I think the best way to share with you my journey of saving money on groceries is to post after each shopping trip. First, here are few abbreviations I will use:
B1G1 = Buy one get one free
Smart Source coupon book = SS
Red Plum coupon book = RP
All You magazine = AY
Coupons will be listed with the amount, date and coupon book abbreviation. So for example, if I use a coupon for $1 off that I found in the Red Plum coupon book that came in the January 10th Sunday paper, it would be listed like this:
-$1 on 1 (1/10 RP)
And so here are the Publix deals I took advantage of...
1 head Cauliflower $1.99
1 head Broccoli $1.99
Red Delicious Apples $0.99/lb
Plum Tomatoes $1.29/lb
Fresh Express Salad $2.50
Publix Tavern Ham $5.99/lb
Thomas Honey Wheat Bagels B1G1 at $3.99
-$1 on 1 (March AY) = buy 2 at $1.50 each
Dannon Activia yogurt 4 pack $2.00
-$1 on 1 (1/10 RP) = buy 1 at $1
Select General Mills cereals B1G1 at $3.99
-$1 on 3 (2/7 SS) = buy 4 at $1.75 each
Knorr Sides B1G1 at $1.49
-$.60 on 2 (1/3 RP) buy 2 at $.44 each
Ragu Pasta Sauce B1G1 at $2.27
-$.60 on 2 (1/31 RP) buy 2 at $.84 each
Pam Cooking Spray B1G1 at $3.39
-$.35 on 1 (1/24 SS) buy 2 at $1.57 each
Rozoni Pasta B1G1 at $1.17
buy 2 at $.59 each
Total Due: $31.60
Total Saved: $26.83
Not my best trip ever, not my worst. Hang in there with me and we'll post some big savings soon!
Cool tip... I add up what I think my grocery bill should be prior to leaving for the store. Then I bring cash to the store. This limits my impulse buys. I usually bring a little overage just in case, I forgot something. For example, we always buy bananas on sale or not. We eat them up like a family of monkeys! But last week I forgot to put them on my list.
On the other hand, when I got to Publix I saw something on sale. I did not buy it on that trip. I went back home to check for a coupon first. I search for my coupons at coupontom.com. And this time there was one! (Insert victory dance!) My husband says I am saving as much with that coupon as I am spending on gas to make the second trip to Publix... but sometimes I can't resist the thrill of the hunt! Besides, while I am there I can always pick up more bananas!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Great Blog by Lysa TerKeurst
Am I the only one battling negative thoughts? Some days they come at me so fast, rather than deal with them, I stuff them somewhere deep inside. I say things to myself that I would not say to my worst enemy. And my thoughts eventually impact my emotions, my perspective, my focus, my attitude and my actions.
One of the blogs I try to read every day no matter how crazy life gets is by Lysa TerKeurst. I was first introduced to her through her book, "The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained: How to Defeat Mommy Stress". How's that for a great title?
What I love about her blog is that her posts lift my emotions, alter my perspective, redirect my focus, and improve my attitude. In short, she challenges me to change my thinking, and if I will apply what I am learning I am better for it.
Plus she is flat-out funny!
Here is a link to her blog:
http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
One of the blogs I try to read every day no matter how crazy life gets is by Lysa TerKeurst. I was first introduced to her through her book, "The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained: How to Defeat Mommy Stress". How's that for a great title?
What I love about her blog is that her posts lift my emotions, alter my perspective, redirect my focus, and improve my attitude. In short, she challenges me to change my thinking, and if I will apply what I am learning I am better for it.
Plus she is flat-out funny!
Here is a link to her blog:
http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Figuring out how to save more $$$
I la-la-la-love finding ways to save money on grocery shopping. Like obsessively. I haven't always been this weird. (OK. That's a lie, I have always been weird, just not about saving money.) I even have a little victory dance that I do in the privacy of my car whenever I have scored a really great deal! (Um, that's not weird... right?)
The first thing I decided to do was set up a monthly cash budget. Did she just use the B word??? Aren't those confining? Tedious? Restricting? Stifling? All around not desirable? A pain in the booty? No. Not if you make it realistic. As in, what do I really spend!
