Budget
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one. Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget. Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money. I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot. One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable. Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot CVS Groceries:
- $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats. (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches. The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)
Ingles Groceries:
- $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)
Family Dollar Groceries:
- $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count). (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into. I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)
Save A Lot Groceries:
- $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks. (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)
Groceries from Walmart Walmart Groceries:
- $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of. Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)
This week I spent $50.60 on groceries. Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me. I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week. The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget. Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!
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.
Recipe: Sweet Acorn Squash
As a kid we had Acorn Squash during the fall season. My Mom made this easy Sweet Acorn Squash recipe that our family enjoys. The recipe is really easy and tastes delicious. Another great thing about this recipe is it using only two additional ingredients which are typically in your kitchen already. If you are looking at adding an acorn squash to your dinner table soon try this recipe.
Sweet Acorn Squash Recipe:
- 1 Acorn Squash (halved)
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Butter
Cut the acorn squash in half. Empty the seeds out of the acorn squash. Put 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and butter in each cavity. Poke the “meat” of the squash lightly with a fork to make sure the butter / brown sugar soak into it (just make sure not to poke too hard and go all the way through the skin because the mix could drain out). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the it is tender. Scoop out the squash as you serve it at the table (it tastes best hot).
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 2 – 8, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per lb
Fresh Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs – $0.99 per lb
Port Side Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count / 10 oz) – $3.99
Half Cut Boneless Pork Loin – $1.99 per lb
Beef Sirloin Tip Roast – $2.99 per lb.
Sugardale Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.19 per lb
Half Cut Beef Eye of Round Roast – $3.99 per lb
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
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
Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders or Nuggets (24 oz) – $2.99
Home Churned Butter Quarters (Salted or Unsalted) 16 oz – $1.99
Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry (27 oz) – $2.50
Meadow Gold Premium Ice Cream, Vanilla or Chocolate (48 oz) – $2.50
Red Barron Classic Pizza, Assorted Varieties (20 to 22 oz) – $3.29
Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage (39 count) – $3.49
Marvella Cheese Loaf (32 oz) – $3.99
Port Side Fish Sticks, Fillets, or Battered Fillets (19 – 24 oz) – $3.29
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.69
Morning Delight Waffles (10 count) – $1.79
Morning Delight Jumbo Biscuits, Butter or Buttermilk (16 oz) – $1.59
Tree Ripe Premium Orange Juice (59 oz) – $2.99
Produce
Biggin’s Russet Potatoes (10 lbs) – $2.99
Red and Gold Delicious Apples (5 lbs) – $2.99
Yellow Onions (3 lbs) – $1.49
Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.49
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 roll) – $0.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Protector & Gamble (Expires 11/30/11)
As low as FREE (or with OVERAGE back if your store allows it) each after couponSolo Plastic Cups (20 count) – $1.29
Chenard Plastic Cutlery – Knife, Fork, Spoon, & Assorted (48 count) – $1.69
Max Force Alkaline Batteries (AA or AAA 6 pack or DC 2 pack) – $1.99
Grocery
Domino Granulated Sugar (4 lb) – $2.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 11/25/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from October 2011 Woman’s Day Magazine (Expires 11/30/11)
Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $1.89 each after couponWesson Pure Vegetable Oil (48 oz) – $2.99
General Mills Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 11/12/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/23 Smart Source (Expires 12/3/11)
As low as $1.49 each after couponHills Bros Coffee (33 oz) – $6.99
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Smart Source
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 10/30 Smart Source (Expires 12/4/11)
As low as $5.99 each after couponTipton Grove Fruit Cocktail – $1.79
Kraft Handi-Snack Pudding Cups – $0.99
Save A Lot Fridge Ready Soda (12 packs) – $2.69
Kaskey’s Broth (32 oz) – $1.39
Wylwood Cut Sweet Potatoes (15 oz) – $0.89
Kaskey’s Cream Soup, Assorted Varieties (10.5 oz) – $0.59
Grissom’s Brown n’ Serve Rolls (12 oz) – $1.19
J. Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
J. Higgs Saltines (16 oz) – $1.19
Marcum Seasoned Salt (12 oz) – $1.49
Marcum Ground Black Pepper (4 oz) – $1.99
Albany Bakery Pecan Shortbread Cookies (16 oz) – $2.49
Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce – $1.29
Portmann’s Tartar Sauce (11.5 oz) – $1.49
Betty Crocker Potato Buds – $1.69
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
As Low As $0.67 each after couponBetty Crocker Hamburger Helper Dinners (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mill (Expires 11/26/11)
$0.75 each after couponGinger Evans Light Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar (32 oz) – $1.69
Ginger Evans Deluxe Fudge Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.59
Ginger Evans Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Gold Leaf 9 inch Pie Shell (10 oz) – $1.79
Bay Mist Splash Tropical or Berry Blend (64 oz) – $1.99
Morning Delight Toaster Pastries (22 oz) – $1.99
McDaniel’s Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $1.99
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.
