Welcome to Week 1! July 13, 2009
Posted by dailysavingsfromallyou in Money-saving tips.trackback
The challenge has begun! In your Week 1 email that you should have received by now, we sent you couponing tips to help you get
started. Now we want to know: when it comes to groceries, what are your favorite money-saving tips? Tell us your techniques in the comments section now!
If you’d like help keeping track of your spending, print out our spending log!
My biggest weekness is hitting the drive-thru when I am rushed or have had a hectic day. To keep myself from doing this I like to keep tons of meals in the freezer. Nowing that when I get home from work I can put a meal in the oven and then sit down and relax with the kiddos. Money saved and our health is also saved. I am having a baking day tomorrow if you want to stop by and check it out. Or if you feel like it join me and see what you can bake up. http://savinitup.blogspot.com/2009/07/another-baking-day.html
Coupons and using a list. You would think that would be a no brainer, but everytime I go to the grocery store without a list I buy things I don’t need. The list keeps me focused.
I had never even realized that the coupons matched up to what went on sale each week. I am glad that I have finally realized the significance of them, though. To keep me focused, I stick to my coupons as the list. If I don’t have a coupon, then I don’t get it. There are a few exceptions like milk and eggs, though.
You should look into finding a blogger in your area that matches grocery deals for you. I am in central Ohio and use http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com she lays out all the deals for each store each week including walgreens, target, etc. and what coupons match up- it’s AWESOME! It takes a lot of work out of couponing for me
I also match my coupons to the great sales that are going on in my area. It saves me soooo much money! Most store will also let you combine a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. This really makes for a good deal. I usually get store coupons from Target in the mail and Walgreens has store coupons in their ads each week. My favorite website is: Click HERE to cut your grocery bill in HALF! 30 days FREE!
I am always doing the same thing, with the exception that if the coupon does not make the product a good deal.
Here’s me menu/planning tip:
When I plan my weekly menu, I include 1 dinner meal that I will make multiples of and freeze. Last week I made 4 lasagna’s, cooked one froze 3. This week I’ll make 4 chicken enchiladas and freeze 3 of them. This helps to stock up my freezer for nights when I’m too busy to make dinner–or when I just want to take it easy. We just moved and so my freezer is empty–otherwise I may not make so many multiples. But I need to stock it back up.
I should do this! My biggest budget blow-out is when I don’t feel like cooking. That urge usually hits around late afternoon. I like the idea of having a go-to meal in the freezer. How much time does it take to get from freezer to stove? (i.e., does it have to defrost first?)
JJ, I love anything that helps me save time in the kitchen. So, when I make spaghetti and meatball, I usually make enough to take the six of us two meals. We will have one for dinner and the following week we usually eat the other for lunch (considering we are work at home parents with 4 small kids). Like today, we made homemade chicken noddle soup and we got three meals out of one big pot. We eat one for lunch and have put the other two in the freezer for later in the month to eat for lunch or dinner.
Another thing I do alot to help save time… when I buy alot of chicken legs on sale (usually $.39lb) instead of fressing them, I boil them and pull all of the meat off of them ad put them in freezer storage bags and freeze them for chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, or even BBQ sandwiches. The chicken defrosts really quickly and saves me a ton of time.
I also buy hamburger in large packs (10lb) and instead of seperating it and freezing it, I will brown it up, drain out the grease and then store it in freezer bags. This really helps save me time and is really quick to get a meal on the table.
Hope some of these suggestions help yeah out, Coletta
Hey feel free to check out my blog at http://www.cheapestmom.com
I do a variation of this, because most recipes make at least 4 servings, and there’s only 1 of me!
I’m a Weight Watchers member, so when I cook something, I actually do measure out the servings and portion them out into single-serving freezer containers. I typically cook all or most of my meals on the weekend, put some in the refrigerator for the current week, and the rest in the freezer. One way I know I need to cook is when there are more plastic containers in my cabinet than there are in the refrigerator/freezer, LOL!
I also make, and portion out, my salads into containers, so that I can just grab one and add a little dressing. Otherwise, I find that I end up wasting it.
Karilyn,
That’s an awesome idea! I could do that…never really thought about it. The thought of making a whole month’s worth of frozen food and once always intimidated me, but yours is a great idea!
Thanks,
Stormy
This will be fun. My biggest aid to keeping my grocery bills down are to have a weekly menu plan, that I do make on Sunday or Monday, after I’ve gone through the sales and my coupons.
I keep a well stocked pantry and freezer and also grow some of my own vegetables. It all helps, in fact, now that it is just the two of us, I have a hard time scaling down!
Now reminding my husband not to eat out, may be difficult.
A few strategies I use for saving:
-Meal planning (saves time as well as money)
-Using simple recipes and cooking meals from scratch with whole ingredients
-Looking for markdowns on organic items at grocery stores (I find markdowns on organic milk and cheese as well as organic fruits and veggies in the reduced bin)
-Buying organic store brands at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s
-Shopping local farmer’s market for in-season fruits and veggies
-Using substitutes in the kitchen and playing around with recipes to see how they can be altered to use less of the pricey ingredients (like milk, butter, etc) while still getting a good result.
-Eating several meatless meals a week
-Using coupons to save on non-food items like diapers and paper products
My biggest money saving tip is to take out a set amount of cash on each pay period. The challenge is to stay within that amount for whatever extra we need.
Biggest grocery money saving tip is always (or at least %98 of the time) use coupons, and try to hit a sale when using the coupons for double the savings. I try to check out the sales papers for all of the stores in my area on the day that they change over and write a list of all the good deals that are coming out that my family could possibly use. I then weed through them based on what we need and/or what I have in my set amount of cash to afford.
Hey all! I am so excited about this challenge. I have been talking it up for weeks in my house hold and everyone is prepared for me to be on anyone that buys outside our budget! lol Anywho, I keep within budget by purchasing only sale items that I have coupons for that lower the price. Then I stockpile that item(s). It was hard at first because being a single mom of two kids, I had to explain to my kids why I was changing my grocery habits and what we get out of changing it…more trips out of town and a better christmas season. So know my kids love to sit down and help me clip coupons…oh and they do scavenger hunts at grocery stores (on heelies) looking for coupons that other shoppers have dropped and hang tags for things they know we would buy or would buy with a coupon and sale!
Good luck to everyone!
When I find an awesome deal on items I use, I buy at least a 3 – 6 month supply for my storage. Then I cook using my food storage I have instead of picking a menu and running to the store and probably paying full price. Lots of money saved! The only downside is that my 3 year old thinks if we are out of ANYTHING that we can just run downstairs and get another one from the storage room. He doesn’t understand if we are completely out of something…especially crackers or cookies. lol
That is so cute! My kids really liked it when I started using coupons. All of a sudden, we were getting a lot of the items that we could never afford before. They finally settled down, though, when they realized that they were only going to get to try something new as long as it was on sale and I had a coupon!
I have been stockpiling since February. It makes cooking so much easier and I have saved so much money. My 4 yr old told me one day that I needed to stop buying cereal. When it only cost $.50-$1.00 I can’t pass it up. We eat a lot of cereal around here. It is fun to try new things when I have a coupon, my son just loves it too!
I do freeze a lot of meals in Tupperware since I have parties in the evenings. That way my hubby can take them out of the freezer, put them in the microwave and they have a home cooked meal.
We have a garden and everything seems to be doing very well this year also.
My pantry is overflowing since I use grocerygame.com also. It has saved me SOOOO much over the last year that I’ve been playing the game.
Only problem that I can see is I’m going out of town on a trip, so we will eat out most of our meals. Probably won’t make it, but you never know.
My most helpful strategy is COUPONS!!! I can save 50-95% on my grocery bill if I match a sale item to a coupon! I get three Sunday papers so I can buy in multiples. I also clip everything and put it in a binder to take with me to my stores. I also make sure not to eat out and plan a menu for the week that way we are not tempted!!!
I’m looking forward to this challenge as well. I follow many strategies to save money. I stockpile, buy in bulk (I have an additonal chest freezer), Ill make things ahead and freeze–although I dont tend to make entire meals but rather parts such as cooked hamburger, stir fry chicken/pork, shredded meat for many uses. I also freeze mashed potatoes–they heat up great. I am the queen of making leftovers into something new. I hate to throw anything away and try not to waste anything. I freeze leftovers into single serve portions for busy nights, or lunches at work. I have a garden as well–which has been supplying us with letuce and spinach lately–Im looking forward to tomatoes, green beans and zucchini.
My favorite money-saving tips include using coupons on BOGO items, growing my own vegetables, and getting rebates whenever possible. I have just learned about a free blueberry patch and stocked up the freezer. I then bartered with a neighbor, trading some blueberries for spices. One of the biggest areas that I have improved on lately is only making enough dinner to where we don’t have any leftovers. If I plan it according to future dinners, I make enough to freeze or use it in the next night’s meal. There’s nothing like leftover steak for fajitas! I also figured out the days when meat gets marked down – I stock up for a week’s worth or more when I can!
I am extremely excited about this grocery challenge. I am hoping to learn more techniques to save even more money. Good luck to all!
We have a small garden so we couldn’t fit everything we wanted to plant. So to help save money on the produce that we would buy we trade our garden produce with the neighbors. We are growing squash which is coming out of our ears. The neighbors are growing cucumbers. We gave them squash and when their cucumbers come in they will give us a supply so we can pickle them. What do you have growing in your garden that you can trade with your neighbors?
My biggest challenge is starting this on a hectic week when I’ll be doing VBS all week. My strategy for not over-spending is to make my grocery list based on the items that are on sale for a week combined with items I already have on sale. It takes discipline, but waiting to until I can by the ingredients on sale to make some more expensive meals really helps maximize my grocery budget. To me a real sale is one that involves a store sale combined with a coupon. I also have learned to always take a list with me and to give myself the flexibility to buy 1 or 2 things not on it.
My favorite money-saving tips:
- Know prices. Keep a price book (or have one n your head like I do LOL) so you know if a so-called “sale” is actually a good price. Keep track of what places like Target and Walmart charge for HBA items.
- Combine coupons with sale prices to get the best bang out of your buck. And don’t ever buy something just because you have a coupon.
- Don’t buy things unless they are on sale. This is where a stockpile comes in handy. When you can get a good deal on a product, buy enough to last you until the next time it will be on sale.
- Plan your meals. Very important! Not only will you know what you need to buy at the store, it will also decrease the likelihood that you will get takeout. Write your list from your meal plan and try to follow it closely. Don’t forget to be on the lookout for extraordinary deals / clearance prices that may not have been in the ad.
- Just because it says 10/$10 you do not have to buy all 10, to get them for $1 each
- Buy in bulk when the price is good and you will eat up the food (or freeze) before it expires. Buying bulk does not always mean you are getting a better deal. Check the unit price or take out your calculator or phone. By dividing the price by the size/units you will be able to better compare two similar products. Many times if you have a coupon, you are better off buying smaller packages.
- Don’t just look at the picture on the coupon. Often times, the item shown is a new product and usually more expensive. If the coupon states you can get any item go for the cheapest.
- Get extra coupons from friends and family. You can also order them online at couponclippers.com or Ebay stores. I have also participated in coupon trains to get coupons. I have participated on the one on frugalvillage.com and you send 40 or so coupons each week to another participant and another person sends you 40. It is really a nice way to get rid of coupons you don’t use and get ones that you may.
- Know your stores’ coupon policies.
- You can stack a manufacture coupon plus a Target coupon for one product for even better deals.
- Buy meat when you can find it for less than $2 a pound. Stock up on it and freeze when you get a really good price
- Use coupons on clearance prices for even better deals – I do this alot at Target.
- Try to stay away from pre-packaged convenience foods. These foods will increase your food budget dramatically. I personally like to keep a few Digiourno pizza in the freezer for those times when we would have other wise went out to eat, but in general don’t buy too many of these. One exception was the Kashi sale last week at Target. I used target coupons and manufacture coupons to get Kashi waffles for $.79 a box.
- Check dollar stores and other cheaper stores for food products. Sometimes they have name brand products for less than Walmart
- Shop Aldi’s or SaveALot for those groceries that they don’t have coupons for. I buy most of my baking supplies, oatmeal, cheese and bread and rolls at Aldi’s and I save a lot!
Ok. I can’t think of anymore right now. But give me time! LOL.
http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com
The first day of the first week, yippee! I’m excited and nervous. I thought I was the coupon/sales queen (thats what my friends/family/co-workers call me), but then I came to this blog and the other one and boy am I a novice.
One thing I have going for us is that every fall we buy a 1/2 of beef and a whole pig. It costs about $1000, but then we are good for meat for most of the year. We are already out of hamburger and hams, but we have plenty of steaks and pork chops. Going meatless isn’t really an option for my family, though I am going to try and par it down. I love sticking roasts, hams and spare ribs in the crock pot to simmer all day!
Lets see today I spent: $1.07 @ McDonalds. My daughter and I ordered the FREE Iced Mochas that they are giving out every Monday for the next few weeks and we ordered a small sprite for my son.
3 drinks for a dollar. Good
I went to Target next. I spent $19.51 + 92 cents tax. (Do we count tax in the totals? Not sure)
Arizona Tea 1 gal on sale for $2.50 (my 16 y/o daughter likes to buy this at the gas station for much more per oz). Mt. Dew 6-pk bottles 3/$10 (my husband likes to buy these daily at the gas station for $1-2 a piece). Sour cream for $1.02 (we are having tacos tonight) and last a family size Stouffers Lasagna on sale for $6 to use either later on in the week or for next week. Not bad.
Then I went to Cub’s grocery store and stocked up on Stouffer’s Cream Chipped Beef, 5/$10. My family absolutely loves these, but normally they are too expensive. I only get them when the go on sale and I have the money. Lean Cuisines were also on sale $5/10. I bought 2 and then I had a coupon B2G1F so I got 3 for $4. I work straight nights as a nurse so these are handy and way more healthy (think portion control) than the night cafeteria (lg portions and a lot of fried food). I also bought a bag of shredded lettuce for tacos tonight. Cucumbers 2/$1 and green peppers 2/$1 so I can make a couple of salads with the left over lettuce as it spoils quickly after opening. I also bought 1 spice (I took an inventory and I didn’t really have any except taco and chili seasoning packets, pepper and salt) so now I try to buy 1 spice every now and then. I find some good recipes, but I never have any of the ingredients.
Cubs total was $19.28. Not bad
I’m sticking to a menu planner that my husband and I fill out every Sunday and sticking to CASH (I have bad spending habits). Also we have decided not to eat out as we have 4 kids and it would be just too much. My 16 y/o daughter works at McDonalds 5 nights a week. She gets her meals 1/2 off and her drink is free. I am limiting her to $3 (she can get $6 worth of food – believe it or not she is mad about this). My 2 step daughters are only here every other week-end so I have not included them in the total numbers so I am going with a family of 4/$100 week minus $15 for my daughter’s meals = $85/week for groceries.
Sorry this is way too long so I’ll sign out for today.
One of my favorite ways to save money is by playing the prescription transfer game. I have been waiting patiently for Walgreens to offer rewards for transferring prescriptions again, and this Sunday I cashed in. A new WAGS is opening in my town, and as part of the grand opening, in this Sunday’s paper, they put coupons for a $25 gift card when you transfer a prescription to the new store AND coupons for $3 off a purchase of $10. I have 4 prescriptions to transfer that have no co-pay, so I’m happy! WAGS doesn’t have cheap groceries, but I can maximize my coupon use and keep my stockpile in great shape.
Plus, my garden is hitting its stride, and we have lots of tomatoes, basil, yellow squash, and blackberries, with cantaloupe on the way before long. I’ll be trading for beans, corn, and peppers. I love summer.
Hey there, didn’t know if you already knew this, but CVS–if you have one close–will take competitor’s coupons for prescription transfer offers.
Dry milk is a WONDERFUL way to save on milk. Use it anytime a recipe calls for milk and instead of using your pricey fluid milk you can reconstitute the dry milk for just pennies. As long as its used in something like soup, breads, casseroles, etc you wont notice. I’d never put dry milk on my cereal, but I use it for a lot of other things. You can also make your own baking mixes and dry soup mixes this way. No need to pay more for shelf-stable mixes with preservatives and too much salt.
The biggest thing is to comparison shop. It may be convenient to stick to the grocery store closest to home, but even if you have to drive 5 miles to another one to save $20, the cost of gas is negligible at that point! Usually store “A” will have a great sale one week, and then the next week their “competition” will have one while all the prices at store “A” have gone back up.
My husband comes from a big family so they used dry milk for everything. His mom would stick a carrot in the milk. It makes it sweeter and taste more like real milk.
Just got back from the local Giant Food. I purchased 2.55 lbs. of sirloin steak, 2 bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce, a couple of apples and a couple of bananas. I used a $5 Giant meat coupon (from the store website), two Kraft coupons and an ONYO I had from a previous trip. Total OOP: $1.94 and I received a $1 Catalina to be used on my next purchase compliments of Kraft.
My favorite deal right now: for every two Kraft BBQ sauces I buy, I use two of the $.35 peelies right on the bottles (which double at my store to $.70 off of the $1.00 sale price AND I get a $1 Catalina ONYO for every two I buy–this makes every two bottles a $.40 money maker. (And the BBQ sauce will be donated to the local food bank).
Firing up the grill now for the steaks. I’m going to serve them tonight with some fresh veggies and brown rice (from my stockpile).
1. “Make a list and use it twice”
When I plan a week’s menu, I make a list on my computer that includes everything I need for the recipes. Then I print the list and cross off items that I have in my pantry. Then, when I’m too busy to meal plan, I have a great pre-made shopping list with meals my family likes ready to go.
2. “Don’t spend it all in one place”
I have different strategies for each of the four food groups:
Fruits and Veggies: My weekly shopping trip is now to a local farm stand that has great values on produce. This really encourages us to eat healthy because the bulk of what I buy, cook, and serve are fruits and vegetables.
Meat: I look for sales and fill my freezer with great meat purchased for under $2 pound.
Breads and Snacks: This is the area I really want to cut down on for the “All You Challenge” I hope to bake and have these be more homemade. Cereal is expensive so I’m going to add some yummy nutritious things to oatmeal and serve this to my kids instead.
Dairy: I buy 2 gallons of milk at Cash & Carry for about $3.80, I buy large containers of yogurt, and shred my own cheese.
And for the final food group…coffee! I am cutting back almost completely. I bought an espresso maker at a garage sale and I’m going to make my own with skim milk.
Oh, and thank you to “All You Daily Savings” for the tip about free coffee at McDonalds on Mondays. That will be my free indulgence!
If anyone is having trouble with planning their meals, I found this site that helps you – it’s free of course!! lol. http://www.dinnertool.com/ The only thing I wish it did was let you add recipes, but maybe they will add that..
http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com
The “Master Cook Deluxe” software will do what you are looking for. You can enter your own recipes and then quickly get a shopping list by adding several recipes to your “meal plan.”
http://www.amazon.com/ValuSoft-10470-MasterCook-Deluxe-9-0/dp/B000B7TBNE
is that free? I won’t pay for anything that i can do myself, even if it takes me longer to do it. lol
I saw online that you could download it for free, but I wasn’t sure if it was legal, so you can check into that yourself: http://download.cnet.com/MasterCook-Deluxe/3000-7562_4-10608765.html
The free download is from cnet which is reliable. I looked at it closer and it is a 60 minute trial. This will be great for someone who wants to try it before they buy it.
I go to the grocery store once a week. It is one of my major weekend chores. Each week, before I go, I check my store’s weekly circular for sales and then I match them up with my coupons. I use couponmom.com to keep track of the coupons that come in the newspaper, and I also made a list on my computer to keep track of the coupons that come from other sources.
Then I plan out every dinner for the upcoming week. I make my grocery list from that menu as well as the basic staples (milk, bread, etc.). When I am at the store, I only shop from the list and I keep a running total of how much I am spending.
My biggest money saver: Each dinner doubles as lunch the next day for me and my husband.
couponmom is good. but they don’t have my local stores on there. afullcup.com has all my local stores and BeCentsAble.com has tons of matchups (my blog is listed for Tops matchups)
Keeping a running total is good – you don’t get surprised at the end when the cashier tells you the total! I tried the whole keeping track of coupons in a spreadsheet – I used it for a week. LOL., And I use spreadsheets for EVERYTHING! LOL. I use coupontom.com to look coupons up, but I also use my coupon binder because I get different coupons sometimes than those listed.
Well, my biggest tip is to arrange coupons in envelopes marked near their expiration date. I have discovered that if you have a coupon that expires like 09/31/09, that often times the item goes on sale (09/24/09) during the week before the expiration date. Manufacturers send in extra product when the coupon is printed but the stores want to move the product that isn’t selling – this week I had a coupon for $2.00 off on 2 haircare products. One of the haircare products was marked down to $2.23 so it was like getting hair conditioner for $.23. I often can use the coupon on a sale item.
My family’s big savings strategy is to combine coupons with sales and only buy what is on our list!
Also- for me shopping alone helps! That way there is no one running up to the cart, “ooh, let’s buy this!!” every 2-3 aisles.
I keep a price book, and only buy HBA at the drugstore.
We try to shop once a month for staples and supplement weekly with trips to the farmers market for produce and milk. That way we are supporting local businesses at the same time we are saving money.
We keep our eyes open for prescription transfer offers at drugstores- food isn’t always the cheapest, but with sales and coupons and rebates, we can always add to our stockpile!
We plan menus in advance, go meatless 2-3 times a week (we eat filling protein like beans and legumes).
I am super excited about this contest. Our only expenditures this week will probably be eggs and some fruit and veg.
I am excited about this grocery challenge! I love a good sale, and it will be fun to track my expenditures!!
Most of my tips are already listed above: use a coupon WITH a sale, stock-up when you can, and plan menus around the food we already have.
Hey Annabeth, I saw where you were asking how to make laundry detergent. I’ve included the recipe for you below – I can’t imagine buying laundry detergent anymore (waaaay to expensive haha) I started making mine in January of this year and I was hesitant the first few times I made it – now I’m like a pro
I hope this helps – Let me know if you have any questions
Laundry Detergent
1 bar of soap Fels Naptha, grated – (I get mine at Publix) in a pinch you can use any bar of soap –
1 cup Arm & Hammer super washing soda laundry detergent booster (again, I get mine at Publix -haha)
1/2 cup Borax (ha, guess where I get mine at)
Hot water
Optional: Essential oils for fragrance as well
1. Place grated soap in a pot, cover w/water and simmer over medium heat until soap is melted, stirring constantly.
2. Pour into 5 gallon bucket
3. Add Washing Soda and Borax
4. Add enough hot water to fill the bucket, stir w/a long stick (I use an old broom handle)
5. Let sit overnight
Tada – you’ve made laundry detergent in 10 minutes!
I’ve also got the directions on my blog under saving money at http://www.growingsmall.blogspot.com
I make this too! We’ve been using it for over two years- And still havent used up our original boxes of Super Soda and Borax! I guess I only use 1/2 cup of each though. I need to get some essential oils to add…but we’ve never done that. DH loves that his clothes smell like…nothing! I would like a scent though
Oh, this is GREAT! Thanks so much!
So, you store your soap in a bucket? What is the best way to scoop out what you’ll need for the load? (I’m assuming this is liquid).
And yay for being non-fragranced!!
I asked my neighbor’s for their Sunday newspaper coupon section. I save $ by not purchasing the paper and I get their coupons. Then, I keep unused coupons for 3-4 months for future reference and store sales. With that, I use coupon.com for printable coupons. Get weekly store flyers and do comparative shopping, circle essentials and find coupons to assist in saving. Shop where competitor coupons are accepted. Buy fresh, cook from scratch, freeze leftovers, buy quality (organic) and cook in quantity. We plant our vegetables in huge pots (easier maintenance). I buy bread from outlets such as Entenmanns or Flowers. Also, be sure to follow thru with rebates. I contact companies for free samples and free product coupons. Lastly, keep a shopping ledger and know your prices, my store will give you the product for free if the register rings up the incorrect price. I write the advertised price directly on the product so if there is an error, I catch it immediately and get the product for free.
Both my husband and I lost our employment, we both collect unemployment and we have a six year old child. $75.00 per week is ABOVE our budget, I spend under $50.00 per week for a family of three. Yet, we eat healthy well balanced meals.
Blessings to all.
Our garden is out of season (oranges, grapefruit, keylimes, and avacados) so that won’t help. We do have a pineapple growing right now, lol.
My biggest thing to stay on budget is I go through the grocery ad look for the the things that we need or use, then I look for my coupons that match and put them in a zipper pouch in my coupon binder. Then I circle the items in the ad that I will be buying. Saves me paper and the time to write a list down. I just circle what I am getting and only buy what I have circled, except for milk when we need it.
I utilize programs like register rewards and extrabux, but I be careful to make sure that the items don’t cost more than they would at Walmart. (Extrabux on cereal doesn’t help very much if they are still cheaper at walmart after the fact) I also try to make profit on items from these places. Then I use the extrabux or register rewards to buy stuff I need that doesn’t have coupons.
I buy 4 papers every week. That way I can get at least 2 deals for any b1g1 deals. I also get 4 of any coupon books Publix hands out and their yellow and green fliers so that I can combine mfr and sc.
I follow a handful of blogs that list the weekly coupon matchups so that I can see any deals for things that I may not buy regularly, or for coupons that I may have forgotten I had. It is also the best way for me to know which internet coupons to print.
Our weakness is eating out so my goal for this contest is to only eat out when we are getting something free. For example free kids meal night at Chick-fil-a (this is our kids special treat) and free item Wed at Arby’s if it is a good item like a sandwich (the free drinks and funky milk shakes aren’t really our thing.) For Arby’s we have also been collecting the receipts that give us free sandwiches for completing the survey.
I have always wished that I could prepare extra food like lasagna and meat ahead of time but I don’t know the standards for storing it and how long it stays good so I haven’t.
Oh and one big tip. When Publix has specials on meat like the whole pork loin for 1.99/lb but it weighed 20lbs. I ask the meat cutter to cut it into pork roasts, pork chops, and pork ribs for me to store in the freezer. This also works for specials like when they have boneless chuck roast on sale you can get it ground into hamburger meat and it is cheaper then they sell hamburger meat for. I also wait for meat to go on clearance at Walmart. You can get lean ground beef for 2.50/lb or better if you hit them at the right time.
I am a HUGE coupon/sale shopper. If I can’t save over 50% of my grocery bill, then it was a bad shopping trip. I also shop Aldi and local Farmer Markets regularly. Most of my groceries include organic fruits & veggies and very few “processed” foods. Most of our grocery money go towards meats, so I look for great sales and buy in bulk.
My garden is also in and growing. My neighbor and I trade our extra vegetables to each other – which really saves a lot of money.
I have a 3 inch binder that I keep all of my coupons in to keep me organized. I put them in 9 pocket baseball sleeves and organize them by category. It helps to stay organized.
I then match my coupons to sales I see that week. I have price points that I am willing to spend on the item and when they go into that price point then I purchase the item with as many coupons as I have. I get 5 sunday newspapers delivered to my home ( I would get more but my local newspaper will only allow 5). It makes it easier to make meals when you already have everything on hand.
Why don’t you try to get some people in your area together for a coupons meeting at a near by library once a month. Then you would not have to pay so much and could trade coupons.
The biggest challenge for me will be the fact that we are going on vacation during the challenge. The downside will be that we’ll most certainly be hitting up fast food restaurants on the way (1 day drive each way), but the upside is that my in-laws will certainly feed us for a few days while we’re there.
Overall, $100 per week for the four of us isn’t much of a challenge. I started power couponing a little over a year ago. In March my goal was not to spend more than $100, I went over by $20, because I have a weakness for soft drinks. But for a family of four (two of them hungry teenage boys), not so bad. And we eat WELL. Not a bunch of junk, and at good steaks at least once a month.
My stockpile of food is pretty extensive. Check out my blog at http://dollydomestic.com/2009/07/13/all-you-grocery-challenge/ to see pictures of where I’m starting from.
Plus I have a vegetable garden…
Of course, I’ll probably be out of town for the big couponing events at my local stores this month. We ought to make a dent in what’s on hand.
Probably the thing that helps me the most is to stock up on items when they are on sale. It makes for an odd assortment of stuff in the cart, but it works when I get home and build meals from the pantry.
I shop sales with coupons like many of the other posters I ‘m seeing here. It’s definitely the best way to cut your budget down fast. I use thegrocerygame.com and moneysavingmom.com to check for the best deals. With thegrocerygame.com I don’t have to price compare, they do the work for me (for a nominal fee) and it’s a huge time saver to scan my GG lists and see what the rock bottom sales are in an easy to decipher format.
Here’s a few money savers I haven’t seen listed here yet:
-Check your receipt for mistakes before leaving the store
-Buy produce in season
-Don’t get items unless you will use them (unless they’re free with a coupon of course!)
-stock up on all items on sale with coupons, but watch for items that tend to be seasonal. It’s best to stock enough for a year for the following items
condiments, hot dogs and baked beans (summer)
soups, cocoa and baking products (winter)
sodas (holidays)
I plan to post a money saving tip on my blog each day of the challenge. Just click on my name above to link to it.
I love to get all the adds for the week and match up the coupons to the sale item. I stock up on the sale items when I have a great coupon too!!! All of the cashiers at the local store call me the coupon lady!!! I also love that some stores let you use a store coupon and a vendor coupon on the same item!!! I just LOVE coupons it is like using monopoly money!!!!
I heart coupons, too.
I always loved monopoly as a kid!!
I love to do this also! I have found that some stores will take coupons from other stores. I had gotten a 2 liter of Diet Dr. Pepper for 49 cents, 64 oz. Minute Maid Orang Juice for $1.99, and a DiGiorno Pizza for $2.99 ($3.99 with competitors coupon and $1 off coupon).
Saving Money Is the BEST hobby!!!
coupons,and sales always matching up the flyers with coupons
I think summertime is the best time for saving on groceries. I go to the local farmers markets and save a bundle on fresh produce. Also, its perfect weather for grilling. I save so much by purchasing whatever meat is on sale and grilling it. Plus, when i have an extra chicken breast of piece of steak, instead of cooking it and hope it gets eaten, i save it till the end of the week and we have surprise kabobs! Its amazing!
I’m ready for the challenge. I’ve been couponing for a couple of years now and have a “mini” store at my house with all the great stockipiling purchases I’ve made. It’s a family joke when we say “we have to make a run to the store for ….” . We just walk into the other room and pull it off the shelf. We even save on gas this way!
I do the shopping based on sales and coupons every week. Rarely making purchases without those 2 ingredients. I’m blessed with a wonderful husband. He gets home from work first so he does all the cooking and whips something up something with whatever’s in the pantry, freezers, and “store”. It’s a nice suprise coming to the dinner table. As a saving tip I use any left overs for my lunch at work the next day.
BTW, he also does the laundry.
I typically shop on Saturday –sans kids. But I delayed shopping until today when the challenge started. Hubby is at work, so kids were with me. A rookie mistake, but I had no choice.
Since it would be a long day of grocery shopping and errand running, I tried to prepare by packing lunch before we left the house. Unfortunately, my cupboards are pretty bare. I packed two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (to be split 4 ways) and—I kid you not—a package of bologna.
Usually, when the kids have a long day in the car, I shamelessly bribe them with a Happy Meal from McDonalds. That was not an option today. Curses! I decided to try a Dollar Store bribe (toys don’t count in this challenge total). I almost made it, but there was a freezer full of ice cream novelties near the cashier. Two of the kids traded their toys for ice cream. Curses! I hadn’t even started shopping yet and I was already down $2.
My plan included hitting multiple grocery stores for the best prices. Is this even possible with anyone under the age of 10? We made it to one.
In the produce section, Jake took off his shoes and dug something out of his toes. Those same fingers handled many, many items of produce. (Sorry, shoppers). In the bulk food aisle, Jamie and Kella opened nearly every lid to smell the contents. (Sorry, stockers.) All the kids fought over operating the conveyer belt at check out. (Sorry, Mr. Cashier).
I called it quits, hoping to reserve enough energy (and dignity) for tonight’s cooked-from-scratch dinner. I’ll probably have to go out again later this week. It’s a good thing we don’t have to track gas expenses in this challenge. Next time, I’ll hire a sitter. Good thing that doesn’t count in the challenge, either.
Funny! I actually do better shopping with my kiddos because they are much younger (a 2 year old, and a baby). I know I have to hurry before the baby needs to eat again, so I stick to my list. When I have more time on my hands I tend to fall into the “that looks yummy” trap!
Oh, in the post above, I forgot to add: My number one tip for saving money at the grocery store is: LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME.
yeah… I bet! LOL. I can’t stand taking the kids and hubby to Rite Aid or Walgreens. They talk too much, make too much noise. I usually have to shoo them away. For some reason they aren’t as bad when we go food shopping. Go figure! lol
I have a 6 yo son who really likes to go grocery shopping with me. He enjoys the “hunt” for the sales that we can pair up with a coupon and get the item for almost free.
He is going to make some girl a great husband one day!
Here is my blog where I will report my grocery trips and menus for the week. It will help me keep control of my spending and make me more accountable.
http://extremesoccermom.blogspot.com/
My DH loves to fish so I have a freezer full of Trout and Catfish which helps keep my budget down. I also plant a garden every year and this year I built 4 raised vegetable beds. We have tomatoes, green beans, lima beans, cucumbers, cantalope, watermelon, zucchini, yellow squash, blueberries, strawberries, spaghetti squash, 3 kinds of sweet peppers, lettuce, spinach and broccoli.
Loving all the ideas/tips!
Another tip is when whole boneless ham is on a good sale, to bring it to the meat department and ask them to cut it for you-they’ll do it for free and you’ll get nice ham steaks for a fraction of what the pre-packed ones cost! Also a lesson I learned the hard way is to NOT get carried away with stockpiling. When I first started my stockpile, I bought everything that was a really good deal and ended up wasting a lot of money. For example, I bought a ton of Hamburger Helper for .25 each with a sale/coupon matchup but my family doesn’t like HH and refused to eat it-so I ended up giving it away, which is nice to help out charity, but it came out of my small grocery budget and it was a waste of my funds. Same goes with HBA items-no one can possibly use 40 tubes of toothpaste, even if it was .25 each 
I’ve cut way back on stockpiling and instead am focusing on making what I DO stockpile count.
Most of mine have been stated: match coupons with sales and stock up, get multiple copies of Sunday’s papers/coupon, make a list, make a menu (this is my number one piece of advice!), plan meals in the same week that use the same ingredients to cut back on waste-for instance tonight we had tacos with ground beef and tomorrow we’ll have chicken tacos so I can use up the left over shells, tomato, salsa, and onion. Plus it tastes totally different because I smother the chicken in Ranch dressing-tastes like the soft chicken tacos from Taco Bell
I don’t think I have brought home toothpaste since I started using coupons almost 3 years ago. And I still have a ton in my stockpile! Great lesson that ALL newbies can learn from. It’s just too tempting to pass up the deals when you are a beginner!
