Shopping Tips

So there were a few comments about my poll (which has now been removed) and how I spend so little money at the grocery store. A few months ago, my SIL asked me the same thing and I emailed her a list of "my secrets." I thought I would share a modified version of that email to appease your curiosity. Mostly it comes down to having a budget and a plan.

1- I sit down with the ads and my recipe file each week and plan out a menu based on what is on sale. I never buy ANYTHING unless it is on sale. I try to do all of my shopping at one store so I don't go crazy running around with the kids, so whichever supermarket has the most of what I want on sale is the store I go to that week. I'm trying the coupon thing too but I'm not that good at it and it mostly helps me get a little more food for my money, rather than a huge savings. MoneySavingMom.com is a great site to help match up sales and coupons.

2- I generally know the prices of what we eat a lot, so I can tell if it's a good sale or if I should wait for another week. I only buy cereal if it's under $2 a box, yogurt if it's less than $0.50 a cup, etc. Then I try to stock up at the cheap price. (You can freeze a lot of stuff like bread, milk and cheese too). A lady at church says she never has to buy anything on a need basis, only on a "this is the cheapest price I can get this product for" basis; someday I would like to be that good. If you never run out of diapers, you won't be making extra trips to the store and forking out more money than necessary and ruining your budget.

3- I do a lot of brand comparisons. Most stores are good about telling you how much something costs per ounce on their little tags (if they don't have tags I whip out the calculator on my phone. Seriously). So I always go for the least expensive item per ounce even if it means buying a little bit bigger bottle than I need right then. It also means buying generic sometimes, but sometimes the brand name is on sale for less than the generic. And, I try to remember to get rain checks if they are out of something I want or substitute another item for the item that was on sale.

4- I only spend $10 out of the $50 on produce. I would like to have my kids eat more fruits and vegetables, but they are expensive and so I can't put as much money into that or we wouldn't have enough for everything else.

5- I rarely buy junk food like chips, candy or ice cream. The only time we have dessert is for FHE. Treats around here are chocolate milk or popcorn on Movie Fridays. Or lately we're into frozen Go-Gurts. I don't get already put together meals either. It's so convenient to pop a frozen lasagna in the oven but a lot cheaper to make it yourself. Often Keith complains that we have nothing to eat, but it's really that we don't have anything "ready to eat." Most stuff around here has to be made.

6- My menus are pretty simple (though sometimes lacking in variety). Breakfast mainly consists of cereal or instant oatmeal. I don't buy a lot of lunch food, we generally eat leftovers from dinner the night before. I do keep PB&J on hand, and occasionally we have Mac 'n' cheese or turkey sandwiches. We also eat a lot of quesadillas! Dinner is the meal I spend the most money and focus on.

7- I try to stretch the expensive ingredients. I only use one chicken breast in a casserole and usually I split a 9x13 casserole into two 8x8 pans, eat one and freeze the other for another day. Or split a 1 lb package of hamburger into two meals. We probably shouldn't eat so many carbs, but pasta and rice are good filler foods!

8- And really, it just comes down to sticking to the budget. I know I only have so much money to spend so I walk around the store adding everything up in my head. "Bananas $2 + celery $1.50 (I always round up to the nearest half dollar to try and account for tax) is $3.50. Plus bread is $5, etc" It's a great mental exercise, especially when you start throwing in those BUY 8 save $4 sales because you have to keep track of how much you are spending and how many items you have, plus entertain the kids. Once I get to $50 I have to quit or start putting things back that are not entirely necessary so I can get the stuff I do need. There are some tough choices sometimes, but I've done it enough that now Addison knows we don't have money for everything we want and even explains to Charlotte that we're getting this instead of that because it's not as expensive.

I admit that my budget may have to increase soon. My kids are getting older and eating more, but the principles will remain the same. Do you have any helpful hints for grocery shopping?

It Ain't Over 'til the Fat Lady Sings

Whew! This selling and buying a house business has turned out to be one heck of a ride! So much so that I don't even really want to relive it for you. But we are finally done with the whole thing. Thursday afternoon the paperwork was officially filed and we now own (or are at least paying a mortgage on) our new house in Anthem, AZ.

I think we landed the perfect spot, except for the fact that it is a few hours away from family. It's nice and deserty around here, but still populated enough that we don't feel like we're out in the boonies. I have enjoyed listening to the birds wake me up in the morning, actually being able to see the stars at night, and watching the wildlife skitter about my backyard. Of course, the scorpions in the house aren't very fun or the woodpeckers pecking a huge hole in the side of my house, but there has to be opposition in all things right? We are within walking distance to preschool and the library, get admission to the pool and gym with our HOA fees and have plenty of shopping close by. As soon as we make some friends our lives will be complete.

So if you ever find yourself on the way to Flagstaff and need a potty break, call us up and we'll be happy to have you!

These are a few pictures from the MLS listing. I'm not a wine bibber, I promise. We have barely begun to unpack so the after pictures will take some time to be posted.

Poll

By the way, thanks to all those who voted in my poll. A few recent conversations have left me feeling like I might be starving my family by spending so little at the grocery store each week. Your answers pretty much confirmed my fears. Most everyone spends more than I do. So if my kids eat all your snacks at church, I apologize. I'll work on that.

A New Low

I may have just earned the title of the world's worst hostess. I served chili mac (aka three boxes of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese and a can of Hormel chili) and two loaves of frozen garlic bread to the missionaries for dinner. No fruits, veggies or dessert to be seen. Pathetic.

