Yard Sale Finds 7/31

It was a slow week in the yard sale world around here.  I believe for the first time ever my husband did not buy a thing.  I was able to get a few things. 

At our first stop I was able to find a sandwich packer, I hope it doesn't have BPA or some other harmful product in it.  But, it will help me pack the kids lunch none-the-less. I would really like to find a second one, so both kids can have one.

At the next stop, I picked up a bath & body package that was unopened.  Who knows what I will do with it, but if I ever need a last minute gift I'll have one.  Sorry, it is sideways, but it has been a long day and I don't have the energy to change it.

At another stop, I found this Monopoly Junior Disney Channel game, again unopened.  This will make a good Christmas present for someone.  It was originally marked to sell for $8, but being the cheapskate that I am asked if they would take $4 and she accepted. 

Now, onto the clothes.  There isn't much here.  I was able to get C another UK shirt and a pair of play shorts that will both fit in a year or two for .50.  At another sale, I got a pair of jean shorts that I may just sell and a looks brand new Children's Place sweater both for C and an Old Navy cardigan for me for $1all together.  The cardigan is the next addition to my "new" school clothes :)! 

Finally, there was a rare Sunday sale.  These people had a HUGE beautiful home and everything they had out was just as beautiful and amazingly it was reasonably priced.  I spent $20 total at this yard sale and got some cute home decor items.

That's it folks, it was slow week as I said.  How did you do? 

Don't forget to check out Yard Sale Mommy and her finds too, if you haven't already

Saturday Savings 7/30

Each week our family of four attempts to maintain a $125 grocery budget.  Generally speaking, this includes as much organic dairy and produce as our budget will allow and the stores carry.  I try to buy our meat from a local grocer who is supplied by an Amish community in Ohio.  Although it is not organic meat, I think it is pretty close, without being outrageously priced.  When our budget and grocery list allow I try to stockpile as much as I can.  Items stockpiled are highlighted in yellow below.  We rarely eat out and I am learning to cook from scratch (it's an on-going process :), you could say cooking is not one of my talents.

It was a decent week of shopping around here.  I went over by $5, but I also bought $5 worth of extra soda for next week.  So I'm just going to call that even.  I was able to get a lot of freebies with the use of coupons including: 2 bags of organic carrots, 2 tubes of toothpaste, 3 bars of Ivory soap, free hairspray, 14 cups of Stonyfield organic yogurt & free pasta.  In addition to that, I got two items free (ketchup and a red peppers) with Meijer's 10 for $10 get the 11th free.  I also hit the jackpot with marked down organic lettuce :)!  It is normally $3.50 per container and I was able to get it for $2.09. 

The items highlighted below will automatically go to our stockpile.

30-Jul
Kroger
3 - 2 liters soda	$2.37
2 -2 liters water	$2.00
2 - 1/2 gal. org. milk	$6.38
4 bologna	$4.00
4 - 6 packs soda	$10.00
Coffee filters	$1.50
org. cherry tom.	$3.09
2 Crest toothpaste	$2.00	2 - .75 coupons & $1 off health & beauty
2 Mangoes	$2.98
3 pack Ivory soap	$1.00	1.00 coup
2 instant pudding	$1.30
14 Stonyfield org. yogurt	$0.99	Buy 1 get 1 free & 7 - Free coupons
Coffee filters	$3.99
2 yogurt	$3.76	.75 coup
2 Mustard	$1.95	2 - .60 coup
Cottage Cheese	$1.25
Frozen Broc. Florets	$1.00
4 - Shredded Cheese	$10.00	1.35 coup
2 pretzels	$2.50
Suave Hairspray	$2.99	Free Coupon
Cooking Spray	$1.98
Red Grapes	$5.97
Cashews	$2.79
Frozen Rubharb	$2.51
3 - 16oz Strawberries	$5.37
.72 lbs. org. tom.	$2.15
4.1 lbs. org. bananas	$2.83	$1 off organics
3 Cucumbers	$1.50
1.94 lbs. org. apples	$4.05
Total Spent	$83.51
Total Saved	$55.10
Total Coupons	$17.72
Meijer
2 Org. Corn	$2.18
3 org. Green Beans	$3.27
2 Choc. Chips	$3.34
4 Blueberries	$6.67
3 Peppers	$3.00	$1 off for 10 for 10 & 11th free deal
2 Pasta Mixes	$2.00	$1 off coupon
2 Biscuits	$2.00
1 Can Pears	$1.00
2 Ketchup	$2.00	$1 off for 10 for 10 & 11th free deal
2 Org. Carrots	$2.00	$2 off 2 Earthbound Products
2 Pineapple	$2.00
6 Cans Mandarin Orang.	$6.00	$2.50 in coupons
Pasta	$1.00	$1 coupon
Organic Mushrooms	$1.00
6 Org. Romaine	$12.54	2 - $2 off 2 Earthbound Products
Total Spent	$37.70
Total Saved	$42.56
Total Coupons	$10.50
Local Meat Store
1.08 lbs. Bacon	$4.31
1.46 lbs. Chicken Breasts	$4.80
Total Spent	$9.11
Total Weekly Spending	$130.32
Total Savings	$97.66
Total Coupons	$28.22
Total for July	$630.40
Budget	over by 5.40
Monthly budget	over by 5.08
Yearly Spending	$2,327.43

