Financial

  • CVS: Spent $1 and Got $14 ECB’s Back!

    CVS Deals!

    CVS has a few good deals this week.  I was happy to stock up on some items including fingernail polish and shampoo this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  The girls had fun picking out the finger polish today.  I see a pedicure and manicure happening in the near future with blue and purple colors!  Today I was able to get the items for $1.73 plus tax ($0.12) making my out of pocket cost $1.85 and received $14.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 –  Pantene Shampoo 2 in 1 Classic for $3.49
    • 1 – Pantene Shampoo 2 in 1 Clean for $3.49
    • 1 – LA Looks Power Spike Gel for $2.99
    • 1 – Revlon Scented Fingernail Polish (Blue) for $4.99
    • 1 – Revlon Scented Fingernail Polish (Green) for $4.99
    • 1 – Irish Spring Hair and Body Wash (15 oz) for $2.99
    • 1 – Colgate Toothbrush 360 for $2.79

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $3.00 Pantene Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Revlon Nail Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Revlon Nail Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $17.99 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $14.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $2.00 ECB’s for Pantene Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for L.A Looks Products
    • $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products ($3.00 each)
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Irish Spring Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Colgate Products

    Today I was able to save $33.80 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.

  • CVS: Spent $1 and Got $18 ECB’s Back!

     

    CVS Deals

    CVS has a few good deals this week.  I was happy to stock up on some items including kids toothpaste and medicine this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.   I was able to use a couple of my raincheck items this week too.  Today I was able to get the items for $1.15 plus tax ($0.08) making my out of pocket cost $1.23 and received $18.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 –  Zyrtc 10 mg (5 count) for $5.99
    • 1 – Bayer Advance 500 (20 count) for $3.00
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Complete Fresh Mint Rinse (1 liter) for $4.50 (used a raincheck to get this price)
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Complete Clean Rinse (1 liter) for $4.50 (used a raincheck to get this price)
    • 2 – Mitchum Deodorant for $1.99
    • 1 – Motrin Pm (20 count) for $4.00
    • 2 –  Colgate Dora Kids Toothpaste B1G1F (1 for $3.19 and 1 for $0.00)
    • 2 – Colgate Sponge Bob Kids Toothpaste B1G1F (1 for $3.19 and 1 for 0.00)
    • 1 – Revlon ColorStay Normal Makeup for $12.79
    • 1 – Mini Writing Tablets for $1.00

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $3.00 Zyrtc Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $2.00 Bayer Advance Coupon
    • Used $2.50 Colgate  Complete Rinse Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $2.50 Colgate Complete Rinse Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Mitchum Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Mitchum Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Motrin PM Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Kids Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Kids Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Kids Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Kids Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $6.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $11.99 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $18.99 ECB’s back today:

    • $5.99 ECB’s for Zyrtc Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Bayer Products
    • $5.00 ECB’s for Crest Pro Health Products ($2.50 each)
    • $3.00 ECB’s for Motrin Products
    • $4.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products

    Today I was able to save $64.83 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.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our Target Gift Card Winner!!!

    My husband, Jake, drew the name out of a cup for me.

    CONGRATULATIONS to Tiffany Frost
    for winning a

    $10 Target Gift Card!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information.

    Happy Shopping to YOU!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway, it will be posted tomorrow morning!!!

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 1– 7, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   There are a lot of great deals this week at Save A Lot for $1.00, here is a delicious homemade Veggie Beef Soup recipe Blessings Multiplied – Recipe:  Veggie Beef Soup. You could pick up the vegetables and other ingredients on sale at Save A Lot this week!  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Eckrich Hot Dogs or Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00

    Carolina Ground Turkey (16 oz ) – $1.00

    Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.65/1 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 7/10/11)
    $0.35 each after coupon

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Fresh Pork Tenderloin – $3.88 per lb

    Boneless Chicken Breast – $1.88 per lb

    Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.88 per lb

    Half Boneless Pork Loin Roast – $2.49 per lb

    80% Lean Ground Chuck – $2.88 per lb

    Simmons Buffalo or BBQ Boneless Wings (32 oz)  – $6.59

    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 Lunchables – $1.00

    Reser’s Assorted Salads & Coleslaw – $1.00
    Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
    Free after each coupon

    Minute Maid Lemonade or Fruit Punch – $1.00

    Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
    Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 7/9/11)
    Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 3/20 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
    Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Totino’s Pizza Rolls – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
    Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
    As low as $0.66 each after coupon

