Jamerrill has a great post up sharing her once-a-month Walmart grocery shopping haul for a family of 9. If you have a large family, I think you’ll be inspired by her post.
Summer Bucket List
Classic View
Grid View
Shared Oct 3, 2017
comment
Work-At-Home Opportunity: Become an ESL teacher in China without leaving your home!
Work-At-Home Opportunity: Become an ESL teacher in China without leaving your home!
(Note: This post was sponsored by VIPKID. All opinions are my own. Read our disclosure policy here.)
Are you looking for unique ways to earn an income from home? VIPKID — an online English education platform with 200,000 Chinese students and 20,000 teachers — is currently hiring teachers!
What is VIPKID?
VIPKID is an online English education platform allowing children ages 4-12 in China to take classes from North American teachers, all from the comfort of their homes.
Starting in 2013 and now having 200,000 students in 2017, they have grown exponentially fast and are in need of more teachers.
VIPKID has a unique business model that works for everyone involved. Chinese families can get a quality educator for a good price point, and teachers can have a part-time work-from-home job with flexible hours.
VIPKID differentiates themselves in many ways:
- Social impact. They have a research institute at Stanford studying how children learn languages, and they also have an ongoing project in the rural schools of China where VIPKID teachers get connected to a lower income rural school and virtually teach English to the class.
- Teacher Community. They offer a very supportive culture both online and offline at meetups.
- Curriculum. Their curriculum is proprietary so that they can fine tune it as needed. All lesson plans are created by the VIPKID curriculum team, which takes pressure off of the teachers.
- Technology. Their technology provides the platform that makes online teaching possible.
- Students. VIPKID students are engaged, motivated, and have highly invested families.
- Flipped Classroom Approach. Students independently learn the material and then get a 30-minute lesson with the teacher. After that, they receive virtual homework and practice games.
Benefits of working as a VIPKID teacher
If you’re looking for a creative way to make an income from home, this might be a really great fit — especially if you have an interest in teaching! VIPKID offers the following great benefits:
- Impact hundreds of thousands of children in China.
- Flexible hours.
- Work from anywhere.
- Earn an average of $19/hour.
- Incentives including cash, prizes, and even trips to Beijing.
- Low-pressure teaching. Since teachers do not have to worry about curriculum development, lesson planning, or grading, they get to focus on what they love best — teaching!
Qualifications required to apply to be a VIPKID teacher
VIPKID is specifically looking for stay-at-home moms with teaching experience, current teachers looking for extra income, retired teachers looking for part-time work, or ESL teachers currently in the U.S or Canada.
In order to apply to be a VIPKID teacher, you must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in any field.
- Have at least one school year of full-time teaching experience or equivalent hours in similar educational activities (such as home schooling, tutoring, or educational mentoring).
- Be eligible to work in the U.S. or Cananda.
Note that you do NOT need to speak Chinese in order to teach!
If you meet all of these requirements, be sure to scroll down for instructions on how to sign-up to teach with VIPKID!
How to sign-up to be a VIPKID teacher
- GO HERE to sign-up.
- Fill out your basic information.
- Go through the interview process that involves a demo of your teaching skills.
- Go through their Intro to Teaching class.
- Practice teaching a mock class with an experienced VIPKID teacher.
- Sign your contract and start teaching kids!
It’s that easy! If you follow these steps and meet all qualifications, you could become a VIPKID teacher within less than a month!
Ready to get started? Go here to sign-up to teach from home with VIPKID!
Looking for more in-depth advice on how to make money from home?
Be sure to check out my book Money-Making Mom: How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make A Difference, where I share creative ways to manage money, generate income and–most importantly–live a life of deeper meaning, fulfillment, and generosity than you might have ever imagined possible. This book is packed with hard-won wisdom, real-life stories, and practical tips to help inspire and motivate you!
Gretchen’s $38 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Dillons
6 Yoplait Mix-Ins Yogurt – Marked down to $0.49 each, used 3 $0.25/1 printable – $0.36 each after coupons
4 Hormel Natural Choice Snacks – $1.49 each, used 4 $1/1 printable – $0.49 each after coupons
2 Horizon Good & Go! Snacks – $1.99 each, used $1/2 e-coupon AND 2 $1/1 Ibotta rebates – $0.49 each after coupon and rebates
2.3 lbs Bananas – $1.13
1 Kroger Frozen Apple Juice – $0.99
2 Goodness Knows Bars – $1 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $0.50 each after coupons
9 Enjoy Life Chocolates – $1.59 each, used 3 $4/3 printable AND $3/3 Ibotta rebate – Free plus overage after coupons and rebate (Plus received a $3 catalina)
Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt
Total after coupons and rebates: $7.28, plus received a $3 catalina
Aldi
10 lb bag Potatoes – $2.99
1 can Pineapple Chunks – $0.99
1 pkg Chicken Drumsticks – Marked down to $1.68
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup – $0.49 each
1 can Black Beans – $0.59
1 can Kidney Beans – $0.55
1 can Great Northern Beans – $0.59
2 cans Green Beans – $0.44 each
2 pkg Yeast – $0.89 each
1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.83
1 Cucumber – $0.59
1 loaf Bread – $0.89
1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.39
1 bag Red Grapes – $1.58
2 pkg Frozen Broccoli – $1.19 each
1 pkg Corn Chips – $0.99
1 pkg Apples – $1.98
1 lb Butter – $2.45
1 lb Ground Beef – $3.19
1 pkg Cheddar Cheese – $1.79
1 pkg Flour – $1.09
Total: $31.17
Total for both stores: $38.45
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Toast & Eggs x 3
Cereal x 3
Donuts for after church treat 🙂
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Grapes x 2
Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies
Hormel Natural Choice Snack Trays, Yogurt, Carrot Sticks
Baked Potatoes, Broccoli
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Dinner from my mom (She is babysitting my kids and offered to bring us dinner, too! Yes, I’m spoiled!) 🙂
Three Bean Chili Chowder, Corn Chips, Sliced Apples
Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Homemade Bread, Green Beans
Grilled Hamburgers, Oven Baked French Fries, Steamed Broccoli
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Homemade Applesauce
Spaghetti, Biscuits, Green Beans
Shared Oct 2, 2017
comment
When it feels like there’s nothing you can do to make a difference…
When it feels like there’s nothing you can do to make a difference…
I took this photo last night. This morning I woke up to the horrific news in Las Vegas.
