September 30 Savings

It is the end of the month. We made it! I'll post a final review of the month soon, but tonight I'll put in my remaining grocery savings.

Investment: I spent a grand total of $60.26 on groceries/toiletries in the month of September. Everything else was from my large stock of freezer and pantry goods, a meal or two treated by our parents, shared meals with friends, and a limited number of necessary meals out for DH that come out of our entertainment budget, as always. I also already put $19.30 in the jar in grocery savings from free food, coupons, etc.

Instead of: My monthly budget for groceries/toiletries is $369, an amount I'm embarrassed to admit is for only 2 people-the food we eat and give away.

Savings: $289.34

Bonus: I was expecting my freezer and pantry inventory to be significantly reduced. I am low on a few baking supplies (by low I mean I do not have a SECOND bag of 3 kinds of flour, 3 kinds of sugar, butter and oatmeal.)  The only thing I am out of is the weekly fresh purchases: milk, OJ, eggs, fresh fruits and veges. 

We have plenty of food.  

We did not suffer any hardship. 

If the world food supply suddenly shut down, we could survive several more months.

We are blessed.

September 22 Savings

I knew that milk would be running low, so I stopped for *hopefully* the last groceries of the month. The total came to $12.41 for milk, bananas, grapes, pears, butter (it was on sale so I had to take advantage!), and 4 rolls of Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits are for making broomstick pies over the bonfire that we're hosting next Sunday night for our last Small Group. Instructions: Form 2 refrigerator biscuits around the end of a broomstick. Hold over fire until the biscuit is cooked through and slides off the stick easily (it is hot-be careful). Then spray in some "I can't Believe It's Not Butter...spray" (make sure you say this in Fabio's voice) and shake in some cinnamon sugar. Then fill with vanilla pudding and top off with more cinnamon sugar. Tastes like a warm donut! YUM! I did manage to negotiate some savings out of the trip.

Investment: Generic brand biscuits were 2/79-cents. Pillsbury 4-packs were on sale of $1.5o (originally $1.99), but then I saw the coupon dispenser offering "75-cents off when you buy 3 refrigerated Pillsbury products".  However, they do not sell Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits one roll at a time at this store (and the Grands or flaky large biscuits do NOT work for broomstick pies).  I ended up convincing the cashier to break open the four pack of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits and scan each of them separately so the coupon would register at least 3 products. Then, when they rang up for $.99 each individually, she found a manager who overrode the system to get back to the 4 for $1.50 sale price. So, I got to use the coupon and ended up paying only $0.75 for the 4 rolls.

Instead of: Paying $1.99 full price for the 4-pack of biscuits.

Savings: $1.24

Bonus: Name-brand biscuits actually DO work better for broomstick pies and now I'm excited for s'mores and pies and I can now use up all the supplies I have leftover from the summer s'mores season.

September 20 Spending

My no-spending resolve faded today as I spent $5.50 on items that are essentially non-essentials. This morning I brought the stuff that didn't sell at last weekend's garage sale to the 2nd-hand donation store down the street (and remembered to get a receipt for the tax write-off). Of course, I looked around afterwards and found some bargains I couldn't resist.

I bought:

$3.25 for 3 home-decor items I'm saving to eventually redecorate our guest room. (Including 2 Norman Rockwell copies that I'm collecting from garage sales/thrift shops as I see them)

$0.75 for 3 baskets. Our church's Harvest Auction is in a few weeks and I like to put the baked goods I donate into nice baskets--helps to get a higher bid, I think! Plus, they're hardly any more expensive than sturdy paper plates.

Plus...

Investment:

$1 for eight 2-prong pegs that fit in the peg board installed on the garage wall. (Might go back for more of these as needed.)

$0.50 for a bag containing a dozen metal skewers and at least 2 dozen wooden kabob sticks. I've always wanted to grill kabobs, but couldn't justify buying new skewers and the premade kabobs in the meat department are so expensive.

Instead of: The peg hooks cost $0.92 each online for a total of $7.36. The metal skewers would have cost  $3.49/dozen and the wooden kabob sticks would have been $.57 alone (if bought in a quantity of 1000!)