    Banquet Dinners – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Fish Sticks – $1.00
    Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Fisher Boy
    $0.25 each after coupon

    T. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00

    Party Treats Ice Cream Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00

    Tombstone Brick Oven Pizza – $2.49

    Curly’s BBQ Pulled Pork or Beef – $3.99

    Crisp Frozen Lemonade – $1.19

    World’s Fair Sundae Cups – $2.49

    Household

    Poly Steel Sandwich Zipper Bags (50 count) – $1.00

    Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00

    Bounty Basic Paper Towels (6 count) – $5.99
    Use $2.00/2 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    As low as $4.99 each after coupon

    Produce

    Iceberg Lettuce – $1.00

    Fresh Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00

    Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00

    Seedless Watermelon – $3.99

    Fresh Strawberries – $1.99

    Valencia Oranges (3 lb) – $1.99

    Vidalia Onions (4 lb) – $1.99

    Grocery

    Pringles (Original and Sour Cream & Onion) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 6/30/11)
    As low as $0.50 each after coupon

    Knorr Side Dishes – $1.00
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Hamburger Helper Dinner – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/16/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
    Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
    Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Save A Lot Apple Juice (64 oz) – $1.00

    Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00

    Red Gold Ketchup (40 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.50/2 printable coupon from Red Gold
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Woeber’s Mustard (24 oz) – $1.00

    Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.00

    Shasta Soda (4 pack) – $1.00

    Deer Park Spring Water (3 liter) – $1.00

    Crunch & Munch Butter Toffee – $1.00

    Dippables – $1.00

    Mantia’s Pasta Sauce – $1.00

    Shelby’s Grove Sliced Peaches – $1.00

    J Higgs Pretzels – $1.00

    Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna – $1.00

    Allure Zero Calorie Sweetener – $1.00

    Jade Dragon Soy Sauce – $1.00

    Kellogg’s Cereal – $1.88
    Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/15 Red Plum (Expires 6/26/11)
    As low as $1.38 each after coupon

    Hawaiian Punch (1 gallon) – $1.88

    Baumann’s Best Barbeque Sauce – $1.19

    Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans – $0.79

    Bakery

    Mini Cupcakes (12 count) – $2.49

    Bundt Cake – $5.99

    Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pie – $2.99

    Sliced Loaf Cake – $2.99

    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.

  • Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (May Update)

    May is my fourth 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 have tested this goal over the last couple months as I am challenging myself to make my life more simplified.   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.  We 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.

    May was a good month even though it was extremely active in many other areas of my life.  Thankfully I was able to save some extra cash however, 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:

    • $23.11 – 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.
    • $9.51 – A portion of the proceeds from the Upstate Women’s & Home Consignment Sale
    • $29.50– A portion of the proceeds from the Taylors & Friends Consignment Store.
    • $14.90 – 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.  May’s “Creative Cash” total was $77.02 which means $38.51 extra that goes towards our current goal (paying down debt) and $38.51 goes towards charity.  May was the first month I didn’t hit my $100 goal but I am happy that I was able to get close to the goal and every little bit helps us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way.  I have plan of action on ways to earn creative cash in June 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 May.  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 idea!

    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

  • Mailbox Goodies: Cereal, Cottonelle, Dog Food, GoodNites, Magazines & More!

     

    Mailbox Goodies

    One of the best parts about getting the mail is when the mailbox full of goodies, especially when they are free! We got some great coupons, free samples, magazines and more stuff in the mail.  Some of these deals are still available so if you haven’t had a chance to sign up go ahead and do it now.   I will try to keep you posted of some of the new ones coming up as well.

    Here are some items we received in the mail:

    • Free Sample of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Mixed Berry “Touch of Fruit in the Middle” and B1G1 & $1.00 Off Coupons- Vocal Point (still available)
    • Free Business Card Holder 1 Sale A Day
    • Free Carefree Feminine Pad and $0.50 CouponStart Sampling (still available)
    • Free North American Hunting Club Pack (Sticker, Notepad, Address Labels, Elk Decal, Hunting License Holder, and Bookmark) – Hunting Club (still available)
    • Free Hamrick’s 15% Off Entire Purchase Coupon – Hamricks, sign up at your local Hamricks store (still available)
    • Free Atkins Kit (Quick Start Guide, Pocket Counter, Chef Recipes, 3 Bars, Coupon and More) – Atkins click on the free kit (still available)
    • 3 – Free GoodNites Underwear and $2 off Coupon – Target Samples
    • Free Information Week Magazine – been receiving for years
    • Free Purex Complete with Zout Triple Enzyme Stain Remover Sample and $1.00 CouponPurex (still available)
    • Free Purina Pro Plan Roasted Slices Product Coupon – Purina Pro Plan Facebook Page (still available)
    • Free Parents Magazine – Rewards Country (still available)
    • Free Newsweek Magazine – Rewards Gold (still available)
    • Free Tub of Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes Product Coupon (up to $2.89) –   Cottonelle (still available)
    • Free Motor Boating MagazineMercury Magazines
    • And more free magazines and local coupons!

    If you are like me it is nice when you get a mailbox with free coupons and samples in it.  The bills will come as well but when you get a mailbox full of free items it helps make the day a little more enjoyable.  Plus the coupons and samples are a great way to stretch your budget and share with others!

  • Mailbox Goodies: Mobile Headset, Suave, John Frieda, Shampoo, Magazines & More!

     

    Mailbox Goodies

    One of the best parts about getting the mail is when the mailbox full of goodies, especially when they are free! We got some great coupons for free items, free Mobile Headset, magazines and more stuff in the mail.  Most of these deals are no longer available but I will try to keep you posted of some of the new ones coming up.

    Here are some items we received in the mail:

    • 2 – Free Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo or Styling Product Coupon (up to $3.00 each) – Suave Professionals Quiz (still available)
    • Free John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Coupon (up to $12.99) – John Frieda Facebook Page
    • Free Mobile Headset (pictured below, had to snatch it back from my husband to take a picture) – 1 Sale A Day
    • Free Tampax Products – Being Girl
    • Free Head & Shoulders Shampoo Sample – View Points (still available)
    • $1.00 Off Cheer Coupon
    • $5.00 & $1.00 Zantac Coupons – Zantac (still available)
    • Free Zantac 150 Sample – Zantac (still available)
    • Free Always Feminine Products plus Coupons – Being Girl
    • Free Parent’s Choice Formula – (not sure how we got this one, but occasionally we get baby items in the mail) Although I checked and you can get this one through Parent’s Choice (still available)
    • Free Thriving Family Magazine – been receiving for several months
    • Free Newsweek Magazine – Rewards Gold (still available)
    • Free Forbes Magazine – Rewards Gold (still available)
    • Free Forbes Life Travel Magazine – Rewards Gold
    • Free Plane & Pilot Magazine – been receiving for several months
    • Free Tech Briefs Magazine – been receiving for several years
    • Free Landscape Magazine – been receiving for several months
    • And more free magazines and local coupons!

     

    Free Mobile Headset!

    If you are like me it is nice when you get a mailbox with free coupons and samples in it.  The bills will come as well but when you get a mailbox full of free items it helps make the day a little more enjoyable.  Plus the coupons and samples are a great way to stretch your budget and share with others!

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4.  It was a busy week but I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry. I mainly stocked up on non-perishable products this week.  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

    Sav-Mor Sidewalk Box Sale!

    Groceries from Sav-Mor’s Sidewalk Box Sale:

    • $14.00 at Sav-Mor for the following items
    • 4 – Rustic Crust Thin Pizza Crusts
    • 3 – Maxwell House Coffees (11 oz each)
    • 2 – General Mills Whole Grain Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal (15 oz each)
    • 4 – Organic Seeds of Change Rice
    • 3 – General Mills Yogurt Burst Whole Grain Strawberry Cheerios Cereal (12.2 oz each)
    • 1 – Kelloggs Fruit Loops Cereal (8.7 oz)
    • 2 – Post Cupcake Pebbles Cereal (11 oz each)
    • 4 – Lipton Soup Secrets – Chicken Noodle Soup
    • 2 – Malt O Meal Cereals (18 oz) Frosted Mini Spooners
    • 1 – Vanilla Almond Flax Plus Granola Cereal (11.5 oz)
    • 1 – Philsbury Sugar Free Vanilla Frosting (15 oz)
    • 2 – Philsbury Sugar Free Chocolate Frosting (15 oz each)
    • 2 – Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies
    • 1 – Kraft Macroni & Chesse Homestyle
    • 1 – Philsbury Easy Frosting (13.5 oz) Velvety Cream Cheese
    • 1 – Laura Lynn Strawberry Syrup
    • 1 – Playtex Coolster Kids Cup
    • 1 – Grey Poupon Mustard
    • 1 – Vegetarian Chili
    • 1 – French’s Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
    • 2 – Sugar Free Peep Packs (3 Peeps per pack)
    • 1 – A1 Marinade New Orleans Cajon (16 oz)
    • 3 – Reese Sour Cocktail Onions (8 oz each)
    • 3 – Paas Easter Egg Decorating Kits
    • 17 – Easter Window Clings (14 to 29 pieces each)
    • 1  – General Mills Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat (15.1 oz)
    • 1 – Barbara’s Puffins Cereal (10 oz)
    • 1 – Kellogg’s Special K Blueberry (11.4 oz)
    • 1 – General Mills Total Blueberry Pomegranate (15 oz)
    • 2 – Kellog’s Whole Grain Strawberry Poptarts (14.1 oz / 8 count each)
    • 2 – Woven Wheats (9.5 oz)
    • 5 – Lindsay Black Olives (6.5 oz each)
    • 3 – Nestle Nesquick Chocolate Milk (4 count each)
    • 1 – Vivarin
    • 3 – DeBoles Rice Spaghetti Pasta
    • 2 – Smuckers Toppings – Caramel
    • 2 – Smuckers Toppings – Hot Fudge
    • 1 – Smuckers Toppings – Apple Cinnamon
    • 1 – Smuckers Mix Fruit Jelly
    • 3 – Enjoy Life Cocoa Chewy Bars (5 count each)
    • 1 – Cascadian Farms Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (6 count each)
    • 2 – Cascadian Farms Organic Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (6 count each)
    • 1 – Tabasco Habanero Hot Sauce
    • 2 – David’s Sunflower Seeds (6 count each)
    • 1 – David’s Sunflower Seeds (14.5 oz)
    • 1 – David’s Sunflower Seeds (5.25 oz)
    • 6 – Easy Kraft Mac n Cheese
    • 1 – Zatarain’s Horse Radish (5.25 oz)
    • 5 – Atkins Smores Bars
    • 2 – Zone Perfect Dark Chocolate Cookies n Cream Bars
    • 1 – Luna Nutz Over Chocolate Bar
    • 1 – Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix
    • 2 – Old Bay Crab Cake Mix
    • 1 – Lemon Pepper Seafood Mix
    • 1 – Grilling Seasons Mesquite Barbecue Marinade
    • 4 – Grilling Seasons Stead Marinade
    • 7 – Mayacamas Skillet Toss Miss
    • 1 – Knorr Roasted Pork Gravy
    • 1 – Knorr Cream of Spinach Mix

    At Sav-Mor I spent $14.00 for 133 items making the cost 10 cents per item.  Considering only a few of these items put together are worth $14 I am excited to get some of these to help restock our pantry.  The Sav-Mor sale is an adventure but you can really get your money’s worth in a matter of minutes.  You can learn more information about this sale at Living on a Budget: Sav-Mor Sidewalk Box Sale.  It really does help stretch your budget when you have a store in the area that does great sales.

    Publix Groceries

     

    Groceries from Publix:

    • $19.08 at Publix for 6 ears of Fresh Corn, 1 Fresh Cantelope, Hotdog Buns, Hamburger Buns, Teddy Grahams, 2 containers of Cottage Cheese, 4 sets of Idaho Potatoes, Lasagne Noodles, Planters Nut Mix, 2 packs of McCormick Enchilada Mix, Publix Ice Cream, Nabisco Snack Pack, and Zesty Herb Marinade. Plus since I spent $25 in groceries (it was $27 before using coupons and taking discounts) I was able to get a $50 Shell Gas Card for $40, saving me $10 the next time I fill up the van.

     

    Walmart Groceries

    Groceries from WalMart:

    • $11.41 at WalMart for Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Cucumber, Ground Hamburger (1 lb), Fresh Mushrooms, Asiago Cheese Bread, Whole Wheat French Bread, and Italian Sesame Bread (all the breads were on clearance).

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week I spent $44.49 on groceries.  Even though I went over the budget by $4.49 I was still able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I had a little bit left over from previous weeks to cover the extra amount.  The box sale helped us restock our pantry plus we had several extra meals we were doing this week which resulted in some more food.  Hopefully next week I will do better and keep it under $40.

