084 Park Lane Suite B141
Dallas, TX 75231
Located on Central Expressway and Park in the Park Lane Development, across from North Park Mall. Near the Dick's Sporting Goods, beneath the Apartment tower.


Also, 10% of their first week's sales will be donated to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

Thanks, Tara!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The importance of the EF

Emergency Fund 101

We severely depleted our EF over the first few months of 2009 (plumbing fun, etc). Instead of buckling down and re-filling it like we should have, we just continued following our regular budget. And then July happened. Ugh. Lesson learned.

Ted to the vet. Electric bill $140 higher than the previous month. AC went out (which may explain the higher electric bill) to the tune of $340.

So, this month is super, super tight. We're hanging in there, selling stuff on ebay and I may do a garage sale.

It's a big red arrow pointing to the need for the $1000 Emergency Fund. All of this month's extra, unexpected expenses could have been covered with that amount.

We're going to get through this month, pay everything, and then it's Operation Emergency Fund. I'll track our progress here. Care to join me?

Sunday, July 19, 2009

So, I um did a little school supply shopping today

and I totally scored! I don't have a picture, because I was a good girl and put everything away right when I got home. I'm always so excited when I get home from a big couponing/money-saving run that I've unfortunately trained my children to descend like vultures on my bags of loot. They wanted to immediately use all of the new crafty stuff, so I had to get the majority of it out of sight out of mind.

disclaimer: I started out with 2 $5 RR (Register Rewards) from last week's Walgreens' Huggies deal and I had a $2.99 ECB (Extra Care Buck).

I ended up with:

Walgreens (2 trips):
6 - scotch tape (on sale for .39 ea - used $1/3 Scotch tape manu q from 7/12 RP)
3 - 12 packs Crayola colored pencils
5 - folders (planning a really cool color project for the kids with these)
8 - white poster board
1 - 2 pk erasers
1 - 5 pk highlighters
2 - 10 pk pens
2 - 2 pk G2 gel pens
1 - paper clips
2 - hefty storage bags (BOGO $3.29 - used 2 $1/1 manu q's from 5/17 RP)
1 - toilet brush (it's a glamorous life, I tell ya)

spent: a whopping 12 cents
saved: $50.27 (of course that savings refers to the me of 3 years ago. I would never spend money like that on office supplies now. I <3 coupons.)
ended up with: 2 - $1 RRs from the gel pens.

CVS (2 orders):

2 - pkgs filler paper
2 - 10 pks pens

spent: nada
saved: $9.36
ended up with: my original $2.99 in ECB

Total spent: 12 cents
Total saved: $59.63

The past couple of weeks I've had the loveliest checker at CVS and no one waiting in line. So I've been doing two orders in a row. I just tear the ECB off of my receipt and hand it right back. I don't do back-to-back orders if there is anyone waiting, though. I just get back in line.

Even if you don't have any RRs or ECBs to start with, this is a great week to jump in. At CVS, you could just buy the 2 packs of pens - spend $1.98 (plus tax) and get the $1.98 ECB and then roll that onto one package of notebook paper - spend .02 (and possibly tax) and get the $2 ECB. Then roll that onto the 2nd pack of paper and get another $2 ECB. Then roll that onto other stuff or keep it for next week's deals.

At Walgreens the gel pens are $1 and you get a $1 RR. Buy your pens then spend the $1 RR on a bunch of the .09, .19, or .29 goodies.

Lots of yummy shopping endorphins for pocket change.

And one funny story: On Friday I did the Huggies deal and my RR didn't print. The checker said that they were having problems with the machine before I checked out, so it wasn't a surprise. She called the manager and said, "I need you to come print this RR. It didn't print and I know it should have, because this lady knows her stuff." LOVED that.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I did it.

I went and signed up for the All You Grocery Challenge. You knew I would. Wish me luck.

Monday, July 6, 2009

I'm so excited!

We visited the in-laws this weekend and happened upon a tiny farmer's market in Waxahachie. They set up along one side of the courthouse during the summer. Even though it was small, there were THREE different organic produce farmers.

And even more exciting, there were two different stands run by Mennonite families. One had produce, preserves, salsas/relishes, and baked goods. The other was selling meat AND they had 5 different options under my buy price!!! We don't need meat right now, but they are definitely where I'll be stocking up in a couple of weeks. Their farm isn't very far from where we live, so I may just go out there.

I was stoked! Grass fed, all natural, no hormones, no antibiotics chicken, beef, and pork - close to my home and reasonably priced. I picked up their flier and it says to ask about how to save 10% - I'm hoping that means they'll let us buy a whole animal in the future.

I know my in-laws thought I was even weirder than usual. I could not stop talking about how excited I was.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

random - but thrifty!

1. stovetop popcorn - good. really good. We use grapeseed oil, but totally ruin the healthy by pouring real butter all over it. Really, really good.

2. Easy, cheap fun for kids - food coloring in their bath water. It only takes 4-6 drops to color it and it won't stay on their skin or stain their hair or anything. Jackson wanted "to see aquamarine - you know blue and green." 4 drops of each in the bathtub and we had aquamarine. He also wanted to add salt to make it more like the ocean, but I said no.

3. Somehow I've ended up on some mailing list that thinks I'm pregnant. I'm not. I'm getting really great diaper coupons though, so I can start stockpiling for my BIL and SIL's upcoming blessing. I also just rec'd two cans of formula in the mail. I guess I'll donate it to the women's shelter.

What random thrifty do you have going on?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

school supply season is about to start!

Ok, let's get this ol' blog rolling again! I'm so excited, because it's about to be my favorite bargaining time of the year - back to school!!!

I never cared about this before I started couponing. I now know that it is a goldmine. Why? Every week the big retailers will offer different items for .01, .05, .25 - etc. It's a fabulous time to stock up on office supplies, craft supplies for your kids, craft supplies to put away for birthday gifts and party favors, etc.

Watch for crazy deals on:
  • crayons
  • paper
  • pens
  • index cards
  • rulers
  • scissors
  • folders
  • pencil boxes
  • markers
  • glue - glue sticks, elmer's, etc
  • tape

And start watching your inserts for coupons on some of those things. I haven't paid for pens in two years.

I always stock up on crayons, glue, and scissors for kids' craft gifts. It's also a great time to keep an eye out for deals on office supplies like staplers, organizers, etc.

