More Toy Storage

We have too many toys. It's a sickness really. I'm pretty sure that they're breeding when we're not looking. And you know what's really scary: he turns one in a few weeks, and you know what that means. More toys!



Please don't tell my mom that you saw my house look like this. I think she might throw up a little.

I've been trying to come up with solutions for all my son's stuff. You already saw the barn toy box WIP last week. Did I finish it? Um, no. Not yet. But I am making some headway. Too bad it's coming out kind of pink though!



I bought some 75% off red plastic storage containers at Target during their after Christmas clearance sales. They were only $2.50 each! Woot, woot!



I also dismantled a large wooden three-panel screen that I used to have blocking the sump pump from view. I figured that was probably a death trap now that our son is mobile, so I took it down. Now two out of the three panels are hung on the wall for more toy storage.



This last one's not toy storage, but since I like it, I'm including it anyway. I'd had these old Coke bottle boxes sitting around the house for eons. When Joel was born, we had to attempt to clear out part of the closet in his room so that he could have a little space. We weren't very successful in removing all our junk from his closet, however we did remove the computer related stuff and moved it to the basement. (The computer itself moved to the basement when creating the nursery, so it made sense that the paper, ink, etc. would also come down to the basement).



I can't remember for sure, but I think the Coke boxes were flea market finds. The hardware to attach them to the wall was around twenty bucks at Lowes. Do you have any other creative solution ideas for me?

And don't forget, those messy living room shots are our dirty little secret! Mum's the word!

Quit with the Free Mayo Already

Dear Kroger,

While I am deeply grateful that you send me coupons in the mail, several of which are for completely free items, I do not think I can handle another free jar of mayonnaise. Your past two mailings have included coupons for free jars of Miracle Whip. The problem is, all of your jars of mayo expire in March. I waited. I kept returning to your store to check the expiration dates on your mayo. March 2010. March 2010. March 2010. How do you expect me to use up two large jars of mayo in the next two or three months?

In your next mailing, feel free to include a free coupon on something like cheese or bread. I go through these items quickly. Mayo- not so much. Today, in an effort to use up some of Mayo Jar #1, I whipped up some tuna salad and some tartar sauce. Said tartar sauce went beautifully with the $1.99 tilapia I purchased at your store during my last visit. I also have several jars of pickles from a recent grocery trip when I went a little nutso got excited at your pickles on clearance. Too bad hubby doesn't eat pickles. He also doesn't eat fish or seafood. Looks like I'll be eating lots of tuna salad and tartar sauce while my dear husband starves to death.

Please, for the sake of my marriage, do not send me another Miracle Whip coupon. You know I have a special weakness for all things free and would not be able to turn it down. You know I hate wastefulness and so I would be stuck trying to use up yet another jar of mayo. A girl can only eat so much mayo.

Sincerely,

Sewing-Chick

P.S. It would also be helpful if in your next mailer you were able to include some delicious recipes using said Miracle Whip. It would be even better if those recipes did not involve pickles or seafood so that my husband doesn't wither away to nothing. I have heard about cake recipes that utilize mayo- this I am willing to try (for my husband of course). Also, baconnaise is a new concept to me that I just might have to give a whirl. If you have any outstanding recipes like these, please send them my way. Thank you.

P.P.S. Happy New Year!

Dieters, Beware Dollar General!

Holy crap on a cracker. I just found out today while I was perusing Dollar General, that they sell... drum roll please...

Generic Girl Scout Cookies. I'm talking, honest to goodness, I-can-have-them-year-round Samoas (and Thin Mints and a couple other varieties)! They are d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. Of course, I'll still buy some from the Girl Scouts when it's that time of year, but now I can have them whenever my little heart desires! (They cost $1.85 in case you're wondering).

Just thought you'd like to know!

Felted Wool Baby Mittens

It's gotten C.O.L.D. these past few days! So cold, in fact, that I am having second thoughts about going to tomorrow's half-off sale at the Volunteers of America. (You know it's cold if I'm thinking of passing on a 50% off thrifting trip!) With these frigid temperatures, I figured I better get my act in gear and sew Joel a pair of mittens.

This project is easy peasy. First, I chose a felted sweater that still had sleeves. I cut several inches off from the base of each sleeve. I figured I'd utilize the finished wrist section to make less work for myself.



Then I sewed a generic "U" shape onto each cuff and trimmed away the excess. You're done! It's a five minute project- woohoo!





Here's the little squirt passed out on daddy's lap while he played video games.

Hebron, Kentucky or Bust and a stupid criminal

If you are ever in or near Cincinnati, Ohio, do me a favor and check out the Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic Clearance Center. It's not like other outlets. Gap does have outlet centers across the country, however those aren't real outlets. Gap actually makes a specific line of clothes to be sold at those outlets. They do not sell true clearance items in those outlets. In Hebron, Kentucky, however they do.

This is my husband's last week of work, so we wanted to make the trek down to the clearance center while we still get the employee discount (an additional 30% off already low, low prices). We loaded up the car, filled up the tank, and headed out for a shopping dream come true.

