Money Saving Tip: Build a Stockpile

One of the most effective ways I have found to cut our budget is through saving money on our grocery budget.  One of the techniques I use is building a stockpile, also known as the buy ahead principle.  What this means is that when groceries or other regularly used items are significantly cheaper than normal, I buy enough to last me a few months.  In my home, I try to never ever pay retail for anything!

For example, a few weeks ago Harris Teeter had their Colgate Total toothpaste on sale for $2.50 per tube.  It was also super double coupon week and I had $1 coupons. After coupons and the sale, I paid only $.50 per tube for Colgate toothpaste.  Also last week and this week, CVS had their Crest Pro Health toothpaste on sale for $2.99 and you got back a $2 Extra Care Buck (ECB).  I also had $.50 and $.75 coupons for the toothpaste.  After the sale, ECBs, and coupons, I paid $.25-$.50 per tube.  Did I need five tubes of toothpaste right now?  Of course I didn’t.  But I know that over the next year my family will need the toothpaste.  I also know that soon I will be filling shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse and our church is always collecting food and toiletries for the needy.  This allows me to get toothpaste for my family and others for less than the price of one tube at regular price.

As you can see in the picture above, I have over 10 bottles of laundry detergent.  I don’t plan on doing 300 loads of laundry this week, but I couldn’t resist stocking up because of the deal I found.  Some of the bottles were buy 1 get 1 free and I had coupons.  Many of the bottles cost me than $1 per bottle. 

I have heard others say before that they can’t afford to stockpile; that they only have money for the things that they need that week.  What they don’t truly realize is that when you stockpile, you can make your grocery budget go further and have more supplies on hand. 

If you still say you can’t afford to stockpile, then I suggest that you start small.  A stockpile isn’t built overnight anyway.  Allow yourself an extra $5 or $10 to try to purchase things while they’re at rock bottom prices so that you won’t have to purchase them later.  For me, an example of this would be when I purchase canned tomatoes.  I know that I’m going to need canned tomatoes.  I know that Target has the cheapest prices on them.  So, when I visit Super Target, I purchase 6-12 cans.  The amount I purchase depends on my stockpile at home.  And if you’re getting items for free or almost free (with sales and coupons) that will only allow your grocery budget to go that much further so that you can cut your grocery budget or purchase other things your family needs.

Stay tuned for more tips on stockpiling.  Do you stockpile groceries?

images (c) Karen Weideman

Breakfast Casserole Recipe (from leftovers)

An inexpensive breakfast item that I enjoy is grits.  They’re easy to make, very inexpensive, and filling.  Since grits are so inexpensive, it is one of the breakfast items I occasionally make for the youth group.  The problem is, sometimes they eat up all of the grits and sometimes there is half of a pot left over.

One day I had made a pot of grits for the youth and for some reason that day, half of the grits were left.  I decided not to let the grits go to waste.  I figured I should be able to do something with them.  I came home and created a breakfast casserole using grits, scrambled eggs, and sausage gravy.

Last week, I had some grits, sausage, and scrambled eggs left over and decided to make another breakfast casserole.  This time I had just a small amount left of each, so I made it in this small oven-safe Pyrex glass bowl.

By the way, my kids really like this dish!  

Since this is made with leftovers, there is no exact amount of ingredients. 

Breakfast Casserole

• prepared grits
• scrambled eggs
• breakfast meat, optional (cooked and diced sausage, bacon, or ham)
• sausage gravy or white gravy
• shredded cheese, optional

Spray your dish with cooking spray. Layer the ingredients as shown above and bake at 350F until hot. 

Here is a recipe for sausage gravy.  I needed much less so I just used 1 cup of milk and 1-2 tablespoons of flour.

What is your favorite recipe to make with leftovers?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Back to School Lunch Packing Tips

As we all know, it’s back to school time.  Many of you will be saving money by packing your children healthy lunches. 

Here are some food safety tips, courtesy of NSF International, to help parents and children pack lunches safely:

• Consider packing foods that are nonperishable and won’t require refrigeration.
• If you do pack perishable foods such as luncheon meats or prepackaged cheese & crackers, include a frozen gel pack or a frozen juice carton with the food in an insulated lunch bag or box.
• Pack only the amount of perishable food that your child can eat at lunch.
• Preparing lunches the night before and storing it in the refrigerator until you pack your child’s lunchbox in the morning can help keep food cold longer the next day.
• Don’t reuse packaging materials such as paper or plastic bags, aluminum foil, etc. as they can contaminate other foods and cause foodborne illness. Have your child discard all used food packaging and paper bags after lunch.
• Before eating lunch or snacks at school, be sure your child knows to wash his or her hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Handwashing is one of the best ways kids and parents can protect health and stop the spread of germs.

Remember that perishable foods should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.  If left out too long, the temperature of the food can enter the danger zone where bacteria grow most rapidly, which is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

As a teacher, I can tell you that I see many lunches without cold packs that contain lunch meat, mayonnaise, and other perishable items.  Please don’t risk your child’s health. Follow these easy steps listed above.

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Our Thrifty Luau Party

My two youngest children’s birthdays are in the month of July.  For now, while they are young, we combine their parties into one.  (FYI: They are also best friends.)  It also works out to combine the parties because some family members drive a few hours to attend.  Sorry if you didn’t need to know all of that.  The information just helps to set up the story behind all of this.     

With a combined party, I try to come up with a theme that will work for both of them.  One year we did Dora and Diego. Another year we did the princess and the frog.  This year it was a luau.  The luau theme was decided because the kids wanted to have a pool party.  And who doesn’t like a pool party?

A few months back I found these nice beach themed supplies at Walmart.  The large plates, napkins, and small plates were on clearance for only $.50 per pack for a set of 20.  At Walmart I also found a box of 30+ leis on clearance for $3.

Later I found some luau straws at Walmart for about $2.50.  They had little flowers around the top.  For music, I found a two-pack of Luau cds at Walmart for $5.  Yes, Walmart was my go-to store for the party theme.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the way I cut back on the party expense is to make my own cake/cupcakes.  I surf the internet looking for ideas of easy things that I can do.  I ended up making these cute beach/luau themed cupcakes using miniature Teddy Grahams, fruit rolls ups, candy, and tiny umbrellas.  I even found a $1 tear-off coupon for the Teddy Grahams at Food Lion.  You can see more pictures of the luau themed cupcakes and also some links to other luau/beach themed cakes and cupcakes.

Of course, a Luau needs to have a cookout.  As you probably know, July is the time to get cookout supplies on sale. 

Here’s approximately what I spent on this party:

• paper plates, napkins, leis, table cloths, straws - $9
• luau cds – $5
• cupcake supplies (I made two batches.) – $9
• hotdogs and buns – $10
• chili - $0 (my aunt brought this)
• potato salad – $0 (my aunt brought this)
• chips – $3 (bogo)
• veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery) and dip (used triple coupon sale for the dip)- $4
• sodas – $3
• pasta salad – $3

All in all, I spent less than $50 on everything and fed lots of people, plus we had leftovers to eat.  By taking advantage of clearance deals, July cookout savings, making the cupcakes myself, and taking advantage of other sale promotions, I was able to give a nice party for a small fraction of what others might have paid.

How do you save money when throwing a party?

Easy Do-It-Yourself Luau/Beach Cupcakes

We had a birthday party yesterday for my two youngest. Both of their birthdays are in July and because they are still young, we have a joint party for them.  Now that we have a pool, it seemed like a good idea to have a swim party.  With that came the luau theme. 

You all know that I’m not about to go out and pay $50 for a cake, so each year I surf the internet looking for easy ideas that I can do myself.  I found ideas for a beach theme, flipflops, palm trees, pineapples, and more.  These teddy bear cupcakes drew my attention though.  They looked kid friendly and fun. 

For these cupcakes I cheated a bit. I didn’t make homemade icing. I simply bought the vanilla icing in a can and added a few drops of blue food coloring. I found the food coloring made the icing a little runny, so I put it in the freezer for a few minutes.

For these, I put icing on the cupcakes and used crushed graham crackers for the sand. Also used were miniature Teddy Graham crackers, fruit roll ups for beach towels and rafts, tiny paper umbrellas (found these at Hobby Lobby), sour gummy Lifesavers for tubes, and Lemon Heads for beach balls. You could use gum balls instead for the beach balls, but I already had the Lemon Heads.

Here are a few more pictures. Sorry for the poor quality.  I was in a hurry because the party was starting.

