Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

Living Large on a Limited Budget

Ask the Readers: Simple Healthy Lunch Alternatives

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I went to make lunch today for my boys and I was not feeling the sandwich love.  So I threw a post up on Facebook asking readers to share ideas for simple, healthy lunch alternatives.  I am loving the response!

Check out the great ideas on the Facebook page and while you’re there, feel free to leave your own!  (Or scroll down and leave a comment on this post.)

My boys thank you for helping their Momma out!

Saving with Coupons 101

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coupons picture

I got an e-mail from a friend this week that I’m guessing is a glimpse of how many of you may feel about couponing.  In fact it’s a glimpse of how I used to feel.  I was convinced that God had passed over me when he was handing out the couponing gene.

I thought I’d share my answers here to help clear up some questions that may be buzzing around in your minds:

Here’s what she wrote:

Reader: I’ve tried to tackle the coupon monster before with no success. I will try and start slow. First, do you make your list, and then find coupons to match? Or do you do your shopping with what coupons you have, then have to come up with meals to coincide? I am not that handy in the kitchen…

Me: Honestly?  I am not that handy in the kitchen either.  So the whole ‘planning your meals around what’s on sale that week’ thing doesn’t happen very well with me.  If you happen to have those skills, that’s awesome though.

What works great for me is E-Mealz.  I love that I pay only $5 a month for my meals to be planned around what’s on sale each week. And I love that I can just print my list and head to the store (I shop at Aldi.)

What you will discover with couponing, however, is that over time you will begin to build a stockpile.  (More on that later.)  So when you need to make a meal plan that week, the items that you need to pick up at the store will become fewer and fewer.

Reader: Secondly, do you find yourself going to tons of different stores? That’s another thing that seems to happen, you have to stop one place for the sale on paper towels, another for the sale on diapers, etc. Which is another reason I give up, because with working full time, and keeping up w/ housework, cooking, etc., it gets old fast having to make 5 stops. Especially now with toting a baby along. Any suggestions?

Me: I recommend that you start with only one store.  My first couponing lessons began at CVS.  It still was a little overwhelming, but each week as I started to save a bit more and spend less, I realized that this whole couponing thing was definitely worth  my time.

I still don’t like to drag the boys to more than one store if possible.  But some weeks when I can score free cereal, cheap Huggies, and make money buying Excedrin, it’s worth a few extra stops.

Reader: And lastly, do you buy stuff you don’t need yet? For example, the mascara you had on TV. Did you need mascara, or did you buy it because it was a deal, and you knew that someday you would need it? Sometimes I come across good deals, but pass them up because I am not out of the item yet, and feel guilty spending the money when it’s not an immediate need.

Me: Yes.  I buy stuff I don’t need yet.  I have about 7  or 8 mascaras right now because they were free or cheap (And yes, I will be donating some of them to our local homeless shelter!)  But it was pretty much a no-brainer.  I got paid almost $1 to buy it.

Stockpiling is an art that I am still learning.  Some people know their price points and always stock up when the item is at that price.  I’m not that good yet. (See–it’s that whole missing coupon gene thing.  I still think I’m lacking mine!) But when I can make money buying oatmeal, it’s pretty much a given that I should stock up.

I hope this helps debunk the myth that couponing requires some sort of mad skillz.  It really doesn’t.

Does clipping coupons take time?  Yes, it takes some time.  (I recommend checking out how I organize my coupons if you are pressed for time.  It’s much quicker!)  But if you stick around here, I promise to make saving money so easy, you’ll never want to turn back!

What other questions do you all have?  I’d love to tackle them in a future segment!

E-Mealz: Weight Management Plans for Only $5 a Month

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Resolution

If you have been wanting to eat healthier this year without having to pay for those expensive weight loss plans, I may have a great solution for you.

E-Mealz offers 9 different weight management plans for only $5 a month.  Check out their options below:

Family Plans (Feeds 4-6):

  • Low Carb (Wal-mart)
  • Low Carb (Any store)
  • Low Fat (Wal-mart)*
  • Low Fat (Any store)*
  • Points System (Wal-mart)*
  • Points System (Any store)*
  • Points System (Publix)
  • Vegetarian (Wal-mart)
  • Vegetarian (Any store)

*These meal plans also offer an option for two. We use the meal plans for two because our boys don’t eat enough yet to go with the family plan.

If you choose a specific store meal plan, the menus will be planned around the sales at the store that week.  Imagine that–a weight management plan that actually saves you money rather than costing an arm and a leg?!

You can sign up for E-Mealz today.  Their plans are offered in 3 month increments for $15.  Once you sign up, you can simply print out your grocery list/menu plan and head to the store!

You can learn more about my deep appreciation for E-Mealz here.

All You Grocery Challenge: COMPLETE!

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Well, we did it.  We finished the All You Grocery Challenge. Can somebody say, “Holler?” Anybody?

For me, it was a great exercise in being more mindful of our spending.  I am still learning how to save money on grocery shopping.  I am simply not always aware exactly how much money is being spent on groceries.   Now I know I can be.