Now the fun begins! I tracked my grocery spending for one month. Since I am a total geek, I did this in an Excel spreadsheet. It was beautiful. (Still saying, not weird) After every shopping trip I entered what I bought, by category. At the end of the month I added up the categories. It looked something like this:
Monthly Totals:
Bread: 3.98
Soda: 6.50
Cheese: 4.00
Lunch meat: 26.29
Eggs: 11.36
Milk: 12.59
When I saw how much I was spending in categories like beer, wine, cookies, chips... I knew there was some money to be saved.
My next step was to fail miserably at using coupons. I had trouble remembering to bring them to the store. I usually couldn't find one for whatever I was buying. Or I'd find one, but by the time I was ready to use it, you guessed it... expired.
Grocery shopping became an "adventure" in math. Since I am a competitive, obsessive, perfectionist who happens to hate math, this was pretty much the equivalent of, say, repeatedly smashing yourself in the face with a rock . But I am also stubborn and determined. I brought my calculator to the grocery store and calculated what things cost by the ounce, pound, liter, whatever. I discovered that when you use a calculator at the grocery store people look at you funny. I also discovered that even with the coupon, it was usually cheaper to buy the store generic brand. Unless the name brand was buy one get one free.
Then... can you hear the angels singing?... I was introduced to TheGroceryGame.com. I finally understood...
1. Keep the whole coupon booklet.
2. Buy on sale, with a coupon, and stock up.
TheGroceryGame.com is a great service that let's you know what is on sale, when it is at rock bottom prices, and where you can find the coupon. When I signed up the cost was $10 every 8 weeks for one store, $5 each additional store. It does all the research for you.
And I saved money BIG TIME!
Today I am at the next phase of this money saving adventure. I worked up the courage to cancel my Grocery Game membership (oh dear!) and I am doing the research... myself. I'm not going this alone, mind you. As you know I read a lot of blogs. But, I am now returning to geek-dome and my unnatural affection for spreadsheets. I am tracking what I buy, where I bought it, and how much I paid. My goal is to come up with a list of my "buy prices", the price something has to be at or under for me to buy it.
I plan to post all about this so that you, my friends, can benefit from my research. I hope we all enjoy the ride!
The first thing I decided to do was set up a monthly cash budget. Did she just use the B word??? Aren't those confining? Tedious? Restricting? Stifling? All around not desirable? A pain in the booty? No. Not if you make it realistic. As in, what do I really spend!
Now the fun begins! I tracked my grocery spending for one month. Since I am a total geek, I did this in an Excel spreadsheet. It was beautiful. (Still saying, not weird) After every shopping trip I entered what I bought, by category. At the end of the month I added up the categories. It looked something like this:
Monthly Totals:
Bread: 3.98
Soda: 6.50
Cheese: 4.00
Lunch meat: 26.29
Eggs: 11.36
Milk: 12.59
When I saw how much I was spending in categories like beer, wine, cookies, chips... I knew there was some money to be saved.
My next step was to fail miserably at using coupons. I had trouble remembering to bring them to the store. I usually couldn't find one for whatever I was buying. Or I'd find one, but by the time I was ready to use it, you guessed it... expired.
Grocery shopping became an "adventure" in math. Since I am a competitive, obsessive, perfectionist who happens to hate math, this was pretty much the equivalent of, say, repeatedly smashing yourself in the face with a rock . But I am also stubborn and determined. I brought my calculator to the grocery store and calculated what things cost by the ounce, pound, liter, whatever. I discovered that when you use a calculator at the grocery store people look at you funny. I also discovered that even with the coupon, it was usually cheaper to buy the store generic brand. Unless the name brand was buy one get one free.
Then... can you hear the angels singing?... I was introduced to TheGroceryGame.com. I finally understood...
1. Keep the whole coupon booklet.
2. Buy on sale, with a coupon, and stock up.
TheGroceryGame.com is a great service that let's you know what is on sale, when it is at rock bottom prices, and where you can find the coupon. When I signed up the cost was $10 every 8 weeks for one store, $5 each additional store. It does all the research for you.