New Upromise eCoupons for November 2011
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of November 2011. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.
This month they have 29 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!
You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.
Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (October Update)
October is my ninth month tracking my Creative Cash. What is Creative Cash? Creative Cash is finding ways to come up with extra cash to share with others as well as work on our current goal. I am working part time, a stay at home Mom, and wear many other hats from day to day, however, I feel that it is important to save money for our family by using coupons and buying items on sale but to earn a little money to help with the extra expenses and to share with others. The extra amount I bring in on top of the work is what I call “Creative Cash” which means finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already. I plan to continue this goal for the remaining months of the year. Despite the many financial obstacles that we have faced as a family we have been blessed with so much. My husband and I believe it is important to be accountable with our finances and give to others.Explanation: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire month through various endeavors. As it comes in the money is placed into our savings account and withdrawn at the end of the month so it can be split. It is my goal to make at least $100 extra a month to help with our goals as well as share with others. At the end of the month the money will be split 50 / 50 with half going towards our current goal we are working on (which at the moment is paying down debt) and the other half going to charity.
To be honest October was not as great of a month as I hoped it would be, however, it was better then September. Although life is still busy we are at least home more now giving me the flexibility to focus on this goal as well as other ones. I anticipate November being another busy month with upcoming Holidays and I hope to come closer to meeting this goal. Thankfully I was able to save some extra cash even though I did not reach my my goal of $100. I want to share with you the ways we did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully we can be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:
- $13.19 – Items sold on Ebay (after fees): The all the items sold were coupons. I encourage you to look around at some of the coupons you get the mail, newspapers, magazines, in your stockpile, or other places and if you will not have the opportunity to use them then consider selling them for a little extra creative cash.
- $6.59 – Recycled Items taken to the scrap metal company
- $28.99 – Other miscellaneous amounts earned (rebates, returns, cash back, extra money, etc…) that was added to my stash for the month.
It was a harder month to set the extra aside because it was very busy and I was not able to participate in as many extra creative cash activities. The good news is despite the crazy schedule I was able to get a few dollars of creative cash and almost met at least half of my goal. October’s “Creative Cash” total was $48.77 which means $24.38 extra that goes towards our current goal (saving for 3 to 6 month Emergency Fund) and $24.39 goes towards charity. Although I didn’t hit my $100 goal this month I am happy that I was able to contribute something this month and every little bit helps us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way. I have a plan of action on ways to earn creative cash in November so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another month where we can get closer to our goal and share with others. Each month I do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically in October. I look forward to sharing more of the things that work well for our family as I do them in the upcoming months.
I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to find ways to help our family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to us. I hope that we have been able to encourage you to find ways to come up with some creative cash for your household as well. Obviously, each situation and family is unique so decide what works for you and go for it! Do you know of another way to earn creative cash? I would love to hear your ideas!
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.
Photo by StopNLook
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a fun week with the whole family home, traveling is fun but sometimes it is just as nice to have everyone home for a week too. Our family has been going through more milk lately so you’ll notice an increase in my milk purchases this week. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and CVS Ingles Groceries:
- $13.21 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 1 jar Skippy Peanut Butter, 1 package Flour Tortillas, 1 container Vanilla Yogurt, 1 container Fresh Shrimp, 1 bag Oranges, 1 bag Bananas, 1 bag Potatoes, 1 head Cauliflower, and 1 container Lettuce. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance including the produce, seafood and diary!)
CVS Groceries:
- $18.17 at CVS for 2 A&W Rootbeer (12 packs), 1 Sunkist (12 pack), 1 bag Candy Corn, 1 Mountain Dew (2 liter) and 4 cans Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup (I received $10.00 in ECB’s back on this purchase so if you count that into the savings it is like I paid $8.17 for everything purchased. The ECB’s I received were $1.00 on the Candy Corn making it free, $3.00 on the 12 packs making them $2.67 each, $1.00 on the Progresso Soup making them $1.00 each, and $5.00 for Beauty Club Reward. I have not bought soda for several months because we are trying to cut back on how much we drink it in our house, however, we do host family, friends, Community Group and other activities in our home so when we see a good sale we buy a few to stock up on them.
