Publix Trip 8/27/2010

Publix Trip, 8/27/2010:

I have been couponing and shopping, just not blogging. It has been a busy summer! I have had some pretty cheap shopping trips lately, and here is my latest today. I spent $7.62 (two transactions) and will get back $10 in Publix gift cards, making it all free! So this week Publix PAID $2.38 to shop!
Here is the details

6 Raisin Bran Cereal $1.99 each
3 Fresh Blends Salads $1.99 each
3 Campbell's Select soup $1.19 each
2 Hefty 45 count trash bags $6.89 for both (rain check from last week)
dozen eggs $1.39

Total: $29.83

Coupons used:
3 $1/2 Kelloggs Rasin Bran printable
6 $1 off any one Kelloggs cereal printable
3 $1 off Campbell soup printable
3 $0.50 Campbell soup (target printable)
2 $1 Hefty trashbags printable
3 $1 off Fresh Salads printable pdf
3 $1 off any Produce item (target printable)
1 $5 off $25 purchase (riteaid coupon printable)

Total coupon value $26.50
Total cash paid $3.88 (with tax)
Submit rebate form for $5 publix gift card

Transaction #2

4 Raisin bran cereal $1.99
2 Kellogg's Fiber Cereal $1.99
1 Tomato $0.90
2 Broccoli crowns $1.80
4 Bananas $.97
Plum tomatoes $1.04
2 Lysol Bath cleaner $3.69 for 2 (raincheck from last week)
2 Lysol All Purpose Cleaner $2.69 for 2 (raincheck from last week)
1 Finish Dishwasher Detergent $3.50 (raincheck from last week)

Total

Coupons:
2 $1/2 Kelloggs rasin bran printable
2 $0.75 Kelloggs Fiber cereal printable
6 $1 off Kelloggs Cereal (cvs printable)
4 $1 off produce (target printable)
2 $0.50 Lysol Bath cleaner printable(each coupon doubles to $1 each)
2 $0.50 Lysol All Purpose Cleaner printable(each coupon doubles to $1 each)
1 $0.50 Finish DW Detergent printable (coupon double to $1)
1 $5 off $25 purchase riteaid printable

Total paid $3.74
Submit rebate form for $5 Publix Gift Card

So that is 29 items (35 if you count each banana, tomato, and broccoli) for FREE :)
Or if you dont figure the rebates, $7.62 for 29 items, $0.26 each.

I am hoping that this post will encourage you to try couponing. You can do it, and just remember, stick with the list, and even if you dont save a lot, with practise you WILL see the savings!

Recipe of the Week: Quesodilla Burritos

I have an easy to make meal plan recipe idea using some of the ingredients from My Shopping Trip 07.02.10
My husband showed me how to make this years ago when we were dating, and it quickly became one of my favorites, especially when I changed the recipe to quesadillas. Move over Taco Bell, Im gonna save some money!

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Print Recipe
Pan Burrito or Oven Quesadilla


You will need:
8 Flour Tortillas
Sour Cream (optional)
1 can Refried Beans or Make Your Own for less
Taco Cheese
Taco Seasoning
Can Chicken or Make Your Own for Less from stockpile pantry
Butter, Spread, or Pam

Optional Ingredients: Diced Tomatos, Hot Peppers, Black Olives, Salsa

• In a saucepan, mix refried beans with chicken, and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Heat on Medium, stirring frequently to keep from sticking. 

• To make Burritos:
• In a 8 or 10 inch pan, spray pan with Pam or melt a tsp of butter in pan on medium low. Place one tortilla shell in pan. Spead 1/2 tablespoon sour cream in the middle of toritilla in a long strip (sour cream optional) Place approximatly 3-4 tablespoons bean and chicken mixture on top of toritilla forming a basic rectangle shape.Add any optional ingredients such as diced tomatos, hot peppers, olives, etc. Sprinkle cheese on top of bean mixture to cover. Working quickly, fold one half of tortilla over the bean mixture longways, the fold in two side. Form buritto shape by folding over top flap, careful not to burn your fingers, as the pan and tortilla may be hot. Flip toritilla over and cook on each side till lightly cooked and just starting to brown.