I don’t know about you, but all around me right now, there is sadness and heartbreak and hurt and overwhelm.
And it can feel like there’s nothing we can really do to make a difference.
It’s true, maybe you and I can’t change the world on our own. But we can make a difference right where we are — in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities.
We can give light and hope and courage and love to those who are hurting, struggling, suffering, grieving.
We can give the gift of a smile. We can hug someone who needs it. We can look into a hurting friend’s eyes and really listen and let her know that she is seen and heard.
We can text someone or call someone to remind them that we care. We can bring a plate of cookies or a loaf of fresh bread to someone who is struggling or lonely.
We can write a note, make a phone call, offer to help.
We don’t have to wait for big opportunities to make a difference. If we all go about our day looking for ways to bring help and hope and healing, collectively, we can make such a difference!
If you are struggling today or hurting or just feeling overwhelmed, I would love to let you know that you are seen and heard in this little piece of the online world. Leave a comment here or send me a message and I would be honored to be a safe place for you to share what you’re going through. I would love to not only listen, but to also pray for you.
And if you are hurting today, I just want you to know: you are not alone. And you are loved. ❤️
A Peek Into Our Week This Past Week
Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I’m loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.
You guys. I never thought I would be a pet person. Ever. Um, well, Quill has changed all of that.
Earlier this week, I was showing the ladies at my Discipleship Group *pictures of him on my phone.* And then I caught myself and was like, “Who are you anymore?!?” Well, apparently, this little guys has weazled his way into our hearts… including my formerly-non-pet-loving heart. 🙂
I spent all of Saturday at a retreat with the ladies from our Discipleship Group group at church. We had sessions, we had team building exercises (here we were given the challenge of getting 11 ladies onto this platform with no feet touching the ground — we came up with a creative solution!), and some in-depth small group time. It was so good!
I just love how much this boy loves baseball! Their team has struggled to win games this year, so he was so excited that they won two of their three games this week!
I don’t share many pictures or videos of Kathrynne online per her request, but she gave me permission to share this. I just love watching how much this girl loves life. [She had came straight home from Jiu Jitsu in this photo and (still in her GI) started in on her homework. ?]
This year, as I’ve changed the way I’ve parented, my relationship with her has grown so much richer. We used to butt heads a lot; now she’s one of my closest friends.
I used to struggle to get to her to open up. Now she and I have long heart-to-heart conversations multiple times per week.
She tells me often, “Mom, I love when you hang out with my friends. They all think you’re so cool. And I do, too.”
I’m so grateful that God opened up my eyes to how I was micromanaging my kids and helped me to change from parenting for behavioral modification to parenting out of a heart to point my kids to Jesus and the Gospel.
I’m a work in progress, but the fruit of these changes in my relationships with my kids has blown me away.
Last year, I just didn’t know how I was going to survive the teen years. Now, I can say with all honesty, I’m excited about them! Thank You, Jesus!
One of the highlights of this past week: getting to hang out with MacKenzie and her friend, Rebekah, who were in town for a conference.
Links You Should Check Out
- Looking for a filling, delicious, and cost-effective recipe? Try this Southwest Chicken Casserole. It’s so easy to make, it’s a crowd-pleaser, and it’s perfect for a cool fall evening!
- Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? I’m doing a LIVE webinar on Tuesday afternoon on 3 Strategies to Stop Feeling So Overwhelmed. Sign up for this free webinar here.
- I’m excited because we launched a brand-new blogging course this week all about WordPress! If techie stuff scares you and you’re intimidated by blogging, you’ll want to check out WordPress 101 (and it’s just $27 through Sunday evening).
- Thinking of starting a blog? Sign up for my 3 Steps to Start That Blog You’ve Been Dreaming Of *live* webinar I’ll be teaching on Monday evening. It’s free! Sign up here.
15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze
Guest post from Polly and Rachel of Thriving Home:
Did you know Americans throw away between 160 and 295 billion pounds of food every single year? This is the equivalent to filling a 90,000 seat football stadium to the brim at least once every single day. Incredible! (Source: Jonathan Bloom, creator of WastedFood.com)
But, there is good news, my friends. With just a few small changes, you can reduce your food waste AND save a good chunk of change on your grocery budget! Want to know the solution??
THE FREEZER.
Once upon a time, we both used to let meat and produce go bad in our fridge and toss stale bread and leftovers in the trash. But over the past decade, we’ve learned that utilizing our freezer and making freezer meals can not only save money and food waste, but also reduce time in the kitchen on busy nights.
To help you take small steps in this direction, we’ve put together a list of items you probably didn’t know you could throw in the freezer (instead of the trash!)
