Nashville Cheapster

January Pantry Challenge

2010-01-05T08:26:00.003-06:00

I'll be participating a pantry challenge this month. You may have heard about it at Money Saving Mom. The idea is to use stockpiled items from the freezer or pantry to thin storage space, rotate stock and to save money. I have a small freezer so I don't stockpile as much as some, but we will see what happens.

It is really up to each individual to set goals depending on storage and need. Obviously bigger families will need a bigger budget.

My average budget for groceries, farmers market shops, diapers, pet food, personal care/drug store items has been $260-$290 a month. This is for our family of 2 adults, 2 small children, and 2 pets. Here are my rules for January:

1. I will exclude diapers and pet supplies as part of my January budget since this runs $50-$60 a month.

2. I will budget $100 for everything else. I can buy whatever I want but only spend $100. I will probably be buying produce, milk and cheap deals.

3. I also "won" a $25 Whole Foods rebate from American Express, so I will be using that as part of the $100 budget.

This month I'm trying to cut out most junk food and trying to get the family to eat a bit healthier so this may mean even more fresh produce. We'll see how it goes.

Menu Monday

2010-01-03T20:24:00.000-06:00

Monday: Cincinnati Chile and fruit. I'll probably use just a can of chili for this instead of making my own. Great topped with cheese and onions! The chili was purchased on sale with coupons for .09 cents a can, pasta was free. $2

Tuesday: Vegetable Plate: corn, broccoli, cooked apple slices, homemade rolls. $2

Wednesday: Southwestern Chicken Stew fruit and crackers or rolls. $3

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Salmon loaf and vegetables.

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday TBA

Breakfast this week: pumpkin pie pancakes, oatmeal (instant and quick cooking with nuts and fruit), peanut butter and jelly muffins (from The Sneaky Chef Cookbook) cereal.

For more menu ideas, check out organizing junkie.com.

Great Week For Buying Extra Sunday Newspapers!

2010-01-02T09:14:00.001-06:00

A big week for coupon clippers! You should receive 5 coupon inserts in the Sunday newspaper.

(3) Smart Source
(2) Red Plum

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:19:00.004-06:00

Publix: Lots of Free Items!

2009-12-26T13:36:00.006-06:00

I was looking over my post about Aldi. They do have some good deals, but shopping at Publix can not be beat! Lots of free or almost free items this past week by matching sales with coupons and using competitor coupons (HG Hills and Food Lion). This was my shop from 12/24.

Spent $32.45
Store Coupons $44.48
Vendor Coupons $ 61.34
Ad Savings $19.33
Advantage Buys $6.29
Saved $131.44!
80%

This post has been linked to Fiddledeedeemom.com

Are You Making New Year's Resolutions?

2009-12-28T15:56:00.006-06:00

For some, New Year's resolutions have taken on a negative connotation. Pressure to make goals that may not be kept. I enjoy this time of year and look at it as a way to take stock in my life, make changes or try new things. I try to make attainable goals. Some goals are hard to measure, but they seem to nudge me in the right direction.

Here are a few of my realistic goals.

Learn new cooking skills by taking a cooking class. Before staying home with the kids, I used to have many hobbies. Those days are over for a while, but I can still get out and take one or two classes. I get so wrapped up in taking care of the kids and the house I forget to do something for myself. Locally, here are two places that offer some interesting classes. The Viking Cooking School and Whole Foods.

Walk a 5K race. Yes, I said walk. No running here with bad knees. Here's one local race called the Firecracker 5K. Walking will not be a problem but very quickly for three miles will be a challenge.

Do some volunteer work. Lots of great causes out there. I volunteer occasionally at my local library but will be looking for something on a more regular basis. Animal causes are also very close to my heart. Happy Tales Humane is one local organization that always needs volunteers.

Are you making resolutions this year? Leave a comment. Would love to hear why or why not and what your resolutions are.

