Time to Shop

Image by cafemama via Flickr

Milk-got it.
Bread-yep, spare in the freezer.
Eggs-ut oh, nope all out.

Ok, so what else do I need since I have to "run" to the store.
I do not need to spend much but I do not wish to do trips over and over.
Hey, I have those coupons for free cereal.
And also for free dip.

I have to say thanks to General Mills and My Blog Spark for the cereal coupons.
General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.
I can get 4 boxes free (up to $6.00 each). And I am wanting to make my own homemade cereal bars. I have a working idea in my head. Tell me what do you think.
First oil a cookie sheet.
Then mix my fav "kiddie" cereal up like you do rice krispy treats.
Spread a thin layer in the cookie sheet.
Next spread a creamy peanut butter on top.
And then drizzle (lightly melted) Nutella on that.
Let cool in the fidge for just a lil while.
Then slice with sharp knife into breakfast bars.
Wrap in wax paper then store in fridge.
???? Well ????
Think it will work?

Oh and you remember Dean's Dip review and giveaway?
Well, I have two of the free coupons for dip there too.
So will pick up some of that to go as a snack around here.
So guess I need to add to my shopping list.

Need to get:
Eggs
Chips
Marshmallows
Nutella
and what ever else I see on sale or realize I need.

Ok, that will work.
So off to the store.

UPDATE****
Just arrived from the store and am happy to say that I walked away with a bill of $58.00 total. But that I saved $39.45 which is 68% of the bill! Whoot! I am happy that I only spent $58.00 instead of $97.45. That is a decent enough savings for me. I bought my cereal (instead of $15.10 they were free of course) and used the coupons on the cereal boxes to save another $3.00 off of the produce I purchased. Also then received a coupon at check out for $2.00 off of any 5 boxes of General Mills cereal. Well they had a sale going on that special boxes were 5 for $10.00. With the coupon that made the 5 boxes only $8.00 or $1.60 a box. Decent! Long story short on the cereal, I would have spent $25.10 for all 9 boxes but only spent $8.00. And we are stocked up for awhile now.

Fast & Frugal Cookbook

Have you heard about the Busy People's Cookbooks? Well I did today. Thomas Nelson sent me a copy of the Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook. How did they know I stay so busy and I have to be frugal? Well I am glad that they do know because today's menu is coming straight from the book.

I have to tell you that I love the way this cookbook is set up. Each recipe is set up on one or two pages so you can see it all at one time with the book open. And on the left side there is a column with all of your supplies and shopping list. Then on the right side we have helpful hints and meal suggestions. Everything is very easy to read (and with my eyesight I am ever so thankful for that). At the front of the cookbook there is tons of information on how to save and provide meals with little spending. I adore helpful ideas to be frugal. (No that is not the same as cheap.)

So what are we having today?
An appetizer of Pineapple Ham Stacks
The main course of Open-Faced Cranberry Beef and Feta Sandwiches on Toasted Rye
A side dish of Mashed Pumpkin (a savory dish)
A second side dish of Italian Green Beans with Black Olives and Mushrooms
Then dessert of Hot Spiced Peaches

I feel like we are having a holiday meal all over again. And the best yet is that the majority of this meal is able to use the leftovers from Thanksgiving last week. I am able to pull out the last of the ham from the freezer. Then there are cans of pineapple, pumpkin, green beans, black olives,

Image via Wikipedia

mushrooms and peaches all in my cabinets. I still have a bit of cranberry sauce in the fridge too. So there is very little for me to have to actually purchase to make such a scrumptious meal. Just need to pop in the store for feta cheese, rye bread and red hots (for the peaches). Now that is frugal for me.

I think I may even end the evening with Warm Italian Virgin Mary's. Since I already have the bloody mary mix and italian seasonings. So we can have a nice cocktail as we wind up our day. I bet Dear Hubby is going to be one happy man tonight. Wish y'all could join us.

