I did!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Paying cash for groceries
In a world where it is so easy to swipe a card and pay for everything, I really like using cash. I will admit, this is a suggestion I've taken from my Financial Peace University class, and it serves me well. In my wallet, I have an envelope for groceries, clothing, gifts, hair/cosmetics (I know, everyone who knows me is laughing... I rarely indulge), and my personal blow money. Every pay period, I write myself a check, go through the bank drive through, and ask for it in ones, fives, and tens. That way I have change to divide it up the way it is supposed to go.
And since I really don't want to go to the cash register and not be able to pay, I walk through the grocery store with a calculator in hand. It is a GREAT way to not spend money I don't have for groceries. Some weeks I go under, some I am over. The excess stays in there until weeks when I am stocking up.
The other great thing about using cash... it actually bolsters my savings by about $1000 a year. I use a tip I heard from Suze Orman. When I get change, I keep it. I don't spend it. Yes... if my bills is $2.01, I fork over $3, not 2 ones and a penny. I put it in the zipper compartment of my wallet, and at the end of the day I put it in a piggy bank. My "savings" are typically about $250 a quarter this way. Typically, I go to a coin star and get a free card (no charge if you get a gift card) to use at Lowe's. I've replaced many of the 40 year old light fixtures in my house this way. If I don't want a card from a free vendor offered at a coinstar kiosk, I take them to my local bank for counting.
I also am a "Georger"... meaning I often mark my bills with a Where's George stamp so I can track how my money travels. It is an inexpensive hobby I really enjoy. You can learn more about it at www.wheresgeorge.com
In a world where it is so easy to swipe a card and pay for everything, I really like using cash. I will admit, this is a suggestion I've taken from my Financial Peace University class, and it serves me well. In my wallet, I have an envelope for groceries, clothing, gifts, hair/cosmetics (I know, everyone who knows me is laughing... I rarely indulge), and my personal blow money. Every pay period, I write myself a check, go through the bank drive through, and ask for it in ones, fives, and tens. That way I have change to divide it up the way it is supposed to go.
And since I really don't want to go to the cash register and not be able to pay, I walk through the grocery store with a calculator in hand. It is a GREAT way to not spend money I don't have for groceries. Some weeks I go under, some I am over. The excess stays in there until weeks when I am stocking up.
The other great thing about using cash... it actually bolsters my savings by about $1000 a year. I use a tip I heard from Suze Orman. When I get change, I keep it. I don't spend it. Yes... if my bills is $2.01, I fork over $3, not 2 ones and a penny. I put it in the zipper compartment of my wallet, and at the end of the day I put it in a piggy bank. My "savings" are typically about $250 a quarter this way. Typically, I go to a coin star and get a free card (no charge if you get a gift card) to use at Lowe's. I've replaced many of the 40 year old light fixtures in my house this way. If I don't want a card from a free vendor offered at a coinstar kiosk, I take them to my local bank for counting.
I also am a "Georger"... meaning I often mark my bills with a Where's George stamp so I can track how my money travels. It is an inexpensive hobby I really enjoy. You can learn more about it at www.wheresgeorge.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
"It's only two dollars..."
If I hear people make one HUGE financial mistake frequently, it is the making the above statement. I hear this all the time, from people all over the place. After all... it's only 1 or 2 dollars.
I don't think people understand a simple concept. During the course of a year, you may have a few opportunities to save a few hundred dollars at one shot. If you are lucky, maybe once a year you might have a shot at saving thousands.
But we have many, if not hundreds, of opportunities to save small amounts of money over the course of the year. A $1 a day McDonald's coffee habit costs you $365 a year, plus the gas you paid to drive out of your way to get there. A $4 fancy schmancy latte at Starbucks three times a week adds up to $624 over a year. The $5 cafeteria lunch is $1250 a year. When you add all of your "small" spending habits up over the year, it can save you thousands of dollars every year consistently.
The little stuff adds up.
This is why one of the areas that can make a significant impact on our budgets is being mindful of what we spend at the grocery store. Saving 25¢ on this item, $1 on that one.... it can save you many dollars a week... and that adds up to thousands a year. By trimming my food budget back to $25 a person a week from $75, I save $2600 annually. That is a lot of money!