Well…I’m excitied. I already have all my food for this week. I had to buy a few things the other day, but a lot of my items, I already had on hand. I stocked up on hamburger and hot dog buns a couple weeks ago because they were on sale for the fourth of July and I just put them in my freezer so they wouldn’t go bad.
Tips I have to share:
1. Get orgainzed and stay that way as much as possible…
To stay organized, I make a budget and stick to it, I plan out a menu, and I keep track of what I have at home, as well as, how much I have spent. I carry a little note book in my purse where I keep a running total of how much I’ve spent on food, household items, gas, and other stuff.
2. Plan your meals…
I make a menu for the entire month about a week before the month starts. Then when I go grocery shopping I know excatly what I need.
3. Buy food items in bulk and freeze when you get home…
My family only constist of three people (my husband, me, and a 2 1/2 year old), but I still buy my meats and a few other items in bulk. When I get home, I just sepearte the meat out in the amounts that are needed based off my menu and freeze it untill I’m ready to use them.
I’m ready! I went out to buy sale pork loin this morning to get a couple meals this week and freeze the deal for another week! I was able to use a coupon from a wine company for $2 off my meat purchase. I also saved a nickel for using my own bag.
I’m excited and up for the challenge. Meals are planned for the week and the $50 budget..well $47.64 is spent. But that is ok b/c it’s a week of meals at home and a plan in place!
I stopped by CVS today and spent my ECB on the Maxwell House coffee that was b1g1. Out of pocket i paid $2.01 for two cans of coffee. CVS and Walgreens are both just afew blocks from my house, so I use their ECB and Register Rewards program to buy food whenever I can. Then I shop at Save a lot for produce, baking supplies, canned goods and some meats. The few named brand items we like I get the best price on at Walmart. Pulled dinner together tonight from my pantry stock and freezer, a ground beef casserole with pasta and soup, canned green beans, leftover corn bread. Was going to try tomake a chicken gravy over rice with some leftover chicken, but my 15 year old polished all of that off before heading to karate class! My tip, be flexible, have a couple of dinner ideas in mind in case one does not work out, like someone eats it all!
I already utilize all of the suggestions listed and will follow a list this week for groceries. I will only be able to buy the bare minimum because I forgot we are going to a major league baseball game. I will try to take in some food for us but have to budget almost 1/2 my weekly food allowance for this game! I wish they took coupons!
I hear you there! I took the kids to a minor league game last week. We ate dinner before to stave off the hunger. Didn’t work. I still spent nearly $20 on treats! YIKES!
Hey Kim – I just saw something on Clark Howard (CNN) the other night on how to attend a major league baseball game frugally – from parking, tickets and treats
I’m sure he has it listed on his site. Might be worth taking a look at before you go 
Read about how I attack this challenge in my blog!
http://thriftyhomeeconomics.blogspot.com/
PLANNING is my #1 strategy. I’m an avid collector of recipes and I love to try new things, but often times I end up buying something and only using a small portion. This used to create so much waste and extra spending, but now, every other week I pick a new recipe to try and build the rest of the menu and my shopping list around that so nothing goes to waste.
Also, I use recipe stretchers, adding things like veggies, beans or even water (to soups) to make them go a little farther. For example, I made tacos last week and added a can of black beans to the ground beef. We only used half for that dinner and the leftovers for lunch, so I froze the rest and now next time I want to make tacos, I don’t have to buy any meat or seasoning!
I’m not great at coupon-ing. I never did well with it except in the dairy aisle for things like blocks of cheese and yogurt. And worst, I’d end up buying things I didn’t need. But I’ve made a list of staple ingredients (chicken broth, frozen veggies, etc) that go into my collection of go-to recipes, and I ONLY save coupons for those things. Makes it much less overwhelming for me
Ok. I am trying to get everyone’s blogs added in to my AllYou favorites folders.. there’s quite a few of you. this may take a while. LOL. I want to be able to go read everyone’s blog often.
Also, I wanted to mention some great resources. Frugal Village is a great forum for anyone who wants to save money / spend less/ live frugally – the link is http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/
Another great blog I found recently is $5 Dinners. The writer was recently on Rachel Ray and is getting ready to publish a cookbook. All the meals she has on there are $5 or less (for a family of 4). Here’s the link: http://www.5dollardinners.com/
I have finished my menu plan for the week and you can see it here: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com . I also included in the post a slide show of my stockpile, sans the big freezer downstairs. That way everyone has an idea of where I am coming from.
Ok. Off to whip up some homemade bread (recipe makes 3 loaves of sandwich bread – here’s the link: http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105772 ), making homemade hot pockets, and cleaning my kitchen (uuggghhh) . Everyone have a nice night.
Thanks for sharing those sites. I’m gonna have to study that $5 dinner site!
I have a silly tip!!! I am out of town to school Monday – Friday every week so try to find ways to pack a lunch (with the weather in TX it can be hard) it is so hot that my cooler pack doesn’t make it so I have been sitting a bowl of water with roman noodles in the windshield of my car! The sun does all the work and when I get done with class I have some yummy noodle ready and waiting in my car!!! Cheap and Easy!!!
Love your tip! I am going to tell my son this one – He’ll think he’s died and gone to heaven
OMG Courtney that is too funny!!! Great Idea.
Scary week thought I might not make it since the hubby wanted margaritas!!! Had to go with out milk for a day but it was worth it for him to get relax!!!! A little stressed and then the best thing happened my grapevine was ready!!! Made fresh GRAPE jelly, juice, and wine for all a under the budget!!! =) I LOVE LOVE LOVE fruit bearing plants especially when you cant afford fruit!!!
Oh and Thanks for the comments!!! The use the sun thing works for many things I try to stick with pastas just to be on the safe side!!!
If anyone wants the html code to put an All You Grocery Challenge badge on their blog / site here is the code: (hopefully this works – if it doesn’t, I also have the code you can cut and past on my blog: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com )
<a href=”http://allyougrocerychallenge.wordpress.com/” target=”_blank”><img border=”0″ alt=”allyoucurved” src=”http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/couponqueenofcorning/allyoucorners.png”/></a>
I coupon matchup at store like most people and I also think that meal planning is very helpful. We also tend to also purchase local at our farmers markets. We have so many markets around that their price tend to be cheaper.
I’m excited for this challenge!!!
My Money Saving Tips & Strategy:
1. Scratch Cooking – Eating a well-balanced diet is important to me, so more often than not, I cook from scratch. A typical dinner for us includes a meat, always veggies, and a starch (ie – rice or potatoes). I cook so my husband & I have enough leftovers for lunch the next day. This saves us from worrying about lunches and prevents us from buying fast/convenience foods.
2. COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS – I always shop with coupons. Not only that, but I always match sales to coupons to get more bang from my buck!
3. Research – It’s important to know store policies regarding coupons and sales (whether they take internet coupons, double coupons, etc.) I also review weekly ads for all the stores to see where I can get the best deals. It’s important to also look for hidden deals!! Some stores have online coupons or store coupon booklets located at CS…a little research goes a long way. Finally, check out thrifty blogs to see what deals you may have overlooked.
4. Drugstore – You can always find freebies & great grocery deals at drugstores!
Putting the reins on my impulse buying has been a real challenge. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t kept better tabs on the amount of money a spend on food. I normally go thru the cirulars, then my coupons and hit the stores. But then I hit the convenience food for breakfast and lunches for me and my husband does the same thing. And of course I have great intentions to cook dinner but that expection often turns in to take out or drive in. What a mess! I’m glad for the challenge, my family of five are supportive and are looking forward to the home cooked meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’ll still get their occasional take out pizza so they don’t feel deprived, but after I make one from scratch of course!
Hey Courtney – I loved your top ramen tip – I’m gonna have to share it w/my son – He loves top ramen, and just so you know – Love is very mild. He’d eat it morning, noon and night if I let him (he’s 19 btw)
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Favorite Money Saving Tip: Search, Search and Search – if we are going shopping or out to eat I like to look online to see if I can find a great deal – For example, today my BFF and I went to lunch at Mimi’s Cafe – well if you sign up online(http://www.mimiscafe.com/EClub.aspx) for their eclub you get a free breakfast (it runs til 1:00) So I ordered a ham and cheese croissant w/a side of potatoes a glass of water and a complimentary glass of cranberry juice and the total was $2.00 (for the tip) How can you beat it –
My ways to save are
Shop for 75 percent of groceries at aldi’s they have the best price on produce always cheaper then the grocery store even bogo sales
write a list on an envelope with coupons inside so i don’t forget them. before I go check the house to make sure I don’t have something that I
can subsitute for something on the list try to do one meatless meal for the whole family once a week.
make it a game to have no leftovers to throw away on trash day.
make simple meals without a ton of ingredients
1 night a week is leftover night if we have any
Try not to cook over sized portions
Some More Favorite Money Saving Tips
* Freebies (love, love, love getting them in my mailbox)
* Coupon/Circular Match – matching your coupons w/store sales saves a lot of money
* Making your own laundry detergent – I’ve been doing this since January and I can tell you it works – You can see how on my blog at http://www.growingsmall.blogspot.com – Let me know if you have any questions I’ll be glad to help!
This challenge is especially a challenge for us since we live in a town of only 8400 with the nearest farmer’s market over 60 miles away and only one day of the month. So as you can see I have to employ other strategies. Our two resources for groceries are a superstore and local grocery in the north Texas area.
One of my strategies is knowing the stockers. They let me know when some items are going to go on sale. Also, my rule of thumb is to grocery shop like I do retail shopping. That is, since we live near a large recreation lake (30 minutes away) with a number of residents actually having lake homes…I have noticed that meat goes on sale on Mondays by 30% like clockwork. I am guessing most in the area shop on the weekends…so especially after a holiday weekend, I can stock up on great cuts like sirlion that didn’t sell over the weekend. I also shop on Thursdays, usually encountering the same thing only with maybe the meat going on sale right after the end of the month or around the 15th when most people get paid by their employees. In our supercenter that does not have a butcher on hand-I know to look at the dates when the meat is good by and once I have any reduced meat I repack it using freezer bags. The steaks I put also season before I freeze them using worchestshire sauce, so when we defrost them…they are already “marinaded”. Then we add what we want at house before we grill and they are great.
Coupons are great and are a staple in my grocery buying transaction, however, personally I have found coupons to really have a higher impact on household items, grocery items and baby items. I keep a receipt holder for all my coupons. Those small coupons holders don’t work. I label them my own way like paper/cleaning since most of the time that type of stuff is stacked together. Before I shop I check my list and take out the coupons I may use and put those in the front of my holder so they are super handy. Yet, if I find coupons on actual grocery items that we eat (cereal, peanut butter, salad stuff,ect) I do stock up using the coupons from Sunday circulars and the internet at smartsource.com and at redplum.com. I also found that just going to the site of a product you use, you can get a coupon. Usually the store brand items is not as noticeable. I am more picky about ingredients and the number of preservatives in items so I make my own waffles via a super easy recipe that is easily adjusted to an individuals taste for Saturday morning or even mix my own pancake mix. My biggest expense is milk with two small children at home. We go through about a gallon a day. So I have to stock up when I can and note the ending date of a sale so I can stock up on the last day to carry me through a little longer.
Since I am a stay at home mother, I have learned that kids really think (at least mine does for now) thinks its cool to have a waffle peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and loves fruit. I also add water to all of our juices we buy so that makes it stretch farther and means less trips to the store too.
Another important tip on the end side of the grocery shopping is to not overestimate how much you are going to eat. Very few leftovers make it the second round because I plan exactly how much we need. I am sure that in years to come adjustments are going to be made in the serving size, but really do we need a steak we can eat with two hands? That one steak serves me and our two kiddos! Any leftovers go to stir-fry loaded with veggies and brown rice.
Living in a small town means you have to really plan your meals and be more resourceful with what is available to you. With just a Walmart and a grocery store you do learn to cope though. When you do go to another town…you always have a cooler and your coupons should you run into a good deal.
I even take coupons on trips with me just in case we forget something or you know how it is travelling on airlines anymore…you have to end up buying a few things or have it spill in your luggage anyhow…so I just take a few coupons for stuff we may need to keep our costs down. For instance I am partial to Aveeno products, but they don’t make alot in our town to have available in the travel size….We want to spend money on fun stuff on vacation!
*I meant “other non grocery items, and baby items”…sorry!
Kelly, It is funny that you say that you add water to your juices to make them stretch further but my kids doctors actaully told us to make their juices 50/50. Not only do they go further but it cuts down on their sugar intake. So needless to say, not only do I go 50/50 on juices but on Kool-Aid too. I feel like they don’t need all of that sugar anyways. Matter of fact, my oldest ones complain about how sweet juice, Capri Sun and Kool-Aid packets are at school.
I told one of my neighbors who has a little boy what I do with our drinks in our house and she told me that I shouldn’t be so cheap… juice and Kool-Aid are already cheap enough.
I also have four small children and milk is a biggie. If I would let them we would go through a gallon a milk a day @ $3.00 a pop. I pretty much have stopped letting tem drink to much milk, but instead offer them more 50/50 drinks and it has seemed to work. I also changed from Whole Milk to No Fat Milk so it don’t taste as good o them.
My husband and kids laugh at me because I do not go anywhere without my coupon binders (yes that is plural) and I do noy buy anything unless I have a coupon for it or at least research to find a coupon for it, that includes school supplies, toys and clothes. By changing my buying habits, we have saved over $5,000.00 so far this year. Thank Heaven for the Cleveland, Tn Wal-Mart for making me made… I enjoy all of the extra food, name brand food and the large stockpile of laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and bodywash. I have saved so much money this year that I have started my own website so I can help other people save money. Check it out at http://www.cheapestmom.com Hope this helps everyone out, Coletta
My most important rules:
1. Make a menu.
2. Make a list.
We keep a menu for the next 1-2 weeks taped to the cabinet door. Everybody knows what’s for dinner and nobody has to ask!
I also keep a running grocery list on the fridge so that we can write down items as they get low. If you use the last of something, and you fail to write it down–too bad!
For my notes, menus and spending totals, please visit my blog : http://feedingus.blogspot.com .
menu plan around the sales…I try to do this the majority of the time even though sometimes we get a craving for something that’s not on sale.
I have just started a new savings blog as this is my family’s year to save and dig out of debt. I feel like this challenge and the accountability of others “watching” what I do (on Facebook, Twitter, etc.), will help me reach my goals. I am somewhat competitive (with myself), by nature, so I am excited to make this work. I have some “obstacles” to overcome over these next 4 weeks such as a Birthday party for my 4-year old and a road trip vacation. I am committed to staying on course while on the go! I’ve been stocking ahead in advance on many staples, so I’m hoping that that will help me to learn to use what I have instead of just buying what I want, just because I am in the mood for it (ie. ice cream, etc). Good luck, everyone!
I just found couponmom.com and I have been couponing for only about 10 days. So far I’ve saved about 35% off my groceries and the other items to keep a household of 4 running. I am sooooo beyond thrilled because living on one income can be difficult as I am a stay-at-home mom. I am looking forward to this challenge to see how much I have learned over the past two weeks! I highly recommend couponmom.com
Amy, there are several wonderful websites and blogs out there to help you save more money and help you out with your debit issues. Besides my own website http://www.cheapestmom.com, I love to watch Clark Howard on the weekends on HLN and I enjoy reading his website at http://www.clarkhoward.com, also a few good websites are http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com, http://www.athriftymom.com and http://www.southernsavers.com. Check them out, they really do help out alot. Hope this helps, Coletta
Hi! this is my first foray into blogging (my teenager would be so proud!) I’m very excited to start this challenge because it will definitely be a CHALLENGE! Week 1 had my oldest going on a team travel swim meet–$45-$60 needed for food. I told her to make good choices and keep receipts! The rest of us (5) will be heading to Wisconsin Dells for the weekend to make up for the week of camp my twins missed due to H1N1. This summer can only get better!! It’s a good thing I have a stocked pantry and the freezer needs a good defrosting. The $150 we are allowed for each week seems like a lot but I know I spend that much most weeks. My plan for the month is to plan, plan, plan. Good luck to everyone!
Today was such a busy day around here! My husband spent all day steam cleaning the carpets while I spent my time chasing two little darlings and kept them as busy as I could. Usually on days where we don’t go anywhere it is more work than ever to keep them entertained! So we played in the pool, blew bubbles, did alphabet stickers, and maybe there was some serious “time out” in there somewhere too. Whew! Anyhow, there was no time today to do the weekly shopping because my husband was using the car. So that will come tomorrow, I hope.
For breakfast we had waffles, yogurt, and blackberries, I had coffee, kids had orange juice. Total price per serving: $1.19 per person.
Everything is left over from last week’s shopping, all done with coupons.
Lunch was quick and easy, peanut butter and jelly, strawberries, and milk. Our bread is homemade ( I got a fab bread-maker at a garage sale for $10!!!) so I do about a loaf a week. Strawberries were on sale. Estimated cost per person: .75 per person.
Dinner was quick and easy. Baked chicken breast, peas and spinach from our garden, and mashed potatoes. Estimated cost per person: $1.13
$12.28 for all four of us. Not too bad for a Monday.
Since my last pregnancy, I’ve been working really hard to eat mostly “whole foods” or foods closest to their natural state. I thought it would cost me more at the grocery store, but it really hasn’t. I cook from scratch as much as possible. I’ve made my own crackers, cookies, breads. Two of the easiest things I’ve discovered is making my own bread crumbs and croutons. You can make bread crumbs from the heels of your loaves of bread (or the regular slices as well). Just put them in a food processor or blender. They’ll store in the freezer for months. Croutons are really easy to make as well, just cube up some bread and season and then bake until crunchy. I really want all of our bread products to be whole grain, so this helps out. I find that making stuff from scratch is a whole lot cheaper, and healthier than buying it premade.
I look at all the ads for my area on-line, then take them to my one store that price matches. This saves time and gas! I do also try to match coupons with sales. I also stock up when something I use is on sale. I’ve figured out how to freeze just about anything. Next I want to learn how to can!
I had a tip that I hadn’t seen and then the OP ahead of me listed it — I use a local food blogger who does all the work on what the deals are at my local stores — http://www.abudantfoodsavings.com. She even lists where the coupons come from and has links for the on-line ones. I print out her list, clip the coupons and I’m ready to go.
Being single, I’m going to have a challange with $25 a week. I generally spend $20 at the farmers market every week, so I’ll have to pare that down so I can shop the sales.
I keep a pretty good stockpile and when I cook something, I eat it for several days. Sometimes, If I’m getting tired of it, I’ll freeze the leftovers. This comes in handy when I don’t have time to cook and I can just pull something from the freezer. My other “no time to cook meal” is canned soup. It always tastes good.
The garden is growing but still not producing. I got a late start and our weather has been cooler than normal. Heard the 100 degree days are coming this week. Glad I don’t have to include air conditioning expenses. ha ha
My biggest tip is use one package of meat for multiple meals. It is just my husband and me so we have fifty dollars a week. Usually after Christmas the turkeys and hams go one sale. I usually spend close to $100.00 on these items and use them during the year. For this challange I am unfreezing one of the hams. It is about ten pounds. We will have ham sandwiches for lunch. I will soak beans over night and add bite size pieces of ham to it for bean soup. I will also make mac and cheese last week I got it for a dallar a box, and add ham to that as well. I have also made fresh augrutin potatoes with bite sized ham in it.
The grocery store here has a 10 for $10 ailse and I always check that when I am in that store. I also shop Costco a lot. I know how to make bread and bread items from scratch.
We have beans and peas growing in our garden right now and usually during the winter I have a room here that i continue growing vegies through out the winter in. This can be a fun thing for the kids to do during those boring winter months when they cannot be outside playing.
Instead of buying the ice cream which is not the healthiest for you, I buy the plain not taste yogurt and blend with berries or some of other fruit, maybe 1/4 a cup of sugar or splenda, One cup of yogurt for every cup of fruit, I then freeze, a few hours later i have “ice cream” Or sometimes i will drink it as a smoothie.
Craving chocolate after dinner, try drinking a glas of chocolate milk, not as much calories of cake or cookies but still enough chocolate that the sweat tooth is calmed.
Greetings, shoppers.
I am working on a very low budget, since I don’t feel right spending the whole amount – my kids are at daycare for lunch each day of the week, and we’re all four eating at Vacation Bible School this week for dinner! So really, we’re having breakfast at home, packing two lunches, and maybe having a snack before bed each day. But we’re still finding ways to spend – we got Dairy Queen tonight, which was $8 into our budget.
I don’t do coupons much, they always seem to be for strange items I don’t use. But we do shop by a list, and I repurpose things from one night to the next day’s lunch or dinner, and the big things are straight from the shopper’s guide that comes each weekend. No meat that’s not on sale, no convenience foods that aren’t on sale… and my kids really enjoy a frozen pizza!!! So we only get them if they’re on a deal, or at the cheap-o price from our local SaveALot. Yum.
Good luck, everyone, and I’m looking forward to hearing all the great tips!
Today was pretty easy for we ate what was on hand around the house for I do the stockpiling on items that we use a lot when it goes on sale. Also we have a freezer that is full at this time. Tonight we had ground beef tacos with lettuce, tomatoes, onions & cheese. The lettuce I bought a week ago and wanted to use up. The Mexican blend cheese I bought on sale at Walgreens for 2 for $3.00 in the 8 oz. bag which is a lot cheaper than the grocery store. Since I go to the post office every day and pass the stores I stocked up on the cheese and froze it which generally lasts till they do another sale. After dinner there was a little bit left of the taco meat so can heat it up for lunch or use the leftover lettuce with tuna for sandwiches. I did go by Publix today for I wanted to get the Shell or BP $50.00 gas card for $40 for there was a $10.00 coupon in the sale paper. During the year I try to buy different gift cards and save them for vacation for we generally go away two weeks in May. I pick up gas,restaurants, and hotel gift cards so when we go it helps to offset the money that we would spend as well as putting it on a credit card. Also I get them with reward points. Anyways while I was there I picked up Nature’s Oven Bread B1G1F, bag of carrots, box of zebra cakes, ice cream and drinking water for $12.84. I try to match coupons with what’s on sale and especially the B1G1F offer. Figure every little bit helps. Also a couple of weeks ago one of the stores had Bone In Rib Roast for $4.99 and the butcher sliced it free so I had them cut it into 3/4″ rib eye steaks and got 18 steaks for $3.55 each. So at least once in awhile we get a treat from chicken, ground beef & pork. If we have a little leftover vegetables I freeze them in one big container. When the container gets full I make a big pot of soup with leftover chicken or beef that I have frozen. Guess I have blogged on long enough.
I love a bargain! And when I find one, I buy multiples of it! I keep track of prices, clip coupons, read all the ads, and when a great deal combining sale prices and coupons pops up, I stock up! I think that if I didn’t utilize the stock up/buy ahead principle, all of my coupon-clipping and sale-watching would be for nought. I have a large pantry and deep freezer, and they are always full to overflowing.
I also cook the greater majority of our foods from scratch–this saves oodles of money, and it is so much healthier for us. I have learned different methods for preserving fruits and vegetables–even fresh herbs! I also plan our meals–this is absolutely crucial to staying within a set grocery budget. We rarely eat out, unless it is with a gift card or with an awesome coupon for a special occassion (I love BOGO dinner entree coupons:)). My husband packs his lunch with leftovers every day, and his lunch is always the envy of everyone around him in the staff lounge!
There have been so many awesome tips and pointers in the previous comments. I am excited to see what other suggestions will appear over the next 4 weeks!
I try to cut costs in many different ways…I clip coupons from AllYou Magazine as well as our local Sat. paper. I have coupons e-shipped to my email on a regular basis from Kwik Trip and MyPoints.com. I have quite a large garden that keeps me more than busy along with apple and plum trees from which I make things from scratch, dehydrate, freeze or can for use in the future. I love to check out our local farmers market for fresh and wholesome foods. I make Walmart match all of our local grocery store ads, look for rebates, and buy in large quantities when possible at Sam’s Club. We buy our meat from local farmers; usually a 1/2 pig and a 1/4 cow at a time. Not only do these taste SO MUCH BETTER, they are cheaper and leaner than store bought meat. There are tons of ways to save money; but they do take extra time. With a full-time career, a part-time home business, two kids as well as working on my second masters’s degree, time is a valuable resource.
Day 1 Experience:
For breakfast we had cinnamon toast on homemade bread with apple sauces. Lunch was ham and cheese sandwich on homemade bread with a banana. Dinner was pancakes with blueberries and eggs. (made extra pancakes to freeze for later).
Money spent on food: My husband stopped and bought coffee and 4 granola bars when he took the kids down to uncle’s. So, there was $2.40, I wasn’t planning to spend. GGGRR!
Total Spent on groceries / food this week = $2.40
hahaha – I’m w/you – I think that’s going to be the hardest part curbing my hubby’s spending
I am really excited for this challenge! I love learning new ways to save money and cut down expenses. One of my favorite money savings comes from a bakery outlet near us. I get bread for 50 cents a loaf, hot dog/ hamburger buns for 30 cents and bagels for 70 cents per bag. We stock up the deep freeze and buy from there about once a month.
I love my freezer. I freeze everything and learned all sorts of things I can freeze by listening to others and also talking to my mom. So my FAVORITE thing to freeze to save time and money is marinated grilled chicken cut up in quart bags. Then when you need a quick meal – say a chicken salad, wrap, chicken anything – you take it out of the freezer and whalaaaaa! I always cooked hamburger and froze it in bags but never thought of chicken. It literally saves me so much time!
I cook and freeze hamburger and chicken also. That way it never goes to waste (especially when you’re buying those family size packages of meat) . I cook them up in 3/4 pound portions, freeze them and then use them in any meal that needs 1 pound of meat.
Me, too! One of my local stores frequently marks down meat well before its expiration date. I love to stock up when I hit a good deal or when they have BOGO free sales. Last week I got 3 pork loins for $1.99 each and froze them.
My favorite thing to freeze is shredded cheese. I always stock up when its on sale. I won’t buy it otherwise.
I try to make as much as possible from scratch. My kids snacks is where I have trouble with that.
I usually do all of my grocery shopping at Walmart because they have the best prices overall and becausse they are closest to me, but I am going to try to spend more time looking for coupons and looking at grocery sales.
Today I spent a whole $1.86. I bought a blt for lunch at 1/2 price since I work at a restraunt two days a week. all other meals came from home. I save alot like others on this site with corasponding sales and cupons. To buy produce I shop in the early afternoon just after the grocerystore marks down produce on managers special and use it before it goes bad. alot of times I’ll switch up what day I make what according to the produce I get since I usualy have enough in the pantry and or freezer for several options. My daughters love to make veggie pizza with fresh mushrooms, peppers , onios, carrots, and what ever else we find and milkshakes with fresh fuit. over the weekend I bought a small veggie tray marked down to $2.50 , that was a fun treat and I didn’t have to do any prep either, just take off the plastic. I usualy do well with my grocery budget, but we do “cheat” and eat out more than we should. During the summer we run alot with our children instead of taking one vacation we do alot of little things. I hope I can stay on target and still keep up our activities and eat out some. We have started packing reuseable bottles with water or sun tea instead of buying drinks while we are out. Tomarrow I’m taking a big purse with water and microwave popcorn to the midnight showing of Harry Potter.
I used to sneak snacks into the movie theater, too. Then I had a crisis of conscience and I just can’t do it anymore!
I figure I should be able to make it through a 2-hour movie without eating…I never do, though.
Take a look and see if your movie theater has a “special night” for popcorn – ours has a bucket night, where you can fill your own bucket for 50 cents! It’s a great deal.
I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I have to admit that the $25/person budget doesn’t scare me, but the healthy and creative component is another story. I plan to use the challenge to help me make healthy menu choices for my family. In fact, I also joined sparkpeople.com as a resource for healthy recipes and menu ideas.
The best secret I have for saving money at the grocery is to stay out of the store….I send my husband instead. Our team approach keeps the impulse buyer (me) from making unnecessary purchases. Jack, my husband, is very disciplined and will typically only puchase what I have added to his list. I use the Sunday circulars to make menus and the grocery list. We will also stockpile sale items that we use frequently. Jack is in charge of coupons – we both love coupons. He typically shops at 3 local grocery stores (Kroger, Meijer and Walmart). Walmart is great because they price match. By price matching store deals that are across town – we save gas just my walking to our neighborhood walmart market. Only down side, Walmart doesn’t double coupons. Jack really prefers to use Kroger due to customer rewards given and doubling coupons. He actually received a $10 Kroger coupon in the mail today for being a loyal customer.
Jack’s parents have a small garden and are sharing beans, cucumbers, and squash this week. I do have a small herb garden with a few tomato and pepper plants. Every little bit helps.
When an item that we use goes on sale for a good price, I stock up. That way, the overall cost of everything is lower. I also do some make-ahdad meals to keep in the freezer – it helps us have ’something’ on days when everything is hectic.
I’m tracking my challenge on a special blog:
http://allyougrocerychallenge.blogspot.com
Feel free to stop by!
Without taking the time to read through all the previous comments (yet!), I’m sure I’m repeating what others have said, but using coupons on items that are on sale is a HUGE way I save. Especially when the items are BOGO (buy one get one free). And stocking up and/or freezing those sale items. I also try to cook most things from scratch, it’s amazing how many things you can made very easily for cheaper than you would buy off the shelf (think: cakes, cookies, soup, etc.). One of my favorite things to make for uber-cheap is laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. I can make a 5 gallon bucket of liquid laundry detergent for less than $3. (I guess that’s not really food related, but oh well!)
Jenna, will you share how you make laundry detergent?? Thanks!!
Annabeth
I’d love to have that recipe for laundry soap. for most other things I buy green works dalutable when its on sale.and mix into my own spray bottles. I also buy cheap .99 cent dish soap and dalute that in reuseable handsaop bottles in the kittchen and bath. Even if it isn’t food it still helps the overall grocery bill.
You did say that you could use any bar soap right? I have a bunch that we do not use do to being on sale/free. We usually use only bodywash.
I have been a coupon-clipping, money-saving maniac for nearly 3 years now. This challenge doesn’t seem like it should be too much of a “challenge” for me. Especially since my weekly grocery budget is around $80 a week. And that INCLUDES our household supplies, toiletries, etc. I have a LARGE food storage, and I have been known to live off our food storage for 2 weeks at a time, without going to the grocery store. AT. ALL.
With the help of the grocery and coupon lists at pinchingyourpennies.com, I am able to stockpile on items when they are really inexpensive (sometimes FREE, sometimes I even MAKE money!) This makes it so I NEVER have to pay full price for ANYTHING. (Except FunYuns. I really like them. And I do indulge from time to time.)
I actually forgot that today was the start of the challenge. Today was a big errand day for me, and I did a bit of splurging. I spent *gasp* $93.78 today on food. I will have to be strict to not go over the $125 that is allotted for my family of 5 for the rest of the week.
My total for the day:
* I went to Ream’s, which is a locally owned grocery store. They have great produce and great prices. I spent quite a bit, $29.40, just on produce. But when I can buy delicious grapes for .79/lb, locally grown apples for .59/lb, and juicy melon for .33/lb (and the list goes on!), I just can’t resist. But at least I know my family will eat healthily for the rest of the week!
*I went to Sam’s Club, because my MIL was with me and she doesn’t have a card. I splurged and spent $9.22 on beef jerky that is already almost gone. (What can I say, my kids are carnivores!) I also bought buns and whole wheat bread that brought my total to $15.12.
*The kiddos and I spent the afternoon at the pool, which ALWAYS wears me out. I was exhausted and hungry when I went to Smith’s (Kroger brand store.) Bad combo, just ask anyone. I had a list of essentials (cheese, milk, candy bars, cookies…..wait….those weren’t on the list…blame the exhaustion on that one.) I decided to save myself some trouble and grab some fried chicken for dinner. And bakery rolls. And deli salads. And a 2 liter bottle of Coke. I really should have had a plan. I did have some great IP (internet printable) coupons for the milk and the cheese, as well as a store coupon for the milk, which brought my milk down to .24 per gallon, and the cheese ended up being $2/lb. (All thanks to the links at pinchingyourpennies.com…thanks!) I also had a $5/60 purchase coupon from my local Happenings book. My total, for not having a plan, was a whopping $50.12 after coupons. That IS actually a big amount for me to pay in one shopping trip. Believe it or not. My receipt says that I saved $24.58. That is a low number for me. Typically, I save much more than I spend. (I actually have had transactions where the store has owed me money at the end. I have had to add check-out candy just to bring the total to $0.00. Yes, my children love my coupon-shopping addiction!)
What will make this challenge more challenging for me is the fact that it is SUMMERTIME! I am a stay-at-home mom, and summers are so precious to my children and I. We really take advantage of this time to spend together. We are constantly on the go, and our grocery budget tends to suffer for it. We have less of a plan than other times of the year, and we are more likely to eat out because we are on the road all the time. I bake less, because I am not home to watch my loaves of bread rise. {and…it is too hot to bake!
} Also, it is hard to make and stick to a meal plan when you are not sure if you will be home to spend much time cooking. I look forward to reading the meal tips that others post on this blog!!!!!
(Breakfast: Cereal/Lunch:Sandwiches, leftovers/Dinner: Chicken, YUM!
I agree with you. I am starting to think the SAHMs are going to have it harder on this budget challenge. I am so busy over the summer taking my kids everywhere that I find myself saying “Where do you guys want to go to lunch today?”
I am a fellow PYPer too!!! I love it! I have recommended that site to all my friends. I even recommend it to cashiers when they are so surprised at all my savings with coupons. www.
I have three questions, I am hoping someone is reading this whole thread.
Receipts:
1. I send in for rebates frequently, which require the original receipt. Is it ok to hang on to copies for the contest?
2. I also buy some items for cheap every weeek and donate them to the food pantry. Must this count towards my total? Although I am excited to be in the running, I do not want to discontinue charitable giving for a month.
3. I saw the spending chart, which I guess will be helpful to some. However I need some clarification on logging in our meals. Are we supposed to just post to this blog daily with what we ate, or keep a running list somewhere?
Thanks for your time! Great tips everyone, AllYou has no clue how difficult this contest is going to be to declare winners. There are some serious coupon and thrift Queens here!
Jenna-I just made homemade laundry detergent for the first time on Sunday! I did a dry powder recipe and still can’t believe how easy it was! I spent around $10 and have almost 400 loads worth, it works out to be 3 cents per load!
Did you get any answers to your questions from the ALL YOU Staff?
1. I read somewhere on the site copied receipts are ok if you had to mail in the original.
2. If I were you I would do a separate transaction for charity food or just mark it on your receipt- It’s the honor system anyway right?
3. I started my own blog:
http://grocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
in order to keep tract of my meals and spending- I have no idea how they (ALL YOU) is going to choose the finalists, but I want to keep the best records possible.