Savings: $11.42 worth of peg hooks, skewers and kabob sticks minus the $1.50 I paid. Total: $9.92

Bonus: The garage peg wall can help us get more organized, and I can start browsing meat/vege kabob recipes, although cake/fruit/marshmallow kabobs are just as likely!

September 19 Savings

Investment: DH's parents came for the game, but we decided to each eat at home before meeting up. My grilled ham and cheese on home-made bread, broccoli and milk probably cost around $1.50.  DH's dad also generously paid $5 for me to get into the game since neither my husband nor I could find the passes that would have gotten me in for free. 

Instead of: We talked about possibly going to Subway before the game, where I would have spent about $2.70, and I didn't have to fork over the $5 for the game.

Savings: $1.20 for supper and $5 for the ticket. Total $6.20

Bonus: A Homecoming WIN by the Generals! Yea!

September 18 Savings

Another day without spending a dime. DH eats with the team on Thursdays (dinner is made by FB moms at different churches) and when I couldn't think of what to make at 7:30 tonight, I though to myself "What did I do in college when I did not feel like cooking and had very few ingredients?" Answer: I hauled out the snack-master, a contraption I inherited from my mom, for a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich pressed between the near-end of the store-bought wheat bread. I practically lived on these sandwiches in college! I clearly needed more bread, so I put the ingredients for a whole wheat loaf in the bread maker and set the delay timer so it will be hot and fresh at 6:00am tomorrow!

Investment: A bread maker is a wonderful invention that surprisingly many people own, but few actually use. Mine was a wedding gift, but instead of buying one new, I'd check with friends or family who may never use theirs, or check garage sales. My sister picked one up last weekend for only $5. I'm currently in the bread-making routine, have tried many recipes (including the Parmesan Pepper Bread mentioned earlier this week and DH's favorite Onion Bread), and hope to explore some more cost savings by buying my ingredients -especially yeast- in larger quantities so I can drive down the cost of homemade bread. For now, I estimate the cost of my ingredients at around $1.50/loaf for a plain 2lb. loaf.

Instead of: Buying bread at the grocery store. My old staple was 12-grain Amana bread for $2.19 at Hy-Vee (plus an extra stop at Hy-Vee since Fareway doesn't carry it.)

Savings: $.69

Bonus: Homemade bread tastes great, is more filling, and makes perfect open-face egg white and ham sandwiches for breakfast!

September 17 Savings

What do you do when you have lots of apples and some leftover hot dog buns? Make a delicious Apple Bread Pudding! (I added more apples than it called for and cut the vanilla sauce recipe in half). WOW, this recipe is a keeper, served warm with the sauce! We'll see how it tastes cold (I'm sure I'll sneak some for breakfast tomorrow.) An important lesson I've learned from my dad is that many things (bread pudding, apple pie, brownies, and currently Apple Dapple Cake) taste much better when you eat them straight out of the pan with a fork while standing by the counter. For extra good flavor, make sure you are eating this for breakfast, preferably at 5:30a.m.

Investment: I used 3 more free apples and 3 hot dog buns (old getting-dry buns from the fridge make the perfect bread cubes for bread pudding)

Instead of: Buying apples at the store for $.99/lb and throwing out the hot dog buns

Savings: $1 for the free apples

Bonus: The house smelled wonderful when we rushed home from choir practice to pull the Apple Bread Pudding out of the oven and DH was happy it replaced the lingering cooked broccoli smell I created at 6:45 this morning.

September 15 Savings

After a long day at work, I stopped by my parents to pick a peck of apples (actually 2 pecks). I learned a peck is 10.5 lbs here. Then, I stopped by Fareway on the way home for $27.76 in groceries-milk, eggs, OJ, fresh fruit, and some essential toiletries. I debated getting the bulk TP because I didn't want to spend money on grocery/household items this month, but I couldn't justify getting the smaller pack with a higher price/roll. After spending an afternoon on spreadsheets figuring out purchase price/landed price/customer cost per unit/end user cost per unit for the candy products I market, I was very in tune to the cost per unit idea.  Ahhh, the stockpiler/justifier in me will never die.  