Menu Monday

2009-12-27T20:39:00.003-06:00

Usually for my weekly dinner menus, I try to have one slow cooker, one meat less, and one seafood entree. With the holiday, this an unusually menu week. On average, most of my meals are less than $5. I'm able to do this because I shop sales, use coupons, and stockpile some items.

Monday: Baked Chicken over vegetable fettuccine. Didn't make this last week. $4

Tuesday: Chicken or fish tacos with home made baked tortilla chips. I'll use olive oil and add some seasoning salt to the chips. $3

Wednesday: Hamburger stew. This will be the second time I've made this. We found the recipe surprisingly good, especially when cooked in a crock pot. This is great with additional vegetables as well. $3.50

Thursday: Snack food or eating at friends house.

Friday: Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots. Blueberry and/or peach crumble. Using fruits from this summer. Way over $5, but it is a holiday meal, and we will have leftovers.

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: TBA

For more great menu ideas check out organizing junkie.com

Sunday Coupon Inserts

2009-12-27T07:48:00.000-06:00

Just one coupon insert today: P & G.

For the locals, $1 Tennessean newspapers can be found at Dollar Tree, Kroger (until the end of the year), CVS and Daily's. You may want to call your store first to see if they are participating.

Aldi Shopping Trip!

2009-12-26T13:31:00.003-06:00

Late posting this, but every 4 to 6 weeks I'll try to make a stop at Aldi. As I always say, Aldi is a great place for the basics (eggs, milk, vegetables) and for items that often don't have coupons. The best deal was on the spiral sliced ham at $1.29 a pound! The pinto beans at $1.29 for two pounds was a great deal.

My favorite new items I bought was the dried whole cranberries with a hint of orange. These are a seasonal item. I bought only one, but could easily enjoyed several more.

I was looking at all the groceries and even if I had nothing else at home for the week, these could easily feed my family of four with just a few additions. My total was $56.78 including that large spiral sliced ham.

SUPER EASY Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2009-12-23T09:43:00.004-06:00

I made these pancakes as the start of my plan to get a my three year old to eat a few more fruits and vegetables. Here's the recipe below. You won't believe how easy it it.

1 cup of pumpkin pie filling
1 cup of wheat blend pancake mix (I used Hungry Jack)
1 cup of water

Mix all ingredients together until the batter is smooth. Cook in a non-stick pan. Add a small amount of oil or non stick spray as needed. Cook as you would any pancakes. Turn when bubbles start to form and then cook an additional minute or two on the other side. Makes about 6 medium to large pancakes.

The verdict:

My husband and I really liked these. The spice was pleasant without being over whelming to the pancakes. Pancakes were very moist, and I ate my without syrup.

My picking son ate 4! This really surprised me as he usually only has one occasionally.

My daughter was undecided. She is used to her whole wheat pancakes.

Next time I'm going to try adding sweet potato puree and see how it goes.

New Publix Deals!

2009-12-23T07:54:00.003-06:00

Because of the Christmas Holiday, the new deals will start Saturday. Michelle at I Heart Publix has the list. And you still have a couple days left to purchase some great sale items from the current list.

Menu Monday

2009-12-21T08:48:00.001-06:00

I'm trying a new tactic this week. In order to get my children to eat more fruit and vegetables, I'm going to try sneaking in puree in some dishes. We'll see how this works out.

For my weekly dinner menus, I usually try to have one slow cooker, one meat less, and one seafood entree. On average, most of my meals are less than $5. I'm able to do this because I shop sales, use coupons, and stockpile some items.

Monday: Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs, sweet potato fries, broccoli and cheese, strawberry apple sauce(adding some pureed frozen strawberries), home made rolls (using my bread machine to help with this). $3

Tuesday: Twice baked potatoes. (I'm also going to try to sneak in some pureed cauliflower in the mix instead of extra mashed potatoes and omit the bacon.) $2

Wednesday: Baked chicken over vegetable fettuccine Alfredo. $4

Thursday: Christmas Eve TBA

Friday: Merry Christmas! Spiral sliced ham, Costco spinach salad (my favorite), mashed potatoes, rolls and caramel cheese cake. (I'm making the caramel topping from sweetened condensed milk. The safe way to caramelize is noted below.)