15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze
1. Avocados
To keep them from browning, peel and seed the avocado and then pulse it in a food processor with a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Freeze in an airtight container. Thaw and use in guacamole or a smoothie.
2. Fresh Ginger
After using what you need from the ginger root, peel it and place the rest in a freezer bag. Then, use a grater to zest what you need directly off the frozen ginger root the next time you need to use it.
3. Citrus Zest
Before cutting into those citrus fruits, give them a quick rinse and zest. Then freeze the zest in a small freezer bag or mason jar. Use in baked goods, marinades, or sauces.
4. Cooked Sweet Potatoes
After cooking sweet potatoes, scoop out the flesh, pack it evenly in a muffin tin, and freeze until solid. Then, pop these 1/2 cup portions out and transfer them to a plastic freezer bag. These small portions can easily be used in future recipes, like Sweet Potato Pancakes, smoothies, or homemade baby food.
5. Bacon
Cooked or uncooked, you can toss bacon in your freezer at either point, as long as it’s tightly wrapped! This is a great way to save money when it goes on sale or when you cook too much.
6. Fresh Whipped Cream
Keep extra fresh whipped cream in a glass freezer container with airtight lid to make your next early morning coffee extra special! Just scoop out a spoonful and stir it into your warm beverage.
7. Corn on the Cob
Drop corn on the cob into boiling water and cook for 4-6 minutes. Remove from boiling water and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water. After corn has cooled, cut off the the kernels and freeze in an airtight freezer bag.
8. Butter
We love to stock up on butter when it goes on sale. You can freeze it in its original packaging, but it may last longer if you slip it into a gallon-sized freezer bag.
9. Buttermilk
Using either a muffin tin or ice cube tray, freeze buttermilk in small portions to have on hand for future recipes like Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits. Then, pop these small frozen portions out and place in a freezer bag in the freezer.
10. Cheese Blocks
When cheese blocks go on sale, stock up and shred them yourself. Freeze in 2 cup portions to always have fresh cheese available.
11. Bread Crumbs
Don’t toss out stale bread or the heels that don’t get eaten. Instead, throw them in a large freezer bag in the freezer. Once a few have accumulated, toss them all in the food processor and make bread crumbs. Freeze them in a plastic freezer bag or container for easy access. These are great for recipes like Homemade Chicken Nuggets or Chicken Parmesan Casserole.
12. Oats
This is a great ingredient to buy in bulk and freeze for later to make a hearty, healthy breakfast like Instant Oatmeal Packs or Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.
13. Fresh Herbs
Spread dry, clean whole or chopped leaves onto a baking sheet and freeze overnight. Place the frozen herbs into a plastic bag or jar for later use. For longer storage, freeze herbs by dicing them up, packing them into an empty ice cube tray and topping it off with water until about 3/4 full. Again, package these small cubes in a large freezer bag to grab for soups or sauces.
14. Nuts
Save money on nuts by buying in bulk. Store them in in airtight containers to keep them from going rancid.
15. Fresh Bread & Tortillas
Don’t let your bakery items go stale — freeze them! When you’re ready for them, thaw at room temperature before using.
So let’s be real. Are you going start freezing all of these things tomorrow?
If you’re like we were, probably not. But we encourage you to start taking small steps in this direction. Simply choose one or two and get the hang of it. Once you start reaping the benefits of utilizing your freezer, you’ll be motivated to incorporate it more and more into your daily life.
Want to learn more about freezer cooking? We’ve packed our 15+ years of combined freezer cooking experience into our new cookbook, From Freezer to Table. In our book, we share over 75 delicious, whole food, easy recipes that can be made fresh or frozen. In addition to our family-friendly recipes, we teach you freezer cooking basics, as well as, how to host a Freezer Cooking Party or run an on-going Freezer Club.
So what do you say, friends? Time to get freezing (and money-saving!).
Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer are friends and moms who began Thriving Home in 2012, as a way to encourage other moms by sharing tips, anecdotes, and healthy recipes from their own homes. After freezer cooking for their families for over a decade, they now jokingly refer to themselves as “freezer meal evangelists”. Their blog is a top-ranking site for healthy freezer meal resources.
Psst! Looking for even more freezer cooking meals? Be sure to check out the extensive New Leaf Wellness eCookbook Collection! It has something for everybody — even those with specific diets such as gluten-free, vegetarian, paleo, and more.
100+ Freezer Meals for Big Families
Trying to freezer cook for a large family? Check out this HUGE list of 100+ Freezer Meals for Big Families.
Shared Sep 29, 2017
comment
Comparing The Best Food Subscription Boxes: Price, Quality, Variety & More
Comparing The Best Food Subscription Boxes: Price, Quality, Variety & More
(Note: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Read our disclosure policy here.)
Food subscription boxes have become very popular in the past few years and, as I have worked with Blue Apron over the past year and shared my honest thoughts on this service, many of you have asked me if I could do a comparison post on some of the other most popular meal kit delivery services.
So when Blue Apron approached me about doing a detailed comparison post of the top five food subscription boxes, I was excited about the opportunity and have spent the last few weeks going through the ordering process, researching the different companies, and photographing and trying out the meals from these services.
While this post is sponsored by Blue Apron, they have graciously agreed to allow me to bring you what I always do: my very honest thoughts on all of the companies listed in this post — in my own words. However, they are offering something special for those of you who are interested in trying out Blue Apron. The first 50 readers to sign up through this link will get three free meals with their first Blue Apron order. Just click here to sign up!