Making the Just Right Card

These tips were provided by the Photo Affections, an online photo greeting card company. I was hoping they would help when we are working so hard to get that just right card. It seems we make more cards than we purchase in the store. Frugal thinking pays off there. But we are not the pros who think up some of those great and witty words. So hope these make things just a lil easier. Don't forget you can Win Your Personal Greeting Cards here.

How to build the perfect holiday photo greeting card

1. Use humor. It opens hearts and lets friends and relatives see the fun side of your life.
2. Bring captions into play. Keep them short and sincere.
3. Select a photo with special sentimental value. Don’t worry about the finding the photo where everyone looks “perfect.”
4. Use only 1 – 3 photos. Too many dilute the meaning of the card.
5. Juxtapose past & current photos. This highlights the growth of your family.

RSVP Etiquette

(parents should carry on the tradition and not let this courtesy fall completely by the wayside in future generations.)

1. ALWAYS RSVP to any event; and as promptly as possible.
2. Respond by deadline: the deadline is very important, not only for food and drink counts, but also for the hostess to prepare for the event.
3. If you have RSVPed for an event and, at the last minute, need to cancel—make a quick courtesy phone call to the host.
4. An invitation that is addressed specifically to your name and does not specify “and guest” means you cannot bring a guest.
5. If your children’s names are not on the envelope, you should always ask if you’d like to bring your children along. If their names are not included, it might mean children are not invited; or it might be an oversight, so you should always ask.

5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Birth Announcement

1. Select a card that shows your family’s style—unique and individual to represent you and your new baby. Selecting a photo—choose one with sentimental value that evokes a special memory.
2. Keep it simple—a simple introduction followed by the birth details such as name, weight and birth date is ideal.
3. Save time and money by using an Internet photo card company. Easily select a template and then insert the photo and text. Once complete, the birth announcements are delivered directly to your home.
4. Research photo card company websites prior to the birth. Then, insert the photo and information to complete the project when baby arrives. Traditional etiquette suggests birth announcements be sent within 6 months of the birth.
   

Saving for those Expecting

Hey I found a way to save some money for those who are expecting their lil bambino. You know how expensive clothes are. And to purchase maternity clothes for just 9 months is hard for many of us. But now you can get an exclusive 20% Off! Just by using coupon code "blogfriends". Add that too up to 75% off many items. You can save, save, save. I am also excited that they have Plus sizes too.

There is also a section of maternity clothes that are $10 and under too. Wow the savings keep adding up. Maybe you can pass this information on to the ones who are expecting. I know I am always looking for a good bargain. Pop over to Kiki Fashions and see the great deals for yourself.

Found a bit of My Grandmother

Thanks to thewatchery.com for this photo.

I remember this watch from when I was a child. It was the style my grandmother use to wear. I loved the simple elegance of the time piece. I still love it. As a matter of fact I did not know that you could still purchase this watch. It had been put in my head as a piece from a by gone era. When a watch was a tool to keep time with.

But now there are so many different things people look for. Most of all seems to be the name. Weather it be Movado, Tag-Heuer or Cartier it seems to be the name people recognize first. And second seems to be luxury. So we are looking for luxury watches too.

Well it is nice that some can find these items and still get a relatively good deal. I was happy to see this Lady Hamilton Watch for a great savings of 74% off at $84.00. That is a savings of $241.00. Not bad! I wonder if my CG would love this as much as I do? She has simple taste too. And knowing that it was the style my grandmother wore would mean something to her. It is an idea for an end of year gift for her. A finals are finally over gift. What do you think??

Trips that are Original

Next week I will be doing the adult "Spring Break" with one of my good friends. Jules is always so cautious in all she does. She is going to rent a car to be reassured hers would not have something happen and leave us stranded. She locks her car and checks all the doors, twice to be sure she has locked all of them. And she puts her money on a prepaid MasterCard so nothing happens to her own checking accounts.

Jules lives in a world where she is forever double checking on things. She carries her keys on a necklace around her neck. Jules would never consider missing the date she is to have her oil checked. And whenever she travels, Jules carries a prepaid credit card and leaves her personal cards at home.

