Super Savings Saturday: Free Yogurt!

I know I wrote about my Shopers Triple Coupon trip last Saturday, but the deals were so good that I decided to make another quick trip this week. I was glad I did; I got four more packages of yogurt for free! I just had to show off the picture below of all my free yogurt.

My husband takes a yogurt to work every morning, and this stash should last nearly the whole month of March. What a blessing!

I haven't tried all these varieties of yogurt before, but they're packed so full of antioxidants, probiotics, and vitamins that I feel that we will all be healthier by the time we finish them!

And . . . Shoppers is doing the same double/triple coupon event this week for another full week (Northern VA stores only). I think the Activia yogurt at least is still on sale 2 for $4, so if you still have some $1 off Activia coupons you can get your free yogurt! Read more about this week's Shoppers triples here.

See more bloggers' bargain shopping trips at Super Savings Saturday and Shopping Superstars!

PS - As I mentioned yesterday, my Bake It - Don't Buy It! series starts on Monday. If you're interested in saving money by making more food from scratch, this series is for you!

Apricot Oatmeal Scones and New Series

Yesterday I mixed up Oatmeal Scones using a recipe from The Tightwad Gazette (but very similar to this). They were actualy supposed to be Oatmeal Raisin Scones, but since I was out of bulk raisins I used dried apricots.

Scones are very quick and easy to bake up. You simply mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter or margarine, and add the milk.

They really turned out pretty, so I had to try a piece. It was then that I realized that the recipe from the book did not include any sugar (unlike the one I linked to above). Since the scones are for my playgroup today, I did not want to have to mess with jam, so I decided to mix up a quick glaze.

I just mixed some confectioners sugar with a little milk and drizzled it over the tops. Yum!

These were so quick and easy and used a few, inexpensive ingredients. I will definitely be making these again.

And now . . . I wanted to announce my series for next week, about which I am very excited! Due to the interest shown in my previous posts on making homemade English muffins and corn chips, I have decided to run a week-long series called, Bake It - Don't Buy It!

Each day next week, starting Monday, I will take you through making a different item from scratch that is usually purchased at the store. I'll have plenty of pictures, so you'll be able to see how surprisingly easy it can be to save money this way. And I am going to try to include approximate cost breakdowns, so you can see just how much you'll save.

So if you are interested in making your own breads, breakfast foods, and snacks, please join me next week for Bake It - Don't Buy It!

Our "Mastercard Commercial"

My family's fun outing yesterday to get free pancakes at IHOP inspired me to reflect somewhat on the difference between cost and value -- not exactly in a specific intellectual distinction sort of way, but in the very practical way that we spend money.

In reality, to get our "free" breakfast yesterday, we spent $15! We ordered drinks and sides of sausage to go with our pancakes and of course left a tip as if we had paid for the pancakes. We also donated $5 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, which was the charity that our for which our restaurant was raising money.

However, I have no regrets. First of all, if we had gone to IHOP on a regular morning and all three ordered breakfast, we probably would have spent at least $25, and that would not have included a donation to a charity. So we did get a bargain.

But furthermore, what would have been the chances of our little family getting up to go to a restaurant at 7:30 on weekday morning before Michael left for work? Let's just say, that as my husband is not a morning person, the chances would be pretty small! But since it was "free" breakfast, we got up and went out and created a very fun memory. My two year old really enjoys outings like this and occasionally asks to go to a "restaurant," so it was so much fun to treat her.

There was no line for the free pancakes at that time of the morning, so we were quickly enjoying IHOP's really good buttermilk pancakes and sausage. My daughter got her chocolate milk; the baby cooed and was admired; and Michael teased me about making him get up so early.

Of course, if we had not had the money that we spent left in our restaurant/entertainment budget for the month, we would not have spent it. We did not have to order the sausage, and we could have drunk only water. But since we were able to spare the money, we treated ourselves a little.

Remember the Mastercard commercials that they used to run (perhaps still do?) -- the ones that went, "There are some things money can't buy; for everything else, there's Mastercard." I always liked that commercial, despite its real message of totally irresponsible credit card use! But it did point out an important truth about the value of money: that it is not the important thing, but that it can aid you in creating the kind of moments that by far transcend the value of the money you spent.

In college, I spent a wonderful semester in Rome. One long weekend, two friends and I decided to visit another friend who was in the seminary in Germany. Barely speaking any Italian and absolutely no German, we took an long overnight train ride to this tiny town in Germany, stayed barely 24 hours, and had to immediately head back. We created our own "Mastercard commerical" for that weekend, something like the following:

Ticket from Rome to Salzburg to Bayerisch Gmain - $150 Euros

Hotel in Bayerisch Gmain - $40 Euros

Reber chocolate - $20 Euros

Dinner in Salzburg - $30 Euros

Time spent with old friends: priceless

I am still close to these friends, but we all live far away from each other now. To this day it can't help but bring a smile to my face when I think of "our commerical," and I don't regret a Euro of it!

I think special days like these are one of the wondeful reasons for frugality. If you live most of your life simply, you hopefully will be able to spend money to create memories like these, whether they are crazy European trips or simple family outings.

I guess today my motto is: "There are some things money can't buy; for everything else you can get a bargain!"

Free Pancakes Today!

If you haven't heard, today is National Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) with free pancakes at IHOP! My family had so much fun getting up early and going to IHOP this morning before Daddy had to go to work. And there's still time to get your pancakes; the promotion goes until 10:00 o'clock tonight.

Tuesday Tip

A quick, painless money saving tip every Tuesday

In cooking, use a smaller amount of more expensive ingredients. When I purchase a more expensive ingredient for a recipe, especially if it has more of a flavoring role than as a main nutritional part of a dish, I often use about a third less than is called for in the recipe. Then I am often able to stretch the amount that I purchased over several recipes, and the difference in taste is barely noticeable.

I often use this method for ingredients such as red bell peppers, expensive olives, specialty cheeses, nuts, and truffle oil (just kidding on that last one). :-D

Wegmans Deals

My new list of Wegmans deals for the week is up at Frugal in Virginia this morning. Check it out here.