Now, let’s dive into a detailed comparison of five of the most popular meal kit delivery services:
Blue Apron
Pros
- The ingredients are very, very fresh. The ingredients are delivered in a refrigerated box and I’m always impressed with how fresh they are for being sent by UPS!
- The packaging is fantastic. Compared to the other services, Blue Apron’s packaging is by far superior and keeps the food cold longer than any of the other services did. In fact, while I don’t recommend it, you can keep the box on your countertop for two days after you get it and the food will still be cold when you open the box. I tested it and this is not the case with the other services.
- The ingredients are high quality. Blue Apron works very hard to provide the freshest and highest quality ingredients possible. This is very evident in every box that they send. (They are working to develop a sustainable food system and use high quality ingredients.)
- There’s a fun variety of recipes and an opportunity to try new foods. We have yet to have made a recipe from Blue Apron that we didn’t enjoy. The recipes are flavorful, colorful, healthful, and delicious!
Cons
- There is a LOT of packaging. Blue Apron’s packaging is far superior (as I mentioned above), but that means that there is a lot of packaging. Gratefully, however, they do offer a recycling program and you can return your packaging for free to Blue Apron via USPS.
- The meals are more time-intensive. Blue Apron specializes in more creative recipes that are geared toward foodies and those who love to spend time in the kitchen. However, they are beginning to roll out more 30-minute meal options, which I’m happy to see!
- There are only 4 dinner choices each week. Compared to some of the other services, this is a very limited selection.
Price: as low as $8.99 per serving
Blue Apron is one of the forerunners of the meal kit delivery services and it shines in their website, the delivery box, and their recipes. I found the Blue Apron site to be much easier to navigate than many of the other sites, it’s much simpler to switch dates or recipes, and the meals are consistently very flavorful and delicious.
Hello Fresh
Pros
- They offer allergen-friendly options. All of their recipes clearly state on them what allergens they have in them or whether or not they are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free. And most of their recipes are very allergen-friendly!
- You can see the recipe and the nutritional facts before you pick your meals. I loved that they let you see the actual recipe + the nutritional facts before you picked which meals you wanted delivered.
- They offer a Veggie Plan. If you’re a vegetarian, they have a plan specifically for you!
Cons
- They assume you’ll have salt, pepper, butter, sugar, and oil on hand. Unlike some of the other meal services, they assume that you will have a few basic ingredients on hand — and they don’t send these in your box.
- The packaging wasn’t very sturdy and the contents of the box were a little crushed as a result. While their box was really easy to recycle, I also felt like the lack of packaging hurt the contents of the box while it was shipped as it arrived not in as great of shape as say the ingredients and box from Blue Apron always does. Also, I would suggest removing the contents as soon as the box arrives as it felt like the packaging wouldn’t keep the contents cold for much longer than the actual shipping time.
- The recipe instructions weren’t as step-by-step as they should have been. We noticed that the recipes — while they had pictures and detailed steps — weren’t as easy to follow and you had to re-read them a few times to figure out what you were supposed to do.
Price: as low as $8.74 per serving (Family Plan)
I felt like Hello Fresh specializes in allergen-friendly options and would be excellent for any family who is vegetarian or deals with significant allergies. They make it easy to choose recipes that are in line with whatever allergies you have at your house — plus, you can see all of the ingredients and nutritional facts while you are picking the recipes.
Sun Basket
Pros
- They offer Paleo, Gluten-Free, and Vegetarian options. Of all the services, I felt like Sun Basket had the most options when it came to allergies and food preferences.
- You can choose kid-friendly menu plans and/or quick, 20-minute recipes. I was super impressed with how many really quick and easy recipe options they offered. And making the recipes was truly as quick and easy as they said — especially since they already pre-chopped the chicken to make it quicker.
- They make it easy to change or add recipes. You can even double or triple up on one recipe instead of getting different recipes (great option if you are hosting an event!)
Cons
- They are more pricey than some of the other services. Their prices are about $1 more per serving than most of the other services. That little bit can add up over time!
- They send all of the recipes for the week in one booklet versus sending recipe cards. You might prefer the recipe book, but I personally found it a little clunkier to have to look through the book and find the recipe I was supposed to make versus having recipe cards.
- Their packaging wasn’t as sturdy as Blue Apron. Again, you would not want to have your box sitting out at all once it arrives because they didn’t have enough cold packaging to keep it fresh for longer than just the shipping time.
Price: as low as $9.99 per serving (Family Plan)
If you are looking for quick and easy + allergen-friendly when it comes to your food subscription box service, Sun Basket definitely has you covered. However, keep in mind that you might pay more for the convenience of quick and easier meals plus the meals probably aren’t going to be as varied or flavorful as other services since they are quicker to prepare.
Home Chef
Pros
- You get to choose from 11 different meal options every week. They send you an email on Monday and you have until Friday to choose your recipes for the following week.
- They tell the allergens right on the recipes + the difficulty level and the spicy-ness level.
- They send you a recipe binder and their recipe cards are hole-punched so you can easily save them to make again in the future if you liked them. I thought this was a fantastic idea and something some of the other services should consider doing.
Cons
- Their packaging wasn’t as environmentally-friendly. There was a lot of plastic.
- Even though you get to choose from 11 different recipes, I honestly had trouble coming up with 2-3 meals our family would love. Maybe their recipes are just geared more for foodies?
- I found their website difficult to use — especially when it came to changing what recipes I wanted them to send. It seemed cumbersome to use and it took me longer to place my order than any of the other sites did.
Price: as low as $9.95 per serving
Overall, I think Home Chef was my least favorite of the food subscription box services. Not only was the website more difficult to use, but I also wasn’t a fan of most of their recipe selections. Plus, the price point is one of the highest of any of the services.
