Family Finances

  • Family Recipe: Roasted Potatoes

    We had the privilege of spending some time with Jake’s grandparents recently.  One of the recipes Grandma made while we were in Vermont was Roasted Potatoes and it was delicious!  You probably have the most if not all the ingredients already in your kitchen for this easy recipe.  If you are looking for a way to use up some of those fresh garden potatoes you should try out this recipe.

     

    Roasted Potatoes:

    • 1 pound small Potatoes (prefer red potatoes but any kind will work)
    • 1/2 cup Butter (melted)
    • 1 cup grated Cheese (Parmesan Cheese is what Grandma used when she made it)

    Wash the potatoes and slice in half.  Melt the butter and spread in the 9 x 13 baking dish.  Sprinkle grated cheese over the melted butter.  Put the potatoes open side down in the dish.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 to 375 degrees.

     Photo by Sing A Melodie

  • Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Okra, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Purple Beans,Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers and More!

    We are enjoying the fresh vegetables from our garden!  This week we were traveling for part of the week.  We picked some veggies to take with us on a recent road trip to Charleston and came home with an empty basket.  It was nice having the opportunity to share goodies with the people we knew in Charleston.

    Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:

    Fresh Garden Produce

    Fresh garden produce this week – green peppers, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, okra (our first one), cucumbers, banana peppers, purple beans, green beans, and lettuce.

    Garden Produce

    A picked a few tomatoes and strawberries earlier in the week and forgot to take a picture.  These were another quick pick on a busy day – okra, strawberry, purple beans, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.

    We have had a lot of great tomatoes the last couple of weeks.  If you are looking for a new recipe to try using fresh tomatoes check out the one that my friend Ashley from Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life posted called “Tomato Pie”!

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 27 – August 2, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   Save A Lot continued their sale so it is a  great time to stock up on several items (no coupons necessary to get the Save A Lot Today prices).    Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Fairgrounds Meat Hot Dogs (12 oz) – $0.69

    Fresh Chicken Wings – $1.49 per lb

    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

    Popsicle or Fudgsicles – $1.00

    American Basics American Cheese Slices – $1.00

    Save A Lot Today Orange Juice – $1.99

    Save A Lot Today Party Pizza – $0.99

    Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls – $0.99

    Save A Lot Today Imitation Shreds – $1.00

    Household

    Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue – $0.89

    Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent – $1.99

    Produce

    Cherries – $1.99 per lb

    Salad Mix (12 oz) – $0.99

    Idaho Potatoes (5 lb bag) – $1.49

    Grocery

    Budget Gourmet Fettuccine Alfredo or Mac N Cheese – $0.69

    Campbell’s Original O’s (26 oz) – $0.97

    Kool Aid – $0.10
    Use B2G1F coupon from the July All You Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
    Use $0.50/5 coupons from Kool Aid Facebook Page
    As low as $0.00 each after coupon

    Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos Scoops – $1.00

    Nabisco Cheese Nips Snack Crackers – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/30/11)
    $0.50 each after coupon

    Splash Out Gallon Drink (128 oz) – $1.00

    Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes – $1.00

    Sundia Fruit Cups – $1.00

    Save A Lot Today BBQ Sauce – $0.79

    Save A Lot Today Ranch Dressing – $0.89

    Save A Lot Today Apple Juice – $1.19

    Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99

    Save A Lot Today Pancake Mix – $0.49

    Save A Lot Today Pancake Syrup – $0.99

    Save A Lot Today Mashed Potatoes – $0.79

    Save A Lot Today Biscuit Mix – $0.79

    Save A Lot Today Brownie Mix – $0.99

    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.

  • CVS: Spent $0.43 and Got $21 ECB’s Back!

    CVS has a few good deals this week.   I was happy to stock up on some items including shaving cream and toothpaste this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  Today I was able to get the items for $0.43 including tax and received $21.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  My CVS receipt this week states that as of July 18th I have saved $1,067.08 this year at CVS.  It really does add up!!!  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 2 –  Caliber 1 Subject Notebook for $0.50 ($0.25 each)
    • 3 –  Kleenex Facial Tissues for $2.64 ($0.88 each)
    • 1 – Paper Mate Grip Pens (8 count) for $1.99
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Rinse for $2.99
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Toothpaste for $2.99
    • 1 – Skintimate Strawberry Shaving Cream for $2.19
    • 1 – Skintimate Raspberry Shaving cream for $2.19
    • 2 – Schick Xtreme Women’s Razors $15.98 ($7.99 each)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $0.50 Kleenex Manufacturer Coupon (SS 7/17)
    • Used $1.00 Crest Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon (PG 6/5)
    • Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
    • Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
    • Used $3.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (Schick Facebook printable coupon)
    • Used $2.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (peelie on the razor package)
    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $21.00 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $21.99 ECB’s back today:

    • $10.00 ECB’s for Schick and Playtex Products
    • $5.00 ECB’s for Beauty Club Rewards
    • $4.00 ECB’s for Crest and Oral B Products
    • $1.99 ECB’s for Paper Mate Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Green Bag Tag Rewards

    Today I was able to save $54.23 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We were on the road again this week, it really has been a summer full of adventures and road trips.  I didn’t take a lot of time to use coupons since time was tight but was able to score a cluster of clearance items.   The bad news is I went over budget this week, the good news is the freezer is restocked with meat, vegetables, and fruit!   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and BiLo

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $50.34 at Ingles for 5 containers of Strawberries (on clearance for $0.99), 5 containers of Blueberries (on clearance for $0.99), 8 packages of Ground Hamburger (93% lean on clearance), 1 package of Lobster (on clearance), 1 package of Alaskan Salmon (on clearance), 2 heads of Cauliflower (on clearance), 2 bags of Brussel Sprouts (on clearance), 1 bag of Bananas (7 pounds on clearance), 2 bags of Apples (on clearance), 2 containers of Carmel Dip (on clearance), and 3 bottles of fruit drinks (on clearance).

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $23.87 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 bag of Potatoes (on clearance), 2 bags of Purple Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Green Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Tomatoes (on clearance), 1 bag of Grapefruit (on clearance), 1 bag of Onions (on clearance), 1 bag of Summer Squash (on clearance), 1 package of Catfish (on clearance), 1 package of Perch (on clearance) and 1 gallon of 2% Milk.
    Groceries from CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree and Walmart

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $2.25 at Walgreen’s for 2 Hamburger Helpers and 1 Tuna Helper.

    CVS Groceries:

    • $1.78 at CVS for 2 two liters of Mountain Dew.

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Bread

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $2.76 at Walmart for 1 loaf of French Bread (on clearance) and 1 loaf Cheese Bread (on clearance).

    This week I spent $82.01 on groceries.  Even though I was over my budgeted amount for the week  I was able to stock up on several items on clearance and bread items to use as we traveled.  I really hope to have a better week for my next update.  I am happy to stock up but need bumped on the head for going over the budget this week.  We were out of town for a part of this grocery week so it was a little different from our usual events.

    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.

  • Travel & Vacation: Fun in Charleston

    On our family road trip to Charleston we got to discover neat places.  Thanks to a friend, who gave us some information in advance, we had a blast exploring new kid playgrounds during our time away.   It was a fun filled inexpensive mini vacation together.

    Karlie climbing.

    The girls and I spent one morning at the Mt. Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park.  They loved it!

    Brina on the tire swing.

    Brina loves spinning on this swing!

    Karlie enjoying her time at the playground.

    It took a lot of work to climb up the jungle gym and go down this slide, Karlie is quite pleased with her accomplishment!

    Brina loves this slide.

    Brina happy to finally go down the slide, several kids fell trying to get up the jungle gym to go down this slide.

    Giggling as they look down on Mommy!

    Brina and Karlie loved being up high and thought it was hilarious how “tiny” Mommy was on the ground.

    Brina determined to get find the diving stick.

    The girls swam for hours in the hotel pool.  They had fun splashing, playing, relaxing and meeting new friends.

    Karlie loved splashing around in the pool.

    We spent almost five hours in the pool that afternoon.  The nice part about where the pool was located is that part of it was in the shade throughout the day so you didn’t have to be out in the intense heat all day swimming.

    Daddy, Karlie and Brina ready for dinner at Red's

    We ate at a local seafood restaurant one night.  The girls favorite part was that the kids meals were served on a frisbee so they were able to take it home with them, they thought it was so funny.

    Crossing the Arthur Ravenel Bridge just after sun down to go into downtown Charleston.

    We gave the girls the option after dinner to go back to the hotel and swim or go to downtown Charleston and drive around.  Much to our surprise they wanted to go explore downtown Charleston.  They always enjoyed going over this bridge!

    The girls wanted to know all the history behind the cannons.

    Daddy patiently answered many questions on the history behind Charleston and the surrounding area during our walk through the park and downtown.

    The most bizarre thing we saw in Charleston.

    As we were walking through the part we saw a visible path of white feathers about 3 to 5 feet across from one tree to the next tree (about 30 to 40 feet away).  The feathers had obviously been placed there for a reason, we believe there is some historical resemblance but not sure.  Can anyone who has more knowledge on the history of Charleston give us an explanation?  It was odd seeing a path of feathers between two huge trees and several cars as they were driving by honked as they passed that part of the park.

    See the white line between the two trees? It is a wide path of white feathers.

    I am still a little perplexed by this one…..

    Our family thoroughly enjoy Charleston the food, adventures, and time together was refreshing.  I am thrilled the girls had fun exploring the town.  I have a little bit more about our Charleston adventures coming up soon so stay tuned!

    “A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!