The Tightwad Freezer

I was organizing my freezer the other night and it made me think of doing a corollary to my "tightwad refrigerator" post: the tightwad freezer! Here are the "frugal" items I found in my freezer:

- Sliced homemade sandwich bread made in the bread machine

- Homemade banana muffins for quick breakfasts

- Homemade waffles from a big batch made for breakfast for dinner one night

- Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen veggies gotten free with coupon and sale at Giant

- Frozen pierogis gotten with a doubled $1.00 coupon at Shoppers double/triple coupons

- Big bag of mozzarella cheese for homemade pizza

- Quart-size bags of cooked beans and rice (much cheaper than canned beans or quick-cook rice)

- Eight pounds of butter stockpiled during $1.99 sales around the holidays

- Mini plastic container of tomato paste frozen in order not to waste the rest of the can

- Freezer bags of individual pounds of meat separated out from 5 lbs. club pack

- A couple of already cooked dinners to pull out on busy nights instead of takeout

- Homemade popsicles made from fruit juice leftover from canned fruit

- Frozen puff pastry that I bought a long, long time ago. I will find a way to use it up!

Anyone have anything to add from their "frugal freezer"?

Best Deals Roundup

The most worthwhile deals from around the blogosphere:

Get a free Kashi frozen entree! Wow! Check out the details here. (Thanks Frugal in Virginia)

Scroll down to the bottom of Frugal in Virginia's Harris Teeter post and find out how to get 4 boxes of cereal, 2 boxes of cereal bars, 2 cookie mixes, and 2 cans of soup for $6 altogether! You will need to print internet coupons for this one. Harris Teeter deals should run through Tuesday.

Again, Shoppers double/triple coupon event (Nothern VA stores) lasts through Wednesday. Kmart's awesome double coupon event (which includes $2.00 coupons) lasts through the 28th.

And last but not least, go here to find out how to get goldfish crackers for really cheap at Target! (Thanks Money Saving Mom) I had already signed up for the emails, so I couldn't print the coupon from the goldfish website. Also, the price was $1.79 at my SuperTarget. Even so, I got four bags of goldfish for $.79 each - a terrific price for my daughter's favorite snack!

"Frugal Woman's" Daybook

I always enjoy reading editions of the "Simple Woman's Daybook" on other blogs, so I thought I would participate today. It will be a fun way to tell a little more about myself, but I'm also going to try to relate it to frugality. Think of it as "a day in the frugal life"!

FOR TODAY ... February 23, 2009

Outside My Window... It is sunny but cold. I am chilly, as we keep our heat down at 69 degrees, and our house isn't insulated very well. One of our big home to-do items will be to improve the insulation in our house without spending a ton more than we would save in electricity!

I am thinking... of being up with the baby last night and on working on her sleeping this week . . . hoping I have the energy to get through it

I am thankful for... being well under the $380 grocery budget this month; for having a husband who helps with the baby at night

From the kitchen... I made a "stone soup" last night out of leftover roast and odds and ends of vegetables. It was good! I want to do a small baking day today too - probably bread machine bagels, sandwich bread, and snack bars.

I am wearing... satin pajamas that my mom bought me several years ago

I am creating... a sleep plan for the baby!

I am going... to try to walk over to playgroup at my friend's house, as long as it doesn't interfere with the baby's nap

I am reading... The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems (provacative title, huh!); a biography of G.K. Chesterton

I am hoping... to get both my girls sleeping through the night . . . this year . . . .

I am hearing... the baby fuss in her exersaucer

Around the house... On my to-do list this week is sorting through the girls' spring clothes and preparing for the upcoming children's consignment sale. I like to have a detailed list of exactly what to look for so that I get what they need and don't get sidetracked by all the bargains.

One of my favorite things... my two-year-old when she first wakes up in the morning. She's usually very sweet and cuddly.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: sorting the girls' clothes, baking, cutting and sorting coupons, starting our taxes

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

. . . morning fun!

Check out http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/.

Super Savings Saturday: Shoppers Triple Coupons Again!

My Super Savings Saturday post is a little late, since I didn't get any great deals this week until today. This morning, however, I did one of my best triple coupon runs, getting $45 worth of groceries for $8.

This time Shoppers was tripling coupons up to $.50 and doubling coupons up to $1.00. Always read the fine print on these triple coupon deals; the details and policies can vary each time a store does it.

Here's what I got:



My best deals were the following:

*French's Worcestershire sauce - $1.49 - $.50/1 coupon (tripled) = Free!
*Quaker Mini Rice cakes - $1.89 - $1.00/1 coupon (doubled) = Free!
*Dannon Activia Yogurt - $2.00 (sale) - $1.00/1 coupon (doubled) = Free!
* Reece's Whips - $.79 - $1.00/2 coupon (doubled) = Free!
* Starkist Gourmet Seas Tuna - $1.99 - $1.00/1 coupon (doubled) = Free!
* Mentos Gum - $1.50 - $1.00/1 coupon (doubled) = Free!

This Shoppers coupon promotion is running for a whole week, so I might actually look through my coupons and see if it would be worth making another trip. To see more deals and coupon matchups for this promotion, check here and here.

I also stopped at Target for some goldfish crackers for $.79 (see Money Saving Mom's post here), and I picked up some more Valentine window stickers and a play tiara for my daughter for about $.25 each. They were clearing out the dollar section, and most of the stuff was 50% off. If there's anything I like better than the Target dollar section it is definitely the Target $.50 section!

Frugal Friday: Healthy Homemade Corn Chips

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a friend's birthday lunch on a Saturday afternoon and left my husband home with the girls. We was fine with staying with them; his only complaint was that I left him to eat lunch with no chips! Horrors!

Being the creative and ingenious guy he is, Michael decided to create his own corn chips, and the rest is history! When I came home I was very impressed with his creation (and that he had taken pictures for my blog).

The chips are not replicas of commerical tortilla chips; the taste and texture are definitely different. However, they are very tasty with dip, and they are much healthier and cheaper than purchased chips.

Here's what he did:

He mixed a cup of cornmeal with half a cup of all-purpose flour and added enough water to form a paste (about 3/4 cup). He also added 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. baking soda.

Then he spread it out on a greased cookie sheet and patted it down with a sheet of waxed paper on top, to about a thickness of 1/8 inch. He baked it at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, until it was set, then took it out and brushed the top with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt. Then it went back in the oven at 400 until crispy and brown around the edges.

After that, he simply took it off the pan while it was still warm and broke it into pieces. Yum!

We have since tried different combinations of seasonings on top, as well as several batches using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. The whole wheat flour makes a softer chip, but one that is even healthier.

My new favorite healthy snack is these chips with salsa or black bean dip. It's a high-fiber, low-calorie snack, but it still tastes like having chips and dip. Can't beat that!