Good Luck
Emailed 7/20
I am very excited to participate in the challenge! My strategy includes planning meals with inexpensive ingredients, using coupons, shopping the sales, supplementing with items from my stockpile, and cutting out fast food!! This couldn’t have come at a better time for me, because I have been eating WAY too much fast food, and this is the motivation I need to stop.
I’m going to be doing daily updates on how the challenge is going on my blog, so feel free to stop by and say hi!
I do pretty much what everyone else does. I only now mostly buy meat on manager’s special and freeze it as soon as I got home. However, there was a great sale at Albertson’s on Saturday — pork shoulder roast for 87 cents a pound! Sure it was almost a 9-pound roast, but we had them cut it up and now it’s in the freezer. It was less than $7 and will last for many, many meals! I also shop at CVS for many things, although I am down 92 cents because my hubby did the transaction and thought he had to buy a filler item to overcome the three cents left by the ECB — he didn’t know it could be adjusted down. Ah, well. (We are also going out of town this weekend, but hope our in-laws will pay for a lot of our meals! If not, we’re taking a lot of our restaurant coupons with us just in case!)
Best advice? Just because you have a coupon, doesn’t mean you have to use it!
AMEN! Learned that the hard way when I started couponing!
I am always motivated to save as much money as possible at the grocery store simply by having the cashier tell me how much I saved on my order. They are usually amazed themselves! I go through my shopping list, which is made after checking the sales and making our weekly menus accordingly, each week and look for coupons for every single item on my list. While there are some items like milk and produce that I rarely find coupons for, almost everything else is fair game. We also have a garden and grow most of our herbs, which helps a great deal. The farmers market is always a great place to get the produce we aren’t growing because they usually charge less for better quality produce. And, have chickens which helps with the eggs.
Well, we are on Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace plan, so we use an envelope system and each week when we get a paycheck, we take out the amount that we need for groceries and if there is something extra on the list, like oreos, that we would like but dont need and there is no room in the budget for it…it gets cut! Knowing there isnt a credit card to fall back on if I over spend is a HUGE help!
Also, keeping a list that is made from my weekly menu plans and what we need in the house! I plan out Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 7 days a week for our family of 4 on $70.00! Also, use those coupons and learn to stock pile with them!
In fact, the first half of this week, I am going to make meals from what I have in my stock pile so I dont have to go shopping until Thrusday or Friday when we run out of milk and eggs!
oh, I am also tracking my meals on my blog: http://projectdomesticbliss.blogspot.com
I am very excited about this challenge. Here are two things I am doing:
1. Using what I have – I am planning my meals, cooking and baking around what we have on hand and am trying just to shop for staples during the 4-week challenge period. Here’s a quick example – I am currently running low on chocolate chips. We want to make cookies. Instead of running out to the store to purchase more chocolate chips, I am going to look through my cupboards and see if I have ingredients to make another type of cookie.
2. Contacting companies – I try to contact 1-2 companies per day to compliment their product. Often times, I will receive high value (or free) coupons by mail.
Good luck to everyone!
I do this as well. I have received some wonderful coupons from companies just for a compliment! Kashi was the best! They sent me two free product coupons!
I love doing this too. Always fun to go get the mail! I also make sure to contact a company if a product I bought had a problem. Just recently I bought a package of link sausage and discovered later after I took it out of the freezer that the glue they used didn’t seal the container and the meat was bad. They sent me a free coupon to replace the product.
What a week for this to begin with Super Fresh having triples that will help with my budget, but I have a birthday party and a big trip to sixflags. I do plan on bringing lunches and our own drinks for six flags, that will save. I loved reading all the tips on here. Good luck everybody and enjoy.
Like most, I cut & print coupons, scan the various store sales ads & match the coupons with the sales. All of the stores I shop at double coupons up to $.99, with the exception of two (one doesn’t double at all, but has great store coupons & BOGO items ring up half price & the other doubles to $.50), so that means extra savings. We rarely have to buy beef, as my dad raises cattle & we split two cows with my parents & sister every year. All other meat is only purchased when on mark down or heavily discounted. I buy extra if possible & freeze. I stopped buying tons of things just because it was free or in my case I only had to pay tax on it. It was cluttering up my house & often going bad before we could use it. I found that another deal was always around the corner…maybe not always as good, but only buying what we could use up in say six months has ended up not wasting as much.
I hit the local bread store for discounted bread & rolls. Bread in my closest grocery store is $1.29 or higher & $.79 at the bread store and it’s not expired either. I always scan the stores for clearance or markdown items. I don’t have enough time to maintain a garden, not to mention the wild animals around our house would destroy it….BUT I have several co-workers who do & they always bring in fresh produce to share. I rarely have to buy cucumbers, sqaush, zucchini or tomatoes & when I do I always support our local farmer’s. Those same co-workers also share their coupon inserts with me, which helps me have extra copies of coupons without having to buy more papers.
I try to not take the kids with me when I’m shopping. It always adds more to the cart & even though they know mom won’t buy it unless I can get it for atleast half off, they still try to sneak it in the cart sometimes. Even shopping without my hubby leads to less spending. I try to keep track of the prices of items we use regularly from each store, that way I know if it’s really a good deal or not.
I’ll be posting my progress and blogging at http://funwithfinances101.blogspot.com if anyone’s interested.
I’m also going to be keeping track of my meal plans, spending, pantry inventory, etc. using a free online tool called SpringPad. It even has a receipt tracker, that allows you to upload scanned copies of your receipts. If you want to take a look at my lists, etc., you can find them at http://my.springpadit.com/profile/mscarolm
I’m also going to be giving my new Couponizer organizing system a good workout during the challenge, and will share my coupon savings either on my blog or on SpringPad. One thing that won’t be a problem is my daily coffee habit – I stocked up on Maxwell House French Roast about 3 weeks ago. One of my local stores had it on sale 2/$5.00, and then another had them on sale 3/$7.00 – so I’ve got PLENTY of coffee stockpiled!
I don’t buy seasoning packets like soup mix, ranch dip, etc…instead I make them at home with the spices in my cabinet. I try to use up every bit of food in some way. We compost our scraps.
I know a “rule” is to make a list and stick to it. I find that I work much better doing the exact opposite. I am a visual person, so I scour the supermarket for deals, especially meat markdowns. (Not just sales). Whatever I find on markdown, is usually what I work with for the week. (I also buy extra if they have it to freeze). This also saves me from having to go to multiple stores. I use coupons with the markdowns and sales, and always save between 40 and 50% on my bill. I don’t think I’ve spent more than $100 for my family of four in months!
Last week, I bought turkey sausage for $1.99 because it was two days from it’s expiration, along with a marinated pork tenderloin and some stew meat. I also found lunch meat ends for $1.08 (I think?) that I use for sandwiches and chef salads. I then bring the reduced items home and search my fave recipe site (don’t know if I can post it?) for recipes. I can search by ingredients I have on hand, so it is a life saver…and also gives me the chance to try new recipes quite often!
Cooking and creating in the kitchen is my favorite part, so I often make a game of it. One of my favorite lowfat, easy “recipes” is to mix one box of cake mix with one 20 oz can of fruit (I puree it a little) and bake fruit muffins. Frugal, healthier and so easy!
I shop the same way . I take a list of a few things I really need and then check out markdowns and other sales that aren’t always in the store add.
Yummy! I’m going to give your muffins a try today
I have been working hard to learn more tips on saving since about January. Every month it gets easier. I’ve spent time looking at grocery stores in my area and feel like I’m getting a sense of their policies, the kinds of sales they run, etc. I’ve recently tried Aldi’s again after a long time and have been impressed with their quality. For the most part they seem to have the lowest price on groceries, but not on all things. My strategy lately has been to start compiling a list of the items I shop for the most with prices from the area stores. Then when I see the sale flyers I can just refer to my list and see if it’s better than Aldi’s. By combining Aldi’s shopping with stops at other stores for special sales, coupons, etc. I think I will save even more than I have already. Taking the time to go to more than one place really helps a lot. I also stock up on things, esp. meat. I recently bought ground chuck for 1.69/lb at my local grocery, took it home and broke it into meal sized packages.
I would also like some clarification. Do we just keep track of spending or do we keep track of what we ate with it.
Is this the blog we are supposed to use, or are we suppossed to start our own personal blog here somewhere?
Karen, I’m wondering a bit about the blogging myself. It seems like this one is going to get filled to the brim soon! I think you can post questions somewhere elese on the site. Have you seen it?
Since I have a nice-sized stockpile, I only typically have to purchase 2-3 ingredients to make any given recipe in my cookbooks…the staples are already in the pantry.
Here are my strategies for this challenge:
1) I took out $50 in cash on payday last Friday to be our grocery $$ for this week…so far I have $18.36 left. It looks like we might even have room for some popcorn at the movies when Harry Potter comes out tomorrow.
2) Try not to eat out, or if we do, it has to be a place we can get out of for less than $20, including tip. So far we haven’t eaten out but it’s only been one day.
3) Stay away from the fast food places for at-work lunches, and keep hubby out of the cafeteria at work and away from the vending machines. I packed my dinner last night for work and resisted when a coworker went to McDonald’s and asked if I wanted anything.
I’m not going to say much because anything I’d post has already been shared. I’m excited about the challenge. I’m relatively new to “couponing” but I’m loving it. Unfortunately I have a few things working against me – a picky eater of a husband (he doesn’t eat chicken…seriously! and he’s totally opposed to wheat bread, but he’s a huge bread eater), and lack of extra freezer space. My grocery budget is currently around $125-150 per week – but that includes toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc and also baby formula. I’m assuming since formula doesn’t count as “food”, my 4 month old also doesn’t count. So, I’m only working as a family of 3, so that’d be $75 per week on actual food. HOPEFULLY it won’t be that hard. We’ll see
I do have a blog that I’ll be updating with my progress but it’s got lots of other stuff on there too.
Each week when the grocery store ad comes out I look at the sales and plan dinners. I then make a list and pull any coupons needed. I always take all of my coupons to the store incase something is one sale and we could use it. We get the boys involved with planning meals and that makes it esier. I have pantry full of items and a full freezer so we can easily change the menu any day.
When it comes to snacking I make my own snack mixes. The boys love animal crackers, raisins, marchmallows and chocolate chips. Those are things that hubby and I will snack on later. I’m trying to teach the boys about portion sizes so I place each portion in baggie and they have a convienant healthy snack whenever they want.
Pop is a big waekness for my hubby and I. I’m trying to cut back so I’ve limited myself to 2 cans a day. Since I’m trying to lose weight at the same time I try to up my water intake.
I don’t drink coffee, so soda is my caffeine source. i drink about 3 2liters a week. I know that’s bad, but if I can’t get it for $1 a 2-liter I don’t buy it. And I’m picky about what I drink too. I am a Diet pepsi fiend, but will also drink Coke Zero and Cherry Coke Zero. When I find 2 liters for $1 I usually buy quite a few, especially if it is pepsi. If I run out and no one has it on sale for $1, I just go without until it’s $1 again. Once I went a week without soda – that was difficult!
Let’s face it–sometimes our lives are so busy that we ARE going to hit that drive-thru once in a while. To help defray the cost of this inevitability, I keep an accordion-type file folder in my car with coupons for fast food places and restaurants. Currently I have in there coupons for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, buy one sub get one free at Quizno’s, buy one entree get one free at TGI, to name just a few. When I need to stop (and I plan so this a rare occasion), I am able to cut my costs about in half. Keeping the file in the car ensures that I have it when I need it.
I’m really looking forward to this challenge. The $25/person does not scare me, but the healthy and creative part is another story. My greatest money saving tip if for me to stay out of the grocery store. My husband and I work together as a team to plan menus and shop. I plan the menus based on the Sunday circulars and the pantry stockpile. Once the list has been made, my husband finds coupons to match the list and heads to the store. He is very disciplined and will rarely purchase anything not on the list (unlike me).
Our favorite stores in the area are Kroger, Meijer and Walmart. Both Kroger and Meijer double coupons. Walmart will price match….the price match allows us to get items advertised at stores across town in our neighborhood. Meijer has special Saturday only sales that are really cost saving. My husband particularly likes the Kroger Plus program where custom coupons are mailed to home based on our purchase history. He received 2 $5 off $50 coupons in the mail yesterday…which will help with our bill for the next 2 weeks.
You ladies have so many great tips. Many are the same ones I have, but I’ve also learned a few new ones so thanks!
Something that I’ve been wanting to do but kept putting off was making my own wheat bread. I have everything to do it, the wheat berries, the wheat grinder, the gluten lol, but it just seemed so overwhelming. Well, I’ve had a couple good friends teach me and last week started doing that. Bread can be so expensive in the stores, especially good whole wheat bread, and now I can do it for practically pennies. It’s so delicious, surprisingly EASY, and a great cost saver.
I’m also a big couponer and always go shopping with a list in hand, but I will admit that I’m not that great at it. I always venture from my list and sometimes get so excited about a sale, buy things I don’t necessarily need or use. So a goal I have during this challenge is to stick to my list and be prudent with my coupons. It’s not a great sale if you still spend money on something you will never use or eat. (for example, there was a good deal on Hot Pockets but when I asked my husband if he’d eat them for lunch he said no. So I passed).
With that said though, if it’s a good price and it’s something we will use, I stock up. I love going “grocery shopping” in my basement rather than pay full price at the store.
For restaurants, defintely get some gift certificates (GC) at Restaurant.com. We’ve spent $10 for $30 worth of food including tip. At that time Restaurant.com had $25 GC for $2 and I stocked up!
This is going to be a great challenge!
I of course use coupons. We have a store near us that doubles up to a $1 every Wed. So that’s my regular shopping day, along with a trip on the weekend to Target & Ukrops to get those deals. We also have a 2nd freezer in our garage that I utilize. I freeze anything I can.
I started this challenge yesturday, by cooking all day. My 8 year daughter and I cooked up enough squash for 6 meals, that we had purchased for .88 cents a pound, not to mention what we added from our little garden. We put them in seperate freezer containers and will use as needed. We then made 2 meat lasagne, 1 stuffed shells with spinach and 3 chicken pot pies.
We have 5 in our family, and for the 1st day we had donughts (brought over by grandma) and cereal for breakfast, left overs from the frige for lunch and frozen chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and squash for dinner. Today will be: breakfast: cereal & more donughts, lunch: pb&j w/ grapes and carrot sticks, dinner: lasagne w/home made bread (tomorrow’s panzanella).
Here are some coupons I found today.
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/SavingsCenter.aspx (for a coupon)
Did you know you can use Grocery Coupons from other grocery stores at WEIS?….
Also, if the product rings up wrong on your receipt, you can receive the product free from Customer Service. They will refund your money!!!!
http://www.wish-bone.com/Home.aspx (for a coupon)
http://www.suredeodorant.com/ (coupon)
http://www.countrycrock.com (coupon)
http://www.heinzvinegar.com (coupon)
Well I got my grocery shopping for the week done this morning for an oop of $37.81 (for our family of 5) so I’m off to a great start! My husband will go out a couple times for work lunches so I’ll probably be adding $10 or so to that total but still way below the challenge requirements. I have a nice sized pantry and only needed to pick up some ingredients to finish meals, plus milk (3 gallons-ouch!), bread, and produce. I also stocked up a bit on fresh bonless/skinless chicken breast that’s on sale for $1.88 per pound this week.
Thank you so much for this. Dunno if you’ll see this post but it was very kind of you to nclude the links!
I am big on my weekly ads and coupons. I sit down every Sunday morning with the newspaper and my cup of coffee. I coordinate the coupons with the sale items and write my list. I keep a small coupon binder divided into sections for my coupons and a tote to carry my coupons and ads together. I am lucky that there are two competitve grocers (meijer and kroger) directly across the street from each other so I do not waste gas if there is a great price at either one. One of my tips is cereal. I have approximately 30+ boxes of cereal in my basement pantry. Many times, I end up getting boxes for free. Example, in the meijer ad, kelloggs products were 5 for $9.00. When you spent $10.00 on any combination of kelloggs, sunshine, keeber or eggo products you got $10.00 off any backpack for school coming up next month. I got 3 boxes of cereal, 2 boxes of poptarts and a box of eggo pancakes, had $6.00 in coupons on the products and got my daughter a new Hannah Montana backpack for $2.00. What a great deal!!! Make sure to check into promotions like that. I saved money not only on breakfast for a few weeks, but also got my daughter a brand new backpack for the year for only $7.88. Those deals are extremely unbeatable!
I hear you about the cereal. I’m stocked, too. It’s gotten to the point that I can’t imagine spending more than $.50 on a box of cereal.
Me too. Last week I bought 8 boxes of cereal and spent $1.50. I am always joking around that I won’t pay more than .50 for a box of cereal! I’ve got better things to spend my money on. hehehe
This is a fun challenge for me to spend less than what I normally budget. My money-saving tips would be:
1. Always make a list!!! I know we’re all busy. Who isn’t! I always get so mad at myself when I didn’t make the time to plan my meals the week before. One of my favorite things to do is to look through cook books. Look for something that you haven’t made for a while but check to see if the ingredients are on sale before going.
2. If it’s not on sale — wait for it to go on sale — it will go on sale! I’ve gotten my mom into couponing. In fact…she says she wants to pay me to do her grocery shopping. It’s so fun to save and see on the bottom of your receipt that you saved more than you spent.
3. Plan to go once a week instead of 2 or 3 or even everyday. I you plan accordingly….you won’t go and spend. If I forgot something make do with something you already have in your pantry.
Good luck everyone! Hope you all succeed!
Last night I made taco salads for dinner. This is one of my husbands’s favorite dinners. In fact he often orders it when we eat out. My trick is to use about 2 oz of ground beef and then add black beans as a filler for less meat. I used bagged salad that I got with a – get one bag free coupon that the store sends me about once every two months. And I picked up the ground beef for a manager’s special for $1.35. I used the rest of the lb of beef to make “Manwiches” for my husband to take for lunch. I have always sent Paul with a brown bag so this is not any change for us. The worst thing is not getting drinks at Sonic after I workout.
my family also eats tocos or toco salad often. I don’t belong to Sam’s club ,but my parents do so I have them pick up big 23 oz. containers of toco seasoning so I always have it on hand. Alot of nights like tonight when I forget to plan out dinner I use what ever meat I have on hand with toco teasoning. Tonight I thawed out some chixen breast in the microwave then cut it up and cooked with seasoning then added some brown rice to make it go further. Sometimes we add to salad or use traditanal hard shells but tonight we made soft tocos with wheat tortillas I had in the fridge and topped them with shredded chedder ,green onions from my dad’s garden ,toco sauce, and some black olives from the pantry.
Great tips girls (I am assuming we are mostly girls!)! I have enjoyed reading the tips. My tried and tested tips are:
1) COUPONS! As most all of you, I am an avid coupon shopper and have been for a number of years (4 to be exact). I match sales to coupons and stockpile, stockpile, stockpile! Once you get the pricing in your head for what is a good deal and what is not, you will find that there are times when drug stores are actually cheaper on grocies than Walmart or any other grocery store. Look everywhere for coupons! They are not only in the Sunday paper — they are in magazines, stores, home mailers, etc. Write your favortie companies and tell them how much you enjoy their products — there is no telling what kind of goodies you will get!
2) GARDEN! I have a vegetable garden out back and a container herb garden on my back porch. This time of the year we eat what is in the garden that night. Last night we had black eyed peas, fried okra, a side salad, corn bread and I fried some pork tenderloin. I even had an apple cobbler made from apples off of our trees but everyone was too stuffed to eat it! We eat everything we can out of the garden and I can or freeze the extras for winter meals. This is one way I think to save major money on things you just don’t get coupons for (ie produce). For me also, this is a healthier alternative to products found in the grocery store. I know where my food comes from! This past weekend I put up apples in the freezer, peas in the freezer, and canned tomatoes and pickles!
3) MEAT IN BULK! We purchase our meat in bulk — literally. We buy a cow and take it to a processor. They process it however we want it and we pick it up all packaged up and frozen. A whole cow lasts us a little over a year in general. Last time we did it the cost was approximately $2 per lb. That was everything — hamburger, steaks, all of it! For pork, we have a hog killed and we actually process the meat ourselves. This is really cheap. Less than $1 a lb for everything. Hams, shoulders, sausage, tenderloin, ribs…etc. We do this once per year. I do buy chicken occasionnally at the grocery store. And I buy bacon/lunch meat/convenience meats also. But we could live off of what we have in the freezer for some time.
4) LUNCH/SNACKS FROM HOME! I make enough for supper the night before to pack a lunch for me and my husband the next day. That way we get lunch for nothing! I also make my husband a biscuit and sausage (or other meat) the night before because he eats breakfast at work. So much cheaper than the drive through! We both also pack our own drinks and snacks at home for the day. I have not been to the vending machines here at work in months.
5) MAKE TIME TO SHOP! Make time to shop and plan your trips! I shop at lunch everyday at work. That way the kids are not with me and I have time to go up and down the aisles and spy great deals — even unadvertised. You can find some great things on clearance! Then once or twice a week I go after work really quick and pick up perishables that I cannot pick up at lunch. But going at lunch helps me to plan out those trips so they are quick and I still save a ton!
6) COUPON ORGANIZATION! I set aside about an hour every weekend to organize my coupons. I pull everything that will expire in the next week or two and put them in an envelope. That way I never let a great coupon expire. Okay — not never — but rarely! I organize my coupons by type — canned goods, HBA, Frozen, etc. But whatever works for you — use it! Just so long as you can find that coupon when you spy that item on clearance at the store!
7) MAKE FROM SCRATCH! Most items from scratch are soooo easy! I do alot of from scratch cooking in the winter. I love to make homemade yeast rolls — so easy and so cheap! And making green beans out of the garden — or out of the freezer (which came from my garden). Cheap, super easy, and so good for you — what could be better!
Gosh I think those are all of my tips for now! Explore the coupon websites on the net and you can learn tons. There is great information in groups like this one — we can all teach each other alot!
I love that you can! I wanted to try it last summer, but I way overestimated what our small garden would produce. We ate or froze most everything, so really not much left to can. I would like to see if I could plant anything for the fall to help cut our food bill. I live in Zone 8. Might you have any suggestions for root crops? Is the time now to plant for fall? Also, do you have any canning websites you recommend? Thanks for all of your tips. I do enjoy making baked goods from scratch, and it’s a great way to get my 5-yr-old daughter in the kitchen with me, too.
Mel — go to Walmart and get the Ball Blue Book. It should be by the canning supplies. It is the canning bible. You will learn sooo much!
It is around $5 so it will not break the bank either! You will get tons of ideas!
I follow several different money saving strategies when it comes to grocery shopping: meal planning, couponing & stockpiling to name a few! My biggest money saving tip is eating leftovers! It is amazing how far you can stretch your leftovers. Recently I have made a better effort at eating our leftover food as well as not letting produce go bad because that is money wasted when we get rid of it! Baking a loaf of french bread is a yummy way to “re-create” leftover pasta, make a hot taco dip using leftover taco meat (beans, meat, salsa, cheese heated & served with tortillas) & turning leftover grilled chicken into BBQ sandwiches by dicing & mixing in BBQ sauce are just a few ideas to recreate leftovers!
I never got a reminder message yesterday. I signed up for the challenge on the 11th. Hmmmm… Still participating.
No day 2 post on this blog… It’s almost noon on the east coast…
Last night we had chicken fettucine alfredo for dinner with fresh-picked green beans from my garden.
I used home-made mozzarella cheese in the sauce. Plus we finished off the loaf of home-made bread.
Tip for the day:
Plant another crop of beans (bush or pole) in your garden. There is still plenty of summer left to get a late harvest.
(excuse the formatting tags if they don’t work, I’m giving it a shot)
I didn’t receive a reminder message either, but I’ve decided to move ahead! Even if it’s not official, it’s great for the family and our finances. There was an awesome bread recipe on allrecipes.com for a Macaroni Grill-type bread. I used fresh rosemary from our garden, and we dipped it in olive oil. Yum!! Here’s the link if anyone is interested… http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jos-Rosemary-Bread/Detail.aspx
thanks so mutch for that link I’ve been dying for something good to do with my fresh rosemary besides giving the plant a good sniff regularly, lol, I love the smell of fresh rosemarry.
Hi everyone,
Have you received your e-mail from All You for the grocery challenge yet? I haven’t seen it and am a little worried something is wrong. I’ll re-send my information and see what happens.
Anyway, I’ve added a post to my blog about this challenge if you’re interested. Just click on my name above. Happy Tuesday!
Mine was in my spam folder — you may check there. Just be sure when you find it to add them to your senders so it won’t go there again!
Thanks, Angie that’s where it was.
Hi! So money saving tips…this could be long! LOL.
#1- My Favorite Tip!! PAY WITH CASH! You will spend less. There is emotion attached to handing over YOUR $20 bill. Go ahead. Get out one twenty dollar bill and carry it around in your pocket. Then go try to spend it. You just might feel the emotional attachement I’m talking about. And as an example of saving money with cash, let me tell you something Dave Ramsey (a financial guru) informs people of- When McDonalds started accepting credit cards, their average amt per transaction went up from around $3 to $7. Thats over twice as much. Do you know exactly where your money is going, and how much? The only way to win with money is to tell it where to go, not wonder where it went.
#2- I am a couponer. I am blessed to live where because we have many stores that double coupons everyday, and offer triple coupon/super double coupon events. Always match sales (especially buy one get one free!) with a double or triple coupon. I try to keep track of how much store brands cost, and Aldi prices so I know if I am actually getting a good deal. Now that I have been couponing awhile, I can even look back at old receipts and see if the deal is a good one, comparatively.
a. I clip coupons from the paper, and order more from Ebay or clipping services if I want more. I spend no more than .12/coupon. Usually much less. I also trade coupons on several forums. Holding coupon swaps is another great way to trade- Free!! I have my family send me coupons they aren’t going to use.
b. I print coupons from online- Especially nice to get coupons from specific company websites. You aren’t getting such mainstream coupons that way, and can often find organic/ healthier food coupons.
c. I email companies that we like for coupons. They send them in the mail, at no cost to me!
d. I belong to a couple of groups that send out coupons and samples of new products. Its a great way to save!
*with couponing, I am able to get whole grain pastas, brown rice, all natural snacks, organic milk, soy milk, natural meatless products, healthy (er) cheese/dairy products, whole grain breads, natural premade items (cereal, taco shells, pasta sauce) and condiments for under a dollar per item or FREE if I take advantage of the right sale!*
#3. Rebates- I trade for rebates and often can use receipts where I already purchased something very cheaply, and get even more $$ back on it. Sometimes though, I buy things at such low cost that I do not meet the requirements. I would say I get $10 back a month with rebates. I need to work on it more I think.
#4. Produce Co-op. Here in my area, we have the option of getting fresh fruits and vegetables at an extremely low cost. We pick up our produce baskets every two weeks, and they contain 50-60 items per basket. We always get some kind of: tomato, potato, banana, apple, citrus fruits, and lettuce. We usually get some special things that change each co-op, like zucchini, summer squash, garlic, cilantro, broccoli heads, cantaloupe, limes, corn on the cob, etc. We pay just 17.50/basket, so roughly $9 a week. There is SO much- We have to be very creative to eat it all!!
#5- MEAL PLAN MEAL PLAN MEAL PLAN!!! I meal plan according to my pantry stash, since I have stocked up on whatever I can get healthy and cheap. We rotate between oatmeal, cold cereal and cream of wheat most mornings. On the weekend I make pancakes, waffles, or other treats from scratch. We eat peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese, leftovers or soup (mostly) for lunch. For dinner, our meal plan this week is as follows: tacos tonight, pulled chicken sandwiches tomorrow, dinner with the company on thurday (but otherwise we would have had taco salads), homemade pizza on Friday, grill out saturday (veggie burger for me, grass fed beef burger for hubby and corn on the cob), and “pasta bake” on sunday. Pasta bake is whole grain penne, organic bertolli pasta sauce, fresh mushrooms, and left over pulled chicken, all tossed together, coated with 2% natural kraft cheese and cooked in a cast iron skillet for just a few minutes until the cheese melts. Served with whole grain baguette garlic bread and a salad. Each meal will have some kind of vegetable served with it, like roasted squash, a small salad, stuffed mushrooms, or steamed carrots.
#6- We purchased 40lbs of grass fed beef earlier in the year for $150. It was locally raised, and humanely treated. The meat will last us a year (we dont eat beef every week), so that comes out to ABOUT $3/week. And it is SO much better tasting than store bought. Less fatty too!
#7- simple. Cook from scratch. Prepackaged things are either expensive or not very good for you (not worth it even at free sometimes!). Its cheap to cook from scratch if you know where to shop. We get bulk flours from Sams club and other bulk food stores. I make simple recipes that dont take much time, and that I can leave (like in a crockpot, for example). I make my sons baby food. I make my own freezer jam. I cook extra of some meals and freeze it for a night we need a quick meal, or if I will be out of town and hubby needs something to eat. It saves us SO much $$!
#8 here is a tip I cannot do myself- But garden! We are renting at the moment, in an attempt to save money and pay off ALL of our studnent loans. But if you can do it, you will not only save $$, but also get your daily dose of vitamin D!
WHEW- thats all for now!
This is fun. I love reading everyone’s tips and strategies so far. A couple of things that I do:
1) I make my own chicken stock. I use it a lot for several meals and soups, so I stopped buying the cans of Swanson and started buying whole chickens to boil with veggies and spices instead. It makes a whole heck of a lot of broth and it’s pretty darn tasty too.
2) I stopped buying sodas and convenience drinks like Capri Sun. Instead, I stock up on tea bags, Koolaid mixes and frozen juice concentrate. I can make a gallon of each for so much cheaper and it seems to last longer too.
I do that too, we only get soda for upset tummies or as occasional treats. I try to make the coolaid a little healthier buy useing less sugar than recomended and I make my sun tea with green tea bags instead of black to cut down on caffine. I also love to toss a chicken in the crock pot for the day then later i’ll pull out the bones andput part of the chicken away for other meals and leave part for soup. Its really cool to see that other people do these things too and learn new things too.
That is what we do also, no sodas and juice boxes. We also make koolaid, tea, and juices that are frozen they last longer. We just have been using what has been in the pantry all week so far. I also have a binder with plenty of coupons and here where I live, we have a coupon meeting the first Thursday of the month at the library to exchange coupons. I hear that these ladies and man have been doing this for years. I have been with the group for about a year and we all talk about our experiences with shopping with our coupons. We also discuss who found the best deals and where.
I just graduated from collage and had my first baby about two weeks before graduation. Since my husband is still in school and I am trying to be a stay at home mom, I have been trying everything to save on the grocery bill. Here are some of the things I’ve tried that seem to work.
1-Couponing I really like the website Southern Savers. I have learned how to use CVS to get some really good deals.
2- Use a popcorn popper instead of microwave popcorn. It’s a lot cheaper and you can add as much or as little butter as you want.
3- Since breakfast foods are usually pretty cheap we eat breakfast foods for dinner. Some of my favorites are quiche or biscuits, gravy and sausage.
4- Don’t set the food out on the table. When the food is left in a different location we are less likely to go back for seconds.
5- Eat leftovers for lunch. This ensures that they get eaten and it makes planning lunch much easier.
6- Drink water instead of juices or soda.
7- If I carry cash I keep big bills. I’m less likely to buy a pack of gum if all I have is a $20
8- Shop in the mornings when the store isn’t crowded. This gives me a chance to really look at what I am buying and price compare.
9- I get most of my recipes from Kraft Foods. I can always buy their products on sale and with coupons so it makes the meals really cheap.
10- I make my own tortilla chips. Just buy a bag of corn tortillas, cut them into eighths and deep fry them. For healthier chips spray the corn tortillas with Pam then bake them for about 10 min at 375.
11. Follow the example of restaurants. To make meals more filling serve salad and rolls before the main course. This helps us fill up on something other than the meat.
Here is a recipe I really like for rolls. Since the dough will keep for several days in the fridge I can make the dough at the beginning of the week and then only bake what we will eat each night. It’s an easy way to have fresh rolls for diner every nigh. You can also take some of the dough and drop it into hot oil to make donut wholes.
Spoon Rolls
1 pkg. dry yeast
2 c. very warm water
1 1/2 sticks margarine, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
4 c. self-rising flour
Place yeast in 2 cups warm water. Melt butter; cream with sugar in a large bowl. Add beaten egg. Add dissolved yeast to creamed mixture. Add flour and stir until will mixed. Place in airtight bowl and keep in refrigerator. To cook, drop by big tablespoonfuls into well greased muffing tins. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until brown. This dough will days several days in the refrigerator.
I’m going to try those thank you.
Today’s menu:
Egg and cheese sandwich for my DH
Cereal for me
Chicken salad ( made from left over) for DH
The FREE fish taco from Long john silver for me
Jennie O turkey burgers for dinner ( I dot these from publix B1G1 two weeks ago and I had a $5 coupon. So I got both packs for free with a little overage)
We will have salad and steamed viggies for sides, I will also made some mashed potato ( I have been craving it)
Dessert will be frozen yogurt ( Danonino was free from publix a three weeks ago. I had to freeze it because my fridge was full. I still have about 40 packs)
I learned to never buy something retail. I wait for the sales and use coupons as much as I can. Publix is one of the best places to shop especially when they have B1G1. You are allowed to use two coupons in this case, you are really maximazing your savings.
I really bad at meal planning but I am trying to stick to it this week. I created a menu yesterday for the entire week based in the foods we have on hand. So, now I only need to pick up a few things fromtge grocery store, saving time as well as money. We also are planning one date night this week (we love going out for dinner) but will go to the grocery store in advance and buy a gift card for the restaurant we choose. This will give us savings the next time we purchase gas from that stores gas station.
To help stick to my list and budget, I downloaded a couple of apps to my iPhone. There is a grocery shopping app that lets you prepare a list with your stores prices then when you’re shopping it keeps a total for you. So there’s no surprises at the register. You know how much you’ve spent before you get there. I also downloaded a budget app. I created a “grocery challenge” budget set at $50/wk and will add an expense to it each time a food purchase is made. This is much like the spending log provided by all you, but it works much better for me because I don’t have a way to print the log off. And I always have my phone with me so it should be convenient enough for me to enter the transactions when they are made.
Since I have a huge stockpile, my challenge is to live off of that for the majority of the month.
Coupon trading is the best thing ever! I love trading.
As sad as it may sound, DH and I spend our “us” time, after we put the 3 little ones to bed, clipping coupons and figuring out deals. Its almost a nightly thing, but we save soooo much by doing this, and we also do “date night” when we go grocery shopping.
Yes, I will admit that I am a 25 year old coupon addict (and secretly love to see the shock on the cashiers face when they have to ring up my coupons lol).
I use most of the techniques listed above. I usually shop on Tues and had to curb my spending for the week since I am going to a baseball game on Sunday and will probably need all my weekly allotment for food there!
