• Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry so we should be good for awhile now. Most of the items I stocked up were non-perishable products this week.  A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer!  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

     

    Sav-Mor Sidewalk Box Sale Groceries

    Groceries from Sav-Mor’s Sidewalk Box Sale – spent $7.00 at Sav-Mor for the following items

    • 1 – Kellogg’s Cocoa Rice Krispies Cereal 16.5 oz
    • 1 – Harvest Farms Organic Brown Rice 32 oz
    • 4 – Jiffy Pops Popcorn (great for camp fire popcorn)
    • 2 – Quaker Cocoa Chocolate Mint Granola (10 Bars Each)
    • 1 – Near East Couscous Parmesan
    • 1 – Near East Pearled Couscous Basil and Herb
    • 1 – Near East Whole Grain Brown Rice Pilaf
    • 3 – Mrs. Field’s Rainbow Chip Individually Wrapped Cookies (8 Count Each)
    • 2 – Mrs. Field’s Oatmeal Raisin Individually Wrapped Cookies (8 Count Each)
    • 1 – Mrs. Field’s Snicker Doodle Individually Wrapped Cookies (8 Count)
    • 1 – Late July Organic Bite Size Cheddar Cheese Crackers 5 oz
    • 1 – Pillsbury Easy Frosting Velvety Cream Cheese 13.5 oz
    • 2 – Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressings (16 oz each)
    • 9 – CapriSun Fruit Punch
    • 1 – Betty Crocker Dora the Explorer Fruit Snacks (10 Count)
    • 1 – Atkins Dark Chocolate Bars (5 Count)
    • 1 – Kellogg’s Special K Protein Bars (6 Count)
    • 1 – Pasta Roni Olive Oil and Italian Herb Natures Way
    • 1 – Pasta Roni Basil & Olive Oil Easy Salads
    • 1 – Pasta Roni Italian Herb Easy Salads
    • 6 – Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Premium Thick n’ Creamy
    • 2 – Betty Crocker Whole Grain Chicken Helper Honey Mustard
    • 1 – Tobblerone Swiss Milk & White Chocolate with Honey and Almond Limited Edition 3.52 oz
    • 1 – Martha White Whole Grain Sweet Yellow Honey Cornbread & Muffin Mix
    • 1 – Pedialyte Fruit Punch Flavor Powder Packs (4 Count)
    • 4 – Jello Fat Free Sugar Free Butterscotch Pudding
    • 1 – Classic Zone Perfect Chocolate Mint Bars (5 Count)
    • 1 – Gatorade 2 Thirst Quencher Powder Packs Grape Flavor (8 Count)
    • 1 – Dove Dark Chocolate 8.87 oz
    • 1 – Nature Made Triple Flex Vitamins (60 Count)
    • 1 – Jello Pumpkin Spice Pudding
    • 1 – Trident Layers Cool Mint & Melon Fresco (14 pieces)
    • 1 – Swedish Fish Package 9.5 oz
    • 1 – Idahoan Four Cheese Mashed Potatoes 4 oz
    • 2 – Jello Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding
    • 3 – Jello Fat Free Sugar Free Banana Cream Pudding
    • 3 – Jello Fat Free Sugar Free White Chocolate Pudding
    • 1 – Trident White Peppermint Gum (12 pieces)
    • 1 – McCormick Grill Mates Tomato, Basil, and Garlic
    • 2 – Stride Uber Bubble Gum (14 pieces)
    • 1 – Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Eggs 6.5 0z
    • 2 – Orbit Cinnamint Gum (14 pieces)
    • 1 – Glutina Gluten Free Candy Bars Dark Chocolate (5 Count)
    • 1 – Dentyne Spearmint Gum (12 pieces)
    • 1 – Glutina Gluten Free Candy Bars Milk Chocolate (5 Count)
    • 1 – Wrigley’s Solstice Warm & Cool Winter (15 pieces)
    • 2 – Near East Gourmet Meals 5.6 oz
    • 1 – Tridents Layers Gum Greenapple Golden Pineapple (14 pieces)
    • 1 – Stride Spearmint Gum (14 pieces)
    • 1 – Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit (60 pieces)

    At Sav-Mor I spent $7.00 for 83 items making the cost 8 cents per item.  Considering only a couple of these items put together are worth $7 I am excited to get some of these to help restock our pantry.  Some items don’t expire until 2012, a few are already expired or will expire in the next few months.  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.

     

    Walgreens & BiLo Groceries

     

    Groceries from Walgreens:

    • $3.94 at Walgreens for 2 Pure Bottle Water Packages (24 count each).  I had a raincheck from back in September for 24 pack of Pure Water for $1.99 each.   With upcoming road trips and hot months these will come in handy.

