Family Finances

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of February 1 – 7, 2012

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.  It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals.  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Boston Round Roast – $2.99 lb

    London Broil – $3.49 lb

    Beef Sirloin Tips – $2.99 lb

    Family Pack Cube Steak – $3.49 lb

    Family Pack Stew Meat – $2.99 lb

    Family Pack Chicken Wings – $1.59 lb

    Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
    $0.55/1 coupon from insert 1/14 Smart Source (Expires 2/26/12)
    $0.45 each after coupon

    Boston Butt Roast – $1.69 lb

    Family Pack Chicken Drumsticks or Thigh – $0.99 lb

    Chicken Leg Quarters (10 pounds) – $6.89

    Carolina Ground Turkey (12 oz) – $1.00

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Oscar Mayer Wieners (16 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Bologna (12 oz) – $1.00

    Oscar Mayer Lunchables (4 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Dinners, Assorted Varieties – $1.00

    Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (16 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
    Use $0.40/2 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (3/3/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 11/13 General Mills (Expires 2/4/12)
    Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/25/12)
    Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
    Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/15/12)
    Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Buyers Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (32 oz) – $1.00

    Save A Lot Today Chicken Strips or Meatballs (7 to 9 oz) – $1.00

    Banquet Brown ‘n Serve Sausage Links, Maple or Original (6 oz) – $1.00

    Budding Deli Cuts (Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Roast Beef) 3 to 4 oz – $1.00

    Hormel Pepperoni or Hard Salami (3.5 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 3/15/12)
    Use $0.55/2 printable coupon from Hormel
    As low as $0.50 each after coupon

    Hinsdalel Corn Dogs (3 count) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Shrimp Poppers (4 oz) – $1.00

    Tortino’s Pizza Rolls, Pepperoni or Cheese (15 count) – $1.00

    Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (9 to 10 oz) – $1.00

    Produce

    Oranges (4 pounds) – $2.99

    Potatoes (10 pounds) – $2.99

    Mini Carrots – $1.00

    Head Lettuce – $1.00

    Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00

    Russet Potatoes (5 pounds) – $1.99

    Onions (3 pounds) – $1.29

    Red or Yellow Peppers – $1.00

    Avocados – $1.00

    Yellow Onions (3 pounds) – $1.00

    Grocery

    Betty Crocker Hamburger or Chicken Helper, Assorted Varieties – $1.00

    Sundia Fruit Cups, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.00

    Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta, Assorted Varieties (14 to 15 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.50/4 coupon from 1/1 Smart Source (2/5/12)
    $0.88 each after coupon

    Diane’s Garden Tomatoes, Whole, Petite or Crushed (28 oz) – $1.00

    Nissan Souper Meals, Assorted Varieties (4.3 oz) – $1.00

    Hormel Micro Cups, Assorted Varieties (7.5 oz) – $1.00

    Wylwood Cut Green Beans or Whole Kernel Corn (28 to 29 oz) – $1.00

    Progresso Vegetable Classic Soups, Assorted Varieties (19 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 2/4/12)
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 1/8 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Lay’s Stax, Assorted Varieties (5.5 to 5.75 oz) – $1.00

    Bud’s Best Bite Size Cookies, Assorted Varieties (6 oz) – $1.00

    Knorr Sides, Assorted Varieties (4 to 7 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Chicken of the Sea White Tuna (5 oz) – $1.00

    Kraft Mac & Cheese, Assorted Varieties – $1.00

    Hawaiian Punch, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $1.00

    Malt O Meal Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt O Meal
    $0.67 each after coupon

    Betty Crocker Flavored Mashed Potatoes (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00

    Kool Aid Bursts (40.5 oz) – $1.00

    Red Gold Ketchup (36 oz) – $1.00

    Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals!  Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.

    For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here.  If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.

  • FREE 16 oz Hot Beverage at Pilot & Flying J Travel Centers

    Pilot Travel Centers has a coupon you can print on their Facebook Page for a Free 1 o6z Hot Beverage at Pilot and Flying J Centers .