If I hear people make one HUGE financial mistake frequently, it is the making the above statement. I hear this all the time, from people all over the place. After all... it's only 1 or 2 dollars.
I don't think people understand a simple concept. During the course of a year, you may have a few opportunities to save a few hundred dollars at one shot. If you are lucky, maybe once a year you might have a shot at saving thousands.
But we have many, if not hundreds, of opportunities to save small amounts of money over the course of the year. A $1 a day McDonald's coffee habit costs you $365 a year, plus the gas you paid to drive out of your way to get there. A $4 fancy schmancy latte at Starbucks three times a week adds up to $624 over a year. The $5 cafeteria lunch is $1250 a year. When you add all of your "small" spending habits up over the year, it can save you thousands of dollars every year consistently.
The little stuff adds up.
This is why one of the areas that can make a significant impact on our budgets is being mindful of what we spend at the grocery store. Saving 25¢ on this item, $1 on that one.... it can save you many dollars a week... and that adds up to thousands a year. By trimming my food budget back to $25 a person a week from $75, I save $2600 annually. That is a lot of money!
Monday, May 12, 2014
From Dave Ramsey's site "The most important financial principle is contentment. It brings peace and the freedom to be generous."
I absolutely love this.
I have been accused of being overly stringent, and "so cheap" it makes others want to pull their hair out. Now, I am not sure WHY anyone feels that way, as nothing I have done has affected the actions of anyone else. I give away a hefty portion of my salary each and every pay period. When I go out to eat, the waitress gets a 20% tip. I've traveled to well over half the US.... on a shoestring budget. One of the best meals I had in Hawaii was on the Big Island and cost under $12... and my travel companion agreed it was one of our best. In no way at all does me cutting corners negatively impact anyone who comes into contact with me.
I personally believe the reason behind the desire to label me as being "so cheap" it is that most people can't fathom going without anything they want for any length of time in this culture. And they either feel some degree of guilt that they don't want to make a sacrifice for financial gain, or are terribly jealous that I seem to have the resolve to meet my financial goals and they keep spending themselves further away from theirs. . So, they want to attach a negative connotation to what I am doing instead of reflecting on the huge positives this is bringing to my life.. and lives of others.
What I am is content. I am content to buy second hand clothing, and feel no need to have new, off the rack clothing. I am content to wait for a year to get the Chamilia charm I want for my Pandora bracelet so that I can purchase it 40% off instead of full price. I don't HAVE to see the movie first run, and am happy to wait two weeks to see it when I use a discounted coupon, or better yet, wait until I can see it in the cheap theater at a matinee for $2.50, or even BETTER... wait until it hits redbox for $1.29.
And I would so much rather take the extra $8-$9 I didn't spend having to go to a first run movie by waiting until it hit's redbox and spend $8 in the grocery store to drop off a bag full of bargain purchased groceries at the local food bank.
I absolutely love this.
I have been accused of being overly stringent, and "so cheap" it makes others want to pull their hair out. Now, I am not sure WHY anyone feels that way, as nothing I have done has affected the actions of anyone else. I give away a hefty portion of my salary each and every pay period. When I go out to eat, the waitress gets a 20% tip. I've traveled to well over half the US.... on a shoestring budget. One of the best meals I had in Hawaii was on the Big Island and cost under $12... and my travel companion agreed it was one of our best. In no way at all does me cutting corners negatively impact anyone who comes into contact with me.
I personally believe the reason behind the desire to label me as being "so cheap" it is that most people can't fathom going without anything they want for any length of time in this culture. And they either feel some degree of guilt that they don't want to make a sacrifice for financial gain, or are terribly jealous that I seem to have the resolve to meet my financial goals and they keep spending themselves further away from theirs. . So, they want to attach a negative connotation to what I am doing instead of reflecting on the huge positives this is bringing to my life.. and lives of others.
What I am is content. I am content to buy second hand clothing, and feel no need to have new, off the rack clothing. I am content to wait for a year to get the Chamilia charm I want for my Pandora bracelet so that I can purchase it 40% off instead of full price. I don't HAVE to see the movie first run, and am happy to wait two weeks to see it when I use a discounted coupon, or better yet, wait until I can see it in the cheap theater at a matinee for $2.50, or even BETTER... wait until it hits redbox for $1.29.