I know that Jules is ADD. She double checks and watches her pennies. It is her way to be reassured. Jules makes sure that she will not lose her own debit card any time she travels. A prepaid debit card will be in her wallet to pay for her hotel stays and gasoline. This is her double check on budgets. This way only what she plans on spending on travel will be used.

It is different doing a trip with Jules. But it is always original and an adventure. I am looking forward to our trip. We will be seeing a play, shopping in some of our favorite organic stores and hearing original music in an eerily beautiful environment.

Curves Special

Well since y'all know I am going to Curves and for FREE. I am part of the Silver Sneakers program of my insurance company. If you are on Medicare then you may also get to go for FREE.

I thought I would add another way to save money, help out and get you exercising too.



Nationwide for the month of March Curves is waiving their start up fee if you bring in a bag of groceries. It will be donated to a local food bank. That is like a $75 savings. Also if you have your monthly fee taken from you bank account automatically then you save another $10 a month. (That is $195 savings for the first year.) Break it down and it is less than the cost of a soda a day to go and exercise with a bunch of really crazy ladies.


Benefits I enjoy are:

No Mirrors
No Men
All Positive Praise for being there
Totally Accepted as I AM

So if your ready for a change, itching to get out and move as Spring sets in and want to help a local food bank the head on over to Curves.

Man Toys

Dan, Dan !!!

I have found the place that calls your name. With all the work you have to do around your house remodeling then your going to love this.

You can find all of your workshop and home improvement needs all right here. And no it is not where you work! You can pop over here and search for just the right tool. Then, automatically, it will start searching all the places you can find it. Think of the budget savings you can find. Where what is on sale at when you really need it! What a life saver there. Heck you could even find those "man toys" that you really really wanted.

I swear my DH gets near a home improvement place and his pulse quickens. I hope I still have that same effect on him myself. So Dan, go check this out and see if you are able to click fast enough?????

Code One-Code All

Here are a few coupon codes I found for those that are interested.

With Valentine's Day coming up you may want to send flowers.

teleflora.com has $5.00 off with promotion code KISSME and also DESIRE. These are good til 2/21/09.

FTD Has $5.00 off with promotion code V9P. This will expire on 2/14/09.

If you want to print a card for your sweetie you may need more ink. Clickinks.com has 5% off using discount code ClickinksFriends. They also offer free shipping of orders over $50.00. And they have several buy 2 get 1 free on compatible and manufactured products. There is not a expiration date for this offer.

And there is always sweets for our sweetheart. Visit mymms.com/photo24 and enter promo code PHOTO24 for a buy 3 get 1 free on personalized M & M's. You are actually able to put a photo on the M & M's. You have til 3/15/09 for this offer.

100 lucky winners can get $4,000 of either maid service, personal chef service or handyman service. Wouldn't that be lovely. Just enter at gethalls.com

And last but not least do not forget to enter in my 50 toy give away. Drawing on 2-25-09

Well I hope this is something you may be interested in. Good luck to all.

BBW looking for Clothes

50 Toy Give Away Blog
Enter Here
Drawing on 2-25-09

Ok I know I am not the only "Big Beautiful Woman" who gets upset because I can not find stylish clothes that fit. And I also not the only one who has actually looked at maternity styles when I am not "in the family way".

Well, Okay, maybe just me? I am not sure. But I have. And I do have to tell you that I liked this place. Makes me wanna be ready to have a lil one to look this cute and for so lil investment. The clothes are trendy and low cost. Do you think I could get away with this number and not let people know it is a maternity top. Oh the extra plus here is that they have Plus Sizes too!


- KiKis Fashions offer cute, unique and trendy maternity styles which is a break from the typical big, boxy maternity clothes out there. The prices are much lower than the maternity boutiques. Often times up to 75% lower, which is nice to have during these tough economic times. And they rotate their stock often, so there is always new and fresh clothes to choose from.

Exclusive Coupon Code!
- receive an exclusive 20% Off! Just use coupon code "blogfriends" during checkout to apply.

