Frugal March chatter (Marching on with Savings) cont'd Frugal Feb....

[jasperandchar]

I'm guessing you are okay with him cooking ribs, stop the truck if he breaks out his cans (lol)

I think I will pick up a double rack of back ribs for dh to do up from Zehrs for this week's chunk of meat. $2.99/lb, ok price. The Zehrs ribs have been awesome.

[jasperandchar]

baby steps are very important milestones in life....also like the KISS saying (keep it simple silly some say stupid but it don't like stupid).

Yes it was another sc'er who said meal planning and they are correct I do so as well, don't forget to have 1 night for leftovers as I think we all need to have 1 day of leftovers (lol).

Also if you have kids plan one evening or day/afternoon (mine is Sunday) to do your baking, the kids learn quickly that that is your baking day and wether you're up to it not they still want to bake.....makes you have a fire under your pants or so it seems, don't want to disappoint the kiddos and the homemade goodies get made.

Sounds like you have a good foundation/start and you are getting the hang of whatever works for you.

So as jasperandchar told me the other day..."baby steps"
And I am taking that to heart...
So the first and Big change that I need to do is "meal planing".
I went to the store last night and got a few things...will have to go back again today...forgot some stuff.
Yes I know... was rushing...had to be home by a certain time.
But I think that if I can get that organize and keep to it, or as close to it as possible that will be a big help.
So please continue to share your recipes and ideas it's really helping.

[jasperandchar]

I added these as I was looking through Gail Vaz-Oxlade's website, very interesting.


http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources/guide_to_building_budget.html

http://www.debtfreeforever.ca/resour...worksheet.html

http://www.debtfreeforever.ca/resour...worksheet.html

according to this we (dh & I) should be putting $261.60 each month away for savings, that's x2 more than we do....

[Frugal Lisa]

Hey!! I haven't been online much today, I had some running around to do. I bought a few things I didn't really need.. And they weren't on sale... But, I got 3x Quaker instant oatmeal and a trop 50 juice ( buy 3 get trop free) and the Quaker oatmeal packs had $2 off bars coupons. I will use them to get three boxes of bars and another free trop 50. (The bars are on sale for 1.88 at food basics.) so not a bad shop!

hope you all are doing well today!!

[SassyAshley]

In our house it is my mom that likes all of the treats, the chips, snack foods. I will only buy them if they are on sale so now she goes out and buys them with her own money. Used to bug me because it is like why do I work so hard on the budget but hey it is her money and as long as she can pay what she needs to pay we are good. Back when I was covering all of our bills she just would not get these things as the money just was not there.

Question time does everyone else include little treats in their grocery shopping?

I do if there is something that is on sale and and I have a coupon we will pick up treats like chips or mini cinnamon rolls, things we cannot make at home. The only store bought cookies I eat are peak freans the rest we make.

[jasperandchar]

As for treats this is how I work it out, if I am below my targeted budget then maybe (haha) but if I am getting overage on an item like zantac then YES if the item will be covered with the overage = free, but having said this my kids get a treat - a bag of chips but they cannot waste it and must take care of it or they will have to wait a really long time, so they need to make their chip bag last x amount of days but if they do not close their chip bag and it goes stale that they are SOL for a while until the next time I can buy them one. It teaches them responsibility to take care of their treat as it is a treat and nothing more (not necessary, not nutrional, etc) and portion controls and or their routine of chips - so a small bowl every other day etc. I no longer purchase the pre-packaged made cookies, donuts, pies etc...I just can't justify the cost any longer.

My expensive purchase this week will be ink for my printer - it's a splurge that will however pay itself off especially with the Nutrigrain bars on sale at NF for $1.88 - $1.00 printable = .88 per box = SUPER CHEAP

In our house it is my mom that likes all of the treats, the chips, snack foods. I will only buy them if they are on sale so now she goes out and buys them with her own money. Used to bug me because it is like why do I work so hard on the budget but hey it is her money and as long as she can pay what she needs to pay we are good. Back when I was covering all of our bills she just would not get these things as the money just was not there.

Question time does everyone else include little treats in their grocery shopping?

I do if there is something that is on sale and and I have a coupon we will pick up treats like chips or mini cinnamon rolls, things we cannot make at home. The only store bought cookies I eat are peak freans the rest we make.