Tonight's activity was peeling and chopping apples to freeze for later use in pies, apple crisp, apple bread, etc. Tools of the trade: a Pampered Chef peeler (although I wish I had their new handle), a good paring knife, and an ULU knife I bought in Alaska that is perfect for slicing and dicing apples. Read "What the Heck is an ULU" by The Ulu Factory in Achorage (where I visited, but bought a cheaper knockoff version at the tourist shops).

Investment: Picking a 5-gallon bucket full of apples for free (and throwing the bruised ones in the bull pasture), then spending about 2 hours peeling, coring, and chopping 29 cups of apples. (I only did about 1/3 of the bucket.) I packed in 4-cup freezer bags so I can thaw the perfect amount for an apple crisp.

Instead of: Buying about 7 lbs. of apples at the grocery store, which would have cost $.99/lb. today.

Savings: $7

Bonus: My grandpa was happy I picked up the apples so he could mow under the apple tree and now I will be able to bake my favorite apple crisp recipe anytime this winter without a trip to the grocery store.

September 13 Savings

We did spend $12 tonight to attend the Northwestern vs. Morningside Football game, but made some choices to minimize the cost of our night out, plus DH gave up a lunch out with the other coaches at noon to contribute to the savings.

Investment: DH came home for a spaghetti lunch today, plus I packed turkey sandwiches, Chex mix, fruit, and dessert to eat on the way to Orange City. 

Instead of: The other coaches went out for Pizza Ranch Buffet at noon, where DH usually joins them on Saturdays. Plus, we normally would have grabbed some subs from Subway to eat on the way to the game. Also, DH didn't buy the normal popcorn from the concession stand.

Savings: $8 pizza buffet and $7.50 for subs minus about the $5 cost for the food we ate instead, plus $1 popcorn. Total: $11.50

Bonus: I got to see my husband before 4:30 on Saturday, which made me happy, plus eating supper in the car saved time on the way to the game. We also didn't have to stand in the really long concession line for popcorn (and DH still got to eat some of his brother's popcorn).

September 9 Savings

Tonight I was leaving Sioux Center after helping set up for the garage sale and the truck needed gas. I pulled into the Coop where it was $3.49/gal and started filling up, only to remember that there was a Shell station on the way out of town (we get a 5% rebate on our Shell card). It would have been easier to just continue filling and be on my way, but I stopped the pump after 1 gallon, drove out to Shell, filled up there (for $3.45) and then continued on home. I also knew I'd be tempted to grab some fast food after an evening of hard work setting up, but had planned ahead and packed a sandwich, fruit, and cookie to eat on the way home instead.

Investment: $65.55 in gas minus 5% rebate ($62.27) and about $2 worth of a packed-lunch

Instead of: $66.31 in gas with no rebate and a $3 fast food meal

Savings: $4.04 gas and $1 food= $5.04

Bonus: My packed lunch was probably healthier than the fast food taco or burger I would have bought and the gas at Shell in Sioux Center was 4-cents cheaper than Sibley's.

September 8 Savings

In the past year or so, I've gotten into the habit of taking home half of every restaurant meal. I order a regular meal, usually not anything too expensive, and then when my plate arrives, I divide it in half, then ask for a box to take home the half I didn't eat. The portions are usually much too large anyway, and I'm full after eating my half. It feels like you're getting a "free" restaurant meal later when you eat the leftovers.

Investment: DH's parents took us out to eat at El Azteca in Worthington (highly recommended) on Saturday night and I ordered my favorite Fajita Burrito, divided it in half and ate the leftovers for lunch today (Monday).

Instead of: Packing other food for lunch today.

Savings: About $4 (half the cost of my burrito)

Bonus: Monday's leftovers are much more exciting, and it prevents me from totally overeating by trying to finish my plate at restaurants.

Homemade Birthday Cake

Do you buy birthday cakes from the bakery/grocery store/professional baker? Why not trying your hand at a homemade cake? When I was growing up, my mom made it seem like a special privilege of each of us to pick out the mix and bake our OWN birthday cake (isn't she tricky?). The best part was mixing different colored frostings and decorating it anyway we wanted. I still like homemade cakes much better and I have more cake recipes I'd like to try than people to bake for!

