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I really enjoyed my Friday night fun. I learned a lot about couponing and got some tips on meal planning too. I’m feeling pretty good about my already existing meal planning habits. We are accustomed to eating at home so it is good that we haven’t had to make major changes there. Eating out for 5 or 6 is a crazy expense.
I’m sitting at my dining room table right now with the coupon circulars spread about. There’s a whole world out there on this couponing thing! Wow! I had no idea! As expected, we learned that we live in a tough market given the market control held by one giant, but I like what I hear about CVS, Walgreens and Target. www.coupondad.net has a great “CVS 101″ and “Walgreens 101″ bit that I found tremendously helpful. It can be very intimidating so my goal is to just start with health and beauty items. If I can save on soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss and hair color…oh and batteries…that’s a great place to start. I can’t seem to get a handle on stockpiling groceries yet but I’m open to it…especially pasta. Please don’t tell me to make my own pasta. I will not make my own pasta–although I AM often very taken by all of that fun and expensive pasta making stuff when I visit the high end culinary stores. “Culinary.” Even using that word makes me chuckle. You know…the Williams-Sonoma, Sur le table…oh my goodness I love going in those stores. I don’t buy anything mind you but the idea of having all those kitchen gadgets is so fun! But…I digress…
Anyway…I’ll report back on my success on this baby step…and all the other baby steps. I’m feeling a little bit like I have all of these great ideas but I haven’t taken a whole lot of ACTION.
But not for any reason at all for what produce I eventually did get! Instead for the comedy of errors that the adventure became! The instructions said that pick up began at 7:15 and lasted only 20 minutes. My 12-year-old son had a UIL competition at 8 am only about 15 minutes from the produce pick up spot. Sounded like the timing was going to be perfect! So we left at 645 am just to be safe–it was very foggy and misty here this morning–and then the adventure began. We got about a mile from the house and realized that someone took the reusable grocery bags I had put in the van for the produce pick up OUT of the van. Why is it that someone decides to be helpful the one time it is not helpful? 
So we turned around and got the bags from the house and hit the road again. I was going to an area that I am not very familiar with and my sense of direction is a hazard to myself, loved ones and those around me on the roads. I had my son in charge of GPS on my phone and as he was reading streets to me none of them sounded familiar. We drove about a mile trying to figure out why it was giving us road numbers that were not in our city…that’s when we realized the “public transit” button was activated so we were getting bus numbers…not road numbers. Problem corrected and we continue on…now side note…my girlfriend was going to pick up the produce to begin with but since I had to be up so early to get my son to the UIL meet, I figured it would be easy for me to handle. I should remember that rarely are the easy things easy.
After a couple of u-turns and a total of more miles than necessary, we found the location. We knew it was the location b/c there were cars parked everywhere and then…a line that was definitely at least 30 minutes and I only had about 20 to give! It was not nearly as organized as I expected it to be and I can see that there is a shortage of volunteers. If we contiue with this we will definitely have to sign up to help. So as I am watching the clock and my already nervous son becomes more nervous, I had to bail. While the priority was certainly getting him to the school…I will share that once again all of you popped into my head! I did NOT want to have to report that I just threw $20 in the trash AND the $20 of my girlfriend in the trash! I could hear your collective groan!
But I knew I had to get my son where he needed to be. As it turned out I was just completely wrong about where I was taking him to begin with and as I made my way to the school I thought was the correct location he corrected me…this added about 10 minutes to the drive but thankfully…I got him there with 15 to spare. Now it was decision time…do I go back to see if they are still at the produce distribution site?! I DID think about the gas I was using (progress) and DID hesitate to now drive 10 or 15 miles back…but I also hated the thought of just giving up.
So away I went! That’s when I heard from my co-conspirator on this grand produce idea by telephone. The produce police HAD BEEN looking for me and I better just turn right around b/c they were leaving and that was that. Oh! I was SO disappointed! While we chatted she had a call interrupt ours and sure enough…it was last chance Produce Paula grumbling to my friend that she would wait for me if I was nearby! I was nearby having JUST entered the turnaround to head back to my house. So I quickly ducked into a parking lot in an attempt to get back to the main street that goes toward the produce place instead of making a complete, near 1.5 mile turnaround by having to go up to the next exit! Easy enough, right? Wrong. I chose a parking lot to a NEW GIGANTIC HEB PLUS and then got trapped in a maze of detours! Finally finding my way to an exit back on the access road I am slowing down to yield and someone turns in, stops and proceeds to roll down their window asking me for directions!!! Uh…really? Because I look like I know what I am doing? “Don’t go that way!” I said pointing to the store parking lot! What a fiasco. So I am forced to turn right….make my way ALL the way down the access road, hit the turnaround, change my direction back toward the produce place and what is my thought?