• To Make Quesadilla:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fold a tortilla in half, and spray each side with Pam. If using butter, either very lightly, and evenly, spread butter over each side, or melt butter and use a pastry brush to lightly butter each side of tortilla. Place folded tortilla on cookie sheet. Open the tortilla and spread 1/2 tablespoon sour cream (optional) over the half of tortilla that is on the cookie sheet. Thinly spread 2 generous spoonfulls of bean mixture evenly over one side of tortill and top with cheese to cover. Close the tortilla by folding back the other side. Cook in 400 degree oven, for 10-15 mintues, checking bottoms after 7-8 minutes. If bottom is browning too fast, flip tortillas over and continue cooking, checking every 3 mintues to prevent burning. Tortillas are done when lighty browned and tortilla feels crisp. 

• To serve, cut halved tortilla in half, and then each piece in half again to create four triangluar shapes. Serve warm with salsa on the side.

Serves four to six or 8 Burritos or 8 Quesadillas

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Total Cost to make from my Pantry Stockpile $2.30
How?
Tortillas 25 cent My Publix Trip 07.02.10
Sour Cream 10 cents My Publix Trip 07.02.10
Refried Beans 50 cents Made At Home For Less Recipe
Chicken Breast 80 cents Sale at Harris Teeter 06.10.10 See Tips for Stockpiling
Taco Cheese 50 cents sale at Publix two months ago
Taco Seasoning 15 cents (Large can of Ortega Seasoning $3 sold at Piggly Wiggly)
Butter Free last month at Publix

Publix Trip 7/2/10

Okay, so I have clipped my coupons, made a list, checked it twice, and now the hard part. Getting a four year old ready to go, possibly easier with the enticement of a cookie from the bakery department at Publix? Yes, he already knows about the free cookie and asks for one at end of trip!

Here is what I was able to purchase, and I met my 25 cent challenge!










Publix Shopping Trip 7.02.10  

4 Capri Sun 10 ct boxes
3 Gold Fish Crackers
1 Breakstone 16 oz Sour Cream
1 Frenchs Mustard
1 Chinet Napkins 90 count
1 Mission Tortilla 8 count (not on sale but I needed some)


Total cost...... $2.78
(waahoo cutting it close, but 11 items for $0.25 each is not bad, but not my best)


Retail cost would have been $22.57, so I saved 88% 
by buying items on sale, and using coupons.  


Want to know how I did this? Click here to see.


                
    

Free Crown MoneyMap™ - Limited Time Only

Budgeting is a difficult but rewarding decision. The ministry of Crown helps us to be good stewards of our money and offers sound financial advise that is biblical founded. To receive a free Crown Money Map and begin your walk on the way to financial freedom click on the link below.

This is limited time offer for the free map.

Free Crown MoneyMap™ - Limited Time Only

Register for free here to get started with the money map, step by step, or to get help from a Crown Money Map Coach. It will take you through the steps and in depth, and is great place to learn how to save and manage money.



Some other great links on crown.org:
This article talks about getting started with making a budget. Once you have a budget in place, and begin to track your spending, dollar for dollar, you will see where you are "overspending" and where you may be able to cut back.

Use this calculator as a guideline in creating your budget.
Crown Budgeting Spending Plan

The bible teaches us to be good stewards of our blessings. Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
When we do not have debt, we are then free to serve the Lord as He directs us.

Saving money basics, part 2

Two words: Impulse shopping.

We've all done it, and I'm sure that retailers bet that we will. You know, you go to the store for milk and bread and come out with $50 worth of groceries? Every store lays out the merchandise in a way that makes us buy, and buy more. From gas stations to grocery stores, from department stores to Walmart (who by the way is the leading in merchandising) it is key in the way the stores are set up. For example, staples items like milk, and bread, are allways located at the back of the store, so that you have to walk through the store and see the great "sales" and bright images tempting you to buy.

My sister gave me a bit of wisdom that is very true. She said "The key to saving money is saying NO to 99 percent of purchases." We are enticed with purchases everyday, hundreds of times a day. Keep the money in your pocket by not putting it in the other guys pocket.

So with that in mind here are some "rules" to follow.