    Groceries from BiLo:

    • $12.56 at BiLo for 2 gallons of Pet Whole Milk, 2 gallons of Pet 2% Milk, and 1 package of Ground Hamburger (plus $1.50 clearance coupon sticker).

     

    Save A Lot Groceries

    Groceries from Save A Lot:

    • $15.71 at Save A Lot for Clearance Ground Beef, Mix Vegetables, Corn, Mushrooms, 5 packages of Hotdogs, Root Beer, Cola, Ketchup, Mustard, Clearance Peaches, Cheese Singles, Half & Half and Heavy Cream.  Many of these items were on sale at Save A Lot this week plus the additional discount for clearance items.

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week I spent $39.21 on groceries.  Even though I was really close to budget I was still able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason although I would like to see a little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  The box sale helped us restock our pantry plus shopping the sales allows us to stay within our budget.  Hopefully next week I will do better.

    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 May 25 – 31, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   There are a lot of great deals for grilling out, here is a delicious homemade ice cream recipe to go along with your Memorial Weekend activities Blessings Multiplied – Family Recipe:  Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream, you could pick up the ingredients 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

    Beef Spare Ribs – $1.99 per lb

    Holten Beef Patties (24 oz, 6 patties) – $1.99

    Fairgrounds Hot Dogs (12 oz) – $0.69

    Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage (14 oz) – $1.99
    Use $1/1 coupon from Hillshire Farms
    $0.99 each after coupon

    Ocean Market (Flounder, Tilapia, Lemon Herb Tilapia, Pollock) (4 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

    Libby’s Steam Bag Vegetables (12 oz) – $0.69

    Coburn Farms Dozen Large Eggs – $0.99

    Sunny D (48 oz)  – $0.99
    Use $0.25/1 coupon insert from 5/15 Smart Source (Expires 8/31/11)
    $0.74 each with coupon

    Reser’s Potato and Macaroni Salads – $2.99
    Use $1/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
    $1.99 each with coupon

    Fudgsicles or Popsicles – $1.00

    Borden Singles or Grilled Cheese Melts (12 oz) – $1.50

    McClary’s American Singles – $0.99

    World’s Fair Junior Pops – $0.99

    Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.29

    Coburn Farms Dip (16 oz) – $1.39

    Coburn Farms Yogurt – $0.50

    Household

    Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.00

    Pert Paper Towels – $0.69

    First Force Pine Cleaner – $1.00

    Produce

    Idaho Potatoes (5 lbs) – $1.49

    Jumbo Vine Ripe Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb

    Jumbo Vidalio Onions – $0.59 per lb

    Grocery

    Summerset Tagless Ice Tea Bags (100 Count) – $1.19

    Kool-Aide (assorted variety) – $0.20 each

    Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans (16 oz) – $0.79

    Cowboy Billy’s Pork & Beans (16 oz) – $0.50

    Kurtz Dill Pickles (32 oz) – $1.59

    Kurtz Yellow Mustard – $0.69

    Kurtz Ketchup – $0.89

    J Higg’s Butter Round Crackers – $1.69

    Port Side Chunk Light Tuna – $0.53

    Del Pino’s Canned Pasta – $0.69

    Hargis House Beans & Franks – $0.69

    O Days Mac & Cheese – $0.39

    Maruchan Ramon Noodles – $0.89

    Portmann’s Salad Dressing – $1.29

    Save-A-Lot Brand Soda – $0.69

    Crisp Lemonade – $0.99

    Thirst Quench’r Drink Sticks – $1.19

    J. Higg’s Cornies Corn Chips – $1.29

    J Higg’s Potato Chips – $1.19

    J Higg’s Cheezie Puffs – $1.29

    Gourmet Onion Rings – $0.99

    CK Cheese Balls – $1.29

    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: 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, including hamburger. I mainly stocked up on non-perishable products this week because we have a few family road trips coming up that I need snacks / easy to prep meals to pack.  Eating out for all the meals on a road trip will add up quickly.  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week

    BiLo Groceries

    Groceries from BiLo:

    • $13.19 at BiLo 3 packages of ground Hamburger (1.6 pounds or more each) and Soy Sauce (marked at $1.14 with 75 cent clearance stickers).  In had a $5.00 off BiLo Meat coupon that I used as well.  The amount was right $19.96 before coupons and discounts.