Groceries from Save A Lot | RiteAid Save A Lot| RiteAid Groceries:
- $7.88 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 2 gallons of milk and 1 half gallon of milk on clearance. (We go through a lot more milk now that the girls are a little older, Save A Lot had the best price I could find for milk this week!)
This week I spent $39.26 on groceries. Even though I was barely under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget. Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was cutting it really close this week again!
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.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of October 26 – November 1, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. Save-A-Lot is continuing their 10 for $10 sale so if you haven’t already go ahead and stock up on these products. You can mix and match any number of the 10 for $10 items and you are not required to buy 10 items in order to get the products for $1. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Chicken Drums or Thighs – $0.88 per lb
Fresh Chicken Wings – $1.49 per lb
Pork Chops – $2.79 per lb
Ground Chuck – $2.49 per lb
Primo Brats & Italian Sausage (19 oz) – $2.99
Sugardale Sausage Links, Smoked & Polish (3 pounds) – $3.99
Eckrich Franks (16 oz) – $1.00
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
Ocean Market Fish Fillets (4 oz) – $1.00
Gwaltney Rolled 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
Take & Bake Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) – $5.49
Shaner’s Chicken Wings, Spicy or Honey BBQ (16 oz) – $2.99
Dairy Fresh Aerosol Whipped Topping (7 oz) – $1.00
Parkway Quarters Margarine (16 oz) – $1.00
Eckrich Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00
Budding Deli Cut Lunch Meat (3 to 4 oz) – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Fisher Boy
$0.25 each after couponOscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00
Use $0.55/1 coupon from tearpad found in stores
$0.45 each after couponHormel Sandwich Sliced Pepperoni (3.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.55/2 printable coupon from Hormel
$0.73 each after couponSchooner Imitation Crab (8 oz) – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza (Pepperoni or Supreme) – $1.00
Pillsbury Grands Flakey or Buttermilk Biscuits (16.3 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.30/1 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.40/2 coupon from insert 10/2 Smart Source (Expires 12/24/11)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 10/2 Smart Source (Expires 12/24/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponBanquet Brown & Serve Sausage (6.4 oz) – $1.00
Tropicana Fruit or Berry Punch (64 oz) – $1.00
Mr. P’s Pepperoni Pizza Bites (9 oz) – $1.00
Banquet Dinners (4 to 10 oz) – $1.00
Produce
Avocados – $1.00
3 Pack Peppers – $1.00
Dole Salad Mix (12 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.50/2 coupon from Blinkie found in stores (Expires 10/31/11)
$0.25 each after couponGreen Cabbage – $0.39 per lb
Red or Green Grapes – $1.29 per lb
Gala or Fuji Apples (3 pounds) – $1.99
Caramel and Candy Apples – $1.00
Household
Pert Bath Tissue (24 rolls) – $4.99
Save A Lot Today Paper Towels (8 count) – $3.99
Triumph Quilted Paper Towels (1 count) – $1.29
Save A Lot Today Paper Towels (1 count) – $0.50
Ultra Soft Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $1.99
Puffs Facial Tissue (100 count) – $1.00
Use $0.25/3 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 10/31/11)
$0.92 each after couponAngel Soft Bath Tissue (4 count) – $1.00
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
$0.50 each after couponLuster Facial Tissues (160 count) – $0.99
Angel Soft Bath Tissue (12 rolls) – $3.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
$2.89 each after couponSave A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $0.89
Grocery
Malt O’ Meal Cereal, Berry Colossal Crunch and Golden Puffs (10 to 12 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt O’ Meal
Use $0.50/1 coupon from tearpad found in some stores (Expires 1/31/12)
As low as $0.50 each after couponBumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna (5 oz) – $0.69
Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Recycle Bank
Use $1.00/5 coupon from peelie found in some stores (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $0.19 each after couponCheez It Baked Snack Crackers (7 to 9 oz) – $1.69
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/18 Red Plum (Expires 11/13/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from “Score Big Savings” Booklet (Expires 10/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from tearpad found in some stores (Expires 11/30/11)
$1.19 each after couponMountain Holler Avalanche Soda (2 liter) – $0.75
Bay Mist Berry Splash (64 oz) – $1.89
Save A Lot Today Chocolate Chip Pancakes (5.5 oz) – $0.59
Save A Lot Today Homestyle Mashed Potatoes (4 oz) – $0.79