Rule #1. Make a list. Well, okay, making the list is just one part. You have to remember to bring the list with you!
Rule #2. Plan for the list. Making a list is a great place to start, but, only if you are listing the things that you actually need. Plan for dinner for the week (or if that is too daunting for the next three days) and check your pantry before you add that item. Too many times have we thought we were out of something like sugar, and low and behold there was a full bag that I thought was flour. If you have a half a loaf of bread and you know that in two days you will be out, get it now, so that you are going to the store less frequently, and thus reducing the amount of temptation (advertising).
Rule #3. STICK to the list. Thats hard, I know. Especially when you are hungry, or your kids see the cookies (see rule 3 and 4)
Rule #4. Don't go hungry. You will end up grabbing something on the way or in the store to tide you over. Eat a healthy snack before you go, like an apple, which will also give you energy.
Rule #5. Leave the kids at home. I know thats not always possible, but it will save you time, give you a mini break, and will prevent those, Mommy pllllease can I have this? (and its not on the list and you cave anyway, happens to me all the time)
Rule #6. Plan of Attack. When faced against a battle, we need a plan of attack right? We don't just run towards the enemy. So when you are in a store, don't go down the aisles unless there is an item on your list. While you may find a good sale, odds are that you will be tempted to buy something off list, especially when you are just starting out, and are not familiar with what truly is a sale.
Rule #7.Move on. We have all splurged or fallen to "temptation." It happens. The point is not to focus on a so called "failure" but to look at the positive aspects. Maybe you bought a fews things off list that cost you $5, but you still saved by using coupons, and planning. Realize that there will almost ALWAYS be a better deal, and celebrate the achievements you have made. Move on to the next weeks budget and aim to save more.

These are rules that are okay if you break them. You will not get grounded, or put in time out. Be sure to make your grocery budget reasonable. It would be quite difficult for, say, a family of 8 to survive on $50 a week. Sometimes I know the money is just not there, but work with what you have. For a suggested amount in several areas of budgets check out Crown.org spending calculator. Just plug in your income, tithe and tax info and it will calculate monthly and yearly amounts. With strategic planning, and some discipline with spending and budgeting, you will see savings and become well on your way to being a frugal shopper, with more money in the bank.

Back to the Basics, Homemade Laundry Detergent

When we took a look at our spending, and saw a budget was desperately needed, I had to make a budget for the grocery shopping too. One of the basic principle of saving money is to track your spending, for a month for two, so you can see where the money is going, and where you can cut back. In my house we were spending 5% of our monthly budget just on laundry. When that doesn't really seem to be a lot, remember its the savings on the little things that will add up to big savings.

I spend less than a dollar to make detergent that will last me about six months. When I told my mother in law, she said no way! I started making my detergent last year. I made my first batch with my mom who was visiting us during Christmas and taking a well deserved break from the cold. The ingredients cost me $6. Six months later, in June, it was time to make more. Since I already had the main ingredients, my only out of pocket cost $1 for the bar of soap, which I only use half.

Here is the recipe, adjusted to a smaller size, based on the Duggar family (19 Kids and counting)

Printable Version
Homemade Laundry Soap:


You will need:
1 large bucket, capable of hold roughly 3 gallons. (Check freecycle or your local restaurants for free buckets)
1 box of Borax (approximately $3-4 at Walmart)
1 box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda $3-4 (must be the washing soda, I found this at my local Ace Hardware store or online here )
1/2 bar of Fels Naptha Soap $0.99 at Publix or (you can use any soap like Castile's, ivory, etc just not perfumed soap)
Empty laundry containers, or even empty plastic milk or juice containers, anything with a lid (check on freecycle if you cant find anything around the house)

Step 1. Grate or shred 1/2 bar of soap.
Step 2. Pour soap shavings in to a saucepan with 2 cups water. Heat on medium low, stirring slowly and occasionally till soap is completely dissolved and there are no more shavings visible.
Step 3. Fill your clean bucket with 1 1/2 gallons of hot tap water (20 cups).
Step 4. To the bucket add the melted soap/water mixture, 1/2 cup of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda, and 1/4 cup Borax.
Step 5. Mix slowly till completely dissolved.
Step 6. Add 1 1/2 gallons hot tap water (20 cups) and stir.
Step 7. Cover (with lid or just a towel) and let sit overnight. (I end up letting mine sit 24 hours but is probably not necessary)
Step 8. Stir and fill half of empty containers with detergent and fill the rest with water. Hint: I am precise and measure out one cup detergent and one cup water at a time in to the containers.