And I saved money BIG TIME!
Today I am at the next phase of this money saving adventure. I worked up the courage to cancel my Grocery Game membership (oh dear!) and I am doing the research... myself. I'm not going this alone, mind you. As you know I read a lot of blogs. But, I am now returning to geek-dome and my unnatural affection for spreadsheets. I am tracking what I buy, where I bought it, and how much I paid. My goal is to come up with a list of my "buy prices", the price something has to be at or under for me to buy it.
I plan to post all about this so that you, my friends, can benefit from my research. I hope we all enjoy the ride!
Tidy house = Happy me
A friend asked me to include some tips on my blog about keeping a tidy house. Now before I post a few of the tips I have to come clean (har har har)... because I do not consistently follow all these tips. (Are those Lego's on my floor or a colorful new obstacle course?) I post these tips because they make sense to me, and when I do implement them, they work. I post them because I randomly aspire to follow them. (And because you can't see Lego's in the dark. But more importantly, if you step on a Lego hard enough your foot will bleed.)
I will admit that I occasionally get obsessive about having the unattainable "perfect house", thinking that this will result in peace, contentment or at the bare minimum a degree of sanity. Having a "perfect house" comes at the expense of having fun, and fun is the key to maintaining said sanity. Fun, that I might add, often leads to a messy house. Vicious circle, don't I know.
The first thing I want to share is the list of House Rules my mom had posted in the kitchen when we were kids:
My mother-in-law has given me a phrase that saves my sanity: Done is better than perfect. Say it out loud. Done is better than perfect. Look in the mirror and say it again. Done is better than perfect. Call up your best girlfriend and say it to her. Done is better than perfect. Look at your dog and say it to him. Done is better than perfect. Yes. Done is better than perfect.
I have a list at the bottom of this post for daily tips. But once a week I do a major cleaning which takes like an hour. I clean from high to low because dirt is sadly subject to the law of gravity. Dust, then scrub, then vacuum, then mop. When I am cleaning I like to play my favorite CD and crank it up. Singing and dancing often accompany my cleaning. Very poor singing and dancing. Terrible singing and dancing. I mean flat-out-awful singing and dancing. With the windows open. To say the neighbors are amused is a gross understatement. If I really get into it I don't have to go to the gym that day!
My kids clean. I give them a damp cloth and let them wipe off anything they can reach. Can you say baseboards? They are also learning this basic rule: You can't play with the next toy until you put that one away. Sometimes I fail to enforce this. Shame on me. Shame shame shame. In that case at the end of the day we play "who can pick up the most stuff in 5 minutes?" The reward at the end of the game is taking pride in your work. Or chocolate.
And now here are some tips I have gathered over my years of reading about keeping a tidy house. The most important rule is to find what works for you, your family, and your lifestyle. Otherwise you won't keep it up. The second most important rule is to do something nice for yourself every day. You can't take care of anything or anyone else if you don't take care of yourself.
She's going to tell you to shine your sink.
She is right!
Check her out.
I will admit that I occasionally get obsessive about having the unattainable "perfect house", thinking that this will result in peace, contentment or at the bare minimum a degree of sanity. Having a "perfect house" comes at the expense of having fun, and fun is the key to maintaining said sanity. Fun, that I might add, often leads to a messy house. Vicious circle, don't I know.
The first thing I want to share is the list of House Rules my mom had posted in the kitchen when we were kids:
- If you get it out, put it back.
- If you open it, close it.
- If you turn it on, turn it off.
- If you make a mess, clean it up.
- If you need to borrow something, ask first.
- If you borrow it, return it.
- If you break it, admit it.
- If you can't fix it, find someone who can.
- If you make a promise, keep it.
- If you hurt someone, apologize.
My mother-in-law has given me a phrase that saves my sanity: Done is better than perfect. Say it out loud. Done is better than perfect. Look in the mirror and say it again. Done is better than perfect. Call up your best girlfriend and say it to her. Done is better than perfect. Look at your dog and say it to him. Done is better than perfect. Yes. Done is better than perfect.