I got Old Navy sunglasses for 99c a pair. I bought five pairs. (Of the exact same pair of sunglasses, I might add). I am hard on my sunglasses, so I figure if I keep four pairs in reserves, I might make it to next year before I have to buy another pair.

Ladies' underwear for 49c apiece. Baby/Toddler pajamas separates for 49c apiece. Tank tops for $1.99. Jeans for $4.99 to $9.99. Capris for $4.99. Ok, so some of these prices aren't that great. $9.99 is a little on the high end, but if you were to buy a pair of Gap or Banana Republic jeans new, you're going to fork over a pretty penny.

In other frugal shopping news, some thrifting trips lately have yielded a new roll of Winnie the Pooh wrapping paper for 50c, a plastic thingie to make popsicles for 59c, a vintage red handled rolling pin for 99c (yes, I do need another one, ok?!), and of course some half-off clothes for Joel and I.

While we were at the last thrift store checking out, an employee came up to the register and said that they had just received a mysterious phone call. The caller asked if the store had an armed security guard, to which the employee responded that no they did not, and then the caller hung up.

Um, I think that Salvation Army is about to be robbed. Seriously, how low do you have to go to rob a Salvation Army?!

The Price is Right

No, this isn't a post about how sexy Drew Carey is. Or how Drew has breathed new life into a once tired game show. Or how I used to hate the Price is Right but now find myself yearning to fly to California just so I can make myself a shirt to wear there. Or how Drew is a fellow Ohioan and is my homeboy.

Don't get me wrong: Bob Barker is a legend. He can sway you spay and neuter your pets like no other. But Drew Carey really is so freakin' awesome and funny, don't you think?

No, folks. This post is about price books. Talk to me. Do you use them? Have you tried them? Have you ever even heard of them?

What you do is take a notebook with you while you shop for groceries. You take note of prices and jot them down into your book. You begin to notice patterns of prices so you can see what is a good deal and what isn't. It helps you determine whether a price is too high, okay, or stock-up, smokin' hot

I've never used one. I do have some price limits stored up in the ole noggin though. I thought I'd share some prices with you (in US dollars, sorry chicas in Australia and the UK!). What do you think about these prices? Do you have any more to add?

Light Bread (35 calories a slice): I buy bread and buns for 89c because I live near the Schwebels outlet.

Spaghetti Sauce: I never buy it if it's more than a dollar a jar. The other day with coupons, I got three jars for $2.10.

Cereal: I can get it for about a dollar a box when there's a good stock-up sale, however I will go as high as two bucks a box.

Bananas: I hate paying 49cents/lb. Aldi carries them cheaper though their bananas tend to go bad more quickly.

Apples, Peaches, Pears: No more than 99c/ lb.

Packs of Bratwurst: only buy when they're $2.50 or less. The other day I had coupons, and they were BOGO. Woot, woot!

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: $1.88/lb

One Lb. Ground Turkey: I used to be able to get it for 99c however now they're everyday price went up to $1.19.

2 cups of Shredded Cheese: no more than two dollars

Milk: Aldi carries a gallon for less than $1.70

Eggs: Once again, Aldi is my BFF. Their eggs are usually between 65-75c for a dozen.

Jars of Baby Food: found at Big Lots for a quarter apiece. As I'm making my own baby food, I only bought about ten jars for times when we're out and about. Hopefully they last me for several months.

Large container of Formula: I buy the generic brand that compares to Similac Advance. I've gotten two containers for four dollars apiece on clearance, and two containers on sale for $9.99 each. I've decided to never go higher than ten bucks. As I'm pumping breast milk, a can lasts me almost a month.

Diapers 13c apiece seems to be a pretty good deal. Have you found them cheaper than that?

Recycled Patio and Garage Sale Finds

Check this out, my peeps! This is the ultimate in reusing and repurposing. Katie has created a patio out of stones from an old barn foundation. She had to carry them barefoot, uphill both ways, and through the snow! Great job Katie ;)

She also make a planter out of an old treestump (how creative!) and furnished her beautiful patio with lots of garage sale finds.

Speaking of garage sales... boy did I ever hit the mother lode. I went out garage saling on Friday morning. I had mapped out all the garage sales I wanted to hit and when you add in the others I just happened upon, I hit about twelve to fifteen. Most of my luck was at the first few though. Then on Saturday, we went to my mother-in-law's fiftieth birthday party, but stopped at a couple garage sales near their house.

When we were a few blocks from the party, that's when I saw it. It was surrounded by a golden glow and angels were sounding their trumpets, beckoning me to come in closer for a look. It was a church flea market. I dropped off hubby and baby and headed straight back to the flea market. (And then I saw another garage sale so I had to stop there afterwards). Pfew. I made quite the haul this weekend.

At the flea market, they had clothes for ten cents apiece. Yes, for a mere fifty cents, I got five things for Joel. None of them will fit him now, however, how could I pass up ten-cent clothes? And they weren't nasty either; they were completely hole and stain free!

Other things I got include

• a kiddie construction hat for a dime
  
• four children's books for a dollar
  
• a baby carrier, new in the box for five dollars (the Sears $35 price tag still attached)
  
• two wool sweaters for felting for 50c each
  
• some red and black fabric like T-3 has been coveting lately (yes, girl, I found some too!)
  
