Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-09-08T08:08:00.000-04:00

What happened to Monday??? Labor Day threw me off, so here is "Menu Plan Tuesday" :)

Ravioli & marinara sauce
Cooking out on the grill (we did this for Labor Day and have plenty of leftovers to do it again)
Breakfast Burritos (yes, for dinner!)
Foccacia with pesto, tomatoes & cheese

I've got leftover filo dough from last week's Spinach Pie, so I also need to figure out a way to use that up.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Use a Calculator while Shopping

2009-09-01T08:38:00.000-04:00

As an aid to sticking with our $50 a week grocery budget, I've started taking a calculator to the grocery store.

This is an old-school calculator, not an iphone! It's actually the calculator I used in junior high, high school and college.

I add up the cost of items as I shop for a running total of how much I spent. This helps me stay under the $50 limit and use my cash budget.

If I just estimated in my head instead of keeping a running total, it would be too easy to slip over the limit and pay with my debit card instead of cash.

In addition, my running total lets me know if any of my coupons were missed by the cashier.

For example, I went to Harris Teeter Super Doubles to pick up just a few items. This trip comes out of my weekly budget, so I was careful to buy just the loss leaders and not splurge.

My calculator total at the end of the trip was $6.58 but the register said $8.62. I knew that something wasn't right and I had the cashier check the coupons.

One $1 coupon had not rung up, which would have doubled to $2. She fixed the error and corrected my total. (The other$.04 was for tax on the incorrectly charged amount.)

Yes, I sometimes get some funny looks from other shoppers who think the calculator is odd, but they probably think coupons are odd too! That isn't going to stop me from using them.

If you haven't tried it, take a calculator on your next trip and see if it helps keep you honest on your grocery budget.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

We have a lot of leftovers in the fridge, so I don't know whether we'll actually need all 5 of these meals this week. We shall see!

Beef Stew (previously made, from the freezer)
Easy Spinach Pie
End of Summer Crock Pot Soup
Polenta topped with veggies & cheese
Frozen pizza (got a good deal at Harris Teeter Super Doubles!)

If I have time during the week, I'd also like to try this Amaranth Pudding recipe, since I have some amaranth on hand.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Chick-fil-A Best Dressed Cow contest

2009-08-29T18:31:00.001-04:00

I'm a loyal reader of Money Saving Mom, and a fellow reader is a finalist to win Chick-fil-A for a year!! Please take a moment to help a fellow frugal mama win food for her family!

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Free Food

2009-08-27T21:31:00.004-04:00

Being that I'm working to stick to our $50 weekly grocery budget, I was happy to find several deals this week for FREE food!

Here are some resources that have been particularly helpful for me this week.

Try Schwan's for free (I just ordered free hamburgers, which will be great for our next cookout!)

Free Chicken at Whole Foods (This can be cut up and frozen for use in future meals)

Free Groceries at Harris Teeter Super Doubles (I'll do my normal weekly grocery run and pick up some freebies while I'm there.)

Enjoy!!

Posted @ Frugal Friday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

HomeGoods StyleScope

2009-08-25T19:11:00.000-04:00

For those of you that enjoy my Frugal Home Decor series, I wanted to share a fun little quiz from HomeGoods.

HomeGoods is one of my favorite non-resale spots for inexpensive home accents, like this plate rack.

HomeGoods Style Scope is a simple, FREE online tool that helps you find your style, as well as tips to put that style to use.

At the end of the quiz, you have the opportunity to enter for a weekly $5000 shopping spree or daily gift card to HomeGoods.

From HomeGoods:

The StyleScope is an invaluable tool for those who want to find their own style, and escape from the overly prescriptive home décor options of major stores. This quick online quiz is designed to help all of us who love stylish home décor but don’t know how to incorporate specific trends or styles into our own homes.

I took the quiz and my result was Country Casual:

Your home expresses your open, easygoing approach to life. You love unique finds, and can turn a few mismatched garden chairs or floral teacups into a charming arrangement. You appreciate a pretty mix of relaxed pieces, like painted wood or weathered furniture, lovely florals and other patterns, lots of throws and pillows, mementos and bunches of fresh flowers that give your home a unique sense of breeziness and charm.

You value order. You feel happiest if your home is well organized. You understand that when your house is in order, your mind feels clearer. Rather than a lot of meaningless objects or overly-designed items, you are happier with a few well-placed things. Your home is your respite from a busy life. Try to avoid letting things into your home that you don't really love.

This is actually an extremely accurate description of my approach to decorating my home! There are some additional sections on style challenges, decor and entertaining which I haven't copied here.

Take the quiz and check out your own style tips!

FYI: I learned about this tool through PR for HomeGoods. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Couponers are Generous Folks

2009-08-25T08:59:00.000-04:00

I have the impression that non-couponers think that coupon shoppers are cheap scrimpers whose main purpose is to slow the check-out lines at the grocery stores.

Of course this isn't true! Not only aren't couponers cheap skinflints, I'd say we're actually a pretty generous lot.

For the second time in a few months, there was a food drive in my neighborhood. I bagged up some of my small stockpile for donation and set it out on my porch for collection.

The only other donation bag I saw was set out by a neighbor, another avid couponer with whom I swap coupons.

Cutting coupons and budgeting isn't about being cheap, or doing the minimum.

It's about getting the maximum value out of each dollar and not being ashamed about it. It's about meeting our families needs.

And it is also about sharing with others, whether that is through knowledge or encouragement... or non-perishable items bagged up for collection by the Boy Scouts!

