Here are a few meals I will be making with the groceries I bought today.
Iceburg lettuce. This is not something I normally buy since we tend to eat darker greens like spinach or romaine lettuce, but at $.44/head it was a price I couldn't refuse. Later this week (possibly Friday) I will brown up the 93% lean ground beef that is in my freezer with cumin + chili powder. I'll shred the lettuce, add some tomatos and cheese to make a taco salad!
Napa Cabbage. A friend of mine served a variation of this recipe Napa Cabbage Salad at her house in May and I have fallen in love with it. I am NOT a cabbage person and had never heard of Napa cabbage until that day. This salad is INCREDIBLE and my entire family loves it. I add cooked chicken to make it a little bit heartier. Normally I find this at about $1.50/lb, but this week one of the local grocery stores has it at $.69/head! I got the biggest head they had (2lbs, 8oz) and we will have enough for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and maybe even dinner tomorrow night. Another store had the ramen noodles 8 for $1.
The cooked chicken will come from the whole chickens that are in my oven right now. I paid $.49/lb for the chickens, so the entire salad will cost less than $3. (I don't have the almonds on hand so I am not using them). I have some dressing still in the fridge from the last time I made this salad, so it will actually cost me around $2 for several meals!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Giving, Saving, and Eating Well
I had a GREAT day at the grocery store today and I only used 1 coupon from the newspaper. I bought a bunch of food to donate to my church's food drive, bottled water for the Rescue Mission and most of the ingredients for the freezer meal exchange group I belong to. I also bought the ingredients for several meals for my family.
At grocery store #1 I bought
2 cases of water @1.99ea (Rescue Mission)
4 12pks of Coke @9.98 for 4
1 2lb, 8oz head of Napa cabbage
2 cans of tuna @ $.44 ea after in-store coupon (food drive)
1 salad dressing @ $.27 after in-store coupon + manufacturer coupon
1 peanut butter @.99 (food drive)
1 head of iceburg lettuce @ $.44 after in-store coupon
4 lbs of strawberries @ $3.88
2 red bell peppers @ $.99 ea (I hadn't planned on these, but my 3yo picked them out. I'll never discourage his love of fresh veggies)
2 Broccoli crowns @ $.99 ea (Again, I hadn't planned on these but my son asked for them and this Mommy won't complain about a toddler asking for broccoli!)
All told at this store I spent $25.54
I went to another grocery store as well this morning where I bought things that weren't on sale, but that I needed (coffee filters, 8x8 pans for my meal exchange, manicotti shells, frozen spinach, cans of crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, Italian sausage, etc) and still saved a ton.
Grocery store #2 highlights
4 whole chickens @ $.49/lb. ($8.67 for all 4) The chickens actually on sale a couple of weeks ago, but I had a rain check since the store was out when I went to buy them. The chickens were already defrosted so I have 2 cooking now and will put two in later. Whole chickens are one of my favorite ways to save money. I'll write a blog on those another day.
Cantaloupe @ $.25/lb. Mine was just under 4lbs so it was $.94
Canned vegetables and canned beans were $.44/can. I ended up buying 12 cans of beans for our family + 22 cans of veggies for the food drive.
All told I spent less than $100 on food for my family + food to help others. Our freezer and pantry are overflowing and, except for items like milk, it may be weeks before I have to do any "real" grocery shopping.
See my next post for ways I will use today's bargains. Our grocery budget (family of 4) is $300 a month and I do almost all of the cooking from scratch.
The strawberries we don't eat before they start to turn will be made into smoothies and/or will be frozen.