AND in September, they start clearancing it all out - more deals!!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Have y'all heard about this? All You Grocery Challenge

All the couponing blogs I read are talking about the All You Grocery Challenge. Here are the details from All You:

We're thrilled that you're joining the ALL YOU Grocery Challenge! Show off your shopping smarts by spending no more than $25 per family member per week on groceries over a four-week period beginning July 13. That's $100 a week for a family of four. You could win a $1,000 grocery card plus a year's supply of Knorr side dishes and the chance to appear in ALL YOU magazine.
Follow these guidelines:
During the contest, groceries that you purchase count toward your weekly total. However, feel free to grow, barter or use stockpiled food to supplement your meals. Creativity and ingenuity count!
If you eat at a restaurant or buy takeout, the cost must go toward the week's total.
Household supplies and toiletries do not count toward each weeks total.
Keep track of your money using the optional Spending Log.
Save receipts--you will be required to submit them if you are a finalist.
Post your strategies on our
Grocery Challenge blog, and be sure to tell us your money-saving tips
Click here to sign up
Official Rules
The contest starts July 13 (we'll send you a reminder email), so start planning your strategies now. Good luck!


$100 a week for my family of four and it doesn't include household supplies and toiletries??? Seriously???

I'm wondering if I should do this. July 12 is the sign-up deadline.

If anyone wants to try it (and I totally think y'all should!) - be sure to check your favorite couponing blog to see if they have a sign-up link. I think they are getting some kind of kick-back from All You and it's nice to support those that help us all out so much. If I sign up, I'll do it through Common Sense with Money. I believe I saw a link over at Southern Savers as well (and thank you Lourdes for recommending that site).

hmmm....decisions, decisions.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I haven't abandoned y'all!

We have just had a crazy few days. A quick wrap-up on my $500 challenge:

$3 - Jackson and I went to the movies
$2 - We were driving past a garage sale and I spotted a carboy - Derek was thrilled! It's for beer making and usually costs around $35.
.67 - CVS - I used a $4 ECB to get the lens cleaners I mentioned before, a 3-pack of Ivory soap for my homemade laundry detergent, and a travel pack of baby wipes. I earned another $10 ECB

Grand Totals!
$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $201.39 ($184.23savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing: 24.69
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $22.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $9.08
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $497.52
Remaining: $2.48!

So, we did it! It's back to the envelopes for me, though. I did not handle the big lump sum well. I still stuck with my envelope limits, for the most part. I just have to be firmer with myself on letting the amount in a designated envelope be IT. No more switching amounts around.

I'm going to take a little break and decide where I want this blog to head. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

StyleScience moneymaker at CVS

I saw this on common sense with money last night and ran right out to do it.

This week's buy 2 sunglasses get $10 ECB deal is also working when you buy two .99 packets of lens cleaning cloths. I had to search the whole store before I finally found them hanging on an endcap. They're small - like 2 in x 2 in.

Here are the barcode #'s that are working:

Lens Cleaning Tissue: UPC 8 8301900550 7
or UPC: 0 30048 47128 9
Lens Cleaning Tissue pre-moistened 20 tissues UPC 0 30048 47129 6

The link above also has pics if you need them. Good luck!

(I'll update my $500 challenge totals later today - I spent a whopping .67 at CVS.)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

$500 challenge - update

Tom Thumb run on Sunday

Lucerne Butter - 1.99 used $1/1 catalina coupon
1 package of hamburger buns - .79 on sale w/ad coupon
3 organic peach yogurts - marked down to .25 ea
1 cantaloupe - .97 on sale

spent $3.50
saved: $8.04

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $200.72 ($180.23savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing: 24.69
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $20.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $6.08
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88
Total spent: $491.85
Remaining: $8.15


So, still under the $500 - but now at $252.77 for groceries, eating out, and coffee. A little bit over my usual $250, however I usually don't include eating out in that total. We won't need any groceries before Friday, so that should be it. Movies on Thursday should wrap up the month.

I think I may try upping my budget to $300 a month and have that total include all groceries, eating out, bulk coffee purchases, and Derek's beer-making supplies. If I do that for a couple of months, I think I'll be able to work it down to $275 and hopefully, eventually, back down to $250. What do you think?

Monday, June 15, 2009

getting started - organizing coupons

You know how sometimes you make a bigger deal of something than it really is? Maybe that's just me. Anyway, I've had writer's block lately. I'm just going to stream-of-consciousness this - please let me know if you have any questions or if it doesn't make sense!

Let's start with organizing. The hardest part about couponing, for me, is organizing my coupons. I've used several different methods and I've basically settled on this system:

1. Browse through insert. Clip coupons for products I know we use and for items that I suspect will be moneymakers.

2. File those coupons in my binder (actually a photo album). Here it is. The smaller one is where I keep my ECBs and coupons I'm planning on using at CVS.



3. Write the date of the insert on the front cover and file it in a magazine file. My magazine files have lived several different places. Currently, they reside in a laundry basket, so I can haul it out whenever I need it and hide it, when I don't need it. Don't let this scare you:


Now, that's in a perfect world. The reality is that I usually make my lists by scanning the ad previews on hotcouponworld and the "best of" weekly posts on the blogs over in my sidebar. In that case, I just clip as I need them. As I've mentioned before, I file them in envelopes with my list on the outside. My envelopes are usually tucked inside the front cover of my binder:


That covers inserts, but there are lots of other kinds of coupons - tearpads, booklets, blinkies, home mailers, internet printables, and so on. This is where I still struggle. I'm great at locating them - not so great at organizing them. As a result, I usually have a box like this:


This works for me for now as long as I put anything coupon related into it. At least I know right where to look for missing coupons or I-thought-I-had-a-blah-blah-blah coupons.

It is very easy to drown in a sea of papers when you start couponing. The secret to big savings is to have multiples of the same coupons - that means a. lot. of. paper. Try to find a system that works for you. If it's not working, change it.

I do not clip every single coupon and I honestly don't think you should either. It takes so much time and unless you're planning on regularly going up and down every single aisle of every store you shop - it will be time wasted.

Here's what I try to clip for sure:
  • organics
  • high dollar coupons for toothpaste, shampoo, make-up, etc. These are the moneymakers.
  • products that I'm ok to get conventional - rice, pasta, frozen veggies, cheese, eggs
  • diapers and wipes
Here's what I usually have waiting in designated envelopes:
  • Kroger - home mailers that I know I'll use, catalinas that I think I'll use, Eggland's best eggs - these are usually cheapest at Kroger for me and I know where to find the coupon if I need it at another store
  • Tom Thumb - catalinas that I think I'll use, ad coupons that I've clipped
  • Target, Walgreens, CVS - I try to clip and add coupons for upcoming sales when I can - it helps me to remember to watch for the sales.
oops - K's up from her nap - that'll have to do for now. questions? comments? is anybody out there?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

homemade mustard

Recipe for the homemade mustard over on my other blog. Woo-hoo - two blog posts in one!

