This blog is one that I’ve followed for a while. When I decided to be a stay at home mom, one of the things we had to do was pay off all of our consumer debt. We had too many payments for me to stay home and quit my job. I like to read blogs like this one that help us stay on track.
Archive for April, 2009
Featured Blog: No Credit Needed
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Don't forget the Rain check!
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
I remember hearing the term “rain check” as a child growing up while shopping with my mom. At the time I really thought it had a lot to do with rain (wow, was I sheltered!). A rain check is another great tool to use for shopping that I frequently forget about.
Here’s the drill: you go shopping at your grocery or drug store and the item that is on sale isn’t in stock anymore. You make a mental note to remember to get a rain check for this item because it’s a great price. The thing about sale prices are that they are cyclical and will normally come back around again. Due to inflation and our economy we can’t guarantee that the price will remain the same the next time it’s on sale, so this is where a rain check will really help you out. At most grocery stores you will simply need to go to their customer service counter to request a rain check. At drugstores like Walgreens and CVS you can ask while checking out at the register.
Rain checks are a great way to save money. On occasion an item will be excluded from rain checks, but any other time a rain check will definitely save you money in the long run. Rain checks also come in handy and can save you some money on items where you get the sale price of the item and you have a coupon that will give you even more savings. If it’s something you use on a regular basis, get a rain check. Check your local grocery store for their procedures on issuing rain checks and when they expire. CVS has rain checks that never expire, while Walgreens will put a time limitation on theirs occasionally.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:Candle Jar Repurposed
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
I took this old candle jar, and turned it into this:
I think it’s pretty and versatile, and couldn’t bear to throw it out. I probably wouldn’t store any type of food in it, but it will serve the purpose of holding q-tips, cotton balls, sea shells, or some other pretty item.
I got the old candle wax out of the jar by placing it in the freezer over night. Freezing compresses and shrinks the wax allowing it to come out of the glass easily. This particular jar has a larger base than the opening of the jar so I had to delicately break the candle wax with a knife until the wax split so that it would come out of the jar.
Meals for less than $10:00: Quiche Lorraine
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
This is one of my favorite meals to prepare. It’s easy and requires simple ingredients that we already have on hand. What I love about it is its sophistication and complex flavor. Eggs are an inexpensive way to stretch our budget as seen with our breakfast for dinner meal and provide an abundance of protein. Quiche isn’t exactly beans and cornbread, so the family doesn’t view this as some sort of cheap meal. The ingredients are affordable but this meal does require your time and thought. When serving, it may seem that each person isn’t getting a lot, but one generous slice fills my husband up and he weighs 180 lbs. This is a very filling meal. A salad would be a good companion to the quiche if you wish to add something else while keeping the meal under $10.00.
Filling:
8 slices bacon, crumbled ($1.50)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($1.25) *on sale
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion ($0.25)
4 large eggs ($0.50)
1 cup heavy whipping cream ($1.00)
1/4 teaspoon salt ($0.05)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper ($0.05)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne ($0.05)
1 teaspoon thyme ($0.25)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley ($0.25) (for garnish)
Pastry:
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon shortening ($0.25)
1 cup all purpose flour (I prefer unbleached) ($0.25)
1/4 teaspoon salt ($0.05)
2-3 tablespoons cold water ($0.10)
TOTAL: $5.80
RECIPE: Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Cut shortening into flour and salt using pastry blender or criss crossing two knives until particles are size of course crumbs. Sprinkle with cold water, one tablespoon at a time tossing with fork until all flour is moistening and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl. One to two teaspoons water can be added if necessary. Gather pastry into a ball and then shape into flattened round on a cloth covered board. Roll the pastry into circle two inches larger than upside down pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths, place in pie plate and then unfold and ease into plate pressing firmly against bottom and side.
Cook bacon. Dice it and then place it back in the pan to cook with the onions and other seasonings. Skim out these items from the bacon fat. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pastry lined quiche dish or pie plate, beat eggs slightly, beat in remaining ingredients. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 and bake about 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
NOTE: The thyme and bacon are fairly essential to the recipe. It is conceivable that you could substitute whole milk for the cream, but you’re taking a chance on the consistency. I estimate honestly on the prices and many of the items are purchased on sale. I use my local grocery store’s most recent price for eggs as a reference since my eggs are fresh from my mother’s chickens. I store some of the leftover seasoned bacon drippings in the refrigerator for other recipes (spinach is great with a slight bacon flavor).
Buying in Bulk: Reducing Grocery Expenses
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Buying in bulk pays off
Bulk buying is one of the things you must start doing if you really want to reduce your grocery expenses. Buying strategically when a good opportunity arises is what good business owners and entrepreneurs do. Why shouldn’t you run your personal finances this way?
My husband and I sometimes like to go to a particular grocery store with our three year old on a Friday night and just relax. This grocery store has carts that have a little red car on the front and our son has a blast riding in it while we shop. This particular store is locally owned and has a few unique ethnic food sections, great produce, and of course a big display near the front of the store that has closeouts or specials. On this particular night we hit the jackpot.
They had 5 lb. bags of Canilla brand rice (by Goya) for $2.99 and 4 lb. bags of Goya brand pinto beans for $3.49. We knew a deal when we saw it so we grabbed a few bags. Goya is a good brand and most of their products sell at a higher than average price. We then divided the rice up into three separate zip lock bags for storage. The key to storing bulk items and keeping the product fresh is to avoid exposure to air and light. We save a lot of money by making purchases when the opportunity arises for a a special deal. These two bags will last us a while and help me with my Meals for less than $5.00 and Meals for less than $10.00.