I stockpile so I did not really need to buy much at the grocery store. I decided to use my extra bucks from CVS to buy my milk for the week. I bought 2 gallons of milk and dishwasher tabs for $0! I spend $8 at the grocery store. That leave me $67 for the baseball game!
The best idea I have for keeping your spending down is the know what you have at home! Last week before the contest began, I went through my fridge, freezer, pantry and “back stock” and took inventory. I know what I have so I will not use money to buy things I already have. I also checked the expiration dates on things- nothing is worse than going to get something out of the pantry only to find that it has expired!
I love keeping a stocked pantry with just about everything in it is $1 or less (I try to keep it all free!). Family & friends “shop” in my pantry for my good deals. I also donate supplies to Hessed House. My tip is to check websites for good deals and coupon matchups. I keep all my coupons in date order, so it is easier to find a match up from an online coupon database (you enter what you are looking for, and it tells you the date the coupon came out, amount and exp date). All of the sunday paper coupons have the date in small print on the spine.
My spending today was $2.60 for 10 boxes of cereal, a few boxes of honey sticks, granola, 14 bottles of juice, 8 waters, and some pirates booty my 6 yo talked me into (which is what pushed me into *paying* for this trip!). Cereal cost me $5.90 after coupons, and there is a $10 MIR so I was actually *PAID* $4.10 to take the cereal
People are amazed that you can get name brand stuff for so cheap with a little effort (the cereal was Kelloggs brand)
Hey everyone!! I just stared heavy couponing about 2 months ago. We are a one income family with a 9 month old, so we need to save every penny! I have lots of websites I check regularly to get the most savings but the first one I found was Southern Savers, Jenny is amazing!
When I do buy name brand I buy when it is BOGO and only @ Publix or Bi-Lo cuz they let you use 2 coupons for both items. Even if we have lots of something, if it is 80 cents or less I get it rather than running out and having to pay full price.
Here I learned about CVS and Walgreens(though I prefer CVS). Other websites I have are:
DealSeekingMom.com(based out of Ohio)
Forthemommas.com
stretchingabuckblog.com
I am pretty sure these three are northern based but the prices seem to be about the same when there are sale items. And having multiple sites, sometimes you find deals that MAYBE one person has missed.
*When I go grocery shopping I do tend to have my daughter with me ( you may think I am crazy for doing so, but we are blessed with a wonderful happy baby!!) but the hubby stays home, he always wants to stray from the list
*Use cash!! You tend to spend less.
*When I go out I try to map out my trips to get the most out of my gas so to speak, rather than going out and then having to leave again….that could drive a person crazy!! I time my errands around my daughters nap time and it has worked beautifully so far.
*If you do have a baby try REALLY try to make your own baby food it is so much cheaper that way. IE: Gerber squash originally $1.08 for about 2-3 servings Buy a pound of squash at the store I found some the other day for $.98 a pound and I get almost 9-10 servings. In my opinion it is healthier.
*Cut out the grocer all together with veggie buying by having a small pot garden. For a small family you plant a few of each and have enough for dinners and even some to freeze for when the garden is gone.
*Plan your weeks menu around things you have on hand. Don’t have much on hand plan your menu on things that are on sale that week.
*Make a budget and a list for yourself b/f you enter the store and stick to it! For this case eat b/f you grocery shop!
*And no matter how small the rebate may be do it, it adds up after a while.
I can’t think of anything else for now. This probably sounds scatter brained but I just get so excited when I talk about couponing. I know that whoever takes this advice for real will save tons of $$. Like me I only started this 2 months ago and already I have saved $844.09
This is with a weekly budget of $50 a week for grocery and $10 a week for pharmacy(CVS). Crazy huh?
Our household has four members, but my daughter and her boyfriend don’t often eat with us so I’m playing the challenge for two people at $50 per week for DH and I. We’ll treat DD and her boyfriend as ‘guests’ like when my parents come over.
I had a big long entry here but I decided to hit the high spots. I think there’s not one single trick to saving money. Coupons are great but I went through a phase of using them to buy unhealthy things I would not normally have bought. My local health food store is great for bulk spices, specialty foods and our latest guilty pleasure – wasabi peas! But it’s not cost effective for everything. I shop Walmart too for staple foods and any store that has a good loss leader price or special. I try to stop by on my way back and forth from work so I don’t make a special trip.
We have a garden and swap produce as well as picking berries and fruits both wild and from friend’s & family’s land. Eating seasonally helps a lot with the budget. We also stockpile and preserve through canning and freezing.
I love a challenge, and this one is right up my alley!
This week at Publix (btw, I LOVE Publix) I spent under $50 for our family of 5, which was great. Our menu goes like this:
Monday: Morningstar Veggie Burgers, chips, green beans
Tuesday: Spaghetti with homemade sauce
Wednesday: Salmon, grilled corn, rice side
Thursday: grilled chicken, green beans, mac & cheese
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: dinner at my parent’s house
Sunday: leftovers
For lunch each day, we have fresh salads & fruit, and sandwiches for the kids and yogurt.
The couponing with sales and drugstore deals have revolutionized our budget and spending on groceries and toiletries. I can now shop at Publix instead of Walmart, and our food expenditures are down about 50%. I typically save anywhere from 50-75% each week at Publix with sales, coupons, and competitor coupons. I never pay a dime for things like toothpaste, razors, shave gel, shampoo & conditioner, or first-aid because of CVS rewards, or something similar.
I have learned to never pay retail and to stockpile when I can get things at rock-bottom prices, for free, or make money buying them. However, I have also learned not to hoarde things that we will not use in an appropriate amount of time. I do not take home things that we will never use just because it was free, because it is a waste of the product, my time, and the space in my home.
I also save money by planting a garden and harvesting many of the fresh fruits & veggies we eat each day. This summer has been great for tomatoes, green peppers, corn, squash, etc. This fall I look forward to planting broccoli, lettuces, calliflower, and the like. I have a six-month old baby right now, so we are currently benefitting from the harvest of my parent’s garden!
This afternoon, I am going to make a very large batch of homemade spaghetti sauce full of veggies like squash, zucchini, onions, olives, green peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and garlic. When it is pureed in the blender, the kids love it and gobble all those veggies right up! It is super cheap to make and I can usually freeze about 4-5 quart sized jars once we are finished with the meal. We have spaghetti once a week, so my frozen jars will last us the whole month! And I always get whole-grain spaghetti/pasta when they are BOGO at Publix with a coupon, so that is a meal that generally costs less than $2 total.
[...] From Joan: [...]
I was wondering if I buy food for a party, a friend is having a baby shower, but I cannot be there and will not be eating the food I repared does that count toward the total of my budget?
I am under the impression that buy food we buy to eat ourselves should be counted.
I’m excited to take up this challenge and learn from regular folks who are super heroes in using coupons, deals, sales, etc. I’ve passed on this challenge to all my friends at church!
Here are a few great blogs to help you do coupon match-ups!
http://www.couponcravings.com/
http://mommysnacks.net/
And don’t forget the coupon sites such as A Full Cup, cellfire, Shortcuts, Upromise, Red Plum, Coupons.com, and Smartsource.
If you need more of a coupon you can try ebay, or http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/
Sometimes it is worth it to buy a coupon!
With a Birds Eye vegetable coupon printed from their web site: Food Lion price today was bogo, therefore, purchased 4 and paid $1.00.
Wish-bone salad dressing $1.67 each, but with coupons from their website, total price is $.17 each.
Capt-n-Crunch Cereal was $2.oo a box but i had a coupon from Food Lion register tape for $1.00 off making them $1.50each
I picked a quart and a pint of raspberries today. We will eat them plain or on cereal or in yogurt.
Also found lots of meat at FoodLion today that had a clearance sticker, purchased Jennie O turkey sausage and 2lbs store ground beef for a total of $6.73, which was pretty much the original cost of the sausage.
total today spent was $32.58…..
I have a family of three.
My husband is being very stubborn!!! He does not want to help me with this at all. I will have to stay creative with him or he will break my budget on Drive-thru’s !!!!!
I am so excited to start this challenge and learn new skills. I have always clipped coupons and thought I was pretty thrifty when it comes to grocery shopping. However I love hearing new tips and ideas to save even more. One benefit I love is Albertsons or Sav-on offers “Twice the Value” coupons. They will match any coupon up to $1.00. I had some Hormel coupons and I was able to purchase pork roasts for around $3.00. Those are great to freeze and save for a later date. One struggle I had when we decided to start cooking more at home was repeat meals and flavors. I have researched several recipe websites and have been able to collaborate several new recipes in with the old. And for the flavor part, I have learned there are a great many seasonings out there and I should not be scared to use them. We have even started an herb garden. Thanks so far for some great tips! I look forward to taking this challenge and learning new tricks of the trade.
My favorite sites….
recipezaar.com
pitchingpennies.com
My best money saving tip is to try and not to stray from my list when I go shopping. I know the sales and the coupon match ups before entering the stores. I am there with a purpose. I treat shopping as part of my job as a SAHM. This helps me to remember that the stores are there to make money. My job is to spend as little as I can but have a full cart. I do allow myself to buy 2 items not on my list if it is at rock bottom price. I love showing my husband the receipt when I get home. He doesn’t get as excited as I do, but he knows that I am saving the family loads of money by clipping coupons and shopping smart.
I also believe that a big money saving strategy for our family is making more things at home. I make granola, breads, snack mixes, laundry detergent, cleaning products, etc.. This is a huge savings. It also gives me the piece of mind to know what is going into our bodies and cleaning our home.
What can be better than challenge involvong saving money? I have been called a “penny pincher”, “thirifty”, “cheap”, “coupon queen”, “ultimate deal finder” and I relish all of these titles. I inherited such genes from my father who could fix almost anything with duck tape to save a repair bill.
My greatest money saving tip is to buy on sale with a coupon(doubled or tripled is great) an also with a store coupon. I stock up especially on favortes and put it in a storage space.
I may not be THE Coupon Queen, though I rivel most, but I definitely am the pantry pincess! This challenge will be made easier by the fact that I have enough food in my walk-in pantry to feed my family for a month easily. You name it, I probably have it. I also have a stoage space downstairs that is full. When my pantry gets low, I go “shopping” downstairs. My chest freezer is kept full as well. I stock up when our local grocery store has BOGO on meat. My downstairs is also full with garden grown food that has been canned or frozen. Nothing is better in the middle of a midwest winter than to have garden grown produce.
In the midwest we have a short growing season but I try to make the most of it. I grow several types of vegetables an fruits as well as herbs. There is nothing healthier than that. When my daughters get ahold of the fresh produce they forget about junk food. We all usually lose weight over the summer for all the freshly grown food that we eat, eliminating processed food from our diet.
Another tip that I have is shopping at ALDIS. They have alot of fresh produce at about 1/2 the price of other gocery stores. Their other groceries are pretty good as well.
I use many of the coupons sites and have had no problems with retailers accepting the coupons that I print from these sites. I also look for newsletters online where someone else has done all the work looking for deals and lets you in on them.
http://www.armandhammer.com/
more coupons , you can print multiple times.
http://www.proplan.com/products/dogProducts.html
$3.00 off dog food from Pro Plan
Hello all,
I’m not sure I have any new tips to share, but I’ll chime in with what I do.
EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS
I used to hate it when my husband would run to Walgreens to by something. I told him they were much too expensive. Then I started using the internet to help plan my shopping and now I shop Walgreens and CVS almost weekly. Today I picked up a pair of scissors (school supplies already!), 2 greeting cards, and a gallon of milk. I paid with extra care bucks and $0.49 out of my pocket and received another $4 in extra care bucks to spend in the future.
SHOP SALES/STOCKPILE/USE COUPONS
These all go together because I can’t find a way to separate them. When there is a good sale, I use my coupons to stock up. For example, tomorrow I’ll be buying 10 boxes of cereal. Between the sale at my local store (Jewel) the coupons available, and a mail in rebate from the manufacturer, I’m going to get paid about $4 to take the cereal home. I can’t pass up free food! Some of this cereal will probably make it’s way to my local food pantry. We try to donate regularly and this is a great way to do it…no cost to me!
GARDEN
Although I must admit I’m still somewhat new to this, I’ve stretched myself this year and currently have basil, oregano, two kinds of tomato, carrots, beans, kohlrabi, and cucumbers planted. Based on the number of flowers on the vines, I think I’ll be learning how to pickle cucumbers later this year! We’ve already begun enjoying the basil and should have some tomatoes soon.
USE THE INTERNET
I’ve found many useful sites online where I can see suggestions of good deals on food, health & beauty items, cleaning products and more. I use these sites weekly (sometimes more) to plan my purchases. Here are my favorites:
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com (Great CVS/Walgreens match-ups and much more)
http://www.dealseekingmom.com (Great CVS/Walgreens match-ups and much more)
http://www.jillcataldo.com (Specific to Northern IL)
http://www.couponerswanted.com (Great forums for a variety of stores all over the country)
How I keep within my grocery budget
I go to the grocery store once a week and if we run out of something we just wait it out till the next week unless we really need it then we will go to our local store. I buy most of my groceries at Aldi and shop Kroger for meat & sale items. Sometimes I shop at Wal-Mart or my local Steve’s Market if I find a good sale item. I stockpile non-perishables and plan our meals using my food storage. I also check the clearance bins each week. We use our leftovers for lunches and if we have a lot of something leftover I will make something new with it or freeze it. I buy most of my fruit at Aldi’s and some at Kroger like the 2# bags of peaches or plums for $1.88. I also like to buy bags of frozen blueberries to use in my baking. I have a strawberry patch but it hasn’t done very well the last 2 years so I have replanted it for next year. I have a blackberry and blueberry bush I planted last year so we haven’t gotten much off of them. I usually purchase our veggies at Aldi but currently I am using what is in my garden which is supplying us with zucchini, broccoli, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans and supplementing from the grocery store. I also have an herb garden that we are enjoying. I buy meat for no more than $2 a pound stock up on it and freeze. If I buy a large piece of meat I will have the butcher half it or slice it. I have an additional chest freezer that comes in handy. I make a lot of our breads and snacks homemade but also get some by purchasing on sale, and matching coupons. I cook from scratch using staple items and I try to stay away from pre-packaged convenience foods but keep a small amount on hand for meal emergencies by purchasing sale items, and matching coupons. I buy 2 gallons of milk for $1.99 each I will buy extra at the end of the week to make sure I have milk at that price for the next week. We drink tea, water, and juice if I can get it for $1 for a half gallon otherwise we just eat fruit.
http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/sweeps/promo.jhtml
coupons
http://www.glad.com/trashbags/forceflex.php
My biggest savings tip: Prepare! Know what is on sale and clip those coupons and take all the coupons with you to the store- organized so you can dig for the unadvertised specials at the store- more savings with less trips to the store. I prepare a list, put all the coupons I plan to use in an envelope and carry the rest of the coupons with me.. works like a charm! Today I saved $32.06 at the grocery store and spent a total of $27.09 for everything from meat to bakery items. My shopping is done for this week!
My second savings tip is to build a pantry with sales items for future use. I do not have to buy as much in the long run when I stock up on sales items! I have macaroni and cheese, noodles, canned food, and assorted sauces (like spaghetti, steak sauce, and condiments) in my pantry- all b/c of fabulous deals that I was able to purchase more items in one week and put them up for a rainy day. I find it cheap, convenient and fun!
For those of you not impressed with yesterday’s bologna in a bag” lunch, I hope I redeemed myself at dinner last night!
I’ve designated Mondays as “Mexican Mondays.” Life is so much more fun with alliteration. Last night’s menu was Taco Salad, cornbread and broccoli spears with dip. Most of the ingredients were leftover from last week (salad greens, cheese, salsa, broccoli) or already in the pantry (corn muffin mix). I had to buy tortillas ($1.50), fresh tomatoes ($.27) and ground turkey (free with Catalina). I always use ground turkey instead of beef because it’s leaner/healthier and greener (less energy to produce than beef). Last night’s grand total for a family of six: $1.87.
I learned something new yesterday. You can make taco “bowls” out of tortillas by making 3-inch balls out of wadded aluminum foil. Drape the tortillas and bake for 8 minutes in a 400 oven. The tortillas will mold around the balls to make a bowl. I had to play around with it a bit before I got a decent-looking bowl.
Since 65% of the dining experience is presentation, the kids and I tried to make a more festive atmosphere. We made flags of Mexico from construction paper and laminated them so we could use them as placemats each week. I couldn’t find a mariachi band, though.
By the way, I made that last statistic up. Feel free to use it.
If your family doesn’t eat the heels of your bread loaves, stick them in a freezer bag. These are perfect for making garlic bread or little pizzas, or you can grind them up in food processor for bread crumbs or even a topping on a casserole.
Try making as much as possible homemade. Cookies and cakes taste so much better when you prepare them from scratch. They are much cheaper to make and you control what you put in there. Convenience foods have a lot of preservatives and many have high fructose corn syrup. When I make bread I make 3 loaves at once and put 2 in the freezer. When I make cookies, which I am doing right now actually, I make a double batch and freeze 2/3 of it. The rest gets baked right.
Cut up and freeze onions and peppers. Then when you make chili, homemade sloppy joe, etc, you can just throw them in your pot. Buy in bulk and then Cook ground beef and chicken in 3/4 of a pound portions. Freeze and then throw into meals where you need one pound of either.
Hubby will be in charge of making dinners once I go to work in August (he got laid off in March and I had to find a job). I am going to continue to make meal plans each week. and I want to finish working on a master list of meals we eat with the main ingredients listed and hang this in the kitchen. Hopefully this will help him make dinner each day. Anyone have any other ideas that might work?
FRESH FRUIT & VEGTABLES
I buy most of my fresh fruits and vegetables from Aldi because they consistently have very low prices on these items.
FRESH MEAT
My favorite way to buy meat is to get the half-priced slightly older meat that looks nice and fresh. I freeze it and eat within a few months. I also will scan the grocery ads and buy meat that is only on sale for very cheap.
STAPLES
This is where I use my coupons like crazy! I stock up on healthy staples when they are super cheap or free with double and triple coupon events! I also always keep a lookout on closeout deals at the grocery store and try to use a coupon with these items because usually I can get these for free!
I look at everything that’s on sale. If Tuna is on sale, we eat lots of tuna that week.
Same with beans – you can make a ton of dishes from them.
You can make many healthy and simple recipes from “side” items. It’s the cuts of meat that really rack up a grocery bill.
Fabulous printable coupons for all kinds of things:
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10&bid=alk0714120718aaf3973a711214
WOW!! so much to read and so little time… We are having a Youth Conference at our church this week, but next week I want to read more about how everyone is doing. I think this is a great way to help us think about what we are spending and eating. I started a blog to keep up with my records.
http://grocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
My tip for today has already been mentioned, so I’ll add my recipe too.
Tip: Cook from scratch!!! SOO much healthier! I avoid high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils, so each week I make 5 loaves of bread and freeze a couple so they last. Here’s my recipe:
(I’ve adapted several recipes and this is what I came up with since it fits in my Bosch and 5 loaves fit in my oven)
5 1/4 C warm water
3 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs dough enhancer (totally optional, for years I didn’t use it)
1/2 C powdered milk
3/4 C olive oil
1/2 C honey
1 1/2 Tbs salt
9 C whole wheat flour
3-5 C more whole wheat flour.
Put water and yeast in bowl. Stir around. Add honey, powdered milk, oil. Mix. Add salt and gradually the 9 cups of flour. In my Bosch, I use the ‘pulse’ button so the flour doesn’t splat everywhere. I keep it on Speed 1 the entire time.
Slowly add 3-5 more cups of flour. When I use white whole wheat, it takes a little more (around 4 cups) than when I use hard red wheat. Mix for 8 minutes so the gluten can develop.
Oil 5 loaf pans. Shape dough, put in pans, let rise till the dough crests the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
DELICIOUS, healthy bread!!! And it freezes beautifully. Enjoy!
If you buy microwave popcorn there is a cheaper way! Brandy at The Prudent homemaker ( http://theprudenthomemaker.com/default.aspx ) commented on my blog last week saying that a cheaper way to do popcorn is to buy it in bulk at Sam’s Club. 50 pounds of kernels is about $16 but will last a long time. It does take some initial investment – like a popcorn popper (they have one at Target for $30) and a larg food-grade container for the kernels (she suggested a 6 gallon bucket), but in the long run, you will save a lot of money!!
Ok. Have to go cut the and freeze the 3 loaves of bread I made, get the homemade mac n cheese out of the oven and put the cookie dough that I flash froze in bags and in the big freezer. I will be posting my meals on my blog later. http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com
As a mom of five boys (really six with dad), one just born one week ago, I am always looking to save money and time. The boys love to shop with me and two of them love to shop for deals with coupons and all of them know if they ask for something not on sale they get a no from me.
I shop weekly after going through the ads and matching my huge book of coupons to the items that are the lowest price.
I actually stock my pantry and cook based on what we have to cook with that we have bought on sale. One of my boys loves to cook so I usually don’t have a problem cooking because he wants to help so bad and I love seeing that and teaching him things.
So, just clip coupons and match them to sales, that is my tip.
Today I am off to get strawberries that are $1 and we are going to make some strawberry jam. YUM!
Do you match up the coupons yourself? If so, that takes so much time! I use pinchingyourpennies.com (and it is free) and they match up the grocery adds, coupons and give them a rating based upon how good a deal it is. You should check into it – it saves me TONS of time!
I have really revised my grocery shopping in the last few months. Over the last couple of years, I would shop once a month at Albertsons. I could generally keep our budget (for my husband and I) at around $200 a month, but at the end of the month, our pantry was sadly COMPLETELY empty. I would choose recipes that looked good and buy items for those on our monthly trip, whether they were on sale or not, coupon or not.
When our son was born 10 months ago, I quit my job, so we tried to find even more ways to cut back. I knew I could work our grocery budget much better, so I started researching and figuring out a better way. I found a few local blogs that post grocery match-ups, rebates, coupon locations and ideas and freebies. I now have quite a few that I check every day, but a few local blogs are my favorite because their costs are very true to our area. I now shop 2-3 times a week, mostly at Albertsons. I get their weekly ad and try to combine weekly sales with coupons I have, with helps from local blogs for coupon locations. I started stockpiling when food was either super cheap or sometimes even free! I now plan meals around what we have in our fridge or freezer. I have a list in my purse of “stock up” prices on necessities, such as TP, paper towels and other items that don’t normally have coupons such as fresh meat and produce, this way I know I am getting a good price.
As for coupons, I get one Sunday paper delivered each week and can usually get two extra papers from my in-laws, who don’t use their coupons. If it is a particularly good week, I will buy an extra. I clip every coupon, whether I think I will use it or not. Sometimes combining rebates at drugstores like Rite Aid with a coupon, I can actually make money. I do still try to buy items that we will use, won’t expire and that we have room for. I do also buy money-making items that if we won’t use, I can give away (ie contact lens solution that my parents use). I NEVER buy something that I won’t use, I don’t feel that’s honest. Someone else out there needs that item and it’s not fair for me to take it off the shelf if it will only go to waste. I do find other coupons in local inserts in the mail, magazines, sending off for freebies that come with coupons, etc. I have gotten to know the local manager at Albertsons and he helps me out with coupons he has in store or points me towards some hidden sales. I have asked him his coupon policies so I know exactly what I am getting into when I go into the store. I don’t want to plan a trip that is either very cheap or free, and have it turn out that I can’t use once high value coupon that would throw off the whole thing. I always follow the rules and do not bend at all, I don’t feel like saving money by being dishonest is helping anyone. If this continues to happen, stores are going to crack down and make couponing more difficult for those honest folks like me.
By following these guidelines, we have saved SO much money. I still spend about the same per month (around $200), but we have a pantry and freezer that is literally bursting at the seams. I could stop buying anything but milk and produce for a month and we still wouldn’t run out! It’s not often that I splurge, but I do try to stock up on “treat” items, like soda and chips for my husband. I don’t want to become so compulsive that I never allow us to eat anything that we like. By saving money through our grocery budget, it has allowed us to put more money towards paying off our bills and becoming financially independent.
I only spend about $50 per week but we are alotted $100 as a family, should I try to spend more? How does this rate in scores for budgeting?
Sites I love:
The Bargain Shopper Lady http://www.bargainshopperlady.com
Money Saving Mom http://www.moneysavingmom.com
I have a few tips – pack lunch! My husband and I pack our lunches everyday, and I make lunched more fun by turning them into bento boxes (Japanese style boxes). I also make sure to prevent my laziness by stocking up some pre-made frozen items in the freezer. Right now, we have potato patties and mini meatloaves. I just bake them in our toaster oven for about 40 minutes, and as soon as dinner is over, I can pack them up for lunch tomorrow!
Another tip is I subscribe to thegrocerygame.com. I pay $10 per month for my Ralph’s store and at this point, we’ve saved $500 this year on groceries (unfortunately, some ethnic stores don’t tell me how much I’ve saved at the bottom of the receipt, so I can’t count those in).
And… the last one is to shop at ethnic markets! A friend of mine spent $30 on a teeny jar of ground cardamom to use in curry. At our local Persian market, a bag of ground cardamom is only $2 tops! It might be slightly intimidating at first but go slow and just take your time going down the aisles. Oftentimes, Asian markets sells fish and meat at a much lower price than regular grocery stores.
Oops… I guess the point of the comments is to help us keep track of the numbers too!
Yesterday was the first day… I went to Ralph’s for the weekly shopping trip and spent $10.51 on actual food and $3.25 on paper towels. For food, I got one jar of Skippy natural PB, 3 yellow onions, one gallon whole milk, one pint whipping cream (to make home-made ice cream for a church group dinner on Saturday), 3 shallots and 6 bottles of IBC root beer that was on clearance. We don’t drink soda (I’m type-1 diabetic lol!) but my husband and I like root beer and we were planning for a BBQ night in sometime this week, complete with grilled chicken and corn, yum! Root beer will be saved until then
This past weekend, I made a big batch of chow mein with beef strips, bell peppers and onions. A side dish is soy bean cake stuffed with ground pork and shrimp, and deep fried. We had some for dinner last night, lunch today and tonight’s dinner will finish it all off.
Happy savings
My tip for today
I cooked a turkey breast in the crockpot –made mashed potatoes and a salad mostly from our garden. We didn’t use half of the turkey. Tomorrow is turkey tacos with some of the shredded turkey with all the regular taco fixin’s. Cooking the turkey in the crockpot also gave me 6 cups of broth to use next week with the leftover turkey (turkey ‘n noodles anyone?). Three meals without much effort! I love my crockpot.
OK my tip is a wee bit off the main course.
I started extreme couponing 1.5 years ago when I realized after a move, job change (pay cut) and new house ( almost doule payment) we were going in the hole $300 – $400 a month!!
So I coupon well. I too have my own little store.
I have literally given away thousands of dollars worth of food.
OUr food budget a year ago was $400, not bad you say why is she whining… two simple words…..EIGHT kids!
yep $40 a MONTH per person. wesurvived I learned to better my bea making and with waching sales, stockpiling and cutting every coupon I find I do not have to live on oatmeal and pretzels. In fact we have not had pretzels in a whle cause they are rarely with a coupon. So Name brands are waaay cheaper for us.
My tip haveyour indulgences where you can fit then in. If you live so tight that you feel like you can not breathe, then you will slip and overspend under the presure. Decide where you need your indulgence modify it to make it cheap as possible, then allow it.
Hubby’s Diet Dr. Pepper in a bottle, he will buy then fom the gas station, so I try to keep him stocked at home with a large savings attached!! he pays $1.50 at the gas station. Four six packs for ten dollars is a good price here Quite the savings.
Mine, Iced venti latte……everyday. Yes I know I could make it at home. I have tried, doesn’t taste right I end up frustrated and grumpy.
And we know that if momma ain’t happy ain’t Nobody happy!! lol
so I have a discount card and use it everyday when I stop to tell the baristas “hi”
Allow the indulgences when you can, cause you know they can mess up a budget!!
Yesterday, I ate a breakfast taco from Schlotzsky’s for which I had a coupon and it was absolutely free. My husband and I both packed leftovers for lunch. My husband needed a snack between jobs so he stopped at McD’s for two cheeseburgers and spent $2.17. I made dinner from food I already had on hand.
Today, I went to Walgreen’s to take advantage of their cereal sale: General Mills cereal – $1.99 each plus I had a coupon for $1 off two, so I spent $3.98.
Total so far: $6.15.
When I decided to do this, I thought it would be fun and easy since I hardly ever spend more than $75 a week on groceries for me, my husband and my 9 year old. It is still fun, but I didn’t realize all the little extra things that we may buy over the course of a week.
Today I spent $29.76 at Aldi’s. The majority of things that I purchased, I put back for our upcoming vacation…yes, this challenge fell over our vacation, so I really needed to get creative! hahaha Meals today included:
Breakfast: Oatmeal/cereal with last of a few strawberries, sliced.
Lunch: Salad of baby greens w/ blue cheese, kiwi and glazed pecans (raspberry vinagairette dressing), sliced kohlrabi (garden), homemade bagel chips (daughter works in a donut shop and brings home the “leftovers” at the end of her shift ~ free) and individual low calorie pound cakes with pureed black cherries. (Hubby had a sandwich too…)
Dinner: Grilled ham and swiss flatbread sandwiches and iced tea – used a gift card.
Snack: will be fruit sorbet…don’t know which flavor yet
One of the keys for me is to always have a well stocked pantry and freezer. I keep an inventory list hanging on my freezer so I know what I have. Creative substitutions are always fun too. Like today, I wanted to have blueberries on my salad for lunch, but didn’t have any, so had to sub kiwi. I did end up purchasing blueberries from Aldi’s today though!
Today is the second day of the Food Challenge. I can see from reading a lot of the different blogs that some of us have the same ideas of stockpiling sale items, having a freezer, couponing etc. The savings really do add up and I have enjoyed reading the tips. Where we live there is no double or triple coupons which I use to do years ago. Really miss it!! Also if it’s something that you can’t use but get it for free it could be donated to Food Banks, Churches, Women’s Shelters etc. Nowadays they can use all the donations for there is so many people in need. Since we are retired we sometimes eat 3 times a day and other times twice a day. This morning we had eggs, bacon, grits, toast and oj. In the evening I made Chicken Wings which I get when they have them B1G1F for it’s two bags for $9.99. One bag is enough for us with leftovers for lunch the next day or a leftover night of cleaning out the refrigerator. With the chicken wings I fixed fried potatoes since I had the Fry Baby out. We use Canola Oil. Then I sliced a tomato, cucumber and avocado to go with it. With the leftover tomato I diced it up and put it in the soup bowl that I keep in the freezer. This was all the stuff we had on hand. I did a little shopping for I stopped at CVS to pick up a gallon of milk for $2.79 but had a coupon from last week that I got for buying 2 bottles of Dawn Detergent $1.00 each using two 25 cents coupons which made them 75 cents each. When you bought the milk it generated another $1.00 coupon which I can use the next time I stop in. Sometimes looking at the Drug Store circulars the food items is cheaper than the stores. Then I went on to Walgreens where they had Swanson Chicken Broth 2 cans for $1.00 Limit 4, Geisha Mushrooms 2 for $1.00 limit 4, Walgreens Spring Water 24 pack $2.99. When I have enough leftover chicken and vegetables I generally make a pot of soup in the crockpot so I always keep chicken broth on hand. Also this is when I take some over to the neighbors to share for they are elderly and it gives her a break from cooking. Whenever I make a lot or have extras I take them some as well as freeze for a night that I don’t want to do major cooking. The mushrooms we add a can to a jar of spaghetti sauce, browned ground meat and italian sausage along with a can of diced tomatoes. This always stretches out to having guests over for dinner or freezing extra for another night. So those two items go to the stockpile for when I need them. The cases of water I generally try to get on sale for under $4.00 for being in hurricane season I try to get it on hand in case we need it. Also we take it with us when we travel to the stores or go somewhere like vacations, doctor’s office etc. for it’s a lot cheaper than buying it at the convenience store or at the vending machine. Then I picked up a gallon of orange juice for $2.50 before the sale goes off for my other half likes it every morning with breakfast.. I have spent so far this week $27.11 leaving $22.89 for the rest of the week. It’s a good thing my freezer is full with meat and vegetables as well as my cupboards for generally we have about two to three months of food on hand. But I need to thin it out some during this time of the year.
I tend to stockpile when there are really good sales (sales with coupons I should say). I am at the grocery store (well, several different stores) a few times a week and only walk out with the good deals and possibly milk and bread each week. We tend to not freeze much meat as my husband prefers it fresh so I plan my meals around the meat that is on sale for the best prices each week. We also have the already-frozen chicken breast (also a good sale that I stocked up on) in the freezer for times when the meat sales are not good enough for me to get fresh meat each night. We have triple coupon events here pretty frequently so I get a large majority of my side items and condiments for free or nearly free when those come around. Also, we are big fruit and veggie eaters here so aside for frozen veggies that we stay stocked on when good deals hit and beer rebates/winetags for produce, I participate in a produce co-op every two weeks. I get a huge variety of fruits and vegetables and work those into my meals each night. I don’t have to buy much, if any at all, produce at the grocery store where it is much higher priced.
I think the longer you are a coupon shopper, the better eye you have for a good deal. Even though items go on sale often, I am starting to get better about knowing when it’s a deal I want or if I want to wait it out for a better deal for the same item. Buy one, get one free items combined with coupons are almost as fun for me as the triple coupon events we have here!
We had chicken parm for dinner tonight. I had a loaf of garlic bread in the freezer that I had bought for $.89 a few weeks ago. My small family doesn’t eat the whole loaf, so I made croutons out of the remaining slices. I just cubed them up added a little spray butter, garlic salt, and onion powder and toasted them in our toaster oven until crispy. They taste awesome! I usually do this with whole wheat bread to have healthier croutons, but I didn’t want the garlic bread to go to waste.
Here are some other things I do that are simple, healthy, and cheap:
-freeze bananas when they start to go bad. Don’t even have to put them into a freezer bag, just leave them in the peels. I use them later to make banana bread (with 100% whole wheat flour) or banana smoothies
-put all my leftover veggies and beans into a “soup pot” in the freezer
-I make apple sauce. Whenever I find a bag of apples marked down because they are bruised, I snatch them up and make apple sauce. Just peel, core, and slice them up. Then put them into a pan with some water on the stove and simmer until mushy. You can add cinnamon or nutmeg or suger if you like.
-I made my own baby foods too. The very easiest is banana and avocado. I didn’t realize with my first child that all you have to do is mash those too foods up and they become baby food. All you need is a fork! So easy!
-I make and freeze my own biscuits. Whenever I find buttermilk marked down, I make up a batch of biscuits and put them in the freezer. You can freeze them cooked or just the dough. I use whole wheat flour when I make them.
