Home Economics

Smells Good Tastes Great!

2010-01-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

Ever since we have started to eat vegetarian, the cooking smells in the house are great! Previously, if I had to cook chicken the smell would infect the whole house and it would smell like fried chicken for a few days.

Also I have increased my use of herbs and spices, both fresh and dried. So those smells mix with the cooking smells of the veggies and grains and the whole house smells great! Even the next day the remaining smells are pleasant.

We have been eating vegetarian for almost three weeks now and keep finding things that make this lifestyle change better and easier for us. Not to mention the husband has lost even more weight!

Make Room for Produce

2010-01-12T18:18:00.001-08:00

So we have been eating vegetarian for about three weeks now. Because we are eating healthier, I am buying more produce. I have a side-by-side fridge and can not fit all of the produce in the drawers! I have a salad spinner that I keep the greens in and that takes up almost a whole shelf in itself!

So I was thinking, which can first...America eating less fresh fruits and veggies or a smaller produce drawer?? I guess mine is a pretty good size, but forget it if I buy fresh broccoli or something that is circular or big, it takes up the whole drawer! Then the drawer is not even square, it has an angle at the back so it is not even as deep as the fridge itself!

I could overcome this by purchasing my produce on an as needed basis. But that would probably mean I would spend more at the grocery store or I would have to drag my toddler into the grocery store after work, when I am already pressed for time.

Because I have done so much research on our new diet, reading cookbooks and other vegetarian sites, I have learned more about how to store my produce. I have made notes of which fruits and veggies fare better outside of the fridge. I have learned to keep my fresh herbs in a jar of water with a plastic bag over top. As I mentioned above, I have been putting my greens in a salad spinner to keep them crunchier as well as my scallions. So not only have I been buying more produce I have stopped putting a lot of it into the crisper drawer and still do not have enough space!

When things begin to go bad, I have been trying to use them in different ways. Such as cutting up peppers and other veggies and freezing them for later use. I have also used veggies to make soups and put different toppings on salads such as apples and pears. My next goal is to use these going bad veggies to make vegetable stock.

Still does not solve my space issue for my produce!! I guess I will continue to fit the produce into my drawers like a puzzle while trying not to bruise the veggies in the process!

That's SOO Trashy

2009-12-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

Every week, when I or my hubby roll the trash can to the curb, I am surprised at the amount of trash that my neighbor's produce. Their 55-60 gallon trash cans are overflowing and sometimes have an additional 30 gallon trash can that is overflowing too! We usually have one bag per week with second bag of trash per week and we have one kid in diapers.

How do we do it? First, we recycle. Yeah, believe it or not a lot of what others may throw away we recycle. So when you look at the amount of recycling we have every other week, which is two 30 gallon cans, I still don't think that it would amount to the same amount of trash that others produce. Secondly, we compost or use the garbage disposal, food trash NEVER goes into our trash can. Thirdly, I try not to use plastic bags for produce (I have mesh ones), for left overs (I reuse plastic containers), I bring my own bags to the store (reusable ones), and for the most part don't do convenience cooking. Fourth, we reuse items or put them to reuse by donating them to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any local charity that may put them to good use. Fifth, we rarely use paper towels. It will literally take use a month to go through a roll. I use good old towels that we wash. Sixth, I am also conscious of packaging and TRY to purchase things that come in packaging that recycles or can be reused. (such as buying something in a can as opposed to a plastic bag)

Ok, so I realize that I am the exception. But I wish that others might think a little more about the trash they produce. Maybe an image of what the dump looks like might help. I'm sure one whiff of the dump might make a few others stop and think. I try and do the best that I can to help the planet survive knowing that others may not chose to or be financially able to do so. I still can't help think about how much trash one family produces. One 60 gallon trash can per week produces 3300 pounds which converts to 1.65 tons of trash!!! That is ALOT of trash. Maybe if trash pick-up service was more expensive people might think, how about $1= 1 pound. Could people afford $3300+ for trash pick up?

Maybe each person could try and find one new way to reduce the amount of trash they produce this year. Making one small step can make a difference and I challenge others to give it a try while we still have the chance!

You Cooked it How Long?!?

2009-11-29T03:40:00.001-08:00

My whole chicken turned out pretty good and I survived touching the raw chicken as well. Luckily, my husband stepped up to the plate and was willing to stick his hand into the chicken to get the bag of stuff out of it! I wanted to touch the chicken as little as possible and so the packaging went out with the other parts ASAP.