    Bargain Foods Groceries

    Groceries from Bargain Foods:

    • $50.62 at Bargain Foods for the following items
    • 4 bags of Chex Mix
    • 2 boxes of Elbow Pasta
    • 2 Oscar Meyer Snack Packs
    • 1 box of Hamburger Patties
    • 1 HyTop Berry (6 pack)
    • 1 bundle of Bananas
    • 1 bag of Tater Tots
    • 1 Lance Variety Pack
    • 2 bags Reeses Pieces
    • 2 packs Twizzlers
    • 1 bag Raisinets
    • 2 Bazooka Bubbles
    • 1 Betty Crocker Gel
    • 1 box of Mini Corn Dogs
    • 1 bag of Andes Peppermint
    • 1 bag of Nestle Dark Chocolate
    • 1 bag of Brach Cinnamons
    • 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
    • 1 Dole Juice Packs
    • 1 Earthbound Organic
    • 1 Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
    • 1 bag of Cherry Raisinets
    • 1 bag of Planters Trail Mix
    • 1 Wasabi Sauce
    • 1 box of Betty Crocker Fruit Foot
    • 4 cans of Green Beans
    • 1 bag of Carrots
    • 1 Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip
    • 1 Salad Topping
    • 1 Apple Juice
    • 1 Betty Crocker Dora Fruit Snacks
    • 1 Annies Cheddar Bunnies
    • 1 Betty Crocker Scooby Doo Snacks
    • 1 can of Planters Cashews
    • 1 Canola Oil
    • 1 Emeralds Chocolate Almonds
    • 2 Breakstone Light Sour Cream
    • 2 cans of whole Green Bean
    • 1 bag of Oyster Crackers
    • 1 Eve Juice Boxes
    • 1 bag of Sea Best Tilapia
    • 3 cans of Mushrooms
    • 1 Natural Valley Trail Granola Bars
    • 3 packs of Cheese Cubes
    • 1 bag of shredded Two Cheese Pizza
    • 1 Golden Bake Wheat Bread
    • 1 Golden Bake Hot Dog Buns
    • 1 Gold Bake Hamburger Buns
    • 4 boxes Animal Crackers

    Bargain Foods is a another great place to shop if you are in the area.  We ran into 3 people that we knew just the short time we were in the store.  It is a “bent / dent” store so some items are dented and you want to make sure to check the expiration dates.  The items available will depend on what they receive from other places who have overstock or for whatever reason want Bargain Foods to move it for them.  You can find some great deals but always check the prices when shopping.  Bargain Foods is a discount grocery store so they don’t take coupons at their stores, some items you may be better off buying at a local store that takes coupons.  I purchase 72 items and very few of them were over $1.

    WalMart Groceries

    Groceries from WalMart:

    • $0.00 at WalMart (I had a $5 gift card so didn’t have to pay anything for these items) for clearance French Loaf Bread ($0.90), Purple Grapes, and Strawberries.

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week I spent $63.81 on groceries.  I went over the grocery budget this week and used up most of the extra cash I had in my “grocery wallet” to stock up on items.    This week we had couple extra events that I had to purchase items for which I didn’t have on hand so that brought the amount up as well.    Hopefully next week I will do better and keep it well under $40.  Thankfully I had a little bit left over from previous weeks to cover the extra amount.

    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.

  • CVS: Spent $11 and Got $23 ECB’s Back!

    CVS Shopping Trip

    CVS has a few good deals this week.  I was happy to stock up on some items including paper towels and sunscreen this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.   This week I was able to get the items for $9.90 plus tax ($1.24) making my out of pocket cost $11.14 and received $23 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 – Finesse Moisturizing Shampoo for $2.50
    • 2 – Scott Mega Paper Towels (6 count) for $5.00 each
    • 1 – Dial Soap for $1.88
    • 1 – Speedstick Stainguard Deodorant for $2.99
    • 2 – CVS Vitamins Super B (100 Count) for $7.49 each (on sale for B1G1F)
    • 1 – Neutrogena Sun Care Ultra for $9.79
    • 1 – Neutrogena Sun Care Spray 30 SPF for $10.79
    • 1 – Trident Citrus Twist Gum – $1.29
    • 1 – John Frieda Precision Foam Color – $11.99

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $11.99 John Frieda Precision Foam Color  (Free Product Coupon)
    • Used $1.00 Scott Paper Towel Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Scott Paper Towel Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Finesse Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $0.50 Speedstick Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $3.00 off Healthcare Purchase from CVS Kiosk
    • Used $3.00 off Beauty Purchase from CVS Kiosk
    • Used $1.00 off Trident Gum from CVS Kiosk
    • Used $24.77 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $23 ECB’s back today:

    • $10.00 ECB’s for Neutrogena Sun Care Products
    • $5.00 ECB’s for Beauty Club Reward (every $50 you spend you get a $5 ECB)
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Scott Paper Towel Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for John Frieda Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Speed Stick Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Dial Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Green Tag Reward (every 4th visit you use your Green Tag you get a $1 ECB)

    This week I was able to save over $78 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.