I have a list at the bottom of this post for daily tips. But once a week I do a major cleaning which takes like an hour. I clean from high to low because dirt is sadly subject to the law of gravity. Dust, then scrub, then vacuum, then mop. When I am cleaning I like to play my favorite CD and crank it up. Singing and dancing often accompany my cleaning. Very poor singing and dancing. Terrible singing and dancing. I mean flat-out-awful singing and dancing. With the windows open. To say the neighbors are amused is a gross understatement. If I really get into it I don't have to go to the gym that day!
My kids clean. I give them a damp cloth and let them wipe off anything they can reach. Can you say baseboards? They are also learning this basic rule: You can't play with the next toy until you put that one away. Sometimes I fail to enforce this. Shame on me. Shame shame shame. In that case at the end of the day we play "who can pick up the most stuff in 5 minutes?" The reward at the end of the game is taking pride in your work. Or chocolate.
And now here are some tips I have gathered over my years of reading about keeping a tidy house. The most important rule is to find what works for you, your family, and your lifestyle. Otherwise you won't keep it up. The second most important rule is to do something nice for yourself every day. You can't take care of anything or anyone else if you don't take care of yourself.
- Make your bed every morning. Your bedroom already looks 75% better.
- Wipe down the counters in the bathroom and kitchen every day.
- Pick one room a day and spend 15 minutes doing some picking up/cleaning. When 15 minutes is up you stop. Seriously.
- Identify your worst area of clutter and for 5 minutes a day attack it! Same thing. Set a timer if you have to. For me this is the desk and the top of my bedroom armoire.
- Identify what thing eats away at your time and be aware of it. (TV, internet?) When you are starting to get sucked in ask yourself, Is there something I am avoiding?
- Laundry: Finish what you started. For me this means only doing one load a day. For others, they set aside one day a week to do it all.
- Don't go to bed with dishes in your sink. (OK, so I struggle with this one!)
- Before you go to bed spend 5 minutes picking up. If you have been following rule #1 on my mom's list then you might even be able to skip this step. (But let's face it, if I followed that rule I wouldn't be embarrassed for you to pop on over to my house unexpected. See Lego's comment above for more details.)
- Prepare at night for the morning. Like laying out clothes or packing lunches.
She's going to tell you to shine your sink.
She is right!
Check her out.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Roasted Chicken
I will confess I am not a recipe follower (unless it's baking, then you've gotta. It's like a science thing.). I like to read several recipes and then combine the elements I like. Risky, but it has paid off more than it has failed! In this recipe you will probably note the lack of measurements. But we're cool, right? Tonight for dinner we are having roasted chicken. Here is how I make it:
You need a whole chicken. Rinse it and pull out all the stuff they cram inside. (Can I just say, yuck. Yes, I can, it's my blog!)
Shake some salt, pepper and thyme inside the bird.
Cut a lemon in half and stuff that sucker in the bird.
Do the same thing with a head of garlic.
Put that bird in a baking dish. I use a 13x9 glass pan.
Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter and coat the outside of the bird. The sprinkle with your favorite poultry seasoning or season salt.
Lay slices of uncooked bacon across the top of the bird until she's totally covered.
Now, cut up about 6-8 red potatoes. (I cut mine in half, then in half again but if they are huge I might alter that). Cut up one onion. Put them both in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle in some salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Toss until all the potatoes and onions are evenly coated, then place them around the chicken.
Bake at 350 until the internal temp is 180. This could be and hour and a half or more depending on the size bird you bought. (If your bird comes with one of those little popper out things, that's even cooler!)
Here's an important formula...
Fully cooked chicken = good. Under cooked chicken = bad
Remove from the oven and cover for 10 minutes before serving.
Yum!
You need a whole chicken. Rinse it and pull out all the stuff they cram inside. (Can I just say, yuck. Yes, I can, it's my blog!)
Shake some salt, pepper and thyme inside the bird.