I was not sure how long to cook it or when it would be done, so I called the Perdue hot-line. The woman asked me how I had cooked the chicken and when I started by saying, I put it in at 400 degrees....she replied "Oh, no! Let me send you a $5.00 coupon." So I am not one to turn down a free coupon, even if I had no plans of buying chicken ever again, but I am sure I can find some way to use it!

I almost called the Mrs. Smith's hot-line as my pumpkin pie remained watery in the middle even on the following day. I put it back in the oven and after about 20 minutes it was done correctly. I guess I should not try to cook something I have not cooked for the first time on Thanksgiving! Thankfully, they have the hot-lines available for people to call, even if you are a somewhat experienced cook!!

Chicken Count Down

2009-11-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have decided to go even more vegetarian at the end of the year. By this I mean, we have both given up red meat about two years ago. Now we have decided to give up chicken as well.

Personally, I have never been a big fan of meat and survived most of my 20s as a vegetarian with a rare, but occasional piece of chicken. When I married a carnivore, I began to eat more meat. When I became pregnant, I ate ALOT of meat, particularly hamburgers, which probably had something to do with the fact that I could smell them cooking all day at work. At the end of my pregnancy, my cholesterol had skyrocketed.

I have always been a little grossed out by raw meat. I have never cooked any meat that was on the bone or eaten it off the bone for that matter. All of the gristle, bones, and veins don't do it for me. So the plans to stop eating chicken is a welcomed decision for me.

Of course, I have stockpiled chicken in my freezer. I last purchased chicken in August and we decided to drop chicken from our diet in October so I have been using up the chicken we have with the knowledge that I will not buy anymore.

Yes, my daughter will also go vegetarian with us as well. When she first started going to daycare we told them she was not to eat red meat or hot dogs. (there's nothing good about a hot dog) Although, we will still allow her to eat chicken at daycare. I will make an effort to make sure she receives all of the nutrients she needs to grow at home.

At this point in time, I have one baggie of frozen raw chicken, seven baggies of cooked, chopped chicken, and two bags of breaded chicken nuggets. So we will definitely run out of chicken before the end of the year.

Waste Not

2009-11-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I hosted a party where I made several appetizers. I ended up spending more than my weekly "allowance" when I bought all of my ingredients. So I have decided to not grocery shop this week.

I went to the store on Sunday and purchased milk and bread. I have plenty of food in the pantry and freezer. Because I have practiced "stockpiling" for over a year now, I am able to skip a week or two of grocery shopping. The only thing that I am low on for the week is fresh veggies. But I have plenty of leftover carrots, radishes, and peppers that I can use. I also have plenty of frozen and canned vegetables that I can add to my meals.

I reviewed my menus from weeks past and was surprised at the quality of the meals I will be able to prepare. There are a few things on sale that I'd like to get at the store, but will keep away for the week to save a little money. Now all I have to do is make sure I do not spend double next week!

Planning Plan A

2009-11-11T17:09:00.001-08:00

I'm a planner, I admit it. I love to plan things, meals, shopping lists, parties, events, and outings. I have always been the one in my immediate family who does the planning. Get together for someone's birthday or for the holidays.

I don't mind doing this and actually enjoy it. What I don't enjoy is people who can't commit. You tell me you want to do something and when- it goes on my calendar. It's done and planned. I can't understand why this is not how everyone else works. If someone asks me if I want to do something and I don't want to I simply say no or no thanks. Why is it so hard for others to do this? Why does it have to be drawn out over weeks? Well, we're not sure if we can make it. Or yeah sure it sound like fun. But no commitment! Am I one of those people who is good as a back up plan? So are they saying, "we'll come if nothing else better comes up."

Honestly, I find this hemming and hawing absolutely frustrating and would much rather be told no upfront immediately than to be led on for weeks. (or days). So please, just say no, you won't hurt my feelings at all. Actually, I'd appreciate your direct answer. "No thanks, it does not sound like something I'd want to do." Or even simpler "No." Then I can get on with my planning and not worry about whether or not you'll make it.

Buy Once Cook Twice

2009-10-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been on a roll with recipes and cooking. I have been meal planning and adding new recipes to our family meals. Because of this, I have purchased ingredients for the recipes. And since I have been cutting recipes in half, I have ended up with leftovers of these ingredients.