Just for Fun: The Tightwad Refrigerator

In the Tightwad Gazette there is a hilarious sketch of the "tightwad refrigerator," with all the componants labeled. I laughed because I definitely could relate to a lot of the items. Here are the ones that I often have in my fridge:

- a month's supply of eggs (Harris Teeter has 2-1/2 dozen for $2.97)

- cheap fruit like bag apples and oranges

- cheap veggies like carrots, celery and cabbage

- apple with one bite missing (toddlers!)

- a child's glass of juice with 1/2" remaining (toddlers!)

- leftover corn chowder for husband's lunch at work

- bulk-purchased yeast costing a fraction of the type sold by the packet (I have the small jars right now, but my friend just told me how much cheaper it is at Sam's Club, so she's going to get me some.)

- stacks of bulk-purchased sale margarine (well, butter in our case)

- homemade refrigerator dough, ready for use

- absence of soda in the six-pack, juice packs, and packs of individual serving-size pudding and applesauce

To this list I would add:

- miniscule amounts of leftovers in plastic containers, since I won't throw away even a teaspoonfull

- store brand yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, and other condiments

- refrigerated cookie dough for Christmas cookies, purchased after Christmas on clearance with a coupon

- dinner for the next two nights prepared all at once, since it seems like a waste to only make enough for one meal

- absence of bagged, prewashed salad (have you noticed my pet peeve? :-)

The ones from the book that I didn't have in my fridge included:

- reused apple juice jugs containing grape juice from concentrate, mixed milk, and saved vegetable broth for use in soups (we don't really drink much juice)

- reused margarine tubs containing leftovers (don't use margarine)

- homemade salad dressing and BBQ sauce in reused bottles (I need to experiment with making more salad dressings from scratch.)

- bottle of homemade pancake syrup with 1/8" remaining (I'm not sure we eat enough of this to make it worth making from scratch.)

- meat drawer rarely used for meat (my husband does eat some cold cuts for lunch)

- a reused Baggie of thawing pumpkin puree, made from a 2-day-old jack-o-latern, to be used in breakfast muffins (okay, I do draw the line somewhere . . . )

Anyone have anything else to add to the "Tightwad Refrigerator"?

Photo from www.sxc.hu.

My Shopping Trip and Our Grocery Budget

Well, I forgot to take pictures of my shopping trip on Monday, but I am happy to report that I spent just $38.76 at Wegmans plus an additonal $4.81 at Giant. I am fairly confident that we should not really need any food now through the end of the month, unless we have unexpected company or something.

That means my current total for the month is $233, about $150 under our current grocery/household budget of $380 for the month! I still might spend a little more if I see some great deal that I can't pass up, but even then I should have over $100 extra to save and to put toward the girls' summer wardrobe and maybe a few treats for them at the consignment sale!

I was helped out this month by the free meat from my friend and from previous months' stocking up on great deals, but this does make me think that I can actually get our grocery budget lower. I think my next goal is to get it down to $350/month, over the next several months. (This does include all our paper products, cleaning supplies, and diapers.)

God is good!

*By the way, I know that our budget may be lower than normal people's and also a lot higher than those of some of you frugalistas out there, but it's just what is working for us right now in our circumstances in our area of the country. I'm just sharing for your interest, not to say that these are numbers that would work for everyone.*

Thoughts from The Tightwad Gazette: Washing out Plastic Bags

This is the sort of issue that the frugal community takes seriously: do you or do you not wash out your Ziploc bags??

As I mentioned in my review, Mrs. Dacyczyn wrote an entire article in the Tightwad Gazette about washing out plastic baggies. She talks about the proper way to wash and dry them (inside out) and even how to continue using them once they start to fall apart!

I admit it: I don't wash out Ziploc bags. To be perfectly honest, I guess it's always been one of those (rational or irrational) "ew, yuck" items to me. However, like many frugal practices that at first seemed strange, my sympathies with the idea have grown.

After all, the regular price for a 30 count box of gallon Ziploc bags is close to $4 in my area! With all the freezing of homemade foods that I do and with making my husband's lunches every day, it is easy to go through bags quickly. Granted, it is cheaper to go through plastic bags than to buy frozen foods or for my husband to buy his lunch, but the cost of the bags definitely raises the prices of making things homemade.

Ms. Dacyczyn figured out that it "paid" her $30/hour to wash out plastic bags, but to me that seems a slightly strange way to figure out savings. I mean, who spends an hour washing out bags?! The way I think of it, if I use one fewer box of plastic bags per month, I could save $48 a year. That is definitely not bad.

One concern that occurred to me about washing plastic bags is about its safety, considering all the recent news about dangerous chemicals in plastics. So I read this post with interest, which seems to say that it is okay to wash out Ziploc-type bags. (Thanks, Cheap Like Me) Of course, as both this post and Mrs. Dacyczyn mention, never reuse bags that were used for meat or cheese. Better safe than sorry!

Currently what I do try to do (as a commenter on my original post mentioned) is to reuse bags for the same item. For instance, I keep my flour and sugar in gallon Ziploc bags, and I try to keep using the same one for new packages of the item, until the bag starts to tear. I also reuse the bags in which I keep my homemade bread in the freezer. I just leave them in the freezer until I fill them again, which is usually within a couple of days. Even in my husband's lunches, I refill a sandwich size bag with the same food every day for about a week, as long as it is a dry good, like potato chips.

I also try to use washable, reusable containers rather than plastic bags whenever I can. The main advantage of plastic bags is that they save space, but when that is not an issue I go for the reusable container. I get a lot of the Ziploc plastic containers from buying my husband's lunch meat, so it's not like I've had to invest a lot of money in containers. I am in the market for a bigger, better lunch bag for Michael though. If I found a big enough one, perhaps with containers made to fit, I could really cut down on my plastic bag usage. I think the small investment would pay off pretty quickly.

So for right now, while I don't really wash out my plastic bag, I am definitely trying to be more mindful about using them. How about you? What's your plastic bag position?

Consumers' Checkbook Grocery Store Ratings

Thanks so much to the anonymous commenter who alterted me to this video on Fox DC yesterday! You'll see that my opinion of Wegmans is well-supported by this study.

Top Deals Roundup

The most worthwhile deals from around the blogosphere:

Any freebie from Starbucks is a top deal in my book! Go here to find out how you can get a free sample of new Starbucks Via (you have to sign up for the email newsletter). (Thanks, Frugal in Virginia)

If you sign up for JC Penny Rewards you can get a coupon for $5 off a $5 or more purchase! Find out how here. (Thanks, Coupon Cravings) JC Penny has been generous with these deals lately -- at Christmas time they randomly sent me a $10 off any purchase coupon. Of course, I spent just over $10 and got some stocking stuffers for Michael practically free!