As far as cooking healthy goes, I have found that you can substitute whole wheat flour for white flour in almost all recipes without much problem. I even made a pound cake for the 4th with half whole wheat flour. It was yummy!
I am a stay at home mom so i have plenty of time to cook every single day but still i cook a los of food in advance like boiling chicken and another idea is just to prepare food and let it ready just for bake
i make a mexican lasagna and put every thing tortillas, salsa, meat and cheese and then cover the dish an put it in the freezer so next week just put it in the oven.
We ate vegetable soup yesterday and chicken noodle soup today, lol this is soup week but my stepson doesn’t like soup every single night so tomorro is chicken, salad ( curtido) and rice.
I found a lot of vegetables on sale cauliflower and cabbage for $.99(+ i have carrots and onions). SO I make curtido, is a latin america salad just slice everything and cook it on a little olive oil or bleach it in boiling water and the put some vinegar and some oregano, what i do is mix the vinegar with some jalapenos juice , yep we like it hot. and is yummy but is better 2 o3 days later.
No money spent today, which is great considering we were at the ball park most of the day (6 hours at baseball games throughout the day!) All it took was a little planning. Instead of relying on the “snack shack,” we took our own snacks: Yesterday’s donuts and cold water bottles in the morning, and grapes, beef jerky, and fresh cold water bottles in the afternoon.
We had a mid-day break, which allowed me to run home and re-stash the snack stash!. It also gave us a chance to have lunch (Oscar Meyer hot dogs that I got for free last month and have stockpiled in my chest freezer), and start on dinner. I knew we wouldn’t be back home until after 6, and that we would be hungry, so I pulled some cooked, shredded pork out of the freezer to thaw out. When we got home after the last game, all I had to do was reheat the pork, add BBQ sauce, and voila’….pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. It is one my family’s favorite meals. While the meat was reheating, I cooked up a package of Knorr Rice and Veggie sides, and sliced up some melon. Great summertime dinner without a lot of hassle.
My tip is to have a deep freezer, if possible, and make it work for you. Cook double meals when you can, and freeze the excess in meal-sized portions. Stock up on meat and other freezable items when they are on sale, and keep the extra in the freezer. Starting tomorrow at my local Albertson’s store, boneless pork ribs are only .99/lb. That is a HOT HOT price. I usually buy a few large packages of these when they are this low! (I actually won’t be buying any this sale, because last month I “bought” a ton of pork ribs for free when I found a bunch of beer company coupons good for $3 off pork, no other purchase required. I used 20 of these coupons and got $60 worth of various cuts of pork for FREE!)
ANYWHO….When I get home from buying a ton of pork ribs, I put all of the pork ribs in my 9×13 stoneware pans, cover them with foil, and bake them on a low temp. for AT LEAST 4 hours. After they cool, I put them in gallon freezer bags in meal size portions. Then, I dump a bottle of BBQ sauce over them (I have about 60 bottles of BBQ sauce in my food storage that were either FREE or .25 each , depending on the brand!), label and freeze. To prepare, I thaw, reheat, add BBQ sauce as desired, and serve on a bun. YUM!
My kids have a swimm meet tomarrow witch lasts about 6 hours not including driving time to away meets. We usualy take some snaks and drings and then buy a few things from the concession that the home team runs. We may still buy some because the money goes to the team, but I’m going to try to watch it by making sure I have enough food.
I stopped at convienent today for lunch meat . Convienent’s deli sales almost always beat kroger and walmart. today I bought a pound of butterball turkey breast (3.99 before 1.00 off cupon) and a pound of swiss ( $2.49). my grand total was $5.36 for meat and cheese and I have weat bread in the freezer from when it was marked down to .79 cents a loaf.
Also, if any of you buy mac and cheese the 5 packs curently have a cupon for a free craft salad dressing.
I had to stop by publix again. I was mainly going there to get another gas card ($50 one for $40 this week) but I was out of luck.
So I got:
2murell pastas: $1.29 B1G1 used $1 coupon
6Huggies washes: $3.29 B1G1 Used 3 B1G1 coupons ( free, paid only tax)
I dont have kids but a body wash is a body wash even the babies one… hehe.. My DH and I use the buddies soap for now ( It was free from walmart)
I also stopped at Long john silver in the way back and I got my free taco for lunch.
I shopped at walmart as well. I got 12 Hefty zip bags for free ( They are priced at $1 and I got a lot of the $1 coupons)
I also got 5 packs of the popsicle ( Priced at $1 and I had 5 of the $1 coupons from the family is its own reward book)
I paid $1.02 in taxes.
Hey Zina – How do you get the $50 gas card for $40 dollars? Thanks – Barbara
This week there was a coupon at Publix Ad for the BP and shell gas cards. The coupon was for $10 off any $50 gift card * BP or Shell. I already got 2 of them and I went back today to get more but the store was out of them. The manager offered me a rain check for up to 5 gift cards. So that’s $50 saving on gas. It was a great deal because the gift card is good for up to one year and the savings was 20%.
I will go back on saturday and buy the gift cards.
July 15th menu:
Ok, today is Arby’s day.
I will buy two drinks $1.49 each and I will get two sandwiches. This does not sound enough right?
I have my two receipts from last week, and I called the 800 number and did the survey. So I will use my two receipt to get 2 free beef and cheddar..
Now we have:
Two drinks
Two roast beef
Two beef and cheddar
For just $2.98
I will get a value fries as well for a $1. I tell my DH that we will split it… but i eat most of it.. hehe
We will have the sara lee apple pie for dessert ( I got these a while ago from publix for $0.69 per pie after sale and coupon)
Breakfat:
cereals for DH and I, DH will also take and egg and cheese sandwich to work with him ( frozen, and I still have some 20 of them in the freezer)
Lunch:
Chicken wrap for DH ( Yes, the left over from that previous chicken salad made it to the chicken wrap. I used about 1/20 of my head of lettuce and voila lunch is ready) water to drink
I will have digiorno flat bread pizza( was free after the mailed coupon, We got 4 coupons and used them all in one trip to publix)
I might have to make a trip to publix again tomorrow:
I was thinking about getting some thing that will give me overage and apply it toward some fruits and fresh veggies.
I am another stockpiler. Have been for years. I have a large menu of meals that I keep most of the ingredients for (minus fresh items) on hand all the time. I stock my pantry and kitchen cupboards from the storage room and then re-stock the storage shelves from my shopping.
I also use my cookbooks and cook a good deal from scratch. Prior planning keeps this from being a chore. My freezers get LOTS of use.
I use coupons and watch sales but only buy what we will eat. It isn’t a deal if it isn’t something we routinely will use.
We don’t get double coupons in my area so I keep a price book, know which stores have the lower prices on items I frequently use, purchase store brands and keep trips to the store a minimum. If I’m spending more in gas than I’m saving at the store, it isn’t a savings.
Our garden is producing well at the moment. I will be bottling salsa to add to our storage next week (not to mention making fresh daily!), our apricots are about ready for picking. I’ll be making jam, dehydrating some and we’ll barter and/or sell the rest of fruit to the neighbors.
Shopping day will be Thursday this week….
I just updated my blog tonight since I won’t be home much tomorrow. I plan to spend some money tomorrow to get a few groceries for menu items coming up and do some errands. We’ll be having Chinese ribs for dinner which cook in the crock pot for 6 hours, so I’ll be loving coming home to dinner after shopping all day!
I’m loving the challenge so far. Lots of great food and I’m actually enjoying blogging, which I didn’t think I would.
Happy day number 3!
thanks for the Arby’s reminder! Breakfast will be cereal again (usually is during the week) and I’m hitting Arby’s for lunch now
Supper tonight is at our church picnic-totally free and catered-yum! My kids are excited about all the carnival type games but I’m really excited for the free food LOL!
In addition to coupon use with on sale items, limit sugar. Sticking to basics- whole grains, fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, milk- versus any processed and prepared foods saves so much money, and is great for your overall health. With four kids, snacks are a must! Use fresh fruit instead of fruit snacks, carrots and peppers instead of chips, etc.
Day 1 and Day 2:
Day 1
-Breakfast: Yogurt and Banana – $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 7/10/2009)
-Daily Pot of Coffee: $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased on sale 7/3/2009)
- Lunch: Lean Cuisine Pasta Romano with Bacon ($0.00 stockpiled supplies purchased 7/3/2009)
-Afternoon Snack: Fruit salad – $0.00 (leftovers from fruit salad made for 7/12/2009 barbecue)
-Dinner: Mixed Greens & Salad Dressing – $0.00 (stockpiled dressing purchased on sale 7/3/2009, greens, etc. purchased 7/10/2009)
-Veggie Burger on Arnold Sandwich Thin – $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 7/3/2009)
-Evening Snack: 1 bag light microwave popcorn – $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 7/10/2009)
Total cost for 7/13/2009: $0.00
Day 2
- Breakfast: Cereal and Banana – $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 6/2009 and 7/10/2009)
- Daily Pot of Coffee: $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased on sale 7/3/2009)
- Lunch: Mexican Turkey Wrap ($0.00 stockpiled supplies purchased 7/3/2009)
- Afternoon Snack: – $0.00 ()
- Dinner: Mixed Greens & Salad Dressing – $0.00 (stockpiled dressing purchased on sale 7/3/2009, greens, etc. purchased 7/10/2009)
- Leftover Mexican Lasagna – $0.00 (Cooked 7/3/2009 and single serving portions frozen)
Leftover fruit salad from 7/12/2009
- Evening Snack: 1 bag light microwave popcorn – $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 7/10/2009)
Total cost for 7/14/2009: $0.00
I’m so excited, I just created a blog for the challenge! I’ve never blogged before so this is pretty cool LOL! I’m going to write my menus, tips, and what we spend on groceries/eating out. If anyone is really bored, check it out LOL
http://thriftylivingmama.wordpress.com/
Here’s source for planning/saving on groceries for people that live near Meijer stores. Go to meijer.com and scroll down the page until you get to the Meijer mealbox section. After clicking on this, you can plan your meals from their recipe list and it will also tell you if any of the ingredients are on sale and if there is a store coupon available! You can use the store coupon along with a manuf. coupon to increase your savings!
Now that’s what I call “strategic shopping”!
Happy savings everyone!
Like most, I too am a couponhead. I use pinchingyourpennies.com which is a free service and AWESOME! I don’t know how I could save any more money even with a service that I would have to pay for. So check it out. Also, here are some of my tips:
1. Got ripe bananas. Don’t let them go to waste! I made 2 loaves of banana bread yesterday and my kids ate it up. Today for breakfast we will use more for a fruit smoothie which only includes a banana, yogurt and milk. Or if you don’t have time to use those too ripe bananas, peel them, put them in a ziploc bag and freeze them until you have time! Don’t let them go to waste!
2. Freezer meals are a HUGE help everyone has said. Yesterday I completely forgot I was supposed to take a meal to a neighbor that just had a baby. 2 hours before dinner time I remembered and pulled out a freezer meal and pulled it off! Thank goodness for freezer meals for when I’m in a bind of time or even when I’m not in the mood to cook.
3. I buy cheese when it is super cheap, shred it in the food processor and freeze it in gallon bags. That way I never run out and have to buy cheese when it isn’t on sale.
4. Garden – I tried my hand at square foot gardening this year and LOVE it! So if you don’t have much space for a garden – there is a solution. I have planted a ton of things with only 5 garden boxes in not much space. And if you don’t like weeding – this IS the SOLUTION. I have pulled about 2 weeds versus about 15 hours of weed pulling in the garden.
5. Homemade yogurt. When I have extra milk I won’ be using or have lots because of sales, I make homemade yogurt for smoothies, cooking, or even yogurt popsicles which the kids LOVE.. This way I KNOW what we are eating and that it is super healthy.
6. Homemade bread – I’ll make an extra batch of whole wheat bread or rolls and freeze it to save for the next time I want bread.
Tami, how do you make homemade yogurt? I’ve never heard of doing this before!
Not Tami, but I make homemade yogurt by using this crockpot recipe
http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-yogurt-in-your-crock-pot.html
Once I’ve made the yogurt, I normally strain 2-3 cups of it overnight in cheese cloth. I then use the liquid whey for soaking grains and flavor the resulting yogurt cheese for dips and spreads. Just saw a recipe today for using yogurt cheese to make the stuffing for pasta shells.
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
Thanks for the crockpot recipe! That is awesome!
I bought a yogurt maker last year and use it once in awhile. BUT I didn’t know before I bought it that you don’t even need a yogurt maker. I’ve heard of people making it in their ovens and now crock pot – thanks for the ideas! My mom made it all the time growing up in a yogurt maker and we use to think it was so cool as kids. Anyway, here is my recipe for the yogurt maker:
4 cups milk
14/ to 1/2 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt or yogurt starter
1. In a saucepan, combine milk and dry milk, heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to just below the boiling point. DO NOT ALLOW MILK TO BOIL. Remove milk from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm.
2. Add plain yogurt or starter to lukewarm milk mixture and mix thoroughly. DO NOT BEAT OR WHIP.
3. Pour mixture in each yogurt cup,turn on the yogurt maker and process for 8 to 10 hours.
4. Remove yogurt jars and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
SO I’ve tried to use made non-fat dry milk made up for the milk – doesn’t work with this recipe. I know there is one out there somewhere to use it to help rotate your non-fat dry milk in food storage. If you want to make yogurt, google homemade yogurt and you will find how to make it without a maker – good luck!
Yesterday, I spent absolutely nothing on food. I had kids in the car to go to their summer programs, so I made sure to bring snacks and drinks to appease their neverending hunger and thirst. It seems my kids always get hungry in the car, no matter how short the trip might be! Having snacks available is a necessity for my family. My kids know the routine when they ask for a snack at home. Instead of the usual request, they ask, “Mom, can I have a healhty snack please?” A healthy snack is always okay in our house. The options include apples, oranges, raisins, or dried cranberries. During the summer, there are always other fruit options like cut melons, grapes, and nectarines. Boy are the nectarines juicy and sweet this week!! Another habit I’ve gotten used to doing is separating a big box of snacks into individual portions using sandwich baggies right when I put the box into the pantry. It makes our snack purchases last longer than if the kids just help themselves to a bowl-full. I try to purchases snacks that are relatively low in sugar and low in fats.
Yes, I am with you Carol on the stockpiling of food. I bought tilapia filets this week & will have those for awhile. We’re still eating our beef from months ago!
I’ve been working on my husband’s birthday cake today, and I took out the fancy cocoa powder and buttermilk, and saved some $. It looks yummy!
Fudgy Chocolate Cake
3/4 c. butter
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares
1 1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. baking powder
Cream butter and eggs with sugars with an electric mixer. Melt the chocolate squares and add in along with vanilla. Pour in some of the flour and cocoa to mix, alternating with milk until both are blended into the cake batter. Add baking soda & powder. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for 9-inch pans, 45 minutes to an hour for a fluted tube pan. (I covered mine with aluminum foil for more even baking)
Frosting:
Melt 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips, add 1/4 c. butter
Stir in 4 oz. sour cream and 2 1/4 c. powdered sugar
PS…How can we get photos in our little boxes instead of the quilt squares?
My Day 2 meals and pictures are up on my blog – http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com/2009/07/all-you-grocery-challenge-daily-roundup_15.html
I also had a request for the bread recipe I use, so I posted it here: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com/2009/07/sandwich-bread-recipe.html
I also have a list of All You participants’ blogs. If you have a blog where you are keeping track of your spending for the challenge, check to see if yours is on there. There was so many, that it would have been easy to miss a few. If I forgot your blog, please leave me a comment letting me know with the blog address. Here is the link: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com/2009/07/words-of-week-wednesday-715.html
So happy went to store today with a grocery list a first and only got those items on the list. Sorry to say that I didnt have any coupons gonna work on that went to a couple websites yesterday but didnt see the coupons I needed. Is there a place to go and type in the coupon you want for a certian item????? I am happy to say when I do go to the store I will always leave spending at least 60.00 and today only spent 14.85 thanks to all you for your wonderful suggestions.
Couponing takes time- Collecting them is a major part! Not everything has a coupon online, but they may have had one in the paper in the last month, in a home mailer, a store booklet, or a tearpad somewhere! Its a LOT to keep up with.
Here is my tip for you: Go to hotcouponworld.com. You will see a button that says “coupon database”. There, you can literally type in the product you are looking for, and see if there are any current coupons out. From there you can try to acquire the coupon. From that specific site, you would have to register and become a “trader in training” in order to trade for the coupon. I hope this helps you (and others!)!
you can also try coupontom.com you can just list a brand and it will show you all the coupons from that brand. You can also try ebay stores for coupons for products you use a lot of. I have gotten coupons for babyfood and papertowels there – usually $2 (includes s&h) for 10-20 coupons. And usually they have a deal where if you buy more than one set, you get shipping free.
I don’t know that I’m adding additional information at this point, but I am at least adding to the length of this post.
-Coupons and on sale is the magic combination
-Meal planning based on sales and pantry inventory
-Cut and package fresh veggies (carrots, cucumber, celery, etc) and fruit for on the go snacks and easy to compile work day lunches.
-Reuse my snack size baggies for the veggies from day to day.
-Bread machine–whole wheat bread with no preservatives or other junk for less than $3 a loaf!
-Freeze large quantities of leftovers for no fuss meals later when I’m running short of time.
-Make full recipes for my household two–leftovers are for lunch, dinner or the freezer.
-Try to cook meat that can be repurposed into a second and different meal.
-Look at what everybody else is doing. Talk to my girlfriends and check the web to see what the hot deals are for the week.
It’s summer, so that means that every morning I’m wakened before dawn by some kid whispering in my ear, “Mommy, I’m hungry. What can I eat?” Why do they even ask? The answer is always the same: “cereal.” They self-serve, I get extra sleep.
Oops. I went down to the kitchen today and realized that the kids were using vats as their cereal bowls. Seriously, these bowls are huge. I think they were made in giant-land. The kids fill the bowls to the rim with cereal and milk. Worse, they only eat half of it. We probably wasted a ½ box of cereal today.
So, my money-saving tip #2 is: Hide the feeding troughs and use smaller bowls.
hahaha!
Here are my tips for the day:
1. Find a bread outlet! If you dont have time or the talent to bake bread (although I would argue both
) see if you can find a bread outlet in your area. In Kettering, Ohio I used to shop at the Wonderbread outlet. They had everything from white bread to Hodgeson Mill whole grain millet. It was all less than half of retail value. They also had some kind of bonus card…was it $1 off for every $10 spent? Nice little bonus. You should also check your local thrift store or Goodwill. They will often times sell breads for under $2 a loaf. I have been able to buy and freeze lots of wheat bread and flours this way!
2. Have a stockpile trade! Gather up all the things you might not be able to use by the expiration date and get together at a friend’s house to swap. Invite all the couponers you know, and just trade item/item. So if you just have too many boxes of rice laying around- Trade for some shaving cream! Its a great way to save. And hang out with the girls…bottles of wine always seem to sneak into these parties
3. Buy local. This applies to both produce and meats. While the prices may be slightly higher than what you are seeing in the grocery store, you are getting a superior product, and you just may end up spending less overall. Local produce wins the nutrition test because it has been picked close to peak, rather than picked green. Produce with large pesticide loads are most commonly from out of the country, and you usually can find farmers market produce that uses little or no pesticides without paying the price of Organics. Grass fed local beef is also more nutritional, contains less fat, and you can see at the farm how the animals were treated. Go in on a whole cow with some friends- And you can get a mixture of ground beef to london broil for only $4 or less a pound. And you’re supporting the community!
3. Cast Iron skillet- These are great, nearly indestructible pans. They cook food evenly, AND you get a great added bonus of extra iron in your diet. I had a doctor recommend this one to me! And more iron in your diet means more energy…for gardening and couponing
4. Drink water. Dont waste you time and money on high calorie not so good for you juices and beverages. Water is practically free, and the bomb.
5. BUDGET- Track your spending for a month or two and see what you are spending in each area. Write down how much you expect to spend in the next month, subtracting each area from your expected income, and keep your spending within the numbers you write down!!! Take out CASH and challenge yourself to spend even less. Then you can redeposit that money to go toward debt, retirement, college funds- Or if you must, a night out on the town. Check out Daveramsey.com and look for his budgeting tools. You’ll be glad you did.
6. Here are some great books I recommend:
a. “The Complete Tightwad Gazette” by Amy Dacyczyn: rethink spending money, learn great ways to “do it yourself” and “make it yourself”. Get your post it notes ready!
b. “Frugal Gourmet” series from Jeff Smith- Learn to make nutritious meals for pennies a day
c. “The Use It Up Cookbook” by Catherine Kitcho- creative ideas for making leftovers into new meals
7. Website- Hillbillyhousewife.com- a quick (free) reference site on how to “make your own ____”. Not always the healthiest, but very useful!
8. Make your own jam- Without cooking/canning! The Ball Canning Co just came out with something called “freezer jam pectin” that you can use to make your own fruit jams. I bought a basket of strawberries, tossed them (washed and topped) into my kitchen aid mixer with a cup of organic cane sugar and turned it on- With the whipping attachment, on slow. When the berries turned a nice liquidy but still chunky consistency, i mixed in a packet of this pectin. I then poured the mixture into the freezer jars, let set for 30 minutes, and froze. SO EASY! And no cooking, high fructose corn syrup, or mystery ingredients. Just local grown, homemade goodness. Lasts in the freezer for up to a year, in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. I think you can find it at Walmart and Kmart for less than $2 a packet.
Im loving this challenge! But what does one week end and the other start, per the offical rules? I dont know when to shop!
This is my first time blogging so bear with me. I have clipped coupons since I was a little girl helping my mom shopped. My oldest son is now helping me. It is a fun challenge. I usually shop on Thursday after the ads come out on Wed. If the chains don’t have good specials, I go to Aldi. This time of year is good because of all the fresh produce available. My in laws grow tomatoes, cantaloupe, green beans, peas, butter beans, cucumbers, cranberry beans and squash that we use as well as put in the freezer or can. I am also a horder so I will probably use a lot of stuff that I have already bought on sale.
Okay, it is day 3 of the challange, and here is my first post. I work full-time 3 12 hour days, so I worked monday and tuesday, so I didn’t cook or go shopping. Sunday I decided to make a double batch of tuna cass. so there would be something for my husband, who doesn’t work mondays to fee the four starving kids. My husband doesn’t like to cook, so I’ve learned to plan ahead easy things so that the kids don’t eat cereal for all their meals. I also had made lasagna towards the end of the week so there would be leftovers for him and me to take to work.
My downfall at work is to just go and get something from the cafeteria downstairs, it gets me off the floor for a bit, and it gives me a little break, so I had to pack my lunch and really focus on not leaving for the snacks or lunch. Works food is good, but not amazing, what is amazing is it usally costs me $6-$8 for something that isn’t really that great. I set the coffee maker up the night before because my big downfall is a latte in the morning for four bucks, so I decided to treat myself later in the week with that. I also made homemade muffins that I ate for breakfast cause I like a scone or muffin with my latte, and well you can imagine that gets pricey. I also made the muffins because I’m tired of the kids eating 15-20 dollars worth of cheap cereal, yes those crazy 4 kids eat that like it’s nothing.
Went grocery shopping today and spent close to $70 dollars but that should keep us for the next 2 weeks except for milk. I made two taco pies for my husband and I to have for lunches since he works this week, and I work the weekend, cut em up and packaged them for grab and go ease! Fed the kids mac and cheese, two cheap boxes for lunch, I would have made them real mac n cheese, but they don’t like it….they are kids! I bought a turkey breast my big splurge for the week, since we are driving across state to my parent’s house and are taking them dinner tomorrow, will make mashed potatoes and homemade bread and use the stockpile of last season’s canned veggies. So far so good, lets see if next week goes as well, since we will be out of town for 3days on vacation…….If anybody has cheap ways to eat on vacation let me know.
Hey Amy,
I’m also going out of town w/my BFF at the end of the month.
Yay, road trip! Here are some ways that I like to save money on food for my family when we go on vacation (and yes I totally follow my own advice when I go out of town)
•Find hotels that offer complimentary breakfast (one meal down – free) If the hotel doesn’t come w/a complimentary breakfast don’t eat there. The prices are way too high and you can usually go around the corner to a diner for ½ the price.
•Bring a cooler w/ice for drinks – We actually take the ice from our freezer vs. buying a bag.
•Pack quick and easy snack foods that you can hold – I like to use reusable sandwich bags like wrap-n-mat. They are great because after you’ve finished eating you can collapse them down and put them in your purse or bag. Bringing your own snack foods is great for when you are out and about w/out having to make pits stops at those overpriced places –and of course they are great for your midnight snacks.
•Know where you’re going before you get there. Go online and find restaurants that are in your price range. When my family and I (hubby and three kids) would go on vacation before it seemed that we could never find a reasonably priced meal anywhere. I learned that by doing a little research beforehand we were able to save hundreds of dollars. If we are going to spend money on our vacation I’d rather it be on an activity we will all enjoy and remember
•If there is a special restaurant that you are dying to try – go for lunch vs. dinner. The prices are generally ½ of what the dinner prices are.
These are just some of the things that we do when we go on vacation. I hope it helps!
Also, call around the restaurants in the town you are visiting, and see if you can find “kids eat free” places. If you can’t choose which restaurant to go to, this is a great deciding factor! That is, if you’re kids are this young.
Thanks for all the tips, I’m going to start looking for the free breakfast hotels in just a few minutes….love it!
Today is really screwing up my plans. The landlord finally decided to FIX the sewage problem (he would just use a snake and wait for it to start backing up again instead of fixing it the right way) so we can’t use the water. We can get water out, but we can’t put anything down the drain. This makes meals harder. Makes doing my dishes even more harder.
We have a person coming tomorrow at 2:30 to evaluate our little guy’s speech to see if he needs a weekly specialist coming in. So, I am hoping they get our water going before then! I have a bunch of dishes to do from yesterday because I baked – ended up with a pretty good headache last night.. uuuggghh. If I had known we wouldn’t be able to use the water today, I would have done them all last night, headache and all. Oh, plus we have tons of water on the basement floor and all that will have to be cleaned up right away. uugghhh.
I am tempted to go have hubby run over and get a sheet pizza for $16 (this will feed us all and give us leftovers for tomorrow). We’ll see what happens. I am trying so hard to be good, but things that are out of my control keep hindering my efforts.
I start work on the 27th of July! Yeah! When I got the job she said it could be as late as August 17th so I am happy that it is actually earlier than she thought it would be. We can definitely use the money! Hubby will be staying home with the kids, so I have a lot to do in the next week and a half to get him domesticated! lol. I am going to have him sit down with me and we will come up with a list of meals that he would like to add to our master list (I have about 30 on there right now). There are things that he won’t want to make I am sure. He is more of the grilling type. I may actually end up doing a lot in the crockpot, just so he doesn’t end up costing us a fortune. We shall see.
Ok. I am off fold clothes and sweep and mop the kitchen (with the wetjet) since I can’t use the water to do dishes. I will post later about the food we ate and how much we spent (if any).
Hey Lisette,
Uggh I know how you feel – I think we all have those days. If you are going to send hubby for pizza get a frozen one from the grocery store – way cheaper and you may even have a coupon
Actually one frozen pizza isn’t enough for us anymore. We are a family of 5 and now my little ones are getting older and wanting more than one piece. So we would have to buy at least 2 – that’s over $10. So, actually a sheet pizza at $16 is a pretty good deal, because we will all get a few pieces tonight plus have enough for lunch tomorrow.
So, yeah we ended up going with the pizza. No running water is not a good thing. They turned the water completely off so I couldn’t even use any water, let alone put any down the drain. Definitely hampers the grocery budget. But we will have the pizza for lunch tomorrow, so we really get at least two meals out of it. Not really bad for a family of 5. We will hopefully be back to being able to not spend any extra money tomorrow.
I use coupons quite a bit. My goal is to save at least 50%- average. I shop at sam’s for items like cheese and sometimes meats. I can get 5 lb. block of cheese for less than $10- Pretty good deal, and it taste great!!!
I usually shop off a list matched with q’s and sales, but I do not menu plan. I eat what I am in the mood for most of the time…. But I might try to plan a few meals a week… starting next week seeing as this week is unusual. (Youth Conference)
Here is a link to my bog. It is pretty boring this week, but next week I hope to have menus, recipies, and shopping trips of course.
http://grocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
Hey everyone! This challenge is a blast. I am posting my menus for each day on my blog – here is a link to my post about what we ate on Days 1 and 2, if anyone wants to say “Hi”:
http://wontbesoonbeforelong.blogspot.com/2009/07/grocery-challenge-meals-days-1-and-2.html
A garden with lots of variety is key to saving money. Ours is maybe 10′ X 15′, which would be large for some with little space. But we also have a lot of raised gardens to help deal with animals, since we are in a rural setting. But a raised garden could work for anyone. We use old tractor tire rims, old metal wash buckets, used water buckets with holes in them, and even plastic buckets with broken handles.
The fresh food is easy to incorporate into meals and keeps us eating more healthy.
Today is Day 3. Today we are eating everything we have on hand. Breakfast-english muffin, oatmeal, banana, oj. Lunch Leftover Wings, Fries & a peach. Dinner will be pepper steak for I have bell pepper, onions & steak on hand. Did spend $5.61 which totals to $32.72 leaving $17.28 for the rest of the week. Had to go get diabetic strips at Walmart so got a bottle of coffee cream for $1.63 for in the morning I have two cups of coffee. Since Publix has been doing the BP & Shell $50.00 gas card with a $10.00 coupon in their sales circular I have been going by there picking the $50.00 gas card for $40.00. They will come inhandy for vacation. So while I was there I picked up a jar of McCormick Black Peppercorn for we were out but noticed after I went through the sales there is a B1G1F offer starting tomorrow there. Oh well!!! I will pick a couple of extras up. Also got the package of 3 romaine hearts for $1.99 which I will make Caesar Salad on Saturday when we have company since that is a good buy. I spent $3.98 there. Now I have the 3 different grocery store sales for two of them came in the mail today so will go over them making my list and seeing if I can combine coupons. Think I may stay in my limit of $50.00 this week-stockpiling sure does help!!! Have really enjoyed reading the different blogs. On to day 4 of week 1 tomorrow!!!
Did my first bartering yesterday. I traded some yellow squash from my garden for some beautiful poblano peppers. So tonight we will be having homemade tomato soup (made with our tomatoes) and my first ever attempt at chiles rellenos. Probably will have a little bit of sauteed squash, too. My daughter begins a pet sitting job this afternoon, and the pet owners have said, “Please keep the garden picked and take it all home with you.” Hurray! Can’t wait to see what they have in their garden that we can add to the take from our own.
Transferred a prescription to WAGS today and got a $25.00 gift card. No co-pay on the drugs, so it was all profit. Used some of it to buy whole wheat bread, whole wheat hamburger buns, eggs, and oatmeal pancake mix. I love free stuff!
I have spent about $7.00 this week. I want to be as cheap as possible for the next four weeks, but I don’t want to have a depleted stockpile at the end of it, so I’m continuing to shop sales, use coupons, and check my favorite blog (Southern Savers) regularly.
this was a great week for us to start this challenge, our kitchen was bare to say the least. Expect for some can items & meat in the freezer. Which will defiantly help us get through this week. I’ve done a little shopping & I’m having fun staying within the $100.00 budget.
Coupon Trick: if you have a store coupon & a manufacture coupon of the same item, use them both!!!! big savings. This works great for diapers; Target/Wal-mart/”R” us stores will send e-mail coupons just sign up on-line.
Went to Albertsons today; it also happen to be NEED milk week. i bought a gallon of milk ($1.99) 2 packages of Pillsbury cookie dough (2 for $5.00), which you automatically get a 1.00 off a gallon of milk, plus I had $2.00 offof the cookies. Spent a total of $3.99. I was happy with the savings & my kids will be too..it was a win win for everyone.
Today I spent $1.00 when I stopped at a local produce stand and purchased one of the most beautiful heads of cabbage I have ever seen.
Here’s our menu for the day:
Breakfast: High fiber cereal with blueberries, coffee or tea.
Lunch: Veggie subs, homemade pita chips, applesauce and fat free chocolate pudding. (Hubby added some potato chips to his instead of the bagel chips) Water and iced tea.
Dinner: Leftover Spinach/artichoke chicken, mixed fruit. Water and iced tea.
Snack: popcorn.
I am very impressed with some of the great “coupon queens” out there for sure! Here’s the problem I run into. Hubby and I both work two full time jobs, are foster parents and have two teens of our own. We also maintain two homes, along with some business adventures. I just don’t have the time to scour every website, go to multiple stores and/or pursue the savings the way some other do. Don’t get me wrong…it’s a goal some day, but for now I have to be realistic.
So, given my time constraints, I am proud to say that each and every week I save between 40% and 50% at the grocery store (including HBA items) and also have the time to dabble in a few good CVS deals about once a month. Bottom line though…we eat great. I pride myself on the healthy choices I make for my family while saving a significant amount of money at the same time. Luckily, hubby likes to garden as well!
I see the main obstacles for me during this challenge are the little “rewards” we give ourselves, like every Friday hubby and I eat out for lunch, or I gather with my friends for “girls’ night out”. Another big one is our vacation is coming up in two weeks, so mega-planning for that! I believe I have budgeted well for those in the upcoming weeks. At least I hope so! (fingers crossed!!) Good luck everyone!
Ooohhh. I would love your recipe for artichoke chicken. It sounds yummy!
Tami….
hahaha….I’m a little embarassed to reply, but here goes: I cook chicken breasts in the crock pot until almost cooked through. I then “plop” a block of light cream cheese, a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and a block of frozen chopped spinach. I let it cook until the cream cheese has softened and the spinach is defrosted and heated through. The first night we eat it like that…chicken topped with the sauce…the second time around, I cut up the remaining chicken breasts and serve the whole mixture on top of egg noodles.
P.S. you can add sour cream or mayo to adjust taste. If sauce is too thin, you can let it cook with the lid off.
Sorry I don’t have a “real” recipe! Hope this helps!
P.S….one time in a pinch, I didn’t have all the ingredients, but had purchased a big box of TGI Friday’s frozen spinach dip and just put that in the crockpot with the chicken…It was so good!
Do you think your teens would like to make some extra money? They may put in the time if you give them 25% to 50% of the savings – everybody wins!
Denise…One daughter works two jobs herself, and cheerleading practice just started to boot. The second does help clip coupons and enjoys shopping with me, but would rather help hubby in the garden, which is where we could really use the help right now! It all evens out and I’m very happy with the fact that I don’t evern spend more than $85 for the four of us and can always accomodate the extra person when we foster.
P.S. I’ll be at my job 20 years in about 5 months and plan on “hanging it up” to spend more time fostering, I’m pretty sure I’ll become quite addicted to bargain hunting then!