“The readers are going to say I am using too much gas on this adventure for $20 worth of produce!!!”
I knew I was at that point but was SO close to success I couldn’t stop now! I round the corner coming up on the 5 volunteers all waiting for me and all not looking very pleased to be doing so! I exited my vehicle profusely apologizing trying to outline my insane morning and no one was amused. I proceeded to receive a lecture of sorts from Produce Polly and yes, it was well deserved. Those ladies DO work hard and get up very early and should not have to wait for a maniac like me to get my act together and pick up produce.
I am happy to report that I LOVE what my produce collection came with though! We got lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, aspargus, green beans, yellow onions, garlic, cilantro, poblano and anaheim peppers, a spaghetti squash, the pineapples, green onions, key limes, apples and other things I can’t remember right now. AND hubby made migas (okay y’all are going to think all we eat is some version of a taco every day and…you might be right) and I made a yummy salsa with the peppers, onion and tomatillos. 
Not bad after that exhausting journey to get produce! I’ll give it another try now that I understand what I am doing and most importantly I won’t have somewhere else to be after pick up!!!
Does anyone have experience with a produce or grocery co-op? A friend at the office–who I’ve nominated and elected to be my debt reduction buddy–found a local co-op that we are going to give a try. We split a “contribution” to be picked up on Saturday the 24th. In addition to the standard $15 produce basket (which has 50% veggies, 50% fruit) we also got a “Mexican produce” basket for $8.50 that they say should include lots of veggies to go with all of that hamburger meat I purchased…also to share. Finally we are splitting 19 pounds of whole pineapples for a total $12. So after a one time new user fee of $3.00 and a processing fee of $1.50 we each paid $20. The kids will definiely eat 9.5 pounds of pineapple so that will be a great, inexpensive snack. I am thankful that the boys are not picky so even if there is something in the box that we aren’t accustomed to, they will be open to trying it out. I also like the challenge to the more finicky eater of the bunch. Oh and let’s not forget the cooking challenge! That sounds fun too. Thank goodness for googling recipes!
We are “contributing” to Bountiful Baskets http://bountifulbaskets.org/ Produce is definitely expensive at our regular grocery store so this is worth a try. They also offer what sound like delicious breads but we didn’t try those this time.
Anyway, give me your thoughts…share the pros and cons and definitely warn me of any drawbacks you’ve experienced!
Nothing new on the job announcement but tomorrow is looking goodend…but my hair looks fabulous with the John Frieda hair color! So if I don’t get the job at least my hair looks nice.
I’ve managed to shave about $25 a week so far off of the weekly total. I’m happy to report we did last week with just one gallon of milk…that’s right….ONE. Granted we only had the 3 younger kids but they were home all week for Spring Break! So, yes…this is a major! I made a big pot of pinto beans and we did all sorts of cost cutting meals with beans (chalupas, soup, quesadillas…)
I just returned from this week’s grocery store trip and found some HUGE deals! I’ve determined that the best time to shop our local grocery store is Saturday night. Around 8 pm they shut down the butcher department and often you can find the fresh meats from there packaged and marked down in the regular meat section. If I am lucky, I might find a package or 2 at a good price. Well, tonight I hit the butcher closing time AND a “reduced for quick sale” jackpot and got lean ground sirloin (93/7) for 99 cents a pound!!!! I bought 13 lbs and will cook some tomorrow, then freeze for later use. There were also some great deals on chicken tenders and ground turkey that can be used for all sorts of options! Tonight’s grocery bill was $74 so that’s coming down slow but sure. We only have one major, family owned grocer in San Antonio (HEB? perhaps some of you have heard of it…) and while they are certainly a monster in the market that not even Walmart can begin to touch…and that has its drawbacks for sure, they do have these great meal deals offered on a weekly basis. They usually require the purchase of the main dish and then you get a TON of sides for free. Last week it was a package of beef or chicken fajitas for about $8-$10 and then you get the tortillas, lettuce in a bag, shredded cheese, refried or whole pinto beans in a can, sour cream for free. Tonight was a bag of fish fillets ($4.32) and I got a can of corn, a good size box of Uncle Ben’s brown rice and a large, family size box of mac and cheese for free. I stretch these items out to at least two, usually 3 meals.