Plated
Pros
- Their sign-up process is very simple and streamlined. Choose your number of servings and nights, then mix and match your dishes in any combination.
- They also offer you the fun option to add ingredients for a dessert to your box for $8 per dessert.
- They offer you a LOT of recipe choices — I had 17 different choices on the week I ordered! When you are swapping recipes for your box, you can filter out the recipes by what kind of recipes they are.
Cons
- They don’t notify you before they get your next box ready. I was planning to cancel my order after one week, but I got the dates mixed up and didn’t get it canceled in time. Because they didn’t send me an email to let me know that they were preparing my next order, I ended up having to pay for an extra week that I wasn’t planning to.
- I noticed that a lot of the recipes they offer are Encore Recipes — which means they have already offered them before. If you like a lot of variety, this might be something that would be frustrating to you.
- A lot of the recipes weren’t things our family would personally like or eat. They seemed a little too adventurous for us.
Price: as low as $9.95 per serving
I felt like the Plated recipes were very healthful and colorful and their site is super easy to use. However, even though they offered so many choices, I wasn’t over-the-top impressed with the choices. But maybe that’s just our family and our eating preferences! 🙂
My Final Thoughts
Thank you, again, to Blue Apron for sponsoring this post. As you can tell from my honest thoughts above, I’m a big fan of them and feel like they are a fantastic choice when it comes to the price point, the flavor factor, and the packaging and freshness factor!
(After your first Blue Apron order, there’s no long-term commitment. You can cancel your subscription or skip weeks at any time!)
Shared Sep 29, 2017
comment
Brigette’s $70 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $70 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.69
1 can Pink Salmon – $2.49
1 pkg String Cheese – $1.99
1 bag Frozen Strawberries – $1.85
1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $1.75
1 16-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55
2 gallons Whole Milk – $4.08
1 Garlic Powder – $1.19
1 Onion Powder – $1.19
1 24-oz jar Pasta Sauce – $0.85
2 1-lb pkgs Butter – $4.90
1 3-lb bag Sweet Potatoes – $1.79
1 large jar Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
1 head Cabbage – $1.19
1 20-oz pkg Zucchini – $1.45
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.15
2 heads Cauliflower – $3.78
2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.30
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.69
1 2-lb bag Honey Crisp Apples – $2.49
1 bunch Bananas (1.67lbs @ $0.40/lb) – $0.67
1 bag Red Grapes 2.61lbs @ $0.69/lb) – $1.80
1 3-head pkg Fresh Garlic – $0.79
1 frozen Value Pack Salmon – $5.95
1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $1.95
1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65
2 pkgs English Muffins – $0.60
Total: $52.67
Harris Teeter
10 8-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $13.56
1 pkg Butterball Turkey Bacon – $2.50, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $1.00 after coupon
1 can Pillsbury Crescent Roll – $1.00, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupon
3 pkgs Perdue Grilled Chicken Strips – $7.50, used 3 $0.75/1 Perdue Refrigerated Fully Cooked Product – 9-24-17 SS (exp. 11/04/17) (doubled) – $3.00/3 after coupons
Total after Coupons: $17.56
Grocery Total for the Week: $70.23
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for their own breakfast and clean-up. Choices include:
Cereal, Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Toast, Fruit, Hard Boiled/Scrambled/Fried Eggs, Homemade Granola, or Veggie Omelets (for me)
Lunches
Leftovers x 5
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cheese Sticks, Grapes
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Applesauce
Dinners
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (I’ll use spaghetti instead of fettuccine, and the Perdue Short Cuts Chicken strips), Homemade Garlic Bread, Tossed Salad
Grilled Hamburgers on Homemade Buns, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Potato Wedges
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad
Breakfast Sandwiches (Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on English Muffins), Fruit Salad, Steamed Carrots with Garlic and Butter
Chicken Noodle Soup (I’ll use the rest of the Perdue chicken strips in this), Homemade Biscuits
Taco Salad, Spanish Rice
Maple Salmon, Roasted Broccoli, Milk Rice
Shared Sep 28, 2017
comment
Download the RetailMeNot app to get the best retail and restaurant deals!
Download the RetailMeNot app to get the best retail and restaurant deals!
You guys know I’ve sung the praises of the RetailMeNot website in the past. And why wouldn’t I? It’s an all-in-one place for saving money when you shop online!
You can find thousands of coupons, deals, and cash back offers, plus they also offer discounted eGift Cards to stretch your savings even further!
That’s why I’m SUPER excited to see that you can now download the FREE RetailMeNot app!
Here are some highlights about the RetailMeNot app:
- As I already stated, it’s totally FREE to download!
- It features thousands of in-store and online savings offers.
- Deals can be redeemed directly from your phone.
- You can even use the “Eat” tab to get deals at restaurants.
- You can enable location-based alerts so that you know when there’s a deal at a store nearby.
- There is a wallet within the app that stores all of your saved offers and deals, discount gift cards, and cash back status.
- You can use the heart to save your favorite stores in one place.
- And you can even tap the star to save a deal for later.
Go here to download the RetailMeNot app!