Hampton Farms Roasted and Salted Peanuts (10 oz) – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Kaskey’s Family Size Condensed Chicken or Tomato Soup (26 oz) – $1.00
Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta (14.5 to 15 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon found in package (Expires 5/31/12)
Use $0.50/2 coupon from September 2011 All You Magazine (Expires 11/15/11)
$0.75 each after couponToast Em’s Toaster Pastries (14.7 oz) – $1.00
Mrs. Freshley’s Sugar Mini Donuts or Brownies (6 to 16 count) – $1.00
Very Fine Juice Drinks (Fruit Punch or Pineapple Orange) (32 oz) – $1.00
Chex Mix (8 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from peelie found in some store (Expires 1/30/12)
$0.75 each after couponM&M and Mars Candy (3 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.50/2 coupon from September 2011 All You Magazine (10/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 10/31/11)
As low as $0.25 each after couponPasta Roni (Assorted Varieties) (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Rice A Roni (Assorted Varieties) (6 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Betty Crocker Seasoned Mashed Potatoes (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
As Low As $0.67 each after couponHeinz Gravy (Beef or Turkey) (12 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (32 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/4 printable coupon from Red Gold
$0.75 each after couponKraft Marshmallow Creme (7 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.
Recipe: Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds
Fresh pumpkin seeds.
I shared this recipe last year and since it was a big hit I am re-posting it again this year. Jake made some amazing roasted pumpkin seeds during our time carving the pumpkins. Here is a super easy and great recipe for roasting pumpkins seeds:
- 2 c pumpkin seeds
- 2 T butter
- Sprinkle Seasoned Salt (or substitute a 1/2 package ranch package mix)
Rinse the pumpkin seeds. Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown). Sprinkle the Seasoned Salt or Ranch Mix on the seeds. Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy. Stirring every 10 minutes.
We made half with the sprinkled Seasoned Salt and half with the Hidden Valley Ranch Dill Seasoning mix this year. Delicious snacks for the whole family!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It has been a busy week and I realized that when the entire family makes a “quick” trip to the grocery store after church on Sunday the items add up much quicker. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles Ingles Groceries:
- $16.37 at Ingles for 2 containers Sour Cream, 2 bags Mini Bagels, 2 bags Corn Tortilla’s, 5 boxes Yogurt (4 count each), 1 container 93% Lean Ground Beef, 1 container 86% Lean Ground Beef, 1 bag Red Potatoes, 1 bag Golden Apples, and 1 bag Fresh Snow Peas. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down or on clearance including the produce, meat and diary!)
Groceries from BiLo BiLo Groceries:
- $22.29 at BiLo for 1 can Del Monte Tomatoes, 2 cans Blackeye Peas, 2 cans Northern Beans, 1 gallon Milk, 1 family pack Cube Steak, 1 gallon Apple Cider, and 1 bag Kaiser Rolls. (Received $0.15 in bag credit for bringing reusable bags to BiLo)
Groceries from Save A Lot | RiteAid Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:
- $1.00 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Hamburger Buns (8 count).
This week I spent $39.66 on groceries. Even though I was barely under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget. The whole family went with me on my trip to BiLo so we got a few “extra” items. Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was cutting it really close this week!
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.
Recipe: Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
When it is a busy day I love it when I can stick something in the crockpot and come home to a house that smells amazing and dinner nearly ready to put on the table. I really don’t know where I got this recipe from but I have been making it for years and love it because it is easy and tastes great too.
Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos:
1 to 2 lbs Skinless Chicken Breasts (you could use thighs but our family prefers the white meat)
1 cup Salsa (add more if you like salsa)
1 package Taco Seasoning (optional)
1 can Black Beans (optional)
1 can Corn (optional)
Chips or Tortillas
Place the chicken in the crockpot and add the salsa on top. Cook on low for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat drain any extra liquid, break up the chicken into smaller pieces (I use a fork and pull the pieces apart). If you want, stir in the package of Taco Seasoning, Black Beans, and Corn (sometimes I will add fresh tomatoes as well).
We usually have chips and make a Chicken Taco Salad or tortillas. Add the meat and toppings (shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream) and enjoy!