At grocery store #1 I bought
2 cases of water @1.99ea (Rescue Mission)
4 12pks of Coke @9.98 for 4
1 2lb, 8oz head of Napa cabbage
2 cans of tuna @ $.44 ea after in-store coupon (food drive)
1 salad dressing @ $.27 after in-store coupon + manufacturer coupon
1 peanut butter @.99 (food drive)
1 head of iceburg lettuce @ $.44 after in-store coupon
4 lbs of strawberries @ $3.88
2 red bell peppers @ $.99 ea (I hadn't planned on these, but my 3yo picked them out. I'll never discourage his love of fresh veggies)
2 Broccoli crowns @ $.99 ea (Again, I hadn't planned on these but my son asked for them and this Mommy won't complain about a toddler asking for broccoli!)
All told at this store I spent $25.54
I went to another grocery store as well this morning where I bought things that weren't on sale, but that I needed (coffee filters, 8x8 pans for my meal exchange, manicotti shells, frozen spinach, cans of crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, Italian sausage, etc) and still saved a ton.
Grocery store #2 highlights
4 whole chickens @ $.49/lb. ($8.67 for all 4) The chickens actually on sale a couple of weeks ago, but I had a rain check since the store was out when I went to buy them. The chickens were already defrosted so I have 2 cooking now and will put two in later. Whole chickens are one of my favorite ways to save money. I'll write a blog on those another day.
Cantaloupe @ $.25/lb. Mine was just under 4lbs so it was $.94
Canned vegetables and canned beans were $.44/can. I ended up buying 12 cans of beans for our family + 22 cans of veggies for the food drive.
All told I spent less than $100 on food for my family + food to help others. Our freezer and pantry are overflowing and, except for items like milk, it may be weeks before I have to do any "real" grocery shopping.
See my next post for ways I will use today's bargains. Our grocery budget (family of 4) is $300 a month and I do almost all of the cooking from scratch.
The strawberries we don't eat before they start to turn will be made into smoothies and/or will be frozen.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
It's Time!
My first post back after a month off was one where I mentioned "Don't complain to me about the weather" Basically, it comes from my annoyance with people complaining about a) situations they have no control of (complaining won't change it) or b) complaining about situations they DO have control of but aren't willing to change (ex: 'I'm broke and don't have any money, but am not willing to cut back my lifestyle')
These are two of my biggest pet peeves. After I wrote (and deleted most of) that post I started thinking about my own life---what are areas I'm complaining about that I have no control over? What are areas I'm complaining about that I'm not willing to change the habits that got me in that situation?
One of the areas that I'm the least happy with is my weight. This is an area where I've always struggled. As a toddler my parents called me "thunder thighs" and though I was "average" as a kid, once puberty hit that was it . . . my weight has been a constant issue ever since.
I had a baby in 2006 and a baby in 2008. I will not be having any more children and I decided IT'S TIME. I was reading last week that eliminating 500 calories a day, either by a change in diet or increased exercise, is all it takes to lose 1lb/wk. Joining a gym isn't in the budget right now, but it didn't take me long to figure out where those 500 calories can come from.
I am posting this for accountability. To achieve my goal of being down 30lbs by the end of 2010 I will:
1) Limit myself to one soda a day (I'm a Coke addict and 4 cans/day wasn't unusual)
2) Drink at least 64oz of water a day
3) Jump rope at least 500 times a day
4) Not snack in the evening after I put the kids down. IF I snack it will be an apple or other fruit and not chips or other junk food
5) Once it warms up a bit I will swim 30mins 4 times a week after my kids are in bed
It's going to be HOT here soon so there's not really an opportunity for walks or other outside activities, but I'm hoping these small changes will be all that is necessary for me to stop complaining and start achieving this goal!
These are two of my biggest pet peeves. After I wrote (and deleted most of) that post I started thinking about my own life---what are areas I'm complaining about that I have no control over? What are areas I'm complaining about that I'm not willing to change the habits that got me in that situation?
One of the areas that I'm the least happy with is my weight. This is an area where I've always struggled. As a toddler my parents called me "thunder thighs" and though I was "average" as a kid, once puberty hit that was it . . . my weight has been a constant issue ever since.