$500 challenge - quick update

I am so ready to do a big grocery shop.

recent spending:

Tom Thumb - gallon of organic milk marked down - spent $2.30 (saved $3.70)

Jackson requested "trousers and suspenders" (I kid you not) for his wedding attire. I hit the clearance rack at Macy's for his trousers - reg $32 and I spent $7.55 after tax. Seersucker pants, so cute.

I found suspenders on ebay, he selected a spring green shade - $6.15

I did a little garage sale run yesterday. I found a long sleeve calvin klein button-up for $1.

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $197.22 ($172.19 savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing: 24.69
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $20.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $6.08
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88
Total spent: $488.35
Remaining: $11.65


And that's where we are now. Derek and I both have half a tank of gas, so we should be fine there. I'm taking the kids to the movies and the gym this week, so that's $6.

I think we'll be under the $500, but I am going to go a smidge over $250 for our groceries (again, including all eating out and our coffee buy from the beginning of the month). Teri gave us a big container of mustard seeds and Derek immediately started a batch of homemade mustard (recipe in this month's Gourmet). He wants to have hamburgers today with his fancy mustard and apparently homemade bread won't cut it (the mustard, get it???).

So, I'm going to get hamburger buns and probably a little bit of fresh produce - I'll post the totals later, but I'll probably spend about $3.

Walgreens, CVS, and Target all have deals I want to take advantage of this week - come on Friday!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

$500 challenge - update

Woo-hoo just one more week to go! It's a stormy day here, so we had to cancel our plans for today. I took advantage of a break in the rain and ran to get movies and Jackson requested hot dogs for dinner.

Spending:

2 prs of Crocs for Kira - the crocs site had a sale on their Mary Janes - they were $9.99 and if you bought two pair you got them for half off. I had a code for free shipping, so 2 pair shipped for $9.99. She constantly puts Jackson's Crocs on, so I've been watching for a sale for her. (I didn't post the deal itself on here, because by the time I found out about it, they had exactly 2 prs left in her size and not much else.)

The kids and I went to see Kung Fu Panda at the movies yesterday - Free (Regal theaters - UA in these parts - free summer movie series)

Derek stopped for milk at Tom Thumb: 1 gallon of organic marked down - spent $2.25 saved $3.75 (based on the $6 regular price)

Redbox - $1.08 - I ran out for a couple of movies and had a code for one of them. DVDONME is the code, if you haven't used it yet.

Kroger:
1 personal sized watermelon: $1.97 on sale
1 package of Oscar Mayer beef franks: $4.69 used Free coupon (it was only up to $4.50, so these were .19)
1 package of hot dog buns: .88 on sale
1 7 oz Kraft 2% shredded cheese: $1.67 on sale - used .50/1 doubled tearpad q - so .67
1 dz Eggland's Best Eggs - $2.59 used .35/1 insert q tripled

spent: $5.08
saved: $9.06

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $194.92 ($168.49 savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing: 9.99
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $20.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $6.08
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88
Total spent: $471.35
Remaining: $28.65

I was thisclose to letting us eat out after storytime on Tuesday. I really, really want to stay under $250 for all of our groceries, eating out, and the coffee purchase, though. That leaves $3.03 and I think we can do it.

For breakfast today: scrambled eggs and peach/banana smoothies

For lunch today, I sauteed some onion and added the last of the leftover bison. We had it with brown rice and shredded cheese - broccoli on the side. We had watermelon for dessert.

I have this bread using leftover brown rice baking right now. I hope it's good! It calls for a 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice and that's usually about how much I have leftover.

We're having hot dogs for dinner - haven't decided yet what to make for sides. Might just be watermelon.

I'm making kettle corn to enjoy while we watch a movie tonight.

I'm working on the getting started - coupons post. I'm having a hard time deciding on where to start, though. If you have specific questions on organizing, obtaining, or anything else related to starting couponing - or if you have any suggestions - please let me know!

Monday, June 8, 2009

menus for a couple of days

Just a promised what-we've-been-eating update. I'm also loosely planning the next couple of days. I just started a loaf of bread in the bread machine and may try to get another one going later. I need to pull a whole chicken out of the freezer, too.

Sunday - my wonderful, amazing, magnificent husband took the kids to see the in-laws all day. I stayed home and did chores. I ate leftovers from Saturday all day. I did enjoy some fancy bevs, though. I made iced tea and mashed up a couple of strawberries in the bottom of my glass. Yummy. I also made iced coffee - I keep forgetting to do the cold brew method, so it was just my regular old coffee on ice. Still good, in fact I think I'm going to go make more in a sec.

Derek and the kids came home with a huge bag of peaches from my in-laws peach tree. He also brought a small dish of their home grown squash and tomatoes.

So, today:

Breakfast: Cheerios, strawberries, peaches for the kids. I had yogurt with strawberries and peaches and little honey.

Lunch: totally random. I sauteed the squash and tomatoes in a little olive oil and added in some frozen broccoli - put the lid on the pan and let the broccoli steam for a bit. Had it all over rice. The kids had monterey jack cheese cubes with theirs. I had a little ceaser dressing on mine. Jackson actually had seconds, so I guess random worked. More peaches for dessert.

Tonight: We're having a sort-of stroganoff with ground bison and a sauce made with plain yogurt, sauteed onions, and a little Worcestershire. We'll have it over egg noodles and I'll probably just go ahead and throw peas in, too.

Tuesday:

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, toast w/jelly
Lunch - grilled cheese sandwiches, whatever frozen veg the kids decide on or maybe celery sticks and some dip kind of thing.
Dinner - I'm thinking of trying this Adzuki bean soup recipe, although I may change it up depending on what spices we have available. One of the commenters on the site topped their's with yogurt and it sounds really good. I have dried adzuki beans - this recipe doesn't call for soaking them, but I think I'll soak them tonight anyway. We'll have this with bread - or maybe rice would be better?

Wednesday:
(I'm going to get Derek to start the chicken in the crockpot in the morning - not sure what he'll throw together, so we'll see.)
Breakfast - cantaloupe, the last of the strawberries (if there are any left), peaches and either cereal or toast
Lunch - leftovers from Tuesday
Dinner - chicken and whatever needs to go with it depending on what Derek does.

Thank you for visiting random menu planning with Wendy.

organic printables - save up to $29

Check out this post on Common Sense with Money about printables available when you register with Stonyfield Farm.