[Insane]

AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in need of new couches. They've got holes and are generally falling apart. As is the lazy boy (but we bought a new one recently using GC from christmas and money I saved). So I've been selling things to round up the money. Mostly on a local facebook group. I've been selling clothes the kids outgrow, baby stuff that we dont' need anymore, ect... Well someone posted they needed a high chair. I said I had one, came up with a price, ect....pull the darn thing out of the garage (smashing the cat carrier in the process) and cleaned it, set up a time for her to come yesterday. She messages me and says "are we still on?" I don't get the message, but I was home at the set time waiting for her!! Like what the heck? So we set up another time for her to come today...then she messages me just before saying nevermind my mom got me one. For Pete's sake...why do people think it's okay to waste my time. It's rude. I know, I know, she's allowed to back out, but frig it frustrates me that people waste my friggin' time. I've got it posted, so hopefully someone will buy it. But it's in the middle of the playroom cause it was supposed to be gone YESTERDAY! Days like this make me wish I could just go out and buy new couches and donate everything and not have this hassle!

Deep breath....deep breath....

[Insane]

I have to cancel my newspaper subscription, they want me to pay $74 for 6 months, I got the current subscription for $27 for 6 months and they are offering me another promotion for $37 and I still refuse to pay, $10 is extra money in my pocket. The only reason why I subscribed for newspaper is the coupon inserts, I figure will just trade coupons from members if there is anything that I need.

I used to just buy the Saturday paper for the inserts. On Sunday some stores would let me grab the inserts out of the unsold Saturday paper too. We don't have inserts here, so I haven't done it in years though.

[Caseythegoalie]

In our house it is my mom that likes all of the treats, the chips, snack foods. I will only buy them if they are on sale so now she goes out and buys them with her own money. Used to bug me because it is like why do I work so hard on the budget but hey it is her money and as long as she can pay what she needs to pay we are good. Back when I was covering all of our bills she just would not get these things as the money just was not there.

Question time does everyone else include little treats in their grocery shopping?

I do if there is something that is on sale and and I have a coupon we will pick up treats like chips or mini cinnamon rolls, things we cannot make at home. The only store bought cookies I eat are peak freans the rest we make.

It was easy this week because I had the free chips/pop coupons from the Pepsi rebate so I just redeemed those (and got the airmiles). I spent $16.05 at Metro on: ruffles, 2L pepsi, 12pk of brisk ice tea, 2 x bacon, 1 x twistos, 1 x smartfood, 1L of chocolate milk and 3 x instant oatmeal. Then I went to Freshco and this time it was not so cheap $31. I got: cucumber, strawberries, blackberries, carrots, lysol wipes, 2 x cadbury creme eggs(yuck, for DH) 2 x glade candles (-$3 rebate from Checkout51) a lb of butter, an onion, pretzels, marshmallows, chips for dh, apple sauce and mini pizzas for Ds. I am *hopeful* this will get us through the weekend.

I am definitely done buying snack food! I'm going to bake cookies tomorrow. I paid for the girls swimming lessons today $120.
My not-so smart move of the week: returning a late movie rental. It cost me $8.50 It bugs me that I work so hard for so many things and then do idiotic things like that. I wanted to rent wreck it ralph for us to watch tonight, so it cost me $12.50 altogether with the late charges. UGH.

[jasperandchar]

I know the feeling we could use new living room furniture as well, I've been putting it off.

I think the problem with this world is PEOPLE HAVE A TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT, I agree your time is worth something, you could have been out couponing (lol), people do have the right to chance their minds but please be respectful of others.

AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in need of new couches. They've got holes and are generally falling apart. As is the lazy boy (but we bought a new one recently using GC from christmas and money I saved). So I've been selling things to round up the money. Mostly on a local facebook group. I've been selling clothes the kids outgrow, baby stuff that we dont' need anymore, ect... Well someone posted they needed a high chair. I said I had one, came up with a price, ect....pull the darn thing out of the garage (smashing the cat carrier in the process) and cleaned it, set up a time for her to come yesterday. She messages me and says "are we still on?" I don't get the message, but I was home at the set time waiting for her!! Like what the heck? So we set up another time for her to come today...then she messages me just before saying nevermind my mom got me one. For Pete's sake...why do people think it's okay to waste my time. It's rude. I know, I know, she's allowed to back out, but frig it frustrates me that people waste my friggin' time. I've got it posted, so hopefully someone will buy it. But it's in the middle of the playroom cause it was supposed to be gone YESTERDAY! Days like this make me wish I could just go out and buy new couches and donate everything and not have this hassle!

Deep breath....deep breath....