I had a baby in 2006 and a baby in 2008. I will not be having any more children and I decided IT'S TIME. I was reading last week that eliminating 500 calories a day, either by a change in diet or increased exercise, is all it takes to lose 1lb/wk. Joining a gym isn't in the budget right now, but it didn't take me long to figure out where those 500 calories can come from.
I am posting this for accountability. To achieve my goal of being down 30lbs by the end of 2010 I will:
1) Limit myself to one soda a day (I'm a Coke addict and 4 cans/day wasn't unusual)
2) Drink at least 64oz of water a day
3) Jump rope at least 500 times a day
4) Not snack in the evening after I put the kids down. IF I snack it will be an apple or other fruit and not chips or other junk food
5) Once it warms up a bit I will swim 30mins 4 times a week after my kids are in bed
It's going to be HOT here soon so there's not really an opportunity for walks or other outside activities, but I'm hoping these small changes will be all that is necessary for me to stop complaining and start achieving this goal!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Help Your Neighbors
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me . . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:35,36 & 40
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus 'And who is my neighbor?' In reply Jesus said 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wound, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to an innkeeper. "Look after him" he said "and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you many have"
'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man you fell into the hands of robbers?'
The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.'
Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.' " Luke 10:25-37
The Bible is pretty clear as to what our responsibility is to those who are around us. Tomorrow, the USPS will be holding their annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. All you need to do to participate is place non-perishable foods (that haven't expired) by your mailbox tomorrow morning and your mail carrier will pick the donations up for a food bank in your area.
My church also has a food pantry and, for those of you who attend there, I would also like to encourage you to support this ministry by donating food, as well.
Right now one of the local grocery stores has canned vegetables on sale for $.50. Can you spare $5 to buy 10 cans of vegetables for someone in your community who may go to bed hungry tonight, if not for your contribution?
If you are on Facebook "like" the Stamp Out Hunger page. For every person who "likes" this page, Campbells Soup will donate a can to the drive, up to 1 million cans! http://www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus 'And who is my neighbor?' In reply Jesus said 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wound, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to an innkeeper. "Look after him" he said "and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you many have"
'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man you fell into the hands of robbers?'
The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.'
Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.' " Luke 10:25-37
The Bible is pretty clear as to what our responsibility is to those who are around us. Tomorrow, the USPS will be holding their annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. All you need to do to participate is place non-perishable foods (that haven't expired) by your mailbox tomorrow morning and your mail carrier will pick the donations up for a food bank in your area.
My church also has a food pantry and, for those of you who attend there, I would also like to encourage you to support this ministry by donating food, as well.
Right now one of the local grocery stores has canned vegetables on sale for $.50. Can you spare $5 to buy 10 cans of vegetables for someone in your community who may go to bed hungry tonight, if not for your contribution?
If you are on Facebook "like" the Stamp Out Hunger page. For every person who "likes" this page, Campbells Soup will donate a can to the drive, up to 1 million cans! http://www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
When did that happen?
My birthday is fast approaching and while the number itself doesn't bother me (34) it's weird to think that I'm solidly in my 30's because I don't feel like I thought I would at this point in life. I don't know what I thought my 30's would feel like, but I know this isn't it.
I'm married to an engineer, I'm a SAHM of two toddlers, I drive an SUV (no minivan for this Mommy), I still find myself browsing for tops in the Juniors department because the clothes in the Misses section are too "old", etc.
I was reading a post on a forum I belong to that was asking about what age kids can be left home alone and it got me thinking about my baby-sitting days. The first kid I ever baby-sat for was 3mo old at the time. He is now in his 20's and a college graduate. Another kid I babysat for (when he was in elementary school) is now in the NFL. Several of the "kids" I knew when I was in college and working with the Junior High group at my church are now married with kids of their own.
This week I saw pictures on Facebook of 4 boys from my old church that were in my Sunday School class when I taught the 3 year old class. They are graduating from high school this month.