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of May 11 – 17, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   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 Bone-In Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per pound

    Pork Spare Ribs – $1.79 per pound

    Sugardale Bratwurst (14 oz) – $1.99

    Bone-In Assorted Pork Chops – $2.49 per pound

    Sugardale Super Dogs – $3.99

    Hillshire Farms Sausage – $1.99
    Use $1/1 coupon from Hillshire Farms
    $0.99 each after coupon

    Holten Beef Patties – $3.99

    Hillshire Farms Lit’ Smokies – $2.59
    Use $1/1 coupon from Hillshire Farms
    $1.59 each after coupon

    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

    Fudgsicles or Popsicles – $1.00

    Borden Singles or Grilled Cheese Melts (12 oz) – $1.50

    Wylwood Mini Corn on the Cob – $1.69

    World’s Fair Ice Cream (1 gallon) – $4.99

    World’s Fair Round Top Sundae Cones – $2.49

    Crisp Premium Orange Juice – $2.69

    Take & Bake Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza – $5.99

    Take & Bake Cheese Pizza – $5.49

    Stouffer’s Party Size Lasagna (90 oz) – $8.99
    Use $1/1 coupon from Nestle Family
    $7.99 after each coupon

    Household

    Colortex Bath Tissue (12 double rolls) – $2.99

    Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.00

    Solo Plastic Cups – $0.99

    Wrightware Napkins – $1.55

    Kindle Charcoal Lighter Fluid – $2.49

    Royal Oak Charcoal (8.3 pounds) – $2.99

    Produce

    Fresh Strawberries (1 pound) – $1.50

    Extra Large Green Peppers – $0.33 each

    Grocery

    Gatorade (1/2 gallon) – $1.69

    Cowboy Billy’s Pork & Beans (16 oz) – $0.50

    Senora Verde Tortilla Chips – $1.29

    Senora Verde Mild or Medium Salsa – $1.49

    Senora Verde Taco Dinner Kit – $1.99

    Senora Verde Refried Beans – $0.79

    El Monterey Steak & Cheese Taquitos – $2.99

    Kurtz Yellow Mustard – $0.69

    On the Side Pasta Salad – $0.99

    Kurtz BBQ Sauce – $0.99

    Portmann’s Real Mayonnaise – $2.29

    Kurtz Ketchup – $0.87

    Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.29

    Save A Lot Brand Soda (12 Pack) – $2.29

    Crystal 2 0 Drinking Water (24 pack) – $2.49

    Frosty Flakes, Circus O’s or Captain Choco’s Cereal – $2.99

    Toast Em Strawberry or Brown Sugar – $0.99

    Malt O Meal Cereal – $0.99

    Ralston Crisp Crunch Cereal – $1.99

    Ralston Essentially You with Red Berries Cereal – $2.49

    Pebbles Cereal – $1.79

    Velveeta Cheesy Potatoes – $1.99

    Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese – $1.99
    Use $1/1 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 5/17/11)
    $0.99 each after coupon

    Bakery

    Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pies – $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: Groceries $40 for 4

    Another week (actually 2 weeks in 1) of doing Groceries $40 for 4. It was a busy week of catching up after being away and since I had been traveling I did two weeks worth of grocery shopping this week. It felt great saving some of the grocery shopping cash since I was doing two weeks worth of shopping while stocking up on some items for our pantry. I mainly stocked up on diary items and fresh strawberries (we ate some, flash froze whole strawberries, and made some amazing Strawberry Jelly) this week. Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

    Groceries from Bi-Lo:

    • $8.86 at Bi-Lo for 3 Gallons of Milk (each with a $1 or 2 – $1 Coupons on them), 2 packs of Cheese, and 2 packs of Yogurt. Plus I used a $5.00 Coupon Off a $10.00 Diary Purchase.
    Freshly picked strawberries!

    Groceries from Hunter’s Farm and :

    • $8.50 at Hunter’s Farm for a gallon of Strawberries.  We picked the strawberries ourselves at Hunter’s Farm in Easley, SC, we definitely got our money’s worth on these with two little ones helping pick and eating a few strawberries in between picking!
    • $8.00 at Sandy Flat for a gallon of Strawberries.  My sweet friend, Ashley from Reflecting on the Simple Things In Life, picked these up for me already since she is closer to Taylors picked so we  could make some delicious Strawberry Jelly!
    Groceries at CVS - restocking our soda for the next time with family and friends!