I’m especially thankful that we participated in this challenge as we prepare to move.  The cost of living is higher in Souderton and we are going to need to know more clearly where our dollars are going.  This was good prep for me.  Watch out Souderton, here I come!

I’ve copied the exit form that I sent in to All You below.  Did anyone else reading enter the challenge?  Leave a comment with a link to your blog–I’d love to see how others did as well!

-Weekly allowance: $75

-How much money did you spend each week?

Week 1 = $19.61 Week 3 = $73.15
Week 2 = $73.83 Week 4 = $69.39

-What creative strategies did you use to save money?

  • I declared a couple of ‘shopping in my freezer’ weeks to use up the stockpile that I’ve built over time.  It felt good to use what we have!
  • The biggest challenge was special circumstances that arose, such as being responsible to make a meal for 18 people and going out to eat on vacation and my son’s 4th birthday party.  What I discovered is that, with a little bit of planning, it is amazing how much money you can save and still enjoy some of the finer things in life (like Chuck E. Cheese!).
  • We also got some great coupons for our son’s birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese by signing him up on their web-site.  They even sent him a special birthday offer for free tokens.
  • I love using drugstore loyalty programs to help buy groceries occasionally.  For example, when we needed milk at the end of one of the weeks, I used some of my extrabucks at CVS to buy some.  Free milk!
  • Communication!  My husband and I had to talk about our grocery budget at the beginning of each week and think through what circumstances would arise that might cost more than the money allowed.  My husband even admitted that he refrained from buying a can of peanuts one week because he wasn’t sure it was in the budget–what a guy!  We had to work more as a team and resist the urge to make impulse purchases.


-What healthy strategies did you use?

  • Although we live in an apartment, we have a little patio garden.  We used lettuce from our garden for LOTS of salads (still waiting on the other veggies to ripen!).
  • We put a shopping freeze on any sodas or juices and drank more water–gotta love free and healthy!
  • I made a large batch of a bran muffin mix that we kept in the fridge.  Whenever we wanted to make more, we just poured the mix into some muffin tins and voila!  Yummy muffins!
  • I resisted the temptation to save money just by making all those hot dogs in our freezer the main staple of the challenge!  Instead I planned well-balanced meals and stuck to the list when grocery shopping.
  • Instead of buying frozen pizza, we used our breadmaker to make pizza dough and then made our own.  So delicious!


-What did you learn from this challenge?

  • I learned that while I can always do better at saving money.  We live pretty frugally, but it’s easy to let things slide occasionally when you really want to buy that extra can of peanuts or go out to eat for the second time that week.  This challenge forced us to make a plan and stick to it, even when we wanted to jump ship.
  • I also learned that when you plan ahead, you can do a lot with a limited budget.  Using coupons and rebates, shopping the sales, planning meals  carefully, and finding deals at restaurants all helped us not feel like our budget was holding us back from  enjoying life!

All You Grocery Challenge: Week 4

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all-you-grocery-challenge

Wow. It’s hard to believe that this is the last week of the All You Grocery Challenge!  It’s been a great way to keep me accountable in how much money I am spending on food each week.  I really didn’t think the $25/person per week would keep me on my toes as much as it has.

I think one of the biggest challenges has been watching out for those little expenses that add up.  Wes told me yesterday that he refrained from buying a can of peanuts while he was out shopping because he didn’t know if it was in the budget (poor guy).

I guess this could also be seen as a benefit.  It’s certainly good to improve our communication about money spent.  While we are always careful in our spending, it’s also easy to let things slide at times. But now, we’ve had to think ahead about our week and whether we need to  budget for eating out or other food expenses.  It’s been good, although I think Wes is looking forward to splurging on those peanuts next week!

So, here is where we stand.  We spent almost exactly $75 last week between groceries and grabbing some spiedies at the Spiedie Fest. (Gotta love the prices at those events…sheesh!)

But here’s the good news.  I didn’t even follow my meal plan last week!  It just ended up being on of those weeks where burgers and leftovers and our free Tyson Skillet Meal were so much easier for me.  So all of my menu planning (and grocery shopping!) is done for this week.  This is good because it’s Griffin’s birthday on Saturday and we are going to surprise him and take him to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  (Shh…don’t tell!)

That being said, I have a dilemma that I thought you all might be able to help me with.  Being the novice gardener that I am, I went a little gung-ho with the basil this year and it now looks like this:

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What is a girl supposed to do with all of this basil??!!

My sister plans to come help me make pesto this week.  Any good recipes?  Any other suggestions?

HELP!!!!

All You Grocery Challenge: Week 3

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all-you-grocery-challenge

The All You Grocery Challenge is proving to be exactly that: a challenge!  While I typically don’t spend more than the $25 per person (not including Lincoln) budget allowed, it’s the special circumstances that are arising that are keeping me on my toes!

For example, this past weekend, we went camping with my family.  This meant that each family was responsible for a meal (for 18 people!) and we would also go out to eat once or twice.  I thought we might fall off the wagon, but WE DIDN’T!

My solution?

For our family meal, we served pulled pork, macaroni salad, chips, and cookies for dessert.