• a chrome over-the-door rack in it's original box for five dollars (I actually just bought one of these online for Joel's room, and was excited to see this one for our bedroom door)
  
• a small enamelware pan just like I got last week, but this one only cost 50c. I am so addicted to enamelware. I wonder if Enamelware Anonymous exists for people like me who hoard the stuff.
  
• one of those red and blue toys with the yellow shapes that push down through the matching hole. I had one when I was little, so I had to get it for Joel. Who can pass up such an educational toy for 50c?
  
• a short sleeved polo for 25c
  
• a baby girl's binky set and receiving blanket, still brand new and unopened for 50c each
  
• several toys, all still brand new in the package which I'm hoarding for gifts over the next few years, including a jumprope, sidewalk chalk, action figures, rattle/teether set, wateringcan and sand scoop, and bathtub boats, for a total of $3.60. I hope Joel never stumbles upon my stash of gifts in the laundry room. Meh. He probably won't. Why would he ever go in the laundry room? That's a room kids avoid like the plague... the perfect place to store gifts!
  
• unopened birthday napkins, 25c
  
• an OSU longsleeved onesie, 12 months, for a dollar

One dollar. Geesh. I'm feeling guilty about that. I had previously set my limit at fifty cents for any article of clothing for Joel (except coats). I'm thinking of lowering my limit to a quarter. If I do that, though, thrift store shopping is pretty much out of the question. It's hard enough to find stuff at thrift stores for fifty cents. It's nearly impossible to find stuff for a quarter, at least around here. Prices at thrift stores are getting outrageous. Even at some garage sales, prices are getting outrageous.

For example, yesterday someone wanted twenty dollars for a beat-up plastic riding firetruck. If it was metal and an antique, twenty dollars, sure. But plastic? Um, no thanks. Five dollars, maybe. Three dollars, sure. But twenty? She must have been on crack.

What is your limit? Where do you draw the line? Talk to me, people!

Egg Carton Scriptures

I opened my carton of Aldi eggs and found this:

Do you find this odd, or is it just me? I've been getting Aldi eggs for awhile now (68c per dozen, woot, woot!) but never noticed that they put a bible verse on the carton. I had another carton sitting around (craft project... more on that in a little bit), so I checked it, and sure enough, the same passage was on that one too, however it was smaller and located in a different spot. I feel like I'd opened a fortune cookie or something. How did my egg carton know that I had a crappy day at work? That I had my last day at work. That I cried and cried as I hugged everyone good-bye?

My egg carton reminded me to rejoice and to be glad. I know that when God closes a door, he opens a window. I just needed my egg carton to remind me, that's all. Thank you, egg carton, for putting things into perspective.

So how exactly does one properly thank an egg carton? By stuffing it full of dryer lint and hot wax and setting it on fire, of course!

Yes, that's right folks. After I came home from sob-fest, I got busy making some firestarters. No work = no income = how are we going to pay the expensive gas bills this winter? Really we won't be scraping it that close since hubby is still working, however I figured we could utilize the fireplace a little more this coming winter. We didn't use it a single time last winter.

Yes, I realize it's technically not even summer yet, however don't you remember the story about the bugs? You know the one. Bug #1 works all summer long gathering food and storing it away while Bug #2 screws around the whole time and then finds himself up a creek without a paddle when winter comes. You better believe that I am Bug #1, baby.

Here's some photos of my not-very-glamorous-yet-oh-so-practical frugal friday project.

Everything you need for this project. Paper towel tubes, TP tubes, and/or paper egg cartons, candle wax, and dryer lint.

"I'm Melting! I'm M. E. L. T. I. N. G. !"

How pretty do these toilet paper tubes look, all cozy in a basket?

The finished product. Three dozen firestarters. That's enough to last me over one month!

Well what do you know...

I just found this stuffed animal bowling set like I'm working on. They're only asking forty five bucks. That's $7.50 per bowling pin. It takes me well over an hour to do each one, when you figure in hunting for just the right fabric, tracing and cutting paper templates, pinning, cutting, sewing, taking forever to get those ears turned right side out, stuffing, dropping rice everywhere, stopping to clean up spilled rice, and sewing the hole closed by hand. Let's say about an hour and a half. Here's the math.

Apparently, I'm going to spend about nine hours on this project. Probably more actually, but let's go with nine. When teaching private music lessons, I make twelve dollars a half hour (and for around here, that's cheap). If I were to charge twenty four dollars an hour to make these rabbit bowling pins, I would have to charge $216 for a set of six. And that doesn't even take into consideration the cost of the fabric and stuffing! Any takers? I didn't think so.

But it does make me feel good to know that I'm saving $45 since I do not need to buy the ready-made version. Hey, a penny saved is a penny earned!

Stash Busting: Crinkle Toy and Toaster Cozy

I've been a busy bee around here. During naptimes, I've managed to sew a few more things, using only fabric and ribbons already in the stash.

Problem: Ugly-as-sin Toaster Oven


Problem Solved: a slipcover!


I also followed Joy's tutorial to make some baby crinkle toys. My little one hasn't woken up yet so I've yet to find out if he likes them.


