August Frugal chatter

[Angela273]

I am going grocery shopping on Tuesday at Sobeys. It is 15% off day. The way Sobeys does things is that their computer takes the 15% discount off before the coupons are applied, so your coupons are worth extra that day. I have over a dozen FPCs that I plan on using that day (valued at 115% on that shopping trip), plus a variety of other discount coupons for things we need to pick up. The extra 15% will simply go towards the rest of my purchases that day. In addition, I will also be collecting my Sobeys club points (currently have $85 saved on my card). I will also use my VISA for this purchase and submit the receipt to CO51 for the $2 rebate, plus be entered to win $500. I am looking forward to these great savings on my grocery products.

Sobeys has a deal on buy 3 Kellogg's cereals and get a free 4L jug of milk. The Kellogg's cereals are on sale for $4.99 and I have 3x $2 off any coupons. If I am lucky, I will be able to get some fuel cards on the cereal boxes (I have one of these codes already).

[saundyl]

. I am challenging everyone for the month of September to try something new (weekly or once a month - whatever everyone is comfortable with), something that you have been putting off/trying. Please post if you wish to accept the challenge and what your goal/challenge will be. It could be starting to bake like Frugalbigmama, or a trying a new recipe, talking your freezer (clean-out), learning to crochet, start your Christmas shopping, having your meals made ahead of time, etc....ANYTHING GOES!!!!

i'd like to take part in the challenge.
Goals I'd like to achieve are"
1) a part time job with a shift or two a week OR an entirely new higher paying job.
2) find 3 or 4 meals for a slow cooker that the boys like for hockey nights.
3) I'd like to get the bills and spending back in check. Groceries on my side i spent almost 500 for the month. my bf tells me he put out almost 600 on groceries. The power bill was over a hundred dollars over budget because people were home 24/7 and the A/c usage.
4) a goal for earning $40 on swagbucks cashed out towards amazon.ca
5) eat healthier & hopefully loose a few summer pounds.
6) sell some scrapbooking paper/albums and punches that i havent touched since i moved up here a year ago

No Sports Chek here. I miss Sports Check. They used to have awesome sales. Only Canadian Tire and a local sports store, which is $$$. I had to buy him size 10.5 skates this year. Yes, my 12yr old (and he just turned 12 like 3 weeks ago) wears a size 10.5 mens. He hasn't been in a junior size for a few years now. Did I mention he's been on a HUGE growth spurt?! This year, we sized him at Canadian Tire and then in the end ordered from thehockeyshop.com They were free shipping and so far I've been impressed. I almost ordered from prohockeylife.com but the shipping was going to be "free" plus an extra $50 because of where we live. I'm hoping that since the equipment is men's that he'll use it for a really long time. I bought the skates a half size big to account for a little more growth too.

$600 is because he's house league. If he did development squad it'd be an extra $225 plus all the travel.

Wow 600 there? I think i was told its 350 for each boy here. But we also just put 200 each into a 2 day camp in Peace River too. My bf's exwife went to edmonton to i think its called Totem and another one and traded in the used gear for a larger sized used gear as the boys grew since they wore theirs last.

Oh, I found out this week too what it's like to have a big unexpected expense - paying for optometrist (will only get 1/2 back from insurance), and new glasses.
We'll be eating out of the freezer and cupboards for a while...

We're eating out of cupboards as much as we can this month - leftovers and homemade soups are very much on the menu.

[Caseythegoalie]

I saved 34.00 in coupons today at shoppers and got 20x the points -I am a happy camper for sure

I did the same! Spent about $80 after tax and used $26 in coupons lots I wanted out of stock so I could have done a lot more damage! Also redeemed check out 51-several items I could have redeemed for gone

[Insane]

i'd like to take part in the challenge.
Goals I'd like to achieve are"
1) a part time job with a shift or two a week OR an entirely new higher paying job.
2) find 3 or 4 meals for a slow cooker that the boys like for hockey nights.
3) I'd like to get the bills and spending back in check. Groceries on my side i spent almost 500 for the month. my bf tells me he put out almost 600 on groceries. The power bill was over a hundred dollars over budget because people were home 24/7 and the A/c usage.
4) a goal for earning $40 on swagbucks cashed out towards amazon.ca
5) eat healthier & hopefully loose a few summer pounds.
6) sell some scrapbooking paper/albums and punches that i havent touched since i moved up here a year ago






Wow 600 there? I think i was told its 350 for each boy here. But we also just put 200 each into a 2 day camp in Peace River too. My bf's exwife went to edmonton to i think its called Totem and another one and traded in the used gear for a larger sized used gear as the boys grew since they wore theirs last.



We're eating out of cupboards as much as we can this month - leftovers and homemade soups are very much on the menu.

We use the slow cooker all the time. Especially with activiites during the school year. Check out... http://crockpot365.blogspot.ca/2007/...f-recipes.html I've never used it but a friend of mine loves it.

I'm going to Edmonton with #1 for a tournament in Nov. I'm going to bring his old equipment and see if I can't trade it in for new shoulder pads. He just fits his, so we didn't buy him new ones, but he'll need some eventually.

Speaking of which, I'll be in HR at the end of the month for work. Let me know if there is something you'd like me to bring down for you.

[Angela273]

Thanks for sharing the slow cooker recipes link. I think I'll try the roast chicken with lots of garlic (I have garlic cloves to use). I have used the slow cooker twice since LO was born last year. It had collected dust for years before that. SIL gave us her old slow cooker after we bought her the exact requested slow cooker for their wedding.