    If you are traveling soon or have a Pilot or Flying J Travel Center nearby this is a great deal.  We used a couple of their coupons last month when we were traveling.

  • Organized Chaos: Lunch Box Items

    I found a great spot for lunch box items in our kitchen!

    Since the majority of our family packs a lunch for school and work nearly everyday of the week it is important that the items for packing lunches are accessible as well as our time spent putting them together is used efficiently.  As I was brainstorming the different ways to make the lunch packing task more streamlined for our family I came up with a solution that has been really successful for our family.  I found a perfect location for all the non-perishable lunch box items in our kitchen and before long had a lunch box making system that has worked really well.

    Even though these drawers are organized in our kitchen the kids do not get something from each drawer every day. The idea is to keep a small stockpile of items necessary for lunches handy so when I need something to put in their lunch I can get to it easily.  I purchase items for the drawers only when they go on sale so it stays within family’s grocery budget.

    The majority of the week they get fresh fruits & vegetables, water bottles, and no dessert.  I do however try to give them one snack item every day in their lunch whether it be a granola bar or pretzels or something similar in their lunches.  Every day I make a lunch I use these drawers for something whether it is to grab a sandwich container, lunch bag, granola bar or another item!

    Below are the labels I have for the drawers as well as  pictures to show you what I put in them:

    • Granola Bars / Snacks
    • Sandwich Containers / Bags
    • Cookies / Desserts
    • Fruit Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Miscellaneous Snacks

    Granola Bar & Snack Drawer

    I put all the sandwich containers and brown bags into the container drawer.  Even the two new ones I picked up fit well, we had the perfect number of sandwich containers for the drawer!

    Toy Story brown lunch bags (picked up at the Dollar Tree) are  fun to occasionally use for your kids lunch plus they fit nicely beside the sandwich containers in the drawer.

    Sandwich Containers & Bags Drawer

    Cookies & Desserts Drawer

    Placed the fruit in the drawer (applesauce, raisins, cup of fruit).

    Fruit Snack Drawer

    Placed lunch box drinks (with exception to their water bottles) in this drawer (Chocolate Milk, Gatorade, Juice Bags, Juice Bottles, etc…).

    Drink Drawer

    Miscellaneous Snacks Drawer (includes items like pudding or jello cups, teddy grahams, pretzels or other bagged snack item)

    The last several months we have been using this system and it has been very beneficial for the entire family.  Plus if the kids want a snack they can grab a granola bar from the drawer instead of digging through the pantry trying to find a snack.  I do try to keep the drawers stocked and rotate (the newer items go in back so the older items get eaten first) the products in the drawers.

    My best piece of advice is that you find a system that works well for you, if what you are doing is not going smoothly or you want to find a better way to do it try something different and you may be surprised at how more efficient it is for your family. I already had the items on hand all I did was pick up the two containers on clearance around the beginning of the school year.  I would love to hear your tips on keeping all your lunch box items organized and accessible. 

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week we made a quick trip out to the midwest, Nebraska & Kansas, to attend a Pro Ag conference with my family.  The girls had a blast with Grandma while Jake and I (along with other family and friends) attended the conference.  We learned a lot of great information (still processing all of it) they covered a lot in a short period of time.  We were also able to squeeze in some time to spend with extended family during the trip too.  It was a quick and busy trip but we were able to fit in some fun along the way! 🙂  Now that I am back home I have a pretty big week planned out, praying I will be able to tackle the majority of the items on the list for the week!