This red and white polka dot fabric began life as a skirt. I thrifted it awhile back for the fabric. Aren't red and white polka dots the best?


I'm such a packrat. I keep ribbons off of gifts, and even though they have text on them, I incorporated them into this project. Waste not, want not, right?!

What $2.52 Can Buy You

Yep. It's quite the haul, isn't it? The cheese was 2/$3. The coffee filters were 99c. The soup was on clearance for 80c. The toothpaste was $4.50 but you got $4.50 back in Register Rewards so it's like it's free! The deodorant was on sale for $2 plus I had a 75c off coupon. I used $8.50 in Register Rewards (RRs), so I only had to pay $2.52 OOP (out of pocket).

Now I can't get that song out of my mind. You know, the one that goes, "Get down with OOP! Yeah you know me! Get down with OOP! Yeah you know me! ..." Oh wait, it's OPP. Nevermind.

What to do with those Envelopes

You know, those envelopes that come with each and every bill... and since I've given up on paying the bills, those envelopes are really starting to stack up.

JUST KIDDING! I pay my bills, I promise. I just pay them all online so I don't have to use the evelopes. Also don't have to spend $$$ on stamps. Cha-ching!

Every week I grab a few of those freebie envelopes and use the blank white side to write down my grocery list. (I use one envelope per store). Then you can slip the coupons into the correct envelope, and voila, you're organized! (And if you have some double-secret-probation* coupons that you don't want other nearby shoppers to see, you can use those security envelopes with the blue or black lining!)

Now if I could just stick to my lists and to my budget...

*Sorry for the Animal House reference. I have it on the brain right now because we were talking it about it yesterday at my friend's graduation party. Toga! Toga! Toga!

Mother's Day Freebies

I am so glad I went through nine months of pregnancy hell followed by a torturous 23 hour labor complete with 2 hours of pushing, a vacuum extraction, and third degree tearing! Those battle scars have earned me the right to take advantage of several free offers these past few days! (Can I get a "Hell yeah!" ?)

On Wednesday, Walgreens gave free 8x10s to mommies. I got a pic of me holding my four-day-old Joel. Across the street at KFC, they were unveiling their new grilled chicken meals. I figured I would drop off the photo, grab some finger-licking goodness, and then go back for the photo. Little did I know that the entire east side of Columbus was gathering in that tiny KFC for some free food. I was in line for almost an hour. I can't believe I stayed in line that long for a measly meal. To top it off, I was supposed to get a thigh and drumstick or a breast and wing, but they gave me a drumstick (and a puny one at that) and a wing. Hmpf.

But just so you know, it was pretty tasty. I devoured it promptly.

Today I got myself a free Mother's Day meal from Captain D's, and what a meal it was. I got some kind of uber-sensational seafood platter. I have never felt so fat in my life. There was enough greasy fried food in that take-out container to feed an army. A fat army.

As for my eating from the pantry challenge... I didn't do so hot. To my credit, I began mid-week and so everything I spent before I decided to join the challenge doesn't count, right?

I spent about thirty dollars at Target today, but I got ten dollars in gift cards to use at a later date, so really it was like I spent twenty. I got six boxes of Fiber One bars and two more boxes of Fiber One cereal. If you like Fiber One bars (they're delicious) or have a hard time "staying regular" and need some extra fiber in your diet, then you should go to Target and stock up! There's coupons online that you can print off for the Fiber one items, but my Target gave me a hard time about using them. The cashier called over her boss who told me that they're not supposed to accept printed coupons but that since she had already rang them up, she would allow it this time. I am pretty pissed about this because everyone else in the other corners of the globe gets to use computer printed coupons. *throws temper tantrum, rolls on floor screaming and pounding fists in the ground*

Ok, I'm putting on my big girl panties now and moving on...

I got some other things at Target like Wet Ones, Ban deodorant, Kashi Waffles, Quaker True Delight granola bars... all with coupons, coupons, and more coupons :)

The night before I made a run out to Meijer. I miss having Meijer right down the street. I now have to drive 15 minutes and pass four other grocery stores on my way there, so I don't make the trek that often.

Last night I spent a little less than fifty bucks but got meat. Lots and lots of meat, my friends. I got several packs of pork chops, steak, a roast, some sausage... all for cheap, cheap cheap! I also got twenty containers of Yoplait yogurt because of the awesome deal going on. For every ten you buy, a catalina for one dollar prints at the check out. I also used three coupons.... one required you buy eight ($1 off), and the other two required you buy six (80c off). With the doubling, that's an extra $4.20 off! Couple that with the two dollars of catalinas and the fact that the yogurt was on sale for 50c each, and I am quite pleased with my haul.

Maybe next week I'll do a little better with the whole not shopping thing and using what I already have. Maybe. I wouldn't hold my breath though if I were you.

Menu Planning Monday, er Thursday

I’ve menu planned for a few years now. (*cough and sputter*) What I meant to say is that I’ve off and on menu planned for a few years now. Oh okay, I’ve more off than on menu planned for a few years now.

