shopping cart challenge

New Years is upon us. What not a better time to create some ridiculous goals that can probably never be achieved to full completion. Here I go. Things I want to achieve for 2010- Stick to a Budget Keep my receipts and do something with them (see 1st goal) Pay my bills on time (read: NO late fees!) Do not eat out more than once a month Start cooking and following nourishing traditions more closely Cut refined sugar out of the diet Successfully make mozzarella cheese Finish recovering greenhouse Start a new compost pile Recycle more Make a conscious effort to use less plastic packaging I could go on for days and days, but these are the big things. I would ...

I added a To Do list to my notebook. A weekly schedule of sorts. I made a list of things I need to do every day i.e. cook dinner, clean out sink/do dishes, and things I need to do a few times a week i.e. work for the business, vacuum/sweep, clean bathroom, and things I need to do once a week i.e. meal plan, grocery shop, go to library/bank/post office.There were 26 different items on my list. I labeled them A, B, C, ...

Lately I have been trying new things when it comes to health and food. Today I decided I would try to make deodorant. The nice thing about homemade is that is does not come with any type of aluminum in it. I have noticed that when I go for a period of time without wearing deodorant (gross, I know) that I smell like aluminum. I have always wondered if I am sweating it out or what.This recipe uses simple items that you ...

I have been making yogurt for quite a while now. I have made it from powdered milk, 2% milk, and whole milk. I almost always use a lowfat/nonfat plain yogurt from the store. My yogurt always comes out a bit tangy.My favorite yogurt of all times is Greek yogurt. I love how thick and creamy it is. I love to add honey and mix them together. It is better than ice cream or cake in my eyes. It is delicious. Well, I was at the co-op and found a full fat plain greek yogurt that I had never tried. I decided to use it as my starter for my new yogurt since my old one was bad.I took whole milk and slowly brought it up to 110 degrees. I tempered my yogurt and then added it to the batch. I mixed for a minute ...

Last night I went to Safeway to grab some stuff. I have been out of town, so needless to say there is no food in the house. My plan was to load up on produce and add a couple things that we also needed. As I was wondering the store I noticed a kraft $5 deal when you buy 5 items. I looked closer at the deal and then shrugged it off because I could not justify anything listed. I continued on shopping. I grabbed some ...

There are many articles out there about the benefits of eating organically. I have been reading them wanting to go more organic for my family. I try to go less processed anyways so organic is just another baby step, I hope.Well there is lots and lots of advice about organics, one thing I saw many times is the most important things to get organic vs the least important things.These lists have been titled the dirty dozen (the items you want organic) and the clean fifteen (items that do not soak up the pesticides when grown non organically)The Dirty Dozen (after more research the list expanded, but is still referred to as dozen)MeatMilkCoffeePeachesApplesSweet Bell PeppersCeleryNectarinesStrawberriesCherriesKaleLeafy ...

Since I am going out of town next week I am trying to make up some easy to heat food. We love burritos here so I had been reading you can make these and freeze them individually. I decided I would give it a go. We had some leftover rice from the other night. I had grated a blend of three cheeses and we had many cooked pinto beans from a pressure cooker experiment I did the other day. I whipped up a bunch of taco meat and started assembling. Heres what I used:12 tortillas4 cups beans2 cups rice2 cups ground beef2 cups cheeseI quickly heated the tortillas and then put down the beans. I sprinkled on some rice and cheese and added the meat. I rolled so both ends were closed. I put them on a baking ...

I am trying to meal plan. I have read well over 100 different ways of doing this sucessfully. Did I follow any of them? No. I am trying what works for me.I looked through my fridge and based my meals on what we like as well as what we have around home. I did not put them on certain days as I change my mind depending on my mood. I made it for 5 days because I am going out of town on Friday. I am doing some prep today to make it easier throughout the week. I will see how it goes. Hopefully well because in the long run I think it will make my life easier. Here is the planSpaghettiBroccoli Cheddar SoupChicken and Green CurryMini HamburgersTacosI also want to make a batch of mozzarella and some more ...

I needed to collect all my thoughts and small scraps of paper in one spot.I have read everywhere that you should have a household notebook for all the important things including kids info and emergency numbers. That sounds wonderful but as I was getting things together I realized it was more important for me to start out with a notebook for me. An advanced journal to hold all the things I have been working on. A place ...