[amandabananda]

In our house it is my mom that likes all of the treats, the chips, snack foods. I will only buy them if they are on sale so now she goes out and buys them with her own money. Used to bug me because it is like why do I work so hard on the budget but hey it is her money and as long as she can pay what she needs to pay we are good. Back when I was covering all of our bills she just would not get these things as the money just was not there.

Question time does everyone else include little treats in their grocery shopping?

I do if there is something that is on sale and and I have a coupon we will pick up treats like chips or mini cinnamon rolls, things we cannot make at home. The only store bought cookies I eat are peak freans the rest we make.

We normally do. We're pretty predicatble with our snacks/treats, so I pick up what I think we'd like that week. A bag of Doritos or Fritos for DH and some candy for me! We also have a popcorn popper, so I try to keep kernals on hand for that as well. I always have cookie baking supplies on hand, so when the desire strikes we just bake them.

[jasperandchar]

Don't even get me going on late fees, dh is a movie guru, loves renting movies, the problem is we are rural and the movie store is 20 minutes away so if he rents a movie on a Thursday no big deal he'll bring it back on Friday on his way to work BUT if he rented a movie on a Friday he wouldn't bring it back until Monday, needless to say I used to get really pissed off because it would literally cost $20.00 to rent a friggin' movie - it would have been more cost effective to buy the dam thing....arggg

BUT he hasn't rented a movie in well over a month

It was easy this week because I had the free chips/pop coupons from the Pepsi rebate so I just redeemed those (and got the airmiles). I spent $16.05 at Metro on: ruffles, 2L pepsi, 12pk of brisk ice tea, 2 x bacon, 1 x twistos, 1 x smartfood, 1L of chocolate milk and 3 x instant oatmeal. Then I went to Freshco and this time it was not so cheap $31. I got: cucumber, strawberries, blackberries, carrots, lysol wipes, 2 x cadbury creme eggs(yuck, for DH) 2 x glade candles (-$3 rebate from Checkout51) a lb of butter, an onion, pretzels, marshmallows, chips for dh, apple sauce and mini pizzas for Ds. I am *hopeful* this will get us through the weekend.

I am definitely done buying snack food! I'm going to bake cookies tomorrow. I paid for the girls swimming lessons today $120.
My not-so smart move of the week: returning a late movie rental. It cost me $8.50 It bugs me that I work so hard for so many things and then do idiotic things like that. I wanted to rent wreck it ralph for us to watch tonight, so it cost me $12.50 altogether with the late charges. UGH.

[Frugal Lisa]

Late fees are exactly why I only get movies off my Rogers on demand!! No late fees for me!!

[jasperandchar]

Do you have to call like Bell satelitte to order your movies?

Late fees are exactly why I only get movies off my Rogers on demand!! No late fees for me!!

[jasperandchar]

I think chips & choc. bars are what my guys miss the most, but last week I got overage so I got a couple of packages of choc. bars and I MUST ADMIT THEY ARE REALLY RATIONING THEM (so I guess they are learning that they are a treats and to not makes pigs of themselves) and actually enjoy what they are eating vs. wolfing it down and not taking the treats for granted)

I think I will make my peanut butter & choc. squares this weekend talking about choc. bars, if you like Reese Peanut Butter Cups that these are for you. DH loves peanut butter cups, I personally am not luckily a chocolate lover unless it's that time of the month (lol) but I have not have my monthly visitor for 3 months now (not pregnant) just early menopause.

It was easy this week because I had the free chips/pop coupons from the Pepsi rebate so I just redeemed those (and got the airmiles). I spent $16.05 at Metro on: ruffles, 2L pepsi, 12pk of brisk ice tea, 2 x bacon, 1 x twistos, 1 x smartfood, 1L of chocolate milk and 3 x instant oatmeal. Then I went to Freshco and this time it was not so cheap $31. I got: cucumber, strawberries, blackberries, carrots, lysol wipes, 2 x cadbury creme eggs(yuck, for DH) 2 x glade candles (-$3 rebate from Checkout51) a lb of butter, an onion, pretzels, marshmallows, chips for dh, apple sauce and mini pizzas for Ds. I am *hopeful* this will get us through the weekend.

I am definitely done buying snack food! I'm going to bake cookies tomorrow. I paid for the girls swimming lessons today $120.
My not-so smart move of the week: returning a late movie rental. It cost me $8.50 It bugs me that I work so hard for so many things and then do idiotic things like that. I wanted to rent wreck it ralph for us to watch tonight, so it cost me $12.50 altogether with the late charges. UGH.