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday – I was not able to do this with the conference last week
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday- during the conference they were with Grandma so they probably had books read to them but I didn’t read them
    3. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did well until all the traveling
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – still working on this one

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Schedule a Date Night with the Girls & Re-Schedule My Date Night with Jake
    5. Finalize the Girls Birthday Party Items
    6. Set up a dentist appointment for the girls
    7. Pick up the girls new glasses

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Set up an appointment to get updated on shots / vaccinations
    6. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – dates set / plane tickets purchased / visa

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom
    6. Get the majority of our 2011 Personal Taxes completed

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team regarding our upcoming meeting
    4. Put together the Alms & Legs Meeting Agenda

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Book: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper

    If you could save $10,000 a year on food without cutting coupons would you be interested?  I had the privilege of receiving Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s newest edition, November 2011, of their Dining On A Dime Cookbook Eat Better, Spend Less!   The authors packed in more than 1200 great recipes and money saving tips in this cookbook.   One of the challenges they gave is to see how much you could save in one year by cutting out just one thing.  For example, by reducing the amount of meat you eat each week by 1.5 pounds you could save over $400 a year.  They cover a variety of recipes and tips in their book, here are a few:

    • How It Adds Up
    • Basics of Frugal Cooking
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Breads
    • Soups & Sandwiches
    • Vegetables, Beans, Pasta, & Rice
    • Salads, Dressings, Pickles, and Dips
    • Meats & Main Dishes
    • Cakes, Pies, Candy, Cookies, & Desserts
    • Mixes, Gift Baskets, & Jars
    • Kids
    • Cleaning Cents
    • Pretty for Pennies

    The authors challenge you to take small steps to change your life.  Whether you start with planning your meals, organizing your home, or saving money it is the little steps over time that give you results.   Their menu planning ideas include recipes you can make for picky eaters or quick dinners for those busy days.  I like that they have sections on using up your leftovers, making your own cleaning & beauty supplies, gift baskets, and more.    They use a good mix of great information and light hearted humor.

    Here are a couple of quotes / tips that made me smile:

    If you want to see a cup runneth over, let a child pour his own soda.

    When your house looks like a bomb hit it and company calls from a block away set your vacuum by the front door and say, “Come on in! I was just cleaning”

    You have two choices for dinner. Take it or leave it.

    The problem – how to get 2 pounds of chocolate home in a hot car. The solution – eat it in the parking lot.

    Some of the information and recipes made me laugh out loud…..”Elephant Soup” simply hilarious!  One of my favorite non-food recipes was their “Recipe for a Happy Marriage” (loved that one).  While they may not have convince me to try “Liver and Onions” again  Tawra and Jill did a wonderful job putting together a useful and entertaining cookbook to have in your kitchen.  The best part is their recipes only require a handful of ingredients and most (if not all) of the items you will find in your kitchen pantry.

    At the end of the book they have separate indexes for looking up tips, leftovers, and recipes making it easy to look up what you want.  I look forward to trying more of the recipes, tips, and seeing if these help our family save even more.   This cookbook would be a great wedding gift or birthday gift for those who are beginning to cook or a novice.  It offers practical tips, great recipes, and may even make you smile!

    Please visit Dining on a Dime Cookbook’s website if you want to learn more about this book.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Our family was at a Conference (or preparing for the Conference) for the majority of the week.  I didn’t have time to really do a regular grocery shopping run and we tried eating up items that we had in the fridge already but I did pick up a couple of items for a get together early in the week.  It’s a very “quiet” week in terms of grocery shopping for our family.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Walmart

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $3.66 at Walmart for 1 bag Toastidos Chips and 1 bag Potato Chips for a couple events that we had earlier in the week.

    This week I spent $3.66 on groceries.  I was way under on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with the conference and traveling so thankfully I have a little extra to use towards next weeks groceries.  The only thing I purchased was for an event we had this week.  I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Tips on Making Lunch Box Meals Fun & Healthy!

