Saturday, August 15, 2009

My Friday Deals...

Here's my deals of the day:

CVS--Spent $8 OOP, Got 11 ECB's back, Saved $8.

Jewel--Transaction #1 Spent $27.72 OOP, Got $5 Inst. Rebate and $20 MIR.
Transaction #2--Spent 37.21 OOP and a $10 MIR.

Total Saved $54.87

Hyvee--Spent $37/ Saved $4.

Target--Spent $24.76 OOP/ Saved $3.28.

SV SuperMarket--$3.69 on a whole chicken (I am going to cook this up to see how many meals I can get from it.)

This trip was a littl frustrating, but I'll work through it. The kids aren't around this week , so most of it was stuff they will use when school starts.

My envelope budgeting is going well. I'm finally on board with what my hubby has been trying to teach me the last 8 1/2 years. Sorry to say, I'm not good with money at all. But now I'm on board with it. Next pay period will be interesting to see how it works. Our big house payment comes out of that check, not leaving much else after it, tithes, and bills. And because my hubby gets paid every two weeks, it shifts when we get that extra pay check every six months or whatever.

But so far, I've only spent $230 on food. Understand that this is a big accomplishment for me. Groceries were never budgeted, so I spent whatever when I went to the store. The last few months before I started doing this, I was spending $600+ on food a month. That included eating out and groceries, and picking stuff up here and there. Now that I have switched to shopping once a week instead of every two weeks, I don't find myself in the store picking up what I ran out of.

We have 1 more pay check in August. And if I do it right, I will have chopped my grocery bill in half!!!! This has been very exciting for me to learn and play with. And there is actually money budgeted to go do other things. :)

So that's how it went this week.....

PS....I think some stores and candy makers are behind a conspiracy to make our children revolt against us. WHO'S BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT....to put all the candy right up underneath the cash register. I have never had a problem with my kids asking for things except at CVS...its right there at THEIR eye level, and a pack of Starbursts (which Mom said no to) about had us headed out to the van for a "battle of the wills" match. And it was only the first stop! But mom got her point across and off we headed to Jewel for stop 2. I think after yesterday, I will try to arrange it to go shopping by myself. 5 or 6 stops with a 3 and 6 year old is just to much for them. It's almost too much for me, BUT it's so worth the savings. :)

Have a great weekend!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Saturday Morning Grocery Trip

Good Morning, or should I say Good Afternoon, guess it depends on where you are from right now. It actually just turned 12:07 here, so I guess it's afternoon. :)

Here is how my shopping trip went today.

Transaction #1--Jewel Osco
Jewel was having a sale on certain items, if you bought $30, you got $15 back toward your next purchase. So here is what I did...

I purchased their $30 worth of items and it actually came to $26.50 after coupons I had. My $15 coupons toward my next purchase automatically printed out, thus I had Transaction #2 ready. And here that is...

Transacation #2--Jewel Osco




Here you see popcorn which was B1G1, a pound of apples (which I actually weighed and wouldn't you know it, I only got 2 apples). There is also cheese, crackers, and butter. Also you see split chicken breast, which was B1G1. I got almost 4lbs of chicken for $7.39 which is what the heavier of the two cost. So I applied my $15 coupons to this transaction and paid $6.42 OOP.



Transaction #3--CVS Pharmacy




At CVS, I had $12 ECB's from my last trip and a coupon for a free lotion. OOP was $2.33. I also got 1 ECB back.


I'm slowly getting the hang of this. It will take some time, but I'll get it! In just the two weeks I have done the coupons, ECB's and etc., I have knocked $80 off my average grocery bill for a two week period!
So, I spent $37.58 OOP, and my receipts total a savings of $59.75. :)

Till next time, HAPPY SAVING!








P.S. I should mention too, that we are able to slaughter a whole beef every winter, we most do ground beef and roasts, so thats why you will hardly see any beef in my posts.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Can we say.....

EXHAUSTED!

LOL...thats me, today. I am hoping there is enough coffee in the world for me today. But coffee is what got me here to begin with.