Today I’m using up some leftover roast pork to make fried rice. One of my favorite ways to save money, time, and my own sanity is to use up leftovers in creative ways. My family doesn’t like to eat “leftovers” if they’re presented in the same way again, even a few days later, so I’m always looking for new ideas. I often make fried rice, using rice (of course), leftover meat or tofu, a couple of scrambled eggs, any vegetables I have on hand, and some soy sauce and sesame oil.
King Sooper’s circulars came out today, and so I’m looking at the sales for when I do my shopping on Friday, which will be my first grocery shopping of this challenge. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s tips and comments!
Today is Wed. and I feel as if I missed the great sales that went off yesterday at Lowes Food. Little did I know that Monday when I went into work (employed at the hospital) I would become a patient. I had my galbladder removed, so needless to say I have had a few meals brought over to my house. I did make it out of the house today to get a few items and actually was able to fix grilled salmon for dinner and bake a crumble pie. Look out I’m back in the game!
Love all the comments. I don’t make menu’s ahead, because I have a freezer full of beef, pork and chicken. We buy these from a farmer and restock only every 20-24 months. I always check out the ads and make a list of items I have coupons for. My Kroger doubles coupons up to $1.00. I just got $127.62 worth of groceries for only $24.86! I saved 80% – but I didn’t buy anything that was not on sale or I didn’t have a coupon for. My blog gives the menu as it is happening. It is just my husband and I, plus a college age grand daughter that lives with us, which I have not included in my count as she isn’t here for most meals. We babysit with our grand children often and I keep things on hand that they enjoy. I keep the pantry full and I estimate that I could eat several weeks without going to the grocery store. I have started a post and you can view it at: http://grocerychallengefromallyou.blogspot.com/
I make my own sauces. We love Chicken Alfredo and making the white sauce is very easy! Just make a rue (butter, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder) melt these ingredients then add milk and thicken to a nice consistency. Add fresh shredded parmesan cheese to taste. For creamier sauce add cream cheese. This is also a great pizza sauce for chicken pizza! I buy the parmesan at Sam’s Club and freeze the container this is less expensive and much tastier
My family of 4, now 5 because my sister is living with us, can really stretch the grocery money.
1. I buy most of our snacks from a grocerey outlet. I recently purchased 12 individual snack bags for $1. I got these to take too the pool. Kids love them, share them w/a friend and at less than 10 cents they don’t feel like they are missing out at the snack bar.
2. I buy most our fruit & veggies from a produce place. The regular price of their produce beats the sale price at the grocery store 95% of the time….you do have to buy things like 5 pounds of bananas, 2 pounds of green beans. Anything we don’t eat quickly enough goes in the freezer (I’m about to go freeze cherries, green beans and brocolli)
3. We have a garden. It looks like the crop won’t be too great this year, too much rain. We’ve gotten a ton of lettuce & our tomatoes are starting so cross your fingers.
4. Double coupons, CVSing and just watching for a great deal.
5. Try not to eat out at restraunts…this one is tough with 2 little ones, working and my husband takes classes at night after work…this will be what gets me, I can’t just order a pizza now!
Good luck everyone!!!
Bi-Lo has a deal right now where you buy a gift certificate for $25 dollars for one of a few different places and get a $5 coupon for groceries at Bi-Lo. I am going to get a gift certificate for a store that I already need to get some stuff from so I can get the $5 in groceries.
So far this week I have used food we already have. I just bought $20 dollars worth of chicken because it is on sale. I am going to can it this weekend.
I like to deconstruct meal kits. Yesterday we had tacos from a pantry kit. We already had an open jar of salsa, so I did not need the pouch included in the packet. I taped a note to the pouch with the expiration date, and put it with the others. I check my free stash first when I need an ingredient, or when I’m looking for a cooking inspiration.
Today was pretty good, except we had to order a sheet pizza because we couldn’t use the water. The pizza came to a little under $20 with tax.
Hubby couldn’t make coffee either so he ended up going down the street to Byrne Dairy twice for it, but luckily the second one was free. He spent $1.69. I ran down there also (had to use the bathroom) and grabbed a gallon of milk and a 50 cent Little Debbie cookie. I spent $2.79. We really don’t usually spend like this. It’s just been the last few days. Usually hubby only gets 1-2 coffees a week, and usually one of those is on free coffee Tuesday (you bring their cup in and you get a free refill on Tuesdays).
For breakfast we had dry cereal. I had Frosted Mini Wheats and the kids had Life. We have TONS of dry cereal because I get awesome deals on it and barely pay anything. For lunch we had peanut butter sandwiches, bananas and chocolate milk. We buy the huge things of Nesquick at Sam’s Club for around $6 and it lasts for at least a month. And, of course, for dinner we had pizza. We had low fat chocolate pudding for dessert.
Total spent today (uuggghhh): $24.48
Total spent for the week: $39.05
We don’t need much else for the week, besides some ground beef, fresh fruit and probably more milk. So, we will be well under the $125 budget, even with eating out on Friday for our anniversary.
Day 2 was a shopping day. Plurged on steaks–I needed them ; )
I also bought 98¢ a pound hamburger, some fruit, yogurt, etc. You can see the details at my blog http://dollydomestic.com/2009/07/14/day-2-aygc-2/
I have a link there that goes through my process for boiling hamburger. I have a small amount of tallow from yesterday’s batch that I’ll save for soap making.
I’m still just under $40 for the week. Getting ready to head out for some double-dollar deals shortly and will post when I get back.
In my neck of the woods (Hampton Roads, Virginia) I get a great list for Farm Fresh Supermarket from http://thecouponconsultant.com
A GREAT shopping day today. Found 3lb ground beef for 1.99 so I bought 2 pkgs. Always take a look at the clearance meats. As long as you freeze it you will have no problems! Who’s too proud to get some clearance meat:) Also used the coupon I had from VONS for a free gallon of milk and went to Henry’s for the double add day….SCORE!
Well, I went to arbys as I mentionned before. We paid $5.28 for our meal ( we got two value fries instead of one).
I also did some shopping at publix and walmart.
I was concerned about water when I started this challenge. We dont drink tap water and the prices are not that good. We were used to pay $0.83 per gallon at walmart and sometimes we get it for $0.69 at walgreens when they have it on sale. But I was really happy to find some Nestle purified water coupons for $1. Walmart has the 6-pack for $1.
So here is what I got today:
I did a lot of shopping today, a lot in quantity but a little in price.
My publix trip:
2 MG tomato sauce, $0.89 each used 2 $1 coupons
1 Punch juice $1.39 used 1* $1 store coupon and 1*$0.50 MC
0.90lb bananas $0.62
I paid $0.29
My walmart trip:
First transaction:
14 Hefty storage bag $1 each used 14*$1 MC
2 soft soap $1 each used 2*$1 MC
Paid $0.96 in taxes
Second transaction:
10 soft soap $1 each used 10*$1 coupons
2 6-pack Nestle purified water $1 each used 2*$1 MC
Paid $0.60 in taxes
Now I dont have to worry about the water because I can still print 8 more coupons and my DH can print more from work.
I lucked out and found $1 off peelies on the Eggo Waffles today at my store, making them free, on sale. I bought 10 of them to qualify for Kellogg’s Fuel for School Rebate, so I actually made $10 today, once I get the rebate. My kids love waffles and I was able to give some boxes away to my in-laws as well. It’s so rewarding to “happen upon” these little finds.
We also had dinner for FREE at KFC, as we used our meal rain checks received from their “botched” free chicken promotion a couple of months ago. We had the healthy grilled chicken and leftovers to bring home to incorporate into tomorrow night’s meal. I try not to waste a thing!
I forgot to show my spendings so far this week:
Monday: $0.58 publix trip
Tuesday: $0.29 publix trip
Wednesday: $7.13 ( publix+walmart+arbys)
Total for the week: $8.00
$42 to go. I think I can live with that.
Menu of the day: 7/16
DH will work only 5 hours tomorrow so we’ll have lunch together.
Breakfast: Cereal and banana for DH, a glass of milk for me
Lunch: Left over grilled turkey burgers from tuesday with a huge big salad with hard boiled eggs and tomatoes.
Dinner: Taco bell : taco dinner ( I got this while ago from publix. It was B1G1 for $2.69 and I used 2*$1 coupons). I will used ground chuck that I already have in my freezer and I will use a package of Knorr mexican rice ( I got it a while ago from publix. It was B1G1 for $1.45 and I used 2*$0.55 coupons from the family is its own reward book). I will top the tacos with some tomotoes, lettuce and shredded cheese from my stock.
I decided to start a blog as a personal journal for my entries during this challenge. If anyone is interested in viewing it, find it here:
http://mygrocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
My tip for the day is to JOIN this free, awesome website!!
http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com
Go to the “Screamin’ Deals by State” forum to find the best deals listed with coupons. I’ve saved tons of grocery money, and household/HBA money as well.
So far this week, the focus has been on creative use of leftovers. We had green smoothies this morning that were mostly stuff that we wanted out of the fridge. Tomorrow we’re making fried rice for lunch to use up this, that and the other.
We haven’t been to the store yet – we might go tomorrow. Time will tell!
Blogging it here:
http://www.allyougrocerychallenge.blogspot.com
Last day of the state baseball tournament for DS! I treated the kids to our favorite sno-cones at the local sno-cone shack. $3.50 for the 4 of us. That was the only thing we bought today. Dinner was left-overs, since our fridge was bursting and we hate to throw anything out!
We are trying to decide what we want to do this weekend. I think we may go camping, and I am so happy that I have a stockpile so I don’t have to spend a ton buying too much unnecessary camping treats.
One of my favorite finds this year was on the fixin’s for Smore’s. In May, there was a sale at Albertson’s. If you bought Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, a 6 pack of Hershey’s chocolate bars and a box of graham crackers, the total was $6.89, but there was an instant checkout discount of $3 for buying all 3 items. I had a coupon for $1 off when you bought the 3 items. I had a rare double coupon which brought the total to $1.89 for all 3 items!!! I did this deal 8 times, so we are set for an entire summer of camping!
We’re going camping next weekend and I need to decide which menu items we’re taking with us, but I know smores are definitely going to be on that list! That was a great deal on those smores ingredients!
My husband and I created a cheaper, easier alternative to traditional s’mores if you don’t have the coupons to get an awesome deal like Riana.
We still, of course, roast marshmallows, but instead of using graham crackers and Hershey bars, we buy a package of Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies (or their generic equivalent). Mostly the chocolate is on one side. Just sandwich the hot marshmallow between two of those, chocolate side in. Much easier to handle with no worries that the chocolate pieces will fall out while you’re eating it.
We went shopping today and spent a total of 52.05 for a family of four on mostly produce. I love summer produce and planning my meals around what’s growing the garden! We have so much lettuce that’s getting ready to go to seed that we’ll be bunnies by the time I fit all that into my menu planning. Thankfully I have a large Fridgesmart container from Tupperware that will keep a ton of lettuce fresh for about a month so I can use a lot up.
Check out my blog by clicking on my name above. Lots of menu planning, recipes, tips, etc.
Wow, this is fun I have been printing coupons and looking at ads for the last hour now I am off to shopping tomorrow. will check in and let you know how I did.
These posts are full of great ideas! Thanks everyone for sharing! I am looking forward to trying the dry milk in baked goods (Thanks, Veronica) and making my own laundry detergent (Thanks, Barbara S.)
This challenge did not begin quite the way I had hoped, but such is life! On Monday, I made an unplanned stop for lunch. It totaled $9.28 for three kids and myself. And, upon leaving the drive thru, I realized that I did not get a receipt. I did pay with a mc and can print the transaction from on-line if that is acceptable.
My intent was to shop Monday evening when my husband could watch the kids, however, he needed our vehicle for much of the evening so he just picked up a loaf of wheat bread and a gallon of milk while he was out (totaling $3.87).
By Tuesday, I was sick and not up to shopping or anything else. I did force myself to make a run to our healthfood store for gluten free bread ($5.49 per loaf! Yes, per loaf!) and noticed some discounted cucumbers that I grabbed as well ($11.67 total).
The gluten free bread is a very small loaf and very expensive. However, one daughter and I are gluten intolerent. I have downloaded some recipes to make our own bread and hope to try some in the next week. This would be a huge relief to our grocery budget. Living gluten free on a modest budget takes considerable effort and planning! I would love your tips on this!
This afternoon I was starting to feel better and did our major shopping for the week. I went to both Walmart ($14.94) and Meijer ($30.13 after coupons, bottle returns and sales.) My kids were such great troopers – I treated them to drinks at Arby’s and two of my kids enjoyed the free sandwiches ($6.32 for 4 drinks and 4 sandwiches)!
I am looking forward to learning from and saving with all of you!
Good news! My daughter found the Wendy’s receipt! Yeah!
Coupons and rebates. I couldn’t live without these 2 things. I loved to get paid to shop. The kelloggs rebate was great. I spent $5.52 on 9 boxes of cereal and 1 box ofkelloggs cereal bars and will get $10 back. I also love to use beer rebates and get money back on sunscreen and meat. In Utah we don’t have to buy the beer and so we can get some killer deals. This week I bought a $50 Albertson’s gift card and mailed in a beer rebate and will get $20 back! It doesn’t get much better than that. I do have a question though. Should we be counting only the food items on our receipts? So if I bought sunscreen, scotch tape, playtex gloves, and shampoo items I need to subtract those from the totals? That is kind of confusing. I use so many coupons that I don’t know whether to subtract the actual amount of the item or after coupons. I spend way less than $25 a person with all the extra items so maybe I will just count everything to make the challenge a little more challenging.
I don’t know what will work for everyone – but for me, I am only including the amount I actually paid (after coupons). Sometimes, the coupon is the only reason I buy an item. The original price is not what I paid, so I do not add that to my total.
http://www.minuterice.com/en-us/content/996/CouponOffers.aspx
got a beautiful cucumber from garden today to add to salad.
Spent $.00 today.
ate very healthy including the raspberries picked yesterday.
Could someone please give me the RITE AID link for $5.00 off $25.00. Please.
http://www.nabiscoworld.com/back-to-school/
sign up for a coupon booklet worth $55.00…..
dont forget to sign up for Baskin Robbins and/or Rita’s Italian Ice BirthDay Clubs on websites for FREE Ice Cream.
A whompin’ good deal at the grocery store tonight. My good fortune was that the wrong price rang up for some cereal and the store has an accuracy guarantee. Of course I don’t believe I was the first one that had the price ring up wrong, which makes one wonder why it didn’t get fixed earlier in the day. (I was shopping at 11:45 pm.) I’ve had that happen several days into a sale and I can’t believe that nobody is saying anything to the management or staff. Not just this one store, either.
Anyway, I got: 5 large boxes of cereal, 2 half gallons of iced tea, 2 half gallons of ice cream, 2 four-packs of yogurt, 2 frappucinos, 1 package of pre-cooked chicken strips, a quart of buttermilk, and a 2-liter bottle of diet orange pop… all for $3.41.
You can see the picture and read the details over at my blog at http://dollydomestic.com/2009/07/16/day-3-aygc/
Awesome trip! I love getting that much for pennies on the dollars.
Well, we’re onto day 4 of the challenge! So far so good over here, we’re still way below the budget requirements and have been eating fairly healthy this week
Last nights supper was awesome-our church had its annual FREE picnic and there was grilled chicken breast, pasta salads, rolls, homemade cookies, cheesy potatoes and of course cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones! I ate so much I’m not even hungry this morning LOL! Our menu today:
breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-picnic at the park!
supper-yummy subs. I don’t usually make these because it gets expensive but I’ve been buying the ingredients as they went on sale and finally have everything except for the buns. My brother in law is coming over tonight too so I’ll have an extra mouth to feed but I should be ok: sub buns (2.99 pkg), ham slices (from freezer-got it for 1.29 per pound a while back), pepperoni (sandwich cut kind that was on sale for $1 per package a few weeks ago), cheeses: Meijer has a great sale this week on their sandwich sliced cheeses-$1.49 per package of pepper jack, swiss, munster, cheddar, etc (all the kinds that usually don’t go on sale!). Everyone will build their own subs and then we melt them in the microwave-yummmmm!
This week, so far, I have spent $21.45. Not bad considering I shopped 4 different times.
Monday: $7.88 at Kroger
Everything I purchased was on sale or at a discounted price. This included a loaf of bread, buns, 4 kiwis at .25 ea, 2- 2 liter Kroger brand soda @.79 ea (I have to have my soda!), 3- Bounty single rolls @ .25 ea (after tripled coupon), and 2- bent cans of carrots @ .39 ea (our Kroger puts them at discounted prices if they cans are bent, but since they taste the same it isn’t a big deal to me!). I also wanted to purchase a loaf of Kroger brand light wheat bread, but they were out this go around. They offer it for only $1.49. It is hard to find light breads for under $2.50 around here.
Monday: CVS $0.74
The school supplies included 1 sub notebooks (I am using one of my free ones to journal all of my shopping experiences for this contest), rulers, scissors, and bottles of glue. And BAM!! $0.74!!!!!!
Oh man! I did goooood at CVS today! I basically made $8.67 profit because I got more ExtraCare bucks back than I used! Today I purchased all the free school supplies they offered (after ECB’s), gallon of milk, Fusion razor (for the hubby), 3- 24 count Tylenol, and 1 pack of Skittles that I used to pull my total over a negative total.
Tuesday: Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market $2.99
Just wanted to grab some lettuce that was on sale before the price changed the next day. Also picked up green grapes @$1.50/lb (not bad) and 2 cans of Wal-Mart brand diced tomatoes at .67 ea. (decent price).
Wednesday: Kroger $10.58
I also picked up Dreyers Ice Cream at .99 after my $1.50 q that printed for me from the catalina machine on a previous trip. So, basically I puchased 21 items for $4.97 if you don’t include my light bread and 4 lb strawberry pack!
Wednesday was the day our new grocery ads came out… I hit Kroger and did awesome. I bought tons of stuff!! My total includes a 4lb package of strawberries (cost $4.97) I immediately put in my Debbie Meyer green bags when I got home. They had a buy 10 get $5 off deal! I loooooooove when they do that! I always take advantage. I got 3 packs of Fiber One Yogurt FREE, Sargento Finishers (for salads) free w/ rebate plus I used a .75 q! OH! And I got my light bread that I was wanted on Monday!
I’ll include my list… 3- 2 liters coke, 2- pkgs Tricks yogurt, 4 Dole fruit pks, chex mix, 2 sargentos cheese, 1 sargentos finishers, Dreyers Ice Cream, Sunny D, 2 Sobe Water, 1 Kroger soda, my light bread and 4 lb strawberry.
MY TIP! When shopping the buy 10 get $5 deals, always have a plan before going! Make a list and count out your items ahead of time!
Still kind of confused about the challenge. I have spent$1.20 so far this week for a cartful of groceries. We try to eat half way healthy and that is more expensive. We have a garden and I do trade with people. I have a blog and a trade group so that I can spend as little as possible. I have been living like this for about 2 years now. I am an “extreme couponer”.
I thought of a few other things I do to try to save on my grocery budget. I haven’t read everyone’s responses yet to know if these have been suggested or not yet, but here are a few more ideas for saving money:
I participate in a secret shopper program that has shops at my local grocery store. They give a reimbursement of $13 towards my groceries in addition to the $10 they pay for me doing the shop. I typically do three of these a month on average. That’s $39 worth of groceries (not even counting the additional $30 they pay me for the shops!) I still shop the sales and use coupons during these shops, but I tend to buy meat and beverages as well to make sure my total goes above the $13.
Also, rain checks are my best friends. Even if I don’t need a good sale item (or don’t have a good coupon for it), I seek out the store for when they are out of the product so I can get a raincheck. My favorite is to do this on chicken breast so I can get some when I need/want it and it’s not on sale. It’s also fun to do it and then use the RC in addition to coupons during triple coupons- great savings!
I’m not sure if we’re supposed to be posting here what we are eating/spending, but I have been keeping track on my blog if that helps! http://moneysavnmama.blogspot.com/
Oops.. double post. I added this before I finished- my complete post is below.
I thought of a few other things I do to try to save on my grocery budget. I haven’t read everyone’s responses yet to know if these have been suggested or not yet, but here are a few more ideas for saving money:
I participate in a secret shopper program that has shops at my local grocery store. They give a reimbursement of $13 towards my groceries in addition to the $10 they pay for me doing the shop. I typically do three of these a month on average. That’s $39 worth of groceries (not even counting the additional $30 they pay me for the shops!) I still shop the sales and use coupons during these shops, but I tend to buy meat and beverages as well to make sure my total goes above the $13.
Also, rain checks are my best friends. Even if I don’t need a good sale item (or don’t have a good coupon for it), I seek out the store for when they are out of the product so I can get a raincheck. My favorite is to do this on chicken breast so I can get some when I need/want it and it’s not on sale. It’s also fun to do it and then use the RC in addition to coupons during triple coupons- great savings!
Another favorite thing of mine is the $/$ coupons that some grocery stores release. We have a store nearby that releases $10/$50 coupons almost every week and that is the total BEFORE coupons! I try to buy everything I can that is free or super cheap with coupons to get my total to $50 and then get $10 worth of essentials- meat, milk, eggs, bread to hit my $50 and walk out with a lot of groceries for only a few dollars. My average tends to be spending about $9 OOP for $50+ worth of groceries. (This store also doubles your coupons up to .99 which helps your total!)
I’m not sure if we’re supposed to be posting here what we are eating/spending, but I have been keeping track on my blog if that helps! http://moneysavnmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.specialk.com/#/SpecialK
Hey everyone! I am so excited about this. Grocery shopping is always like a game to me. I have a very strict budget and we only get paid once a month so I have to find the best deals. So far this week I have done very well. I saved $54.00 dollars at one grocery store!!! My kids were pretty excited to get Keebler Fudge shop cookies! We usually make our own but I could not resist the deal. Buy one Get one free, I had a coupon for $1.00 off one, and a coupon for $0.55 off one (the store doubled that coupon). So we paid $0.70 each!
Oh ya. I had to start my shopping on Friday the 10th. Do I deduct the meals I had for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?
Nice reading all the comments.
Today I am purchasing our produce basket- it will be 17.50 for 50-60 items- tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, citrus fruit, lettuce, and other veggies/fruits. Should last us two weeks- maybe three since its a 5 week month. But this is likely the only thing we will purchase this week. I *might* go up the road and grab some local blackberries to make no cook freezer jam.
Breakfast- Organic Natures Path Strawberry cereal and light, plain soymilk
Lunch- Open Tomato sandwiches- Whole wheat bread spread with mayo made with olive oil, topped with a slice of cheese and slices of tomato. Broil in the toaster oven until cheese browns! SO YUMMY. I think I’ll roast (broil) some green beans with garlic slices and sea salt too.
Dinner tonight- Taco Salad! Shredded iceberg mixed with green leaf lettuce, shredded carrot and cucumber, taco beef (with grass fed beef and homemade taco seasoning), 2% natural mozz/chedd mix cheese, salsa, and sour cream if anyone wants it. Will probably serve with Grande all natural tortilla chips- We got them for .30c a bag last week.
Dessert- I think I’ll make apple crisp. We have some granny smiths to use up. Oatmeal, smart balance 50/50, spelt flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course, apples!! And maybe some all natural vanilla ice cream
Lets make it a happier, healthier, more frugal day!
Money Saving Tip –
Just did a quick run to Walgreens (to see the coupon matchups for these deals check my blog at http://www.growingsmall.blogspot.com)
2 Coppertone NutraShield Sun Care (plus on some packages there was a small face freebie sample) – coupons on website
1 Colgate Total Toothpaste
1 filler item
1 candy bar (I had a coupon for a free candy bar)
My total was: $9.93 OOP (out of pocket after coupons) and I recieved $11.00 in register rewards back – which I’ll use for food throughout the week. Just trying to think outside the box on ways to get food for free.
I started a blog on google about my weekly journey of savings and life basically revolving around me, hubby and daughters. I think keeping yourself in order makes the perspective all that much better. Thank you so much Valerie for the suggestion of your blog. I have put lots of thought and planning into my pantry/fridge/refrigerator so far as I do every week for menu planning. I created spreadsheets for my weekly menu and $ spent. I also went through my stash of items and made word documents of what I had and marked when I used them. It makes it easier to know what you have so that there are no trips to the store that are not needed.
cmbohne-theallyouchallenge-herewego.blogspot.com
I shop in bulk for the items my family uses most like chicken breasts, tomato sauce, and tortillas doing so helps save money on items that we use a lot but become very costly at the grocery store. Being a military family we also have the ability to shop at the commissary which is extremely helpful especially when we use coupons. Another lesson I have learned is (unfortunately) how dependant I have become on fast food when I run my errands so I pay a little more for shortcut items such as grilled chicken strips that I can use to make a fast meal when paired with pasta. I still find it hard to resist fast food but I am getting better at it especially now that I have taken on this challenge.
I didn’t get the start up email the other day :/ but nevermind – i have my strategy down. It’s just odd that i’m not getting the official ALL YOU emails….
Just wanted to share this recipe I just made: I took some chicken stock and put it in the crockpot with a small package of pre-trimmed raw chicken tender cuts. Turned it on low for several hours until the chicken was done. Then I put in the fridge for the night. don’t have to do that though. TheN this morning when i got up I turned the crockpot back on and added a can of cream of chicken soup and cut the chicken up into small bite sized pieces.
Then when I was ready to serve the chicken I put a box of stovetop stuffing in and let it soak up all of the juice. I used bread crumbs to balance out the juice that was left afterwards. The dressing doesn[‘ taste like stovetop stuffing – it tastes like stuffing made at thanksgiving.
Have you checked your spam folder, that’s where I found mine, and I read a few others went to spam as well.
I am curious to know where some of you live. In SW Michigan, (at least the stores that I have been to) if you purchase something as a BOGO, then you can only use a coupon for the one item that you are actually purchasing. It is interesting how the coupon policies vary from store to store and state to state.
I am also wondering how some of you linked your name at the top of this blog to another blog. Couldn’t figure that one out.
Well, I am starting to feel like myself today after not feeling well the past few days. Last night, I made our menu for the rest of the week. Here is what we have eaten so far and what is to come…..
Breakfast – choice of Chex or Mini Wheat cereal w/ milk, oatmeal, or toast w/ p.b. and fruit; fruit and yogurt smoothies.
Lunch – Wendy’s; hubby has sack lunches; p.b. sadwiches, blueberries, cucumber slices, 2 kids had pringles; 4 sodas from Arbys and 4 free sandwiches. My 12 year old had 2 sandwiches, my 6 year old ate 1 and my GF daughter had meat from one on a GF bun at home. I was not quite up to eating yet; tuna sandwiches, watermelon and carrots; hot dogs, chips and fruit; eggs, bacon, toast and fruit; leftovers.
Dinner – chicken breasts with left over corn, rice and beans; raman noodles and frozen entrees; nachos w/ seasoned burger and cheese, grapes; homemade hamburger-cabbage soup and a salad; cranberry glazed chicken, brown rice and steamed cabbage; GF spaghetti with burger and sauce, broccoli, and fruit; frozen pizzas and fresh veggies .
Snacks/desserts – GV Fruit Smiles, yogurt topped w/ hand picked raspberries; freezer pops; fruit; fresh veggies, pop corn, enviro kidz GF bars, mini-morsel merangue cookies
Drinks – milk, water, coffee, lemonade, flavored water, diet pepsi, juice
My freezer, pantry and fridge (although small) are fairly well stocked. I will make one more trip to the grocery store this week to pick up more milk, dry milk, wheat bread, eggs and pectin. We live very close to several stores so it isn’t a big deal to shop more frequently as long as I stay to my list.
Here in South Carolina most stores go by that rule, however, Publix charges you half price if you only buy one product when that product is on a B1G1 sale therefore you can use two coupons (one for each product). the savings add up in a huge way when stores allow people to do this.
Thanks, Brenda. That makes a lot of “cents” : )
Yes, we’re in NC and some of our stores have the item ring up half so we only have to buy one and can use a coupon. We do have some stores that have the same policy you described as well.
Hey Lisa,
To link your name to a blog just type the web address in the url below your message (when you write) and viola instant hyperlink.
Thanks so much, Barbara!
I live in WA state. On BOGO deals, I can usually use 2 coupons (1 coupon applies to each product, even the free one). Generally, I found that coupon “rules” vary by store rather than region. My sad story is that grocery stores in my state do not double or triple coupons. *Sigh.* I really wish I had that regional perk.
Yesterday, I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work to get more milk (my son has been drinking it like you wouldn’t believe). I bought a gallon of milk for $2.99. And that was it.
My total for the week so far is $8.14.
I do not need to buy anything today so I will have $66.86 to go grocery shopping with tomorrow afternoon.
Saturday is the family reunion. Everyone brings one dish so I only have to make a pot of soup and then we will eat for free the rest of the day. Then we are dropping my son off at his grandma’s on Sunday and we will probably eat there before we head back home. This weekend should be easy except for the sodas that my husband loves to buy when we are on the road. I am planing on packing a cooler of sodas and snacks so that when we stop for gas, there is no reason to even walk into the store and pick up something else.
My son will be out of town for the rest of this challenge, so my budget will go down to $50 next week. At least, I think that’s the way it will work. I sure hope I have that right. Anyway, Happy Thursday everyone!
Lunch was fun to make, I “recycled” some meat. My husband and I went to Arby’s; we each bought a drink and got the free sandwich. Our Arby’s has receipts with a survey, when completed you are rewarded with a free sandwich. We had completed the surveys a few weeks ago, so we each got 2 additional free sandwiches. I was overcharged, they refunded the money but could not take back the sandwich. Five sandwiches for two people – too many! I popped some in the fridge right away.
Today, I took the remaining sandwiches and repurposed them. I threw away the buns, and put the meat on fresh toast. I added low fat/low cal mayonnaise. I added black pepper and sliced cheese, plus fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. It was crispy … delicious … and free! We had low fat pretzels on the side.
My first ever blog is up and running! It’s not much to look at, yet, but I will make it more visually engaging as I continue to figure out how to do blogging.
Also, I will add the daily details to my blog. Monday we spent $10.55, Tuesday $7.13, Wednesday $15.67, Thursday $0.00. So… through the end of today we will be at $33.35 for the week, leaving $16.65 for the last 3 days. Should be plenty!
Oops, forgot the link! Here is my blog.
http://shelleybeaches.wordpress.com/
Day 4 Challenge. Today was a good day for I didn’t spend any money on groceries. Last night we had leftover rice so I made rice pudding with it for dessert. Everything we are eating today is what I have on hand. Morning was Cereal, Milk, Banana & Coffee; Lunch Tuna Fish sandwiches with chips. Tonight I will fix Sausage & Potatoes. I dice the sausage along with a green pepper & onion mixing it with Simply Potato Red Potato wedges that I picked up a week ago B1G1F. Then I will fix a frozen vegetable along with cut up tomatoes & cucumber with it. That will be a simple meal. For dessert there is rice pudding, ice cream, cut up strawberries that needs to be finished up or cut up cantaloupe. So we still have $17.00 left to spend which I probably will use it Sunday for one store has a one day sale Bananas 3 lbs. for $1.00 and Ground Beef $1.39 a lb. Took a pork roast out of the freezer for tomorrow night which I will put in the crock pot. Had bought a whole boneless pork loin on sale a couple of months ago and after I brought it home – cut it into 3 smaller roasts for I generally look for the smallest package since there is only 2 of us. If we don’t have our neighbor over there will probably be some left so I can make Fried Rice with it on Sunday. It’s always nice to have a leftover meat night. It’s hard for me to make a weekly menu up for I never know what we feel like having so it’s good that I can go in the freezer to make a choice each day for the next. The freezer sure does come in handy.
Did my first shopping trip today! Decided to stick with my stockpiling and couponing habits, this week I realized may be tougher for stockpiling though because my kiddos are staying with their grandparents so that only leaves $50 I can spend this week! Normally that is about average for me, but I have to be careful not to spend over that. I really don’t need to do anymore shopping this week though, but I’ll have to go to SuperTarget tomorrow just to see what I can find heehee
Here is what I got at Kroger:
5 MarieCalendar frozen entrees
1 HealthyChoice frozen entree
3 packages Tyson fresh chicken breast
7 packages Kraft shredded and chunk cheeses
1 package Sargento shredded cheese
3 packages Lighlife bacon
Sippy cup
lettuce
bananas(almost 2#’s)
8 bottles Sunny D smoothie drink
6 2liter bottles Coke
2 packages Bic pens
3 Huggies baby lotion
1 Sourcream
1 Margarita glass
2 gallons milk
1 buttermilk
1 paprika
total came to 26.04 I’ll have to subtract nonfood
Tip: it never hurts to talk to store manager if you have had a bad experience! Last week I had several coupons not doubling per store policy and the cashier and manager on duty were telling me some crazy things how they were not supposed to because of this and that,etc… They ended up ringing up all these separate orders. When I got home I called later to talk to the head store manager who told me I was right and apologized, and said next time I come in he’d have a giftcard waiting for me for my trouble, he said it would only be $5 but for some reason it came out $8 when I checked out
So here I am at day four and I FINALLY went grocery shopping! I have all my receipts saved, and yesterday we did really well! With all the advice from everyone, I got all my coupons, checked out coupons.com, shortcuts.com, and went through all my saved inserts. I was able to get cheese for $.50/bag (woohoo!) and we got some great deals on produce. I already have a lot of meat stocked up so I didn’t have to buy any of that!
I find that serious couponing takes a lot of time to do well and effectively. For our family, I just don’t have the time to do what so many coupon experts do! Here are my simple ways of saving money without becomming a part time job:
Even without coupons, it is always good to plan and buy your meals based on what the sale items are for the week. For example, if I see that chicken breasts are on sale for $1.50/lb., then I will plan quite a few chicken meals. The possibilities are endless! Usually leftover chicken will be used the next night for dinner in a casserole or pasta dish. You can save a lot just by sticking to what’s on sale.
Be willing to go to different stores for the best prices. I usually shop at Target, Walmart, and my local Kroger store (King Soopers) and I will make a list before I go. That way I save money by purchasing the items at their lowest prices.
Deep Freezer!!!!!!! Many times you can find a cheap one on craigslist and sometimes they are even free! Whatever you pay for them, they will pay for themselves very quickly. Stock up on those great deals when you can! Also, learning what you can and can’t freeze is a great thing to learn. For instance, I didn’t know you can freeze yogurt! So cool!
When I do use coupons, this is my method. I keep all my inserts stacked in a crate with dividers for the date they were issued. As I go through a sale flyer, I mark what I need. Then I hop on over to http://www.afullcup.com and check the coupon database for coupons that I need to go with the sale items. If they are listed in the database (by date) then I go to my stack and grab what I need. It saves me SO much time. The database will also tell me if there are printable coupons out for an item, so if there is one, I just print it out!
Tuesday’s meals were again simple and cheap. For breakfast we had pancakes, fruit, and juice. I forgot what we had for lunch but I know we didn’t go out for it! Dinner was unbreaded homemade chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and peas for the kiddos, and DH and I were treated to cornish hens and potatoes from our neighbors! They are so sweet!
