What We're Eating on $50

Our menu isn't gourmet by any stretch of the means, but it's healthy for the most part and everyone gets fed! My husband pretty much prefers chicken, chicken, and chicken, and it's still grill-out season, so I take advantage of grilling while I can (though I couldn't man it by myself if my life depended on it). And, we've obviously outgrown the need for baby food since Baby B eats everything that we do.

Working on a Baby B update. Will be up soon!

Breakfast
· Milk, juice, water
· Cereal
· Cereal Bars
· Pop Tarts
· Fruit
· Yogurt
· Waffles

Lunch
· Milk, juice, water
· Hummus w/carrots, tortillas, or crackers
· Chicken nuggets
· Cereal bars
· Yogurt
· Fruit/veggies
· Annie's Mac-n-cheese
· Turkeydogs
· Left-overs
· Applesauce
· PBJs

Snacks
· Milk, juice, water
· Crackers
· Yogurt
· Cereal bars
· Cookies
· Fruit/veggies
· 100 Calorie Packs
· Ice Cream
· Pudding

Dinner
· Milk, juice, water
· Ground turkey burritos w/corn
· BBQ Chicken/Corn on the cob/Mashed potatoes
· Summer vegetables with pasta
· Marinated chicken w/rice and green beans
· Whole Wheat Spaghetti/salad/bread
· French toast/Eggs/fruit

$51.31 - yahoo!

Let me preface this post with this: I CALLED YOU AND LEFT YOU A MSG, SISTER! TAG, YOU'RE IT! Ahem. You know who you are ;)

********

Brace ourselves. It's a heckuva post. And I feel very blessed that I was able to pull off such a large haul this week on my limited budget. (Sidenote: Though shopping is petty compared to, say, world peace and illnesses, I said a prayer before I set out. I really did. And God, as always, provided. I should do this more often...) I felt really challenged this week to also buy some other household necessities and include them in my budget. Admittedly, I sometimes cheat and won't included baby items or toiletries. However, armed with inspiration from Duet Diva who left this in a comment "...explain how you spend $50 each week on your menu items and your basic home needs (including baby items)," and loads of faith that I would be able to pull it off, and I DID!

Here's some things you need to know:

• My husband drinks a lot of milk. A LOT. I found two gallons marked down to 59 cents a piece at my local store, so I was able to buy milk at a fraction of what I usually spend AND I used some ECBS towards another gallon that ended up being FREE!
• I do buy Baby B organic whole milk because I'm freaked out about him growing armpit hair at age seven. I try hard to stay away from anything with added growth hormone (i.e. most milk), additives or preservatives. I'm mostly successful, but not always.
• Since my husband has been through puberty, he drinks the regular old milk and laughs at me for buying the expensive stuff for our son. Make fun all you want, baby.
• I will post a meal plan match-up eventually that details what we're eating this week. Sorry for those of you who came to look at pictures of Baby B. Come back soon for those.
• Of course I already have a pantry and freezer full of other items that we use too. I also have a stockpile (closet-full) of toiletries. Will post more on this some other time.

All in all, I spent $51.31 on everything written about and pictured below.

Trip #1: Target

2 100 Cal Packs @ $4.08 - $.75mfc = $3.33

1 Whole Grain Cheez-Its @ $2.50 - $.75mfc = $1.75

1 Kashi TLC Crackers @ $2.88 - $1mfc = $1.88

1 Kashi TLC Cereal Bars @ $2.88 - $1mfc = $1.88

4 Poptarts @ $6.08 - $2mfc = $4.08 - $1.50tc = $2.58

2 Ronzoni Whole Wheat Pasta @ $1.52 = $1.52

1 Rimmel Mascara @ $2.24 - $2mfc = $.24

2 Bic Pens @ $2.00 - $1mfc = $1.00

__________________________________________

Total Before Coupons = $24.18

Total After Coupons (before tax) = $14.18

Total Saved = $10 or 41%

Trip # 2: Walgreens

1 Pkg Huggies Wipes @ $3.29 - $2 store coupon = $1.29 - $1.50 mfc = FREE

(I paid 20 cents in tax though. Coupons never cover tax, btw!)