Yesterday, I ended up taking my 6 and 3 year old school shopping. We got school supplies, picked up some new clothes and shoes. We were gone almost all day. We got home at 4 in time to unload grab a bite to eat and turn around and spin wheels back to town for VBS, which has been 6:30 to 8:30 all week. While the kids were at VBS, I decided to sit at Starbucks with a Venti Frapp and read. OH, some nice quiet time. It was very enjoyable.

My problem started after that. I went to bed about 10:15 and preceeded to toss and turn and toss and turn and...well, you get the picture. So I got out of bed and finally wound down about 2:00. YIKES....wouldn't have been a problem except.....

I volunteered to keep a friends 3 girls for the day. So I have five kids in my house...LOL. Everyone is a little tired, a little cranky, I think I see nap times for everyone. :)

So thats what is is here....tired and exhausted. I still have a grocery list to make, I need to get bread made, and my kitchen tidied up, but there is no motivation.

Oh, and did I mention its cloudy and cool here today, that doesn't help me any. :)

Until next time,

Saturday, August 1, 2009

On A Mission ( A Money Saving Mission)

Okay, so here is my mission...I want to save money! How hard could it be? With me, its very difficult.

Here is how I plan to do this. I have started couponing, and I have done an envelope budget system starting with my hubby's paycheck on 8/14.

I am in need of a newer vehicle soon, and my goal, is to pay cash. We don't have a vehicle payment now, and I don't want to start having one.

Before I spent $200 (every two weeks) everytime I went to the grocery store. I really need to cut that back! I started Friday (7/31) with my coupons, register rewards, and help from God. I really want to be a more frugal steward of my husband's (and God's) money. So here I go.

I have already thrown the receipts from Friday away, but I did do really good for my first time out. I think I spent around $85 in groceries for the week and $45 in personal items. I also got 12 ECB's back from CVS to use toward my next purchase.

Please join me on this endeavor and pray that I can reach my goal.

Till next time,

Monday, May 25, 2009

WOW.....

I can't believe it's been since Feb 19th since I have last been on here. So much has happened! Blogging seemed to have taken a back seat.

Since I last posted on my doings, I have taken a trip, had surgery, and finished up the school year with DD.

On Spring Break we headed to Colorado to see family. The kids and I road the train out and back. It was a great experience. I highly recommend it if your not in a hurry.

A week after returning from Colorado, I had gall bladder surgery. It was scheduled and I thought I was prepared, but as much as we plan, it always turns out different. It was an outpatient surgery, which I wish it hadn't been. I really wasn't ready to come home that afternoon. They said within 3-5 days I would be back to myself. Well, it was day 5 before I even started to feel better. I was so blessed to have the help of a wonderful church family and friends. After I hit day 7, I was a brand new woman. I had the surgery on a Thursday and the following Saturday I was roller skating and the next night playing volleyball.

I didn't realize I had been feeling so bad, because I have been feeling better than I have for a very long time. I am down 10lbs since the surgery and I am now training for a 5K.

God has been so good too! We have seen many friends lose their jobs this spring, and yet God has provided for each of them. Many of them have gotten called back or found new jobs to provide for them and their families.

May proved to be a busy month with piano recitals and graduations. I was so glad when school was out for the summer. I hadn't realized how much I hadn't been home, until I was actually home last week! DD graduated from Kindergarten and will be entering the 1st grade already. I am amazed how blessed I am with her.

Summer is in full swing here. We have already enjoyed a trip to the zoo and a great picnic for Memorial Day with church family. This summer looks to be exciting! Vacation will start in a few weeks and we are so looking forward to the days away with one another.

Till Next Time....

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Bag Give-A-Way

I have never done one of these but found it on a friends blog. Such cute bags! Go on over and enter yourself.

http://bagsnrags.blogspot.com/2009/02/grand-opening-purse-give-away.html

Friday, February 6, 2009

You know you live in Illinois when....

It's only 47* outside and you can open your windows!

Yes! A few of my windows are open. The sun is brightly shining, no wind, and it's actually quite nice out. I have some fresh air coming in to see if I can rid of the sick germs that have been hiding out in my home. =)

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Proverbs 3:11-12

Chasten (correction)

Ways God corrects us...

1) Explain
2) Example
3) Exercise
4) Execution

Saturday, January 31, 2009

It's Saturday!