After I use the ingredient, I search for recipes and ways to use the remainder. I have found some really great recipes! For instance, after one particularly exciting day of reorganizing my pantry. (no really) I realized that I had too many cans of creamed corn. So after searching the internet for recipe ideas that used creamed corn as an ingredient, I found a great recipe for corn/chicken chowder. And the added bonus was that it was easy to make! Now of course, I keep finding recipes for creamed corn and have used it all!

One week at the grocery store, I had a coupon for pesto sauce and it was on sale. So we had a meal with pesto, polenta, and shrimp. This week I will use the remainder to make pesto pizzas. Is it wrong to become excited about these things?

A Pot to Pee In

2009-10-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

I think that I should probably be trying the potty training thing with my daughter about now. It seems as though friends of mine have trained their little ones who are my daughter's age but also some who have younger kids are contemplating starting. At my daughter's school, she goes to the potty when the other kids take a visit there. Sometimes, she takes off her diaper and sits on the potty.

I really don't think she has gotten what really happens in the bathroom. Like most kids, she likes to unravel the toilet paper and put it in the toilet and watch it when she flushes. But does not seem to understand that you have to "produce" potty. THIS is why I do not think she is ready for potty training-- ok maybe I am a little lazy too. But I really think that she needs to understand the concept or what you do in the bathroom before we start trying. I mean if she does not understand that potty comes from inside you, then how can she be trained??

She has learned how to pull her pants up and down and take off her diaper. Which is good most of the time, not so good when she is supposed to be napping.

Maybe part of this is me being an older parent. I really don't feel like pressuring her to become potty trained right away. I figure she will do it when she is ready. And when she is ready to do it, it will happen almost overnight! I see too many people say their kid is potty trained and they have "accidents" all the time- to me that is not potty trained.

So I don't really feel pressured to potty train my 32 month old daughter. Like everyone says, she won't get married wearing a diaper, right?

Serving Says...

2009-10-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, my husband ate a snack that consisted of 4 pieces of pizza. A day or two later, I talked to him about it and how 4 pieces of pizza is probably not a snack and more like a dinner. At that point, we decided that we needed to change our eating habits and fast!

So we sat down and discussed what changes needed to be made and how we could go about making the changes. The first thing we needed to do was figure out what a real serving looked like!! We had been eating too much for too long! With the two of us on board cheering each other on as well as keeping an eye on the other we set out to change our eating habits and hopefully change our bodies and weight.

We made a few small changes: measure servings of cereal and dressings, eat only the serving size of something and no more, eat more veggies and fruits, have 1 serving of fruit per meal, no seconds, and reduce cheese intake.

My husband began dropping pounds almost instantly, I , however took a little longer to start loosing weight. It has been about 6 weeks and we both can see noticeable changes in each other's midsection. This is not a diet, but a change in diet so hopefully the weight will continue coming off.

The Other Side of the Coin

2009-09-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, I have been preparing items to sell in an upcoming consignment sale. I will be on the other side of the consignment sale for a change. My husband says I will probably make enough to cover all I have spent in all of the consignment sales for the month. So far, I have only spent about $25 if you do not include the $8 I paid for babysitting. I sure hope I make that much.

Because I am obsessed with the thrift store, ok not obsessed, but I do go there every week at least once. I pick up things that are good deals thinking that I may resell them at a later date. I tried to sell directly to the used kid toy/clothing retail store but was really unhappy with the return on those items. (although the maternity stuff did well). So needless to say, I have a lot of items that I can consign to the upcoming sale. There is a limit of 200 items and I plan on meeting that limit.

I have been pricing items about 1/3 of the retail price or the price I find on the internet which could also be an ebay price. Surprisingly, the toys are priced much higher. I really hope that the toy items will still sell. But I have some great brands such at Fisher Price Little People and Playmobil.

In order to rake in the most money, you have to volunteer some time to the sale either before or during to receive the highest percentage. So I will be volunteering as a cashier during the sale. This way I will be able to see what sells and what does not. I have chosen to have my items returned to me as opposed to donating them with the exception of a few items. This way I can try to sell them again in March during the next consignment sale season.

I have about 130 items ready to go and went through the remaining items and have more than 200 so I will combine some books together so I can meet the 200 maximum.