    School Lunch – PB&J, Chocolate Milk, Yogurt, Jello, Strawberries, Banana Pepper and Tomatoes

    This year we made the decision to pack school lunches for the girls in effort to make sure they are eating a well balanced meal at lunch and to save a little extra in the budget.  Since Jake and I have pretty much as taken lunches to work the girls thought it was a great idea.  They now take their lunch bags to school every day but Friday, on Friday they eat the school lunch (usually it is a special meal like pizza or hamburgers or something else).  Brina and Karlie have enjoyed being able to bring a lunch and most days they pick out the majority of the items they are going to take.

    Here’s what I pack:

    • Meat or Protein – PB&J, Soup, Sandwich or something easy to eat)
    • Diary – Yogurt or Cheese Stick
    • Fruit – Fresh Fruit or Applesauce
    • Vegetable – Fresh Vegetable
    • Snack – Pretzels, Teddy Grahams, Jello, etc…
    • Drink – Water, Chocolate Milk, Milk, Juice, Box / Bag

    School Lunch – PB&J, Cheese Stick, Jello, Fresh Strawberries, Juice Bag, Fresh Tomates & Banana Pepper

    It is important to me that the girls get a well balanced meal at lunch time.  One of the fun parts about packing lunches for your spouse and kids is you get to add in what our family calls a “special surprise”!  Typically the girls / Jake do not know that the surprise has been added because they were not there when I was putting the finishing touches on the lunches or I put it in later that evening.

    Special Surprises for lunch boxes:

    • Something Sweet  – about 1 or 2 times a week I will put in a homemade cookie, piece of candy or something sweet.
    • Love Note – usually on a sticky note and sometimes written on a bag or sandwich container
    • Random Shapes – sandwiches cut into shapes (squares, triangles, hearts, etc…)
    • Special Drink – occasionally I will get a special drink (like one that fizzes when they add it to their water, chocolate milk, or something Jake enjoys)
    • Mystery Smiles – I try to sneak mystery smiles into their lunches by using food, sometimes a random smile on a bag or other ways of sharing a smile (see picture below)

    The key is to let your family know that you are thinking about them. Special surprises do not need to take up a huge amount of extra time.  I keep a dry erase marker on the fridge and a sticky pad in the kitchen so they are handy for writing a quick note.  If I make cookies I just bag some up when putting them away to stick in their lunches.  Or if you find a special drink on sale stick that in the lunch box for them to enjoy.  The girls express great joy in discovering and sharing their goodies.  It doesn’t take me long to do it but it makes them feel loved and appreciated.

    A banana pepper and two small tomatoes in a snack bag make the perfect mystery smile for a kids school lunch.

    What items do you put in your spouse or kids lunches (food or special surprises)?

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of January 25 – 31, 2012

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.  It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals.  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Port Side Polluck Fillets (16 oz) – $2.99

    Port Side Salmon Fillets (16 oz) – $4.99

    Curly’s, BBQ Beef or Pork (18 oz) – $3.99

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Mr. P’s Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (6.5 oz) – $0.79

    Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt (4 pack, 24 oz) – $1.79

    Take ‘n Bake Pizza, Supreme or Pepperoni (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99

    Take ‘n Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) – $5.49

     Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (7.5 oz) – $0.99

    Mantia’s French Bread Pizza (11 oz) – $1.99

    Morning Delight Buttermilk Waffles (12.3 oz) – $1.69

    Snack-A-Tizers Cream Cheese Jalapenos (8 oz) – $2.39

    Household

    Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.49

    Grocery

    Chex Mix Snack Mix (5.5 oz) – $0.99
    Use $0.60/1 printable coupon from Eat Better America
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/3/12)
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/3/12)
    As low as $0.39 each after coupon

    Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks and Fruit Roll Ups (4 to 5 oz) – $1.99
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/3/12)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/3/12)
    As low as $1.49 each after coupon

    Keebler Town House or Club Crackers (11 to 16 oz) – $2.49

    JJ’s Pies, Cherry, Apple or Chocolate (4 oz) – $0.50

    Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce, Assorted Variety (26.5 oz) – $0.99