A month or so ago I realized I graduated from high school 16yrs ago . . . I am closer to my 20th reunion than I am to my 10th. In August I will have lived in this state 16 years and I lived in my "home" state for 18. I have lived in this city as long (6 years) as I have ever lived in any one city (when single I moved pretty much every time my lease was up so I lived in various cities within the same metro area).
Time to adjust my expectations because the reality is . . . this is 34 (almost)
I'm married to an engineer, I'm a SAHM of two toddlers, I drive an SUV (no minivan for this Mommy), I still find myself browsing for tops in the Juniors department because the clothes in the Misses section are too "old", etc.
I was reading a post on a forum I belong to that was asking about what age kids can be left home alone and it got me thinking about my baby-sitting days. The first kid I ever baby-sat for was 3mo old at the time. He is now in his 20's and a college graduate. Another kid I babysat for (when he was in elementary school) is now in the NFL. Several of the "kids" I knew when I was in college and working with the Junior High group at my church are now married with kids of their own.
This week I saw pictures on Facebook of 4 boys from my old church that were in my Sunday School class when I taught the 3 year old class. They are graduating from high school this month.
A month or so ago I realized I graduated from high school 16yrs ago . . . I am closer to my 20th reunion than I am to my 10th. In August I will have lived in this state 16 years and I lived in my "home" state for 18. I have lived in this city as long (6 years) as I have ever lived in any one city (when single I moved pretty much every time my lease was up so I lived in various cities within the same metro area).
Time to adjust my expectations because the reality is . . . this is 34 (almost)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
What if I'd stayed?
I left my hometown (and home state) right out of high school to move where I live now. I moved quite a bit as a kid . . . 6 houses before my 12th birthday in several different parts of the same state, but lived in the same house for all of jr. high and high school.
I wasn't one of those people who loved high school. I never really felt like I fit in, and when I went away to college I didn't really feel like I left anybody behind that I was especially close to. Despite this, I had every intention of moving back "home" after graduation. The funny thing is, while not perfect, over the course of time the place I live now has become home to me.
Because of Facebook I am now in touch with people I graduated with, some of whom still live in the same town we went to school in. I saw a conversation today between a girl I graduated with (who I only knew of, didn't know well) and another girl I was acquaintances with. It got me thinking . . . who would I be today if I still lived there? I'll never know the answer to that, but I have a pretty good idea of who I've become as a result of moving permanently at 18 to a city and state where I didn't know anybody.
I became independent in a way I don't know if I would've been in my hometown. When times got tough and I couldn't afford food or rent going home to Mom and Dad's wasn't an option for me. I didn't have a place to go to do laundry for free or to get a free meal.
I had to step out of my comfort zone and develop new relationships. Though talkative once I'm comfortable, I'm not good at reaching out and establishing friendships. Since I didn't know anybody and didn't have a past history to rely on I had to seek out new friends. At a party where I don't know people I'm the girl hanging out in the corner waiting for someone to talk to me.
I learned about who I was as an adult and wasn't pigeonholed by my peers who had known me at 12.
Most importantly I made the decision to enter into the most important relationship of my life when I chose to become a follower of Christ. It's another post for another day, but I don't think I would've become a Christian if I'd stayed in my hometown.
I knew moving away from home to go to college was a big step back then, but what I didn't know when I waved good-bye to my parents and the life I'd had back home was how much I'd change here in the desert.
I wasn't one of those people who loved high school. I never really felt like I fit in, and when I went away to college I didn't really feel like I left anybody behind that I was especially close to. Despite this, I had every intention of moving back "home" after graduation. The funny thing is, while not perfect, over the course of time the place I live now has become home to me.
Because of Facebook I am now in touch with people I graduated with, some of whom still live in the same town we went to school in. I saw a conversation today between a girl I graduated with (who I only knew of, didn't know well) and another girl I was acquaintances with. It got me thinking . . . who would I be today if I still lived there? I'll never know the answer to that, but I have a pretty good idea of who I've become as a result of moving permanently at 18 to a city and state where I didn't know anybody.