Make Plans Make Dinner

2009-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

My husband takes for granted my planning and shopping for meals and food. He is always surprised to find that other people do not plan or shop in the manner in which I do. Every week, I decide on 4-6 meals that I will prepare for the week. I try to have a couple chicken, a "beef", a fish or seafood, and a vegetarian one. From the recipes, I draw up a list of what I need to make each meal and then add the other items we need onto the list. I then consult the Internet sites to see what good coupon match-ups are at the grocery store as well as at the drug stores.

This is nice because I don't have to worry "what's for dinner?" I just choose from the list, this makes it a lot easier especially if it happens to be a day that I am working. Another way I save time preparing dinner is I have cooked, sliced chicken in the freezer that I can pull out that morning for any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

I guess I am a planner, I mean I am a planner. If you want to save money- you have to be able to plan your shopping and meals otherwise you can't save money.

Game Face

2009-09-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

The other day I was talking to my husband about the upcoming consignment sale season in town. For the last 3 years, I have attended a local consignment sale every weekend during the month of September. The first year it was no problem, as I was not leaving behind a little one for him to watch over. After my daughter was born, I would reserve every Saturday morning during the month for the sales and would discuss and negotiate my going to the sales by myself.

So I was telling him about the upcoming sales and describing each one to him, which ones were well priced and which ones were more expensive and my theory on why. I am also going to be a consigner this year, so I will get to shop early for one sale. Unfortunately, the other great sale in town is on the same day and in order to make the most money from my consignments, I need to volunteer during the sale so I can not make it to both. But will still have at least one sale per weekend to attend.

Some friends and family have mentioned going with me to the sales. I do not mind going with someone else, I rather enjoy it BUT they need to know that there is the everyday me and then there is the bargain shopper me. These are two different people!

For certain sales, I like to be there when they open especially if I am looking for something specific such as this spring when I was looking for a toddler bed. This requires arriving at the sale location at 8 am! Other sales, I am a little more lax about and can arrive later or may even prefer to attend the afternoon half-off sale. Because I am not looking for a lot of stuff this year, I am only planning on going to one sale right when they open.

Because of my "extensive" thrift store knowledge - I am not willing to pay high prices for certain items. I will pay more for barely worn shoes (toddler sizes) and pajamas as these are not easy to find at the thrift store. Because I do not purchase my daughter's clothing in retail stores, I am totally unaware of the "going prices" for clothing. I mean $12 for a shirt? On a good day at the thrift store, I could get 8 pieces of clothing and a few books for that!

So I am willing to go to consignment sales with others, but I have a playbook for how I move through the sale. If I arrive early, I do not waste my time looking at the clothing, I go straight to the big stuff and toys. I search for diaper genie refills, Dora toys and this year I will include anything Mermaid or Princess. Once I have thoroughly searched through those areas I will backtrack and go to look at the shoes and clothing. This is not your ordinary day at the mall-- this is consignment sale season!

2T or Not 2T

2009-09-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, the changing of the season signaled the day in which I would have to try on every item in my closet and parade them in front of my mother. My mother would inspect each piece of clothing making sure it fit and was in good shape. She would pull out the hand-me-downs I'd received from my sister, cousin, and neighbors and have me try on all of those clothes as well. After the pile had been sorted through my mother would go back through the clothes and evaluate what was left. She would draw up a list of items that I needed. The list would look something like this: 1 blue turtleneck, a red sweater, 1 pair blue jeans, brown corduroys, green long sleeved shirt and socks.

I never thought anything of this process that we would endure twice a year at the change of the season, except that I dreaded it. At the end of the process and a few shopping trips, I would have a complete wardrobe that consisted of several outfits but that was also fully coordinated. I could wear any number of shirts with a particular skirt that also matched several pairs of pants. I grew up thinking that everyone did this.

By the time I reached high school I was evaluating my closet by myself. When I went to college I found out that not everyone evaluated their clothing this way. I was so surprised when my friend fell in love with a skirt and took it back to our apartment only to find she did not have something to wear with it! I had learned to review my closet choices in my head before making any purchase!

When it came time to purchase a work wardrobe, I developed color schemes that every piece I purchased would have to match. I had a red-black-grey and orange-green-brown, if I kept these color schemes in mind when purchasing, everything I bought would be interchangeable.