If you have an Origins store nearby, find out here how to get a free ten night sample of Origins Bedtime Balm. (Thanks, Money Saving Mom) A lot of times free samples of beauty products are so small that you can barely figure out if you like it, but a ten night supply sounds pretty good.

Tuesday Tip

A little late, but here it is:

Following on last week's tip to email the manufacturer if you have a problem with a product, this week's tip is to email the manufacturer if you especially like a product! I have not done a great deal of this myself, but I have heard that it is a very good way to get coupons. And as long as you honestly like the product, there is nothing wrong with that!

Also, you would be surprised how big companies actually care about individual consumers. You actually can influence development of new products, so you might as well make your voice heard.

With email, communication like this is quick, easy, and free, so it definitely can be worth a few minutes of your time.

Store Review: Wegmans

I am starting an occasional feature of store reviews, especially of grocery stores. I will give my impressions of the products, service, and most importantly, the prices in each store. My "research" is of course based on the stores in my Northern Virginia area; prices and other details may vary depending on your location.


I put off my first visit to Wegmans for a long time. I had heard enthusiastic reports of how nice it was to shop there and about the gourmet products they carried, and I assumed that they must be correspondingly expensive. Finally, two years ago now, I decided to check out the store to buy some special food items for an upcoming baby shower I was hosting.

After two or three trips, during which I experimented first by buying only a few gourmet items and then by filling my whole shopping list, I discovered that I did not just like Wegmans. Baby, it was true love! I have never looked back since.

First and most importantly, I discovered that overall, Wegmans' regular prices for the same items I was purchasing in other stores were the same price or cheaper about 80% of the time. Further, the Wegmans store brand is of extremely high quality, so I was able to switch to cheaper versions of some items without sacrificing taste.

I have found that Wegmans does not in general have as amazing "loss-leader" sales as some other more expensive grocery store. However, their slogan of "consistent low prices" is really true; sometimes their regular prices are equivalent to good sale prices at other stores. Even though I shop many different stores for great deals, I head to Wegmans for my staples. I feel that if I buy an item there it was at least a good deal.

Although they carry the full complement of regular grocery products, Wegmans is much more than a regular grocery store. They have an entire section of organic products, from groceries to toiletries to baby food. They have a wine shop, a gourmet European bakery, an artisan cheese counter, and an olive bar. Furthermore, Wegmans has an entire cafe of prepared foods to either pick up for dinner or to eat in the attractive seating area in the store. The choices range from full dinners such as chicken pasta or steak and potatoes to sushi, soup, and Chinese food.

The shopping experience at Wegmans is also top-notch. It is actually fun to shop there! The store is always clean and attractive, and the customer service is usually terrific. When I'm shopping with my little ones, the cashier always asks if I need "helping hands" to get to my car. One day I asked the cashier if I could run back for an item I forgot. She replied, "Let me ask a manager to get if for you"! You can't beat that!

I also feel good about supporting Wegmans because they are such an ethical company. They were recently voted one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the twelfth consecutive year. They give thousands of pounds of food to local food banks, and they support local charities. They also work with some local farmers and suppliers.

If this review sounds enthusiastic, it is! It seems that often one has to sacrifice quality or service in a store in order to save money, but Wegmans has the whole package. The attention paid by Wegmans to all the consumers' needs is what will keep me always coming back.


And now for my exciting news . . .

As of today, I will be partnering with Dana of Frugal in Virginia to provide the best deals at Wegmans every week to her readers. Check out this week's deals here and check back every Tuesday for the updated deals. Also, always check out Frugal in Virginia for the weekly deals in your other Virginia area grocery stores.

Celebrating Frugality

"Broke Girl," over at Be Broke but Happy, recently posted her answer to a reader's question about whether she would still live a frugal lifestyle if she became "Quite-well-to-do Girl." I really liked Broke Girl's answer:

Thrift is a virtue, the quality of using resources carefully (a vital attribute in a world of limited resources).

It's not even a distant cousin to cheap, which is about miserliness and inferior quality. So should you become Quite-Well-To-Do Reader, I hope you would remain thrifty.

(Read the whole post here.)

She goes on to say that she would probably keep 85% of her frugal habits even if she didn't need to.

This post really reminded me of what I'm trying to do here at Frugally Blonde - not just share ideas for saving money (although that's part of it) - but to really celebrate living a certain way.

I realize that lately I have become much more open and less embarrassed about my thrifty habits. It has really become something I believe in, rather than merely something I do out of necessity. Plus, in today's economic climate, I think that most people who notice my gigantic coupon box are admiring rather than sneering.

I agree with Broke Girl that 85% is probably a good estimate of the percentage of frugal habits that I would keep even if I had plenty of money. After all, getting a good value for your money, avoiding waste, reusing things, not over-indulging yourself - these are all practices that have value far beyond the money saved.

But I admit, if I myself became "Quite-Well-To-Do Girl," I think I would buy that bagged, pre-washed salad!

PS - I have a big post coming up this afternoon, so stay tuned!

Menu Planning Monday: Cooking from the Pantry

This week I decided to try an experiment with my menu planning. I have done a lot of bargain shopping lately, and my pantry is stuffed with random items that I got for half price or less. Also, I still have several beef roasts in my freezer that my friend had given me from her in-laws' cattle.

So I decided to try to use up what I have and buy only the very minimum at the store for the next two weeks. It will be fun to see how much under my food budget I can stay! And to motivate myself, I plan to use my savings to buy a few extra things for my girls at my favorite children's consignment sale coming up in March.

Here's what I pulled out of my pantry (I have multiples of some of these items as well):

In addition, I have the roasts, some ground beef and chicken, and some frozen vegetables.

So here's what I came up with:

Mon - Leftover turkey from the weekend
Tues - Slow-Cooked Rump Roast, scalloped potatoes
Wed - Vegetable beef soup, homemade bread

Thurs - Leftover pot roast from Monday
Fri - Egg and bean burritos w. homemade tortillas
Sat - Leftover soup
Sun - Spaghetti and meat sauce, bread, salad

Mon - Beef stroganoff w. egg noodles, salad
Tues - Mardi Gras party
Wed - Black bean tortilla soup (from mix), tortilla strips (Ash Wednesday)
Thurs - Leftover stroganoff
Fri - Pasta w. Marinara sauce, salad, bread
Sat - Chicken soup, homemade bread

The only ingredients I'll need for this menu will be salad ingredients, onions, and cilantro for the chicken soup. I'll also need a few lunch items and some staples such as milk, but hopefully I'll be able to stay well under budget! I'll share how I did after my shopping trip today.

