Operation $40K

For those interested, ALL YOU magazine did a 30 day Grocery Challenge that I participated in. We were allowed $25 per person per week for food shopping. We were to be judged on keeping our budget (50%), meal planning creativity (25%) AND how healthy our choices were (25%). The challenge is over and the form sent in for review. If I am one of the 10 finalists, I get a $200 grocery card AND have to submit my grocery receipts for scrutiny. If I am the winner, I get a $1,000 card! This was VERY fun as it gave me MORE money for the month ($300) than I had been spending ($100) AND I didn't have to include personal care items or pet food like I had been! Three times the budget for the same amount of time - AND we could use our stockpile! My grand result? I spent $64.52. This falls under my normal budget of $100, but that also included personal care and pet items. This challenge DID get me to become a little more creative with our meals instead of being in the “same old rut” that is so eas...

There are a lot of perks to having a chest freezer: you can take more advantage of sales on things that need to be frozen, buy more meat on sale and bake larger quantities of treats for future use. It really does pay for itself when you consider how small a freezer is in a freezer/fridge combo unit. One thing I have been asked, is "how do you know what you have in your freezer?" Simple. I have an inventory list! At the beginning of the month, I have a complete list of what is in it. As the month progresses, I cross off what we use, and write in what we add. At the end of the month, I put a * next to the original items on the list, pull off what we used and add in what we bought to have a fresh new list for the new month. The * tells me it is an older item and I need to try to use it first. If it doesn't get used that second month it becomes a ** item and HAS to be used the third month! This keeps my inventory rotated, food from getting too old or "freezer burnt"...

We are back from our vacation and have a stretch of warm, sunny days ahead! That made to day the PERFECT day to finish the driveway project! 2 brush/applicators, 3 buckets of sealer and we are ready to rock! First I used the leaf blower to clean of the surface again. Then comes the sealant. The buckets have been living in my garage and were occasionally treated to a flip upside down to keep the "gel" from settling. I do think that the hardest part was getting the lid off...once that is done, you start at the highest part of the driveway, pour a few "pools" of it and start spreading. Forward and back strokes to get all the nooks and crannies. Then use the squeegee side of the brush to smooth it out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. You just keep working your way down the driveway! It IS hard on the arms and lower back, especially if you spent the day before ripping out and hauling wet carpet to a curb, but it's rewarding to see the end result. If you get to the sidewalk a...

I am finally getting the hang of this "house party" thing -- have signed up for a few and be declined, this time I was a winner! My party pack will be sent to me soon - and will include: 1 Letter explaining the process 8 - $5 off coupons* for Boboli Pizza Crust for the host 1 Food tent for your pizza 14 - $2 off coupons for Boboli Pizza Crust for the guests 15 Boboli photo frame magnets 15 Boboli grocery totes 15 Boboli pizza grilling recipe card sets (3 recipes in each set) 15 Boboli pizza grilling tips and nutritional information The premise is to make different pizzas on the grill to enjoy with some family and friends. =) I can handle that, LOL! Now I just have to look at my stockpile and figure out what kind of pizzas to make! Off the top of my head: BBQ Chicken with bacon bits and onion Ham - onion - pineapple with a traditional red sauce Chicken - spinach - feta - red onion A traditional one for Sarah, probably pepperoni and cheese. I have some more thinking to do -- wh...

...has left the building! (Yippee!) A few weeks ago there was a little water accident: the pool's chlorinator pipe came apart and a bajillion gallons of water went into the basement! Grumpy used the Shop Vac to get a lot out, but never moved the furniture on one side of the bar/rec room where it was stored - so that carpet was never "sucked"...add the lack of a humidifier down there or fans and you can just imagine. I went down there today and saw MOLD on the carpet - nice, white, fluffy mold. (sigh) This was a mixed blessing as that carpet was on the "hit list" to go, I just didnt' want to do it right now, LOL! The first step was to empty the rooms. That man saved every empty packing box for at least 10 years. They are all now broken down and filled 4 recycle garbage bins. (Yes, we had to borrow some from the neighbors) There was some furnature stored in the basement. Mildew on the cusions now and water damaged wooded legs that is on the curb now. Now we we...