So now I am evaluating my daughter's fall wardrobe. This fall she will begin wearing one size and probably grow into another by the end of the season. Because she is 2 1/2, I know I will not be able to have her try on all of her 2T clothes to see what can be worn this fall. So I will have to put all of the clothes in her closet and learn by trial and error. Fortunately, I also have purchased some 3T clothing at the thrift store and have a few hand-me-downs. So I will use both sizes and just put things aside as I realize she has outgrown them.

I did however, analyze her clothing and put outfits together to see what she has for the season. I came up with my own list of items to pick up at the fall consignment sales: black turtleneck, red turtleneck, white turtleneck, red tights, light pink long sleeved shirt, and a black cardigan.

I know that with those few items she will have a complete fall wardrobe whether in 2T or 3T and that every skirt or pant choice has at least one matching top to go with it!

A Stranger in my Kitchen

2009-09-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, I've been on limited duty - not quite bed rest, but not active duty. It brought back a memory of my mother-in-law (MIL). She died shortly after we were married but the short relationship I had with her made a mark and I often think of her and the struggle she endured. On one visit she was confined to the bed. All through her marriage she had cooked spaghetti with meat sauce for her husband on Monday nights.

We happened to be visiting on a Monday and I offered to make the spaghetti dinner. With my MIL upstairs in bed, she directed me on how to make her spaghetti sauce. She told me which dish to use for each step, how much of each spice to use as well as where everything was located.

Fast foward to this week. As I was resting in bed or on the couch, I watched as my husband cared for our daughter and prepared meals for us. I tried my best to bite my tongue and let him do it his way because he knows what he is doing.

So why do I feel the need to walk him through everything?

No U-turn

2009-08-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

On Friday on my way home from work, I stopped by the thrift store to see what it had for sale. I go to two different thrift stores on a regular basis, one on each side of town, but they are run by the same company. So I decided to stop off at the store that I frequent less often. I picked up a few books and a cute pair of pants for my daughter but did not really see to much of interest.

Returning home, I had to go back in the opposite direction needed to make a u-turn. I saw the no u-turn sign, and I admit that I have illegally made a u-turn in the past at this intersection. Argh, well I had a little time, so I decided to go to the thrift store located on that side of the street. I have been to this store several times before and have not really found anything. But I decided, why not give it a try. I looked around a bit at the kids clothes but did not rummage through them piece by piece as I do at the other stores.

I decided to head out and as I did I spied a "princess dress" hanging on a rack with other Halloween like costumes. Well behind the larger sized princess dress I saw a Snow White dress (the Disney Store version). Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was the perfect size for my daughter to wear right now! Of course I picked it up and also picked up the larger princess dress, which was a Disney version of Sleeping Beauty. As I headed to the cashier to pay for my purchases I saw a bag full of princess goodies such as colored pencils, stickers, and notebooks.

When I got to the register the woman in line in front of me told me it was 1/2 clothes day so each piece of clothing was fifty cents. She was not sure if my costumes were part of the deal but either way I knew I had found myself a bargain. Each dress retails for $49.50 on the web-site so no matter what I paid for them it would be cheaper than buying them retail!

The cashier rings up my purchases, $2.00 for the stickers and fifty cents each for the dresses. So for three dollars I have a Snow White costume for my daughter and a few treats for our next road trip. I'm not sure what I will do with the other costume, but it was too good to pass up.

So I guess the moral of the story is to follow the road signs and to remember that thrift stores run off of donations so you never know what you will find!

Survey Says...

2009-08-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the summer, I signed up with several on-line survey companies. They send me daily emails and I fill out surveys on-line and I earn credit towards gift cards and sometimes cash. For one of the companies I earn money towards my daughter's U Promise account.

My hope was to earn enough money to be able to purchase all of my Christmas gifts using the gift cards I earned. Well it has not been as easy as I had hoped. I have been slowly earning points, but often spend a lot of time filing out a survey only to be told that I do not qualify for the survey.

I have however been able to test products at home and fill out surveys, seen alternate endings to movies, and also seen new advertising for products. I have already slowed down or stopped surveys from specific companies because I never seem to qualify and have found others that were "more effective."

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Swag bucks. This web-site is a search engine and by using this web-site to search for things, I earn "Swag bucks" which I can redeem for "swag" such as gift cards, and music, clothing, etc. If I were to refer someone to this site and they began using it, I would earn Swag bucks when they did. But I have not been able to find anyone to sign up. I guess it sounds to good to be true. In some ways it is, you earn points towards merchandise for nothing. I guess they benefit from my searches somehow, but in the meantime, I am earning Swag bucks so I can help myself towards having a free Christmas.