    Groceries from CVS:

    • $1.78 at CVS for 2 – 2 liters of Mountain Dew.
    Groceries from Bi-Lo

    Groceries from Bi-Lo:

    • $17.23 at Bi-Lo for 2 gallons of Milk, 1 carton of Eggs, 1 Whipped Topping, 2 packs Danimals Yogurt, 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup, 2 cans Shredded Chicken, 3 bags Shredded Cheese, 1 box of Lipton Tea Mix packs, 1 box of Propel packs, 1 box of  Snapple packs, 1 box Elbow Macaroni Noodles, 1 bag of Sucralose Sugar,  2 boxes of Laci Le Tea packs, and pack of 3 fresh Zucchini.

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week (2 weeks in one) we spent $44.37 on groceries so it was a pretty good week considering it was two weeks worth of groceries.  It was still hard to go $4 over the $40 amount but we need a few items for our fridge and pantry.  I was able to stock up on a few extra items this week, including some diary goods and I froze a couple more gallons of milk since they are discounted.

    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.

  • FREE ADMISSION to Botanical Gardens on May 6

    Celebrate National Public Gardens Day by visiting a participating Botanical Garden for FREE on Friday, May 6th!  Free Admission compliments of Better Homes & Gardens.  How do you get your free pass:

    • Check the list of Participating Locations
    • Fill Out a Brief Form
    • Print Coupons for your Free Admission Pass
    • One Coupon covers two people (for example if you have 2 people going you only need 1 coupon if you have 3 to 4 people you’ll need 2 coupons)

    It would be a great time to take the kids / family on a field trip to a local Botanical Gardens.  The closest one to us in South Carolina is in Charleston, but the one in North Carolina or Georgia may be worth a drive since they may be a little closer!  A great educational experience for the whole family and it’s free!

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

    April is my third 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.

    April was a great month even though I was out of town for half the month.  Thankfully we started the month strong and I was able to  go over 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.
    • $64.70 – A portion of the proceeds from our family garage sale the first weekend in April.
    • $26.20 – A portion of the proceeds from the Upstate Kids Consignment Sale
    • $28.85 – A portion of the proceeds from the Mothers of Multiples Club Consignment Sale.
    • $3.87 – Bag of Aluminum cans taken to the Recycling Place.
    • $18.99 – Other miscellaneous amounts earned  (3 rebates, returns, cash back,  extra money, etc…) that was added to my stash for the month.

    April’s “Creative Cash” total was $165.72 which means $82.86 extra that goes towards our current goal (paying down debt) and $82.86 goes towards charity.  It was exciting to go above the $100 goal again and to know it 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 May 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 April.  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

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Now that I completed 9 weeks of my No Grocery Shopping challenge I want to share what is next on my agenda as far as grocery shopping is concerned.  I would LOVE to live off my pantry and freezer for the entire year, however, it is getting lower and I need to start shopping for some additional items.  I learned a lot from the recent challenge and want to keep my family fed while staying within our budget.

    Explanation: For the first time ever I am going on a strictly cash system for our groceries.  It is my desire to spend no more than $40 per week for my family of 4.  I am sticking to just grocery and food related items at this time since I have a separate budget for household, health & beauty.  If I find that I still have extra consistently I may decide to roll the other items into this as well.  As an additional bonus if I have more than a half of week of “extra” money remaining at the end of the month I want to contribute that money towards my Creative Cash. Although I know I will have days and weeks with hiccups like with any challenge it is my desire to be more accountable with what I have been given.  I perceive this budget change to have many benefits over the past systems I have used for example it will allow me the opportunity to buy items on sale but not over do it plus makes me more responsible with the money we have been given, and helps control the spontaneous purchases.  Only time will tell how well it works for our family.

    Every family is different so you need to decide what is best for your specific family and situation.  I am starting this endeavor after several months of thought and prayer regarding our family finances.  On a side note I do want to let you know that just because the title says Living on a Budget:  Groceries $40 for 4 that does not mean we will never host guests in our home or take a meal to someone in need.  Our guests and meal deliveries throughout the month are also included in this budget so the actual number will vary from month to month regarding how many people we feed but for simplicity sake it is Groceries $40 for 4 due to our family size and budgeting.

    I hope 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.  I hope by taking the extra time to watch my grocery spending it will allow us to feed our family, enjoy life, 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.

    Photo by MoneyBlogNewz