Psst! They also now have a Chrome browser extension called Genie that auto-magically tests and applies coupon codes during online checkout! You don’t have to hunt down the codes. Genie does all the work for you! It’s pretty cool!!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Gretchen’s $54 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Aldi
1 Frosted Flakes – $1.49
1 pkg Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 loaf Bread – $0.69
1 pkg Ground Beef @ $2.99/lb – $6.67
1 loaf Bread – $0.89
2 dozen Eggs – $0.44 each, used $0.10 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.39 each after rebate
1 gallon Milk – $1.76
1 lb Butter – $2.99
1 can Pumpkin – $0.79
1 pkg Oven Roasted Turkey – $2.39
1 pkg Monterey Jack Cheese – $1.79
1 bag Gala Apples – $1.69
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
1 pkg Peanut Butter Crackers – $0.89
Total after rebate: $33.67
Dillons
2 Horizon Organic Good & Go Snack Packs – $1.99 each, used $1/2 e-coupon AND 2 $1/1 Ibotta rebates – $0.49 each after coupon and rebates
1 Oui Yogurt – $1.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles – $1.25, used Free catalina coupon – Free after coupon
2 Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1.25 each, used $0.50/2 e-coupon – $1 each after coupon
2.15 lbs Bananas – $1.05 (not pictured)
2 Cucumbers – $0.50 each
1 Gold Peak Chai Tea Latte – $2, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Hormel Compleats – $2.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 can Kroger Green Chilies – $0.69
2 bags Kroger Frozen Veggies – $1 each, used $0.40/2 e-coupon – $0.80 each after coupon
1 M&M’s Ice Cream Bars – $2.79, used $1.50/1 e-coupon – $1.49 after coupon
1 Proyo Frozen Ice Cream – $4.29, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Post Great Grains Cereal – $3.79, used $1/1 e-coupon – $2.79 after coupon
3 Sargento Shredded Cheese – $1.39 each
1 Sargento Sliced Cheese – $3.50, used $1/1 e-coupon – $2.50 after coupon (I thought I had rebates for this to make it almost free but I realized after I got home that I had purchased the wrong kind of cheese.) 🙁
1 Tennessee Pride Sausage – $3
1 Psst Sugar – $1.89
Used $2 catalina from last shopping trip
Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt
Total after coupons and rebates: $20.91
Total for both stores: $54.58
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3
Toast & Eggs x 3
Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit
Lunches
Turkey Sandwiches, Sliced Veggies
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks x 2
Cheese Quesadillas, Steamed Broccoli
Turkey, Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies
Mac & Cheese, Sliced Apples
Leftovers
Dinners
The Best Belgian Waffles, Skillet Apples
Meat Potato Quiche, Biscuits, Steamed Peas
Easy Baked Burrito Casserole, Fruit Salad (using up leftover fruit from last week)
Green Chili Chicken Bake, Homemade Bread, Steamed Corn
Chicken Pot Pie, Tossed Salad
Biscuits & Gravy, Eggs, Homemade Applesauce
Out to eat
It’s hard to live on a beans and rice budget
Last week, I made Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, a recipe I made often for Jesse’s lunches during our beans and rice law school days.
As I was making them, so many memories flooded my mind and heart.
One of them was the memory of going to the grocery store and longingly looking at other food and wishing we could buy it. But no, I knew that I had to stick to the list of basics and things that I could get free or almost free with coupons.
I remember thinking, “I wonder if there will ever come a day when I could go to the grocery store and put whatever I wanted in my cart and we could afford it?” I couldn’t imagine that day ever happening, because money was so tight then that every penny had to be carefully accounted for.
I know some of you can relate — and maybe that’s where you are right now. Can I just encourage you? I know that it’s hard to live on a beans and rice budget.
I know it’s hard to make big sacrifices. I know that it’s discouraging when you have to pass by so many things because they just aren’t in the budget.
But I’m here to tell you that those short-term sacrifices WILL pay off! Don’t give up!
A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week
Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I’m loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.
I added a few fall decorations to our mantle this week — thanks to the Target Dollar Spot. I just LOVE fall, even if it’s still so hot in TN!
I told you last week that we completed our second Tough Mudder. They released the professional photos this week, and I just had to share a few of my favorites.
This was our first obstacle. Can you spot me? (I’m in the orange in the left corner!)
The very last obstacle of the event — I had already earned my 2x-er headband (see my hand!) but had to go through the Electo-Shock to get to the finish line. And yes, I did get shocked — on my neck. Yikes! It almost knocked me over!
We continue to adore Quill. He has seemed to adjust so well to our family and we all love him!
Tip: want to get your kids to help with laundry? Tell them that they can watch their favorite show as long as they fold laundry at the same time!
We don’t do much screen time at our house, so this is a win-win. A win for the kids because they get screen time. A win for mom because the laundry gets done!
Not too long ago, I made the conscious decision to stop using the word “busy” to describe my life.
It might seem inconsequential, but I realized that when I would say, “I’m so busy!” Or, “It’s such a busy week!” That I was in essence claiming that I am a victim of my calendar and commitments.
Like I didn’t have a choice in the matter. That all this busyness just “happened” to me.
In reality, I have choice in the matter. I can’t change everything about my life, but there are MANY areas where I can choose — and it’s important to remember that.
I can choose to live life at a go-go-go pace. Or I can choose to slow down and keep it simple. It doesn’t just happen to me.
My decisions (to say yes to that opportunity or to accept that responsibility or to take on that commitment or to sign my child up for this or that) have consequences — both good and bad.
For me, this simple shift in mindset in how I view my day (i.e. opportunities versus obligations) and messaging in how I refer to my day (i.e. no longer feeling like I’m a victim of busyness), has given me so much freedom to make better decisions and to enjoy life more.
Sometimes, simple changes make a world of difference. (Want some encouragement and inspiration to slow down, simplify, and savor life more? Sign up for my free class on 3 Ways to Stop Feeling So Overwhelmed.)