PS - Check back tomorrow for a new kind of post and some exciting news!

Book Review: The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn

I remember hearing references to The Tightwad Gazette from my mom, who became aware of the newletter during the ‘90's, so when my friend Lacy told me that anyone serious about frugality had to read it, I immediately requested it at the library. Sure enough, I immensely enjoyed this book and think it might even be worth spending actual money and buying it for myself!

Amy Dacycyzn, a former graphic designer and stay-at-home mom, founded the Tightwad Gazette newsletter in 1990 and published it until 1996. It became immensely popular, and she later published these books of compilations. The version I read is the first book, The Tightwad Gazette, published in 1992. The later version, which is the one that appears to be readily available today, is The Complete Tightwad Gazette, which includes all the newsletters. However, even the early version I read is so chock-full of information and frugal philosophy as to be, as Lacy put it, "life-changing."

The book, as the author explains in the preface, is organized seasonally, since that was how the newsletter was published. However, she mentions that only about forty percent of the material is seasonal, and the other sixty percent is applicable all year. Although the format is not topical, the book is easy to read and use. The pages alternate between essays by the author on some aspect of the "tightwad" lifestyle and practical tips and how-to’s from herself and her readers.

One of the aspects of this book that stood out to me is the author’s focus on reusing things. She gives directions for making everything from Halloween masks out of milk cartons to a postal scale out of a ruler and pencil. There are also multiple anecdotes about repairing and building things with household or "foraged" materials. I found this perspective to be thought-provoking. I realized that on my frugal journey I have spent a lot of time figuring out how to get things for less, and also some time on making things from scratch. However, using what you already have is perhaps even a more important part of frugality. Preventing waste instead of buying things is best for the environment and for the soul – not to mention that spending no money is cheaper even than getting a bargain!

Granted, some aspects of The Tightwad Gazette would seem extreme to all but the most devoted "tightwad." She has an entire article on how to wash out Ziploc bags! However, sometimes an extreme perspective is the most inspiring and motivating. There is no mediocrity here. Furthermore, at the beginning the author gives a disclaimer that reminded me of what they say at the beginning of a La Leche League meeting – that you may hear some things that are unfamiliar to you or that you disagree with, so you should take what works for your family and leave the rest behind.

As this book was published fifteen years ago, there are certainly tips that seem dated, most noticeably those dealing with letter-writing and long-distance phone calls. However, the majority of the information is still practical and applicable to today’s frugal lifestyle, and the principles in the essays can be adapted to today’s challenges and circumstances.

Overall, this is an extremely complete and detailed manual for the frugal life. It has plenty to offer both the newbie and the experienced frugalista. I can certainly see why it has been considered the foremost guide to frugal living for over ten years.

PS - I had so much to say about The Tightwad Gazette that I could have made this review twice as long! Thus I plan to run several more posts in the upcoming weeks touching on different aspects of the book that interested and inspired me. Stay tuned!

PPS - Check out more Frugal Fridays here.

Small Successes

My small successes for this week: (These don't all relate directly to saving money, but keeping my life in order definitely saves me money in the long run!)

1) I've been working on cleaning my kitchen as part of Biblical Womanhood's Spring Cleaning for Normal People Challenge. I really need this challenge! I may be pretty good at saving money, but when it comes to housecleaning, I am definitely normal people. Actually, Spring Cleaning for Dummies is probably what I need!

This week I cleaned and reorganized the kitchen counters and mopped my very dirty floor. I still have a lot to do, but already it looks so much better! I also did a ton of dishes, which I always have from all the cooking and baking I do. Pictures will definitely be forthcoming when I finish this project!

2) I took two nice long walks with my girls. The weather has been spring-like, so there was really no excuse not to. It's so been hard lately for me to push myself out the door with the huge stroller, both girls, and all their coats and stuff, but every time I get back into exercising it amazes me how good it feels. My energy and mood are greatly heightened!

3) I have spent just $10 this week! My girls are sick, so we haven't been out much. I may not have found a ton of bargains, but not spending money is the best frugality there is!

Read more at Faith and Family Live. Here's to small successes!

Best Deals Roundup

The most worthwhile deals I see from around the frugal blogosphere.

At Safeway and Safeway-affiliated stores (Randalls, Dominicks, Tom Thumb), you can get free Betty Crocker cookie mixes and frostings this week. I love the Betty Crocker cookies mixes; they are so convenient and really tasty. I will definitely be taking advantage of this deal. See details here.

Through Feb. 15, you can get a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com for just $4! I bought one of these for a local restaurant the last time they had a similar deal and plan to use it for a date night with my husband one of these days. The gift certificates do have restrictions, but just read the fine print and you should be fine. See how to get this deal here.

Decorations for a Dollar

I love to put up decorations for the holidays, even the minor ones throughout the year, like Valentine's Day. My mom always made these days special for us growing up, and I want to give that sense of wonder and celebration to my girls.

However, it's just not in our budget to buy a bunch of $5 bakery cookies, $10 stuffed animals, or $15 wreaths for every holiday on the calendar. Even if you buy seasonal items at so called "discount" stores like TJ Maxx or even Target, the prices can really add up.

My solution: the dollar store. The dollar store is one of the best places to buy seasonal items. For every holiday they usually have a large selection of decorations, candy, little gifts, and wrapping supplies. It's true that the stuff is not heirloom quality, but at this point in my life that is probably an advantage rather than a problem. My two year old had such fun rearranging the our Valentine window stickers, for instance, and if she accidentally tore a few -- well, we've had them for about three years. I think I can afford $.33 a year!

Here are a few of my dollar items that we're using to celebrate Valentine's Day this year:

These are the window stickers my daughter had such fun with.

The Valentines we made with our friends and the supplies. These are from the Target dollar section, my other "dollar store."

Some little Valentines presents for my girls (from Target dollar section).

The cake mix and frosting are actually from the grocery store, but they were a dollar each. That's actually more than I would usually pay, but my daughter saw them and was so excited . . . at least that's a lot cheaper than buying cupcakes.

I bought most of these items this year, but the decorations were leftover from several years ago. At just a few dollars a year, I am really building up to a collection of cute festive items to celebrate the holidays.