One of my favorite cookbooks is "Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor". Ann Byrn takes ordinary box mixes and "doctors" them up to make beautiful and delicious layer, sheet, and pound cakes, as well as cookies, cheesecake, brownies, and even biscotti! Frosting recipes are also included. The best part is paging through the pictures and picking out something to try. I've had great results with dozens of the recipes found in her book and the step-by-step instructions make it easy! Her website also has great tips on saving money on your grocery bills. (We're having a Peanut Butter Cake with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting tonight in celebration of DH's upcoming birthday.) Since I never actually buy cakes from the bakery, I'm not contributing the difference to the savings jar this time, but it's just another hint for anyone to try in an effort to have your cake (and save money too).

Investment: $.99 cake mix plus oil, eggs, and additional "doctoring" ingredients, many of which you'll have on hand

Instead of: Store-bought cakes, from $8-$15.

Savings: The difference between what you would have bought and what you made.

Bonus: Kids love helping (and licking the beaters), it creates fond memories, and your relatives at the birthday party will applaud your effort, even if it's less than perfect.

Helpful Hint: Before placing the layers of cake on the serving platter, I place three strips of waxed paper to form a circle. The cake is placed in the center and then frosted, so the waxed paper catches all the drips, smears and smudges. When you're done, pull out the three strips of waxed paper and you'll have a clean serving platter and a perfectly frosted cake!

September 4 Savings

My weekly grocery shopping trip today was scaled back in a major way. For $18.30, I picked up some fruit that was on sale, 1 gallon of milk instead of 2, OJ, margarine, eggs, and oatmeal (the last 3 to make more cookies to sell at a garage sale later this month). I will be posting my monthly grocery savings at the end of the month, but I did make a few specific choices today.

Investment: I bought margarine for baking (2 lbs. @ $0.75) and a can of generic frozen orange juice ($1.19)

Instead of: Real butter (2 lbs. @ $2.19) and generic Orange Juice jug ($1.99)

Savings: $3.68

Bonus: It didn't take as long as usual to shop and put away the groceries!

September 3 Savings

Investment: I packed my lunch today- Vegetable chicken salad sandwich, green beans and grapes. I'm guessing around $2 tops.

Instead of: Pizza Ranch buffet, about $8. I stopped in to see the family that had gathered at the Ranch for lunch today, but when they were ready to go, I went and ate the lunch I had packed. 

Savings: $6

Bonus: I didn't feel miserable all afternoon from eating way too much pizza!

September 2 Savings

Investment:  Today I filled my Nalgene bottle with water from a Brita water filter pitcher in the fridge to take with me to work. I refilled it from the "water cooler" at work.

Instead of: Grabbing a Grape Powerade Zero out of the fridge. I decided to save it for another time so I don't buy any more this month.

Savings: $0.69 (They are 3/$2 at Fareway!)

Bonus: The ounces labeled on the side of the bottle help keep me on track to reach the goal of 64oz/day. Plus, no sodium!

September 1 Savings

Get Ready...Get Set...GO! September kind of snuck up on me as I was away over the weekend, but today, Labor Day, is the official start to the September Savings Challenge. Are you ready? I am ready to learn as I go, blog honestly about the challenges and choices, and respond to your comments and suggestions. I hope the "ways to save" already posted will give you some ideas and that each family will think of more ways they can save money for a worthy cause by making some different choices.  In each of my entries, I'll do a quick summary of the day's savings/choices and I encourage you to respond with your comments of your progress/roadblocks/lessons learned. Thanks for contributing!

Spending: I rode home from visiting my sister/niece with my mom today and made a pit stop at DQ. I spent $1.79 on an ice cream cone.

Instead of:  I normally would have spent $3.09 on a blizzard and if I drove by myself this weekend, today's trip would have cost $30 in gas.

Sept. 1 Savings: $1.30 for the DQ choice, $30 for the free ride from mom (Thanks!). Total: $31.30

Bonus: I was also tempted to buy fast food for supper, but waited to get home to eat Pizza/Pasta Casserole and salad with DH.