By the way, I’ve found that I thrive with a healthy mix of go-go and then stop. I like doing and producing so long as it’s balanced with plenty of being and resting!
This year, I’ve struggled as a parent more than I ever have. My neat little boxes of how I thought I should parent have been blown to bits by some unexpected circumstances.
Someday — when the time is right — I’ll share the journey with you all. For now, I’ll just say that I’m learning to parent all over again in a brand-new way.
I’m learning to step back and stop trying to micromanage my kids’ lives.
To stop trying to stuff them into the little mold I had created for them and instead to embrace exactly who God has made them to be.
To stop being frustrated when it feels that they aren’t right where I think they should be/making the perfect decisions I think they should be making/responding or acting exactly as I think they should be.
To instead step into their world, be interested in what they are interested in, care about what they care about, and to love them right where they are at.
As I’ve done this, I’ve gotten to not only know my kids in brand-new ways, but I’m closer with each of them than I’ve ever been.
And I’m grateful. Grateful for the beautiful, humbling privilege of getting to be their mom. Grateful for a God who uses unexpected circumstances to wake me up and shake me out of my unhealthy parenting ruts. He’s a good, good Father.
Links You Should Check Out:
- Thinking of starting a blog and need some help coming up with a great blog name? I wrote about 7 questions you should always ask before picking a blog name.
- Struggling to stay focused and productive? Sign up for Michael Hyatt’s new webinar called The 7 Deadly Sins of Productivity where he’ll teach you what is undermining your productivity and how to change it! Register for free here.
- The Healthy Living Bundle Sale is back again with all-new products and resources! This time around it’s a HUGE bundle (over $3700 worth!) and it’s just one tiny price: $29.97! Go grab it here while it’s available.
- I absolutely LOVED this quote on rest that I read from The Rest of God this past week.
- Our incredibly popular Choose Raglan shirts are on sale this week — just in time for fall! You can get them for just $16.95 shipped for the next few days!
- Did you see this yummy recipe for Individual Chicken Pot Pies from my sister? Yum!
Easy and Freezer Friendly Individual Chicken Pot Pies
Looking for a great freezer-friendly one-dish dinner idea? After the popularity of my sister Olivia’s Easy Individual Mini Meat Lasagna recipe post, I asked her if she would create another freezer-friendly individual serving recipe for you all and I can tell you these mini chicken pot pies will NOT dissapoint!
You will love this Mini Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
This recipe is great for when you need a quick dinner for one or two people or when you are wanting a yummy lunch to take with you to work or school.
These can be reheated in the oven or microwave and are very portable! Also, feel free to experiment with different vegetables or meat in the filling! Enjoy!
Mini Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Ingredients
Pie Crusts:
- 3 cups flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 10 Tablespoons water, room temperature
Filling:
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (16 ounces)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
Mini Pot Pies Substitutions and Additions
This recipe is very versatile, so feel free to make substitutions based on whatever foods you have in the house (or your family’s preferences).
You can easily substitute store-bought refrigerated pie crusts if you don’t want to make your own — just re-roll the scraps to make more mini crusts.
You can also swap cooked turkey for the chicken (great for post-Thanksgiving leftovers).
Mix and match your favorite veggies — using frozen if that’s easier, or fresh (just make sure you par-boil the fresh veggies first before adding them to the sauce).
And if you’d prefer to make one large chicken pot pie, this recipe should make enough crust and filling for one 9″ pie plate.
How to make Individual Chicken Pot Pies
To prepare crusts:
- Mix together flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add water, and mix with a fork.
- Using your hands, press the pastry together to form a ball.
- Cover crust and set aside until the filling is ready.
To prepare filling:
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Using a wire whisk, stir in flour and salt.
- Add milk and cook until smooth and thickened, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining filling ingredients — seasonings, veggies, and chicken.
To assemble pies:
- Place 1 cup of filling into 6 mini greased pie pans.
- Roll pie crust to 1/8-1/4 thickness and cut out 6 circles. (I divided the dough into thirds and cut two circles out at a time using a pan lid.)
- Place circles over the filling, flute edges, cut slits in the center, and bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes. (Note: the pies will be partially cooked at this point, but not ready to eat).
- Let the pies cool completely, then cover securely with foil and freeze.
To reheat:
- Place frozen, covered pot pies into a cold oven (do not preheat).
- Heat the oven to 350º and bake for 30 – 60 minutes, or until heated through.
- OR, pop a pie out of the foil pan and place it on a microwave-safe dish. (You may need to slightly thaw the pot pie if it won’t slip out of the pan.)
- Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Note: For easier handling and to prevent oven spills, cook pot pies on a baking sheet.
How to serve individual Chicken Pot Pies
The best thing about these delicious pot pies is that they are essentially a complete meal in and of themselves! They provide the meat, vegetables, potatoes, grain, etc. all in one nice little package.
However, they also pair well with a salad, your favorite cooked, roasted, or steamed vegetable, and fresh fruit.
How to store this Mini Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
We recommend tightly wrapping the partially cooked (and cooled) pot pies in tin foil and freezing them — they will last months this way!
If you have any leftovers after fully baking the pot pies, you can refrigerate them in any food storage container.
Individual Chicken Pot Pies FAQs
How do you keep chicken pot pie from getting soggy?
There are a few things you can do to prevent your crust from getting soggy. Make sure your gravy/sauce is thick enough and not too runny (add more flour if it seems runny).
Also, allow plenty of time for your partially cooked pot pies to cool before putting them in the freezer (otherwise condensation might make the crust soggy).