In my defense, I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week. (I was waiting until after our upcoming move so we wouldn't have to transport so much food.) And I didn't know they were coming until 30 minutes before. Our friends desperately called three times in a row (that's how long it took me to find my phone) to say they had forgotten their assignment and were out of town, could we possibly fill in for them? The chili mac was already made for our dinner, so I kept it warm on the stove and then busted out the bread, knowing three boxes of macaroni and cheese wouldn't be enough for two fasting missionaries.

The elders were very gracious about the whole thing, eating off of mismatched plates (who has the dishes done when company isn't expected?) and stepping around already packed boxes piling up all over the room. But I felt terrible, the way they scarfed down four helpings, even scraping the last bits out of the pan (that's right, I served them out of the pan I cooked it in. Don't tell my mother) because I knew they could've eaten more if I'd had it.

All in all, it might have been my lowest moment. Good thing we're moving right?

AWK-WARD

Dear Awkwardness-

We can't be friends anymore. I am tired of being embarrassed and uncomfortable in social situations. Go find someone else to bother okay? I would appreciate it tremendously. Thanks!

AmandaA little background on the above letter. In September I got pregnant. Over Thanksgiving we announced the news to family and a few friends and ward members. Three days later I hit the twelve week mark, went to the doctor for a routine check-up and found out that the baby no longer had a heart beat. A couple of days after that, I had a D&C.

The awkwardness comes from the fact that I was far enough along to be showing, that horrible stage where people aren't sure if you're just gaining weight or are actually pregnant. I was squeezing into a few of my normal pairs of pants and beginning the transition to maternity clothes. Only now it feels like that stage is going on and on and on forever. I'm not getting any bigger because I'm no longer pregnant, yet I still have this kind of post pregnancy pooch without a baby to show for it.

So when all of the "Oh, are you expecting?" and the "Are you having another baby?" and the "When are you due?" questions come my way I'm not sure what to say. If I reply with an explanation along the lines of, "Well, I was, but then I had a miscarriage," people feel terrible and trip all over themselves to apologize for my loss. But then if I just answer, "No," they are so mortified they trip all over themselves trying to cover up or excuse their blunder. It's embarrassing for everyone no matter what my response. Maybe if I could come up with something witty like, "Just a few too many treats over the holidays," it wouldn't be so bad. I dunno. What would you say?



PS- I am not looking for pity in this post. I've had plenty of that. I'm just venting about a discomfiting situation and perhaps looking for some helpful suggestions. Thank you for your consideration.

Resolution to Read

Remember how I had a list of ten resolutions at the beginning of 2010? It was going to be my finest year; the year I did everything I had ever wanted to do but for one reason or another had put on the back burner. Yeah, well, that didn't happen. The year threw me one too many curve balls and I just couldn't cope. So let's just skip the review of 2010 shall we?

The one goal I did get close to accomplishing was the reading of 100 books. I decided to do this when a friend mentioned how she had to read 100 books in a semester for a Children's Literature class. I believe about twenty of them had to be what the education world calls "chapter books," and the rest could be picture books or non-fiction titles. I thought, "Huh! I bet I could read 100 books, but all of them chapter books. Remember that one time I read 10 books in a week?" Arrogant, wasn't I? It came to bite me in the end, don't worry. I somehow forgot to account for the fact that I now have three kids to raise and a house to clean and clean and clean again. And perhaps I didn't realize how much time I waste on TV and internet usage. By November I was scrambling to read one or two books a day and neglecting most of my other responsibilities. So all in all, I only read 97 books and a few dozen I am embarrassed to have counted because they were so short, but oh well.

Here they are in chronological order:

1- Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne

2- Vacation under a Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne

3- Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne

4- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

5- Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne

6- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

7- Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osborne

8- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

9- Tigers at Twilight by Mary Pope Osborne

10- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

11- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

12- Papa Married a Mormon by John D Fitzgerald

13- Mamma’s Boarding House by John D Fitzgerald

14- On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

15- Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne

16- A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

17- Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

18- Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

19- Best Shorts: favorite short stories for sharing selected by Avi

20- Shopaholic takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

21- The Book of Mormon

22- Born Standing Up (Audio CD) by Steve Martin

23- The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy

24- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

25- Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne

26- Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne

27- The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

28- The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

29- Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne

30- Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne

31- A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

32- Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne

33- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

34- The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

35- The Seeing Stone by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

36- Lucinda’s Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

37- The Ironwood Tree by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

38- The Wrath of Mulgarath by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

39- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

40- Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

41- Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo

42- Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo

43- Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo

44- Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne

45- Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo

46- Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo

47- Charlie Bone and the Shadow by Jenny Nimmo

48- Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo

49- Season of the Sandstorms by Mary Pope Osborne

50- Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff

51- Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt

52- Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt

53- A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt

54- Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne

55- The Nixie’s Song by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

56- A Giant Problem by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

57- The Wyrm King by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

58- Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

59- Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

60- Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson

61 – The Wednesday Letters by Jason F Wright

62- The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas

63- The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

64- Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne

65- Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

66- Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne

67- Buffalo Before Breakfast by Mary Pope Osborne

68- Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

69- The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer

70- The Time Quake by Linda Buckley-Archer

71- Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey

72- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

73- Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

74- River Secrets by Shannon Hale

75- Forest Born by Shannon Hale

76- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

77- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

78- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

79- Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent

80- The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup

81- Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka

82- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

83- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

84- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney

85- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

86- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

87- The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka

88- The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

89- The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

90- The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

91- A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

92- The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

93- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

94- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

95- The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney

96- Oh Say, I Can’t See by Jon Scieszka

97- Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne

I'm afraid if I add commentary or recommendations this post will be a mile long so perhaps if you are interested in any additional info you could comment and I will write more as necessary.
Happy Reading!

Merry Christmas