Cut a lemon in half and stuff that sucker in the bird.
Do the same thing with a head of garlic.
Put that bird in a baking dish. I use a 13x9 glass pan.
Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter and coat the outside of the bird. The sprinkle with your favorite poultry seasoning or season salt.
Lay slices of uncooked bacon across the top of the bird until she's totally covered.
Now, cut up about 6-8 red potatoes. (I cut mine in half, then in half again but if they are huge I might alter that). Cut up one onion. Put them both in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle in some salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Toss until all the potatoes and onions are evenly coated, then place them around the chicken.
Bake at 350 until the internal temp is 180. This could be and hour and a half or more depending on the size bird you bought. (If your bird comes with one of those little popper out things, that's even cooler!)
Here's an important formula...
Fully cooked chicken = good. Under cooked chicken = bad
Remove from the oven and cover for 10 minutes before serving.
Yum!
My Main Strategy (so far)
I spend a lot of time on the computer finding out what is on sale and if there is a coupon. Here are some of the things I do that work for me...
My main strategy is nothing revolutionary. Don't wait to buy stuff when you need it, buy it when it is on sale and use a coupon. Then stock up.
I get the Sunday St. Pete Times delivered and save every coupon booklet. I was keeping them in a folder, then I bought a three-ring binder and some sheet protectors. On the side of the booklet it has that Sunday's date. I write it on the top so it's easier to read. I do not cut out the coupons until I am ready to use them.
I also keep the store fliers if they have coupons. Parade magazine will sometimes have coupons, so I flip through that. Sometimes when the Seminole Beacon comes it has coupon booklets so be sure to check that before you recycle it.
I still end up with loose coupons from time to time so I have a small index card size file where I keep those. You can sort them whatever way is easiest for you. I like to group them by type. (ie. paper goods, cleaning supplies, beauty...)
I have a subscription to a magazine called All You which has great coupons as well as some really nice articles.
I subscribe to several blogs that tell me what is on sale and which booklet has a coupon. The blogs also provide me with a link to any printable coupons. Occasionally I find that my local paper or store does not have the same deals or coupons that I am reading about in the blog.
I can go to the store website and click on the link for their weekly ad.
I can go to www.coupontom.com to find the coupon. Coupontom is a search-able database for coupons. Type in the product name and if there is a coupon it will tell you where to find it. This is great for the times I do buy something that is not on sale but I've just got to have it!
Some of the best deals I find are at places like CVS and Walgreens because they allow you to earn money back on your purchases.
Time consuming, but worth it. If the average coupon saves you $1 and it took you one minute to clip it, then in theory you are making $1 a minute, which is $60 an hour. Yes, so far this strategy has already saved us a lot of money, but I feel there is room for improvement. Tomorrow I will tell you about my plans for the future!
My main strategy is nothing revolutionary. Don't wait to buy stuff when you need it, buy it when it is on sale and use a coupon. Then stock up.
I get the Sunday St. Pete Times delivered and save every coupon booklet. I was keeping them in a folder, then I bought a three-ring binder and some sheet protectors. On the side of the booklet it has that Sunday's date. I write it on the top so it's easier to read. I do not cut out the coupons until I am ready to use them.
I also keep the store fliers if they have coupons. Parade magazine will sometimes have coupons, so I flip through that. Sometimes when the Seminole Beacon comes it has coupon booklets so be sure to check that before you recycle it.
I still end up with loose coupons from time to time so I have a small index card size file where I keep those. You can sort them whatever way is easiest for you. I like to group them by type. (ie. paper goods, cleaning supplies, beauty...)
I have a subscription to a magazine called All You which has great coupons as well as some really nice articles.
I subscribe to several blogs that tell me what is on sale and which booklet has a coupon. The blogs also provide me with a link to any printable coupons. Occasionally I find that my local paper or store does not have the same deals or coupons that I am reading about in the blog.
I can go to the store website and click on the link for their weekly ad.