[Insane]

Thanks for sharing the slow cooker recipes link. I think I'll try the roast chicken with lots of garlic (I have garlic cloves to use). I have used the slow cooker twice since LO was born last year. It had collected dust for years before that. SIL gave us her old slow cooker after we bought her the exact requested slow cooker for their wedding.

We use ours at least once a week, sometimes more. I use it so often it had a permanent place on my counter (until I couldn't stand the counter clutter and put it away and take it out when using it).

I actually have 2. I have a big one and I found it too big. The chicken was always dry. My other one is perfect. I can program the length of time I want it to cook for, and it has a simmer setting. I keep my big one around because it's just the right size for pea soup. But it takes up precious space in my cupboards.

[Caseythegoalie]

So feeling slightly guilty about refusing to buy my younger two new school bags. Last years are fine? Nothing wrong with them at all. Anyway.....

[Crochetlady]

Spent $42 on Watkins chocolate dessert mix today. I like them because they are unsweetened so I can use Splenda. That should do us for about a year.
On another note I was at Walmart last week and got the cutest kitchen towels...owls and turkeys. When I went back today to get more they were out but they let me order more.

[saundyl]

Thank you for the slow cooker recipes...& the offer to bring something down at the end of the month that is so nice!

Out of curiousity - which age group is your son in for hockey? ours are Atoms and Peewees (until last year i thought peewees were the little dudes not the preteens!)


Casey - i wouldnt feel guilty about it we didnt get new bags for the boys last year - this year we did as one's 2 yr old bag wouldnt zip and you could see through the bottom of the other one. I shuddered & cringed when i found out that the Reebok bag our older one insisted on having was 60 dollars.

[Insane]

Thank you for the slow cooker recipes...& the offer to bring something down at the end of the month that is so nice!

Out of curiousity - which age group is your son in for hockey? ours are Atoms and Peewees (until last year i thought peewees were the little dudes not the preteens!)


Casey - i wouldnt feel guilty about it we didnt get new bags for the boys last year - this year we did as one's 2 yr old bag wouldnt zip and you could see through the bottom of the other one. I shuddered & cringed when i found out that the Reebok bag our older one insisted on having was 60 dollars.

He's in Peewee. Just PM me if you want me to bring anything down.

I swear by the MEC school bags. We've bought 3 so far and the only reason we've had to get new ones is they've outgrown it. We just keep the smaller one for the next kid. Plus MEC has a lifetime guarantee. And free shipping over a certain amount too. Mine will probably never have anything but MEC school bags.

[dreamcatcher1962]

Jasperandchar,
can you add these recipes to the first page of the Sept chatter thread ?

Thanks

The oatmeal bars is a new recipe to me, but they are SO good. Taste like soft cookies. FYI: though dough is very firm, but do not be alarmed. Though I am definitely a chocolate fan, I reduced the chocolate chips in these recipes (as indicated below).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups quick-cooking or old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I only used 1 cup, and that was plenty)
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat just until combined. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. Spread in a rimmed 10x15 baking pan, using a spatula or your hands to press into place. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool, but cut the bars while they are still somewhat warm, as a knife will go through them more easily.
*Note: I halved this recipe and baked it in a square 9x9 pan and it turned out perfectly. I think you could do a 9x13 pan with the full recipe, they will just be very thick (which isn't a bad thing!) and you will have to increase the baking time. I haven't tried these in the 10x15 pan so I can't say for sure how thick they turn out.



Fudgey Brownies

1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in cocoa. Blend in eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients and nuts (optional). Pour batter into greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool.



Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

3 large bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter or unsweetened applesauce (recipe calculated using applesauce)
Chocolate chips (to taste--1 cup calculated...I only used 1/2 cup)


Mash bananas
add sugar and egg
add melted butter
add dry ingredients
mix in chocolate chips
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes at 375

***The recipe said: to get 24 muffins, I do not fill the muffin tins. I usually fill them about 1/2 way or less.
I did a quadruple batch and ended up with 6 dozen nice sized muffins.

[MaddensMomma]

Very busy the last few days and love being off work now, getting lots done before the baby arrives.

Had a great baby shower on the weekend and just finished buying everything we need for the baby. Now it's just a waiting game lol.

Last night we realized our freezer door had popped open and we ended up throwing out tons of pork chops, beef roasts, chicken breasts, frozen pizzas galore.... Couldn't come at a worst possible time, waiting for my EI to come in so my last pay check needs to last us all month for groceries and other expenses as DH's will goes straight to our mortgage and bills, and baby bonus gets eaten up by OSAP payments and car insurance that comes out rat the end of the month.

Does anyone know how long the waiting is for EI? I heard you receive a payment around 4 weeks after sending the application.

Today I am cooking up a pot roast in the crockpot for dinner (salvaged 1 of the roasts that was only 3/4 thawed) and a whole chicken in the oven (also salvaged) to shred up for homemade chicken noodle soup DH is going to prepare tonight. It will be nice to have some freezer meals prepared when we get home from the hospital. I am also going to prepare my bbq chicken foil wraps to put in the freezer so they can just be popped onto the bbq when needed with some baked potatoes.

[MaddensMomma]

Also I know these are a hot commodity but if anyone has frozen pizza coupons to trade ($2 delissio from halloween choc. boxes or nestea cans... $2/3 panebello/dr.oetker....) I will trade VERY generously for these as we have been trying to cut back on take out and having these in the freezer really helps. I just used up all my coupons on the last sale and had to through out 8 pizzas last night