I bought a ton of ground beef the other day at a great price. It was just about .99 a pound. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all of it.First off I am making meatballs.I took around 3 pounds of ground beef and added oatmeal and all the seasonings. I mixed it all together in my kitchen-aid. Marvelous!I rolled out 74 meat balls and stuck them in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.It worked brilliantly. Now that ...

I have never been able to comprehend Walgreens and the way that Register Rewards work. I was browsing around online and lots of people said that this week was a slow one for Wags. Perfect for me to start learning.Heres how it went.I did 17 transactions at 5 Walgreens.I started with 0 RR and ended with $19 RRI spent $23 OOP (I bought $17.50 worth of soda for someone else so really my OOP was $6)I saved $161I am actually ...

This past week I have been scanning all the stores I go in. I am looking for coupons. Blinkies, Tearpads, you name it I looked for it.By the end of the week I had accumulated over 200 coupons. I did not ever take all the coupons, I did not take coupons I would not use, and I did not tear off coupons from products I was buying.I sorted them when I got home. Most of my blinkies do not expire till the end of December. I ...

This is my first Walgreens trip in a long, long time. I have not gone because it is so far from home and I could not seem to get it right before.Well this time it went great. I went to 2 stores. I did 7 transactions total and had $26 in Register Rewards left. I spent about $26 so I am pleased.One reason I spent that is I grabbed the wrong razor on my trip and no RR spit out. I realized what I had done and it was too ...

This summer I spent some time picking blackberries. I froze them because I was too busy to do anything with them.Last night I was bored and the kitchen was clean and the dishwasher was just a few dishes away from needing to be ran. I looked in my freezer and decided it was time to make some jam.It took less than 30 minutes from beginning to end. All you do is use one packet of freezer jam pectin, some sugar and some ...

I just read a wonderful article here.I read the article and made it apply to my life. I am using the article as inspiration.It is about starting off the new year on the right foot. Becoming clutter free and organized before the new year. If you do this you can start January off on the right foot.I think I read this at the right time. I am trying to organize my life, my home, and my office. It is a big task to take on ...

So I went to Albertsons the other day and did my transactions I listed earlier on this week. It was very successful and the cashier was super nice. I had two transactions and the cat's did not print so she just credited them for me.I decided to try my luck and go again Saturday because I had such good luck earlier. I made up my list. Got my coupons together and had stuff for two transactions again.Well, I did not read ...

What to do.....I have 24 cups of Strawberry Yo-Plus Yogurt with expiration dates all around 11/11.I need to think of some way to eat this yogurt because truthfully no one here likes yogurt, and I am not a super huge fan myself. Well, as I was looking through my shelves it came to me. Granola and Yogurt. Delish!So I looked through my pantry and found no granola. I did find some other crunchy cereal that would work. I ...

I am so excited. Albertsons is doing a deal where when you buy $25 of select products you get a $10 cat. I planned it all out:Transaction #12 pillsbury cookies $52 pillsbury crecent rolls $3.341 Cheerios $26 Yo Plus 4pk Yogurt $15Total $25.34Use Coupons1 pillsbury cookies $1/21 pillsbury crecent rolls .50/21 Cheerios $1/16 Yo Plus 4pk Yogurt $1/1Total $8.50 coupons25.34-8.50=16.84Receive $10 cat (gen mills) & $2.50 ...

So here I am behind...I need to make up for lost time. I sat down tonight and e-mailed all these companies. This should help me feel caught up on my little challenge. Now I will really be excited to go and check the mail. I hope I get some good ones. I always feel so lucky when I check the mail and there are coupons there.Companies I e-mailed today:Rotel Darigold Best Foods Tony's Pizza Fiber One Jimmy Dean Barilla Sweet Baby Rays Fruitabu Vlasic Pickles Scrubbing Bubbles Birdseye Voila Chicken Life Pillsbury Banquet Tims Campbells Mission Motts Hidden Valley Ranch Tillamook Chiquita Dole Tropicana Santa Cruz Sunny D Treeptop Buddig Meats Newmans Own Ocean Spray ...

So far I have gotten good responses when I have e-mailed companies complimenting them. It is exciting to check the mail knowing that you might have something exciting inside. I have e-mailed about 20 companies and these are the coupons I have received. 2- .50 off Lea and Perrins2- FREE Life water Q's3- $1 off Hansens 6-pk Soda1- $1/2 Hellmans MayoI am still e-mailing, not everyday like I wanted but at least a few times a week.I am going to continue to do this through the end of the month if not long ...

Yesterdays e-mails went well. I received a lot of automatic responses back and then a couple that said they would put some coupons in the mail for me. I am excited. It makes me keep e-mailing for more.Today I e-mailed 6 more companies. We will see what their responses are. I am not going to be e-mailing this weekend because I have to work long hours Saturday and Sunday. I am hoping that when I get to the mail on Monday there might be a coupon or too. It is kinda like Christmas. Waiting, anticipating, not really sure what you are going to get. Anyways it is exciting this far. I will continue to update more as I receive repli ...

I started my month long adventure with coupon gathering.I have e-mailed nine companies today.I was going to make it a goal to e-mail 5 companies a day. I do not know how that will work. I know at first I will really be into it, but I might slow down at the end. I hope to make this fun and exciting. Also I hope it makes me want to go check on my post office box more often as well. It is always fun to have exciting things in the mail and not just the usual bills.I will continue to update here as well as to brag about my best replies on this blog.This should be a good project to keep me distracted from the changing seasons, where has this year go ...

Here is my uninspired ...what to have for dinner.....meal from last night.It all started when I was too tired to cook. I am a self proclaimed NO MEAL PLANNER.I do not write out my meal plans on Monday or whenever for the week. It just does not seem to work for me. It works for almost everyone I know, but I just can't do it.So back to dinner. I was tired and hungry and did not want to go shopping for the week yet.I went ...

Because I was gone from this whole couponing thing for so long I feel completely out of place. I have all EXPIRED coupons and am out of the sale loop. I did get 4 papers on Sunday so that is a start. I decided that since I am basically starting over I am going to challenge myself. I have a lot of friends who e-mail companies letting them know how much they like their product. Sometimes they ask for coupons, sometimes ...

After a long summer away I have returned. It seems I am too busy to do anything besides work during the summer. I have to say it was nice to have started a stockpile before the summer so that we had food around the house. I hate fast food meals. This time of year about the only thing that sounds palatable is teriyaki, and even that is getting old.I am back to looking around for great deals. I am also "Fall Cleaning" my house. Yesterday I packed up a box of books and other extra miscellaneous stuff. It feels good to start to purge the things that I do not want. I think that I am going to start putting all my boxes of "throw out" stuff into my storage building outside. I have to talk to my cousin ...

Heres what ya do:Take 1 lb of small pasta (I used picollini I got from Safeway for .25)Cook it al denteRinse it in cold water and drain really wellWhile the pasta is cooking take whatever veggies you like and cut into small pieces. I cut mine smaller than the pasta (Like 1/4 of the size)Once pasta is cool put in a mixing bowl and add ranch dressing. Coat the pasta and add the veggies.I like to add cayenne pepper to it ...

Things that are NOT pictured:2 Gallons of Darigold milk (Free)6 VitaminWater10 (Free)5 Kelloggs Cereal ($2 for all 5 because of doubles)2 Keebler Deluxe Rainbow Cookies ($2.49 for both)I started out in front of my computer this morning trying to figure out how to use/roll the $3 Taco Bell Cat and the $5 Post Cereal Cat as well as use some of the manu. doubles.Transaction #16 Post Cereals @ $1.59 eachTotal before sales/coupons ...

I had two transactions at Safeway today because I did not grab enough Progresso soups. I misread the coupon. No biggie I went back through and used the express lane for my second trip.This was also good because I got a bunch of Cats totaling $9.75 so I used them.While I was waiting in line I realized that stride gum was on sale buy 2 get one free. It ended up being $2.78 for 3 packs. I had coupons for $2 off three packs ...

I went to Kmart today for doubles. Luckily I made my list and stuck to it. It made it easier.Also when checking out the cashier was really nice and the transaction went well.What I got (with final price):1 Secret Flawless - .493 Johnsons Buddies - Free3 Kotex - Free3 Soft Scrub Scrubby Pads - Free2 Mean Green Bonus Size Cleaners - Free3 3-packs Trident Gum - .33 ea3 packs Trident Gum - Free2 Coffee-Mate Creamers .39 ...

I had 4 transactions at Safeway this time around.I did this so I could do the Chill out at home promo-Every $25 frozen food items you get $10 off your next order of frozen food items.What did I get?8 Stouffers Flatbread sandwiches3 Birdseye meals for two2 Bertolli Bakes1 Voila Meal8 Tai Pei Meals2 Banquet Mac and Cheese (filler to make a transaction)1 Jimmy Dean SkilletGrand Total $155.17Total OOP $18.93Savings $136.94I ...

I went to Safeway today to do the mix and match deals.Mix and Match = certain items at Safeway that are on sale, WYB 10 they are even more on sale.Example- Rice o Roni --- Reg price 1.69 ea Sale Price 1.25 ea When you buy 10 (mix and match) .75 eaSo I bought9 rice o roni 1.25 ea3 pasta roni 1.25 ea1 Best foods Mayo 3.00 ea7 ronzoni pasta 1.25 eaI used3- $1/4 rice/pasta coupons7- .50 off ...

This is the first time I have truly added to my stockpile....Let me rephrase that...started my stockpile.Target was having a Quaker deal this week.You had to purchase 5 quaker items (all on sale for $2.50 or $2)For every 5 you purchased they handed you a $5 Gift Card.My first trip I bought3 Instant Oatmeal 2.50ea - $1 Q = $1.502 Fiber Granola Bars 2.50 ea - $1 Q = $1.50Total was five items for $1.50 ea = $7.50They gave ...

This is my favorite time of year. I just love girl scout cookies. I plan in my budget for a few boxes and I try to hide them so that they last longer. Too bad my hiding spots aren't so good. Oh well. These are our new favorite flavor. Samoas. When I was little I used to not like coconut at all. It is still not a huge favorite of mine, but...I live it on these cookies. They are caramelly, chocolatey, and coconutty. ...

I have a new favorite sandwich bread recipe.I like thicker bread for sandwiches because I think it makes them tastier. It is called Oatmeal Bread. (This time I did use a recipe...here it is)Combine in Large Bowl (I use my kitchenaid)1 c. quick oats1/2 c. whole wheat flour1/2 c. brown sugar1 T. Salt2 T. MargarineHeat 2 c. Water to boilingPour over dry mixture and stir in to combine. (I use the dough hook attachment)In ...

I went to Albertsons this week and got a bit of food.I did not buy Milk or 1/2 & 1/2, but maybe today I will.What I did buy though is 10 Streamfresh Veggies .99 - .35Q  = $6.40 for 104 Triscuits @ 2.50 ea - $2/2 Q (x2) = $64 South Beach Granola Bars @ 2.50 ea - $1 (x4) = $62 Wheat Thins @ 2.50 ea - $2/2 = $3The catch on the bars and crackers is it is $10 WYB $25 before Q's so really it was $5 for all of those items.10 Campbells Tomato Soup .59 ea - $3Q = $2.90 (A $1 Cat printed for this!)Total Spent at the Store was $14.30Like I mentioned earlier I still need Dairy products so figure in $4 more. My total for the week is $18. ...

Here is another pantry recipe that I made tonight. We had all the ingredients and it sounded good. I used some leftover chicken from when I roasted a couple the other week. I had picked the chickens clean from the bone and froze the pickin's and turned the bones into stock. I heated in a saucepan about 2 cups of chopped chicken (fully cooked)the leftover rice from last night (about 1 1/2 cups)1 can rotel tomatoes1 ...

I went to Safeway tonight and picked up a few things.Oranges 10lbs @ .36/lb  $3.60Crystal Geyser Water 2 Gallons $1.00 eaVitamin Water reg $1.59 sale .88 eaRusset Potatoes 5lbs $.992 Bell Peppers $3.00Total $11.49Saved $10.17Not too bad. Earlier in the week I dropped by Walmart and picked up 3 loaves of bread, 3 pounds of cheddar cheese, and 4 pounds of turket lunchmeat all for around $20. This will last for two weeks of Sandwiches for us.My total for groceries this week is 31.72. Hopefully all I need till next weekend is half and half, and 1 gallon of milk, (it should only cost $4). That brings me to $35 for the we ...

One of my favorite weekend breakfast is biscuits and gravy. It is so easy to make and is a yummy filling breakfast/brunch item here. Some weekends I go all out and roll out the biscuits and cut them, sometimes I used the canned ones (bought on sale for less that 35 cents a pack) and sometimes I just make drop biscuits. That’s what I did this weekend. They were yummy.One thing we do not cut corners on is meat. We purchase it from a butcher who is about 5 miles away from our home. In the country that translates to "Really Really Close." Their beef is grass fed, their chickens are free range, everything about it screams fresh. We spend about 40 dollars a month on meat. That includes 2 pounds ...

It is a hard pill for me to swallow. The fact that the Economy is very weak right now. I am always so optimistic and I am also a problem solver. If business is down normally with a little more hard work I can scrounge up some more business and there you have it, business is back to normal again. This past few months I can not fix the problem. Sales are down and I do not know how to fix it. Unfortunately my half full glass has sprung a leak in it and is slowly becoming half empty.How can I fix this?I might not be able to get people to spend more money, but I am thinking I can cut corners in my business so that my end number is the same as before. I am not talking about serving a inferior product, ...

I always challenge myself to cooking new versions of meals we love by using items from our pantry. If I can do this once a week it helps me know what all is in my pantry. It also makes sure the food inside the pantry stays fresh.Tonights meal was a play on Swedish Meatballs. For the gravy, I used a can of beef gravy mixed with a can of cream of mushroom soup. I thinned it with a touch of milk and I sauteed some ...

I could not believe it. I live in the land of no doubles and as I was going trough my paper last week I noticed "doubles up to $2" I froze, there is no way…. I had to check it out.I went once and I bought over 50 dollars worth of product for 18.87. I know I should have aimed for a lower end number but as part of the almost 19 dollars I got 3 pounds worth of coffee, and a new coupon notebook. The coffee is great because it was normally 11 dollars for all of it and I scored it for $4.50. The notebook was not on sale but was totally cute and I like it. It was $4.99.Other things I snagged were Halls Cough Drops 3 bags--FREE Reach Toothbrush 3--FREE Smartwater 4 bottles--FREE Compleats Meals 4--- ...

I was so disappointed at my Safeway trip that I tried again.I went only for things I needed or that were free.I went to two stores and here is what I came up with:6 Lipton Pasta Sides .99 ea - .35 Q = .64 ea2 Suave Shampoo .99 ea - .75 Q = .24 ea10 Softsoap (for business) .97 - .35 Q = .62 ea10 Johnson's Buddies .97 ea - $1 Q (for each) = -.03 ea4 Deodorant 4/$9 - 5 rebate - .75 Q (for each) = .25 ea2 Band-Aids (for ...

I was wanting my favorite cup of gourmet coffee today from S**. However at the same time I was feeling so good about eating at home and saving money that I did not want that same cup I was craving.I needed to convince myself that coffee at home was great and I would survive.I always find it easier to stay home when I compare the price of home vs. S**. Same goes with fast food, clothes shopping, Sunday drives (gasoline) ...

Last Night I made Taco Tot Casserole.It was alright, not my best version of it thoughI was out of evaporated milk and substituted a smaller amount of regular milk and that just made it soupy. Oh well, still it had good flavors.1. Bake Tater Tots2. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning3. Mix 1 can evaporated milk and 1 can cheddar cheese soup4. Add 1/2 bag frozen corn to soup mix5. Add ground beef and mix well6. Pour into casserole dish and top with tots7. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes8. Top with grated cheese and bake until cheese is melted.So it came out slightly disappointing like I mentioned earlier, but I made extra ground beef for tacos for lunch.Today's lunchTacos with tomatoes, lettuce, ...

2 green bell peppers (organic were way better quality for only .20 cents more each so thats what I got)4 roma tomatoes2 red onions1 bag shred lettuce1 lg lucerne cottage cheese1 lg buddig lunch meat2 loaves store brand whole wheat bread1 lg folgers coffee1 quart 1/2 and 1/21/3 lb roast beef Total 33.xx Amount saved 2.42I almost freaked I never only save 2.42Oh well that is all we need for the week.$34 for all at home meals and not eating out. I can deal for this week.Disappointing news....because of Presidents Day tomorrow there were no newspaper coupons tod ...