Frugal Hacks FORUM

Don't forget to enter the 100 items give away.
The drawing is tomorrow!
1st I would like to ask you to visit my
100 item give away blog!
Thank you.

Yes I confess! I am a Frugal Hacker. We all have to be these days. Need ways to save money, time and this lovely green earth. I think part of being frugal is also being green. And here is a web site that not only has post on ways to save money. But now has a Forum too! Yes a way for you to share with others your own tips and ideas.



Better yet! (You know by now I am going to let you in on a great program) You have a chance to win $125.00 CASH. Yes! Honest you do. I already have a good chance of winning $100.00 myself. So does Nessa. So we have to let you know how to get yours also.

So straight from Fugal Hacks site is this:

The new Frugal Forum is up and running, and ready for you to jump in. You can get to it by clicking on the Forum tab at the top of the (their) page. I would love to hear from you over there, and to make it more fun, I'm going to have a drawing for a fabulous prize of $100 cash!

I will draw among the first 50 people who post at least 25 entries on the forum. There are just a few commonsense rules.

ENTER TO WIN $100 CASH:

1. You must register to post or start a new topic. Anyone can read, but you must be logged in to post. It's easy. This prevents spam, and it allows me to see how many times you've entered.
2. Your entries must have some substance. They don't all have to be brilliant and innovative, but they must have some meaning and be related to frugal living. You can't just say, "Me too," or "Good point" twenty-five times.
3. You must have 25 published entries. I reserve the right to delete any post or topic at any time. If you know me, I use this right very sparingly. I'm really just covering the bases here.
4. The final decision is mine. If several people cross the 25-entries line at the same time, I might end up with 53 people in the drawing instead of just the first 50. If less than 50 people qualify, the drawing will be cancelled. You have to promise not to complain, mkay?

So get hoppin'! Go register (it's easy) and start gabbing. Share your wisdom, or pose your question. Let's help each other learn how to live on less!

BONUS GIVEAWAY: $25

Just post on your blog about the Frugal Forum and the $100 giveaway. Link to this post and the forum, and leave a comment here to let me know. I'll draw for the winner of this giveaway when I draw for the $100 winner.

You see 50 people can win $100.00
Continuing on from Frugal Hacks page:

The new forum seems to be a big hit! I can't believe the response so far. Between 2:30 and midnight, there were over 3,000 page views! Are you all really excited about sharing ideas, or is it just the promise of cold hard cash? Either way, I'm excited!

Just one quick request: If you are starting a new topic, please search to be sure your subject is new to the forum. Commenting on an existing thread is much more fun for everyone!

These users have already qualified for the $100 drawing by posting at least 25 times to the new Frugal Forum:

1. lynette355
2. DeputyHeadmistress
3. frugaltxmama

There are still 47 spots left to qualify for the $100 drawing, not to mention the $25 drawing for blogging about the forum. See this post for details on both.

So...how are you doing? Stats are now at the bottom of the forum.

Yes 47 more people can win $100.
So you have an awesome chance to win too.

Please come join us over at Frugal Hacks Forum and share your ideas and tips! Oh and don't forget the CASH

Discovering Coupon Codes

1st I would like to ask you to visit my
100 item give away blog!
Thank you.

I have been looking at different blogs on ways to save.

Being the frugal kinda gal I am I need to know where to look for specials, discounts and coupons. Some sites have coupon codes you can use for things like movie rentals and more. My lil town does not have big stores so I have to see more about shopping online to use these benefits.



So I have been surfing the web and have happened upon some savings that I thought you might be interested in. This site that has a promotion code for patio furniture helped me a lot. I found that I could get this Leather trench coat that is already marked down from $299.50 to $119.99. Add the 15% off coupon code and it is now only $102.00. That is a total saving of $197.50. Woo-Hoo!




When we moved CG into the dorm room Saturday the floors were freezing cold. Just concrete with tiles over them sure do make for some frozen toes. She asked me to get her a rug for the room. I found just what I think her and her room mate will love. Angle Farie Woven Rug that is 332" X 56" for $139.99. And it has free shipping!
But the coupon for 15% off will make it only $119.00! Another good deal that saves me $32.54 and keeps CG's toes warm!