I became independent in a way I don't know if I would've been in my hometown. When times got tough and I couldn't afford food or rent going home to Mom and Dad's wasn't an option for me. I didn't have a place to go to do laundry for free or to get a free meal.
I had to step out of my comfort zone and develop new relationships. Though talkative once I'm comfortable, I'm not good at reaching out and establishing friendships. Since I didn't know anybody and didn't have a past history to rely on I had to seek out new friends. At a party where I don't know people I'm the girl hanging out in the corner waiting for someone to talk to me.
I learned about who I was as an adult and wasn't pigeonholed by my peers who had known me at 12.
Most importantly I made the decision to enter into the most important relationship of my life when I chose to become a follower of Christ. It's another post for another day, but I don't think I would've become a Christian if I'd stayed in my hometown.
I knew moving away from home to go to college was a big step back then, but what I didn't know when I waved good-bye to my parents and the life I'd had back home was how much I'd change here in the desert.
Monday, May 3, 2010
I know I am not . . . .
A painter
As of last week we have owned our house for two years. Until a couple of weeks ago, when I started experimenting with paint, our house has looked exactly the same as the day we first toured it (even down the curtains and valances the previous owners left). A few minutes ago I finally got around to finishing one of the two rooms I had put color samples on.
The first room I attempted was the laundry room. I took the advice of the guy at Home Depot and used silicone over the tape to make a crisp line. Instead of buying silicone at Home Depot I decided to use some my husband had in the garage. When I went to paint over it I noticed the paint wasn't sticking. That's when I realized I'd used waterproof silicone for bathrooms and kitchens! YIKES! A month later I am still sanding the walls to be able to complete that project.
The other project I've attempted recently is our 2nd bathroom. It is the only bathroom other than our master and, though it is a full bathroom, it is about the size of a powder room. I figured . . . small room . . .this will be easy. I put my kids down for a nap and started painting.
First, my roller started shedding, so I wiped the walls clean and got a new one (different kind) out of the garage. I noticed a few minutes later IT started shedding. Yikes. I found a foam roller in the garage and started using that. As I was painting I decided to scrape off a drip from when I had used the tester . . . and managed to take off a 6"x6" piece of drywall.
I then had to stop and patch the hole. I continued to paint, waited more than the alloted time, and painted over the spackle. As I went over the spackle it started to come up and I'm back to having a hole there.
I'm still in my painting clothes, I haven't put the paint away, and I'm waiting for the walls to dry before I see how bad the damage really is.
As of last week we have owned our house for two years. Until a couple of weeks ago, when I started experimenting with paint, our house has looked exactly the same as the day we first toured it (even down the curtains and valances the previous owners left). A few minutes ago I finally got around to finishing one of the two rooms I had put color samples on.
The first room I attempted was the laundry room. I took the advice of the guy at Home Depot and used silicone over the tape to make a crisp line. Instead of buying silicone at Home Depot I decided to use some my husband had in the garage. When I went to paint over it I noticed the paint wasn't sticking. That's when I realized I'd used waterproof silicone for bathrooms and kitchens! YIKES! A month later I am still sanding the walls to be able to complete that project.
The other project I've attempted recently is our 2nd bathroom. It is the only bathroom other than our master and, though it is a full bathroom, it is about the size of a powder room. I figured . . . small room . . .this will be easy. I put my kids down for a nap and started painting.
First, my roller started shedding, so I wiped the walls clean and got a new one (different kind) out of the garage. I noticed a few minutes later IT started shedding. Yikes. I found a foam roller in the garage and started using that. As I was painting I decided to scrape off a drip from when I had used the tester . . . and managed to take off a 6"x6" piece of drywall.
I then had to stop and patch the hole. I continued to paint, waited more than the alloted time, and painted over the spackle. As I went over the spackle it started to come up and I'm back to having a hole there.
I'm still in my painting clothes, I haven't put the paint away, and I'm waiting for the walls to dry before I see how bad the damage really is.
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