I always start out with good intentions. I use Microsoft Works Calendar and input recipes about every other day with the assumption that the in between days will be leftovers. (I just love leftovers, don’t you?) I try to plan it out for the whole month. I think this is my downfall.

You see, it’s hard to predict what you will have opened and needing to be used up when you’re trying to do it thirty days in advance. Every week I end up rearranging, pushing recipes back a week or two, and then coming up with new ones to use up what’s currently on hand. And then finally, enough is enough, and using my calendar goes by the wayside, and we fall back into our old habits.

I’m going to make more of a concerted effort to stick with it this time. Today and tomorrow what I currently have planned out is (1) stale bagel pancakes (doesn’t that just sound de-lic-ious?!) and (2) fish stick casserole. (I know, I know. I really know how to pick ‘em)

I think I picked the wrong time to start blogging about my menu planning since both of those things sound admittedly nasty. I have some items to use up though, and both of these recipes fit the bill.

For the pancakes, basically you grind them up, add milk, eggs, and spices, and fry like a regular pancake. As it turns out, they're pretty freakin' fantastic :) The only thing I would do differently is add a little more milk because the batter was pretty thick. If you click on the link above, you'll see he called for onion powder and sugar. Since I was using strawberry bagels, I figured the onion powder would be a no-no and left it out.

And as for the fish stick casserole… I don’t know why but awhile ago when I was at the grocery, fish sticks sounded good. Not surprisingly, they’ve sat in the freezer ever since. I found several recipes, and I liked portions of several of them, so I've combined them into my own concoction.

Basically what I'll do is crumble some hash browns into a 9x13 pan (actually I'll use chopped frozen French fries because that’s what I have). Pour over some milk (that about-to-expire half gallon should be gone after this recipe!), spices (whatever I feel like at the moment), and cheese (can use shredded or a can of Campbells cheese soup), maybe a can of cream of mushroom soup depending on the consistency thus far... perhaps throw in some veges from the freezer... and [in my best fake French accent] the piece de la resistance…. The ever-popular, four-star restaurant worthy fish sticks. Lots and lots of fish sticks. Pile 'em on top, bake, and voila, a not-so-nutritious but oh-so-delicious treat (hopefully).

These recipes are both great for the Eating from the pantry challenge that I’ve just begun. Hopefully they will not disappoint!

I have some weeding to do

Here are some photos from my front yard:





But this isn't the kind of weeding I was referring to in the title! Although now that you mention it, I do need to tend to the flower beds too ...

Actually I was referring to weeding out unnecessary things from our budget. Now that I will be unemployed we have some reevaluating to do. Is Netflix really worth it? (My husband thinks so and is unwilling to give it up). I gave up my $200 ancestry.com membership. We're giving up eating out, and I'm slashing my grocery budget. I'm also cutting back on thrifting, crafting, and buying fabric. Yes, my friends, buying fabric is on the chopping block. I think four (er, five) super duper large totes filled to the brim is enough for now!

I had a long talk with my house and told her that she needs to hold it together for the next few years. I don't want to spend any more money on her for awhile. She already has a new roof, remodeled basement, new grout in the bathroom, newly painted kitchen cabinets, a new garage door, a window replacement, a new garbage disposal, a new fireplace mantel, new carpet throughout the second floor and basement, and a new fridge.

So I went through my old credit card statements for the past five months and added up how much I spent in four categories: eating out, groceries/toiletries/etc, gifts for others, and gasoline. Here's how we fared:

• $432 on eating out at convenience stores, fast food and sit-down restaurants. Average of $86.40 a month
  
• $1567 on groceries, diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. Average of $313 a month
  
• $1184 on Christmas gifts as well as Mother's Day, Valentines Day, and five months worth of birthdays. (The Christmas number should actually be higher because I buy lots of Christmas gifts throughout the year so I don't have to cram it all in December).
  
• $409 on gasoline, most of which was spent by Jason. Average of $82 a month.

I think I can weed out quite a bit. Eating out will be reduced to almost zero. I'm aiming for under $200 for groceries. Gasoline will have to stay about the same, but we will not spend nearly as much on Christmas this coming year, saving us a great deal.

Also, this month I will be participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge. You're allowed to buy fresh produce and staples like milk, eggs, and bread, but other than that, you're supposed to avoid the grocery store like the plague. That's going to be difficult for me since I just found CVS-ing, but I think I can do it.

Must. Not. Spend. Money.

If it's practically free after coupons and catalinas then I will allow myself to buy it. Even if it is the seventeenth bottle of body wash in the cupboard.

Sew Easy Four-C Soup

Ok, it's not really sew easy, but it is so easy! I just had to add something about sewing into the title because I'm feeling guilty about not touching my sewing machine in weeks. I packed it away when I was cleaning for my friend's shower, and I hate to admit it, but I kind of like how clean it is when the sewing stash is put away. No more little threads on the carpet. No mile high stashes of fabric strewn about. I can actually eat on the dining room table because it's cleared off. *Sigh*

In other news, our levy went down yesterday which means the RIF letter I received several weeks ago will now be finalized. Jason is really stressing out about having to live on just his paycheck, but I think we can make it just fine. We have one year of his salary saved up in the bank as a rainy day fund... I'd say it's raining! I figure that when God closes a door, he opens a window; we just don't know what that window is just yet. Honestly, I'd like to try to make it without even touching our savings (and in fact, growing our savings).

