TOP 5 WAYS WE SAVE ON FOOD

We are always trying to find new ways to save money on food. These are just 5 ways that we have found that really works for us.

• WATCH FOR SALES AND USE COUPONS

We buy things when they are on sale and use coupons as much as possible. Around here we have Publix Supermarkets. They have great “buy one get one” sales each week.

 We try to stock up on products during those times and match those sales up with coupons to save  even more money. Some things that we are always on the lookout for are butter, cheese, frozen veggies, paper goods and  dry pasta.

• BUY IN BULK

We buy as much of our raw materials as possible in bulk. Things we buy in bulk are things that we know we use a lot of. Buying in bulk helps us to get quality goods at reasonable prices. Things such as oils, rice, beans, sugar, seasonings and spices, yeast, whole grains, wheat and so much more.

We are not members of any of the populer buying clubs such as Cosco, BJ and Sams. We have found that we can save money without  being members of those types of clubs. Besides, they don’t have  the products that we use and buy the most, such as Organic unrefined coconut oil, Palm shortening, organic oats and whole wheat berries. We are able to get a lot of our "raw" materials from places like tropical traditions , bread beckers co-op , and  amerorganic . 

• MENU PLANNING

Menu planning is very important at our house. We only have 4 different menus that I rotate every 3 months. The menus are pretty simple and straight forward.

I Plan breakfasts, lunchs and dinners for a whole year, one season at a time. Most of the meals are prepared and frozen ahead of time each month. At the end of each month we go grocery shopping and start all over again, baking prepping and cooking for the next months meals.

• GROW YOUR OWN

We grow most of our organic fruits and vegetables at home in our garden. Living in the sunshine state we are able to grow a full garden year round. We grow everything from herbs to watermelons in our small backyard garden. At harvest time we eat what we can and preserve the rest by freezing or canning.

We started gardening 8 years ago and each year we expand ou efforts to grow even more of our own food. We also barter and trade garden goods with other gardeners in our community. Gardening allows us to feed our family safe organic foods without the high prices.

• MAKE IT YOURSELF

We make a lot of meals we eat from scratch. I love to cook and bake and so does everyone in our house. Food preparation is very much a family affair. We come together to make big batches of food to"feed the freezer" each month. We make everything from cookies to yogurt from scratch. 

My guys eat a lot. And I love to feed them good wholesome foods that not only taste wonderful but is also good for them. Papa is also very good in the kitchen. When it comes to sweets and treats nobody makes them better than my sweetheart. There are always some yummy cookies in the freezer, and special occasions are made that much more special with Papa in charge of deserts.

I hope that this has somehow helped you or at  least give you a great idea of where to start.

OFF WITH HER HAIR

There has been a lot of changes happening around here lately.
First of let me tell you that I've been wanting to get my hair cut for a really long time. (last time I got a haircut was after baby girl was born)
Well last Friday a good friend of mine came over and treated me to a hair cut. So without further Ado this is how it all went down.

This is the before shot. (can you see how badly damaged my ends were)

The before side shot. (I know it looks long but it is not all health hair)

Let the cutting begin

So far so good.

Shampoo, condition and set in rollers. After one hour under the dryer we were almost done.

This is the after shot. (I know it looks a little short)


Feels so lite and healthy.

Look at those ends

Yep, I needed this.

So what do you think? Do you like my new hair cut? When was the last time you got your hair cut?

Trip To The Children Science Museum

Last month we took advantage of a free day at the museum. We had a ball. The kids really enjoyed the exhibit. My favorite was the dangerous snake exhibit. I am not a fan of snakes but I do like looking at them when they are behind thick glass.



This was a very frugal field trip for us. The admission into the museum was all free. We drove 40 miles which really was not that much for us and we packed our own lunch. The whole day cost us just $7.00 for a family of 5.

I've Missed You CVS...

I have not been to CVS in 3 weeks. There just haven't been anything we really needed. Well Tuesday night I decided to go and pick up some things that I really needed like Lotion, milk and some new toothbrushes for the kids. I really was not expecting to find such great deals that were all free after ECB.

this is all I got;

3 CVS brand non-drowsy allergy relief (free after ECB)

3 Ora Pick Traveler (free after ECB)

1 gallon of milk ($3.69)

2 candy bars (I needed a filler) $1.00

3 Colgate toothbrushes (free after ECB and coupons)

3 CVS brand lotions (b2g1f) $10.98

1 Clearasil acne cream ($4.99 after coupon)

1 Ziploc twist and lock container pack ($1.50 after coupon)

1 Schick Intuition plus razor (free after ecb and coupon)

I did 3 transactions and after using 2 different $3/$10 on CVS brand coupons and all my manufacturer's coupons and ECBs I ended up spending only 31 cents out of pocket. My cashier was very impressed with me.

I love walking out of there with three bags of stuff for almost nothing, and a total of $28.37 worth of ECB for next time.

Now are you ready to start paying nothing to shop at CVS? Then head on over to Andrea's blog and check out her "Top 5 tips to play CVS" http://mommysnacks.blogspot.com/2008/02/cvs-top-5-tips-to-playing-cvs.html and of course do not forget to check out Crystal's "CVS 101" http://www.moneysavingmom.com/2007/09/cvs-101.html

Have fun learning and feel free to ask me any questions, I am more than happy to help you get on the "CVS love wagon".

Riddle Me This

OK It's not a riddle, but I am in a playful mood today, so.....
here is a little test for you
toothpaste
toothbrushes
mouthwash
bath soap
razors
lotions
facial creams
pain relievers and other over the counter meds.
baby wipes
beauty items and make-up
cleaning products
toilet papers
paper towels
shampoo and conditioners
hair styling products
deodorant
various snacks
vitamins
first aid products
regular Milk
dish detergent
clothes detergent
body wash
batteries
film
feminine products
some breakfast cereals
other household products

What does everything in this list have in common?
a. things you'll find at your local CVS
b. things we use and buy often
c. things our family no longer have to budget or pay for
d. All the above

If you answered "d" all of the above than you are correct. Do you want to know how we do it? Then stick around. CVS for beginners is coming soon.

Gift Giving On A Budget.

How do you handle gift giving?
With Mother's Day just around the corner, followed by Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, Birthdays, Valentine's Day, and Christmas, what is a budget conscious family to do?
Should we go to the nearest store and let each child pick out a gift for $10 or less?
Well when you have Grandma's, Grandpas, Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Godparents, and close friends, that can be a pretty expensive problem.
Don't despair, Don't stress and Don't go pulling all your hair out. There Is Help.
For the past 3 years my family have been taking part in our local Home Depot and Lowe's stores "Free Kid's Workshops". Each month the kids get an opportunity to build something new and special. Sometimes they make neat wooden toys like cars, trucks, while other times they build birdhouses and small planters. Not to mention picture frames, memory boxes and tool kits. The best part is that around special days and holidays such as Mother's and Father's Day and Christmas they will build things that can be given as gifts.
The Home depot store around here offers "Kids' Workshop" once a month (every 1st Saturday). Lowe's stores offer their "Kids' Workshop" twice a month (every 2nd and 4th Saturday) , And did I mention that they are FREE.
These are totally free and the people that are there to work with you and the kids are awesome. You can call your local Home Depot and Lowe's store to find out the times and dates for the next workshops in your area.
As a result of these "workshops" our family always have more than enough home made gifts to give to all those special people in our lives.
What are some ways that you save money when it comes to gift giving?

Writing A Budget 101

"Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ..." (Luke 14:28 NKJV)

We all know the importance of having a written budget, yet, many of us are attempting to run our financial lives without one. "A budget is people telling their money where to go instead of wondering where it went." (John Maxwell).
Earlier this year I was introduced to the works of Dave Ramsey, a great and gifted author whose books on money and money management has changed my world for the better. According to Mr. Ramsey, "you must set up a budget, a written budget, every month. You have to tell your money what to do or it leaves. A written budget for the month is your goal. People who win at anything have written goals. You wouldn't build a house without a blueprint, so why do you spend your lifetime income of over $2 million without a blueprint."
Putting a budget together is not difficult.

You can start by...

• step 1.- get a sheet of paper and at the top label it Monthly Budget
• step 2.- make a list of all your monthly expenses. This will include Tithe, taxes,Housing expenses, Food, Utilities, Insurance (life, health, auto), Outstanding debts, Entertainment, recreation, Clothing allowance, Medical/dental, and Savings.
• step 3.- List all your available income
• step 4.- compare your income versus your expenses (outgo)

Set up a new budget every month. Spend every dollar on paper before the month begins. Dave Ramsey advises folks to "look at this month's income and this month's bills, savings and debts and match them up until you have given every income dollar an outgo name. This is called Zero-based Budget"

It may all seem strange to you at first and maybe even a little scary but I promise you that doing a written budget and living by it will be your best step towards living a life that is debt free, frugal, simple and rich.

For more help on setting up your written budget you can go to www.crown.org and also visit Dave Ramsey's site at www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com

"The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is the servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7 NKJV)