PS - For more Works for Me Wednesday, check out Rocks in my Dryer. For more Valentines ideas, check out this post on Money Saving Mom.

Tuesday Tip

If a product you purchased is imperfect, email the manufacturer. I have done this with a peanut butter jar that was greasy on top of the seal, a cereal bar that had a piece of dried glue in it, and even a box of granola bars that had crumbs in the bottom. Yesterday I found a packet of oatmeal that was only about a third full, so I'm going to do it again!

It's usually quick and easy to fill out the form on the manufacturer's website, although you should keep all the packaging, since you might need identifying numbers from it.

The company will almost always send you a coupon for a free product, sometimes more than one. It's worth it for five minutes of your time. Plus, you help the company identify mistakes, thereby helping them as well as other consumers.

I have never done this with a more expensive product than a grocery item, but it is something to keep in mind for any product.

Photo from www.freefoto.com.

Brand Loyalty

I’ve been thinking more about #3 on my list of Things We Do Without - brand loyalty. I think I should have clarified what I meant more, so I wanted to share a few thoughts about name versus generic brands.

What I meant in my post was not that we do entirely without name brands, but that we do without brand loyalty, i.e. buying the same brand all the time. Our pantry and bathroom cabinets are actually full of name brand products that I got cheaper than generic brands with combinations of coupons and sales. However, if there is no sale or coupon on a product, I will now almost always reach for the generic brand.

In the name versus generic brand debate, I think there are a few important points to remember:

Switching to a generic brand on an item is an easy way to save on your grocery bill. - For instance, my husband and I enjoy having corn chips and salsa as a weekend treat. I used to always buy Tostitos brand of both, because that was what Michael remembered from his childhood. When we started trying to lower our grocery bill, however, I switched to the Wegmans brand corn chips and whatever salsa I could get cheapest with coupons. I pay half of what I used to for our weekend treat, and Michael doesn’t mind too much, as long as he still gets his snack!

Generic products are different, but may be worth it. - It is often said that with name brands you are just paying for the fancy packaging. I actually disagree with that. I would say that in about 75% of products you can tell the difference between the name brand and the generic brand. The question is, how much does the difference matter to you?

For instance, in a side-by-side taste test between regular Cheerios and "Cheery Generic O’s," you may be able to tell that the Cheerios are crisper and have a slightly more pleasing flavor. However, if you only have the "Generic O’s," you probably won’t notice the difference. On the other hand, you might think that the taste of store brand coffee is terrible; in that case, you would probably want to stick with the name brand for your morning cup.

I personally have found that the difference is not important in most dairy products, canned goods, and baking supplies. However, my name brand holdouts right now include chocolate and trash bags! Figure out for yourself what in what products you have to have the name brand and in what products you don't mind switching.

Not all store brands are created equal. - I do a lot of my shopping at Wegmans, which has a very high-quality store brand. I have like almost all of the Wegmans brand products I have tried; we actually like their honey flake cereal better than the genuine Honey Bunches of Oats. However, I have bought some store brand products at other stores that I would not purchase again, because they either didn’t taste good or didn’t do their job properly. Also, some stores have more than one store brand. Harris Teeter, for instance, has their regular store brand as well as "H.T. Traders," a line of gourmet products. This might be a really good alternative to higher-priced gourmet foods.

The store brand is not always the cheapest. - Don’t always assume that the store brand is the best deal. Store brands rarely go on sale and don’t have coupons, while name brands can go on sale as loss-leaders and have plentiful coupons. Yes, it takes more time and effort to pay attention to the sale and coupons, instead of just automatically reaching for the store brand, but you will save more money in the long run.

Flexiblity is key. - You will save the most money if you buy not only whatever brand is cheapest that week, but also whatever product is cheapest. For instance, instead of buying the Quaker granola bars or even the relatively cheap store brand granola bars every week, you are open to buying whatever snack food gives you the best value per serving that week. This is definitely a great way to keep your family's diet varied and to try new things!

So, whether you haven't tried many generic products or you never consider name brands, my advice is to break out of your brand rut and be open to the savings!

I hope you like . . .

. . . my blog redesign! It's still a work in progress, but I hope it is a little easier to read this way.

Super Savings Saturday: Harris Teeter Triple Coupons!

I love Harris Teeter triple coupons! The deals are usually better than Shoppers triple coupons, since Harris Teeter has better sales, even though their original prices are higher. Here's how I did:

At the original prices, all this would have cost over $70! Yikes! With the sales and triple coupons, my total paid was $14.43. Actually, it should have been more like $12, but for some reason the Desitin didn't ring up the sale price. It just goes to show how you have to carefully watch the scanned prices. I plan to go back and get the price adjusted if possible.

Here are my best deals: (Remember, triple coupons runs through Sunday, so if you have some of these coupons you should be able to get some of these deals.)

Trident gum - $1.49 - $.75/1 Trident gum = free!

Ortega refried beans - $1.00 - $.75/2 Ortega products = free!

Ortega salsa/green chilis - $1.50 - $.75/2 Ortega products = 2 for $.75

Muir Glen organic soup - $2.35 - $.75/1 Muir Glen product = $.10

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner - $2.49 - $.75/1 Lysol cleaner = $.24

Ziploc bags - $2.49 - $.75/1 Ziploc product (from fall Right at Home gift pack) = $.24

Smithfied bacon - $2.49 (sale) - $.55/1 Smithfield bacon = $.84

Reece's Whips - $.37 (clearance) - $1.00/2 = free! (I'm going to double check and make sure these weren't included in the recall though!)

Altogether, I think this was one of my best triple coupon trips yet!

PS - If you're still planning your triple coupons trip, check out posts here and here for more ideas.

PPS - Check out Money Saving Mom for more great Super Savings Saturday posts.

Get Your Screen Time For Cheap!

Yesterday, I wrote about how my family doesn't pay for cable TV, but how we do enjoy watching movies and TV shows on DVD. Thinking about this, I realized that you could easily spend a lot of money on DVDs as well, but that there are many ways to keep to a very low budget for entertainment. Here are some ideas:

For something to watch once or twice:

- Redbox - This is really the greatest innovation in movie renting since the VCR! If you're not familiar with Rebox, very simply it is a machine, usually located in a grocery or big box store, that rents DVDs for a $1/night. Although they have mostly newer releases, they also mix it up somewhat. For instance, I noticed that had both the new "3:10 to Yuma" and the old black-and-white version. Go to redbox.com and sign up for an account, and you can actually reserve the movie you want at a local machine. That way you don't have to go to multiple machines if one is out of a title. Also, Redbox publishes codes for a free movie on Monday nights.