Other luau cake ideas:

Luau Party Cupcake with umbrella
Shark and Beach Cupcakes from Martha Stewart
Palm Trees/Beach cupcakes from Cake Central
Palm Trees, Pineapples, and Flower cupcakes
Hawaiian Luau cupcakes/cake
Flip Flop Cake from Better Homes and Gardens
Flip Flop Cake from Better Crocker

Enjoy!

images (c) Karen Weideman

How to Save Money on Food While Vacationing

School just ended here. It’s hot outside and I know many of you will be heading out on vacation soon.  Hotels are expensive enough, but the cost of eating out can cost you as much or more than your accomodations. 

Here are some tips for saving on food while on vacation:

1.  Eat out only once each day.  Try to pack something for the other meals.  (Some ideas are listed below.)

2.  Check the visitor’s center. Sometimes you can find half price coupons for restaurants.

3.  Give Restaurant.com a try. I have used their gift certificates in several different cities.  Browse their site for your vacation destination.  Many times you can pick up $25 gift certificates for only $3.  I post regularly on these so be sure to check out their sale info.

4.  Try to find a hotel with complementary breakfast. Many times their rates are the same as other hotels.  I have eaten as some hotels that offer bacon, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, cereal, and the works.  It really saves a lot on your food bill.

5.  Consider staying in a room with a kitchenette.  If it’s too pricey, try some of the ideas below.

6.  Precook and freeze meals that can be reheated in the microwave.  Some ideas are quiche, meatloaf, spaghetti, burritos, soup, homemade macaroni and cheese, pancakes and waffles, muffins, bacon, and casseroles.  What dishes do you freeze that reheat well in the microwave?

7.  Pack an assortment of snacks and convenience foods or stop by the local store.  Granola bars, trail mix, apples, bananas, Easy mac, microwave popcorn, instant oatmeal, bagels, yogurt, cheese sticks, and precut veggies are good choices.

8.  See if the hotel has a grill that you can use.  You can cook all sorts of stuff on a grill. Some of my favorite grill sides are potatoes and cabbage.  Simply cut up the potatoes or cabbage and wrap them in tin foil with some butter and seasoning.  Yummy!

9.  Eat out for lunch.  For the most part, it is a lot less expensive to eat out at lunch than dinner. 

10.  Take a steamer, crockpot, or toaster with you.  Depending on the hotel’s rules, you might be able to make your dinner in the crock pot or steamer.  I have also heard about people using a coffee pot to cook their food. I have never tried that one before, so if you’re interested in that method, you might want to do some internet searches for information.

11.  Check the grocery store for inexpensive precooked foods.  Perhaps you could pick up a rotisserie chicken or fried chicken, some bagged salad, or potato salad. 

12.  Schedule at least one inexpensive dinner outing.  I’m thinking of something like Cici’s pizza.  If you get water, you can eat for about $5/person.

Well, I know that these tips only scratch the surface of ways to save on food while on vacation.  Tell us your tips. 

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How to Freeze Berries

Last year, a farm in North Carolina had pick-your-own blueberries for only $1/lb.  As you know, that was a great deal. My family went to the farm several times and picked enough blueberries to eat during the summer, to make jelly, and to freeze for later use in cobblers and such.  Just last week I used up another bag while making blueberry pancakes for my kids.

I picked up a few packages of strawberries at Aldi last week for $1.19 and then a few more at Walmart this week for $1.  I’m stocking the freezer for later.  Since berries are such a great price right now, I thought I’d give you some tips on how to freeze them. 

You will need:

• fresh berries
• a pan or tray that will fit in your freezer
• spatula
• strainer or colander
• storage containers or freezer bags

1.  Start with the freshest berries. Cut off any bad spots or toss rotten berries.  Remove any stems.  (Some say not to wash blueberries before freezing because it makes the skins tough. I didn’t notice a difference though.)

2.  Thoroughly wash the berries. Let them sit in a colander to drain the excess water.  (I let mine sit about 30 minutes.)

3.  Spread a single layer of berries onto a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer.  Leave them overnight.

4.  The next day, pull the cookie sheet from the freezer.  Use a spatula to pop the berries from the pan.  They should come off of the pan fairly easily.  If not, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

5.  Put the berries into freezer bags, reusable containers, or airtight bags. (Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the vacuum seal bags.)