    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.

  • Recipes: Preparing for a Busy Season

    I was thinking back over one of the busiest seasons in our family, right after the birth of our twin daughters.  My life went from 12 weeks of permanent bed rest to the hospital, NICU, preemie babies, and a lot of other activities.  As I was reflecting back on those days I began thinking about the various ways that we prepared in advance to make the whole season more enjoyable for the entire family.  Every family has a busy season whether it is due to an upcoming birth of a baby in your family, travel, work, school, Holidays, or something else.  That time in my life was busy, stressful, and completely new to me.  I have an amazing supportive family, friends, and church family that pitched in by physically helping us (cleaning our home, making meals, helping feed the girls, and so much more) and praying for us (although it was an exhausting and stressful time in our lives God was good and the prayers of many were answered).  Looking back over that period of time in our life we can see even more clearly the multitude of love and blessings that were sent our way.

    Since I was on permanent bed rest for 12 weeks I was limited on what I could do as far as menu planning, however, while the girls were in NICU and I was on the mend physically I began preparing for a busy season when they came home.  I spent the majority of my day and late evening in the NICU with the girls, however, I had a few hours every day at home to rest, prep for their homecoming, make meals and more.

    Recipes / Menu Planning / Preparation Work that I can do in advance to be better equipped for the busy season:

    • Ground Hamburger – cook up your ground hamburger in advance and freeze it cooked in measured out portions.  My favorite way to cook it is to get a large pack of hamburger put it in the crockpot and heat it on low stirring occasionally to break up the meat.  At the end pour the hamburger into a strainer (over a bowl) drain, and blot with a paper towel.  Allow it to cool them put into baggies or containers.  I typically do between 2 to 4 cups per item.  This allows you to pull the meat out prior to dinner make your meal and eliminates a lot of time, prep, making the meal, and mess.
    • Chicken – precook chicken breasts and freeze into appropriate portions.  If you want shredded chicken I like to cook it in the crockpot, shred it at the end and drain it.  When I wanted cubed chicken I baked the chicken in the oven then cut it up into cubes and measured out the portions in baggies or containers.
    • Casserole – make up a few casseroles in advance like lasagna, Green Bean Tator Tot Casserole, Grandma’s Western Meat Loaf, Cheesy Spaghetti Bake and freeze them.  You can do this in one day or spread it out over the course of several weeks.  When you make lasagna or a casserole for dinner make two and freeze one, if your making casserole for a new Mom make an extra one to freeze.  Over a few weeks you’ll be stocked and prepared for your upcoming busy season.
    • Cookie Dough – I always enjoy making freshly baked cookies for my family and friends, however, during a busy season I don’t always have the extra time to whip up a fresh baked batch of cookies.  There is something about fresh cookies and if you cannot get a great deal on the ones in the store you can still do it at home in advance.  I will make up a double or larger batch of our family’s favorite cookies (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and a handful of others).  Mix up the dough, mold it into a rectangle, wrap it in saran wrap, put it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze until we were ready to eat them.  When I am ready to make cookies during the busy season I will pull out one of the cookie dough packages, use a knife to cut them into the size of cookies I want and bake them.  It works really well especially for those “surprise” guests or neighbor kids dropping by for a snack.  The majority of the work was done in advance, but it allows me to still offer freshly baked goodies during the busy season.  I still do this when I make a fresh batch of cookies because it is a great way save a little extra time in the future.
    • BBQ Chicken or Steak – we have several favorite BBQ sauces.  When I our favorite BBQ sauces go on sale I stock up.  I will often find chicken or steak on clearance at the store.  When I get home take the entire package of chicken or beef and divide it up into several portions.  Sometimes I will put one of our favorite BBQ sauces on the steak or chicken, split the meat into two portions (one to put on the grill for dinner that night and the other half into a container to freeze for a later meal).  When it has been a busy day I will pull out the container of already marinated meat, defrost it, put on the grill, add some veggies, salad, and a meal is ready in no time.

    I love finding ways we can make our meals time more efficient, especially during those busy seasons.  Having the ability to make and store already prepped meals saves us the cost of going out to eat or allows us to eat more than sandwiches every meal.  By just prepping the meat you can save a lot of time and still have the opportunity to put together a healthy meal for your family.  What are some ways you prepare for a busy season in your family?

    Photo by armigeress