Anyway, just wanted to share my grocery store success! Thank you for helping me “stop and think” in the grocery store. Honestly, when I found all of that meat on such great sale…my immediate thought was to take a picture of the price tag to share with all of you! I DO want to make you proud! LOL! In the past I would not have thought about the best time to go to the store as I just went when I absolutely had to and without a great plan. I also wouldn’t have taken the time to figure out the timing to increase my odds of getting these great deals. That’s changed thinking and that’s a very good thing!
Oh! And that $74 included my $11 John Frieda hair color. I’m going for the foam on the first try since I had a nightmare last night that I got streaks of hair color down my face that I could not get off. It was pretty funny as I sat in a work meeting trying to play off the black streaks all OVER my face. So I guess that means the grocery bill was actually only $63!!!
We’re combing through our monthly bills and figuring out what we can get rid of to see instant monthly savings. Right off the bat we were able to eliminate $135 each month. This came from memberships to the gym and clubs we just don’t need and a credit monitoring service that we have replaced with an alternative through our credit union. It doesn’t sound like much but you guys are already teaching me that every penny counts. Hubby and I have also mentioned eliminating cable for the first time and it isn’t nearly as scary to discuss as we both thought it would be. This would be a $80 per month savings. The kids are good about playing outside sans electronics already and this would only encourage that good habit even more. Let me hear what other monthly items you’ve cut out of your budget completely. I’m sure there are obvious things that I haven’t thought of yet.
On this frugality note, thank you to Brandy of The Prudent Homemaker for her gentle nudge to more frugal living. I’m totally overwhelmed by the content of her website BUT I am intrigued by making my own laundry detergent. Now, just as an aside, I promise I just heard my entire family and group of girlfriends laugh out loud at the thought of me making laundry detergent. The humor in that visual is part of the fun I am finding in the idea! Also, I’m ready to explore buying beans in bulk. The kitchen is NOT my strong area but I am very good about making a menu and creating a grocery list from those recipes and then only buying what is on the list. I don’t go crazy in the grocery store. So the beans in bulk will be something we try for next week’s menu. Deep breath.
So, to recap…I have the savings goal set forth, I’m going to attempt to make my own laundry detergent and I’ll explore buying beans in bulk. Okay. Well that sounds pretty pathetic! Oh and I’m diving into chapter 2 of my “Money Road Map” book. One last thing I want to set a timeline for—sitting down and explaining our financial situation to the kids in terms they can understand and getting them on board as part of the “Debt Reduction Team.” I know they will be willing partcipants. We’ll get that done by Sunday, March 11.
Have a super Tuesday!
I caught a tiny black ant crawling across my kitchen counter last week. My favorite thing to do is bleach my countertops so I knew his search for food there was like trying to find water in the desert. I wiped him away and tossed him in the trash.
A few days later, there were more. I caught about 10 or so scouting my pantry. They didn’t congregate. They weren’t crawling in any specific direction, just searching for good snacks.
Since I cleaned our pantry a few months ago and saw the amount of food I was wasting, I hardly buy anything. Grocery shopping is organized and limited to items on my list. There are no snacks. No chips. No cookies. Nothing but canned goods and tightly sealed bags of baking supplies.
In the past, when I caught the scouting ants, I knew I was in for it. I’d have to throw away food and spray pest killer.
Um. Not this time.
Apparently there is so little food in my house, the ants called it a day and moved out this morning. On to greener pastures and fuller pantries I guess.
Who knew living frugal would annoy the ant population?
My sisters make everything from scratch. They don’t buy pizzas. They don’t buy frozen dinners. They don’t buy packaged cookies. I’m not even sure if they’ve ever purchased a loaf of bread.
I figured this craziness was genetic. A rare strain inherited from my mother who used to grind her own wheat for fresh bread in the morning. I, on the other hand, take after my dad who could pull out a fork, open a can of cold Chef Boyardee, and call it dinner.
I mean really, NORMAL people don’t bake everything right?
I went to a friend’s house over the weekend. She had invited my husband and me over for hamburgers and fries. I watched in amazement as she carefully molded ground beef into patties, peeled and sliced potatoes, and pulled fresh buns from the oven. We drank homemade Kombucha and devoured fresh cookies after dinner.
She started talking about saving money and how they lived on less because she cooks everything from scratch. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that while, yes, I make dinner at home each night, the closest I’ve come to making cookies from scratch in months is slicing them off a premade roll I bought with a coupon.
Am I the crazy one here? Are all of you out there baking away while I’m buying hamburger buns and crackers instead of making them?
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