They say your house payment can be as high as about one third of your income. Jason makes what I made when I started teaching and first bought the house, so we should be fine there. The only problem is that I was only one person, and now there's three people living on the same amount of money. With my frugalness, though, I think I can make it happen.

No more going out to eat, for starters! (Not that we really went out to eat very much anyway). I've been on a cooking rampage these past few days. I made (1) apple pie bread pudding. In case you're wondering, that's bread pudding with a diced up apple in it, but it wasn't sweet enough so I added a jar of pie filling on top. (2) Pepperoni and vege lasagna... yum! (3) Bacon and Egg Brunch Casserole (4) Homemade Vege Soup.

I bought a 1/2 gallon of milk that was almost to its sell-by date since it was marked down to 59c. I then had to come up with some recipes to use up this milk. I also had a head of cabbage to use up, as well as a dozen eggs, half a loaf of wheat bread that was getting stale, some celery, and an opened package of pepperoni. Other items in the fridge that need used up but will have to wait a few days include an opened jar of barbecue sauce and some sour cream.

Anyway, I knew I was going to make some sort of creamed cabbage when I found a recipe online for cream of cabbage soup. I can't follow a recipe to save my life, so I of course altered it to use up things I have on hand. It called for cream- I used my about-to-expire milk. Actually, I pretty much concocted my own recipe altogether because I didn't have what it called for on hand. The roux is the only thing I kept the same, except I halved it because I didn't want to clog my arteries with a whole cup of butter. Soup is supposed to be healthy, right?! Here's what I did in case you're wondering- it's really quite tasty! I can't wait until lunch so I can have some more :)

I boiled the rest of the celery in 2 cups of chicken broth. Meanwhile, I chopped up the cabbage and added it to the broth. Next in was a can of corn and a bag of frozen cauliflower. At this point I realized all the veges in this soup started with the letter "C." This wasn't planned but I thought it was funny so I named it Four-C soup!

I also threw in two packages of onion soup mix, some garlic powder, and dill (the original recipe actually did call for dill). While that was cooking down, I made a roux with half a cup of butter and half a cup of soy flour (though of course you could use regular flour). To that I added two cups of milk and two more cups of chicken stock. Oops, I lied. I ran out of chicken boullion so I used shrimp boullion instead.

Don't tell my husband. He hates seafood.

Once thickened, I added the roux mixture to the soup and simmered on low for about five or ten more minutes. Very delicious!

Clipping Coupons and CVS-ing

My son was baptised this weekend at the same church that my grandpa, dad, and I were all baptised. Four generations :)

The church is up near my grandma's house... trips to Grandma's mean one thing: lots of coupons she's saved for me! I decided that I needed a new method for storing coupons, so I emptied out an old photo album from high school, and slipped the coupons into the slots. Voila! A coupon album :) I probably look like a freak carrying it with me in the grocery stores, but at least I'm a freak who's saving money.

So here's how CVS-ing worked out for me today: Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats were three for $10, but you earn five bucks in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) at the end of the transaction so really it's like spending five dollars. Couple that with coupons for all three boxes of cereal, and you get all three for a mere two dollars (after ECBs).

I also bought my hubby some Adidas deodorant- after ECBs and my coupon it was 99c. Colgate toothpaste was $2.99 but after ECBs and a coupon it was free :) All in all, I earned eleven ECBs today at CVS and used five $1 coupons.

Walgreens had similar sales in which I got a large bottle of Nivea men's body wash completely free, some Right Guard deodorant free, and two bottles of Pert Plus for fifty cents each. We now have seven or eight bottles of Pert under the sink. I think Jason is going to kill me.

I also used lots of coupons at Kroger. I got a heck of a deal on Cottonelle TP (the 12 double rolls). I bought eight packs. (Yes you read that right). Not to mention, earlier in the day I got a 9 roll of Charmin Basic for Jason (that's what he likes). So I now have nine packs of toilet paper and absolutely no where to store them. They'll just have to hang out in my car for awhile until we make room in the house. I'm probably going to get pulled over by some cop who thinks I'm going to go TP someone's house.

The other day I took advantage of the Special K sale at Target. You had to buy five boxes of Special K, and you received a five dollar gift card. I now have almost fifteen boxes of cereal in this house (remember I also bought Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats, plus our cereal cupboard was already full before I went on this cereal rampage).

You can never have too much cereal, you know. At least that's what I'm telling myself these days.

Actually, ever since Jason has been on this funky shift at work, and he's been waking up at 11 am (heaven forbid he would miss the Price is Right), he's been eating cereal for lunch. I made tasty Pepperoni and Vege Lasagna the other day, and I've been the only one eating it because he keeps choosing cereal. Hmpf!

I kind of fell off the "Green Smoothie" train, unfortunately. I made a sweet potato and pear smoothie (not really green however, sweet potatoes are considered a super food), and it was really good. I discovered though, that it tastes even better warmed. I added extra milk so it was very liquidy. I popped it in the microwave and it was delicious! Don't forget to add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg :) This is the perfect warm drink to enjoy around a campfire on a chilly spring evening. Tomorrow I'm planning on making strawberry banana smoothies because I have two bananas that are going bad.