And I still need to get out thank you cards for Christmas presents. Here I can save 20% on any $10.00 or more purchase of thank you cards. And they will even mail them for me. They have cards at .69 per card. If you buy 15 cards at $10.35 you will take off $2.07 making it only $8.28 or .55 per card. Plus they will even address, stamp and mail them for me. How easy is that.

This coupon codes, discounts and specials could become quite addicting. Where do you find your specials? What is your favorite" tricks of the trade"?

Combined Meals Week 4/Month totals @ .45 per person/per meal

Well since we had the big ol' party this last weekend, food here has been aplenty. We cooked and cooked and cooked this last weekend. Food we hand, Nessa had and of course the pot lucks that was brought over and left. And there was more than enough to feed both families for the week without having to cook any extra food.

Monday and Tuesday evenings dinner was Patty Melts, chips and relish trays.
Wednesday we all had Ham, navy beans, biscuits and fruit.
Thursday Crockpot Chicken w/corn and beans
Friday Game night--Sandwiches, chips and dip.
This weekend it is quiet time. Nessa and them are out of town. This house has hubby working, college girl at college and me and my mom hanging around. So meals are sporadic at best and all left overs.

So total cost for this week is $0.00 Whoo-hoo!

That makes the month totals to be:
Feeding dinner to 8 people and lunch for 4 people for 4 weeks @ .45 cents per person/per meal. ($108.00) Well do yall think this is working out or what?

Week 3 of Combined Meals

Well for week 3 we all splurged on our food. But I still feel that we did a good job. The total cost of food for Mon-Fri was $65.60. We had 8 people eating 5 dinners and 3 people eating 5 lunches each. So that makes 55 individual meals. So the total cost of those 5 days was $1.19 per person per meal. Not too bad but way off what we had done before. Now I will not add the weekend to this week. Not because we did not eat. LOL We partied like crazy. But the food was from so many people that I really can not calculate it. Saturday we fed 13+ people and Sunday it was 50+ people. I am sure you can understand. Dishes was brought from some, others added to the meat grilled and we pulled from our stock too.
For week 4 we will get back on track and do much better. But we had a great time splurging.


Thanks to garammasala for this picture.

So on to what our menus were:

Monday was Chicken Soft Tacos
Tuesday was Chicken Spaghetti
Wednesday Beef & Bean Chalupas
Thursday was left overs from all that Chicken Spaghetti we had made
Friday the households split. Lynette's had Fried Chicken take out and Nessa's had a 5 ft Subway Sandwich.

How did you do on your budget this last week?

A WEEK OF MEALS/.44 per person per meal

Well we have had a great start this week with wonderful meals already.
Nessa made a delicious crock pot chili for Monday night. And all it cost her was the spices. The beans were left from Friday nights dinner and the meat from her goody bag from grandma (yes we have presents of food). We added crackers from here (childcare help) and chips (from the reunion). And there is still plenty of tea from the reunion too.
Tuesday my mom (she is 74 and lives with us) did Bar-b-que Pork ribs ($8.00) in the crock pot. Oh was so yummy! And made fresh green beans (1.00 a bag on sale) with potatoes (I still had 3 from the food pantry), a nice green salad (fixings from burgers at reunion made this) and yeast rolls. More was spent on this meal then others. But we all just went to town on it. Of course we are drinking that tea (reunion).
I wonder what is on the menu for tonight. I hear that chicken spaghetti is lurking in the near future. And my daughter wants to make salmon patties too. We will give you a break down of all the cost at the end of the week with the menus.
Well for week two of combined meals we are eating GOOD!
Wednesday was left over night at Nessa's house. Here my lovely daughter made a fav of breakfast rice (free from food pantry). Rice with butter and sugar is like a little warm sweetness.
Thursday was heaven on earth here. I have to tell you Nessa is a wonderful cook. She made homemade chicken and rice soup. Yumm! The recipe is over at her site. The rice was left over from the night before (sans any sugar or butter), the onion we had from family reunion weekend (aka free) and the chicken came in her care package from her Grandmother. And the milk was from the childcare kids. So the meal was all Free! Go over to her site to see the recipe. I have added the pic here for all to see. We had bread and butter to go with it here. The bread is free too. My hubby works part time at a convenience store and it is the day old that they get rid of. We bring it home and stick it in the freezer so that provides almost all of our bread that we need. So the cost of some margarine to spread on it was all. LOL We even watched a borrowed movie of Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So dinner and a movie at 0 cost is a great night at home.
Friday is our weekly game night of Hand n' Foot. We do the main course and family and friends bring the extras. This week we had pizza that my mom bought for all. 3 large pizzas fed this house hold and my hubby and the crew he worked with for the night. Nessa's group was also having pizza for Friday night there. 2 large pizzas was good there. So we all splurged and bought 5 large pizzas total. $35.00 was way past budget but we splurged.
So cost for the week has been:
$44.00 for dinner for 8 people for 5 days and lunch for 4 people for 5 days. That is a total of 60 individual meals so the break down is .44 per person per meal for the week so far.