Thanks Mercedes!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

yesterday's eating

Oh y'all, we ate good yesterday!

Breakfast: the last of the leftover pizza (oh so healthy) and honeydew melon (that's better)

Lunch: I made a variation of Taco Style Lentils and Rice - I sauteed about 1/3 cup of chopped onion in olive oil and used that instead of the onion powder, used Better than Bouillon instead of bouillon cubes, and added a couple of tablespoons of salsa. We ate it with chips, guacamole (made from frozen avocado puree - thanks Teri!), grated cheddar cheese, and salsa. It was my first time to make it and it was really, really good. The kids really enjoyed it, too.

Dinner: Derek made Chapatis - basically an Indian tortilla made with flour, yogurt, a little oil, and a little salt. We used those for soft tacos (Derek and I) and quesadillas (the kids) with ground turkey italian sausage. Derek cooked the sausage with fresh spinach and salsa. We sprinkled grated cheddar on top. So, so, so good!

Snacks: honeydew, chips - although there wasn't much snacking today. All of our meals were really filling and the kids ate all of them surprisingly well.

Where did the food come from?
The turkey sausage I bought a couple of months ago for $2.99/lb at Whole Foods
The cheese, onion, salsa, chips, honeydew and yogurt were from this week's shopping (last Sunday and Friday).
The spinach was from last week.
The flour, rice, lentils, and oil were from the stockpile.
The huge bag of avocado puree was from my friend Teri, who happens to be a chef. She gave it to us awhile back and we froze it.

This is why I actually love shopping and cooking like this. Tonight's dinner came together from what we had and it was so delicious. I can try to give more detailed recipes, if anyone is interested.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

getting started - the very beginning

Kim said: I have come to a crisis in my life with spending. We are just not making ends meet around here. I would love to know just exactly what you did when you first started couponing. I am a bit overwhelmed with everything and I have been reading your blog trying to figure things out but if you could give me some pointers on where to get started and what to do I would greatly appreciate it.



Kim is a mom in much the same situation I was when I started couponing. She's a SAHM who didn't necessarily plan on being one ahead of time. For me, the only place in the budget that had any wiggle room was on groceries, so slashing that amount was a necessity.

Since I stay home, I feel like my job is to make our money go as far as it can go. Our kids know that Daddy makes the money and Mommy makes it stretch 'til it screams.

If you're just getting started couponing, here are some things to remember:
  • Nobody is watching you. Don't stress out about "getting it right." Saving any money at all over what you spend now is success.
  • Don't feel like you have to turn into a couponing queen overnight. Just take things one step at a time.
  • Don't feel like you have to run out and start a stockpile immediately. Gradually build to that point. (More on stockpiling later)

Couponing is really just a part of saving money on groceries. It's another way to stretch your dollars. So, let's start with your grocery budget and ways that anyone can save at anytime. We'll tackle the actual couponing part in a bit.


1. Pick your number. Sit down with your spouse and make a budget. If you're in a place where you're running out of money before you run out of month, this won't be much fun. However, once you have it all down on paper, you have a plan. That plan is power - really.

When we started budgeting, I literally had to budget paycheck to paycheck. I may have had $250 to spend on groceries, but I certainly didn't have all of it at the beginning of the month.

Once you know how much you have to spend on groceries, decide if you want to break that down into weekly or bi-weekly amounts.

If you already budget and already know about how much you spend on groceries, decide how much lower you want that amount to be.

If you have the wiggle room - pick an amount that requires you to stretch a little, but not too much. Then gradually whittle it down.

We didn't have the wiggle room when I started. $250 a month was what I had - period. I had to work to learn how to make that amount buy the types of foods I wanted to feed my family. This may be where you are - and that's ok.

2. Shop your home. Before you hit the store, check your fridge and your pantry. See what meals you can put together from what you already have. Start a list of ingredients you might need to make other meals featuring what you already have.

Check your non-grocery items, too. If you only have $40 a week, you don't want to be in the store trying to remember if you need toilet paper or toothpaste. Make a list of things you'll absolutely need before your next shopping trip.

3. Grab the sales ads. If you don't get copies in the paper or in your mail, check the ads online. Plan your meals around what's on sale. Seasonal produce will be on sale. Some meats will be loss leaders. There may be great store coupons printed in the ad.

I'm not a weekly meal planner, but if you're just getting started - you may want to plan weekly. I usually plan our meals a day or two at a time based on what we have in the house. When you're making your meal plans, try to plan for a couple of meatless meals and/or meals where meat is just an ingredient and not the star of the show. Breakfast for dinner is also an option for a cheap weeknight meal.

When I peruse the ads, I'm usually looking for organic produce deals, meat prices at Whole Foods, and things for the kids to snack on. Snacks around here are usually fresh fruit or veggies, Cheerios, cheese cubes (that I cube myself), or trail mix type things that I make from nuts, raisins, etc.

If you have coupons, this is when you want to pay attention to what is on sale that you also have a coupon for. If the combination of the sale and coupon is a great price, try to add as many as you can to your list after you account for the things you need for meals while remaining within your budget.

Remember step #1 and keep your number in mind as you make your list. If your budget is $40 - then your budget is $40. I try to make my list with a little bit of extra room for marked down produce or dairy. So, you might try making a list that represents $30-$35 to leave yourself a little room for unexpected markdowns, or extra stockpiling. You can always roll money you don't spend to the next week, or save a little in case you need milk in the middle of the week.

I try to make my list in the order I shop the store. It keeps me from back-tracking and helps me to avoid extra spending. I use an envelope and write my list on the outside of it. I put any coupons I'm using in order inside of it. If I have any E-coupons loaded on my shopping card, I also have a piece of paper with those listed inside of my envelope. As I'm doing my shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for coupons - blinkies (the one's in the little red boxes with blinking lights), tearpads, and booklets. If I find any, I put them in the back of my envelope and sort them when I get home.

4. Hit the stores. If you're just getting started with shopping this way (with a budget, coupons, etc) then if at all possible, shop alone the first couple of trips. Kids and spouses have a way of increasing grocery spending if they're along for the ride. However, once you feel comfortable with this way of shopping, I think you should try to take kids along. Learning how to stick with a budget, looking for the best value for your money, and just plain old math are all valuable lessons for your kids to learn while they're young.

Go to the store with your list, your coupons, and a calculator. Really, a calculator. You'll feel like a nerd, but you'll be the nerd in control of her money. Take your budgeted amount in cash. Leave your debit card and your credit cards at home. Remember - you only have your number. If it's $40 - you don't want to realize you're over when the cashier tells you the total. If you only have your budgeted cash with you, you'll be forced to take something off. Use your calculator and know your total before you even get to the check-out.