I can go to www.coupontom.com to find the coupon. Coupontom is a search-able database for coupons. Type in the product name and if there is a coupon it will tell you where to find it. This is great for the times I do buy something that is not on sale but I've just got to have it!
Some of the best deals I find are at places like CVS and Walgreens because they allow you to earn money back on your purchases.
Time consuming, but worth it. If the average coupon saves you $1 and it took you one minute to clip it, then in theory you are making $1 a minute, which is $60 an hour. Yes, so far this strategy has already saved us a lot of money, but I feel there is room for improvement. Tomorrow I will tell you about my plans for the future!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Blogs I follow
I follow a lot of blogs on saving money. Then I shop at Publix, Winn Dixie, CVS, Walgreens, Target, WalMart and Costco... all depending on where the best deals can be found. You can check out the blogs I follow by clicking on the link to view my profile.
These blogs are written by people who help me save a lot of money. Enjoy!
These blogs are written by people who help me save a lot of money. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
SAVING MONEY!
Do you want to know why I really started this blog? I am sure I will find lots of interesting topics to blog about but the main reason is that I want to share with my friends how I save money grocery shopping. For example, I just went to CVS. Total due: $48.73. What did I spend? $4.36. Yeah. That's not a typo. Between sales, coupons and a little thing called Extra Care Bucks, I saved BIG TIME! And from now on I want to tell others about my adventure as a coupon gladiator in the shopping arena emerging victorious as I slay the lions waiting to devour my wallet. Hmmm.... Too much?
One of the amazing blogs I follow is called Southern Savers.
http://www.southernsavers.com
Today I found this incredible offer on their post (which they actually got from another blog called Money Saving Mom) and I wanted to pass it along.
http://www.southernsavers.com
Today I found this incredible offer on their post (which they actually got from another blog called Money Saving Mom) and I wanted to pass it along.
Free: Busy Mom’s Bible
This is a great freebie!! The first 5,000 people to register will get a free copy of The Busy Mom’s Bible. It will ask for your mailing address and for you to upload a picture of your family to qualify. After you receive your Bible you can come back and write a review for them and win more prizes.
(thanks Money Saving Mom!)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Pasta Salad
One thing I'd like to post on my blog is recipes. So I thought I'd start with what we ate tonight. Especially since tonight's dinner was quick and easy!
1. Prepare a box of your favorite pasta. We like the tri-colored pasta best.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl combine the pasta with the following:
Serve cold.
As for the ingredients, you can make a lot of variations:
Enjoy!
1. Prepare a box of your favorite pasta. We like the tri-colored pasta best.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl combine the pasta with the following:
- 2 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken - drained
- 1 (15 oz) can of peas - drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 1 cup mayo (more if you like it really creamy)
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 tablespoon cilantro
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste (season salt is nice, too)
Serve cold.
As for the ingredients, you can make a lot of variations:
- Sliced black olives
- Ham instead of chicken
- Ranch dressing instead of mayo/mustard
- Sliced hard-boiled eggs
- Crumbled bacon
- Swiss instead of Cheddar
Enjoy!
What in the world is this blog about?
So, I am starting a blog. Why? Wellll... let's start with a little bit about me. I am a stay-at-home mom who takes her job very seriously. And I am a little bit in love with my computer. I am constantly researching topics like:
Christianity
Marriage
Parenting
Couponing
Organization
Housekeeping
Budgeting
Fashion
Diet
Exercise
Beauty
Cooking
Inspiration
Creative writing
Education
Social networking
Making money at home
Decorating
Entertainment
...and pretty much anything that might help with my daily quest for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Now if I am going to spend all this time on the computer researching great things, I thought a blog would be a nice way for me to share with you a few of the cool things I find.
Christianity
Marriage
Parenting
Couponing
Organization
Housekeeping
Budgeting
Fashion
Diet
Exercise
Beauty
Cooking
Inspiration
Creative writing
Education
Social networking
Making money at home
Decorating
Entertainment
...and pretty much anything that might help with my daily quest for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Now if I am going to spend all this time on the computer researching great things, I thought a blog would be a nice way for me to share with you a few of the cool things I find.
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