Word-full Wed

Good Morning all!

THE FIRST PART OF THIS POST HAS BEEN REPOSTED ABOVE. THIS IS SO YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO READ IT TWICE. HOPE IT DOES NOT CONFUSE TOO MANY?

What else, hummmm.....well I have been held up by toddlers. Yes those lovely 21 month old twins I watch daily. Seems that they have decided that naps are passe' so we are just not doing them. Of course no one alerted me of this trend. So for two days I have had to stay with them on the large front porch we have or in the "gated community" of the living room. Why? Because they know how to blitz a room in 30 seconds. So now I am doing my household chores at 4 am so I can be held hostage all day long. Oh well, it helps pay the bills!.

Oh bills, yes that one. Was paid for 3 months of child care this last weekend. I had to work up my budget for the next 5 months (won't be paid again til Feb 09). Spent time doing it. Have it down how to pay all the bills for next 5 months but very low on food budget as usual. Now you see why we are so inventive. But it feels good to say all of October bills are paid and some of November's are too already! So will bask in that glory and not worry past that.

How do you budget?

Tuesday Tidbits

Well I just finished up the totals on last weeks combined dinners with Nessa. And we came to a surprising cost of .20 per person/per meal. Under $20.00 spent for the week with our frugal "cents". Was that what you expected? See our blog on it here to read what we did.
Otherwise, I took Monday to relax while I watched the twins. Spent a lot of time just hanging in the living room with them while they played. Did some clean up of course, daily dishes and laundry. Had a lovely dinner with Nessa of home made chili from her crock pot recipes. Maybe she will share it with us? It was yummy. My Sunday was indulgent with me getting to rest and keep my knee put up. And it helped! The swelling is all gone now. I was also paid for my child care for the next 3 months. Which is really nice but that has to spread out for that and 2 more months after that. My "mom" that I do child care for is doing college this year and her payment is coming from her refund checks. So they are limited and come only once in a blue moon. So I am looking at my budget for the next 5 months and seeing how I can adjust to make it all work. Think I have it figured out for bills to be paid but holidays are going to be on the 100% cheap and frugal side. That really does not bother me. More worried about in law families and how to deal with our economy vs theirs. Well it will all fall into place as it should.

So tell me how are you looking at your budget with the upcoming holidays?

Combined Meals @ .20 per person for week

Well we have had dinner together for the last 3 nights so far. And I feel that I have never had such good food and company on a regular basis. There is 8 of us between the two households. Ages from 9 to 74 years old and we seem to have made all happy with the choices of food. First I have to let you know that we have several ways to procure food. Some comes from fresh veggies that my aunt has given to me that we have cut up and froze. Other is from the family that I do childcare from. They share what they have with us for supplementing the kids food here. Also, since I do not have a food budget with our bills, I pick up food from our local food pantry too. I watch for good sales at the grocery store like when they have fresh veggies on for $1.00 a bag.
Also we are not necessary having just small servings either. Most often we have plenty for seconds or even thirds for others. Also the left overs are lunch the next day. So we are getting more than just the one serving per person per meal from these dinners.