And I would so much rather take the extra $8-$9 I didn't spend having to go to a first run movie by waiting until it hit's redbox and spend $8 in the grocery store to drop off a bag full of bargain purchased groceries at the local food bank.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Deal Alert: Ham 99¢ a pound, and green beans for 52¢ a bag!
Target has some great deals on frozen veggies this week... 5 for $4, or 80¢ each. In addition, they have a printable coupon on target.com for $1 off of 4 bags AND a cartwheel deal for an extra 5% off. This works out to 52¢ each. (when you only buy 4 bags... you don't need to get 5)
They also have their bags of cheese on sale for $2 each, 79¢ off the regular price. Paired with the $1 off 2 bags by texting "recipe" to 827438. Combine this with an addition 5% off using target cartwheel.. and it brings it to $1.42 a bag.
Market Pantry lunch meat tubs are also $2.50... with a printable $1 off coupon on target.com... combined with target cartwheel 5% off and it brings it to $1.42 per tub.
As always, if you use a target debit or credit card, you get yet another 5% off. If you are using the CC, remember to pay your balance off each month or the interest will negate you getting 5% off. Since I like to do my grocery shopping with cash, I have found I can immediately walk over the customer service desk and put the amount I just spent on my target cc. This always get them to tell me I could use a target debit card... but I like my money envelopes.
Giant... hams at 99¢ a pound.
Their brand paper plates are on sale for $1.89. I get their weekly email, and from there I was able to load a $1 off their brand paper plates coupon to my store card, which brought this down to 89¢
Next weeks menu WILL have PA dutch ham and green beans on it based on this weeks great deals on the two items.
Target has some great deals on frozen veggies this week... 5 for $4, or 80¢ each. In addition, they have a printable coupon on target.com for $1 off of 4 bags AND a cartwheel deal for an extra 5% off. This works out to 52¢ each. (when you only buy 4 bags... you don't need to get 5)
They also have their bags of cheese on sale for $2 each, 79¢ off the regular price. Paired with the $1 off 2 bags by texting "recipe" to 827438. Combine this with an addition 5% off using target cartwheel.. and it brings it to $1.42 a bag.
Market Pantry lunch meat tubs are also $2.50... with a printable $1 off coupon on target.com... combined with target cartwheel 5% off and it brings it to $1.42 per tub.
As always, if you use a target debit or credit card, you get yet another 5% off. If you are using the CC, remember to pay your balance off each month or the interest will negate you getting 5% off. Since I like to do my grocery shopping with cash, I have found I can immediately walk over the customer service desk and put the amount I just spent on my target cc. This always get them to tell me I could use a target debit card... but I like my money envelopes.
Giant... hams at 99¢ a pound.
Their brand paper plates are on sale for $1.89. I get their weekly email, and from there I was able to load a $1 off their brand paper plates coupon to my store card, which brought this down to 89¢
Next weeks menu WILL have PA dutch ham and green beans on it based on this weeks great deals on the two items.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Time Saving Baked Potatoes
This will not be the time saver you think.... I personally HATE microwave baked potatoes, and it truly would be an emergency of epic scale for me to decide to eat them that way.
But what I will do it bake a huge amount of them... this week, 5 at a time. Then, a quick trip to the microwave to heat them is completely acceptable for warm ups.
Baked potatoes can be the backbone of a full weeks time emergency menus.
Besides "just" a side dish, here are some other great ways to use that baked potato:
Baked potato topped with chili... homemade is the cheapest alternative (and it freezes great), but in a severe time pinch, with no chili in the fridge, canned chili is a reasonable cost effective solution.
Baked potato topped with steamed broccoli (from the freezer) and topped with cheese sauce (see the recipe for cheese sauce with my cheese steak recipe) http://25aweek.blogspot.com/2014/05/cheese-steak-sandwiches-on-cheap-this.html
Leftover diced baked potatoes sauteed with diced onions in a skillet are a nice way to mix it up as a side.
Or... add leftover diced meat to the diced baked potatoes and onion mixture to make a "hash".
Or.. make a country style breakfast by adding a few beaten eggs to the pan with your sauteed potatoes and onions.