In other news, tomorrow the voters will decide if I keep my job or not. *Fingers crossed*

You can't beat my Receipts

My husband got put on the night shift. He's been there longer than anyone else in the whole department, but he's the one who got screwed. He has also maxed out on his raises which pisses me off to no end that companies are allowed to do that. He thinks that his bosses are trying to get him to quit because he makes so much and is cutting into their bonuses.

His hours really suck, and this is only the fifth night of it. I know things could be a lot worse, like he could not have a job at all, he could be in Iraq and we wouldn't see each other for a year or so... but it still sucks. Ok, enough complaining.

I've been reading alot of blogs tonight, and I'm amazed at finding many blogs from people who write about their trip to the grocery store or drug store, and how much they've saved.

I love being frugal. I'm the first to admit that I'm a total cheap skate. So since I'm bored and husbandless and can't sleep, I think I will go through my wallet and look at old receipts. Not only will I look at my old receipts, but I also will write about them.(I have hit rock bottom, haven't I?) Let me first preface this by saying that my receipts are nowhere near as impressive as those people who really know how to work the system (like this gal). They can go into CVS and rack up Extra Care Bucks, stack coupons, and overall piss off cashiers so that they walk out with two hundred dollars worth of stuff for a nickel.

First receipt: Bed Bath, and Beyond. I bought a shower gift for a friend with a coupon. The gift was $32, and the coupon was for ten bucks off a thirty dollar purchase. Woot, woot!

Second: Aldi Grocery Store- twenty two bucks. I love Aldi, but I don't think they take coupons. They also don't accept credit cards which keeps cost down. That kind of sucks though because I generally charge everything so I can get money back. Every couple months I get a fifty dollar check back from my credit card company. I have never carried a balance, so they don't get any interest from me, yet I'm making money. They probably hate me.

Third receipt- fifteen dollar prescription from CVS. I had $14.35 left on a gift card from my last trip to CVS. I got that $25 gift card for getting a new prescription filled. Sweet. I had to pay a whopping 65c for my prescription.

Fourth receipt- a little over a hundred dollars at the post office. I bought twelve books of forever stamps since postage is going up again. The cashier probably thought I was getting married or something and needed all those stamps for invitations. Nope. I'm just hoarding the stamps, that's all.

Fifth receipt- Kohls. I bought three items of clothing, all on clearance, for a total of $14.70. I only went in because I had a coupon for ten free bucks, so I had to pay $4.70 for my purchases. I had a gift card from Christmas to cover it, so I actually paid nothing. I have over thirty bucks left on the gift card, too!

Sixth receipt- Babies R Us. I bought a box of huggies because there was a five dollar off coupon in the mail. It still came to $31 but I had a gift card from my shower to cover the cost. Cha-ching! I'm also looking into The Caregivers Marketplace, which gives you 75c back for every box of Huggies you buy (though I think it's only for the Jumbo packs, and I buy bigger boxes than that). Also, I am in the process of getting a frequent flyers card from Babies R Us for buying so many Huggies. I think the deal is buy nine boxes and get the tenth one free.

Seventh receipt- Target. I bought a thirteen dollar rug for a friend's shower gift. I had a gift card to cover that also, so I still didn't have to pay for it out of pocket :)

Eighth receipt- Sears. I bought a chemise on clearance for my friend's birthday. It was only five dollars because all clearance was an additional 50% off. (It's the same friend who's getting married, so I figured it would be nice for her honeymoon!)

And that's it. Too bad I didn't have my latest Kroger receipt still in my purse. I totally scored last time I was there. One of the things I was excited about was that I had a coupon for a razor or replacement blades ($4 off). It turns out, the razor with five blades included was on sale and was cheaper than if I had just bought the four pack of blades. I gave the razor to a friend because I didn't need a second one but kept the four blades. Oh yeah, and it also rang up wrong, I caught the mistake, and so they had to knock another five dollars off (that's their policy for wrong prices). You have to really watch because I find so many mistakes. It helps that I practically have a photographic memory for prices. I can't remember my husband's birthday, but I can remember how much Crest toothpaste costs according to the weekly circular!

Oh, by the way, those receipts were not all from one day! Those were a weeks' worth or so. Notice there wasn't a single thrift store receipt. I haven't been to the thrift stores for at least a week. I'm feeling the itch but am trying to hold out until Wed. This is the last Wed. of the month so two of the three chains are having their big "Half Off" sale. The other chain is having their half off sale tomorrow.

I'm so excited about these upcoming half off sales. The only thing that could make it more exciting is if thrift stores started accepting coupons! Actually, come to think of it, when I was in right before Easter, they had a special Easter egg promotion going on. You got to draw an egg from the basket right before you checked out. Inside the egg was a certain percentage off. I only got 10% but that's better than nothing!

I'm willing to bet that all this talk about thrifting will now probably make me dream about it. How much do you want to bet? Five dollars and that cute owl figurine you thrifted last week?