Rain Check Please

2009-08-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it, I am probably the lady you do not want to get behind in line at the grocery store. I bring my own bags, have tons of coupons, and almost always have a rain check to redeem. I love to get rain checks, if it is on sale and the store does not have the item, then I will get a rain check for my next visit.

I only go to the grocery store once a week, period, I do not go back during the same sale week. So when the Customer Service Person tells me that a truck is coming in that night or the next day and the item should be available, it makes no difference to me. I shop once a week, I do not go back to pick up something I missed. That can be a very costly trip to the store! Once I did go back to the store to get some milk for the baby and stupidly took my husband in with me- several pastries, doughnuts, and $35 later, I came out with the milk and several bags of groceries. ( I realize I probably got off easy too!)

A lot of the time, I find that the particular item I am looking for is not in stock for several weeks. My store honors its' rain checks for 30 days and if the item does not get restocked during that time, they will gladly extend the life of my rain check.

On August 4th, I got a rain check for Quorn Veggie Crumbles ("fake" hamburger meat) on sale for $3.99. They have not had it since then. This week when I went to the store they did have it and luckily I had 3 coupons as well! So I bought 5 packages and asked for my rain check back since technically, it is for 10 packages. The cashier told me they could not do it, I explained that the store commonly does this and has done it for me in the past.

So of course we involve the shift supervisor who comes and tells me that the cashiers have been getting in trouble for giving back rain checks and that the managers no longer allow this. So I said, "What if you give me another rain check instead? You can keep the old one and give me a new one to use the next time I come."

The Shift supervisor agreed, that would solve the problem of the cashier needing the rain check in her drawer and still allowing me to pick up more items for the rain check price in the future.

Except, the theory was flawed on their part, technically the rain check is for 10 items, I bought 5 and asked that I get the original rain check back so I could buy 5 more later. Instead they gave me a brand new rain check which technically is for 10 more at the sale price.

I did not purposely try to confuse the shift manager, I really did just want to get 5 more later. But I will use the rain check to my advantage and get 10 the next time. Besides 5 + 5 = 15 right?

20 Cents An Ounce

2009-08-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

My husband and I took in a MLB baseball game the other night. Before the game started it was pretty hot and we were feeling pretty dehydrated, we needed some water and fast! So we purchased a 20 ounce bottle of water from the vendor for $4.00!

Because it was so hot, we ended up buying four bottles of water for a total of $16.00. Now I understand that MLB needs to pay for salaries and new stadiums, but on really hot days, you'd think they would offer water for less to help keep the fans hydrated. Ok, I'd like to think that they would consider it.

I saw that a few fans had brought in bags of food as well as coolers. Believe me, if I had known that both were acceptable, I would have definitely brought in a cooler full of water and snacks!! We had traveled quite a distance to the game and I had packed sandwiches for the trip, so I had a soft cooler with me. For that price, I probably could have bought a cooler!

I did the math and figured that we paid 20 cents an ounce for the water. It sounds a lot better than saying we spent $16.oo on four bottles of water!

Know Me, Know Thy Coupons

2009-08-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the grocery store for my weekly shopping trip. I had spent the evening before planning my trip and pulling coupons. The store was having a buy 10 -- save $5 promotion. I had used information from other blogs as to which items were included in this sale. Some of the information was not the same, but I managed to find other items to save money on.

One of the items that was on sale, that I did not know about was Fruity Cherios. Both of my kids (that's the toddler and the hubby) love these and they NEVER go on sale. The fact that there was not a single box left is evidence that they never go on sale!

I went to customer service to get a rain check for the cereal. I had written down all of the information for the rain check and delivered it to the employee. In order to get the special price, you have to buy 10, so I told the employee that I would buy 10 and that she could write that on the rain check. She told me there was no need to do that because she trusted me and knew that I would buy all 10 and "have coupons for every box I bought."

So I guess the people who work at the store where I shop regularly know me and know my coupons.

