Frugal in Franklin

Hot Tip for Teachers and Parents

 

A huge thanks to Holly for this tip.  If you live in Franklin, or another area that has a Parent-Teacher store, stop by and register for their Parent/ Teacher mailing list.  By signing up you will receive:

• A $10 gift card
• Monthly emails containing coupons
• A $10 gift card for each of your children on their birthdays

Of course you can always make your gift cards stretch by visiting the clearance table at the back of the store.  They always have merchandise on this table priced 40% off.

Homeschool Note:  They carry Alpha Omega at the back of the store.

VBS Planner Note:  They usually have large displays of items to go with the Lifeway (I think) VBS theme of the year.

Tightwad Tip Tuesday

 

Need a little direction on your road to Tightwad?  Stop by each Tuesday for a quick tip to help you get there.

Several months ago, I read this tip on another couponing blog:  Instead of handsoap, use shampoo in your handsoap dispensers.  This is great if you are an avid couponer and have more shampoo than you know what to do with!  It's also a good tip if you are looking to avoid anti-bacterial handsoap.

I especially like the clear shampoos for this, but you might try kid's shampoo if you're looking for a fun, fruity smell.

Looking for more tightwad tips?  Try Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom

Invasion of the Teenagers

This past weekend, we parented three extra kids while their parents took a weekend off.  Between our two families, we have 6 kids, ranging in age from 7 to 15, including 3 teens and 2 preteens. At this age, the kids are very well behaved and fairly self-sufficient.  We had lots of fun and we served lots of food!

Because so many coupon bloggers seem to be moms of preschoolers (bless you ladies for all you've taught me), I thought you might like a glimpse into how much food it takes to feed teens, and how I budgeted for them. 

I started by counting up the number of guests (three) and multiplying it by the total number of days they would be with us (two).  I multiplied that by $2.  In other words, $2 per person, per day.  Those of you who saw my weekly shopping, know that I didn't actually spend all $12 this week.  Instead, I hung onto the small surplus to be used another week.  Why?

We dipped into my stockpile in a major way this weekend.  I want to make sure that when great deals come around again another day, I am prepared with cash to replenish what we used.  So, what exactly do I mean when I say we dipped into the stockpile?  Here is a list (as complete as I could create in the hubbub) of all that was consumed from dinner Friday thru lunch on Sunday:

• 2lbs. of Spaghetti
• 2 Large Jars of Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 lbs. of Meatballs
• 2 Loaves of Pillsbury French Bread
• 1lb. of Broccoli
• 12 oz. of corn
• 1 very large bowl of popcorn
• 1 Bag of Chex Mix
• 1 Box of 8 PopTarts
• Countless bananas, apples, and oranges
• 1 lb. of Strawberries
• 1 box of Yo Plus Yogurt (4 ct.)
• 1 lb. of sliced turkey
• 6 oz. of sliced cheddar
• 28 oz Loaf of Whole Grain Bread
• 1/2 bag of Tortilla Chips
• Lag Bag of SunChips
• 1 gallon of Milk
• 2 quarts of OJ
• 1.75 quarts of ice cream (w/ Smucker's Toppings)
• 4 Pillsbury Pizza Crusts
• 1 Small jar of Ragu
• 2 small cans of Tomato Sauce
• 1 lb. of Suasauge
• 6 oz. of Pepperoni
• 1 lb. of Cheese
• 2 Dozen Eggs
• Monkey Bread  (made with 42 biscuits)
• Various granola bars, pudding cups, and other snacks that no sane woman would try to keep track of!

I am so grateful that I was able to purchase all this food over time, for pennies on the dollar.  It made it easy to welcome our guests without worrying about the cost!  Boy am I glad that I found couponing before I had teenagers!

Our $50 Budget for the Week of 3-23 to 3-29

This week was another exceptional week at Publix.  Early in the week, I made a quick run to use up a few more Kashi Qs. I don’t have a picture of that shop but it included:

 

3.13 lbs. of bananas

4 Kashi Frozen Entrees

1 Smart Balance Margarine

1 2 Liter of Soda (Penny Item Replacement)

1 Pack of Doublemint Gum

 

Total after tax: $2.22 (Value $19.55, savings 93%)

 

 

On Thursday, I did the bulk of my shopping for the week, as we had company coming on Friday and staying the weekend.

 

 

 

 

This picture includes:

 

Aldi $16.53

 

Publix $18.73 (Value $96.60, savings 84%)

 

Kroger $8.89 (Value $34.05, savings 77%)

 

We also made an HG Hill run that included:

1 8 ct. Hot Dog Buns

2 loaves of Whole Grain Bread

1 ½ loaf of white bread

1 full loaf of white bread

2 lbs. of  Purple Potatoes

2 1.75 qt. Containers Mayfield Ice Cream

 

Total $8.03

 

 

Altogether, I spent $54.40 for the week.  Because I budgeted another $12 because we had company coming, I actually came in with a $7.60 surplus.  That brings my current surplus to about $30.  Are you curious why I allotted $12 if I’m running at a surplus?  Stop by to read Invasion of the Teenagers.

Baked Oatmeal (Make Ahead Mix Version)

Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge is talking about make ahead mixes today.  One of our favorite breakfast foods, which is easy to make up on a weekend several batches at a time, is Baked Oatmeal.

Mix Together:

1c. of Brown Sugar

4 1/2 C. of Rolled Oats

3tsp of Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1/3 c. of Powdered Milk

Pour all of these ingredients in a bag and label.

When you are ready to cook, add:

3/4C. Oil, melted butter or a combination of oil and applesauce

3 Eggs

1 1/2 C. Water

Mix these ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Baked at 350 for 40 minutes.  (You can also mix this up the night before and put the pan in the fridge.  When you wake up in the morning, just pop it in the oven.)

To make ahead several mixes at once, I simply line up 3 or 4 open ziploc bags on the counter.  I pour the cup of sugar in each, then the oats, etc...  This is a great project for kids to help with!

Swagbucks Update

Have you ever wondered why you see so much about Swagbucks.com in the blogosphere?  I'll tell you why.  Because it's the real deal.  As a new couponer, I tried lots of recommended money making deals that just weren't worth the effort.  But Swagbucks delivers on it's promises.  If you're not already familiar with SB, you can find out more here.

I wanted to update my regular readers on my progress with Swagbucks.com.  I am about halfway to my third Amazon gift card in less than a month.  How did I get there (and how can you?)  Here are a few hints:

1. Quit using your "favorites" and go there via Swagbucks instead.  I use Swagbucks to go to Google if I need to.  It doesn't matter what you're searching for.  Swag Bucks are not awarded based on "new" search terms.
2. Tell everyone in your household to use Swagbucks.  It just increases your chances of winning.
3. Share the good news.  If someone signs up with SB based on your recommendation, you earn Swag Bucks.  These rack up fast with only one or two referrals.

I also wanted to let you know how simple it was to redeem my gift card.  When I had enough Swag Bucks, I went to the Swag Store and requested my prize.  About 5 days later, they put the code in my gift card account.  When I placed my Amazon order, I simply cut and pasted the code into the order form under gift codes.  It was easy!  The best part?  The gift card can be used to cover shipping.  I bought a used book, and had it shipped for less than $2!

So, if you haven't signed up yet, be sure to get onboard and start enjoying the deals.

Planning Ahead For Those Budget Busting “Dinner Emergencies”

One of the biggest destroyers of the family food budget is the temptation to eat out.  We go out shopping and come home too tired to cook!  Those scout meetings and dance classes pile up faster than we realize and there is just no time to cook.  Even the most diligent mom who plans for every contingency can be sidetracked by the flu.  What’s a mom to do?

 

For quite some time now, I’ve been careful to keep several Go-To Meals in my freezer or pantry.  (I think I later found the term from Kelly at Faithful Provisions).  Essentially, when pre-made frozen dinners, like the Contessa meals or Bertolli pasta dishes are on a great sale, I pick up a few.  When my plan for dinner isn’t working, I start by consulting the rest of the week's menus.  If I can’t make a workable switch, we hit the Go-To Meals.  

 

Here is a typical Go-To Menu:

 

Pre-made Skillet Dinner ($1-$1.99)

Loaf of  French or garlic bread purchased off day old rack (.79)

1-2 Frozen Veggies  (free to .25)

 

The total cost for a Go-To Meal at my house is around $3. 