An Apple a Day

Fall is the perfect time to harvest some apples and make a few treats to put away for September. I am lucky enough to have parents with an apple tree that is ripe for the picking (or picking up off the ground before Arnie the woodchuck eats them all). If you have a tree, or know someone who does, it's a perfect way to get some fresh produce at a very low cost. I borrowed a food strainer that made it EASY to make homemade applesauce. Just wash, cut in quarters, cook in pot, run through strainer. (No peeling or coring). The seeds, peel and stem just come out the tumbler. I added a little sugar and cinnamon and love the homemade taste (and LOW cost).

Investment: Almost nothing for me since I got free apples. Ask around if anyone has a tree that they'd be willing to trade some produce for. May not be cost effective if you have to buy from the grocery store, but "pick your own" from the local orchard could be worth it.

Instead of: Buying applesauce in single-serve cups or jars

Savings: Buying in the jar cost about $0.30 per cup, and I made about 25 cups, so $7.50.

Bonus: Tastes great, freezes well, and can be used in recipes (freeze without sugar or cinnamon) or eaten plain. If you have access to a "free tree" you can also chop apples to use in recipes or wrap in newspaper and store in a cool place to save for eating whole. Be sure to check out my favorite Apple Scotch Crisp recipe.

Homemade Pizza

Going out for pizza is frequent treat for many families (especially when it's one of the only restaurant option in small towns). Americans spend more that $22 billion on pizza last year and 93% of us eat it at least once a month! Consider starting a new tradition this September by trying out a new homemade pizza recipe every week instead of a trip to the local pizza joint. You may find something you like even better than the restaurants and the process can be fun and memorable!

Investment: This Frugal Mom recipe works out to about $2 per 12" pepperoni pizza, but you can make it faster using a pouch of "just add water" pizza crust or using leftovers from other meals to create unique topping options. If you're short on time, pick up a take-and-bake pizza from the grocery store-still cheaper than going out. Add $.23/person for a can of soda at home (or make a big pitcher of lemonade).

Instead of: Pizza Ranch (local chain) charges $11 for a medium 1-topping, and Pizza Hut is $10 with coupon. Add delivery charges or tips and you're set back at least $12-$14. Add a $2 drink per person if you usually eat at the restaurant.

Savings: $8-$12 per pizza plus $1.72 per drink

Bonus: Fun Family time and everyone can "order" what they want by putting their own toppings on their portion of the pie.

Coffee Break

I think every "save money" article I've ever read talks about giving up the "$3-a cup" coffee and brewing your own at home. There isn't a Starbucks within 50 miles of where I live, but I know there are plenty of people who stop by a gas station or drive-through on their way to work to pick up a cup. Try making "brew your own coffee" a daily, weekly, or even monthly goal for the September Savings Challenge. It only takes a few seconds to set it up (try the delay timer so it's ready when you wake up) and the extra change can go into your savings fund.  Already make it at home? Go a step further and invest in a reusable coffee filter, find a creative use for leftover coffee and grounds, grind your own beans, or drink the free coffee at the office! Find something that fits your habits and check out more ways to save money while savoring your coffee. 

Investment: Cost per cup at home: just over 3 cents. (Folgers-$6.49 for 34.5oz cannister that makes 240-279 cups, plus a coffee filter for every 2 servings ($1.25 for 100).

Instead of: $1 at local gas stations or fast food

Savings: $0.97 per cup

Bonus: Use a stainless steel travel mug and you won't be throwing away endless styrofoam cups. Plus, you always get the roast you prefer and can wake up to the smell of coffee brewing!

Freezing Corn

If you have a green thumb or have neighbors/ friends/ family with an abundant garden, learn how to freeze sweet corn so you can enjoy it in September and year-round.

Investment: Free if you get it from friends with an abundant crop, minimal cost if you grow it yourself, $3/dozen purchased from local farmers.

Instead of: Bags of frozen corn cost at least $1.39/lb. in stores. (A dozen ears of fresh sweet corn makes about 5 cups or 2.85lbs.)

Savings: $3.97 per dozen if you got it for free.  If you bought it from a farmer's market, subtract the cost of the ears.

Bonus: Energy is saved by buying locally instead of buying frozen corn out-of-season that is likely trucked in from California, Florida, or Mexico, plus it tastes better and doesn't contain anything artificial!