Toddler Bed Part II

2009-08-16T17:38:00.001-07:00

After the fiasco of the toddler bed a few weeks ago, my daughter would climb out of the crib everyday after her nap or while I was trying to get her to nap. So while on vacation, the hubby and I agreed we would bite the bullet and bring out the toddler bed for good and take apart the crib. (with much sadness on our part acknowledging that our baby is not a baby)

This morning we disassembled the crib and brought the toddler bed into my daughter's room. She was very excited and climbed all over it and jumped on the bed. We decided to take her to the park as we do most Sunday mornings and she told us that she wanted to take a nap in the big girl bed. This was a good sign.

After lunch, I took her to her room to prepare for the nap. Climbing in and out, half in- half out, sitting, laying down, laying on her back with her legs on the wall, and other types of constant movement occurred while I sat nearby in the chair reading. After 45 minutes, I stepped in and applied the "mom techniques" that are known to put her to sleep. Five minutes later she was asleep!

She slept for 2 hours and woke up cranky so I did a little cuddling and she fell back asleep for another 1.5 hours. Could it be she is so tired from vacation or is the toddler bed just magical? I'm going with magical!

Pringles Argh!

2009-08-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great vacation and managed to eat within most of our budget. We did run into a snag when we arrived at the Beach. It was about 1 pm and we decided to head on and not stop for lunch since we were so close to the final destination. I thought that there was a restaurant on the island and we could grab lunch there. Well, I was wrong, no restaurant, we had to go back over the one lane bridge. The traffic was heavy and with a hungry toddler we needed to act fast.

We decided to stop at the Market on the island to grab something for lunch. This is the only market or place to buy food on the entire island (with the exception of the ice cream store). I should have known what we were in for! We got three sandwiches and a couple other things as well as a can of $3.50 can of Pringles !! Our quick trip to the Market set us back $42! Convenience costs! In comparison we went to the grocery store the next day and shopped off of my list and got groceries for $75!

Stockpiler's Nightmare

2009-08-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today I began packing for our trip to the beach. We are renting a house with the rest of my family. So we will be cooking all three meals and have to bring all of our essentials with us. Space in the car is a concern so I have to be careful as to what I pack, I can't bring everything so I will need to shop at the grocery store in the area when I arrive... this is the stockpiler's nightmare.

What exactly is the nightmare? Going to a grocery store without doing any research, having to buy things not on sale and also without a coupon. But even more of a nightmare is forgetting something and having to buy something at the store that I have stockpiled at home. For instance, my husband forgot to bring his toothbrush on our recent trip to New York. Of course I have about 5 toothbrushes at home that were purchased for next to nothing! Argh, so I headed over to Duane Reede and purchase him a store brand toothbrush for $14.50, ok maybe it was more like $2.79, but it really irked me!

So maybe I will try do some research and see what the local grocery store has on sale and do my coupon match-ups before I go to the store. But maybe, just maybe I will just go and grin and bear it and share the cost of groceries with my sister and mom. At least I can convince myself that the actual cost for groceries is less when split three ways!

But I know for sure that I am packing a toothbrush for the hubby! :)

The new bed

2009-08-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today I tried to introduce the toddler bed to my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I should have known that it probably was not the best day to try it out since our adventure at the park was so trying. There was some crying and a little defiance but a little fun as well.

So I should not have been surprised when I brought out the "big girl" bed and her eyes lit up. Little did I know that she was thinking, "my own bed to jump on." Yes, the decision to let her jump and play in mommy and daddy's bed has backfired on us. I tried to get her to lay down in the bed or even just stay in the bed neither worked. My patience was already thin from the park adventure so I decided to take the bed away and try later.

I put her in the crib and went to take a shower. I got out of the shower and heard a strange noise from her room. I opened the door to find her playing OUTSIDE of the crib. Argh. Daddy to the rescue..

I guess we will try the bed again on another day.

Failed Contest

2009-08-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I only made it one week in the contest. It would have been a lot easier to do if it was not in the middle of summer and vacations. Not only did we take a trip to DC for a baseball game and eat 2 meals out- we went to NYC for a few days. This made it impossible to stay on budget.

I am still trying to save money in other ways and use my coupons and sale match-ups each week in planning. This past week, chicken breasts were on sale so I stocked up. I bought 10 packages of chicken ranging from 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs. I then spent the next few days cooking all of the chicken except two packages. I froze the breasts in baggies. The cooked chicken is in the process of being diced and frozen for future meals. It is time consuming and I really don't love chopping chicken, but it does save me a lot of time when cooking during the week. I should have enough chicken to last me through the end of the year or close. So the fact that I have bought almost all of my chicken for the year, means I will be saving a lot on money in groceries each week, since I will not be buying any meat.