- Netflix or Blockbuster Online - Although you can pay a decent amount for one of these services, they also both have very cheap plans. The one we have right now from Blockbuster is just $3.99/month, and we get two movies per months. This may not be a lot, but with two little ones we just don't get as much time to watch movies as we used to! This way, we get to choose from the more extensive selection online and pay half of what we would pay per movie in a Blockbuster store.

- Libraries - I feel that libraries are such an ignored frugal resource! Many libraries have a good selection of DVDs, even newer ones. They also might have some quirky or harder to find selections that could enjoyable. At my library, DVDs can be checked out for two weeks, just like books, and there is no limit on how many you can check out. Best of all - they are FREE!

- Hulu and Boxee - I just found out about these websites that allow you to watch current TV shows over the Internet (Thanks The Simple Life of the Boreings). Since without cable we don't really even get broadcast channels, we are definitely going to have to check these out soon.

For something you would like to own:

- Freecycle - You can find your local network of this awesome organization at http://www.freecycle.org/. People often clear out their movie collections and post bunches of movies. If you still have a VCR, you can often get tons of videos for free. And since the movies are free, you can pick up a box of them, watch them once, and pass on anything you don't want to keep.

- Blockbuster.com - Blockbuster has a large selection of previously viewed DVDs on their website, often for really good prices.

- Ebay - Even for a new, unwrapped DVD, you can often find a title for at least a few dollars less (including shipping) on Ebay than you would in a retail store. And if you're just buying a DVD for yourself, you can buy a pre-watched one and save even more.

- Amazon - Please, if you're going to just buy a new movie, at least get it from Amazon! Their prices are almost always lower than just buying it in Target or Best Buy, and if you were going to spend $25 anyway, you can get free shipping!

With all these great options out there, we generally spend less than $10/month on movies and TV. That sure is a lot less than cable!

PS - Read the rest of Crystal's post on menu planning here and check out tons of other Frugal Friday posts!

Really Great Deals to Check Out

I don't usually post a lot of specific deals on this blog (I leave that to the great blogs in my sidebar), but I do plan to occasionally alert my readers to a few particularly great ones that are especially worth your time. For instance:

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons
Harris Teeter is running a triple coupons deal again this weekend (running today through Sunday). If you have a Harris Teeter close by, run, don't walk, down there with your coupons. But first read this post to find out the best deals. (Thanks Money Saving Mom)

Progresso Soup Coupon
Go here to print out a coupon for $1.10 off one can of Progresso soup! (You can print two.) Match the coupon with a sale to get soup for probably less than $1.00! (Thanks Money Saving Mom)

Plan Toys Giveaway
This is a giveaway contest, not a deal, but it's such a good one that I had to mention it! I love beautiful, high-quality toys, and Plan Toys are really special. My mom and I had checked out their dollhouse furniture over Christmas and were very impressed. So if you know young children that would enjoy this shopping cart and play food, head over to Thrifty and Chic Mom to enter!

What We Do Without

In my series on the Five Principles of Frugality, I wrote about how the frugal life is always going to involve sacrifice. In this post, I thought I would share some of the things that my family does without in order to save money. These are just the things that my family gives up; I know that these items will be different for everyone.

Without further ado, then, what we do without:

1) Cable TV - For us, this is a no-brainer. Paying for TV? I always say, we would have to make a lot, lot more money to even think about using it for this. "No, dear, we couldn't start a college fund for you, we had to pay for TV . . . ."

That being said, we are still human. ;-) We enjoy movies and even TV shows on DVD, usually rented from Blockbuster online or Redbox. And I admit, there are nights when I'd really just like to veg out in front of whatever's on the tube. But would I really be better off if I could . . . ? 'Nuff said.

2) Eating out (very often) - Neither Michael nor I were raised in families that spent a lot of money on restaurants or takeout, so has always been natural to us to cook at home. And as our family and expenses have grown, we have reduced the little that we did eat out to very rare occasions.

It definitely takes advance planning to prevent getting takeout on those busy nights, but it is not that hard if you don't allow yourself to consider a restaurant. And on the rare occasions when we do eat out, it is a really enjoyable treat!

3) Brand loyalty - I never thought I was that particular, but when I started trying to reduce our food budget this summer, I discovered that there were a whole host of particular brands we were holding onto purely out of habit. Now? My default is almost always the store brand, unless I can get a name brand cheaper with coupons (which definitely happens) or if we have tried the store brand and it was really poor quality. You know what? We hardly miss the name brands, and occasionally an off brand is even better!

4) Professional Haircuts - When Michael first asked me to cut his hair, I categorically refused! Although my dad did cut my brothers' hair when they were little, that mostly involved buzzing it off! However, after a lot of convincing and with thoughts of the potential money saved, I finally bought Michael a hair cutting kit for $11.99 at Ross.

Turns out, it has been pretty easy to cut Michael's hair. I just do it with the scissors, and it looks fine. Perhaps, it's not salon-worthy, but it's neat and he's happy with it. And we made back the cost of that kit with just the first haircut!

Not to shock you ladies, but I have also actually let Michael cut my hair! He did a fine job - my only quibble was that he was being so careful that it took him forever! I have curly hair, so if it's not exactly perfectly even, you can't tell. For my last few haircuts, I have gotten some great deals at a couple of salons, but I am open to Michael doing it again in the future.

5) A second car - This is probably the most radical, and admittedly the most difficult, thing that we do without. However, we easily save hundreds, or even thousands of dollars a year, by not paying for the insurance, taxes, gas, and maintenance of a second car. Instead, in the past 3-1/2 years of marriage we have been able to put this money toward paying off school debt and buying our home.

Living on one car takes a lot of adjustment, especially in a society where it's practically unheard of, but I'm here to tell you that it is possible. A few of the unexpected benefits we have seen include increased organization and efficiency, more motivation to get out and get exercise, and more time and energy spent in and on our home life. We still hope to get a second car one day, but for now, we can live with this.

Anyway, those are some things that my family has chosen to do without. I'd love to hear in the comments section about things that other families are giving up to save money and how it's working for them.

More Inspiration

For your inspiration, here are some articles and blog posts that I have been reading lately that relate to my recent topics of menu planning and grocery shopping:

Crystal, of Money Saving Mom and Biblical Womanhood, wrote a long post last week on how she plans her menus. It is much more detailed than mine, and you'll see where I learned a lot of what I'm doing now! She is supposed to continue the post this week; I'll post the link when she does.