This was a post on Pocket Your Dollars that I updated for those of us at a NON-Rainbow store =) REMEMBER: you can always get a coupon book from their service desk if you want to get a 2nd or 3rd of the same deal! Those of you who live in the area served by a Coops or Pick N Save store no doubt received a new coupon booklet in the mail today. The coupons in this booklet are valid from Thursday, 7/15 to Wednesday, 7/28. Here is a list of the store coupons from the booklet matched with manufacturer’s coupons. Note that there is an unadvertised catalina deal on Kraft/Philadelphia products starting next Thursday, 7/22 referenced in the deal ideas. Be sure to hang on to the manufacturer’s coupons in the booklet so you can use them at other stores or at a future time if we see a better deal. Please leave a comment if you find any additional coupons that we can add to these matchups or can price check any of the unknown prices for us. Coupon Booklet Deals (valid 7/15-7/28) Philadephia Cream Ch...

Just the other day there was a conversation on a message board I frequent about electronic readers like Kindle, iPads, etc. I read up, asked a few questions and then, when asked if I was going to be buying one said "No, I will wait. Eventually Tupperware will put out a challenge for me to get one FREE and I will just earn it!" Two hours later, I learn of the Apple Challenge, LOL! $499 gift card for an Apple item will get you a FREE iPad my friend. =) I did a little reasearch on iPads too...pretty neat things! You want one just so you can look & be super cool because you actually own one! LOL! It's the HOTTEST new tech item out there & a step into the future for computers! Easy to carry, compact size, touch screen computer, light weight, fun & easy to use! You could bring to your parties or opportunity events to sign people up on the spot, look up info, show them the awesome recruiting video's, product demo video's and those short video's TW has don...

One of the joys of having an older home are simple things like the locks on a door deciding that they have worked hard enough over the past 90 years and they quit. Just one small problem, it is usually on the bathroom door, which is closed, and the 4 year old is still inside. (sigh) Daddy to the rescue! He tore open the screen, got her to unlock the window from the inside by standing on her bathroom stool so she could reach it, and then lifted her out. (The hero!) Then comes the job of damage control: repairing the screen and replacing the lock. He removed the locking mechanism, and will hunt the local antique mall for one to replace it and match the rest of the five panel doors. He did choose to fix the screens ASAP. Off to the hardware store for a bunch of screen and he already had spline in his workshop. After spending a whopping $4.06 he ripped out the old spline and screen, put in the new one and trimmed it off. It is now back in our window and able to keep our bathroom ventilated...

It's been a while, so here comes some fun! Everything you see pictured can be yours! Acrylic stamp sets, an ink pad, a coupon for FREE Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs, a coupon for a FREE Butterfinger candy bar, an Oscar Meyer frisbee, a travel voucher good for a FREE 2 night hotel stay at a TON of different cites like: Branson, Niagra Falls, Orlando, etc ($300 value!) The last day you can enter is 8/10 How can you enter? OK, here is how you get a chance to win, you can do any or all: - Become a follower (or tell me already that you are) - Share it on Facebook and then leave me a comment about it - Share it on YOUR blog and link back to me - Twitter it and then leave me a comment about it If we hit 50+ followers, I will add a $50 Tupperware package that has smaller sizes! You save money buy buying larger sizes and portioning them yourself. (as well as not putting all of that pre-portioned packaging into a landfill!) Even more added if we hit 100 by then!

If you have a little person going back to school, NOW is the time to start collecting back to school supplies! This picture shows my Walgreen's score today -- all of that for just $10.97...I SAVED (are you ready for this?).... $36.26! That is a 78% savings on school supplies! Granted my little person won't be using all of the items you see in the picture, many of them went right into the basket of goodies we are collecting for our Luther World Relief School Kits. Some things will work their way into the hands of my new Tupper consultants (index cards, pens, hi-lighers). Let's recap the deals for the week (coupons in the circular): -Legal pads - I like the smaller ones to keep in my purse for the ever occurring ideas. $.29 -10 pack Mechanical Pencils @ $.39 -Index Cards (100 plain or 70 color)@ $.39 -Pencil Sharpeners @ $.29 SAME COUPON as Rulers @ $.29***you can get SIX OF EACH at the sale price! -Mini Hi lighters @ $.09 Crayons and colored pencils were on sale for $.49 a b...

It's that time of year where we focus on gathering supplies for Luther World Relief School Kits! We try to make a few more every year than the year before...it's basically just a bag full of basic supplies that would be needed for anyone. It's fun to involve Sarah in this - she helps me pack the bags and take them to church. We really are SOOOO blessed in this country - compared to so many that it really seems our duty to share the wealth. It can be pretty painless on your pocket book if you watch the sales carefully this time of year - I have another post about a huge Walgreen's score for you tomorrow! A school kit may provide the only supplies for children returning to school after the disruption of war. School kits help parents continue their children's education, even while living in a refugee camp, for example. A school kit may also be used in adult literacy classes. Your group can also help LWR get school kits to the people who need them by donating a brick on...