I may pick up a few packages of Quorn veggie crumbles for beef recipes. Which, by the way they have been running coupons for $1.25 off- so I will be stocking up and searching for those coupons since it is a product I know I will use. I may even consider purchasing them, because a)my family loves this products and b)this product almost never goes on sale and c)it's a great coupon.

I used 1/2 bag of the Quorn veggie crumbles for dinner tonight. We had Chilli Mac skillet. This is a very easy meal and all of the ingredients are all things I have stockpiled: can of pinto beans, can of tomatos, a can of tomato sauce, 1/2 bag of Quorn veggie crumbles, and of course cheese!

Return to college days..

2009-07-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the pool and needed to take a picnic lunch. I packed peanut butter sandwiches for me and the family. I did not have any lunch meat, I had opted not to buy any this week to save money for the baseball game. I totally spaced the need for the picnic lunch today.

I also packed cheese and crackers-- note to self, pack separately next time as the crackers got a little moist from the cheese!

It was kind of like a meal I would have had when I was in college!

Hopefully our dinner made up for it. We had a small salad and I made homemade pizza. I had some spaghetti sauce remaining from another meal so I was able to use that. Of course I had cheese in the fridge! I added "fake" pepperonis. They were really good and there are some left for the next pizza. Yum, yum.

Trial and Error

2009-07-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well I spent a good amount of time creating my new blog yesterday, only to find that I had not linked it correctly to my account. So I will try again today and see if it works this time.

Tonite we had a simple but delicious dinner consisting of egg noodles left over from a meal last week and "fake" meatballs. We added the Head Country Bar-be-que sauce to it-- surprisingly this bottle of Head Country is ALOT spicier than previous ones! I guess I will have to go back to Oklahoma to purchase new stuff! We also had a can of baby carrots. Everything for tonite's dinner was already in the house and I did not purchase anything this week at the store to make this meal.

Still have $66.91 for the baseball game on Sunday!

$75 to start and $66.91 left to go!

2009-07-15T15:46:00.001-07:00

So I went to the grocery store and purchased my food for the week. Luckily, I still have a lot of fresh fruit and veggies from last week so I don't need to buy a lot of those. Boy do they add up quickly!

I purchased the following: one dozen eggs, a package of radishes, a bunch of fresh broccoli, a package of rolls, a container of blue cheese, a small bunch of grapes, and a gallon of vinegar. Last week I earned a $4 off your next order Catalina coupon so my OOP was $8.09. A great start!

With a hubby who loves dry cereal and a toddler who downs milk, I needed to buy two gallons of milk for the week. One whole milk and one 2%, realizing that it would cost me another $6 I tried to come up with a cheaper alternative. Then I remembered that drug stores now carry milk AND that I had some Extra Bucks. Yes.

I needed to go to CVS anyway because they have the Electrasol Tabs on sale this week for $3.99 and there was a $4 coupon in the paper.

So I went to CVS and purchased two gallons of milk and the Dishwasher tabs. I used one $5 ECB and one $2 ECB and the coupon, final OOP $0.0! Yes!

Dinner tonite will be Wachai Ferry's Cashew Chicken with steamed broccoli and baby corn. Last week I bought the chicken and used the Fresh Tyson Chicken $1 off coupon. I purchased the baby corn and had a coupon for it via Kroger's coupon mailing. The Wachai Ferry is from my stockpile purchased months ago with a $1.50 off coupon. Total cost for dinner: $7.78. Grocery outlay for the week, $1.50 for the broccoli.

ALL You Grocery Challenge

2009-07-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

I've started the ALL YOU Grocery Challenge Monday. According to the rules, I can only spend $25 per person per week on groceries. This will be a little less than my usual spending habits. I usually spend between $75-100 per week in groceries and may go out to eat once for about $30 (on average). I think that I will be able to adjust because of my stockpile, which I can use to create meals.

The biggest speed bump for this week is that the hubby and I will be going to a MLB game on Sunday. This will be an all day event, leaving the house in the am and not returning until after dinner. I have spent the whole day trying to figure out how much money I will need for two meals. (one at the ball park and one in a restaurant). We are not taking the toddler, so I won't have a diaper bag to stuff food into!

We will have fish, a salad, and homemade cornbread for dinner.