Yesterday was the day of shopping, so we did eat out at Heidi’s. I had coupons for free kids meals, so DH and I did separate transactions and ended up with four meals for $15. A little pricey, but a day of shopping deserves a treat! Last night was chicken quesadillas (left overs from Monday night) with chopped tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and apples with chocolate sauce for dessert. Oh, and breakfast was eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. Yum!
So far today we are still way under budget for the week. Breakfast was cereal, orange juice, and more blackberries, lunch was homemade lunchables! The kids like them much more than the prepackaged kind anyhow. Dinner will be grilled smoked sausages, zucchini from our garden, and rice.
Great idea for those out there who might be longing for your favorite restaurant’s cuisine…
Copykat.com is a site that gives “insider” recipes of famous brand/ restaurant dishes that you can make at home. Also, the great thing is that you can change the original “high-calorie/ high-fat” cuisine into a healthier version for your family.
Teresa,
I love this site, thanks for sharing with everyone. I love to make the applebees oriental salad and the honey mustard dressing from outback is a staple I make and keep for everything at my house from dipping fries to a salad to chicken strips.
Visited a back roads farmhouse today that sells produce from the front porch, not too far from the house.
Bought lettuce for $.50. Did’nt need anything else.
My husband is still being contrary…he spent $3.50 today on a milkshake.
I am still under budget.
I “luck out” when it comes to feeding my daughter. She has a job where they feed her for “free” when she works.
Yes you all have inspired me to creat a blog….
http://homemadeonabudget.blogspot.com/
I will post my daily shopping and meals on there. And I guess my thoughts — ROFL! This thread is my new favorite place to go on the web! So many great tips!
A bit late in posting, but here are the meals we’ve been enjoying this week:
Dinners:
-Salt & Pepper Rotisserie Chicken (free with coupon from Whole Foods), organic brown rice & steamed organic sweet peas
-Organic brown rice pasta with homemade meat sauce using local, grass-fed beef
-Homemade Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza (organic onions, green peppers & fresh basil from our container garden)
- Kale & Sausage Frittata (using pastured pork sausage and free-range eggs from our farmer’s market)
-Salmon Patties and organic brown rice topped with salmon & egg scramble
-Sweet Potato Chili (crockpot recipe)
-Taco Style Lentils & Organic Brown Rice with shredded greens, diced tomatoes, sour cream and shredded raw milk cheddar cheese
Breakfasts:
Soaked Oatmeal
Soaked Oatmeal & Blueberry Muffins
Soaked Waffles with blueberry sauce
Lunches are usually leftovers or sandwiches
ooo…you need to post recipes!
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14803&zid=rd17&nid=10&cid=14549007&bid=alk0716070716a43178f8918219
All you has some exclusive coupons if you follow this link. One of them is $1/2 any Breyer’s products. Can you say cheap yogurt???
http://homemadeonabudget.blogspot.com/
Today my dinner plans were cancelled, so I didn’t feel bad when I spent $1.70 for crab salad from the deli to add to my lunch. That was the only thing I bought today. Here’s what we had:
Breakfast: French toast (made last weekend, put in freezer..pop in toaster to heat) with blueberries.
Lunch: Veggie subs (baby greens, spinach, cuke and spring onion with slices of cheddar and light mayo), seafood salad, applesauce and 90-calorie pound cakes with pureed black cherries. Iced tea
Dinner: Fried zucchini cakes topped with light sour cream, side salad, iced tea.
Snack: Zucchini bread with light butter.
Made two additional zucchini breads last night, put in freezer and will take them on vacation with us.
Total spent so far this week: $32.46/$100
Forgot to add, we’ll be making a lot of zucchini dishes in the upcoming weeks I’m sure…garden is starting to spit them out like mad!
So far this week I have been making meals off of food we already have. I usually keep a pretty good stockpile. Things I always have on hand include chicken, beef, cheese and lots of cream of chicken soup. That along with vegis and rice and you can always make a meal. I did spend $20 dollars on chicken that I am canning for future use. I also spent $4 on ice cream at a specialty place that I only go to when I head into Atlanta. I got free lunch today buy donating blood for genetics testing.
Meal Idea
I have not done this recently but my mom always kept a zip-lock bag in the freezer. When we had leftover vegis at dinner such as corn or green beens she would dump them in the bag. When the bag was full she’d pull it out and make a pot of vegi soup. It’s a great way to keep from wasting all those vegi’s.
I do that too! I have a tupperware container in my freezer just for that purpose. I keep meat bones and veggie scraps in another to make broths.
I share my thoughts on the challenge here: http://lifefrommylaptop.com/2009/07/16/the-all-you-grocery-challenge/
Well, I decided to post on my sister’s blog- I am taking it over for the month! LOL. Maybe if it goes well, i will decide to start my own. But who has time for this? Perhaps proficiency awaits me…
http://thefrugalcountrymom.blogspot.com/
Im more like…the frugal suburbia mom though
I decided to blog as well- but I just took over my sister’s blog! I’ll be posting there for the next month, and maybe starting my own afterwards. We’ll see- I dont know how people have time for it! Perhaps proficiency awaits me…
http://thefrugalcountrymom.blogspot.com/
Except Im more like the frugal suburbia mom!
ok I am doing great so far this week, since I took a bad fall and fractured my tailbone I cannot get out much or sit at my computer so I have to look to the stocked pantry for quick and easy meals for my hubby and myself.
Monday it was pbj which we had on hand. We have hens so my hubby and I both have an egg for breakfast with some toast.
Tuesday we had hamburgers on the grill that I had frozen in the freezer from a previous sale on ground chuck.
Wednesday it was left over burgers.
Thursday so far I made stuffed shells with the bogo shells from last shopping trip and sausage and sauce we had in pantry and freezer.
Made a trip to walmart today and spent 7.34 after coupons it was originally 14.00 and will mail in a rebate for $5.00 of that back. I just love dealseekingmom.com I matched all the walmart deals and coupons and got:
3 degree deodorants FREE after coupons
2 candy bars FREE after coupons
2 budweiser bbq 1.92 after coupons
1 tyson frozen creation 4.00 after coupon and free after mail in rebate see http://www.tyson.com
2 bryers yogurts .26 after coupon
2 chunck white tuna 1.16 after coupon
4 pk cottenelle FREE after coupon
for a total of $7.34 spent
I hope I can get out again to get to publix and get the bogo natures own bread we are almost out.
I will check in again when I can sit LOL
Thank you everyone for the great tips oh and here is one
I watch Racheal Ray and if you find potatoes on sale check out her way to bake 8 and make 3 meals out of them and freeze your leftover coffee in ice cube trays and next day use leftover coffee with cubes in a blender with chocolate syrup or carmel with a little cream sugar and whip cream and you have instant starbucks like fraps at home for alot less, we gotta save save save. Good Luck
Hugs
Cook once eat three times!
Well I guess I actually cooked twice, but here are our first meals since the All You Challenge started. Everything I cooked on Monday and Tuesday I already had on hand. On Monday I grilled 3 chicken breast with barbecue sauce. I served it with steamed corn on the cob and sweet potato oven fries. For the oven fries: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into wedges or sticks. Place cut sweet potatoes in a single layer into prepared pan. Spray sweet potatoes with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 min or till golden brown. They are so yummy and healthy, even my 4yr old loves them!
On Tuesday I had 1 chicken breast left over. I decided to make some Fettuccine Alfredo pasta with veggies. I wanted to try to stretch it for 2 meals so I added a ton of fresh veggies. I cut up 2 large carrots, one onion and 1 head of broccoli. While I was boiling the pasta I sauteed the carrots, onion and broccoli in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper. I chopped up the leftover chicken and added it to the veggies once they were done cooking. When the pasta was done I added a jar of Alfredo sauce to the pasta and then tossed in the veggies and chicken. We had enough to eat on Tuesday and Wednesday! It was so yummy and super easy!
I have a lot of food on hand already. Every week when I go grocery shopping I always stockpile food and household items when the price is right. I think I am doing pretty good so far. I didn’t find out about the contest till Saturday night, so I didn’t have a chance to prepare. Let the games begin!
For pictures of everythingcheck out my blog: http://daisybdeals.blogspot.com/
I’ll have to try those sweet potato fries! They sound delicious. Wonder if I could cook them in my solar oven…..
Oooh oooh! Great dinner idea! (We did it tonight) Hobo dinners! Wierd name, great food.
If you have leftover meat of any kind that you want to use up, try this! Slice some potatoes thin, add vegetables (I used fresh zucchini and green beans from our garden), chop some onion, and toss everything together. Drizzle olive oil over everything, and sprinkle pepper and whatever other spice you love on the top. If you have a grilling plate, this works really well to grill it all up, what I did was place everything in foil and made a secure pouch. Grill on medium heat for thirty minutes on medium high heat, and voila! You have your hobo dinner! You can also use your broiler if you want to do this during the colder months.
We used to do this at camp, but cook it over the campfire and not the grill. Your version is a lot healthier. We used cut-up hamburger, tater tots carrots, peas and about a pound of ketchup per person. We called it “Hobo Stew” too.
Hehe! We do the same thing (over the campfire), and we call them tin-foil dinners. We are planning on having them tomorrow night when we go camping!
Hey there,
I’m not a great cook, but my friend and neighbor is and LOVES to cook. We often go in together on meat – get the big pack for cheaper – and make a meal “together”. (She cooks – I hand her utencils like a surgeon!) We chat and catch up and each get a great meal which costs less. Our favorites to do this with are: chicken fried steak, pecan crusted chicken and chicken picatta.
Jenn
I have been to Walmart today to get my free water. I got 10 small packs purified Nestle water priced at $1 each, I used 10 of the $1 MC and paid ZERO.
OOP for today: $0.00
Left for the week: $42
I have been craving chineese food for a while. We were used to order it at least once a week and it would cost around $12. I dont think I can afford it now with. I have been looking for fried rice recipes and chicken Lo Mein. I will post tomorow’s menu later tonight. I need to see what kind of recipes I found and what I have in hand. I know I am out of rice but I have a lot of frozen veggies and chicken.
I hope I can afford my craving.
I could not find the water at my walmart all the packs were $3.00 or more how many is in these packs?
I was not able to find mine at first. But yesterday I just walked through the dollar isle just to see what’s in there and Voila, The 6-packs were at the end of the dollar isle. I got 12 total and I will try to print more coupons ( family and friends and get all I can ) I love free.
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx
free samples of Viva and others
they change these every month or so too, so keep checking back~
Here is my Frugal Foodie Tip #3: Have a secret weapon in your arsenal. Mine is http://www.allrecipes.com. I use it to search for recipes by ingredient. This is a great tool to use when you have a stockpile/garden overgrowth of an ingredient but no idea of how to use it. (I think Vicki mentioned having zucchini coming out of her ears.) This week, I used it to find ways to use up my Rice Krispies cereal supply (other than in marshmallow treats). It’s been a hidden ingredient in my meals every night this week.
I love this tool! I used it twice just yesterday- We always have lots of veggies, and we try to mix it up. Its my favorite recipe site because you can type in the ingredients you have, dont want to use, and organize everything pretty much just as you want. Its so much easier to use than many of the others!
They have the same recipe search tool at recipezaar.com and I use it like crazy…and guess what…hubby came in with 7 more zukes last night!!! Yikes….will be making zuke pickles this weekend!
My husband can’t stand zucchini b/c of the year their garden produced waaayyyy to much of it and his mom put zucchini in everything.
I’ve designated Thursdays as “Try Something New Thursday.” (I told you I love alliteration.) Tonight’s entrée came courtesy of the dark recesses of the freezer. I found some pork chops hidden behind next year’s Christmas and Easter chocolate. I can’t remember how old the pork chops were, but I do know that my mother-in-law gave them to us from her home-grown hogs.
Unfortunately, tonight’s main dish was horrible! Maybe I should change my theme to “Tried and True Thursday” and use time-tested recipes because I don’t have much luck when it comes to experimentation. The last time I tried a new dish, a grease fire ruined the dinner and we had to eat out. Cost=$50. This time, at least, I had plenty of side dishes and dessert to fill us up. And even though the main dish was tossed, the whole dinner cost less than $7.
My teenage son has spent $2.63 this week at Sonic with a friend–he had forgotten that this contest started this week! I haven’t spent any money so far on groceries, but we are eating well.
I baked a ham Tuesday, which I served with baked potatoes and corn, with milk to drink. I made ham fried rice last night, with green beans on the side and milk to drink. Tonight was ham and beans served with cottage cheese, and Laughing Cow spreadable cheese on Ritz for sides, with milk to drink. I plan to make fried rice again tomorrow night (my family LOVES my fried rice!), a ham a potato dish the next night and ham and lentil soup the following night. If there is any ham left at that point, I’ll figure out something to make with it. That ham was bought at Easter time for .99/lb, and there are 6 of us in our house (3 of them teenage boys!) so we are really stretching this piece of meat in a tasty way.
I will buy markdown meats, often finding a single pricey piece of steak marked down to a very reasonable price. I’ll take that steak, marinate it, slice it thinly and make it into fajitas or stir fry, or cube it and make a noodle concoction of some kind or other, depending on what I have on hand.
I am enjoying reading how everyone is doing, but realize that if I’m to read it all I must read daily. We are a happy, helpful, busy bunch on this blog! =D
We had pan roast chicken with rosemary, garlic and white wine with Cheddar bay biscuits (copy cat recipe from Red Lobster) and green beans as well as left over chocolate zucchini cake for dinner tonight. My hubby went out and celebrated finishing phase 3 of a project at work with co-workers tonight paid for by the boss, which was nice, but my daughter also asked if her friend could stay for dinner, so everything was still the same as far as how many I fed today. My older daughter got her braces off today after about 2 years, so she was eating popcorn, chewing bubble gum, and eating sticky Starburst candy (which I try to limit to treats after dinner), but since today was special she went out of her way to eat all the junk she could! LOL
I updated my blog this afternoon with some great tips about coupon shopping (Part I of a two part ‘tip of the day’). Check it out, especially if you’re new to couponing. I also have posted some great recipes lately and plan to keep it up.
Looking forward to day 5! qponqt.blogspot.com
Today my tip is to cook with the power of the sun! It might not be saving money ON the food, but you’ll save more money so you can buy more food!!
I cooked dinner in my solar oven, you can see the picture here:http://mygrocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
Our food today was:
B: applesauce, scrambled cage-free eggs, whole-wheat blueberry muffins
L: cantaloupe, leaves of lettuce (yes, my kids will eat plain leaves!), grilled cheese sandwich
D: (the photo above) potatoes, carrots, and chicken (2 cups previously frozen)
We’re eating great, thanks to being well stocked. I’ll start compiling a grocery shopping list and go shopping beginning of next week. (although I will hit up a Farmer’s Market tomorrow for some produce).
Keep up the great work, everyone!!! Go, Save, WIN!
I had an awesome trip yesterday! My shopping trips always look very strange because I stockpile. My goal yesterday was to finish our meat stockpile for our deep freeze. I had a $5/$15 fresh meat coupon for Stop and Shop. Shaw’s accepts this as a competitor coupon, so I was able to use it there. The $15 minimum had to be met after all store sales and discounts. Here is what I purchased: 5 family packs of split chicken breasts (each pack was originally $1.99/lb. and on sale for $0.99/lb. Each pack also had a $2 meat markdown coupon on it) and 2 packages of ground pork (each package had a $1.50 meat markdown coupon on it). My total for 22.31 pounds of split chicken breasts and 2.11 pounds of ground pork was $10.43! Our meat stockpile is complete!
Tomorrow is Farmer’s Market Day! We just started shopping at our local farmer’s market this spring. I can’t believe we waited so long to check it out! So many great items – grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range eggs, honey, pesticide-free fruits and veggies, homemade soaps and more. Being able to talk directly to the farmer about how the fruits and veggies were raised, how the animals were treated and what they were fed has been very enriching. After the market, we’ll round out our grocery shopping for the week at Whole Foods. We have $75 left to spend for groceries this week (our own budget for 6 is lower than the Grocery Challenge target). I’ll have to finalize my meals and shopping list tonight.
Happy Friday Everyone!
I am excited for this challenge!
Like most of you, I utilize coupons, e-coupons, menu-planning, meatless meals at least 1x a week, store sales, stockpiling, drinking water, keeping things simple…and always keeping our long-term goals in mind. I never feel like we are compromising on taste or healthiness…but, I admit sometimes I would like to eat out more =) With 2 kids under 3 I just like the idea of not having to clean up one more mess! Keeping our long-term financial goals always at the forefront of my mind (and posted on the fridge!) helps me realize that our short term sacrifices will pay off in the long run.
I’m enjoying reading all the tips and advice!
So far for the week we have spent under $50 and that does include diapers, household items, etc. But, we are well stocked up and shouldn’t need anything else this week. If only I can keep us away from the drive-thru!
Hi Everyone! I’m so excited to start the Grocery Challenge this week. I shared some of the strategies I plan to use in the challenge on my blog today:
http://frugallyblonde.blogspot.com/2009/07/all-you-grocery-challenge.html
One frugal tip that I’m using this week is using meals that I made ahead of time and froze. My daughters and I are out of town this week, so I left a number of frozen homemade meals for my husband to eat at home. It has saved a ton of money in takeout and restaurant meals, plus it’s much healthier for my husband.
Happy free chocolate friday to all of you! Follow the link below to get your coupon sent to you for a free chocolate bar!
https://secure.realchocolate.com/
Good Morning everyone!1
I have not changed the way I shop/stockpile. I have however changed the way I think.
.
It is amazing how often I thin “ohI should drive though…” then I realize I really can wait till we get home
Saving on meat, beside buying the discounted, sale priced, coupon available meat. we also think about the smaller portion savings at the table. since the time my soon to be 16, weightlifting son ( can you say EAT) was two we would pound our chicken breast flat then cut in thirds or halves. the portion looks lager on the plate, appealing to the eyes, yet is more appropriate for most protein needs. Bacon, we love BLTsI aways cut our strips in half, they cook flat, and you get to have more “pieces”. It is a mind game that saves money in the end.
Beef and sasage, my hubby dinds our own. we buy the beef on sale for under $2 but when he is done we have hamburger that would cost us well over $4 a pound. He trims all the fat leavngless thn 7% fat. Sausage, we use pork loin and grind it as well, then add seasonings. When we cook it we have to add oil as it is so lean, but we add olive oil, way healthier than regular sausage.
Have a great day!
Jen~ mom to eight
Day 4, we had BBQ pork sandwiches on homemade bread with coleslaw for dinner.
You can find the bread recipe on my blog here: http://dollydomestic.com/2009/07/17/super-sandwich-rolls/
and the coleslaw recipe on my All You Grocery Challenge post here: http://dollydomestic.com/2009/07/16/day-4-aygc/
I have a question about the contest… do we get to roll our unused money from one week to the next? (I’m thinking forward to my vacation next week.)
Any comments on my blog posts are certainly welcome.
Cranberry-Glazed Chicken is on the menu for tonight! I am excited as this is one of my favorite meals and it has been a while since I last made it. If you or your kids are a fan of sweet and sour chicken, then this simple version is worth a try!
1# boneless chicken
salt and pepper
1 T butter/margarine (I use olive oil)
3/4 c cranberry sauce (1/2 can)
1/4 c chili sauce
1/4 c apple juice
1 T brown sugar (optional)
Pound each chicken piece to flatten slightly (optional). Sprinkle w/ salt and pepper to liking. Brown in butter. Mix other ingredients in bowl and pour into pan. Simmer, covered, 15 mins. Remove cover and boil until sauce reaches desired thickness.
This recipe was given to me by a family member. I am not sure of the original source, but it’s official name is “Festive Company Chicken” I double the recipe and cook my chicken thoroughly before adding the sauce.
Enjoy!
By the way, for those of you with a Meijer nearby, you may want to check if they are having a super sale this weekend. My local store has 40 oz. bagged boneless, skinless chicken 2/$9. If my math is correct, that is $1.80/per pound!
I’ve been keeping track of what we eat and all of it so far has come from either freezer or pantry stockpiles or left overs! Tomorrow is grocery day, my list is made and I have my coupons cut! LOL I’m blogging about the challenge on my blog.
I can’t grocery shop without a list, if I do, I’m not as focused and tend to spend more than I budget myself for groceries. I am wondering though, is drink included with this?
I mean we drink tea’s, lemonades and koolaid on top of water and occasional soft drinks.
I love sobe life water, I think they are the best drink! I try to split one bottle into 2 days. lol
My tips:
Buy family packs of meat and seperate into servings, for us 8 pieces of meat would be 2 meals! Hubby likes to cook 4 at a time, if he’s still hungry he has a second helping and if not, there’s something left over for the next day’s lunch.
Homemade Pizza:
Pita Bread or Tortillia
Pizza Sauce
Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham or whatever you want to add to it
Shredded Cheese (we use Fiesta fancy shredded, store brand)
Bake Pita Bread Pizza at 375* for 14-16 minutes. You can check it at 13 minutes if you have a fast oven.
Tortillia’s cook at 375* for 10 – 12 minutes.
Have a great day everyone!
How I save money on meat
I watch the sales and when I find meat on sale for $2lb. or less I buy a large amount and repackage them at home into meal size portions.
I check for marked down meat to buy that didn’t sell quick enough. I can usually find the on sale meat for $2lb. at half the price. If I am running low on meat I will also look at the expiration dates and then go back to the store the night before it expires when it’s marked down.
Pork Loin
I buy Pork loin instead of pork chops it is usually cheaper and it is boneless. I have the butcher slice it about a ¼ of an inch thick for chops.
Buy a large pork loin and cut it in half for a roast it’s cheaper than beef.
Put half of a pork lion in the Crockpot and let it cook on high for 6 hours drain off the broth and then shred with a fork and add 2 bottles of BBQ sauce.
Ham
Buy an extra ham at Easter.
I buy a large ham and have the butcher slice it for sandwiches instead of using deli meat.
Turkey
Buy 2 extra turkey’s at Thanksgiving to freeze. In the middle of January defrost, and bake a turkey. When it’s cool take the meat off the bones and put it in freezer bags about a pound each. Then do the same with the other turkey. I use the meat for sandwiches and casseroles.
Chicken
Buy a 10 lb. bag of Chicken Leg Quarters fro $5.59 and separate the quarters into freezer bags of meal size portions for my family. I can usually get 3 meals out of 1 bag.
Buy a 10 lb. bag of Chicken Leg Quarters and bake it and then when it’s cool take the meat off the bones and put it in freezer bags about a pound each. I like to use this for recipes that say to use diced boneless chicken. I can then save my boneless chicken for recipes that I would be using them whole.
Pork Sausage
I will use pork sausage in place of hamburger if it is cheaper.
BLOGS, BLOGS, AND MORE BLOGS!!!!!!
I have tried to find everyone’s indivual blog and add them to my blog list http://grocerychallenge2009.blogspot.com/
to hav ethem all in one convient spot. If I missed anyone, let me know and I will add you. Can you believe the first week is almost over!?!? I have got to get the the store today. I will let you know how I do.
Hi Jennifer, I think you forgot me, but since I just posted today, I doubt you knew about me
http://www.bargains4wahms.com/search/label/All%20You%20Grocery%20Challenge
This is the posts of the challenge and my blog is just http://www.bargains4wahms.com
I agree that reading other’s blogs has been a HUGE help. I haven’t blogged specifically about the grocery challenge yet, but here is my blog: http://copingwithfrugality.blogspot.com/
I do a lot of menu planning as well as blogging about cheep, easy, and healthful meals!
I’m posting my menus, tips, shopping trips etc on a blog to keep organized and motivated…it’s hard work but quite fun!
http://confessionsofathriftymama.wordpress.com/
Do to unforseen circumstances, I will be making some adjustments to my budget, possibly for the remainder of the challenge. My husband will be working out of state, but his meals will still come from our budget. He agreed to try to not spend more than $50 each week. I will supplement his weekly allowance with some staples purchased out of the remaining $75. My goal will be to not spend more than $50 each week to give a little grace to my husband in case he overspends. (Shh, don’t tell him!) Hopefully, this will keep us within the constraints of the grocery challenge. You can read a more personal, detailed account of this decision by clicking on my name at the top of this post.
Community garden barter! We grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, and beans. Today I gave our neighbors some delicious zucchini and squash, and we received some beautiful salad greens! This is a great way to get what you need without having to go to the store. Tonight we will be having a get together with my parents and I am making some spinach dip from what we got today.
Menu planning and gardening is what has kept me on track, and sane, this first week. I have been menu planning for a while now, but this challenge has really given me the motivation to stick to the plan. I experienced my first big personal challenge this week with a lunch meeting. It was a montly bar association meeting which is always held at a local restaurant. As everyone was ordering I kept telling myself, you have wonderful leftovers at home, it is ok. As it turned out, it was a good thing I didn’t order food, because they needed someone to take minutes since the secretary is on vacation, and I was able to save the day and allow everyone else to enjoy their food.
We have also been getting a lot of great produce from our garden. Except for onions (I am only growing the “green” variety), corn, and fruit, I haven’t had to buy produce in a very long time!!
Check out my blog for menu plans as well as cheep, easy, and healthful recipies: http://copingwithfrugality.blogspot.com/
Menu of 7/17:
We had smoothies for breakfats and eggs. I am trying to make some chicken fried rice with thing that i already have in hand. I will make one trip to publix to get some groceries. I will post about it when I get back.
I did some good shopping at CVS today. I got 16 air wick priced at $4.99 and I used 16 of the $4 MC and also received a $4/$20 coupon in an email and I had a $5/$15 and a $5/$30. So I got all those for just tax.
Thursday – Day 4
Breakfast:
Cereal again. We have a lot of cereal that I got CHEAP! So, we ate that. We still haven’t gotten to the store yet to pick up oatmeal at Aldi’s. I am hoping to get there sometime this weekend. We had blueberries with our breakfast.
Lunch:
Ham and cheese sandwiches on homemade bread with a banana.
Dinner:
Tonight was leftover night, since we had a bunch of food in the fridge. I hate when leftovers go bad. No reason not to get them eaten up. So, the little kids and hubby ate leftover mac n cheese with broccoli, my older son and I had leftover pizza. We had jello with fruit cocktail in it for dessert.
I have today’s almost done and ready to post on my blog after 10pm tonight. I will have to go in there and post how much we spend on our anniversary dinner. You can check it out at: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com
Hi everybody. I have a list of about 35 blogs from participants in this challenge over on my blog. Here is the link http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com/2009/07/words-of-week-wednesday-715.html I don’t want to forget anybody, so if you haven’t already, go check the list and make sure you are on it if you have a blog. If your blog is not listed, please leave me a comment with the link.
Thanks
Lisette
Day 5 July 17, 2009. I am going to go ahead and blog today and tomorrow since we have company coming in for the weekend. Today’s menu was
BREAKFAST-Cereal, Banana, Milk, Coffee – all on hand
LUNCH-Leftover Chicken Wings
DINNER-Boneless pork loin (which I got on sale and cut into 3 smaller roasts), new potatoes, shallots, carrots all in the crockpot & leftover broccoli from last night-all on hand. Figured I might as well use up the new potatoes & shallots that I bought a couple of weeks ago. My produce bin is getting empty. So while dinner has been cooking in the crockpot have been cleaning house. Got a lot done today!!! Crockpot really comes in handy!!! Also doesn’t heat up the house for it has been one hot day today.
Spent $0.
Tomorrow our menu will be
BREAKFAST-What we have on hand – cereal, oatmeal, eggs etc.
LUNCH-leftover tuna, ham or turkey lunch meat which I got a couple of weeks ago
DINNER-(we have 3 extra guests) grill Ribeye steaks & a couple of extra Chuck Steaks that I can make fried rice with Sunday or next week. The steaks I got from a Bone In Rib Roast that was on sale at Winn Dixie a couple of weeks ago for $4.99 lb and had the butcher slice it for steaks. Will fix Caesar Salad with it for I picked up Romaine from Publix this week $1.99 and have a Caesar Salad mix on hand that I picked up a month ago when it was B1G1F. Along with this will fix a vegetable from the freezer. My girlfriend is making flan for dessert so I don’t have to worry about picking dessert up. My husband is looking forward to the flan-me I will only eat a bite or do without for I’m diabetic and have to watch what I eat. So I may make Sugar Free Jello which I have on hand for at Walgreens they have it on sale sometimes 5 for $1.00. It makes a cheap dessert and I always keep some on hand.
Tomorrow will spend $0 for I am saving the balance of this week $17.28 that I have left from $50 for a Sunday only sale.
Until Sunday……
Dear “All You Magazine”-
I posted on here Tuesday night, but I can’t find it now-
Can you help me?
Do you see it it?
Thanks so much!
Kate – I don’t know if you received a reply from All You, but I was able to view your post. When the site first comes up, look to the right of the page. Under “recent posts” you will see the third one down “Grocery Challenge Begins Today”. Click on that and scroll down to your posting. I was also confused at first! I thought I had read all the posts but it looks like I missed some good ones!
Okay here is the meals for the week:
Monday:
breakfast: was muffins from scratch chocolate chip to be exact.
Lunch: scrambled eggs sausage and fruit (eggs are free we have 35+ chickens
Dinner: tuna cass. I made from scratch this weekend all from the cupboard
Tuesday:
Breakfast: cereal with milk, and the last of the muffins
Lunch and dinner for my husband & I was leftover lasagna & tuna cass, the kids were at the sitters for lunch and dinner
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Stocked fridge cinnamon rolls
Lunch: Hot dogs, chips and pears(all from the cupboards and fridge stock)
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, with potato cass, and sausage (gotta love those chickens)
Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal and milk (almost all the stocked cereal is gone)
Lunch: Hot dogs (from the fridge stock) and homemade baked beans, orange slices (what more does a kid really need?)
Dinner: Turkey breast, Homemade Mashed potatoes & gravy, Homemade bread, and last seasons canned veggies. We took this to Grammie, Papa, & Uncle Matt.
Friday:
Breakfast: used up the most of the dry cereal, maybe one more days left
Lunch: Eggs in bread per the kids request, husband & I ate eggs with the potato cass. that was left (thanks to the chickens again)
Dinner: Taco Cass that I made on Wednesday that my husband has been taking to work, add some fruit and veggies, and there we go!!
Thanks to the challenge I have started cooking and baking a lot more, at least 8 homemade loaves of bread this week, we add it to our meals as it suits the kids, I even made my first ever from scratch cinnamon rolls, and I must admit they are awesome, the kids say they are better then the ones from the can…..wow that was a kid compliment. My 6 year old and I made flour tortillas from scratch, and the other three turned them into cinnamon crisps.
I have layed out the meals for the husband for the weekend so he can feed the kids while I work my 2 12hour shifts this weekend. There is definately plenty of leftovers plus the easy husband friendly items like chicken nuggets and fish sticks I always keep stocked in the freezer for him.
My spending I have to total up for the week, but I know I’m still under $100 of my $150 to spend. But the plan is to eat all next week off the stocked pantry, and then that weekend to go out of town, and hopefully stay under the $150 food budget….I’m motivated, so I’m sure it will be fine!
Hope everybody else is having as much fun as I am.
Things I’ve learned so far…..
1. That bread machine has never worked so hard in it’s life.
2. I sure have a ton of things in the pantry, and freezer.
3. Taking the kids grocery shopping add about $20 bucks or more a week in whining food purchases.
4. Baking is fun again, at least this week.
5. Meals have to be creative, or the kids revolt!
Ok I made the chicken fried rice. It was OK but not as good as the one I am used to buy..
I went to walmart to get more water since I was able to print more coupons. So, I got 14 packs of nestle purified water and paid ZERO.
I also went to publix and I got:
0.5lb plum for $0.65
4 MC seasoning $1.99 B1G1 used 4*$1 MC from the nothing goes to waist book
publix grain brown rice $0.99
2 egg beaters $2.79 each used 2*$1 MC
AE berry juice $1.39 used $0.55 MC and $1 Store C
I paid $5.09
My total for the week: $13.09
Left for the week: $36.91
Great shopping day yesterday at Publix – I got $93 worth of groceries (not all food, gotta remember to take those off my totals) for $20. Since I did a lot of my produce shopping earlier in the week and we’re going to my mom’s next week (Ill still be buying the groceries, since she’s contributing the bounty of her huge garden), most of the stuff I added to my stockpile: ground pork, organic juice, salad dressing, tomato sauce, stuff like that. I tried not to buy anything not on BOGO and/or with coupons. Since Publix (bless their hearts) takes competitor Q’s and lets you stack, I was able to get a lot for nearly free. I did let the kids get sushi from the suhi bar for lunch, since I had a Harvey’s Q for $2/$5 seafood purchase.
For other meals we’ve had fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies for breakfast Kashi frozen veggie pizzas for lunch (BOGO, plus a Target Q), and whole wheat tortellini (man. + store Q) with marinara for dinner along with homemade bread. And dessert was Ranier cherries, usually hideously expensive here in Florida (like $8.99/#), but they were BOGO at Publix for $4.99/#, and Food Lion had a Q for $2/$5 produce purchase, so they were in the budget for a change! Tonight is broccoli quiche, since eggs were BOGO and broccoli was on sale, and I put about 7 pounds of green peanuts in my crockpot to boil. I have a BIG crockpot. The kids will eat those for snacks for a couple of days, but since we had extra teenagers over today they may not go as far as I would have hoped!
My family is loving those Ranier cherries, too. If I don’t pay attention, my kids will eat the whole container in one sitting (I mean ONE child)…
You guys near stores that double are so lucky. Down here no one doubles. Publix doesn’t and they won’t let you buy one item from the b1g1 at half price either down here. There is Albertson’s over in Orlando but they are a branch off of real Albertson’s so I don’t even think they double.
One thing that really helps out is hubby has gotten into hunting over the past couple of years. We have some Venison in the deep freeze that a hunter friend gave him last season and this fall is the first time he has been picked in the raffle to be allowed to harvest deer. He is allowed 2 per day on his 4 day trip so hopefully he will do well and we will have a nice stockpile of venison. (We know someone who will process it for us for $25-$30/deer if we give him some of the meat.) That won’t be until the fall though
. He also has a friend that got picked for a gator hunt this year and for $50 he was able to buy an agent license to help his friend catch the gators. They are allowed 2 total. His friend is going to give him some meat and then give him the money back for the agent license with the money they make from selling it. He also hunts duck, snipe, hog, small game (still can’t bring myself to eat thumper if he ever gets one or squirrel for that matter or any rodent for that matter)
He goes fishing once a week or every other week. Sometimes fresh sometimes salt. He brings home fresh catfish, red, whiting, flounder, etc. If he doesn’t catch enough for 1 meal in one trip I freeze it and save it until we have enough. Beats $4 or more a lb that you would pay in a store. (He tried his hand at shrimping a few months ago and didn’t do to well at that lol. I think he got 5 shrimp total. To make a meal his buddy had to give him 2 handfuls of his.) It’s so nice living in Florida.