Food Waste Friday 7/29

 On Wednesday July 6, 2011 I decided to finally join The Frugal Girl and begin TRULY attempting to reduce our family's food waste and in the spirit of Mom's Plans I am guesstimating how much the food waste cost our family. 

It was a better week here!!!!!  Thankfully, no meat was left out like last week.  I'm still upset with myself about that one. 

The first item I had to waste is this sad ear of corn (.20).  I've never seen corn with mold on it until this week.  It's pretty nasty.  The good news here is I was able to save the two other ears.  Before I started documenting food waste, they would have gone the way of the trash can.  Can you easily compost an ear of corn?  I think it would not decompose easily, but I'm sure I'm wrong and would love to hear if anyone has done it. 

The second item that got wasted, but did end up in the compost bin, was a portion of a zucchini (.00 - garden)  Although it didn't have mold, it was definitely not right. 

Finally, there were a few cherry tomatoes that I bought about a month ago and meant to put in a tomato (.20) sauce, but totally forgot.  That is it and a grand total of .40 for wasted food!  I'm getting better!!!  Although I still would love to say "I ain't got nothin' for ya" I know that documenting has definitely made a difference. My refrigerator is also so bare lately.  It is kind of weird.  How did you do?

A Quick Coupon Deal from Recyclebank that Works Really Well at Meijer

If you are member of Recyclebank, they currently have the $2 off any 2 Earthbound Products marked down to 25 points (originally 75).  That is a great deal on its own, BUT what makes it even better is that Meijer has Earthbound baby carrots on sale for $1.  What does that mean to you...I have always been able to print the coupon twice so that could mean $4 worth of free organic food!

Do You Know What This Is?

It is my first tomato from the garden!!!!!

The picture doesn't do it justice, but it sure did taste good!

Going Green Tip of the Week - The Insomniac Edition

Unfortunately, I cannot sleep and it is 3:00 am.  It is no fun!  So, instead of tossing and turning, I decided to get up and do something productive (at least I hope it is productive) and here it is.....

Today's tip comes from The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen.  Elizabeth and Thomas suggest that in the battle between "Matches and Lighters" that we select matches and try to use the kind that come in a cardboard book, not a box.  I had honestly never thought about this and that is why I picked as the "Tip of the Week."

Here are the details:

• You can probably guess why matches are better than lighters - the huge amount of waste created by those pesky little lighters.  In addition to the waste created,  the casings of the lighters, as well as the butane to fuel them all use one of our most precious commodities -  petroleum.
• Here is an interesting tidbit for you - According to Rogers and Kostigen 1.5 billion lighters end up in landfills or incinerators each year worldwide!
• Now, if you are anything like me you are wondering why cardboard books would be better than a box.  Initially, it seemed to me that the books would actually create more waste.  Well here is the deal.  Wood matches are made from, you guessed it, wood, which translates to cutting down trees.  On the other hand, cardboard matches are typically made from recycled paper.
• Here is another interesting tidbit - If all of the cigarettes smoked in the world, in a year were lit with cardboard matches we could save 5.5 million trees.  Wow!!!!