In the store, I try to mainly shop the outer edges. Produce, meat, dairy - fresh, whole foods. These are generally where you get the most bang for your buck in quality nutritionally dense foods for your family. We make most of our food from scratch. That may or not be an option for you depending on your time constraints, but when possible try it for definite money saving.

I don't go up and down the aisles. I only go down the aisles for items that are on my list. If you've planned before you hit the store, you don't have to worry about forgetting something you might need.

Before you check-out, take a sec to look over your basket and get your coupons in order. I usually do one more quick total check, too.

After you check-out, look over your receipt before you leave the store. Make sure that produce prices and sale prices rang up correctly. Make sure that any promos (buy x amount to get y amount off of your total) have come off correctly. If you keep track of what your total should be before checking out, you'll usually know if there's an issue on your receipt. If anything is wrong, go to the service desk and have them fix it. Many stores have a ring right guarantee - if something rings up incorrectly, you get it free.

Once you get home - use what you bought. Use the produce that spoils more quickly first, incorporate leftovers into your next few meals, and freeze things for later.


I hope some of that helps. Please let me know if y'all have any questions or tips on how you got started saving $$ on groceries. We'll look at the actual getting started with couponing itself, tomorrow.

Babies R Us sale June 5 - June 18

Lisa emailed me to let me know that Babies R Us is running a big sale from June 5 - June 18. This is one of the sales where they run the coupons off of bigger ticket baby items like car seats and play yards. I checked the site and it looks like you can print the ad (including the coupons) in pdf form. If you're interested, I'd call the store first to see if they have coupons in the flier there. You'll save your ink that way. If they don't, then make sure that they'll take the printed version before you head up there.

And be sure to check this guest post about saving at Babies R Us from Freebies 4 Mom.

Thanks Lisa!

Friday, June 5, 2009

$500 challenge update - I heart coupons

(For some reason, I can't get the spaces to stay in this post - sorry everything is running together.)

This is what $9.84 looks like:



Did you see my bag?!? I had $6 in RR at Walgreens that were expiring tomorrow. There was nothing that I wanted to roll them on to. I checked the food aisles, but there wasn't really anything we needed and not much that doesn't contain HFCS or trans fats. My Walgreens does carry organic milk, but the fine print on the RR excludes dairy.
Anyway, I found that great big insulated bag for $4.99! In this Texas heat, it will be perfect for trips where I'm stopping 2 or 3 places. Woo-hoo!
So, the breakdowns:
Walgreens
1 big 'ol lovely bag $4.99
2 baking soda - 2/$1 with in-ad coupon
1 salt - .50 with in-ad coupon
used $1 RR and $5 RR
spent .49
saved $8.39
Kroger - I heart Kroger
Those big bags of bananas were marked down to .30 PER BAG. I bought 2 bags - 7 lbs of bananas for .60!! They would have been $4 at this week's sales price. I saved a couple for snacking on tomorrow. I peeled the rest, broke them into thirds, and froze them. I'll use them in smoothies or maybe, banana bread. AND only 1 of them had a bad spot. They are perfectly ripe. Another woo-hoo!
The Wholly Salsa was on sale for $1.99. I used a BOGO Wholly Salsa q and a $3 off chips wyb Wholly Salsa q. The BOGO q rang up as $2.99 - the regular price. The chips were $3.49. So, both Wholly Salsas and the chips were $1.48 - total!
2 Wholly Salsa
1 Tortilla chips
1 lb organic strawberries - $2.50 on sale
1 cantaloupe - $1.88 on sale
7 lbs of bananas - .60
spent: $6.22
saved: $11.88
Tom Thumb:
2 Texas sweet onions - on sale for .49/lb - .84
1 honeydew melon - on sale for $1.50
6 ct eggs - .79 on sale
spent: $3.13
saved: $4.04
Total spent: $9.84
Total saved: $24.31
$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $187.59 ($155.68 savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $20.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88
Total spent: $452.95
Remaining: $47.05

Free Krispy Kreme donuts today (6/5)

Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts today. I called to make sure our store was participating and to see if it was ok to use the drive-thru. All we had to do was say that we were there for the free donuts - we even got to pick out what kind we wanted! YUM!

Earth's Best and JASON promo

Tara just sent me this Earth's Best and JASON promo:

Earth's Best Baby Body Care by JASON
Here is your chance to receive a FREE Earth's Best Baby Body Care by JASON; Travel Kit. Each kit contains travel sizes of 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash, Extra Rich Therapy Crème, Everyday Lotion, Mineral Based Sunblock SPF30+, and Diaper Relief Ointment. Pediatrician Tested and Approved, each product has been evaluated and given the seal of approval from an American Medical Association certified Pediatrician. It's perfect for the diaper bag!

Simply send your register receipt(s) for $15 in purchases for Earth's Best products, along with the accompanying box tops and jar labels and a check or money order payable to Earth's Best for $1.95 (for shipping and handling). Offer good while supplies last.

Mail to:
Earth's Best Travel Kit Offer

P.O. Box 8960 Dept. 02
St. Cloud, MN 56398-8960
Please allow 6-8 weeks for shipping. Offer good while supplies last.
Click here for a redemption form.

Also, sign up here to get on the Earth's best mailing list.

Thanks Tara!!

$500 Challenge update - halfway there

An update and some observations.

Sonic - $3 - we went for free floats on Wed. We got there about 10 minutes early, so we went ahead and ordered some fries. The kids and I munched them while we waited for the free floats to start. I think we'll do that again next year, because at 8:00 on the dot that place went nuts!

Gas - filled up my car - $40.21

Pizza again - house arrest is kicking my rear - $21.64

Derek allowance - $5

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $177.75 ($131.37 savings)
- (eating out $53.36)
gas: $110.74
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $20.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $443.11
Remaining: $56.89

Now for some random rambling. I usually budget $250 a month for food/HBA (basically anything we consume). This month I've tried to stick with including eating out in that total - which leaves us with $20.20 for the next two weeks, if I include the coffee with it. I'm going to try to do that, so that means just milk and produce buys for the next two weeks. We have plenty of everything else, so that should be ok.

I think I don't like lumping everything together. I basically stuck with my original envelope breakdowns anyway.