Mondays menu was:
Mexican Spaghetti
The 2 1/2 lbs of ground beef was on sale for .87 a pound. So that was 2.18 for meat. One small onion (.08 from 1 bag of 12 onions for 1.00), 1 jar of salsa (.99 a jar), 1 can corn (free from the food pantry), 1 packet taco seasoning mix(.49 a package), 1 box of spaghetti (free from food pantry), 1 package of grated cheese (on sale for $1.00 a bag). So that is 4.74 for the casserole. With two jugs of tea from weekend at Pow-Wow that was $6.00 for both gallons but only had 8 glasses comes to 1.50 for drinks. Giving a total of 6.24 for feeding a combined family of 8. That is .78 per person. Hummm seems good to me.

Tuesday menu was:
cooked apples (Free from childcare family)
kings bread (sale at 1.00 a loaf)
chicken a al king
That is 2 chicken breast at ($1.63), peas & carrots from the food pantry (free), flour and seasonings for sauce was at here already (approx .10 of product), milk from child care kids (free), butter (.10). With two jugs of tea from weekend at Pow-Wow that was $6.00 for both gallons but only had 8 glasses comes to 1.50 for drinks.
Giving us a total of 4.33 for 8 people is .54 per person.

Wednesday menu was:
Chicken Squash Casserole
3 Chicken breast (cooked day before) (2.45 cost), squash (free from aunt this summer/frozen), Onion (.08 from 1 bag of 12 onions for 1.00), croutons (free from food pantry), 1 can diced tomatoes & 1 can rotel tomatoes (free from food pantry), 1 & 1/2 packages of cheese (on sale for $1.00 a bag comes to 1.50). Drinks were from each household as to what ever each already had. So total cost was 4.03 which is .50 per person.

Nessa cooked Monday and Tuesday while I cleaned up. Wednesday I cooked and gave her the evening off. Which is good as she is ill and running fever.

Ok, well for Thursday we did a meal switch. Poor
Nessa is still feeling under the weather (fever of 103 will do that). So I fixed dinners tonight. Yeah, dinners. I had one pound of smoked pork summer sausage and she had a package of hotdogs. Well my hubby loves beans and weenies so he was happy. And I made a pasta/meat dish for
Nessa's home.
Thursday:
Beans and Weenies (Beans from the food pantry, Weenies from Nessa .89)
Sausage w/noodles (Sausage on sale .99, noodles w/tomatoes frozen from previous meal, cheese packet from box of Mac N Cheese that I did not use before)
Rolls for both families (partial of two different bags frozen, sales @ 1.25).
Meal total 3.13 for 8 comes to .39 per person.
And there is plenty for lunch for Friday. Love not having to cook that meal.
So are we saving better than expected? I think so. What is your thoughts?

Friday we had beans and cornbread from the food pantry. So zero cost. Also over the weekend we ate at the reunion and brought back left overs from there. Again zero cost. Since we hosted the reunion we did not have to bring our own food. We cooked 53 hamburgers and 64 hotdogs. Those were paid from with the reunion funds so again zero cost. Nessa's group had meals from their grandmother so they also had zero cost over the weekend.

That makes our first week totals to be:

DRUM ROLL
7 days of dinners for 8 people, 5 days of lunches for 3 people and 2 days of lunches for 8 people. Total of 87 meals served at $17.75 spent for the week of food equals .20 per person/per meal.


Oh, by the way, this blog will most likely be both here and at Nessa's til we get a new site up just for the combined meals that we are doing. We will keep you posted on that.