Today was the first day I had been out of the house in 3 days. My little darlin' girl has been sick again and missed three days of school. There is a strep epidemic at school, but I think we missed it this time (Praise the Lord, we just got over Scarlet Fever). Now my little guy seems to be getting it. I have gone through more Motrin and Tylenol this winter than I think I have seen in a lifetime (I should buy stock). Hubby and I are going to toss a coin to see who gets to go to which service tomorrow. I hate missing church.

Anyways, I left the house for a couple of hours this morning, to go.......grocery shopping. It was nice to get out for a while. It warmed up quite nicely today, a bright sunny 40*. =)

It's been a semi-productive day for a Saturday. Besides grocery shopping, I managed to wash the linens, clean up the kitchen, dust, and vaccuum. Much needed things to be done, as the housework has been ignored the last few days.

I also sat down and laid out the bills for the next week, and I have to say....God is good! It hasn't mattered whether gas be $4.25 or $1.89, He has provided our every need. There always seems to be just enough. =)

Now I'm off to create dinner..LOL. I am going to whip up some homeade salsa and then get together the stuff for taco salad. That seems to be our Saturday thing.

I already have a brisket in the crockpot for tomorrow. It will be nice and tender. I will probably get up and pour BBQ sauce over it in the morning.

From my sometimes magic life....till next time.........

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Another One for the Books....

Bruschetta'n Cheese-Stuffed Baked Chicken


Prep Time: 15 min Total Time:1 hr

Makes: 8 servings


What You Need!
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)
1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Make It!
HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.


PLACE 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag; place, top-sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.


BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.


And it rolls around again...

Sickness...it's all around. I thought I had very healthy children, then we started school. We have been missing so much because everyone has been so sick. And its not just me, its all my friends and their kids. It just seems to go around and around and around....

Darvi is home for day 2. Fever, swollen glands, etc. Strep is running through the school right now. Over 20 were gone yesterday and more today.

So I'm home...and embarassed to say, still in my pj's. I do have chicken out for dinner. I'm gonna try a new recipe again tonight. I will post the recipe once I have the reviews of the family.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It's been a while....

22 days as a matter of fact, since I have last graced the presence of my blog page. Seems like things haven't slowed down much since Christmas. I spend 2 days out of the week teaching and cooking hot lunch at our church school and Darvi's school. Mondays are my recoup from the weekend days, and that leaves Thursday and Friday for cleaning and errands and whatever else may need to be done.

My goal this year (especially as we come to the end of the school year) is to learn to say NO; to learn to prioritize and not get my self into things that make my head spin. So far I have managed.

So today was crazy. After being up at 6:15 and showered and ready. I then started dinner in the crockpot, made three lunches, roused the kids, fed them breakfast, and got them desirable for public. Then off I was to drop Darvi off at school before heading for the church. Our Supervisor is out of town, so he doubled up the mom's to help the kids while he was gone. Needless to say, when "the cat's away, the mice will play." We dismissed at 3 and then I was off to pick up Darvi, to the post office, and then home sweet home.

Waiting for me in that contraption known as a girls best friend was the following recipe. It's definetely a keeper. It was great to get great raves on something so simple (even from the kids) after a recipe (which I won't share) from last week bombed.


Campbell's® Slow-Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 8 hours
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 cups whole baby carrots
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup water
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose baking mix
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
Place the chicken, potatoes, carrots and celery into a 6-quart slow cooker.
Stir the soup, water, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir the baking mix and milk in a medium bowl. Spoon the batter over the chicken mixture. Turn the heat to HIGH. Tilt the lid to vent and cook for 30 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked in the center.
*Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with spinach salad; baby spinach leaves topped with orange sections, dried cranberries and raspberry-pecan vinaigrette. For dessert serve wedges of mixed berry pie with whipped topping.
Nutrition Information
Using Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: Calories 348, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 58mg, Sodium 968mg, Total Carbohydrate 36g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 24g, Vitamin A 90%DV, Vitamin C 11%DV, Calcium 9%DV, Iron 14%DV
Using Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup: Calories 317, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 58mg, Sodium 796mg, Total Carbohydrate 36g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 23g, Vitamin A 91%DV, Vitamin C 11%DV, Calcium 9%DV, Iron 14%DV

ENJOY!

Monday, January 5, 2009

From C.S. Lewis....

"God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."