Typically my cash envies went like this:

Food/HBA: $250
Derek allowance: $20
Wendy allowance: $20
Kids allowance: $30 (this month they're really low, but we've been stuck in the house!)
Gas: $100 (gas prices are rising for the summer, so I'll have to bump this up)
Coffee/Beer making supplies: $50-$60

Crafting supplies isn't a usual category. I'm considering homeschooling, so I think I'd like to add in a permanent crafting/school supply category.

I'm thinking I'd like to start budgeting Food/HBA, eating out, and the coffee/beer making supplies all together each month. I'm not sure if I want to push my budget out to $300 or leave it at $250.

Maybe I'll try that as my goal for next month, if anyone is interested in following it.

Breaking down that remaining $56.89 for the next two weeks:
Food: $20.20
Kids allowance (when we finally get to leave the house!): $15 (gym twice and a couple of cheap summer movies)
Other stuff: $21.69

That might seem scary, but that's the beauty of stockpiling. We have plenty of good, quality food in the house. $20.20 for just milk and produce is plenty. I'll definitely post our meals for the next two weeks, so you can see how we're eating.

In conclusion: Dave Ramsey is right and individual envies are the way to go for this girl. Letting myself have the lump sum made it way too easy to make a couple of uncharacteristically large purchases at the beginning of the month.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Go DH!

I mentioned before that Derek is best man in his friend's wedding this month. I'm not counting his wedding related expenses in our budget this month, but I had to brag on him for this find. (I'm taking his costs and the wedding gift costs out of our garage sale earnings.)

He found these shoes on 6pm.com (Zappo's clearance site - love, love, love it):


He paid $36.90 including shipping. He bought the last pair, but you can also find them on Amazon for $129.95 - $162.00!!! I'm so proud of him, I think I might cry!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Q&A - part 3 - this one's for Cate

Just one question this time, from Cate: That is a really cool idea. There don't seem to be any stores in my area participating. I notice that about your posts, too, that you have different stores where you live. I've never heard of Tom Thumb. Do you know of any other blogs/sources that focus on deals in other areas (like, say, New England)?

This is making the latent (and formerly employed) researcher in me happy. I'm just going to pick Boston as my town and see what I can find. Cate - you're lucky both of my kids are sleeping, both of your kids are adorable, and I'm bored. If these don't match your stores - lmk and I'll try again.

So, it looks like Boston has these chain stores (in addition to local stores):

Shaw's - go here for info on store promos, online printable coupons, etc. Looks like they send home mailers, so probably worth making sure they have your info registered on your shopping card.
Stop & Shop - here for info on the store card - again, looks like they send home mailers so register your card
Trader Joe's - I am SO jealous.
Whole Foods - here's the Boston store's home page - dang your flier is better than mine.

Tom Thumb is part of the Safeway family of stores, which include Safeway, Carrs, Dominick's, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, and Vons - I'm not seeing any of these in Boston.

I googled "Shaw's coupon match-ups" and "Stop & Shop coupon match-ups" and found these two blogs. They seem like they're along the lines of what I'm trying to do. The others I found are more like Money Saving Mom - and I'm partial to her. Let me know if these are good.

The Wandering Peanut (Connecticut)
The $200 Mission looks like she does match-ups for both Shaw's and Stop & Shop

And, of course, my favorite Hot Coupon World. Here are the Shaw's forum and the Stop & Shop forum.

Hope some of that helps!

Sonic - Free Root Beer Floats tonight starting at 8:00

We hit Sonic for half price burgers last night. I HAD to get the kids out of the house, but since we're still contagious we couldn't get out of the car.

Tonight, Sonic is offering Free Root Beer Floats from 8pm to midnight. Go here to find a location near you.

The kids and I are getting out for this. I'm sure that the wait will be crazy, but we'll act like it's an adventure. I have a kids' cd of silly songs I checked out from the library. They haven't heard it yet, so I'm going to surprise them with it while we wait. Should be fun and at least we'll get out of the house for a little while.

If you go, please tip your carhop - they're going to be skating their lil' butts off.

updated totals to include the $9.25 we spent at Sonic last night:

$500 Challenge Totals:

food & eating out (includes HBA): $153.11 ($131.37 savings)
- (eating out $28.72)
gas: $70.53
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $373.26
Remaining: $126.74

Half Price Books summer reading club

Kam sent me this email:

Every week from June 1-July 31, 2009 kids 12 and under can earn a $3 shopping card at Half Price Books for reading for at least 15 minutes a day for at least five out of seven days a week. Visit the Half Price Books website for more details, to find a location near you and to download the weekly reading log.

I checked the site and reading TO your kids counts, too. We're definitely participating in this one! $3 can buy a couple of kids' books at Half Price - this is a fabulous offer! We're a stop, drop, and read family - 15 minutes a day? No problem!

Thanks Kam!

E-coupons

Do you use E-coupons? E-coupons are coupons that you load onto your shopper's card. They automatically come off when you check-out.

Some things to remember about E-coupons:
  • They don't double or triple
  • You can only use them once. If you buy two of the same item, they'll come off of the first one, but not the second. Once you use it, it's off of your card.
  • Currently, you can use them along with a manufacturer's coupon on the same item.

You can find E-coupons at Shortcuts.com and Cellfire. Cellfire asks for a cell phone number, but I just used my home number, since I don't pay for text messages.

There is a new source for E-coupons for Kroger customers: Bringing Hope to the Table

You can upload up to 25 coupons at a time onto your Kroger card. Thanks Common Sense With Money!

Monday, June 1, 2009

I was going to be funny

and title this post beer and babies - then I changed my mind. ;)

Tara emailed me to let me know that she found Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for $19.99 for the 24 pack at Costco. That's a really great price for a yummy summer time brew.

I really like Costco. Time is money and I think of the time I spend couponing as sweat equity. If you don't have time to coupon and you are cognizant of prices and using what you buy, then I think you can find some great deals at Costco. When I've had a card in the past, I've found great deals on organic produce and dairy there. They also take really great care of their employees, which means something, too.

Now for the babies part: Freebies 4 Mom has a guest post about saving at Babies R Us. They have some new programs that they didn't have when I shopped there regularly, so I'm sending you over there to check it out.

Redbox code - free rental 6/1 only

I just got this email from Redbox:

Get a FREE one night rental from redbox when you buy a 3 oz Endangered Species Chocolate bar. This all natural chocolate bar using ethically-traded cacao, is a great-tasting hunk of chocolate yum you can feel good about. When you check out, your receipt will include your code.The offer's valid at Walgreen's from 6/1/09 to 7/31/09, so hurry. But does anyone really have to tell you to rush for a chocolate fix?