 If you are interested in The Green Book it was published by Three Rivers Press in 2007.  The ISBN is 978-0-307-38135-4 and it is full of all kinds of information about how to green all areas of your life.  It is also an exceptionally easy read, probably much easier than this post written at 3:00 am.

Somehow, it is Another Recipe - Cowboy Casserole

If you are new here, let me just say upfront I am not a good cook (I'm not horrible either), I try, but the best I can usually do is to modify someone's existing, already good, recipe and that is exactly what I am going to share with you today!  This recipe is courtesy of a dear, old friend who is a much more creative cook than I. 

First off, you should know that the reason this recipe is so good is because you can modify it very easily.  It makes a great clean out your fridge dish.  I will share the original recipe and then share how I modified it today too. 

You will need....

• 16 oz of spaghetti
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 small diced onions
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1 can tomato soup
• garlic powder or salt to taste
• chili powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of worcestershire sauce
• Cheese to top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook spaghetti and ground beef.
3. Once spaghetti and beef are cooked mix together in saute pan with onions. 
4. Season with chili powder, garlic salt/powder, and salt and pepper.
5. Add tomato soup & cream of mushroom.
6. Add dash of worcestershire sauce.
7. Simmer in pan for 15 minutes.
8. Pour into 13X9 casserole dish and top with cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted.

I had to mix two different types of cheese, because I ran out of cheddar.

Some Ideas for Modifications

• Use only 1 lb. of meat.  There is no way in the world I would 2 lbs. of ground beef in here.  I am way too cheap and I'm not a big meat eater either.  Today, I used 1/2 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. of leftover sausage.
• I rarely have tomato soup, so I just use spaghetti sauce.  That is how I got rid of the extra half of jar in my fridge today :)!
• I never use the butter, I just don't need it.  There is plenty of oil in the beef.
• Use up any of those veggies in your fridge that are threatening to go bad.  Today, I diced up some zucchini, squash & carrotts.  My kids will likely never know the difference :)

Veggies ready to be diced up and added to the casserole.

• Use any type of noodles you please and you really don't need a full 16 oz.
• I also typically don't add the veggies until the casserole is close to going in the oven.  I hope that by adding them late, I am able to maintain most of the nutrients that are lost at high temps.

What other modifications do you think I could make?  Let me me know what you think.


This recipe is linked up at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Yard Sale Fun, Again

We have been yard saleing every Saturday for about a month and a half now.  I have really come to enjoy them and I have even shared some of my spoils with you.  Recently I did quite a bit of my school clothing shopping at one.  I was very excited about that because clothes shopping can be so expensive.  I was able to get a couple of skirts, two dresses, and some shorts all for $6.

My husband was able to get this clock for $20.  We are going to give it to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  They have given us so much in the past I am glad we were able to find a great deal and give it to them.

I also started my Christmas shopping.  My older son loves UK, so I found the blanket above for $2.  I was able to get 10 brand new Goosebumps books for $3 and I purchased two travel paint kits for $1 each.  

My kids are hilarious in the different ways they approach yard sales.  First, I should say neither likes to go and they complain the entire time, but their spending habits are so interesting.

C the older child is quite a saver, workhorse, and well, a mooch!  If there is anything he can get his brother (or me) to purchase and then share with him he is on it using his very persuassive techniques.  As of today C has saved $21+.  The only thing I have seen him purchase at a yard sale is a DS game and I was so proud of him.  Without discussing this with me or his dad he walked up to the lady and said "How much would you take for this?"  I sat back and watched the entire exchange and it was pretty darn cute.  In the end he got it for a $1 less.  But I have seen him talk his brother into purchasing bouncy balls, Hulk punching gloves, a DS game, some more bouncy balls, Pick Up Sticks and he has also gotten me to purchase him a Slinky and some (yes more) bouncy balls.

I didn't even have to ask him to smile for this one.

Now, my younger son is another story.  Saving is simply not a word he knows or cares to understand.  As soon as he gets any money he is ready to spend.  Every week his $1 is gone and it is typically gone at the first yard sale.  Today he bought 22 bouncy balls with his $1.  What in the world did he want 22 bouncy balls for, I don't know.   Is he playing with them now?  Of course he isn't!  Will he play with them again?  Who knows.  But that moment of joy when he spends his dollar is obviously worth it to him. 

A and his spoils.