Featured Blog: Northern Cheapskate
Monday, April 27th, 2009I really like this site because this woman is quite a bit like me. Her site focuses on deals, freebies and also frugal living. Like me she also has three children, two of which are twins. The site is heavy on coupons and freebies and definitely worth a look if you shop on the internet as well. Check out the site:
Free Redbox Movie Rental Code
Monday, April 27th, 2009It’s that day again! Every Monday Redbox will text a free movie code to your cell phone for a one day rental. Enter the code today at any Redbox kiosk to redeem for a free movie rental. Remember to return the movie by 9:00 p.m. Tuesday to avoid any additional rental fees. Today’s free movie code: 4CW33N
Giving creative gift baskets
Monday, April 27th, 2009Something I like to do is come up with creative gifts to give. I don’t want the receiver of my gift to think that I didn’t put a lot of thought into a gift by just purchasing a giftcard, although I do love being the recipient of a gift card. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding on a gift for the recipient hoping I am able to give them something that they will use. Gift baskets are perfect for the occasion where it is difficult to decide what the recipient would like.
I struggled one weekend a few years ago about a gift I wanted to give to a family friend. We stayed the night at our friends house so that we could go to Six Flags on Saturday morning without a three hour car trip before arriving. I remembered that she loved Italian food (I mean who doesn’t) and gathered up some ingredients to make the basket. I of course had the basket, and in this I put a loaf of fresh bread from the store (picked this up on the way out of town), spaghetti sauce, pasta, garlic, and olive oil. She loved the basket and the thoughtfulness behind the gift. I had so much fun doing this that I wanted to incorporate it into my gift giving in the future as it seemed easy to do.
First of course you will need a basket. These can be purchased affordably at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. I actually look for baskets when I’m shopping at thrift stores or garage sales and have found some great looking baskets. The basket can be given as is or can be dressed up with ribbon. Ribbon can be thread through the weaves on the basket or wrapped around the handle of the basket to give it an extra special touch. I look for ribbon after a holiday at our craft store Michael’s and save it for future projects like this.
One of the things I do as I’m shopping throughout the year is to pick-up items that are deeply discounted to add to my stash of gifts that will later go in someones gift basket. Make it fun, and don’t stress. I’m sure the recipient will love the time you spent to create the basket. Here are some ideas on gift baskets to give, but really the list is endless on what type of basket to create and what to put in the basket:
Gardeners basket - packets of seeds, small plant, potted plants (think herbs or flowers), gardening tools, gloves, possibly a small tree. The gift can be given in a flower pot instead of a basket.
Chocolate lovers - chocolate candy, homemade brownie mix or cookie mix with all the dry ingredients and instructions, hot cocoa (depending on the time of year), chocolate covered pretzels, homemade bon bons
Spa retreat – fingernail polish, polish remover, lotion, candles, cotton balls, nail clippers, pumice stone
Movie night – a movie of course, theatre boxed candy, microwave popcorn, 2 liter of pop.
Baby Basket – wipes, baby wash, diaper cream, diapers, baby wash cloths, onesis, rattlers, pacifier, toy, baby bottle
Get Well Basket – homemade soup (or canned soup) with crackers, a movie, puzzle book, a book (maybe inspirational or funny)
When I Go Cheap, I Go Cheap
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
Not my favorite, but maybe heaven to a 6 year old
Although we make it a point not to eat box dinners and cook from scratch, I occasionally see a really good deal at the grocery store that I cannot pass up. In this case it was a closeout on something that doesn’t look very good to me, but might be an absolute hit the next time I have my 3 year old son and his young cousins for an afternoon of babysitting. Cheesy Nacho Hamburger Helper. I would probably cook this with ground turkey meat and hope for the best. As I mentioned, sometimes there is a deal that’s just too good to pass up. $0.50 each!
No, I didn't put these stickers on there for a good picture
Saving Money on Vegetables: Buying in Bulk and Freezing
Friday, April 24th, 2009
The classic Mirepoix, probably familiar if you like Emeril or Food Network
During my most recent trip to the grocery store, I found some great deals on vegetables that are usually more expensive. One of our locally owned stores had red peppers, green peppers, and onions at very low prices so I decided to stock up. In order to stock up on these, freezing is necessary because there is no way we could ever figure out how to cook with all of this produce before it spoils.
Sometimes we freeze to avoid waste (i.e. Spaghetti sauce or leftovers) and at other times we freeze in order to make it easier to cook interesting food in short periods of time. In this case, we’re freezing both to make our lives easier and to make sure we don’t waste any of the vegetables I just bought.
Various cuts of green and red peppers
A few mixes we use frequently are: (1) the classic Mirepoix (carrots, onions & celery), (2) Onions, green peppers, celery, and parsley, and (3) green peppers, red peppers, and onions. We also sometimes freeze diced onions, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, and of course Sofrito (pureed cilantro, bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, onions, and olive oil). Having all of this ready makes my life much easier and it gives my husband options when it is his turn to cook. This project took about an hour. This is a huge timesaver on prep time when making a meal that requires diced or chopped vegetables.
I found the onions on sale for $0.18/lb, the green peppers were on sale for $0.44 each, the red peppers were on sale for $0.88 each, and I got the baby carrots on sale for $1.25 per bag. The parsley was not on sale, but very affordable at only $0.66 a bunch. These great deals will allow us to continue cooking meals at a very low cost.
Some of the dishes we might use these mixes in are: Spaghetti sauce, various rice dishes, Pasta Primavera, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Jambalaya, and anything else that needs a good base seasoning of vegetables. It’s common to use the Mirepoix in soups, stews, stocks and sauces. When we freeze vegetables, I generally just use small freezer bags. I’ve had good luck with both name brand and private label brand freezer bags. I do recommend using bags designed for the freezer. Standard sandwich bags will break or crack.
Ready to freeze!