Small Town Businesses

I know I have posted about this before, but I really can not get over the great time I had at little cost compared to most weekend get aways. I think more should look into what they have in the small town they live in. Even if it is not a small town there are those local businesses that are worth looking into.
I recently stayed at a B & B for the 2nd time. I have to say that I feel this is a gem that most do not know about.
The quiet and peace is unmatched. Add to this mix all the wonderful stores and eateries now on the square. A great weekend is all set up. Ladies go shopping at the antique malls, men gather and have coffee at CJ's. Enjoy lunch specials at the Wooden Spoon, Plunder House or (if it is Friday) Yumm's. Go to dinner at Pony Express (or have it delivered), Star Beau's and at CJ's. Take an evening stroll around the square and eat ice cream cones from Blossoms Blue Bell hand dipped parlor and read the historic markers we have on the corner. And soon you will be able to play games at the new game room being set up. Saturday afternoon you can go to the museum and learn more about our community as it has grown up. And there are free wine tasting every Saturday and Sunday at Brennan's Vineyard. And there is the store Wild West. Penny works there and is the best New York transplant I have met in years. This woman is a delight to talk with and just ever so helpful. Go in and give her a hi-de-do and she will point you to the best sells in the store.
I have so many items that I purchase for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, white elephant auctions and the such that I find at these great "antique" stores. Wild West, Plunder House and The Court House Square Mall (aka Blossoms) are great shopping alternatives to Walmart and the such. You find creative gifts and items that make you remember growing up and going to grandma's house. Tell me where else can you find:
Whoop Ass Hot Sauce
Pink Flamingos in Bathing Suits
God Bless America Stain Glass Window
Books dating from the 1800's and early 1900's
and a great looking man's black dress belt
in one square block and not spend $$$$ on gas going from place to place?

Shopping home is more than the dollar stores and grocery. Shopping home is buying your tires locally, having the boy down the street mow for you (even when you can do it yourself) and getting local child care even if you travel to S-ville or B-wood for work. Shopping home is also economical and the only way to keep small towns alive. Thanks to all the people who are putting their "asses" on the line to bring us business here. Because if we do not give them the little extra cash we have to spend then they lose out.
I know I sound like an ad, but have enjoyed what Comanche has to offer and feel that many of us who live here forget to view this place like a tourist. You don't have to go away to get away. Tell us what you like as your own way of enjoying your hometown?

Reader's Digest Helper

My dad here in town has a subscription to Reader's Digest. And his "green" thing is to recycle them by passing them on to me. Of course I love that! This month has a great section on many ways to save using the Internet. Follow the link in the title and you too can find some new ways to help your budget. I do not know any one's budget that is not straining during this election year. I feel that being more "green" is also a way to help one's budget. So how are you green? Are you green and not even aware. It is so easy in many ways as green and frugal go hand in hand. So I am sharing my "green" list. See how many you do. I bet you can bet me! Tell me how your frugal/green.

I mulch and reuse my yard waste as compost.

I wait until my washing machine is completely full and then I wash in cold water.

I refill my hand soap dispensers with economic smaller refill bottles instead of buying new dispensers.

I have a tap filtering pitcher for drinking tap water instead of buying bottled water for my home and refill a safe bottle for my hubby to take to work.

I use a travel mug for drinking and refill it at stores instead of using disposable cups or can and bottled soda.

I use canvas bags for shopping and all other kinds of things too.

I bath my dogs after my bath in my bathwater (minus me in it). One dog per bath that I have. lol

I do not use chemicals on my lawn or in the garden.

I keep my windows open to use sunshine for light instead of electricity. Also promotes good mental health.

I use cloth napkins instead of paper towels.

I open windows instead of turning on the air conditioning when is not 100+ temps of course.

I reuse my coffee grounds for plant food. Helps them stay perky--guess they also like the caffeine.

I wear used clothing and donate back to used clothing closet.

I recycle paper, cans and plastic.

In public restrooms, I dry my hands naturally by using only time.

I carry a mug for drinks I buy to go.

I give volunteer time to green non-profits.

I eat one locally sourced meal a week.

I own shop at garage sales.

I do not shop except for essentials.

I also try to share as much as possible of what I have that I do not need with others.