    Budget Gourmet, Fettuccine Alfredo or Mac n Cheese (7.5 oz) – $0.69

    V8 Vegetable Juice, Regular or Low Sodium (64 oz) – $2.99
    Use $2.00/3 printable coupon from V8 Juice
    Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Campbell’s Kitchen
    Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 1/1 Smart Source (2/12/12)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 1/1 Smart Source (2/12/12)
     As low as $2.33 each after coupon

    Sweet Bunz Big Honey Bun (7.5 oz) – $0.88

    Sun-Maid Raisin English Muffin (15 oz) – $1.49

    J Higgs Potato Chips, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.29

    J Higgs Pretzels (12 oz) – $1.19

    J Higgs Tortilla Chips (11 oz) $1.49

    Senora Verde Salsa (16 oz) – $1.49

    J Higgs Cheese Bit Crackers (9 oz) – $1.69

    Ginger Evans Pudding Cups (14 oz) – $0.89

     Mantia Spaghetti (16 oz) – $0.99

    Mantia’s Pizza Crust Mix (6.5 oz) – $0.49

    Mantia’s Pizza Sauce (16 oz) – $0.99

    Wylwood Stems and Pieces (4 oz) – $0.69

    Kaskey’s Chicken Noodle Soup (10.5 oz) – $0.59

    Morning Delight Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix (32 oz) – $1.89

    Morning Delight Syrup (24 oz) – $1.79

    Bramley’s Honey Bear (12 oz) – $2.89

    Ginger Evans Muffin Mix (4.5 oz) – $0.69

    Maruchan Ramen Noodles, Chicken or Beef (6 pack) – $0.99

    Port Side Sardines – $0.99

    Save A Lot Today Cereal, Assorted Varieties (7 oz) – $1.00

    Chef’s Finest Croutons (5 oz) – $1.19

    McCormick Bacon Bits (4.4 oz) – $1.49

    Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals!  Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.

    For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here.  If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I made some progress last week on my goals!  Thankful for the opportunity move forward on my goals despite a busy 2012 first quarter.  Since I have a conference for part of the week the list will be shorter.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week – the girls were sick this week
    4. Go on my Date Night with Jake (we got free movie tickets so excited to enjoy some time away together) – We gave away our free movie tickets because we had to cancel our Date Night, the kiddos got sick.  🙁 I am hoping to get it rescheduled soon.
    5. Get the girls Birthday Party Details Started

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – I did it again (victory dance).  It has helped give me more energy throughout my days too!
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – was bad about this one, it was after 1 am one night
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – still working on it
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Get my Travel Visa Application Sent

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – it was closer to 6 pm a couple of days
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office
    6. Update Family & Friends Contact Information – glad to have this information updated 🙂

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Start working on 2011 business taxes – gathered the information and paperwork but nothing more yet

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – moving forward on this goal
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time shopping the sales this week with all the extra stuff going on around here (including sick family members for a couple days), but I was able to go to a couple stores and pick up some stuff.  Most of the stuff I stocked up on were items that we can use over the next few weeks.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Walgreens

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $27.93 at Ingles for 1 loaf Laura Lynn Bread, 2 boxes Act II HomePop Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Light Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Butter Popcorn, 2 bags Laura Lynn Oyster Crackers, 2 jars Vlasic Dill Relish, 3 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 1 container Deans Onion Dip, 2 boxes Yogurt (clearance for 50 cents each), 1 block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 bags English Muffins, 4 tubes Laura Lynn Texas Biscuits,  2 tubes Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and 2 loaves French Bread.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  I was able to pick up some more cheese on sale, and used some coupons for the items purchased!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $7.27 at Walgreens for 2 gallons Milk, 1 box South Beach Granola Bars, 4 boxes Mountain Dew (12 packs),  (everything was on sale, I used coupons, registered rewards, and I received $5.99 in Register Rewards back to use towards my next purchase.)

    This week I spent $35.20 on groceries.  Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time.  I was thrilled to stock up on bread and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.