Shake gently before each use. Use 1 capful or 1/3 cup for regular loads, 1/2 to 3/4 cup for heavy soiled loads. Mixture will be gel like. This will yield about 120 loads depending on amount used for each load (not the same as the amount of loads listed on detergent bottles, read more about that here).

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil like lavender or tea oil per 2 gallons if you like.

Time invested to make this... about 15 minutes. Total cost to make two batches (a 12 month supply for our family) $7-9 depending on store. Total I would have spent on laundry detergent in a year $72

Our savings....... $63 to $65!

Just a little math here:
One box of Borax contains about 9 cups and make 36 batches, cost per batch .08 to .11 cents, one box of washing soda contains about 6 cups and will make 12 batches, cost per batch .25 to .33 cents. One bar of soap .99 and will make two batches, cost per batch .50.

At this rate it looks like the only thing I will need to buy to make detergent for the next 6 YEARS is the bar soap!

So some more math (yeah I like math don't laugh)

This calculation is based on one recipe batch lasting 6 months, or equivalent to 5 loads of laundry per week.
Total cost of detergent for six years... $13-15
(Borax $3, Washing Soda $4, and 6 bars of soap $6)

Six years of laundry would be 1,440 loads, making each load cost .009 cents!

Total I would have spent at current prices (inflation not calculated lol) ...... $432!
Whoa! I am saving about $419!


See what I mean about all those little pennies adding up? :)

But grocery stores are soo expensive!

But grocery stores are so expensive!
I dont know how many times I thought that, justifying my weekly trips to Walmart, thinking I was saving money by "one stop shopping." And, yes, I was saving, I was limiting my impulse buys to none, which helped tremendous. However, I KNEW I could do better.

We had purchased our first home, right in the middle of suburbia, which was a big change from the 3 acres in the country. It was a good change for my wallet, as I rediscovered grocery stores.

The first thing I noticed in the first month, was that I saw a lot of the things on sale at Bilo, Publix, and Piggly Wiggly, that were cheaper than Walmart. The other thing I noticed was that these sale items repeated them selves every couple of weeks. This was a whole new concept! I began to track the sales prices for the items I normally bought, going from my meal planning menu. Then, I would only buy the items when they were at the lowest sale price. For example, this week at Bilo, they have chicken buy one get one free packages, making them $2.49 a lb. However, since I had been watching the sales, I knew that the lowest price was 99c a lb. So, when the lowest price sale comes up, I will buy enough chicken to last me a month, which is usually the sales cycle for Bilo on chicken. Use what you need for this week and freeze the rest. Then, when your menu calls for chicken, the day before, just pull out the bag of chicken and thaw out in the fridge.

But alas, that was not the end of my new love for grocery stores. The Lord blessed us as we were introduced to great couponing sites such as www.southernsavers.com and www.hiptosave.com
I recommend anyone that wants to save moolah money to check out these free sites. Using coupons matched up with the weekly sales has added a whole new dimension to my growing grocery store love. By using the meal planning, couponing, and the above sites, I have now reduced my grocery bill from $160 to $30 a week!

I would love to see how much others are saving using coupons and other methods, leave a comment and let us know your savings!

Saving money basics, part 1

Everyone wants to save money. It makes sense with the old saying, work smarter, not harder right? Well, the food manufacturers and grocery stores want to make money. How do we as consumers beat the big food giants? By being smart!

Think about the last time you were in a grocery store. The rich deli and bakery smells waffing through the air, making your stomach growl as the clock ticks closer to dinner time. Sure how easy it would be to just grab something from the deli, like a rotisseri chicken for example (at my local Bilo is usually $6.99). They know how to get us! If we have a plan already in place, we will easily not spend $10-$11 at the deli because we have ran out of time.

So how do we beat this game?

I will show you how our family did it in the next series of posts.
Step one:
(this will be fun!)