Hi Shannon,
The stores here in South Lousiana are the same way, no doubling. I do remember about 6 yrs ago, they did, but I don’t know what happened to make them stop
KMart does double coupons every so often, but that’s NO good as they don’t have the frozen products. lol
I do the best I can with coupons, etc. I think I will need to try to get someone to take me to Target at least once a month for their sales. I know I’ve missed a LOT!
Hmmmm,
I posted earlier today and now I can’t find my post! Anyone know why? I had a pizza recipe with the post.
Here’s my list of spending for the week………..$0!
I will post my week of what we ate this week, etc tomorrow. I’m too tired to go thru my blog and copy paste it right now.
Ok this is my first post. I have made comments but not posted. I live in Tucson, AZ and because of the HOT DRY weather it very hard for me to keep a garden. I don’t have that as a back up. I am a couponer and I have a lot of stockpiled items. Plus I have a big deep freeze so that will help. ( I even freeze milk when it is on sale!)
You guys all have amazed me with keeping your budget costs down. I, however, have a different way of thinking about this. I have $100 for my family of 4 and how can I maximize it to benifit my family with out going over. I am not trying to spend the least amount of money possible just come in under the $100. This challange is hard for me because I have been taking my kids out to lunch 2 – 3 times a week during the summer. My son is in weekly golf tournaments and we are all around the state 2 days a week. So I am going to pack snacks for the kids and make them late lunches when we get home.
I meal planned on Sunday and on Monday I went grocery shopping. I ended up spending $61.22. I got home and FREAKED OUT. I only have $38.72 to last for 6 more days. What am I going to do with the kids? (anyone else feeling this way? You guys all seem to think this is a breeze)
Ok I am blabbing all of this is on my blog that I started this week. http://www.couponingjoys.com.
Well it is Friday night and I have spent a little bit of money. I have $31.42 left. It doesn’t seem as intimadating. But to tell you the truth….. I can not wait till Monday when I have another $100 to spend! LOL
Here is a list of my meal plans for the week
Monday – Chicken Fried Rice with Sautéed Asian cabbage. Use left over 2 chicken breasts from Sundays dinner
Tuesday – Pot Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, Celery, and Tossed Salad
Wednesday – Beef Curry on Rice. Use leftover pot roast and veggies cut up in small pieces and sauté in a pan with curry packet.
Thursday- Pork Loin with Fried Apples and Tossed salad.
Friday – Hamburgers, Steak Fries, Fruit Salad.
Saturday – Bertolli skillet meals, Garlic Bread and Greek Salad
Sunday – Roasted Turkey Breast, Cooked Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, and Salad.
Maybe a pie
Joyce, it looks to me like you are doing fantastic! Planning ahead for your around the state excursions with the kids is a great idea, and your menu looks yummy. What kind of pie are you considering baking? I love pies!
I will be out of town one day next week for a family reunion. The drive is 4 hours each way, and my husband loves his “car snackies” which he usually buys at the gas station. Not this time! I have stashed away a box of snack bars I had on hand already for his lunch box. That, and our soda on hand already, will keep him happy. I will be sure to pack some stuff for the kids, as teenagers can’t seem to go 2 hours without eating. (We are a family of 6 right now, with our college age son home for the summer.)
Wow. I know what you mean about gas station snackies. My kids think they should get a gatorade, beef jerky, and chips anytime we are heading out of town.
I will probably make an Apple Pie. We picked apples last year and canned a lot of apple sauce, apple butter and apple pie filling. YUM!
It’s Saturday night, and my weekly spending is just $14 under the allotted budget. I agree with you. Some of the posters here are amazing. I can’t imagine living on some of the limited budgets they give themselves.
7/7/18 menu:Breakfast: I will make an omelet with the egg beaters i got today. We will have hash brown and pancakes ( Both from the freezer), milk to drink.Snack: Wheat crackers and Sabra hummus ( purchased from publix a while ago)Dinner: We will have morning star veggie burgers ( purchased from publix a while ago), house salad and grilled veggies ( I am cleaning the fridge, the veggies will be what ever we have. I se a couple tomatoes, onions and green peppers)Dessert: We will have a couple slices of the Sara Lee pie ( purchase from publix a while ago) with Starbucks Ice cream ( Free from publix = overage two weeks ago)
Today I received another Starbucks ice cream coupon in the mail. It has something to do with Face book but I cant remember what. I will Wait for a B1G1 sale to use the coupon since I still have a lot of it.
Well, this week has been crazy, we found out we have to find a new rental, because the owner of your current rental wants to move back in. Needless to say, we have been eating out of our freezer and pantry, lots. This will help because I am not going to have time to shop and the less we have to move the better. We also used some “IHOP cash” that my husband trades services for to eat out. We are well under budget at around $20 spent.
Wasn’t able to post about yesterday’s meals, but here goes. Fridays are our splurge days and I often refer to them as “Fat Friday” because everyone gets anything they want. We usually end up with pizza for dinner and hubby and I go out for lunch since we work in close proximity. Yesterday, we had:
Breakfast: Cereal with blueberries, coffee/tea.
Lunch: Dined out – Italian focaccia sandwich (me) and fish sandwich platter (hubby). Total bill: $14.82
Dinner: Three out of the four of us went to a neighborhood block party to eat. We spent $20 for food tickets, ended up giving some away (no refunds) but I’ll count the whole $20 because that’s what we spent. Mental note: Don’t send hubby to buy the tickets. Excellent food though, potato cakes, halushki, french fries….that’s why we call it “Fat Friday”! Good thing we watch our diets the rest of the week!
Total spent for week one so far: $67.57
I just want to make the point that you CAN splurge a little with good planning and consistent smart shopping.
I have several strategies but I don’t want to make this too long!! I use a coupon only when the item is also on sale. Most coupons are for processed foods and we don’t eat much of that. I have 5 places where I shop and each one is for a different purpose. Starting at the most expensive place where I only shop for clearance items and double coupons. Then there is the menu. I make one for the entire month, not by the week. At first I was skeptical but now I love it. Of course, it is not set in stone. If a good sale comes up or we have a craving, we can change it at will, but it is still a great way to cut down on impulse buys. I also cook extra, freeze items for later use and use leftovers very creativly, so we don’t get tired of the same food, and I usually cook from scratch. for example, I am making Spaghetti. I will make a big pot of sauce, Save some to mix with rice to make spanish rice. I also use minced veges in the sauce to add nutrition. I will freeze some of the sauce for later use. Then with the Spaghetti we will have a couple of dinners. My husband will take some for lunch and what is left will become a side dish or mixed with something else to make a whole new meal. This is only some of what I do, but I think I have written enough.
My tip for yesterday:
Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts on fruit or veges that need to be purchased or used soon. At my farmer’s market, I can get organic tomatoes for 1.50/lb because they are the softer, riper ones that need to be used soon. They also have a box of “grade B” produce for free just so it doesn’t waste.
I got a back of oranges from that free box, and juiced them the same day for a delicious pitcher of orange juice!! Completely healthy, and couldn’t be more free!!
So, go ahead, ask about discounts for produce that needs to be used!
Yesterday’s menu:
B: whole-wheat blueberry pancakes
L: salad, pb on celery, left-over pizza
snack: watermelon
D: taco salad
Today’s menu:
B: watermelon, “porridge” (hot cornmeal cereal)
snack: applesauce
L: leftover solar-oven meal (carrots, potatoes, chicken)
D: haven’t quite decided!
Total spent this week so far: $26.51 out of 150.00
And I have to agree with a previous poster who said that when you watch your budget so closely, you tend to spend the money on basics instead of instant and prepared; thus, your purchases are more healthy.
We are super health-conscious, so lots of our stuff is made from scratch, and I try really hard to get pesticide-free produce, organic yogurt, and raw milk. And I find I still only spend about $350 a month for a family of 6!
Rebates, rebates, rebates! I use the great rebate program at Rite Aid to get most of my bath items (toiletries, shampoo, toothpaste, etc) for free or at a profit. I combine their free after rebate items with coupons, pay out of pocket initially, then receive back more than I paid at the end of the month. These items can get so expensive when you pay full price, so I created a small stockpile trying not to spend more then $1 at the most. Now that I have a stockpile, I can wait and get them when they are free!
I also submit for Try me Free offers from food companies. I just recently combined two Kelloggs promos and rebates at Albertsons to make over $5. You do have to fork over a little out of pocket, but we have a small budget for these items. If you are willing to wait for your reward, it is well worth it! I keep track of all the rebates I submit, as well as any contact info so I can track them down if I don’t receive a check (which hasn’t happened yet).
I just posted my shopping for the week with price and coupon break downs on my blog @ http://copingwithfrugality.blogspot.com/. I will post my weekly menu plan on Monday.
Today has been a very peaceful day. The kids have been really good today, and we spent much of the time reading books, napping, and playing mariokart together! If any of you have a wii console I would recommend this game!!! It’s really cute to watch the kids play. The weather has been in the low 100’s today so we’ll probably go out and have popsicles after dinner. (My little cousin is here today and she brought them with her, so free!)
Breakfast this morning was lemon bread (homemade and frozen from a while back) with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. I had coffee, kids had orange juice.
Snack time for the kids was homemade trail mix. One money saving tip: Don’t buy prepackaged trail mix. It is absurdly expensive and the convenience factor is really not that great considering you throw everything together and you are done.
Lunch was so homemade! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with homemade bread, strawberry jam, and peanut butter. If you have never made peanut butter it is really easy but doesn’t necessarily come out cheaper. I make it because I try to avoid hydrogenated oils that are very common in peanut butter. I use the food processor and grind the peanuts until they form a paste, and voila! Peanut butter! We also had yogurt and blueberries.
Afternoon snack was ice water and fruit snacks.
Dinner is as of yet undecided. It is too hot to cook and I don’t want to turn on the stove or oven. I will most likely end up making a cold plate with various meats and cheeses, fruits, and vegetables from the garden.
Bouncing back after Fat Friday…
Walked to the grocery store and spent $5.53 on milk, eggs, hot sauce, pierogies and corn on the cob.
Breakfast: Egg/Fat Free Ham/LowFat cheese sandwich on high fiber english muffins.
Lunch: Pita pizzas (Individual pizzas made on pita bread ~ your choice of toppings).
Dinner: New England Pierogi dinner (combo of cabbage, pierogies, corn on cob and turkey kielbasa in a light Old Bay boil).
Snack: Not sure yet, probably popcorn.
Total spent this week to date: $73.10/$100 ~ That’s about average for us. I will probably add some things tomorrow before the week is up as I’m trying to stock up for our vacation that starts next Saturday and still stay in the budget.
I meant to say, that’s average for us with all of our HBA and paper goods. This week, it was all food due to eating out and stocking up for vacation. I’m pretty proud of the fact that with a few more things, we can pack enough food for all of our meals while vacationing. I was working on the menu tonight and it’s very do-able!
I made a couple trips to the stores today. Here is what I got:
From walmart:
10 packs of nestle purified water $1 each used 14*$1 MC
4 Chiquita bites $0.98 each used 4*Free MC
4 pineapple bites $0.98 each used 4* Try me free when you buy single bites
I paid ZERO
From Publix:
2 Kashi pizzas $5.99 each ( I had a rain check for 50% off) used 2*$3 MC
2 Kashi dinners $3.79 each ( I had a rain check for 50% off ) used 2*$2 MC
1 Tyson grilled chicken Fajitas $7.99 ( I will submit it for rebate up to $9.99) used $1 MC
I paid $5.72 and I will get $7.99 back
I also found some blinkies for dog treats B1G1 and it was B1G1 so I got 14 bags for just tax and I will go back tomorrow for more.
I wanted to take my DH for a treat. So we spent $7.94 at McDonald’s.
Total spent today: $13.66
Total spent for the week: $26.75
So I still have about $24 to spend. I will go to publix tomorrow for some fresh produce and meat.
7/19 menu:
Breakfast: Cereal, eggs and milk
No lunch but we will have a snack: Mixed nuts free from CVS and milk
Dinner: We will try the Tyson fajitas that we got today. We will have a side salad and knorr spanish rice, diet coke to drink ( Free from CVS a while ago, I am down to 3 cartons now)
Dessert: Frozen yogurt ( free from publix a while ago)
It seems that my family is doing our share to help stimulate the economy! We spent our morning hours yard saling. While out, my husband had an irresistable craving for Taco Bell. Who am I to deny him such pleasure? We spent $12.97 for lunch. This evening, I did some more grocery shopping. I spent $10.33 at Meijer and $11.29 at Aldi. After putting away all my groceries, it dawned on me that I probably should have taken a picture of my haul. Maybe next week, folks!
Our grand total for the week so far is $110.80 for our family of five. This is right on target with my normal spending. Some weeks I spend more, some weeks, but it generally averages out to about $80/week for groceries. This week I spent $82.23 on groceries and $28.57 on eating out. What was different this week was that I normally do not make so many trips to the store (at least I don’t think I do), and it is rare that we would eat out three times in one week! I don’t anticipate any spending tomorrow.
Since I failed to take a picture and refuse to bore myself and all of you by listing all the items purchased this week, I will share a few highlights….
On my first major shopping trip, I found individual single-serve boxes of mini-wheats for $0.50/box. Normally, I would pass, however, each box had a $1/1 coupon. I bought four boxes at the cost of $2 but will recoup that plus save $2 more upon redemption of the four coupons.
I also purchased a 10 oz. bottle of A-1. Regular price is $3.54 but I paid $0.50 after sale and coupon!
Today, I was thrilled to find strawberries for $0.49/pound at Aldi’s!
Probably my most favorite bargain of the week was not food related. I’m really liking my $0.50 Old Navy jeans!
Wishing all of you a great end to week 1!
Lisa, our family has been going to yard sales and Good Will, Salvation Army and Habitat For Humanity for several years now and you would not believe what you can get for next to nothing that is in perfect shape or brand new (never out of the box). We love it and save a ton of money doing so.
Funny story, we recently moved into a new home and one of our neighbors children was over when my husband and I decided to take the kids out, well this little boy wanted to go so we said okay if your mommy will let you. So hubby and I take five kids under eight to Good Will and let them pick out some new but used toys and whe we left we paid a total of $15.00 of a set of soccer goalies, soccer ball, baseball glove, baseball bat, baseball, 4 kids puzzles and a set of tracing/coloring items. After we got home, our neighbors little boy went home with a big selections of toys and told his parents where we had gone… needless to say, they have since started going to yard sales and all of the thrift store too.
Our family loves to save money, use coupons and hunt out a really good deal… it is just part of our life and we enjoy the challenge and love all of the extra money in the bank. Coletta
I am a total yard sale junkie and so are my kids. My 9 year old keeps telling every one that Walmarts slogan needs to be changed and that save money live better should be for yard sales. she so proudly tells everyone her good deals. 90% of their clothes come from yard sales , I have certain ones I go to every year bacause these people buy name brand (my girls love bobby jack) and have great taste and girds just a size bigger than mine. I get winter coats, shoes , christmas dresses, jeans, and pjs all in great condition. I only buy them a few things like socks and underware at the store and actualy those usualy come from grandma at christmas. I luck into so many other cool things there too. sometimes I even find unopen items that I can use as christmas gifts. I often buy unopen character napkins for .25 cents when people have them extra after parties and we use them as a treat with snacks and things just to liven things up.I find so many great deals at yardsales that goodwill has started to seem a bit pricey to me, lol. I call yard sale tresure hunting cuase you never know what you’ll find.
Ofcourse just as I’m passing my thriftyness on to my kids I got mine from my mom. Her favorite story about me is when I was about 5 and she had a buggy full of groceries. the cashier commented to my mom that everything she bought was on sale and I proudly chimed in “my mommy doesn’t buy anything unless its on sale”
Tip for today:
I can’t take credit for this–I learned it from my super-smart mom. Make your own spreadable butter! You can keep it stored in the fridge, and it’s soft enough right out of the fridge.
Let 1 lb of butter come to room temperature in a bowl. Add 1 C. of olive oil. Mix together with a whisk and pour into tubs. Naturally, put it back in the fridge!
Hey, this tip qualifies for 2 of the requirements: it’s creative AND healthy!!
Today’s Frugal Foodie Tip (#4): Don’t eat. Bwaah-ha-ha. No, I’m not advocating a starvation diet. Let me clarify: don’t eat when you don’t have to. A couple of days ago, I took the kids to a movie on the condition they not whine or beg for snacks. I know, I know. It’s almost un-American not to eat popcorn at the movies , but it can be done! You can make it a whole hour and a half without eating.
I’ve noticed that I’ve often confused bored for hunger. Sometimes, I’ll hit the fridge (or the donut shop) just to have something to do. And, more than likely, boredom eating is hugely calorie, sugar and fat-laden.
Obviously, it’s much healthier to eat when you are hungry and to have nutrient-rich food. If you are in need of good entertainment, you could always grow a garden.
Great reminder, JJ! Thanks!
Did errands today and purchased some food items. I’m continuing to buy for my stockpile when I come across a good deal like strawberry preserves for $1.00, mustard for $.25 and blue cheese for $1.29. I’m also still purchasing things to take on vacation. It kind of stinks that I have to have multiples of staples to take along, but I’ll deal with it…still way less expensive than eating out!
My stops today were at Dollar General, Weis Supermarket and the Dollar Tree. Between all three stores, I spent $18.19 on 18 items, obviously averaging about a dollar each. That’s awesome for me when I realize that I bought fresh sugar snap peas, blue cheese, lunch meat, yogurt, cereal, preserves, ice cream and so much more. I was very satisfied with that. To make my trip a little more fun, I bought 10 boxes of Electrasol dishwasher tabs for $.50 each after coupons. A savings of $25.00. They guy behind me commented “Wow, that’s a big difference” when the cashier gave me my before and after totals. I just smiled and told him it certainly pays to coupon!
My grand total for the week ended up being $91.29/$100.
Question for the All You people: There will be 5 of us vacationing together (daughter is bringing a friend), so does my budget go up $25 for that week since I’ll be buying all of the food? I don’t think I’ll need it, but I’m curious, just in case we go out to a nice place for dinner. Thanks!
I forgot to add our meals:
Breakfast: Everyone different, french toast from the freezer, bagels with light cream cheese or cereal.
Lunch: Leftover New England Pierogie Dinner
Dinner: Buffalo Turkey Meatballs on a bed of baby greens w/ blue cheese dipping sauce, last of the leftover zucchini cakes and a zucchini salad.
Can you tell I have zucchini coming out of my ears??
Day 7 Sunday 7/19/09
This morning my girlfriend and I went to the store so I could use up the balance of my $17.28 from $50. I was able to pick up the following items
Boneless Chuck Roast $1.99 lb-got 2.34 lb. $4.64 (can use for stew meat, pot roast w/leftover for soup.
Ground Beef $1.39 lb.-got 4.39 lbs. $6.10 (made 8 hamburger patties for we eat one each/2small pkgs
for spaghetti sauce-6 + meals if it’s just us two-no company)
1 Avocado $1.29
Bananas 3 lbs. for $1.00 – got 3.41 lb. $1.14
Iceberg Lettuce $ .89
Green Onions 1 bunch $ .50
Tomatoes (2) 99 cents lb. $1.16
My total came up $15.72 spending $48.44 for the week with $1.56 left over
Then I came home and made breakfast for 4 people which was all on hand – Thomas English Muffins, scrambled eggs,
bacon & sausage, oj. The muffins and sausage I had bought when it was on sale B1G1F. Bacon I had stocked up over the months when it was on sale too. Good thing Publix has Muffins & Eggs on sale this week for I will pick that up tomorrow.
Lunch we had nothing for we ate breakfast around 11 a.m. Tonight will fix Pork Fried Rice from the leftover pork that we had Friday night. Have everything on hand for that so we’re doing good!!! Also had leftover steak last night for I cooked a couple of extras so tomorrow will make Vegetable Beef Soup using the steak bones also which I will discard when the soup is done and leftover vegetables that I throw in a bowl in the freezer. One of our elderly neighbors told me that the steak bones gives the soup a good flavor when it has been grilled so figured I would try it. Sometimes I pick up a small loaf of bread in the bakery of one store for 89 cents for it’s small so might do that too. Week 1 has really been a challenge so tomorrow we go to Week 2!! As long as my husband doesn’t go to the store with me with might make it!!!!
Sunday – Day 7
So, it’s Sunday and the end of week 1 of the All You Grocery Challenge. Today we had a late breakfast of pancakes, eggs and toast, and milk. For lunch we had turkey sandwiches, made with the turkey and rolls that were given to us, a slice of watermelon each and chocolate milk. For dinner I plan on making Chicken and Biscuits (the kind I make has mixed vegetables in it), fruit for dessert (choice of strawberries, blueberries, or grapes) and juice (100% fruit juice) for our drinks.
A Week in Review
Well, we made it through the first week under budget. We would have spent a lot less but life got in the way. With the water being turned off on Wednesday, we ended up spending $20 on a sheet pizza. Then on Friday, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. We ended up going to Olive Garden and spending $38.02. If you subtracted just those two things, we would have spent almost $60 less. Isn’t it crazy how much you can spend just eating out?
I made my own spending log with a pie chart for our spending each week. It looks pretty sweet. If you’d like to check it out, here’s the link: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com/2009/07/all-you-grocery-challenge-week-in.html
We spent $92.51 out of the $125 allotted.
If you’d like to see pics of the stuff we ate plus the $20.98 trip to Aldi’s or the free food and vegetables we got out of the garden, please check out my blog at: http://www.couponqueenofcorning.com
We did it! This week for our family of 4, we spent only $36 even! Woohoo!
I blogged Monday-Wednesday already, so let me give a few details for the rest of the week….
Thursday
Only went to Target today.. I wanted to use all those $1 off q’s for the Dreyers Ice cream. So bought 18 individual (I think they are 5 or 6 oz) containers of ice cream which are perfect for my kids for $3.42.
Breakfast for today was a Sonic mystery shop.
Lunch was our regular PB&J w/ strawberries and yogurt from our Kroger trip on Wednesday
Dinner was BBQ sandwiches we had saved w/ our foodsaver in our deepfreeze.
Friday
I dashed into Walmart and bought 8- 2 liter bottles of Dr. Pepper using $1/2 q’s making them only $.38 ea. Grabbed some tomatoes on the vine at $1.47/lb (not a bad price) and each kid wanted an apple. I also grabbed a bag of Light Lays which are NEVER on sale.
They were $3.50.
breakfast was pop tarts
lunch was our regular sandwiches w/ grapes and yogurt
dinner was cereal again (we love cereal for dinner sometimes)
Saturday
no grocery trip.
Sunday
CVS!!! New ad out today! Lots of free school supplies again! Spent only .91!!! Got a pack of 85 zantac (for the hubby), notebook paper, pens, notepads, binders, panty liners, twizzlers, 2 gallons of milk, deodorant, bandaids, 7- travel bandaid kits, 4- trident tubs of gum, and a pack of duracell batteries. Got back about $28 in ECB’s and spent just under $30 ECB’s. YAY!!
Breakfast- cereal
lunch- sandwiches
dinner- ribeye steak (stocked up on this previously for $3.99/lb and vaccum packed for the freezer)
Chrystal,
Mystery shop, I always wanted to do that how did you get to be a mystery shopper, any info is greatly appreciated as I am on a budget.
I would LOVE to hear what site you get the Sonic shops from. I do mystery shops, but Sonic is not on any of the sites I use!!!
A few sites that I have used for mystery shopping and can say they do pay are the following:
http://www.bareinternational.com (I have done grocery store and restaurant shops here)
http://www.mysteryshops.com/login.asp? (Not great paying site, but I do like doing the Papa John’s shops for free pizza)
http://www.ishopforyou.com/
If you want me to refer you to any of these, let me know your email and I can do that!
Wow! It is so exciting reading about the thousands of other people doing what I do to save money. I wanted to write about a few other things I do. I use a price book. Its a great way to track who is offering the best prices. I make everything I can from scratch. This can be very difficult because of my illnesses. I have Fibromyalgia, diabetes, and Trigger points. What this all means is the standing and cutting cause me considerable pain. I have to balance the savings costs with the amount of preparing I can do. I live in an apartment so no place for a garden or an extra freezer. However; I do have two big buckets free from a Freecycle.com member Tomatoes are growing in one. Thai basil and oregano in the other. Oh, did you know you can grow green onions without dirt? buy a bunch that has some roots left on. Cut most of the green top off and use or store for future use. Put the rest in a container of cool water and set OUT of the sun. Change the water every day. This is important or the bulbs will rot. They will sprout new green which you can cut as you wish. I usually get two regrowths from one purchase. One more idea. I look for items that have gone out of date and buy them for huge discounts. And speaking of Freecycle.com, sometimes people on that site give away extra food. Every little bit helps.
Week 1 done and under budget! Even had a party this weekend and still stayed at budget. Planned the party around my pantry and freezer stockpile items. Worked great. Mission accomplished!! Looking forward to week 2.
The message from “All You” at the beginning of this blog asks for money-saving tips. Here’s another from me:
Don’t waste food! I used to throw away lettuce all too often, because washing lettuce for dinner was just one more thing to do, and so it didn’t get done enough. When I started buying organic lettuce, I decided that I wasn’t going to throw away ‘money’ anymore.
So, on the day I buy it, I cut off the end and soak all the leaves in a bowl of water. This loosens any dirt and bugs (yummy =). Then I rinse each leaf, then DRY each leaf, and then store it in bags with 1-2 paper towels per bag. The drying is a bit time-consuming on that day, but overall it saves time on the other days. It is SOOOO nice to just pull leaf-lettuce out of the fridge ready to eat! DH and kids can make salads now. And we don’t waste anymore!!!
A note about the paper towel: I don’t know how or why it works, but it absorbs the moisture and really, really cuts down on bacterial growth (spoilage). We had a slight mold problem in our bathroom, and the mold remediator told us to wipe our walls down with paper towel, because the mold spores LOVE the texture of paper towel and adhere to it. Same goes with food, too, I guess!
The contest also states they were looking at a healthy diet. We try our best. This week I bought as much fresh fruit as I could afford. It was so hot here in VA that we just drank smoothies for a couple of dinners. But what smoothies they were. Each glass had 3-4 different fruits (fresh, frozen, or canned); low-fat yogurt, Splenda (I get it free); Benefiber for extra fiber; and a couple packets of powdered vitamins, supplements etc. The Smoothies are cheap,delicious, healthy and filling.
I wanted to give credit to my role models. Since the early 90’s Amy Dacyczyn had been helping frugal people with the Tightwad Gazette. I was sad when she quit to raise her children.The magazine, Mother Earth News has been giving advice on living well with less since the 1970’s and the cookbook written by Missy Chase Lapine and called The Sneaky Chef has given lots of good ways to add good nutrition in the most everyday meals.
I had intended to be fully active here at this blog but life has got the best of me. I started a blog of my own to keep track of it all and we had the following dinners (plus sides & drinks).
1. Shrimp & tomato pasta
2. Sausage and veggie pitas
3. Lite Taco Salads
4. Italian porkchops with bread crumbs.
Not much on the recipes for the week, sorry. We also had a steak meal and a BBQ chicken meal and a BBQ at a friend’s house.
Overall, my husband and I are able to stay below our 2000 calorie goal (I’m more like 1800) and the kids are doing great! I took the challenge a bit further and forced us to start from scratch. We came in at $98.07 for the All You challenge but I had to return 2 items to do that because DEEEEAAAAR Hubby had 2 Starbuck’s while he waited at the car repair place. So be it, we can’t live in a vacuum, right? We hit the number for the week and I’m $180/$500 for the monthly “Fire Challenge” we’re adding on top of the All You. Here’s our full summary: sirsavesalot.blogspot.com . I hope that I’ve got the knack of this now and can post tips here. I love all the tips here!!
Here’s my tip for today… Check your grocery receipt!! Guess what, it’s a computer, it screws up. A lot. Several stores have a policy that if it doesn’t ring up right then it’s free. Or at least they’ll refund you the difference. Unfortunately, nearly 80% of my receipts have this affliction. It saves me a lot by month’s end just to be vigilent about it.
Kristi,
I did not realize that the biggest challenge in the All You Grocery Challenge would lie with the “hubby factor”! It has been enlightening so far.
I am looking forward to trying the pudding recipe on your blog. Thanks for sharing.
One note since I saw the mystery shopping thing come up. There are LOTS of good, reputable companies out there. We just did a shop today at a family entertainment place. We spent $37 but the shop pays $45 so we made $8 having fun as a family. I do the paperwork afterwards and it’s worth it. Here is a blog of a woman that uses many of the same companies I use: http://www.shopforaday.com/jaci_rae_mystery_shopping.html I used the 1 month Shadowshopper trial as well and compiled my own list of companies in my area. It’s not much worth past the $5 month though because if you sign up for all the companies, they’ll happily email you directly, but that was how I compiled my list of “maybe I’ll shop for them” companies. I now do mostly entertainment, hotels, grocery, restaurants, or shops that don’t require any out of pocket expense. I even got the kids’ yearly pictures for free!! Give it a try. There’s a lot of work involved but if you get your foot in the door, you can really help out your budget
On that note, did anyone ever mention if mystery shopping counts against our monthly totals? I do a local pizza place monthly and I’ll get paid on last month’s but re-spend it for this month. Will that count against our totals? I never count it. For us, it’s budgeted separately and all out of pocket costs are paid from a different account and reimbursed into that account (like if we go out to a restaurant, we use that account and put the money back in when the reimbursement comes).
Email me or visit my blog and contact me there if you want more information on it, I’m happy to share
Great idea on the mystery shopping!! I’m going to look at that! Thanks for posting!!
I just wanted to give major propps to Andrea at Mommy Snacks. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be so good at saving money at the grocery store. I learned about coupons and how to organize them by reading her blog. This girl (woman, sorry) is the best! She has everything on her blog from coupons to how to get great gift cards for pretty much nothing! I get compliments all the time from friends, family AND strangers about how well I spend my money at the store. I have even been asked to be a personal shopper!!! So this is my “Thanks” to you Andrea.
Couldn’t get the spending log to print. Any ideas?
WEEK 2 ALL YOU FOOD CHALLENGE BLOG
Monday 7/20/09
Today starts the second week and today I spent $27.23 which leaves
$22.77 for the rest of the week. We don’t have double or triple coupons
here so I think I do pretty good with watching the sales. Every Sunday I pick up 3 newspapers and cut out the coupons. I went to Publix
and got 1 gallon of water which I make tea, 2 gal. water jug for coffee,
etc. for we don’t drink the water from the tap. Also picked up Kraft
Macaroni & Cheese 6 containers for $2.97 for I had the B1G1F coupons
Which they make great snacks for hubby. Also picked up a ½ gallon of
Ice cream for $2.50 for he has the sweet tooth. Then got 4 cans of
Bush’s Black Beans for they were B1G1F which I use them in soups for fiber.
Also got 2 bags of coffee for $3.29 for they were B1G1F, a loaf of
French bread for $1.29 to go with our beef vegetable soup tonight.
Picked up 2 jars of McCormick Black peppercorn grinder for $1.99
For they were B1G1F which will go in my stockpile. Then got 2 Taco
Bell Dinner packages for $1.69 for it was B1G1F and I had a $1.00
Coupon, Yakisoba Noodles 3 for $1.62 for I had 3 35 cents coupons.
These are good to have on hand for lunch yet one was macaroni & cheese
Flavored so I can fix that with a dinner one night. Got 2 packages of Thomas
English Muffins for $2.99 for they were B1G1F. Since we will have
Company in August picked up the Coffeemate Creamer 2 for $1.99 for they
Were B1G1F and used a 50 cents coupon and 4 dozen eggs for $2.18
For they were B1G1F. When I go through the three different grocery
Sales papers here I usually can do pretty good with the B1G1F and use
Coupons on one item for the second one rings up $0 and they will not
Take a coupon for that. It would be nice if they did but I guess getting
It on one is better than nothing. Some of these things that I bought will
Go in a stockpile for another week.
Today hubby hasn’t eaten anything yet. I had a banana for breakfast,
Then lunch was a bacon sandwich from the leftover bacon I cooked
Yesterday morning with Pringles. Tonight we will have homemade
Vegetable soup with the steak from Saturday for we grilled extra,
Leftover vegetables from the bowl in the freezer, then I added the two
Zucchini’s that was in the produce drawer that I had from a couple of
Weeks ago and didn’t cook with the squash, can of tomatoes, kidney
Beans & a little mixed vegetables from a big bag for I always keep a
Big bag handy for soup. It’s cooking in the crock pot and the smell is
Making me hungry. Will take some over to our neighbors for when I
Make soup it’s a big pot and they always enjoy it and it gives her a night
Off from cooking. Also we will have the French Bread & butter with it. We try to
eat pretty healthy. One of our single neighbors brought over a big package
of boness pork chops which I divided into smaller packages. We have him
over two or more times a week for dinner. As his way of thanking us he
has brought over in the past fresh pineapple and a big package of country
style ribs which was really nice.
Hello frugal troops,
I made a mistake yesterday. My total spending for week 1 was $91.62. Today I went shopping and spent $44.09. This week we will be having homemade calzones, baked fish, hawaiian chicken, crab cakes, iceberg wedges and filled tomatoes. Yum!
Today I came home with more free stuff from CVS- 2 double packs of pens- 1 large pack of pens-note book-pads. I will be going to get my free video DVD of the kids for my dad’s Christmas present. Im Christmas shopping this week and so far everything has been free. I really wish I figured this stuff out years ago.
Tip of the Day- Buy lots of newspapers- When the paper says $345.00 worth of coupons inside and it costs only $2.00 your making a $343.00 profit. Use the coupons, give them away, trade them or sell them.
Week 1 ended with $40.89 for family of four(plus 2 more children for lunch & supper, here and there). My biggest weapon would be Jenny at http://www.southernsavers.com/. It helps when she can match a coupon to a sale and also giving places to go for printable coupons that match. This total also includes a 1 day trip with picnic and fast food, sandwiches for church “sandwich night”, and Picnic with church (drinks, pasta, & baked beans w/bacon). I have also used my stockpile, & I bartered some waffles (that was free), for a bag of oranges. My husband grows tomatoes. I got a really good deal on sandwich meat, so we had subs 1 night.
My tip would be: Keeping coupons organized saves time. I use a paper filing binder, labeled in alphabetical order. I use long envelopes standing straight up, so I can see the product names. I also keep a small envelope inside of the long one. I put the coupons under a dollar in the small one(So when I go to a store that is doubling or tripling coupons, I can have them separated from the $1 & up coupons)
superdrupermegapuper54321…
Very usefull info. Thanks!…
So I go mystery shopping at various restaurants, and almost all of my meal is reimbursed. Does this count towards my total?
I do that too! Very good question!! On week 1, I have just marked it as $0 on my list of costs.