Trip #3: KMart

1 Pkg Pamper Diapers @ $9.99 - $4mfc = $5.99

(KMart is running SUPER DOUBLE COUPONS - up to $2 - at my store this week, so the $2mfc turned into $4! Yipee!)

Trip #4: Kroger/CVS/Local Store

Kroger

4 Fruit2Os @ $5.24 - $4mfc = $1.24 (or 31 cents a piece)

2 Reece Cups @ $1.00 - $1mfc = FREE

1 Charmin TP @ $1.88 - $1mfc = $.88

2 Hershey's Syrup @ $3.16 - $1mfc = $2.16 (or $1.08 a piece)

1 Private Selection Organic Milk @ $2.79 = $2.79

2 L'Oreal Vive Shampoo & Conditioner BOGO @ $3.79 - $2mfc = $1.79 (or 89 cents a piece)

2 Pkg Dannon Yogurt @ $3.76 - $2mfc = $1.76 (or 88 cents a piece)

1 Can Chickpeas @ $.99

1.34 lbs Red Potatos @ $1.33

3 apples @ $1.00

2.19 lbs Chiquita Bananas @ $1.05

2 Pkg Ball Park Hotdogs @ $2.00 - $1mfc = $1.00 (or 50 cents a piece)

1 Pkg Tyson Fresh Chicken Cutlets @ $3.99 - $1mfc = $2.99

1 Pkg Tysen Chicken Nuggets @ $3.29 - $1mfc = $2.29

1 Zucchini @ $.51

1 Yellow Squash @ $.58

1 Bag Dole Salad @ $.98

1 Bag Peaches @ $1.48

3 Ears of Corn @ $.51

1 Pkg Baby Carrots @ $.99

1 Quarter Watermelon @ $.94

______________________________

Total = $54.84

After Coupons/Kroger Plus Card = $27.95

Total Saved = $26.89 or 49%

CVS

2 Bouncy Balls @ $.98

1 Gallon Milk @ $2.39

_________________________
Total = $3.37

Total after $3 ECB = $.37

Local Store

1 lb Jenni-O Ground Turkey @ $3.99 - $3.99mfc = FREE

2 Gallons of milk @ $1.18

____________________

Total = $5.17

Total After Coupons = $1.18

Total Saved = $3.99 or 77%

I hope I don't have the swine flu

It was only a matter of time before the kinder critters attacked my immunities. After one year of teaching, it is a certifiable fact that I am not immune to everything and I'm sure my annual bout of strep throat will occur within the next 6 weeks (the past two years tell the same tale). My nose and head feel stuffy and clogged, so for the first time since October of 2008 I'm taking cold medication. Pregnancy and nursing prevented the consumption of such medication.

However, it's not working. I feel like blah. And Baby B is just getting over feeling like blah, so things are just very blah around here today.

Well, except my husband and FIL hung new shutters on our house (that've been sitting in our basement for the past year), and Baby B and I did manage to get in a Target trip (which I'll blog about later), and my parents are having us over for breakfast for dinner tonight. So maybe it's not been a blah weekend at all. Feeling blah-like just puts a damper on your attitude, I guess.

Here's sweet precious before his whole 103 degree fever bit - at the park with his Nana K...

Look at that determination, wouldya?

Couponing Part I: An Intro

Hello, friends!

I have enjoyed reading your emails and comments regarding couponing, and am excited that many of you are giving it a try. For those of you interested in how I obtain and use coupons to my advantage, this post should help you...

Admittedly, when I first began clipping coupons, I sort of thought there was this stigma attached to, you know, being that woman in the grocery store. The one holding up the check-out line while the manager was summoned to clarify a coupon combo that seemed way too good to be true (it wasn't). Or the one toting a coupon binder through the aisles, pausing to sort through her wares to match up a sale with a coupon (who cares?).