I'll take that bet and raise you a thrifted set of encyclopedias that's only missing G, M, and W!

A No-Cost Wedding

Ok, so it won't really be no cost since my sister-in-law bought the bride a white sundress at Old Navy, however it will be pretty darn close to it. My husband's cousin is getting married with pretty much no money to spend on it, so we're pitching in to make it practically free.

I'm putting my sewing talents to work by sewing a short birdcage veil (hopefully) and a bouquet with things I already had in my stash. I'm not sure if she will like the bouquet so I may have just wasted several hours on it. I'm not sure if I like it myself. It's not quite done, so maybe I'll like it once it's finished. I still have to put in some filler flowers and/or some greenery. Still trying to decide just how to do that. I think I might take some tulle fabric and place little tufts of it in the bouquet. If it isn't a big hit with the bride, I can always give the bouquet to a little girl in our family. She can play dress up with it.




Yep, pink and purple. That's what the bride requested.

I used this tutorial over at Lettie's blog, Polka Dot Pineapple. She is very crafty, so check her out! I changed a few things: I didn't want the center of the flower as big as Lettie's because I am not planning on using these flowers as pincushions. I made the petals 2 3/4 inches, and the center of the flower only 2 inches. Also, since these flowers were going into a bouquet, they needed stems. I used pipecleaners, curled the end, inserted it into the center of the flower, and held it in place with hot glue. Unfortunately, I only had red pipecleaners... not so good for a stem color. I wrapped each stem with green florist's tape. I will then wrap a pretty ribbon around all the stems to complete the bouquet. Maybe I'll get that done this week. Maybe not. I'm so bad at finishing projects.

Greeting Card Mathematics

Well I haven't been thrifting for several days since my mom has been here. I'm starting to get the itch. We did, however, go to the mall yesterday, discovered and was saddened that my coveted Chick-fil-A went out of business, figured out how to use the stroller, and scored some awesome greeting cards for 90% off from a soon-to-be-out-of-business Carlton Cards. I got over thirty dollars worth of cards for a mere $3-something! I got a rabbit thank you card for my mom for all the help that she's been this past week, birthday cards for tons of family members... the list goes on and on! I now have two years worth of birthday cards for my parents, husband, brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and husband's cousin's daughter, and am covered for 2009 for just about everyone else. Does anyone else do that? I like to buy up cards when they're really cheap and save them in a little drawer so I don't have to run out and spend full price when the time comes. If you do the math, the amount I'm saving is quite staggering. Now if I could just get my husband to think ahead and buy my cards cheaply. Or maybe I should just start buying my own cards to give to him to give to me...

My husband comes from a big family. There's two parents, a sister, brother-in-law, two nephews, a grandma, two aunts, two uncles, three cousins, a cousin's spouse, and a cousin's child, plus my husband and our son. And that's just his mom's side of the family. We're not very close to his dad's side, so we don't send cards or gifts to them.

Then for my side of the family, I send cards to my parents, brother, aunt, and grandma. That's 23 birthdays I have to buy for. That's not to mention the three friends I send birthday cards too, so now we're up to 26. There's also graduations, weddings, showers, get-well-soons, thank-yous, sympathies, etc. for which I keep cards on hand, but since the number of those fluctuate each year, I will leave them out of my count. Plus there's mother's day and father's day, for a grand total of at least 31 cards I buy each year. If you figure that most cards cost somewhere between 2.99 and 3.99, we'll take the average and multiply times 31, and we get $77.50. In actuality, however, I usually spend 50c on greeting cards (and my haul at Carlton Cards yielded cards for even less than that!). If you multiply 31 by 50 cents, we see that I'm spending only about $15.50 on cards per year. Yay :)

My favorite place to get greeting cards is The Book Loft in German Village. For those of you who live in Columbus, you should totally check it out. It's 32 rooms of book-buying wonderment. Down in the basement of one of the wings is the 50c card room. They have greeting cards throughout the store in many of the 32 rooms, but when they get new inventory and have to pull older cards off the shelves, they get priced with a dot-sticker and then go to the basement. I can spend F.O.R.E.V.E.R in that little room, looking at each card, filling up my basket with cards for cheap. I feel sad for these cards that have been banished to the basement... a greeting card graveyard of sorts. But it makes me happy that I am able to purchase them and give them a good home!

Now I know that dollar stores sell cards two for a dollar, so why is buying from The Book Loft better? Well first of all because it's not a chain. The Book Loft is an independent book store, owned and operated here in Columbus. Second, the cards at the Book Loft are not the same kind of cards you would get at the Dollar Store. They're not Hallmark or American Greetings either... they're unique and unusual! No offense if you buy Dollar Store cards... truth be told, we do sometimes too!

Speaking of greeting cards, does anyone else recycle them to extend their life? I have a large basket full of cards that sits upon my Hoosier Cabinet. I am getting into scrapbooking, so I have been dismantling my old cards to use in a scrapbook for my son. I also cut up Christmas cards and make tags for Christmas gifts with them. I have a stamp somewhere that says "to" and "from" which I will place on the back of these little recycled goodies. I'll leave you with some pics.