As I was coming to post it, I saw this post from Common sense with money: Get a free movie rental at Redbox locations today 6/1 only, when you use the code FM63H7 at checkout. To use the code you will need to visit your local Redbox location, select “Rent with Promo Code,” enter code, select movie and continue to check out. This code expires 6/1 at midnight CST. Thanks Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!

Enjoy!

$500 challenge - update

Crazy, crazy week for this family - cellulitis, wasp sting, stitches, possibly hand foot and mouth disease - woo!

So, I caved last night and ordered pizza. We always order from a local chicago style place. They have a pick-up special - 2 1-topping 16 inch pizzas and a 1 liter coke for $19.47. You get a card for each pizza you buy - 25 cards = any pizza free. We always order the pick-up special, so our pizzas are always $10 each. When we reach 25 cards, we call the giant everything on it pizza we order our $250 pizza.

Derek filled up is car: $35.52

Walgreens: fluids for my poor sick boy
bought:
Pedialyte $5.29 - used $2/1 insert coupon
2 ltr 7up $1 on sale
popcorn $1.99

paid with $5 RR and $1 RR from last weekend
spent: .28
saved: $8.89

Tom Thumb
The past couple of times I've gone to Tom Thumb they've given me catalinas of store coupons. (Catalina is the name of the company that makes those machines that print the coupons they give you with your receipt. So, those coupons are called catalinas. If you ever want to freak out a checker, ask them if their catalina machine is working. They'll think you're a secret shopper or from corporate or something.)

Anyway, the coupons have actually been pretty good. One was for $3 off of the 24 double roll pack of Cottonelle. It's a store coupon, so that means that I can "stack" it with a manufacturer coupon. (Most stores let you use one manu coupon and one store coupon per item. If you're not sure what you have, check the barcode. Manufacturer coupons always start with a 5 or a 9. Store coupons usually start with a 0.) So I had $4 off ($3 store and .50/1 doubled insert) - now I just needed a sale. The Sunday circular had purchase 2 large size items and get them for $9.99 each. Derek asked me for large trash bags for the yard, awhile back and I had a $1/1 Hefty insert q - so there was my second item.

I also had a $10/$50 coupon that my SIL gave me that I thought I might use. I rarely spend that much at Tom Thumb, but since I was already spending $15 (the Cottonelle and Hefty) and I knew I was going to check the dairy markdowns, I thought I'd see how close I was once I had the things I wanted.

Derek usually has a running list of things he wants me to keep an eye out for - I try to work them into deals whenever possible. He asked for wasp spray before I left and since one of those little &%^#'s stung me Sat morning, I was inclined to look for it.

One of the catalina coupons that I mentioned earlier was for $2 off a grande specialty Starbucks beverage in the store. I really, really wanted an iced coffee. It was a $1.95, and I figured it didn't count as "specialty." So, I was standing there trying to decide if I wanted a Mocha Frap. The barista asked me if I was looking for something in particular, and I told him that I really wanted the iced coffee but didn't think I could use the q. He said, "Well let's try it!" and it worked! I paid .11 for my grande iced coffee (the tax)! I tried to give him a tip, but he said they weren't allowed to accept them.

Armed with my .11 yummy bev, I hit the aisles and here's how I did:
2 - 27 oz Wallaby organic yogurt - marked down to $1.95 ea (and they don't expire until June 11!)
32 oz bag of shredded cheddar - marked down to $4.50 (again, June 11! The shredded cheese freezes really well - this went straight into the freezer.)
24 double roll pack of Cottonelle - $9.99 used $3 store and .50/1 doubled insert - so $5.99
55 bag Hefty large trash bags - $9.99 used $1 insert - so $8.99 (ok price - but worth it to get the toilet paper so cheaply and to check an item off my honey-get list)
1 gal organic whole milk - $5.49 (on sale but not marked down - Derek wants to make homemade ice cream)
1 carton organic heavy whipping cream - $3.79 (homemade ice cream)
1 10-pack Nestle lil' drums - $5.19 used $1/1 manu coupon I found in Family Fun magazine (outrageously expensive, but a treat for my lil sickie-sicks)

Are y'all still with me? So, at this point I've "spent" $36.85. The $10/$50 is AFTER all coupons have been subtracted - using it means I'll spend at least $40. I'm already planning on spending $36.85 - $3.15 away from $40. Spending that additional $3.15 and using the $10/$50 means I'll get an additional $10 in groceries. I thought it was worth it - so I added:

3-pk Huggies wipes refill (216 wipes) - $5.99 used .75/1 insert q
Food coloring - $4.49 - used .75/1 insert q (I ended up going over my $40 total, so I should have put this back. We're using it for homemade washable paint and play-doh, so I'm glad I didn't put it back.)
Wasp & Hornet killer - they actually had an organic kind made with essential oils! - $6.29

Grand total: $44.22
saved: $35.45

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $143.86 ($131.37 savings)
- (eating out $19.47)
gas: $70.53
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $364.01
Remaining: $135.99

Stocked up on toilet paper (2 months ish), trash bags (6 months or so), diapers (1 month), wipes (at least a month), ground beef (2 months), cheese for the rest of this budget month, coffee (2 months), coffee filters (3 months), brown rice (2 months)

Still needing a deal on canned organic tomatoes - I hate buying them one at a time and I'm three cans away from that point. If anyone notices a great sale at Whole Foods, please let me know. I'm also keeping an eye out for good chicken prices at WF - I'm starting to run low in the freezer.

We're still eating the produce from last week. I'll need to buy fresh produce next week. I have a coupon for 1 lb of chicken free when you spend $40 at Central Market (Texas store). Depending on their sales next week - I may just stock up on produce, canned tomatoes, and get chicken there.

I need to fill my car up in the next couple of days - that will be about $35.

I'm planning on 3 more gym trips ($6) and a couple of summer movies ($10ish) before my budget month ends on the 18th.

I have $6 in RR at Walgreens, $4 in ECB at CVS, and $1.38 on the Target gift card.

Other than illnesses and accidents, I think this month is going pretty well! And if you read this whole post - bless your punkin' heart and thank you.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Home Mailers

(I've been trying to get this posted for two weeks now - maybe this is finally the day!)

I love checking my mail. Seriously. Prior to couponing and budgeting, I hated the mail. Bills, bills, bills - yuck! Now when I check my mail I usually find coupons, samples, and magazine issues from the many free subscriptions I've found.


Home mailer coupons are awesome. In the past couple of weeks, my mailbox has featured:


Free Cheerios coupon from Kroger

Free Kashi Go Lean Waffles coupon and 5 $1.50/1 coupons from Kashi

Free Kashi Go Lean Waffles coupon and 5 $1.50/1 coupons from Vocalpoint - same coupons different source

Huggies samples and coupons for $3/1 on their new Naturals line - Kira's been using the size 1 samples on her baby dolls!