On grocery shopping, I enjoyed this article from Parents Magazine. The author is challenged to spend only $100 for a week's worth of groceries, and she is successful. I liked the fact that she is a nutritionist, so the meals she planned were healthy as well as inexpensive.

And just for fun, watch this video from NBC news. (thanks to Bargain Briana for the link.) I never used to believe that the kind of coupon savings pictured in the video were for real, but after six months of reading bargain shopping blogs I am a believer! While I've never done quite as well as the two ladies in the video, I now know how they did it!

Finally, here and here are two more articles from Parents Magazine on creatively saving money. These are the kind of articles that get me excited about frugal living, because they really show what you can accomplish if you think outside the box.

When I started reading bargain shopping blogs this summer, I was desperate to lower our food budget but already felt that it was as low as it could go. I mean, I had always used coupons and shopped sales, what else could I do?

Well, now I feel like I am merely getting my feet wet as regards saving grocery money, compared to some of the frugalistas out there! I truly believe that wherever you start from, whether it is spending a lot of money or a little, there is almost always a creative way to save more and make your life better. That is an exciting and inspiring thought!

Enough

This holiday season my family took two 7 hour each way car trips to North Carolina to visit my parents. (Well, one trip actually took 12 hours, but that's another story.) My husband, myself, a toddler, a newborn, two large car seats, clothes, diapers, toiletries, Christmas presents, in one case my college-age sister -- we crammed all these into our tiny Toyota Corolla. In the front passenger seat, my knees were literally on the dashboard. I am not exagerating.

However, during one of these trips, after half turning around for fifteen minutes to hold the pacifier in the baby's mouth, I remarked to my husband, "You know, it would be a lot harder to reach the kids if we had a minivan."

This remark came to mind the other day when I read this article from Boundless, a Christian young adult e-zine. In it, the author talks about the unexpected downside to living in her dream house.

The article made me think -- no, we don't have a spacious and comfortable minivan -- but we were all able to fit in the car and made it safely to visit loved ones. It was an important reminder that we may not have everything we want, but, thanks be to God, we have enough.

Tuesday Tip

Check out the discount rack in your grocery store. If you're like me, you probably head right for the clearance rack in your favorite clothing store, so why not check if your grocery store has one? At Giant, this rack is at the end of the store by the frozen foods, and I never go to this store without checking it out.

The discount rack often includes seasonal items, discontinued items, items nearing the sell-by date, and items with damaged containters. It will never contain items that are not safe to eat, because by law grocery stores are not allowed to sell such items.

Some people may not be comfortable buying a dented can, but it's hard to object to a box of ceral or pasta that's a little crushed. Be sure to check this rack every time you shop. Weeks can go by with nothing good, and then one day you'll hit the jackpot.

You can get even better deals by combining items on the discount rack with coupons. Just realize that the cashier will have to run the coupon through manually, since the item is probably just marked as "discount grocery." However, that is no reason why you can't use a coupon.

Some of my recent finds on Giant's discount rack include boxes of pasta for $.60/box, cans of Del Monte pasta sauce for $.50/can, and jars of yeast for half price. So next time you're at your favorite store, see what you can find!

Menu Planning: Third Course

Based on the menu plan I put together here, my shopping list looked like this (organized approximately by category):

tissues
laundry detergent
muffin papers
sandwich bags

baby carrots
celery
potatoes
mushrooms
fruit

corn syrup
Fiber One
Chex
coffee
hot chocolate
olive oil
crackers
corn meal
beef bouillon
condensed tomato soup
red wine
canned fruit
bean dip
salsa
A-1

milk
Parmesan
yogurt
eggs
bacon/sausage
cheese
pepperoni
cold cuts
ground beef

I ended up going shopping yesterday, since snow was predicted this morning. Here is the result:


My total spent was $103.90, slightly over my goal of $100. However, with what I already have this should be plenty of food to last us two weeks.

I ended up skipping the red wine and the bacon or sausage, in order to stay close to budget, but I still might get them if I find a good deal at another store or later in the month. The only other shopping I will do for the next two weeks is for any really great deals I hear about. Then I'll use those items to start building my menu plan for the next two weeks.

So that is pretty much an overview of how I plan menus and shop for them. I hope that wasn't too much information! Like I said, I am very much still learning in this area. This is just what is working pretty well for me right now. :-)

Menu Planning: Second Course

After going through what I had on hand and what's on sale, I came up with some tentative meal ideas for the next two weeks. Then I plugged them into our calendar, taking into account special circumstances on specific days. For instance, we're attending a birthday party on Friday night, so I don't need to plan a dinner for that night.

Here is my menu plan for the first half of February:

Breakfasts:
Feb. 1-7: oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, homemade English muffins, eggs and sausage or bacon
Feb. 8-14: oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, banana bread, eggs and waffles

(Although I didn't divide it by day, dividing it by week reminds me how long I think a stock of a particular item will last and also what I will need to bake.)

Lunches:
cold cut sandwiches, rice and beans, tuna sandwiches, cheese and crackers, grilled cheese, canned soup, leftovers

Snacks:
granola bars, fruit, dried apricots, potato chips, homemade corn chips and bean dip, banana bread, peanut butter crackers

Dinners:
Sun - hamburgers, chips, corn
Mon - leftover hamburgers (I'll be out all day)
Tues - chicken stir fry
Wed - homemade pepperoni/veggie pizza
Thurs - chili, corn muffins
Fri - birthday party (out)
Sat - leftovers or meal from freezer (busy day)

Sun - pasta and tomato sauce
Mon - beef stew and homemade bread
Tues - baked chicken, wild rice, spinach
Wed - leftover stew and bread
Thurs - leftover chicken, mashed potatoes, corn
Fri - homemade mac and cheese, fruit salad
Sat - leftovers

These menus are definitely not set in stone, but it really helps me to lay them out this way. It ensures that I have enough meals plan and that I have an idea of what to cook each night.

You'll notice that we eat a lot of leftovers. I just can't bring myself to cook only enough for one night. It seems so inefficient! My husband claims he doesn't mind, as long as he liked the dish to begin with! However, if there is enough for more than two nights, I usually freeze the rest of the dish. Then I bring it out on a busy night, instead of getting takeout.

My last step here is to go through the menu and list the ingredients that I don't already have on my shopping list. More on that tomorrow.

PS - Check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for tons of other Menu Planning Monday posts.