 

There are a few important things to consider when putting together a Go-To meal:

1. You have to like it.  If it’s not a meal that you and your family like, it will be too easy to default to a pizza delivery
2. It must be quick to prepare.  I look to shoot for a meal that I can have on the table in 15 minutes, start to finish.
3. It should be simple enough for your husband (if he’s not a cook) and your older kids to prepare.  If mom is down with the flu or out of town on a retreat, the food budget can go out the window really fast.  If you can provide another member of the family with a quick, simple dinner to prepare, you may be able to stop that from happening.
4. You must know how much you paid for the Go-To Meal.  This may seem like an odd one, but it’s not.  If I know that I can put a $3 dinner on the table in 15 minutes, I feel incredibly irresponsible driving through somewhere.  My family can’t eat out for less than $25 just about anywhere.  I don’t know about you, but I have much better plans for that $22 than greasy fast food.

 

If you want to have a true emergency meal ready for a time when you are incapacitated or unavailable, you may want to consider bagging the entire meal together.  You could use a 2 gallon freezer bag (available at Aldi) and mark it with flourescent duct tape.  This may seem a bit extreme, but I know my family hates trying to find stuff in my freezer.  Let's face it, can you find stuff in your husband's garage work area?  I haven't personally tried this approach, but it might save you from having to crawl out of bed when you are really sick, just to find the Go-To Meal.

 

How many Go-To Meals you choose to keep on hand depends on your schedule, your level of discipline in planning and sticking to the plan, and your storage space. Frankly, I rarely use these because I have a lot of experience with menu planning and a well stocked pantry.  But, when things really aren't working, I love having this default plan.  Whatever your situation, having a few Go-To Meals on hand is sure to change your food budget for the better.

Tightwad Tip Tuesday

 

Need a little help on the road to Tightwad?  Stop by every Tuesday for a quick tip to help you get there.

This week's tip has to do with buying milk that is marked down because it is close to expiration.  Last week I stumbled across 6 gallons of organic milk marked down to .99 each because they were expiring that day.  But, what do you do with milk that is so close to going bad?

I brought it home, and poured it into smaller containers.  (It's best to freeze them in increments of a day or two of usage.  In other words, if your family drinks 1/2 a gallon per day, then freeze the milk in 1/2 gallon portions).  Be sure to leave room in the container for the milk to expand.

A day or so before you want to drink the milk, put it in the fridge to thaw.  Be sure it's sitting upright so that it doesn't leak.  When it is completely thawed, shake it well before drinking.  

Did you wait to long to use milk that is in your fridge and your family won't drink it because it tastes a little off?  Make pancakes, waffles, homemade macaroni and cheese, or another dish that uses plenty of milk.  No one will be the wiser! 

Interested in more tips?  Check out Tightwad Tuesday and Frugal Fridays.

This Week's $50 Budget

This week was absolutely a case of loaves and fishes.  I thought I was going to be over budget.  There were a lot of great deals at Publix that I didn't want to pass by.  In the end, I had a surplus!  I'm usually good at calculating my final costs, but this time I was way off.  I was literally in awe of God's goodness when it was all said and done.  I hope you will be to when you see how much food I purchased for just under $40.

 

I purchased all of this at Kroger early in the week.  I cashed in my $3 biscuit catalina on this one.  Final cost for 4 gallons of organic milk, 6 meaty drumsticks, and 6 cans of biscuits:  $1.71. (Over 94% Savings) 

 

Publix was really amazing as well.  I purchased $137.32 worth of groceries (sorry the picture really doesn't do it justice) for $20.20 (85% Savings).  I used some high value Kashi coupons, a $5 off $50 Competitor's coupon, and lots of other Q's to get there.  In all, I used $63.53 in store, competitor, and MQs.  (If you want to see more great Publix shops, check out Fiddledeedee.

Here are the purchases I don't have pictures for:

Target:

3 boxes of Life Cereal

2 Boxes of Quaker Granola Bars

Total $3

HG Hill:

4.64 lbs of white onions

1 package of hot dog buns

Total $1.56

Aldi:

4lbs. Navel Oranges

8oz. Neufchatel

2 Packages of Flour Tortillas

2 dozen eggs

Total $7.26

Kroger:

5 Cans Cream Soup

2 Cans of Spaghetti Sauce

1 Can Refried Beans

2 Boxes of Cocoa Mix

Total $4.33

Total Spent for the Week: $38.06  That leaves about $12 to spend another week (added to previous surplus I have about $23 for future use).

Need an Idea for All Those Onions I Told You to Buy?

 Frugal Dr. Mom has a very unique idea for using the onions she bought on sale last week at HG Hill...Onion Custard.  You can check out her recipe here.  (Doc, if you stop by, be sure to comment and let us know what kind of reviews in got at your house.

If you're looking for a more subtle use for your onions, she also has a recipe for Tuna Melts that looks yummy!

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