Shopping bag from Earthbound Farms



If you have store cards (Kroger, Tom Thumb, etc) call the 800 number on the back of your card and make sure that they have your mailing address. Kroger periodically sends packets of coupons tailored to what you've been purchasing. They usually send a free and some $/$$ off of produce, meat, or HBA.



Vocalpoint is a great source for home mailers. They also have opportunities to do focus groups - I was accepted to one last year and made $100.

Earthbound Farms and Kashi send great coupons - definitely get on their mailing lists.

Signing up for samples also nets some great mailbox treasure. Dove sends HUGE samples. Sometimes samples also come with coupons, frequently higher $$ amounts than you'll find in the paper. I like to use the sample size HBA items to put together hospital kits for expectant moms.

And, again, if there are products you love, email the companies and let them know!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

$500 challenge - update

Busy day today! I'm still getting over a cold, so I'm actually amazed at what we've accomplished.

The kids and I went to our local rec center for their play time. $1 per kid for an hour and a half of running around in the gym, getting completely worn out, and practically guaranteeing nap synchronicity later. Totally worth it. Spent: $2

Then we went to the library and checked out a whole stack of books, kits, and cds. Free

Stopped at Tom Thumb. I cannot find my receipt to save my life. I can recreate the prices, but have no idea on my savings. Dang it.

Purchased:
1 cantaloupe .88
1 onion @ .88/lb - so about $1
1 gallon organic milk marked down - $2 (expire date of 5/31 - we can kill a gallon of milk in 4 days easy)
1 rotisserie chicken - $4.99 (more on this in a moment)
1 7 oz package of Kraft shredded cheese - $1.99 and used .50/1 (doubled) tearpad coupon that was hanging right in front of it - so .99
1 organic herb salad mix
1 organic spinach salad - these were BOGO, so $3.99 for both

Spent $14 (rounding up, it was just under $14. I'll change if I find the receipt.)
Saved: $1 with the coupon and $3 off of the milk for sure - so $4 savings, again I'll update if I find that @#%%$# receipt!

$500 Challenge Totals:
food & eating out (includes HBA): $80.06 ($85.03 savings)
gas: 35.01
clothing
coffee & beer making supplies: $52.05
household necessities (like air filters, etc)
entertainment:
- Derek allowance: $15.46
- Wendy allowance: $18.85
- Kids' allowance: $5
crafting supplies: $45.38
gifts: $12.88

Total spent: $264.69
Remaining: $235.31

Now, about the chicken. I love to get rotisserie chickens when I know I need a quick meal. I frequently get them at Whole Foods, as well - usually $8.99 there.

We usually eat chicken with whatever quick veggies/fruits/grains I have. So, today's lunch was nosh plates of chicken, cheddar cheese cubes, raw carrots, and fresh cherries (Thanks Kam and Teri for the cherries!)

The next day I pull more chicken off and usually make a casserole-esque thing with it - chicken, cheese, veggie, pasta/rice. Finally, I pull off whatever chicken remains and boil the bones. I strain it and freeze a couple of bags of broth and add the remaining chicken to one more bag of broth and freeze it. That way I have broth for rice, a quick soup, or mashed potatoes and a broth/chicken ready to mix with frozen veggies and egg noodles for a quick chicken noodle soup.

So, 3-5 meals out of the $4.99-$8.99 chicken. We do the same thing when I buy fresh whole chickens, too. It seems like kind of a pain, with the boiling, straining and everything. But really, it's a minimal amount of work for several quick easy meals that keep us from going out.

This really illustrates how most of our meals come together - they're usually made up of fresh produce, what needs to be eaten, and stockpiled freezer items.

Another example (if you're not bored to tears, yet!): We had yummy grilled pork loin at my in-laws this weekend. Derek made it with whole garlic cloves pushed into the pork - it was so good! We had a couple of slices that we brought home. The kids were with the in-laws yesterday (God bless them) and I needed a quick dinner for Derek's dinner break. So I sliced up the leftover pork, chopped up the garlic that it was cooked with and added it to frozen broccoli and rice from the pantry for a quick stir-fry. Easy, delicious, and healthy! I just wish I had stockpiled lo mein noodles.

Prior to couponing/budgeting, I guarantee you I would have found that bag of leftovers pushed to the back of the fridge sometime in mid-July.

My goal with this blog is to show that you really can eat well and have fun on a budget. Hopefully, I'm illustrating that. I'd love to hear your tips, too!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Just so thrilled for y'all!

I can't even tell you how much joy I get out of hearing things like this:

Beth said: Also, thought I'd let you know that I set a new record at Kroger today: $128 and some change for a week's worth of groceries for this family of 6! Remember, that's down from about $250 just about a month ago! Not to be too dramatic, but you have changed my life! I organized all my coupons about a week ago and now my kids make fun of me. We start to go somewhere or buy something, and I'll say, "Wait! I think I have a coupon for that!" and they'll say, "Well, of course you do Mom," all playfully disgusted. It's great:)

Beth - you rock!! Hopefully your kids will take some of that couponing knowledge with them to college - if I'd only know then.

Karly said: And I will have you know that I found a store brand of organic PB that is the same as the WF one. It is a whole dollar cheaper. I was so excited and immediately thought "Wendy would be proud" LOL! Yeah, not huge, but baby steps, right? At least I am trying to come up with the best deals on my basics and see where I can save.

Karly - it is huge!! WTG!!!

And look at what my friend Kam did:


She bought:
11 pkgs. of solo cups
2 pkgs. chinette dessert plates
2 wishbone dressings
4 pkgs. butter
1 block Kraft cheese
2 pkgs. hot dogs
2 pkgs. lunch meat
2 pkgs. bacon
2 chorizo
1 dozen eggs
2 snapple drinks
1 liter coke
1 wasp & bee spray
3 pkgs.crackers
6 Kraft mayonnaise
2 pkgs. easy mac
3 Kraft dressings
2 cans Bush beans
4 pkgs. bandaids
4 neosporin
1 lipstick
1 chapstick
1 - 3 pack razor
6 - scotch tape dispensers
Total Spent: 60.55
Total Saved: 160.86

And she checked in with me by phone throughout that shopping trip - so I got to coupon vicariously! I was thrilled!!

AND Kam's wife Teri bought her The Creative Family AND used a 40% off coupon to do it!!!

I am so dang proud of y'all for taking control of your $$$ like that!!!