I'll just put it out there. I was kind of embarrassed. Looking back, I'm not sure what I was embarrassed of - saving money? leaving a store paying less than half of what the total bill should have been? stickin' it to The Man?

I guess I thought that if anyone I knew saw me walking through the aisles of Kroger holding coupons- gasp - they would think less of me. Like I couldn't afford gorceries at regular price. Well, truth be told, I've run into many acquaintances at the grocery store since (hello, I'm a teacher), and never once heard a snicker over my purple zippered binder. I doubt they even notice it. And, it's kind of empowering to be able to spend so little on so much. Like, I sometimes leave the store wanting to do a fist-pump/high-kick combo and sing out Cha-ching! as I'm pushing my cart through the sliding doors.

So, what I'm getting at here, was the long-winded way of saying leave your pride at the door. There's nothing embarrassing about saving money. Nothing at all.


Anyway, stepping off of my soapbox...


Many of you asked where I obtain my coupons from. I'll list my main sources below:

1. The Sunday Paper. If I find that the coupons are extra good (i.e. offering high dollar coupons on items I regularly use), I'll buy a second paper.
2. I exchange coupon inserts with others (i.e. coworkers, neighbors, mom). We all get the coupons we need and then give the inserts to the other person so they can do the same. This is how I obtained multiple copies of the $2 off Rimmel Mascara coupons that I used at Target the other day. The mascara was regularly $2.24, so that made each mascara only 24 cents before tax! I'm a mascara fiend, so this was a great buy for me.
3. I visit Smartsource and Coupons.com on a weekly basis and print coupons from home that differ from those in the paper. If you print online, here's some things you need to know: a) you can usually only print a coupon twice before a print-limit is reached b)set your printer settings to economy print or fastdraft or black/white to save on ink c) not all stores accept printables, so verify with your retailer before going through the hassle (I have yet to find a store that doesn't accept them). d) if you see something you want, print it immediately! don't wait because good coupons often have a global print limit and once it is reached, no one can print it any more.
4. If you have a favorite brand, join their website or sign up for an email newsletter. It is best to set up an email account specifically for fielding emails from these type of places because you will get LOTS of junkmail. After joining, you'll usually be privy to sales or coupons that you can print.
5. Follow Money Saving Mom! She's my personal coupon guru, and just by her ability to key me into the latest deals, I've saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. I love her and her faith-based site.
6. If you can sign up for something free (i.e. samples!), DO IT! Usually, when you sign up for a free sample, the company will also send along some great coupons. You have to enter your home address, and I can honestly report that I've not received any more junk {snail} mail than I usually would.
7. If you are a Target shopper (and who isn't?), you must, must, must print Target coupons. This is because they allow you to pair a store coupon with a mfc (manufacturer coupons). This can make for some great deals (i.e. The PopTarts I bought at Target the other day were priced at $1.52 a box, but when I combined a TC (75 cents off) with a mfc ($1 off of 2), the total came to only 65 cents a box. Not bad!) Other stores also offer store coupons, like Walgreens and Meijer.

I'll end this first post with this: if you want to coupon, you really have to be committed to it. It takes some work every week to not only clip coupons, but to also match up the best deals. I'm not trying to turn this into a money-saving-blog, and am certainly not the first person to ever do a post like this, but I'm excited to share some of my strategies and hope that they can shave a couple dollars off of your weekly grocery budget.

I will post a menu-grocery shopping match-up next week (probably Tuesday-ish), so that you can see what we eat on $50 a week :)

I'll also show you my coupon binder and where I go to find good deals in a subsequent post.

I'll also continue to post about sweet precious and how I actually got to cruise around in a real, live mini-van for 48 hours this week. And I didn't take pictures. Oh, and Baby B is sick. Darn those Kinder critters and their germs. Grrr.

Happy night, BFFs!