If you would like to see more on our yard sale fun you can click here or here or here.  What successes have you had, I love to hear about yard saleing.

Thanks to Jen at  Yard Sale Mommy for hosting a link up.

Saturday Savings 7/23 - The School Supply Edition

Each week our family of four attempts to maintain a $125 grocery budget.  Generally speaking this includes as much organic dairy and produce as our budget will allow and the stores carry.  I try to buy our meat from a local grocer who is supplied by an Amish community in Ohio.  Although it is not organic meat, I think it is pretty close, without being outrageously priced.  When our budget and grocery list allow I try to stockpile as much as I can.  Items stockpiled are highlighted in yellow below.  We rarely eat out and I am learning to cook from scratch (it's an on-going process :), you could say cooking is not one of my talents.

Yesterday was such a rush this is the only picture I got and I got this one today.

This week turned out a lot better than it could have been, but I must admit the big savings total you see at the end is coming almost exclusively from school supplies.  I went over by $5 this week, but I spent over $14 on school supplies, so I will take that.  I would also like to pat myself on the back for scratching some things off my list when I knew I was going to go over budget. 

As far as stockpiling goes my main stockpiling items are the school supplies you see above.  I will use most of these in my classroom and I will keep a few for the kids as the year progresses (Grandma likes to take the kids and get their initial supplies).  I also bought a ton of yellow peppers, squash and zucchini that I need to cut up and freeze before they go bad - they were all marked down.  I was also able to get some shampoo, conditioner, and a toothbrush for my toiletry stockpile.  Those were free with expiring ExtraBucks.  Lastly, I got some snack and freezer baggies to use during the school year.  Well, here is the rest of it.  I hope you had a good week shopping!

22-Jul
CVS
Pantene Shamp & Cond.	$6.97	$3 off 2 coup.
Colgate toothbrush	$2.79	$1 coup.
5 packs of pens	$2.50
		Used $8 in ExtraBucks
Total Spent	$1.00
Total Saved	$26.06
Total Coupons	$4.00
Extra Bucks Earned	$4.00
Walgreens
30 - 10 packs pencils	$5.70
5 - 10 packs of mech. Pencils	$1.90
Total Spent	$8.06
Total Saved	$39.00
Kroger
10 - 10 packs pens	$3.34
10 notebooks	$1.50
6 crayons	$1.50
5 Sargento Cheese	$9.40	$4.55 in coupons
Sea Salt	$1.69
Popcorn	$2.69
2 Org. Garbanzo Beans	$1.98
3 - 2 liters Diet Soda	$2.37
2 Dannon Yogurt	$3.76	2 - $1 coupons
2 Kroger Mandarin Org.	$1.54
Watermelon	$4.99	my splurge!!!
Choc. Chips	$2.29
2 Kroger Pretzels	$2.50
1.05 lbs. Tom	$1.55
3lbs. Onions	$1.98
2 Mangoes	$2.00
2 Cascadian Farms Cereal	$6.38	$1 coupon
4.91lbs. Org. bananas	$2.70
Mushrooms	$2.07
1.94 lbs. org. apples	$3.07
2.54 lbs. oranges	$2.51
2 org. strawberries	$5.98
2 pints org. tom.	$5.00	$1 coupon off organics
Total Spent	$64.76
Total Saved	$58.69
Total Coupons	$8.55
Meijer
Zucchini - markdown	$1.07
3 org. green beans	$3.27
Yellow Squash - markdown	$1.28
2lbs. Org. carrots	$1.99
Yellow Peppers - markdown	$3.02
3lbs. Org. potatoes	$3.99
Dog Food	$11.78	$2 coupon
3 Cucumbers	$1.00
2 - 5lbs. Flour	$5.98
4 pints of blueberries	$6.00
4 - bags org. romaine	$8.00
Hormel natural turkey	$2.50	$1 coupon
5 Meijer salad dressings	$5.00
3 plastic baggies	$3.75
Total Spent	$56.56
Total Saved	$26.44
Total Coupons	$3.00
Total Weekly Spending	$130.38
Total Weekly Savings	$150.19
Total Coupons	$15.55
Total for July	$500.08
Budget	over by 5.38
Monthly budget	over by .08
Yearly Spending	$2,197.11

This is linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge.