Julie from Frugally Blonde put together a great list of what to buy (and skip) in November.
Summer Bucket List
Classic View
Grid View
Gretchen’s $39 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Aldi
2 dozen Eggs – $0.99 each
2 Cucumbers – $0.59 each
5 lb bag Potatoes – $2.49
2 pkg Chocolate Pudding – $0.49 each
1 bag Red Grapes – $2.92
3 cans Green Beans – $0.44 each
1 loaf Bread – $1.49
1 bag Apples – $1.98
2 can Diced Tomatoes – $0.49 each
1 pkg Shredded Cheese – $2.99
1 pkg Mini Marshmallows – $0.89
1 lb Ground Beef – $3.19
1 can Black Beans – $0.59
1 Pineapple – $1.29
1 Olive Oil Spray – $1.49
1 can Tomato Sauce – $0.29
1 pkg Tomatoes – $1.29
1 gallon Milk – $1.76
1 can Tuna – $0.66
1 pkg Cheddar Cheese – $1.79
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99
1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99
1 Cabbage – $1.29
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
1 pkg Oyster Crackers – $0.79
3 Avocados – $0.59 each
Total: $39.27
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Scrambled Eggs, Pumpkin Muffins x 4
Cereal x 2
Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunches
Mac & Cheese, Carrot Sticks, Sliced Cucumbers x 2
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Sliced Avocados x 2
Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Sliced Apples
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Poor Man’s Steak, Pumpkin Bread, Steamed Peas
Rotisseri Chicken, French Bread, Sliced Grapefruit (My sister-in-law gave us food for dinner today!)
Chicken Parmesan Casserole, Tossed Salad
Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
One-Pot Cabbage Casserole, Steamed Broccoli
Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Homemade Bread
Black Bean Quesadillas, Fruit Salad
4 Steps to Pull Out of the Comparison Funk (video)
I wrote a post on comparison and contentment on Friday (if you missed it, read it here) and it resonated with so many of you that I ended up doing an in-depth live video this morning sharing about this recent situation where I really struggled to be happy for people who got something I wanted and the steps I took to pull out of that comparison funk.
If you’ve been struggling with feeling like you’re not enough or you just don’t measure up or you’ve been feeling frustrated that so many people are in the financial position you wish you could be in, I think this video will encourage you.
A Peek Into Our Lives This Past Week
Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I give you a little peek into our life from the past week and also share things I’m pondering/learning.
The last two weeks or so, life has just felt loud and lonely all at the same time.
I’ve struggled with feeling irritable. I’ve felt emotional and moody and blue. I’ve snapped at my kids and my husband way more than usual. And I’ve just felt this frantic unrest in my soul.
I didn’t really realize I had spiraled to a bad place until my eye started twitching incessantly — which is usually an indication I need more sleep. Only, I had been sleeping at least 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours every night.
I was frustrated that I was feeling frustrated. I felt down that I was feeling down. And I was irritated at myself for feeling irritated.
It felt like a vicious cycle I was trapped in and there didn’t seem to be an easy fix.
The last straw happened when one of my kids said to me, “Mom, you just seem angry all the time.”
My kid thinking I’m angry all the time? Um, not how I want to live.
So I stopped. I took a few days mostly off. I slept. I prayed. I took email off my phone. I got honest with a few people close to me.
And I took a hard look at what the root of this stemmed from.
I realized that I was craving more consistency and more quiet spaces in my life. That I had let myself get spread too thin and the result had been too much chaos in our schedule and too little calm and breathing room. I also realized I was letting anger and hurt fester in my heart over a situation in my life.
I acknowledged my feelings. I let myself really be honest with God and others about them. I let myself grieve and feel and process.
And then Jesse sat down with me and mapped out a game plan for simplifying our days for awhile. I said no to some things. And I gave myself permission to let go of some things. (Oh and I started taking magnesium this week, too! Because I was told that the eye twitching might be related to that.)
You guys… I can’t believe it. I’ve felt like a completely different person! Calm, cheerful, excited about life… my happy, motivated self is back! And I’m so grateful!
I debated sharing this, but I thought it might encourage someone else who might be struggling, too. ❤️
Our Community Group (5 families from our church) went to La Follette, TN to spend the weekend together at a house we booked through VRBO. We were actually supposed to go camping together (like we had done earlier this year) but then the weather took a big turn and it was going to be really, really cold for TN and we decided to try to find an alternative.
So, three days before we were supposed to leave, we found this big house on VRBO that was beautiful and had 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms — and was on a really amazing off-season rate. It turned out to be a fantastic set up for us and we had a great weekend together. So much laughter, game-playing, talking, cooking together, and just being together (including all of the adults staying up until the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing and playing games together!)
There were 15 kids all together and even though it was too cold to go outside most of the time, so they all found creative things to play together — games, treasure hunts, and more. It was loud and they may have gone to bed way late and gotten up earlier than the parents were ready for and they may have eaten quite a bit of junk food (s’mores for breakfast, anyone??), but it was a weekend full of memories and fun!
We’re so grateful for these families and the gift of their friendship in our lives.
We had a little fun on the way home at Cracker Barrel, too! 😉
Did you see that we launched a new line of Thankful Tees? There are 3 different styles to choose from and you can get one for just $17.95 shipped!
I’ve struggled to patiently parent a child who is extremely creative and artistic.
There have been times when I’ve done it all wrong — trying to stuff her into my minimalist box, getting frustrated at her artistic pursuits (that just look like cluttered messes to me), and wanting to pull my hair out over all.the.stuff she wants to save and keep and store in bins and drawers and stashed all over her closet and dresser.
But I’m slowly letting go. Slowly learning to embrace her for who she is instead of trying to stifle her into my neat and organized little minimalistic box.
I’m learning to give her spaces and places in our home where she is free to exercise her creativity however she sees fit. And I’m seeing her come alive in new ways as a result.
This is Kaitlynn’s new desk set-up. It used to be my very minimalistic office area upstairs, but I felt like it was more important for her to have this space than me.
So we gave it to her last week. And you guys, this girl couldn’t have been more excited about having this desk all to herself to store some of her special stuff, work on homework at, and have space to tackle various projects.
All week long, she’s been dreaming up ideas for how she wants to decorate it, talking about DIY ideas she’s going to try for her desk decor, and planning new touches she wants to add (she made the Tape Art Canvas wall-hangings this week). And it makes my heart so happy!
“Lord, let me let go and stop trying to fix my kids into exactly what I think they should be. Let me instead embrace them for who You have created them to be and love them and appreciate them right where they are at.”
Links to Check Out
- Have you gotten some really discouraging news recently? This post I wrote on not getting that thing you wanted might encourage you.
- Why It Pays to Pay Attention at the Checkout Lane — has this ever happened to you??
- Looking for ways to earn a little extra cash for Christmas? Consider driving for Lyft or Uber or watching videos on Swagbucks.
- Do you struggle with email overwhelm? If so, you need to read my post on my 4-step system to achieve Inbox Zero.
- We had a scary incident happen at our house this past week.
9 Inexpensive Ways to Spruce Up Your Home for Fall
Guest post from Kristin of Peppermints and Cherries:
Fall is such a beautiful time of year! The crisp, cool mornings, and the way sunlight hits the trees create a perfect environment to put a spring in your step.
While that spring is in your step and you have all that extra energy, it’s time to spruce up your home for fall without breaking the bank!
Here are nine free (or very frugal) ways to help you feel more contented with that little place you call home.
1. Sweep the porches, carport/garage, and shed.
I like to take a brisk walk in the mornings, and sweeping is a perfect chore to complete after that walk. Daily or at least every-other-day sweeping will keep the outside of your home looking fresh and keep those leaves and creepy crawlers from piling up in the corners.
2. Vacuum the blinds.
The blinds… a chore we all try to ignore and avoid! However, fall is the best time of year to pull out that vacuum and remove allergy-causing dust!
3. Declutter a closet or a room.
Decluttering a closet or a room is not only a great way to spruce up your home for fall, but it can actually help you make extra cash for the Christmas season or pay off some of those extra monthly bills that always creep up unexpectedly.
How, you may ask? Well, once you collect all the items you no longer use, have a yard sale or participate in a consignment sale. I have had two yard sales this year and have participated in a spring and fall consignment sale for children’s items.
Consistent decluttering, especially around the changing of seasons, will keep your home in nice working order.
4. Hang a new shower curtain liner.
No matter how often you clean your bathroom, that plastic shower curtain separating the shower from your decorative cloth curtain is going to stink at some point!
Fall is the perfect time of year to replace a stinky plastic curtain, and you can do so for under $10. Definitely a cheap but needful spruce up for fall!
5. Plant a flower in a pretty pot.
I love planting flowers and making things look lovely outside, but the last few months I haven’t had as much time to work on my gardening skills. Planting a flower in a pretty pot can go a long way in the outward appearance of a home’s front porch.
6. Diffuse autumn scented essential oils.
Diffusing oils is probably the most expensive suggestion on this list, especially if you diffuse high quality oils, but I still believe diffusing is cheaper than buying expensive name brand candles, and it’s a lot healthier. If you do your research, you can even find recipes for combining oils to make those wonderful fall scents like pumpkin pie and snickerdoodle!
7. Hang fall outdoor flags and door decorations.
I usually replace my summer flags on a yearly basis due to sun fading, but most of the time I can get a couple years of use out of my fall flags.
If your doors are covered by some type of overhang, sun exposure is minimized on your door decorations, and they can be used for years. Last year I bought a cute little owl for my front door at an outdoor craft event and sold my older wreath at a yard sale!
8. Dust and trade out summer décor for fall décor.
If you have a mantle or a special shelf for seasonal décor, fall is the perfect time to get rid of those dust bunnies hiding behind things and trade out your décor.
Of course dusting is a chore not just for fall, but we all have those areas that we don’t dust every week, and fall is the time to take things down and rearrange!
9. Purchase a pumpkin or two or three!
I usually don’t buy pumpkins at the grocery store, but my little boy was so excited to purchase a pumpkin the other day at Aldi, so I bought one very inexpensively, and it looks as pretty as pie next to our front porch!
With Christmas coming up, no one wants to spend a lot of money sprucing up their home for fall, so I hope these simple suggestions will give you some motivation and excitement to spruce up your home on the cheap!
Kristin is just a southern girl whose daily desire is pleasing God with the gifts and abilities He has given her. She blogs for fun at Peppermints and Cherries; and while she has enjoyed distance learning and traditional classroom teaching in years past, her current occupations include wife, mommy, piano teacher, and church musician. She loves DIY projects, trying new recipes, planting flowers in pots, learning new skills, and decorating with eclectic style.
Shared Oct 28, 2017
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Brigette’s $77 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $77 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
2 boxes Raisin Bran – $3.30
1 40-oz jar Peanut Butter – $2.49
1 jar Duke’s Mayonnaise – $3.09
1 jar Dijon Mustard – $0.89
1 24-oz bag Chocolate Chips – $2.79
2 Avocados – $1.38
2 Pomegranates – $1.38
2 gallons Whole Milk – $3.12
1 Honey Bear – $2.79
1 8-oz pkg Cream Cheese – $0.65
1 pkg Turkey Bacon – $1.89
1 32-oz carton Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.29
1 1-lb pkg Butter – $2.25
1 head Cabbage – $1.19
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.39
2 3-ct pkgs Colored Peppers – $5.10
1 2-oz pkg Parsley – $1.59
2 16-oz pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.10
1 bag Red Grapes (3.80lbs @ $0.79/lb) – $3.00
1 bag Frozen Raspberries – $1.85
1 can Decaf Coffee – $2.99
1 bag Lemons – $1.79
1 pkg Celery – $0.59
2 heads Cauliflower – $3.78
2 2-lb bags Honey Crisp Apples – $4.98
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.59
1 bunch Bananas (2.61lbs @ $0.38/lb) – $0.99
1 pkg Zucchini – $1.45
2 loaves Bread – $1.30
3 dozen Eggs – $1.08
Total: $62.07
Harris Teeter
3 pomegranates, reduced – $1.00 (Of course, I found these AFTER I’d already bought pomegranates at Aldi! But the more the merrier. :))
2 can Well Yes! Soup -$2.98, used 2 $0.75/1 Campbell’s Well Yes! Soup – 10-1-17 SS (exp. 11/26/17) (doubled) – FREE after coupons
1 bag Pillsbury Bread Flour – $3.39
1 jar Liquid Smoke – $2.19
2 bags Frozen Cauliflower – $2.50
4 bags Picsweet Frozen Vegetables – $5.36, used 2 $1/2 Pictsweet Farms Southern Classics or Farm Favorites frozen vegetables, SS 10/01 – $3.36/4 bags after coupons
2 boxes Microwave Popcorn – $2.79
Total after Coupons: $15.23
Grocery Total for the Week: $77.30
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfast. Choices include:
Fruit, Yogurt, Scrambled/Fried/Boiled Eggs, Veggies Omelets, Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunches
Leftovers x 4
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit, Raw Veggies with Dip x 2
Tossed Salad Bar
Dinners
Hosting a Soft Pretzel/Cookie Party at our Home (I’ll probably feed my kids some fruits and veggies ahead of time – but won’t make a real dinner that night). I’m serving Never Fail Saucepan Brownies (favorite recipe from a dear friend), Mall Pretzels (I’ll make some with kosher salt, and some with cinnamon/sugar) and several kinds of homemade dipping sauces (I’m thinking a Honey Mustard Sauce, a Cheese Dip, and a sweet Cream Cheese Dip)
Chinese Chicken Fried Rice (I substitute my own veggies based on my family’s preferences), Fruit Salad
Venison Roast in the Crockpot (My husband got his first deer of the season last week!), Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Carrots, Pumpkin Crescent Rolls
Fluffy Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit Salad, Turkey Bacon
Ham and Bean Soup, World’s Best Honey Cornbread
Soup Night: Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Cheesy No Cheese Trimmy Bisque (recipe from “Trim Healthy Table” cookbook), Cheesy Flower Biscuits (Trim Healthy Table)
Leftovers
When You Don’t Get That Thing You Really Want
Earlier this week, I didn’t get an opportunity that I was hoping for. I really wanted it. I had hoped it would happen.
But, ultimately, I didn’t make the cut. And when I saw the online influencers who did make the cut, I have to admit that I struggled with self-doubt, insecurity, and comparison.
Why wasn’t I picked? What is wrong with me? Am I not a good enough writer? Am I just not interesting enough? Maybe I’m not funny enough? Maybe I need to change my posts and my videos to be more like xyz blogger?
You guys. I know that all sounds silly and ridiculous. But in the moment, it was very real.
I felt like I just didn’t measure up to this much more interesting, well-spoken, funny, charismatic individuals. All I could see was the fact that I didn’t make the cut. That I didn’t get picked.
Comparison will do that to you. It always does. It will discourage you, tear you down, whispers lies about how you’re not good enough, and will keep you from being able to celebrate other people.
I know that “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I know it all too well. But it doesn’t mean that I’m immune to comparison.
And I’m guessing some of you can relate — especially when it comes to finances. For example:
- Maybe you are really struggling to make ends meet and it’s hard for you to not feel discouraged when you look at someone else and where they are financially compared to where you are.
- Perhaps you are stuck in a job that you really don’t like at all while your friend recently got an amazing new job with incredible pay and hours and benefits that she loves.
- Maybe you look around at your old house with worn down furniture and you feel envious of your relative who recently bought a new house and new furniture.
- Perhaps you are driving an old beater car that has been on its last leg for a long time and you find yourself feeling frustrated that your co-worker was able to buy a shiny new car recently.
- Maybe you’re working so hard to get out of debt and making so many sacrifices to do so and your sister keeps going on and on about how hard it has been to figure out all of the details for trip they are planning to Disney.
In each of these cases, comparison can keep you from being able to celebrate others and something in their life that is exciting. And who gets hurts by this? Ultimately, it’s YOU who gets hurt.
I know that in my case with the recent not-getting-picked situation, I was the one who suffered because of my comparison. I couldn’t be excited that other people got picked. I couldn’t be happy for them.
I couldn’t focus on the amazing blessings in my life or the fact that I get so many incredible opportunities — like the fact that I have a blog that earns a full-time income for our family and that I get to set my own hours and have so much flexibility.
Nope, I couldn’t see any of that. Because I was stuck selfishly comparing myself and feeling sorry for myself and feeling inadequate.
4 Steps to Break Out of the Comparison Funk
When I was stuck in this place of comparison, I quickly recognized how unhealthy and unproductive my mindset was, and here’s what I did instead:
1. Call It For What It Is
I had to acknowledge that I was stuck in the comparison trap.
Sometimes, we can get so self-focused and become victims of our circumstances that we don’t even realize that we are the ones who are bringing a lot of frustration on ourselves because we’re focusing on comparison versus cultivating contentment.
2. Remind Yourself of the Truth
Your worth is not dependent upon what other people think of you, how much money you have, the position you have at work, how many people read your blog, or whether or not you get asked to participate in that opportunity.
Don’t buy into the belief that says you don’t have anything to offer. Don’t believe the lie that says you were passed over for that promotion or have chronic illness or struggle with infertility or are in a difficult marriage or are still single in your 40’s because you aren’t good enough.
The truth is: you have gifts and talents and unique perspective that no one else on the planet has. You are the only YOU in existence.
The world needs your story. The world needs your gifts. The world needs you.
I reminded myself of this this past week and reminded myself that while my gifts and skills and talents are different than others and while my blog and social media and the way I do live videos aren’t for everyone, it is for some people and I need to focus on being ME — instead of thinking that maybe if I’m more like other people then I’ll get chosen for certain opportunities.
3. Choose to Celebrate Others
This is sometimes hard to do. I get it. When someone gets the very thing we were wishing and hoping for, the last thing we want to do is be happy for them.
But there’s so much joy in being committed to being a cheerleader versus being a criticizer. There are plenty of opportunities to go around.
And honestly? Sometimes the very thing we want so badly is actually the thing that could end up wrecking our life — or at least making things really difficult.
Last week, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself for getting “passed over” and instead focus on being excited for the people who got chosen. It was amazing how this simple act changed my heart and mindset.
4. Count Your Blessings
We all — no matter where we are in life — have something to be grateful for. And those of us who readily have access to clean water, have food in our bellies, know how to read and write, have a roof over our head, and have the ability to find gainful employment opportunities… we have SO much to be grateful for!
I decided to stop feeling frustrated over not getting this opportunity and instead choose to stop and count my blessings. And oh my goodness! What a long list of blessings I have!
You guys, these four steps made such a difference for me! And while I am embarrassed to share this story with you (especially because it’s silly that I’m 36 years old and still struggling with these kinds of things!), but I wanted to share it with you in hopes that it would encourage you the next time you are tempted to feel left out or discouraged or frustrated because of comparison.
P.S. Need some further encouragement? Read my article from 2015 called When She Gets That Thing You Really Wanted.
Photo credit: Pen and Paint Etsy Shop
Become a Lyft Driver to Earn Extra Income!
(Note: This post was sponsored by Lyft. All opinions are my own. Read our disclosure policy here.)
Are you looking for ways to earn some extra income — maybe to add to your Christmas fund this year?
Sign up to drive with Lyft — a ride sharing app that matches drivers with passengers requesting rides.
In the past year, Lyft surpassed one million rides per day and now covers over 94% of the U.S. — meaning that 9 out of 10 Americans have access to a ride within just minutes.
This is a great way to make some money on the side, because you can drive as little or as much as you want and set your own schedule.
And Lyft recently added several ways for drivers to earn even more:
- Different driver incentives for each city to earn more.
- High Earning Alerts that update you in real-time when Prime Time spikes, even when your app is closed.
- Higher tip options, resulting in a 13% increase in tips — meaning more money per ride that you give. (And you get to keep 100% of your tips for yourself!)
Signing up to be a Lyft Driver is really simple! Just add your phone number, complete the application, and download the Lyft Driver app to get started!
Go here to sign up to become a Lyft Driver.
Has Amazon taken things too far?
I know that many of love the convenience and savings of Amazon Prime (especially those of us who earn free Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks!). And I know that many of us will likely order a number of our Christmas gifts from Amazon (myself included!)
So when I saw the news about Amazon Key, I just had to ask you all for your thoughts on it. Essentially, Amazon Key is a service that allows couriers to open your front door and place packages inside while you’re not home.
The Verge did a great article on it explaining how it will work and the pros and cons behind it. Here’s a snippet of the article:
The service is called Amazon Key, and it relies on a Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and compatible smart lock. The camera is the hub, connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. The camera talks to the lock over Zigbee, a wireless protocol utilized by many smart home devices.
When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly.
You can read the rest of the article about it here.
So, what do you think of this service? Would you use it? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your honest thoughts!
Gretchen’s $55 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi
1 can Green Beans – $0.49
1 bag Frozen Peas – $0.95
1 pkg Lasagna Noodles – $1.49
1 dozen Eggs – $0.89
1 gallon Milk – $1.88
1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.29
1 pkg Celery – $1.29
2 Cucumbers – $0.59 each (Only one made it into the picture!)
2 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.69 each
1 pkg Cheddar Cheese – $1.79
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99
1 loaf Bread – $0.89
1 Butternut Squash – $0.99
Total: $15.50
Dillons
1 Romaine Lettuce – $1.29
1 pkg Drumsticks – $3.10
1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $1.25
3 bag Frozen Tyson Chicken Breasts – $4.98 each, used $1.25/1 e-coupon – $4.56 each after coupon
1 lb Kroger Ground Beef – $2.99
1 Chobani Yogurt – Marked down to $0.59
1 Kroger Rice – $0.89
3 Yoplait Mix-Ins Yogurt – $1 each, used $0.25/1 printable AND $0.25/1 SavingStar.com rebate – $0.83 each after coupon and rebate
2 Kroger Butter – $2.50 each
1 Betty Crocker Brownie Mix – $1.49
1 Edy’s Ice Cream – $2.99
4 Avocados – $0.79 each (I’ve been waiting for weeks for a sale on avocados!)
1.88 lbs Bananas – $0.92
Used $0.25 Ibotta rebate for any receipt
Total after coupons and rebates: $39.59
Total for both stores: $55.09
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Eggs & Toast x 2
Cereal x 2
Baked Oatmeal x 2
Donuts (after church treat!)
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrots Sticks, Celery Sticks x 2
Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies x 2
Baked Potato Bar
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
We will be camping one night this week and since it was planned AFTER I grocery shopped, my husband will make a quick run to the store to grab hot dogs, buns and chips. 🙂
Out to eat (My brother’s family is treating us to dinner!)
Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Homemade Bread
Chicken & Rice, Steamed Broccoli
Lasagna, Rolls, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Peas, Brownies & Ice Cream
Chicken Parmesan Casserole, Roasted Butternut Squash, Tossed Salad
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Why It Pays to Pay Attention at the Checkout Lane
Do you pay attention to the screen as your groceries are being rung up in the checkout lane? If not, you could be regularly being over-charged — and not even know it!
Case in point: See those bags of apples? They were in the Reduced Produce section at our Kroger store. And everything in the reduced produce section is just $0.99 per bag of produce.
Well, when I went to checkout at Kroger, the kind man who was ringing up my groceries didn’t know this and he punched in the code on one of the apples and charged me by weight — which was $3 more per bag of apples than it was supposed to be!
I caught it immediately because I was watching the screen and I asked him if he could fix it, which he did.
But it was a reminder of how important it is that we pay attention to what we are being charged, know what the prices are on items we are buying, and ask for something to be corrected if it’s not accurate.
These simple actions could save us hundreds of dollars every year!
A Peek Into Our Lives This Past Week
Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I give you a little peek into our life from the past week and also share things I’m pondering/learning.
I’m Falling Back in Love With Coupons
After being in Cincinnati last week with a few other frugal bloggers, including Katie from Kroger Krazy, I was so inspired to shop with coupons again — something that I haven’t done much of in the last few years. (Read more about how we save on groceries without using coupons here.)
So, I went over to Kroger Krazy, made my grocery list, printed my coupons, and then promptly lost the coupons! For real.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea??? ?
I ended up finding out that my daughter had put the coupons under a stack of books, so all was not lost! But then when I got to the store, I realized how rusty I was at using coupons. I ended up having to consult Kroger Krazy multiple times on my phone AND I had to return a bottle of laundry detergent to customer service because I had bought the wrong size!!!!
Apparently, using coupons isn’t quite like riding a bike. When you learn how to do it once, you can’t necessarily just hop back on and do it again!
But, as I walked out of the store with my bags in tow and my receipt with all the savings listed, I remembered the rush I got from using coupons and getting deals and now I’m inspired to jump back into it again!
See all the details on my Kroger shopping trips from this past week here and here.
If You Had a Rough Day…
I wrote this on Monday and wanted to share it here, in case you needed the reminder…
Y’all. Today wasn’t one of our finer days. I think it may have been the whole re-entry back into “real life” after Fall Break and my trip to Cincy. But it just felt like everyone was off their game and Mama was on edge.
There were bad attitudes. There was complaining. There were kids who were taking five times as long as needed to finish their chores. There was arguing.
I was so tired of the attitudes and complaining and bickering, that I announced in a rather strong voice halfway through dinner that if any child talked or made another noise, I would be adding more vegetables to their plates.
Yup. Sometimes, you come up with crazy things like that because you’re just d-o-n-e.
I may not have been as gentle or patient as I would have liked to be today, but we made it through the day, I didn’t lose my temper, and there were many redeeming moments of today… like this hour where Kaitlynn made slime while I read to her.
If you had a rough day, too, know this: you’re not alone. And there is grace. Also? If you think back over your day, I’m sure you had some redeeming moments, too.
And tomorrow is a new day!
The Little Things Really Make a Difference
This centerpiece on our kitchen table might not look like much to you. But to me, it tells a story that makes me smile every time I look at it.
It tells the story of my 10-year-old, Kaitlynn, who loves to leave beauty wherever she goes.
You see, I asked her to set the table for dinner the other night. In typical Kaitlynn fashion, she didn’t just set the table, she also created a snowflake “doily” out of a napkin and gathered fall items around the house for a centerpiece.
She teaches me so much about taking a little time for the extra touches… the things that add a splash of beauty. The things my natural personality would usually think are just frivolous and a waste of time.
She shows me, by her example, that investing that time is worth it. That those seemingly little things really do make a difference.
And every time I see this centerpiece, I’m reminded to look for ways to add more splashes of beauty to my own life — and to others’ lives.
Why I Took Email Back Off My Phone Again
I took email back off my phone this week — and I can’t BELIEVE how much of an impact this makes for me!
I had taken it off my phone for a long time and thought that I had gotten disciplined enough to put it back on.
So I put it back on a few weeks ago thinking it might make things more efficient for me and my team and I felt like I’d learned enough from having it off my phone that it shouldn’t be a problem. I wasn’t going to need to check it all the time like I used to, right??
Um, apparently I’m not as disciplined as I thought! ?
I quickly fell back into old patterns…
…Checking email on my phone first thing when I woke up (so then my day started with my brain swirling about business projects and issues needing to be resolved.)
…Checking email when I had a few minutes here and there while I was in the middle of family time (which meant I would then be distracted and would be unable to be fully present with my family.)
…Checking email as soon as I got into the car after I was with a friend or at a function (which meant that instead of having a peaceful drive home, I’d be thinking about work projects.)
…Checking email last thing before I went to bed (which meant that my brain would be cluttered with thoughts of projects and to-do’s as I tried to drift off to sleep.)
Basically, having email on my phone meant that the business tasks and to-do’s were constantly crowding out the peace of my real-life. And it started making me feel frantic and on edge.
So, I pulled my email off my phone again this week. And within a few HOURS I felt like I could breathe again!!
What’s a simple change you might need to make to help reclaim some margin and breathing room and peace in your life?
Have you signed up for the Healthy Kitchen Shortcuts Printable Pack?
Sign up for a free Healthy Kitchen Shortcuts Printable Pack.
This is a freebie that Ultimate Bundles is offering to to celebrate the fact that the incredibly popular Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is coming back on Monday and Tuesday only for a last chance flash sale.
If you missed it when it was available earlier this year, here’s your chance to get it again! Sign up for this freebie and you’ll get an email on Monday morning as soon as it’s available!
Links You Should Check Out:
- 7 Easy Ways to Earn More Swagbucks — A great way to help fund your Christmas budget with free gift cards from Swagbucks!
- 31 Keto Crockpot Freezer Meals — This has been one of the most popular posts we’ve shared this week!
- How to Earn Money With iBotta — I did a step-by-step post on how you can use the iBotta app to earn $$ on things you are already buying!
Shared Oct 21, 2017
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Brigette’s $71 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $71 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 box Crunchy Granola Raisin Bran – $1.65
1 box Crispy Rice – $1.15
1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49
2 gallons Whole Milk – $3.12
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.18
1 8-oz Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55
1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $1.75
1 32-oz carton Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.29
1 8-oz block Cream Cheese – $0.65
4 dozen Eggs – $2.36
1 1-lb bag Fresh Green Beans – $0.85 (I have no idea WHY I didn’t buy more of these – they looked great and fresh, and this is a great price!)
1 1-lb bag Brussel Sprouts – $1.29
1 carton Baby Bella Mushrooms – $0.99
1 24-oz bag Zucchini – $0.99
1 bag Yellow Squash – $1.49
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.29
1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.49
1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.59
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
1 bag Red Grapes (2.63lbs @ $1.05lb) – $2.76
1 bunch Bananas (2.30lbs @ $0.38/lb) – $0.87
1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $1.89
2 cans Chicken Breast – $3.10
1 bag Nacho Tortilla Chips – $0.75
1 bag Sliced Pepperoni – $1.75
2 loaves White Bread – $1.30
1 can Olive Oil Spray – $1.35
Total: $47.08
Harris Teeter
10 8-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $13.56
1 32-oz carton Egg Whites – $5.39 (Aldi was out)
4 cans Luck’s Chili Beans – $2.40, used 2 $0.80/2 Luck’s Beans – 10-1-17 SS (exp. 11/30/17) (doubled) – FREE after coupons
1 64-oz carton Silk Cashew Milk – $3.00, used $0.55/1 Silk Milk – 9-24-17 RP; Includes 1/2 gal or Larger Only (exp. 11/24/17) (doubled) – $1.90 after coupon
2 Lemons – $0.50
1 box Celestial Seasonings Tea – $2.00, used $1.00/1 Celestial Seasonings Tea – 10-1-17 SS; Excludes K-Cup Pods, plus receive $1.00 rebate from Ibotta – FREE after coupon and rebate
5 jars Barilla Pasta Sauce – $5.89, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $2.89/5 after coupons
T0tal after Coupons and Rebate: $24.24
Weekly Grocery Total: $71.32
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfast. Choices include:
Cereal, Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Scrambled/Fried/Hard Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Toast, Fruit, Yogurt
Lunches
Leftovers x 5
PB and J Sandwiches, Fruit, Fresh Veggies, Cheese Sticks x 2
Dinners
Pan-Fried Fish (my husband and boys went on several fishing trips this summer, so we still have several bags of fish in our freezer), Roasted Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Freezer Biscuits
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad
Ham and Beans (Ham from the freezer), World’s Best Honey Cornbread
Turkey Gravy over Rice, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Fruit Salad
Burritos (Homemade Tortillas, Venison Taco Meat, Shredded Cheese, Salsa, Seasoned Beans, Lettuce), Spanish Rice, Fresh Veggies with Dip
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes, Butterhorns, Steamed Carrots
Fried Egg Sandwiches, Fruit Salad, Green Beans (canned)
How to Earn Money With Ibotta
Have you signed up for Ibotta yet? It’s one of my favorite money-making apps, and it’s a great way to save money on groceries and more—without clipping coupons!
I posted about my deals at Kroger yesterday and when I did my Facebook Live, a lot of people asked questions about how iBotta works. So I thought it was high time I do an in-depth post about it!
How to Earn Money with Ibotta
1. Sign up for Ibotta and download the free app.
2. Login and check out which stores in your area offer cash back. (You can get cash back from 275 different stores — including Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Costco, Dollar Tree, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, and many, many more. No matter where you live, there should definitely be some stores that offer cash back offers from Ibotta in your area!)
3. Before you go to the store or after you’re done with your grocery shopping, check the app to see if there are any cash back offers for items you purchased.
4. If an item you purchased qualified for a rebate, all you have to do to get your cash back is to choose the retailer you purchased from and the item you purchased. Then, upload a copy of your receipt and scan the barcode of the product and submit it. (This takes around a minute or less to do!)
5. Once your cash back is approved, it will be added to your account within 48 hours! You can cash out when you have $20 accrued in your account. You can choose to either have a Paypal or Venmo deposit or you can turn your cash back into gift cards for retailers like Amazon.com.
Here’s an example of how this worked for me on my Kroger purchases. I purchased Always and Tampax on sale with coupons at Kroger and got them for $1.99 per package (see more details on these deals here).
Then, I submitted my receipt for the Ibotta offer to get $1 back per Always or Tampax item purchased (limit of three rebates per brand).
Within a few hours, I got an email saying that my cashback was approved and $4.25 (I got an additional $0.25 for purchasing another grocery item!) was added to my account.
It’s SO easy to use — and a great way to stretch your grocery dollars just a little bit further!
Sign up here to get started with Ibotta.
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Shared Oct 17, 2017
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My Kroger Shopping Trip — I got Tide for $0.99, Huggies wipes for $0.49, plus more!
My Kroger Shopping Trip — I got Tide for $0.99, Huggies wipes for $0.49, plus more!
After being in Cincinnati last week with a few other frugal bloggers, including Katie from Kroger Krazy, I was so inspired to shop with coupons again — something that I haven’t done much of in the last few years. (Read more about how we save on groceries without using coupons here.)
So, I went over to Kroger Krazy, made my grocery list, printed my coupons, and then promptly lost the coupons! For real.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea??? 😉
I ended up finding out that my daughter had put the coupons under a stack of books, so all was not lost! But then when I got to the store, I realized how rusty I was at using coupons. I ended up having to consult Kroger Krazy multiple times on my phone AND I had to return a bottle of laundry detergent to customer service because I had bought the wrong size!!!!
Apparently, using coupons isn’t quite like riding a bike. When you learn how to do it once, you can’t necessarily just hop back on and do it again!
But, as I walked out of the store with my bags in tow and my receipt with all the savings listed, I remembered the rush I got from using coupons and getting deals and now I’m inspired to jump back into it again! 🙂
Here are the deals I got:
Huggies Baby Wipes (56 – 72 count soft pack) – $0.99 (when you buy 4 participating items through 10/24)
Used $0.50/1 Huggies Wipes (56-167 ct.) Kroger Digital Coupon – Limit 1 (expires 10/31/17)
$0.49 after coupon
Tide Simply Laundry Detergent (37-40 oz) – $1.99 (when you buy 4 participating items)
Used $1/1 Tide Simply Detergent Kroger Digital Coupon – Limit 1 (expires 10/28/17)
$0.99 after coupons
(There’s also a printable you could use: $1/1 Tide Simply Detergent 37 oz or larger or Bounce Dryer Sheets printable)
Twinings Tea Bags (20 ct) – $1.99 (when you buy 4 participating items)
Used $1/1 Twinings Tea, any variety (20ct.) Kroger Digital Coupon – Limit 1 (exp 11/22/17)
Final cost is as low as $0.99
I also got a bag of Goldfish crackers for just $0.99 as my fourth item for the get $4 off when you buy 4 participating items promotion.
Stayfree Pads (16-24 countt) – $1.99 (when you buy 4 participating items)
Used 2 $2/2 Stayfree product printable
$0.99 each after coupons
Always Radiant or Infinity Flex Foam Pads (14 count) – $2.99 (when you buy 4 participating items)
Used $2/2 Always Products Kroger Digital Coupon – Limit 1 (expires 10/28/17)
Paid $1.99 each, Submitted for (2) $1/1 Always Radiant or Infinity Pads – 11 ct or larger ibotta Rebate
$0.99 after coupons and rebate
Tampax Radiant or Pearl Tampons (16 ct) – $2.99 (when you buy 4 participating items)
Used $2/2 Tampax Pearl OR Radiant Tampons Kroger Digital Coupon – Limit 1 (expires 10/28/17)
Paid $1.99 each, Submitted for (2) $1/1 Tampax Radiant or Pearl Tampons 16 ct or larger ibotta Rebate – Limit 3
$0.99 each after coupons and rebate
My total for all of these items was $11.38 + tax! Woot!!
Have you gotten any great deals recently? If so, I’d love to hear about them! Share your deals in the comments!