6.  Put the frozen berries back into the freezer until ready to use.

Now whenever you need berries, you can open your container and pull out as many as you need.  Sometimes I just dump them out from the freezer bag or reach in to the container and pull out a handful. They are handy for throwing into a cobbler or pancakes.

Menu Plan Monday 4/12/10

Last week I found myself wandering aimlessly through the kitchen, dazed, and searching through cabinets wondering what we were going to have for supper.  I couldn’t figure out what was wrong and then I realized that I forgot to write out my weekly meal plan.  My, my, my, things certainly go smoother with a plan.

Sunday:  meat loaf, mashed potatoes, fried okra
The meat loaf was premixed and put into the freezer during one of my freezer cooking days in March. The okra was purchased buy 1 get 1 free at Harris Teeter a few weeks ago.

Monday: breakfast casserole, fresh fruit
I made some breakfast for the youth at church on Sunday and had quite a bit of grits left over. I was thinking I could use them in a breakfast casserole. It turned out pretty well. The kids really liked it. I’ll try to share the recipe this week.

Tuesday: grilled chicken salads
It’s hubby’s turn to provide lunch for the staff at his work. Usually there are leftovers and I can make a side item so that we have enough for our family.

Wednesday: Indian food for hubby and me, leftover for the kids
The kids don’t like Indian food. Every now and then hubby and I will make a special treat for ourselves and the kids enjoy their leftovers or kid friendly foods.

Thursday: pizza (birthday boy’s request)

Friday: taquitos, homemade mexican rice, black beans
I confess that these are the premade ones by Deli Mex. They’re not as good as homemade, but these were on sale at Harris Teeter. I think they were buy 1 get 2 free!

Saturday: eating out

What will you be cooking this week?

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The Gardener’s Trick to Getting Kids to Like Vegetables

Guest post by Geoffrey F. Moore
Family Fire Pits

Since it is close to spring you might be thinking about what to put in your garden. Last year my wife did an excellent job of planning out her vegetables with a sinister motive behind all of it. She loves to garden and wanted to get our two boys to be more interested in eating and enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables. The items she chose were all items that could easily be cut into a salad.

Every night she would tell our boys to go out and pick some fresh vegetables from the garden that she would then chop into a salad. The boys loved the idea of eating the veggies they had just plucked. Some of the items on the menu included carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers to name a few. In addition, she also planted some of their favorite fruits such as strawberries and raspberries. They loved going to the garden to get the veggies because it also provided an opportunity to get a snack of fruits that they loved.

The plan worked and since most of the items were mixed into the salad they were not forced to eat an entire plate of one type of vegetable. With the right ratio of veggie to lettuce to dressing on the plate we were able to find success and teach our kids to like vegetables as well as learn more about gardening.

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5 Tips for Using Leftover Candy

We have a candy basket at our house. Every now and then it gets full and I have to clean it out. I find candy from Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and any other holiday inbetween.  Truthfully, I don’t buy much of the candy.  It trickles in from school, Sunday School, church activities, and it multiplies somehow. 

Here are some tips for using up your leftover candy:

1.  Use your candy to decorate cupcakes, cake, cookies, or as an ice cream topping.  This week the kids are out of school.  We made cupcakes and I let them help decorate them.  We pulled out the candy basket.  Some of the cupcakes have conversation hearts on top.  We even opened some pixie sticks and sprinkled it on like it was colored sugar.

2.  Take the candy to a group gathering.  If I want to get rid of my candy quickly, I just take it to the youth group at church.  It will be gone in one meeting.  I’ve sent some in to Sunday School classes and brought some to my small group. You could also put a bowl on your desk at work or put it in the breakroom.

3.  Give it to the needy.  Send your candy to the local food bank.  To help out, you could put it into little ziploc bags before you take it.  They could easily stick a small bag of candy into each family’s box.

4.  Put it in your cake batter or make ice cream.  Have you ever had Snickers ice cream, Milky Way ice cream, or Butterfinger ice cream? I know someone that likes to make her own ice cream and these are some of their favorites.  You can also cut up chocolate pieces and put it in to your batter.  For more information, do an internet search for recipes.

5.  Use it for shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse.  Each year, our family puts together a few shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  I try to include a zipper baggie with a little candy inside.  I usually don’t have to purchase any candy to do this. I just search through our candy basket and I can find lollipops, gum, and other hard candy. 

What tips do you have for using leftover candy?

image (c) Karen Weideman