This will not be the time saver you think.... I personally HATE microwave baked potatoes, and it truly would be an emergency of epic scale for me to decide to eat them that way.
But what I will do it bake a huge amount of them... this week, 5 at a time. Then, a quick trip to the microwave to heat them is completely acceptable for warm ups.
Baked potatoes can be the backbone of a full weeks time emergency menus.
Besides "just" a side dish, here are some other great ways to use that baked potato:
Baked potato topped with chili... homemade is the cheapest alternative (and it freezes great), but in a severe time pinch, with no chili in the fridge, canned chili is a reasonable cost effective solution.
Baked potato topped with steamed broccoli (from the freezer) and topped with cheese sauce (see the recipe for cheese sauce with my cheese steak recipe) http://25aweek.blogspot.com/2014/05/cheese-steak-sandwiches-on-cheap-this.html
Leftover diced baked potatoes sauteed with diced onions in a skillet are a nice way to mix it up as a side.
Or... add leftover diced meat to the diced baked potatoes and onion mixture to make a "hash".
Or.. make a country style breakfast by adding a few beaten eggs to the pan with your sauteed potatoes and onions.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Due to an absolutely wildly crazy busy schedule, I am going to put this blog, in it's current format, on hold for one week. The last "free" evening I had was Tuesday the 29th of last month... and the last free day was long before that.
Putting together the menu, shopping, scanning through ads, searching for creative and inexpensive recipes and creating a family friendly menu... while I enjoy doing it... is a time consuming project. I am right at the end of finishing my master's degree, and between work, maintaining a house, and school, my time is overloaded.
After coming home from my regional Soroptimist International spring conference (find out more about SI here http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/, http://www.soroptimist.org/, or check out my local chapters facebook page.. Soroptimist International of Hanover)... I confess, I 've been eating in the cafeteria (3 times) and using gift cards to eat out (twice).... plus it has been helpful to have had several meals that have been provided as part of National Nurses Week celebrations (3 times... one consisted of filet mignon and crab cakes!). I've also been eating quick and easy meals I don't have to think about... bagels with peanut butter, yogurt and fruit, coffee, and eggs.
At any rate, I am going to produce an " time emergency menu". This coming week, I will be focusing on what is cheap, what is easy, what I don't have to mess up a lot of dishes/pots and pans for, and I won't be presenting any menus... because if I don't do a better job this coming week, my budget is going to get blown. Even though I had planned meals... I didn't have time to cook them. So, I switched to my defaults, which tend to be eating out (even if it is with gift cards or at my less expensive work cafeteria) it is still not something I want to be doing unless it was planned.
So part of sticking to a $25 a week food budget AND not eating out all the time... planning for emergencies! Some of my time saving concessions this week:.. buying a tub of deli cole slaw and using paper plates and utensils. My parents always give me disposable utensils for Christmas. This is kind of a running joke in the family, as they bring them home from fast food joints they eat at and wash them to give them to me. I try not to use paper plates, but this week, time is at a premium, and I'd rather spend some money on some paper plates then washing a lot of of dishes.
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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bagel with pnt btr
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fruit and yogurt
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bagel with pnt btr
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fruit and yogurt
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bagel with pnt btr
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fruit and yogurt
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fruit and yogurt
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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Mid-Morning
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Lunch
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Ham and cheese sandwich
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Tuna salad sandwich
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Ham and cheese sandwich
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Tuna salad sandwich
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Ham and cheese sandwich
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leftovers
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eat out
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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banana
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banana
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banana
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banana
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banana
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Dinner
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Crock Pot Pork Roast
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bbq pork sandwich
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egg sandwich
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bbq pork sandwich
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egg sandwich
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leftovers
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pizza w/coupon
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frozen veggies
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frozen veggies
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frozen veggies
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frozen veggies
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frozen veggies
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baked potato
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baked potato
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baked potato
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baked potato
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baked potato
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pineapple
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pineapple
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pineapple
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pineapple
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pineapple
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deli coleslaw
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deli coleslaw
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Snack
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Snack
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Snack
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Snack
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Snack
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Snack
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Snack
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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carrots
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Cost
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Cost
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Cost
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Cost
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Cost
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Cost
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Cost
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Total cost per week:
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