Going Green Tip of the Week

Green Tip of the Week:

Avoid drinking bottled water

When discussing the reasons people should avoid bottled water I often here the argument "Why, I recycle?"  Well, as you probably already know, there are a slew of problems with bottled water and only one of them deals with recycling.  Studies have indicated the materials used to make the bottles can leach into your water and poison you, it takes a ton of oil to produce the plastic bottle, it also takes a ton of oil to transport the water, often times it is the same tap water that you can get at home, it is much more expensive than tap water & sadly they rarely get recycled (which by the way also takes a ton more energy to do).  All of this can be avoided by making the conscious decision to use your reusable water bottle.  If you are interested in learning more about bottled water and you have not seen the movie "Tapped" I highly recommend it.  You wouldn't think a movie about bottled water could be so engaging, but it is. 

But, it is more than just not purchasing bottled water.....

Last school year I decided I would no longer purchase bottled water and I haven't done so since then :).  However, later in the year I was inspired to totally avoid drinking bottled water too.  A colleague of mine, who is much more environmentally savvy than me, made the point that he doesn't buy bottled water or drink it even when it is provided for free at a gathering.  I got the buying part, but had not really thought about the stronger stance of not even consuming it when it was provided at meetings, parties, races, etc.  It took me some time (I'm a bit slow to change), but I have since come on board with this idea also.  The more you reduce consumption, the greater the reduction in demand.  And really, can't I just bring my water bottle with me to the meeting.   

So, please ditch the bottled water (in the recycling bin of course!) and get out (or buy) those reusable bpa free bottles.

P.S. I also understand that there are times when we must use bottled water, but wouldn't it be great if those were the only times.

Yummy, but Simple Chicken Pot Pie

Another recipe, oh my, I don't know what has gotten into me.  This is actually my mom's recipe and I loved it as a child and I am still loving it today.  I start by making my own crust, which is a very interesting experience, I never had any idea how much butter or shortening is required to make a pie crust.  The recipe for the crust is on food.com and you can find it by clicking here.  I actually make this crust with pure whole wheat flour, which is great because I often have to do half and half with whole wheat and all purpose.  I should also mention that this recipe has always yielded three pie crust for me.  I just roll up the extra one on some wax paper, freeze it and save it for a later time. 

Now, on to the good stuff! 

1.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.   Mix the following ingredients together:

• diced or shredded chicken (I use about 2 cups)
• 1 can of Veg-All or any mixed veggies (I usually use left over veggies such as carrots, potatoes, onions, celery & mushrooms and make my own Veg-All.)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

3.  Pour mix into pie pan that already has the bottom crust in it.
4.  Top with second crust, pinch the two crusts together and use a fork to make the edges look pretty if you desire (I'm such an amazing cook that I can't remember what the term is for that).
5.  This is purely a personal preference, but I like to either wrap the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or spread egg whites on the edges to keep them from burning.
6.  Poke some wholes in the top so it can air out as it cooks.
7.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes and enjoy this simple and delicious dish when you are done.

How We Paid as Little as Possible for our Vacation Part 2

Our family went on our first "real" vacation a few weeks ago.  We had a wonderful time and were thankfully and miraculously, for us, able to pay for it upfront and in cash.  This is the second in a two part series of how we did it.  If you would like to read the first part you can find it here.

• We packed a cooler and took as many condiments and non-perishables as we could.
• We didn't take a lot of food with us, but there were some items like mayo, ketchup, butter, and lunch meat that were easily packed and saved us quite a bit once we arrived and didn't have to buy those things. 
• We wrote to the local chamber of commerce and received visitor guides with lots of coupons.  Did this save us much.  Heck no!!!  But a $1 on each of our admissions adds up to $4 and when you multiply that it is still a decent savings.
• We bought restaurant coupons from restaurant.com and signed up for Living Social.  I wasn't able to get anything good through Living Social, but if I had started earlier I'm sure it would have been a great help.  We are planning on going to Disney next year and I am getting ready to sign up for both Groupon and Living Social in Orlando. 
• Use your reusable water bottles and fill those babies up with good old refreshing water!  While this didn't save us hundreds of dollars it certainly saved us a good amount.  We used them when we were driving and when we went out on excursions.  Along those same lines, when we went out to eat we drank water too.  When you think about a soda costing $2, it can easily add up to over $10 a day on drinks.  Our vacation was 7 days so that is $70 saved (I'm sure this figure is low too).  Wouldn't you rather do something fun with that money?!?!

I would love to hear how you have saved money on your vacations.