I have not decided which cheesecake recipe I'm going to use. Here's some I'm thinking about. Juniors Cheesecake, New York Cheesecake, Super Easy Cheesecake.
This meal is way over $5!

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Home made cheese pizza and salad. $3

To Caramelize sweetened condensed milk:

Oven method; Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk into 9 inch pie plate. Cover
with foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at
425 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel colored. Beat until
smooth.

For more menu ideas check out organizingjunkie.com.

Publix: Saved $97.17!

2009-12-19T10:44:00.002-06:00

We are fortunate to several competitor grocery stores, and we are fortunate that Publix takes their coupons. I live somewhat close to an HG Hill store. Hills had some in ad $2 off bacon coupons, and some almost free items coupons last week the Review Appeal: one cent canned vegetables (limit 10!), eggs, saltines and Little Debbie cakes. They also have some this week's paper: one cent canned vegetables (limit one), margarine, Little Debbie cakes and bread.

I had a great cashier that checked me out last Sunday. I explained how to enter the HG Hills coupons, but she still was a little unsure and got a customer service rep. I gotta quit freaking out the Publix cashiers with my coupons. Wait! I have more this week including some from Food Lion.

Had some overage. Was not able to gain as much as I hoped. The overage items become the hot items and are often hard to find. However, what was even hotter was the green advantage booklet. Could not find a single copy at two Publix stores. Who knew? I had to chuckle at this one. Next time I'll pick up a few more copies.

Store coupons $38.47
Vendor coupons $24.05
Ad specials $34.27
OOP $43.62
Saved $97.17
69%

No Coupon Inserts!

2009-12-20T07:27:00.004-06:00

No coupon inserts today. Next week, there should be only one insert P&G.

If you would like to purchase a Sunday paper anyway, locally $1 Tennessean newspapers can be found at Dollar Tree, Kroger (until the end of the year), CVS and Daily's. You may want to call your store first to see if they are participating.

Essex Retail Outlet

2009-12-17T08:04:00.003-06:00

This is a copy of my post from this past January. At this time of year, I thought it might be just the place for the perfect Christmas gift at a great price.

I checked out ESSEX several weeks ago. It was the first time I had been in several years. In the past, they specialized in Electronics. Most of their items seem to come from either overstocks or returns. The first store was in the Thompson Lane area and they have been expanding ever since. They are a lot like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, but even cheaper, carry less clothes, and some packages have been opened since they deal in returns.

It can be hit or miss like most of these stores, but when it’s a hit, it’s a super deal. I was pleasantly surprised after an impromptu stop at the The Williamson Square Franklin store the day after Thanksgiving. I scored some work out pants and Calvin Klein pants for just $5 each. I noticed some Kid-Tough Digital Cameras for $12.99, but they did look like returns meaning that the package had been opened. On a trip later that week the cameras were already gone. We recently purchased a Fisher Price power wheels at 50 to 70% off at their store in Goodlettsville. We were thrilled to get the last one.

Here's a link to the website which notes the 10 locations http://www.essexretailoutlet.com Their return policy is only 1 week, so check out those electronic items quickly when you get home. Happy hunting!

Publix Deals!

2009-12-16T10:43:00.003-06:00

I Heart Publix has the deals. Be sure to check out her long list of super savers.

Jenny at Southern Savers does not disappoint and has her weekly Publix deals list that is printable!

Menu Monday

2009-12-14T15:14:00.002-06:00

We have a busy week ahead, so I have to admit that this week it's a lazy menu. I usually try to have one slow cooker meal, one meat less meal, and one seafood meal a week. On average, most of my meals are less than $5. I'm able to do this because I shop sales, use coupons, and stockpile some items.

Monday: Busy evening. McDonald's grab 'n go. Way over $5!

Tuesday: Fish, rice, vegetables, home made rolls. (Frozen fish and vegetables were free with coupon and sales.) $1.00

Wednesday: Mom has dinner plans. Dad's choice. This always makes my husband sweat just a bit.

Thursday: Tuna burgers, corn and sweet potato fries. $3.00

Friday: Kid's sleepover = kid food. Chicken nuggets, veggies and dip, fruit skewers, ice cream. $3.50.

Saturday: Slow cooker Lentil, Corn and Sweet Pepper Chili $3

Sunday: Leftovers TBA

For more menu ideas check out organizingjunkie.com

Sunday Coupon Inserts

2009-12-12T21:51:00.002-06:00

You should have three inserts in your Sunday paper:

(1) Red Plum insert
(2) Smart Source inserts

Last time I received 1 large Smart Source inserts instead of two. This will vary by paper.

For the locals, $1 Tennessean newspapers can be found at Dollar Tree, Kroger (until the end of the year), CVS and Daily's. You may want to call your store first to see if they are participating.

Publix: Just Paid Tax!

2009-12-11T08:50:00.005-06:00

Had a few minutes to kill while waiting to pick up my daughter from girl scouts. I tried to calculate it so the total wouldn't go into the negative. This freaks out some cashiers. The bananas were cheaper than I thought. My total pre-tax was -.18 cents! The cashier was cool, but had to get a manager's approval. OOP $2.44. Saved $37.87!

Harris Teeter Savings

2009-12-10T13:18:00.007-06:00

I don't go to HT often, but they had a few good deals last week including free bread (BOGO and coupon). This deal also printed out $1 coupon for Arnold bread, which I will use this week at Publix. Couldn't resist the roasts at $1.99 a pound. Also, they will double the Little Debbie coupons still available at coupon.com for .75 off. This makes most boxes about .09! Lost receipt (I think it is that time of year). About $12.97 OOP. Savings about 65%.

Publix Deals of The Week

2009-12-09T22:14:00.002-06:00

A little late this week. I think the holidays are starting to take over. As usual, I Heart Publix and Southern Savers have the lists with the best deals. For some of the absolute best deals be sure to check out the Super Deals.

Menu Monday

2009-12-06T18:40:00.006-06:00

I'm having difficulty putting together my menu this week. I'm trying to use what I have on hand but nothing sounds especially appealing. I'm going back to some of my old favorites.

I usually try to have one slow cooker meal, one meat less meal, and one seafood meal a week. On average, most of my meals are less than $5. I'm able to do this because I shop sales, use coupons, and stockpile some items.

Monday: Super Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, peas, pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins. $7 but we will eat this for two meals.

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie, corn, fruit. Using my leftover pie crust from Thanksgiving. $4

Thursday: Turkey and Wild Rice Soup. Veggies and dip. Fruit. Using my leftover Turkey in place of chicken for this recipe. $3

Friday: Pizza (Publix penny item) salad, fruit. $2

Saturday: Slow Cooker Bean Soup, corn muffins, fruit. $3

Sunday: TBA

SUPER EASY Slow Cooker Pot Roast

2009-11-02T08:58:00.002-06:00

This is the recipe that has worked best for me.

1 boneless beef roast (about 2-4lbs.)
1 envelope dry onion & beef soup mix
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
2 c. water

In a slow cooker, add water, soup mix, garlic and onion. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture. Cook on high setting for 4 to 6 hours, or on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Make sure you use the onion and beef soup mix not the onion soup mix. This does make a difference.

You can also add potatoes, celery or carrots when you initially add the roast and soup mix to the slow cooker and they will come out great!

Sunday Coupon Inserts

2009-12-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

You should have two inserts in your Sunday paper:

Red Plum and Smart Source

For the locals, $1 Tennessean newspapers can be found at Dollar Tree, Kroger (until the end of the year), CVS and Daily's. You may want to call your store first to see if they are participating.

Publix Savings!

2009-12-03T19:34:00.004-06:00

Publix had my can't resist penny item this week -- pizza!
OOP $21.78
Store coupons $24.73
Vendor Coupons $16.30
Ad Savings $19.72
Total Savings $62.64
75%