PSA

Dear People of the Doctor's Office Waiting Room,

To the Magazine Hoarder: You're not the only one who wants to ogle John Gosslin's latest fling or Kim Kardashian's baby bump. Spread the wealth and leave a couple of outdated, paged-through People's for the rest of us.


To the Teen Texter: It would not bother anyone in the waiting room if you silenced your buttons as you click click click away at a message to your BFF. OMG, do you know how annoying that is?

To the Overly Loud Couple: The doctor's office is an unofficially quiet place - kind of like an elevator. If you must talk, do so a couple octaves lower than your regular volume. In fact, just whisper. No one wants to hear about your plantar's wart or the latest family feud. For real.


To the Receptionist: Your job is to serve the public, and I assume that when you were hired no where in your job description did it say Scowl and communicate only in audible sighs of exasperation as you request copayment. We're not that thrilled about health insurance either, but it'd be a much more pleasurable experience if you plastered a welcoming smile on your face every now and then. Oh, and if you could at least acknowledge me standing there at the window, basically at your mercy since you're responsible for letting the doctor know I'm there, that would be a bonus. Many thanks.


To the Parent of A Toddler: I have a toddler too, so I'm right there with you in how exhausting it is to chase them from one side of the waiting room to the other. However, it is completely unacceptable to just let him run amok, and holler his name loudly across the room hoping that will entice him to return to you. Guess what? It's not. He's two and you're over thirty. Reign him in, preferably with one of those child leashes that masks itself as an animal backpack.


Your's in Friendly Doctor's Office Etiquette,


Babbling Abby

PS. I'm sorry if this is a terribly bitter, complaining type post. It's just, when you wait for the doctor for 45 minutes past your scheduled time and then the appointment takes all of 30 seconds, you're kind of over it. And then they've just given you plenty of time to think all those negative thoughts... But, I do feel better now. Thanks :)

The next Beckham. No, really.

As if you ever doubted that my son would play soccer...oh wait, you didn't know that we're big soccer fans around the Babbling household? Oh, we so are.

And we expect Baby B to follow suit. And while, to you, he may be haphazardly, accidently running into the ball, I promise you he is not. Totally intentional.

Love him.

Coupon Tuesday :)

I don't usually do posts like this, but thought maybe you needed some inspiration to start coupon clipping and deal shopping. If not, skip this post and come back later when I convince you that my son is destined for soccer greatness.

For everything pictured above, I spent $14.85.

The only thing I paid full price for was the fruit and chips, which were on sale, but I didn't have a coupon for them.

This will be my weekly grocery shopping, as I already have a solid stock of other necessities (i.e. dairy, meet, sweets) on hand.

The above is composed of items from three different stores. Here's how it all breaks down:

Walgreens

2 Boxes of Huggies Wipes @ $2.98
__________________________
Total before coupons = $5.96
Total after coupons = $1.98

Kroger

3 Kiwi @ $1 = $1
1 Cantelope @ $.88 = $.88
4 Pkgs. Danimal Yogurts @ $1.88 = $7.52
1 Nutripals @ $3.63 = $3.63
2 Reeses Cups @ $.50 = $1.00
1 Kroger Tortilla Chips @ $1.00 = $1.00
______________________________
Total before coupons = $15.03
Total after coupons = $7.14

Target

1 Earth's Best Organic Baby Crackers @ $1.77 = $1.77
2 Kellogg's Pop Tarts @ $1.52 = $3.04
1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cup @ $1.00 = $1.00
1 Edy's Ice Cream @ $3.04 = $3.04
5 Rimmel Mascaras @ 2.24 = $11.20
2 Pkgs Bic Mechanical Pencils @ $1.24 = $2.48
_____________________________
Total before coupons = $22.53
Total after coupons = $5.73


So, couponing is amazing. Hopefully, by keeping our weekly grocery budget under $50 a week, I can start attacking some of our debt (are you listening Sallie Mae?).

Please leave a comment or email me babblingabby(at)gmail(dot)com if you have any questions about starting to coupon!