Saturday Savings, I mean Saturday Spending

I should have known it was going to be a bad week.  I was so excited about all of the opportunities for Extra Bucks at CVS this week, so I diligently planned all my separate transactions out and actually made it to the store relatively early (elevenish) on Sunday in order to hopefully get the deals.  The deals were actually there, but so was a huge crowd and I lost the courage to do four or five separate transactions and just decided to rack up the Extra Bucks.  In the end I spent almost $20!!!!!  That should have been my sign, but I guess I totally missed it. 

Then the really bad stuff happened at Meijer.  We buy a decent amount of organics, especially the dirty dozen, but lately I have been thinking about the nutritional differences that exist between conventional and organic foods.  I truly believe that the soil of organic foods provides greater nutrients than conventional soil, so that also (at least in my mind) means that the food raised organically is more nutrient rich.  Those nutrients are so important for fighting off illness.  So, as I stared (for a really long time) at the conventional blueberries that were on sale for $2 per pint and the organic blueberries that were also on sale for $2, but were unfortunately half the size, a battle erupted inside of me.  "Should I pick the cheap or expensive ones, the nutrient deficient or nutrient rich ones, the ones that were grown possibly in a manner that harms our planet or the ones that are meant to sustain our planet?"  In the end, I made a decision that stayed with me the remainder of the trip, I picked the organic ones that are likely better for my health and the planet, but not my grocery budget.  Yet, what really wrecked the budget is I maintained this philosophy through the entire trip and that is how I ended up almost $75 over budget and wondering whatever happened to frugality?

Here is the rather long list....

25-Jun
CVS
2 Pantene	$6.97	$3 off 2 coup
2 - 3 packs gum	$3.00
Tom's Toothpaste	$3.49	$1 coup
Irish Spring Deod.	$2.99	$1 coup
Colgate Toothpaste	$2.79	$1 coup
Hershey Bliss Candy	$5.99	$1 coup
Total Spent	$19.74
Total Saved	$16.69
Extra Bucks Earned		$13
CVS
5-3 packs gum	$7.50	Used 7.5 in Extra Bucks
Total Spent	$0.00
Total Saved	$7.50
Extra Bucks Earned		$3
Kroger
5 bags Goldfish	$5.00
Total Spent	$5.00
Total Saved	$6.85
Kroger
1 gal. org. milk	$5.49
dog food	$12.49
3 Big K Soda	$2.37
1/2 gal org. milk	$3.19	.40 coup
4 org. eggs	$15.96	4 - $1 coup
6 bags goldfish	$6.00
Tahini	$3.29
3 Steamables Veggies	$3.00
Baking Powder	$0.89
Deodorant	$1.00	$1 coup
Yellow squash	$1.46
green chilies	$0.99
artichokes	$2.69
honey	$3.19
3 Solid white tuna	$3.75
Van. Extract	$3.49
2 Mandarin oranges	$2.00
Pickles	$1.59
Org. Bananas	$2.86
Onions	$1.98
Cashews	$2.79
1.83 lbs tomatoes	$2.34
Garlic	$0.66
Total Spent	$82.58
Total Saved	$22.09
Coupon Savings	$5.40
Meijer
2 cans spinach	$1.44
2 cans org. corn	$1.60
1.99 lbs org grapes	$4.96
2 bags org. baby carrots	$3.00
Unbleached flour	$3.29
3 org. romaine	$10.47	2 - $2 coup
Org. Yogurt	$3.56
5 lbs. Org. Potatoes	$3.99
Org. Mushrooms	$2.00
4 lbs. porkloin	$7.34
2 cans veggies	$1.98
4 Jello mixes	$2.00
3 cans org. garbanzo beans	$3.45
2 cans pineapple	$2.50	$1 coup
2 pints stb.	$5.00
All beef hot dogs	$2.99
cantaloupe	$1.50
2 orange bell peppers	$3.00
5 lbs oranges	$3.99
2 Choc. Chips	$4.00	$1 coup
4 org. blueberries	$8.00
1 Mango	$1.25
2 Chex Cereal	$5.00	$1 coup
2 Cin. Rolls	$3.34	.8 coup
3 cucumbers	$3.00
Rice Crispie Treats	$2.00	.8 coup
Pork Chops	$4.06
Total Spent	$90.43
Total Saved	$28.42
Coupon Savings	$8.60
Total Spent	$197.75
Total Saved	$81.55
Total Coupon Savings	$28.50
Budget	over by $72.75
Total for June	$614.42
Monthly budget	over by $114.42

Green Tip of the Week

One of the purposes of this blog is to document my family's attempts at being more eco-friendly.  As corny as it sounds, I love our planet.  I worry about what I will be handing over to my children and really worry about what my grandchildren will be inheriting.  I see the waste and the mindless harm we do to our planet and in turn, to ourselves and I cringe.  Really, think about the lack of nutrients found in our conventional food supply and the wealth of contaminants you can now find in our water supply, yet we as a country keep on doing what got us into this mess without a second thought.  So, this is my attempt to be a better steward to our planet and it would make me super happy if it also influenced someone else!

Tip of the Week:

Buy products made with recycled material. 

This is something I struggle with because recycled products tend to be more expensive and I'm pretty cheap.  But, from now on I will be purchasing more products made from recycled materials, otherwise all of my recycling is absolutely pointless.  If there isn't a market to buy the products, there is no reason to recycle.  Being kind to our planet is similar to eating well, a small financial investment in the present greatly reduces your expenses in the future. 

What products do you use that are made from recycled materials? 

How We Paid as Little as Possible for Our Vacation

Our vacation was fantastic and it really should have been considering that our family rarely takes them.  We have done several small trips and last year we took a trip to Red River Gorge in eastern KY, but nothing near extravagant since my husband's and my honeymoon.  So, it has been ten years in the making.  Why have we not taken many vacations?  Because they are so darn EXPENSIVE!  But, we finally managed to get one and not a single bit of it went on a credit card.  We paid for it all up front for the first time in our married lives.  Here is how we did it:

• We found a really great deal on a condo.  We let the price dictate the location.  We ended up in Siesta Key, FL and it was beautiful, but if we had not let the price dictate the location we likely would not have gone there.  The condo ended up costing us $500 total for the week.
• We got a condo.  This one seems a lot like #1, but the main idea here is that our condo had a kitchen which enabled us to save a TON!!!!  We ate all of our breakfasts and most of our lunches & dinners at the condo.  Because of this we only spent an extra $50 on food.
• Prior to the trip I saved money in every spot I could and then hid the money so it could not be used on anything else.
• We lowered our grocery budget by $25 a week and put that money away for our vacation.
• If the electric bill was lower than budgeted that money went to vacation too.
• I would say we saved between $200 - $250 this way.
• I made extra money and saved it too!
• I took surveys like crazy and every $3, $5, or $15 check I got I stashed it away.
• While this didn't add up quite as quickly, it did add about $50.
• I sold anything that I didn't need.
• My biggest money maker was selling a crib and dresser on Craigslist, but we also sold a bike, a shower kit, bar stools and I know I'm forgetting some other things.  If we had had enough stuff we would have had a yard sale too.
• I also sold the kids old clothes at the consignment shop.
• I sold books at Half-Price Books.
• My husband sold some items on e-bay.
• We likely made about $500 this way.

More to come later in the week.  What are your vacation saving tips?  I would love to hear them, especially if you have any regarding Disney.

Summer Goals

As an educator I have two wonderful months off.  When I was student I remember how much I needed this time off to recharge and now as a teacher I can still testify to how much I need this time to refocus, actually get some things done and enjoy life.  So what are my plans for these wonderful two months (actually less than that now :(.  Well, part of the problem is that I have not quite determined these, so here is a rough draft.

• Create and abide by a schedule for the kids and myself.  Please don't ask what the schedule is, I really haven't gotten there yet!!!! 
• Exercise and run a 5k in July, Aug, & Sept.  I have never done the one in July.  The heat has always discouraged me, but I'm going to do it anyway this year. 
• Tackle one house project.  I'm not quite sure what it will be: maybe paint the bedroom, maybe paint the bathroom, or maybe something else.
• Read with the kids on a regular basis.  This will be part of our schedule.
• Do at least one fun thing with the kids a week.
• Set up a new website for my classes.
• Read some good books - some for fun and some for educational/self improvement purposes.
• Nurture my tomato plants and plant a fall garden with lettuce.
• Learn how to create a "hot house".  I'm not sure that is the right term, but what I want is something like a tiny greenhouse that will allow me to grow lettuce and spinach into the colder months. 
• Set up a new budget.
• Make homemade yogurt.
• ENJOY LIFE!!!!!!  ENJOY LIFE!!!!!  ENJOY LIFE!!!!!

This will likely be a living document with regular changes, but I think that is it for right now.  Wish me luck!

A Recipe...I Dare Say

One thing you will not see a lot of on this blog are recipes.  I lack the creative genius needed to be a good cook and honestly the kitchen is just not one of the things that comes easily to me.  But, today I will do the unthinkable and post a delicious recipe that I have copied from my husband and thankfully he has the creative genius a good cook needs. 

Ingredients

• Salmon (I used frozen, I'm sure fresh would only make it better)
• Bacon
• Mushrooms
• Shredded Cheese (I have only used mozzarella, but I'm sure anything would work)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (also works great on the grill)
• Wrap salmon in bacon
• Place on broiler pan and cook until salmon (and bacon) is done (when it easily flakes) - approximately 20 minutes
• While salmon is cooking saute desired amount of mushrooms
• Once the salmon is done, turn the oven off, sprinkle salmon patty with sauteed mushrooms and cheese.  Place back in oven and let sit for a minute or two.
• Pull out delicious salmon and devour!

I absolutely love this recipe for a couple of reasons:

• You are eating salmon, which is fantastic for your heart.
• My kids love it and even ask for seconds.  The true testament to how yummy this is, is that they will eat it without salad dressing.  All meat consumed by my children apparently have to be served with salad dressing except this!!!!!
• It is easy and taste great.  I especially love how the smoky flavor of the bacon is soaked into the salmon and gives the entire dish a fabulous flavor.

If you try it, let me know what you think. 

Saturday Savings on a Monday

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we were on vacation and it was wonderful!  We returned on Saturday and I have been playing catch-up.  While we were on vacation I tried to stick to a budget of $125 for groceries (we had a kitchen), but failed miserably at it and spent $177.  This week we had to restock our cupboards and I spent a bit more than usual, but thankfully had a gift card for $13.70 and used that to keep us right at budget.  I think I will take the next few weeks in June to replenish our stockpile and then I will try to cut back to $100.  I love the challenge of $100 and we need to start saving for next years vacation to DISNEY & UNIVERSAL - I can't wait to go to Harry Potter World!!!!!!

Here are some highlights to my shopping trip: 

• Laura's Lean Beef (which is local for me) was on sale for $1.99 a pound, so I got 4 lbs.
• Delicious strawberries and blueberries for $1.50 a quart and $2.50 a pint (not the best price on blueberries, but they were oh so delicious!!!
• All laundry detergent and Snuggle Fabric Softener for $2 each.  I am going to try to make my own detergent soon, but I forgot the ingredient list so I had to buy some more for my mountain of vacation laundry!
• Wholly Guacamole for $1.69.  I love this stuff, but usually have to pass due to the price.
• Yummy hummus for $1.25.  Athenos spicy three pepper is so unbelievably addictive!  This is coming from a girl who hates beans too!
• That is it.  It was not my best trip ever and I spent more than I would have liked, so I will have to do better next time.  However, it just doesn't seem like the sales are as good as they were a few months ago.  What do you think?

18-Jun
1 gal. org. milk	$5.49
All La. Det.	$2.99	$1 coup
Snuggle Fab. Soft.	$2.99	$1 coup
Kroger Syrup	$1.95
2 Org. Garb. Beans	$1.78
3 Big K Soda	$2.37
Kroger Yeast	$3.19
2 Coco Krispies	$6.98	$1 & .4 coup
2 doz org. eggs	$7.98	2- $1 & .25 coup.
3 6 packs Pepsi	$7.50
White Whole Wheat Flour	$3.99
Org. Yogurt	$3.50	$1 coup
Kroger Pickles	$1.59
3 cans tuna	$3.75
4 lbs. Laura's Lean Beef	$7.96
Choc. Chips	$2.25
2 Feta Cheese	$4.30
Hummus	$1.99	.75 coup
2 Dole Salad	$3.38	.85 coup
Org. Chicken	$9.44
2 Cans Mand. Org.	$2.00
2 Cottage Cheese	$3.98	.4 coup
3 bags salad	$4.95	.5 coup
2 pints blueberries	$5.00
Org. Spinach	$3.79
Mushrooms	$2.07
6 yogurt	$5.34	$1 coup
Cashews	$2.79
5 oranges	$3.00
Pineapple	$2.50
2 Wholly Guac.	$3.38
Org. Bananas	$3.32
2 Cucumbers	$2.00
2 quarts stb.	$3.00
3lbs. Org apples	$4.29
1 pint org. tom.	$3.29
1 Mango	$0.68
2 orange bell peppers	$3.38
1.62 lbs. tom.	$3.69
Total Spent	$137.62
Total Saved	$37.88
Total Coupon Savings	$11.15
Budget	under 1.08
June Spending	$416.67