Pulled pork was $2.19 a lb. which added up to only about $.75/person.

I had all of the ingredients for the macaroni salad.

The chips and cookies were purchased with coupons and the Kellogg’s Fuel for School rebate and cost abot $.50-$.75 each.

In total, we spent approximately $20 to feed 18 people…nice.

THEN…for our going out to eat meal, I found this sweet deal at Restaurant.com and purchased a $25 gift certificate for only $2!  There was a great little restaurant right near where we were camping that was listed.  Not only that, but they accepted three gift certificates for our whole family, so every body got in on the savings!

After the gift certificate, we spent only $27 (which included food, taxes, and tip).  We even had enough money left over to go out for ice cream afterwards.

Our total spending on food last week was around $71..we made it!

This week, I actually need to do some real grocery shopping since I’ve cleaned out my cupboards pretty well with my Shopping in my Freezer Challenges.  So I just printed out my E-Mealz shopping list and I’m headed to the store!  (Pretty excited about Primavera Pizza this week…)  Looks like everything on the list will only add up to $32.53.  That should give us some nice wiggle room to buy a few extra things that we need!

Oh, and by the way, I added another rule to my All You Grocery Challenge list:

  • Drink LOTS of water.  I’m putting a shopping freeze on buying other beverages.  Save money and it’s GOOD for us!

All You Grocery Challenge: Week 2

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I really didn’t intend to follow through when I signed up for the All You Grocery Challenge a few weeks ago.  But now, I’m having a hard time coming up with an excuse not to!  It will help keep me accountable with our grocery spendings and push me to challenge myself like I did in my Shopping in my Freezer Challenge last week.  (Plus, anyone who knows me would tell you I really just want to be in an edition of All You.  I have that middle child syndrome and dream of being the center of attention!)

Now, I have a confession to make. I feel like I have A LOT to learn when it comes to saving money on grocery shopping.  While I do well at staying within our budget, I’m sure I could do better.

Using coupons when I grocery shop is not something that comes naturally to me.   That’s why I shop at Aldi.  This saves us a great deal of money, but I’m sure I could cut even more corners with a litte bit more effort.  (Check out my $10 Challenge week as an example!)

So, here are a few rules I am setting up for myself over the course of the next three weeks of the challenge:

  • Set up one more ‘Shopping in My Freezer’ Challenge week.  We still have plenty to use up!
  • When grocery shopping, make a list and stick to it!  Be sure to scout out sales and coupon match-ups prior to shopping.
  • The goal of the challenge is to spend less than $25 per family member weekly on groceries.  I could easily do this by using up all those hot dogs and Kashi waffles I have in my freezer.  However, I will resist this temptation and be sure to include healthy fare as well!  We may dine on hot dogs once or twice, however…

That being said, here is my plan for this week:

Monday: Got home from a camping trip and didn’t have much energy.  Popped some chicken nuggets in the oven.

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken with Maple Walnut Glaze (that we didn’t eat last week!), tossed salad with lettuce from our garden

Wednesday: Homemade pizza (made with dough from our breadmaker…YUMMY!)

Thursday: We have a busy day planned and will probably end up eating out.  I’ll need to find a good coupon!

Friday through Monday: We are camping again, this time with my family.  We are responsible for one meal and snacks for our family.  Wish me luck in staying under budget for this!  I think I can…I think I can…I think I can…

Giveaway: Three Month Subscription to e-Mealz!

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SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH E-MEALZ MEAL PLANS

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I have a bit of an obsession with e-Mealz, a meal planning resource (or as I like to call it–my own personal meal-planning-maid to whom I only pay $5 a MONTH to plan simple and delicious meals around the sales at my local grocery store and create a corresponding grocery list!)

That is why I am SO SO SO excited to offer this next giveaway.

I am partnering with e-Mealz to offer not just one but FOUR of my lucky readers with a FREE 3 month subscription to e-Mealz.

Yep.  Gone are the days of:

  • the 5 o’ clock stare into your cupboards.
  • missing out on summer fun while you are inside meal-planning and list-making.
  • trying to figure out on your own what meals match your store’s sales.

May I add that if you are not like me, and you actually get your thrills from meal planning, this would still be an excellent resource for you.  Wes and I have found some wonderful new recipes through e-Mealz that will become a staple in our home!

If you haven’t checked out the e-Mealz site, you really should.  They offer a variety of meal plan options (vegetarian, low carb, low fat, points system and more) for a variety of stores, including: Walmart, Publix, Aldi, Kroger, and Ralph’s.

So what do you have to do to enter?  So glad you asked!

There are up to 4 ways to enter:

  1. If you haven’t subscribed yet, subscribe to our feed by e-mail or in a reader.
  2. Enter the contest by leaving a comment telling us that you are a subscriber.
  3. We’ve joined Twitter! Get an additional entry by following us on Twitter.  Add an additional comment letting us know that you are a follower!
  4. If you tweet or blog about this giveaway, add an additional comment for each to receive extra entries in the contest.

This giveaway ends at 8:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. We’ll use Random.org to select the FOUR winning comments. Winner will be notified by email and listed on this site.