And finally, make sure you cook the frozen pies long enough to fully bake the crust all the way through (up to an hour).
Can you put a frozen pie straight in the oven?
Yes, we actually recommend that you put the frozen pot pie directly into a cold oven and THEN start the preheating process. This method seems to produce the best reheated results!
Is it better to freeze chicken pot pie cooked or uncooked?
We’ve had the best luck freezing the chicken pot pies after they are partially cooked. We recommend baking them for 30 minutes, then letting them cool, and then freezing them.
Recipe
Freezer Friendly Individual Pot Pies
This recipe is great for when you need a quick dinner for one or two people or when you are wanting a yummy lunch to take with you to work or school.
Ingredients
Pie Crusts:
- 3 cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks, softened)
- 10 tbsp water room temperature
Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tbsp minced onion
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
- 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
Instructions
To prepare crusts:
- Mix together flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add water, and mix with a fork.
- Using your hands, press the pastry together to form a ball.
- Cover crust and set aside until the filling is ready.
To prepare filling:
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Using a wire whisk, stir in flour and salt.
- Add milk and cook until smooth and thickened, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining filling ingredients — seasonings, veggies, and chicken.
To assemble pies:
- Place 1 cup of filling into 6 mini greased pie pans.
- Roll pie crust to 1/8-1/4 thickness and cut out 6 circles. (I divided the dough into thirds and cut two circles out at a time using a pan lid.)
- Place circles over the filling, flute edges, cut slits in the center, and bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes. (Note: the pies will be partially cooked at this point, but not ready to eat).
- Let the pies cool completely, then cover securely with foil and freeze.
To reheat:
- Place frozen, covered pot pies into a cold oven (do not preheat).
- Heat the oven to 350º and bake for 30 – 60 minutes, or until heated through. (Note: For easier handling and to prevent oven spills, cook pot pies on a baking sheet.)
- OR, pop one pie out of the foil pan and place it on a microwave-safe dish. (You may need to slightly thaw the pot pie if it won’t slip out of the pan.)
- Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pie | Calories: 915kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 1374mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5489IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 5mg
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
FREE One Week Menu Plan!
Done-For-You Dinner Recipes With Simple Ingredients and a Grocery Shopping List!
Shared Sep 22, 2017
comment
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
Smoked Ham – $11.73 (I’ll dice this and freeze in meal-size portions. This amount will last us quite a few meals.)
1 16-oz bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $2.49
1 16-oz bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $2.49
2 tubes Cinnamon Rolls (Birthday breakfast choice for my son…I think my homemade cinnamon rolls are WAY better than the canned kind, so I’m trying not to have my feelings hurt. ;)) – $2.78
2 gallons Whole Milk – $4.08
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38
5 dozens Eggs – $3.15, plus receive $0.10 rebate from Checkout 51 – $3.05 after reabte
1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.69
3 3-ct pkgs Multi-Colored Peppers – $4.47
1 head Cauliflower – $1.95
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.49
2 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $3.78
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.39
2 pkgs Mushrooms – $0.98
1 bag Chopped Pecans – $5.29
1 jar Hot Fudge Sauce – $1.99
1 jar Caramel Sauce – $1.99
3 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $5.67
1 32-oz tub Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.49
1 pkg American Cheese Singles – $1.79
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.83
1 loaf Bread – $0.83
Total after Rebate: $69.62
Harris Teeter
1 5-lb bag White Potatoes, reduced – $1.00
3 boxes New York Texas Toast – $3.87, used 3 $0.55/1 New York Bakery Garlic Breads – 9-10-17 SS (exp. 11/05/17) (doubled) – $0.57/3 after coupons
5 boxes Mueller’s Pasta – $3.38, used 2 $0.55/2 Mueller’s Pasta – 8-27-17 SS (exp. 10/07/17) (doubled) – $1.28/5 boxes after coupons
4 cans Dole Crushed Pineapple – $3.00, used 2 $0.75/2 Dole Canned Pineapple – 9-10-17 SS (exp. 11/30/17) (doubled) – FREE after coupons
2 cans Condensed Tomato Soup – $1.18
1 bag Red Grapes (2.27lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $2.25
1 bag Eight O’clock Coffee – $2.89, used $1.00/1 printable, plus receive $1.50 rebate from Checkout 51 – $0.39 after coupon
1 bag Riceworks – $1.84, used $1.00/1 Riceworks Gourmet Snacks – 9-17-17 SS; Includes 5.5 oz or Larger only (exp. 12/30/17) – $0.84
1 Atkins Harvest Trail Bar – $1.00, receive $1.00 rebate from Checkout 51 – FREE after rebate
Total after Coupons and Rebates: $7.51
Grocery Total for the Week: $77.13
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Each person is responsible for making and cleaning up their own breakfast. Choice include:
Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Toast, Boiled/Scrambled/Fried Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Fruit, Cereal, Yogurt
Cinnamon Rolls and Scrambled Eggs with Cheese (Birthday Breakfast choice for my almost 9-yr old)
Lunches
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Peppers, Grapes x 2
Leftovers x 4
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Peppers, Apples
Dinners
Taco Salad, Ice Cream Cake (Birthday Dinner)
Turkey Gravy over Rice, Green Beans, Biscuits
Hamburger Pie, Tossed Salad, Apples
Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes, Eggs, Smoothies
Simple, Perfect Chili, Homemade Cornbread (It’s not fall weather in the South this week – so we are just pretending! :))
Ham and Beans, Leftover Cornbread
Leftovers