• Make a list of all the meals your family enjoys and makes on a regular basis. (Don't worry if you only have a handfull, I think we initially came up with 5, and one of those was pizza lol)
• List all of the ingredients required to make each specific meal, including amounts that will be relevant to purchases, such as ounces of meat.
• Resolve to try at least one new receipe every week

You now have the first list of your very first meal plan!

For me and my family, just having that list of things I know my family would eat was so helpful, so that I wasn't rummaging through my cookbooks or scouring the web for something I crossed my fingers my husband wouldn't turn his nose up at and just grab a bowl of cereal. Knowing what I was going to make in advance for the next week was key to saving money initially. I would shop for the groceries once a week, and thus limiting those impluse purchases the marketers and big food companies bank on us making. The first week I did this, I spent $76 at Walmart (yeah I know but I have learned better now using coupons) as opposed to $160 (my usual grocery bill).

Step Two:

• Implement the meal plan for the week

Its always great to make a plan, but following through when you have kids tugging at you and a million things to do, alas, is another. Find a spot on your fridge or other central location where you can place your meal plan calendar. For each day of the week, decide which recipe you will make and write it in. We allways have pizza on thursday, so that is allways written in. My son plays tiny tots soccer on Mondays, so I try to make something from my list that is easy and fast, like spaghetti.

My mother-inlaw gave me a dry erase calendar board a few years ago to help me remember when to pay bills. My husband now does that, so I pulled this guy back out. It has worked wonderfully for meal planning and schedules. If you have something like this laying around it would be great if you like to meal plan/follow kids schedules month by month. I liked it because I could write in the menu for the week or just write out on the side the menus with the date.

Here it is



The point is to have something in a permanent (0r semi) location you can easily see so you know whether or not to thaw out chicken or beef for the next night. (more on that on the next post)



So, take your menu list, and write down anything else you will need for the week, milk, eggs, bread, etc. so you are only making one trip to the store saving you time and money.

Introduction

Welcome to Cooking With Coupons, a place where recipes and meal planning meet extreme couponing.

about me and the site:

I am a SAHM (stay at home mom, and loving it) and known by my family and friends as the frugal one. Two years ago, my husband and I realized how much money we were spending, and really had nothing to show for it all. We decided to follow God's prinicples and along with the Crown Financial Money Map coaching techniques have embarked on a journey to become better stewards of God's blessing. So, we had to cut back, and start a budget. This was so hard for me, as for years, while I was still what I considered a savvy shopper, I did not know how I would be able to make it on $100 a week. That weekly budget was put to test, ripped apart, glued back together, stompped on, cried over, and now laughed about.

When we first started a budget, the prospect of being able to feed my family, and pay for our outings, gasoline, and clothing, was daunting. I started by reading blogs and articles on how to save money, budgeting, and how other families are frugal. I have learned a great deal during this journey, and I think one of the biggest things for me, was not to beat your self up about not meeting a budget. The first week I spent $150, and so the next week didn't have enough to buy my favorite shampoo and get milk. Needless to say, the cow won. After that, I saw that if I did not plan out my spending, I was going to be in bad shape. And that is where meal planning started.

I have come a long way from those first few weeks, and now, since I have started coupon this spring it has opened a whole new wave of saving. I cannot stress the importance of meal planning, and how this will save money. Using meal planning and couponing, I have now cut my grocery costs over 75% of my budget!

Enter the idea for the website:

My sister, who is a chef at heart, and takes after our late grandma, is a receipe queen. She loves cooking, and I know if I ever need a new idea for dinner she is the gal to call. I was thinking the other night about how bored I get with the receipe collection I have, and thought about all the free or almost free things I get using coupons. What is there was a way to plan dinner only using the items I get couponing? Oh, just think how much I could save then? Imagine having a meal cost $1 or less for a family of 4?

Yes, I do think it is possible. Maybe not everynight, like the night your husband decides he wants to take you out to dinner, but, then again, there are coupons for that too!

I will start by posting a couple of recipe ideas for my local grocery stores that I shop, as well as the famers markets and produce stands, if possible. This will be completely based on the sales that are for the current week. For example, if the local sale has pasta that is free with couponing this week, then one of the recipes will be a pasta dish. The idea is to spend as little as possible and combine those ingredients into a delicous meal.

The upcoming posts will be a tool to teach others how to do meal planning, saving time,saving money, and weekly receipe postings.