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-23T20:27:00.001-04:00

We're using mostly pantry & freezer items for our menu this week. I only had to buy some cheese and beans for my recipes. Otherwise, we had all the ingredients on hand.

Strawberries were on sale again this week, so I plan to make freezer jam again as soon as I get some more pectin!

Here is our plan for the week:

Spaghetti & Meatballs
Veggie Quiche (made using this previous recipe- Onion, Squash & Mushroom Quiche as a base)
Quinoa Salad
Sandwich Slices (this recipe uses chicken but I'll use just veggies & cheese, carryover from last week)
Crockpot Bean Soup (omitting the ham)

Posted at Menu Plan Monday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Dollar Store PreSchool Workbooks

2009-08-21T08:57:00.003-04:00

I've been on the hunt for activities to keep my 2 year old busy, and headed up to the Dollar Store to check out their back to school selection.

I thought I'd find things like paper and stickers, but I also got some great workbooks!

These have activities on shapes & sizes, numbers, and letters.

My daughter can't sit and do the activities on her own, but they are something that we can do together.

When I'm nursing, she can sit next to me on the couch with her book and pencil.

Even if she just wants to scribble on the pages instead of trying to do the activities, it still gives us an easy way to talk about concepts like size, matching, colors, etc.

I also found some similar activity books in the Target $1 section, so check there too if you don't have a dollar store!

Inexpensive workbooks are a great frugal find!

Posted at Frugal Fridays

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Adult Allowance

2009-08-18T14:10:00.004-04:00

As part of our budget cutting and money saving since I started staying home with the kids, my husband and I have put ourselves on an allowance.

We each get $50 per month to spend however we want, no questions asked.

My husband might buy himself ingredients to brew beer, or treat himself to lunch out at work instead of having leftovers.

I can blow $3 on a Starbucks mocha if I want to, even though it is about the least frugal thing in the world!

We already live quite frugally and have strict grocery and dining out budgets. I know we could cut back on this $100 a month and save even more.

But instead we choose to give ourselves a bit of fun money and enjoy it.

After all, we earn money not just for the future, but for today too. We're responsible with our bills and our savings, and our allowance lets us enjoy today without going crazy on our spending.

It also gives us each some independence with our money. It's nice to get to treat yourself without having to budget, negotiate, prioritize and compromise on every penny!

An allowance isn't just for kids! An adult allowance works for us.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-16T21:27:00.001-04:00

I got a really good deal on Green Giant Steamers veggies at Harris Teeter this week, so I'll be using those for easy side dishes.

Grilled Pattypan & Yellow Squash and Bruschetta with Garbanzo Bean Spread
Homemade pizza with Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Pasta with Pesto
Sandwich Slices (this recipe uses chicken but I'll use just veggies & cheese)
Tomato Pie

If you couldn't tell, YES we have plenty of tomatoes to use up! :)

Posted at Menu Plan Monday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-13T20:25:00.002-04:00

Today was a hectic day with family in town, a potty training toddler and a sushi dinner out! I'm wiped out and have nothing thrifty to say! :) I'm going to enjoy a quiet evening with my husband and eat some cake!

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Toddler Activity Bags

2009-08-12T10:26:00.005-04:00

I've been looking for some more self-directed activities for my toddler to keep her occupied while I'm nursing the baby. I've been leaning on the TV a bit more than I'd like, so I needed some other ideas.

I was inspired by the Double Trouble Shapes preschooler idea on Walking By the Way, but needed something a bit simpler for my 2 year old. I also needed something thrifty, of course!

Here is what I came up with.

Matching Board

I bought a Shapes workbook at the dollar store and cut out 2 sets of matching shapes.

I then wrapped some cardboard from an old box in construction paper, and taped on one set of shapes.

I covered the second set of shapes in tape as well, so they are similar to being laminated.

I actually made 2 sets of these, just one set is shown in the picture.

Stick both boards and the loose shapes in a plastic bag, and everything is contained and ready for play!

Counting Board
As with the Matching Boards above, I wrapped leftover cardboard in construction paper.

Then I used stickers and pictures from a dollar store Numbers activity book to make the board.

I have 2 boards, one is 1-4 and the other is 5-8. I'd like to do 9-12 eventually, but I think this is enough to get started.

I plan to add some velcro dots to the board and pieces so that my daughter can match up her pieces without everything sliding around.

Shared at Works for Me Wednesdays

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Cheapest Homemade Toy Ever

2009-08-11T21:32:00.001-04:00

I'm not a fan of the aisles and aisles of plastic toys at Target and every other store I go to. Not that we don't have our fair share of plastic toys. We certainly do, and we got a Mr Potato Head just last weekend.

But in general I try to steer clear of getting every beeping, buzzing, bouncing licensed character gizmo on the market.

I like open-ended play that encourages creativity. My daughter is just as likely to pull out her set of measuring cups and a bowl as she is to get out an actual toy.

So, a cheap, open-ended and homemade toy is just about the best thing I can offer her.

A few weeks ago, we finished a big tub of oatmeal and rather than toss it in the recycling bin I gave it to my daughter to decorate with stickers. I cut a hole in the lid, and cut up a cereal box into rectangular strips.

My 2 year old actually occupied herself with the oatmeal tub for almost an hour!

She still pulls it out most days, dumping and replacing the cardboard strips, adding puzzling pieces, and shaking the whole thing like a giant noisemaker.

From trash to toy? Can't beat that!

Shared at Frugal Friday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-09T21:49:00.001-04:00

The weather is going to be hot, hot, hot this week, and I'll be using the crockpot so I don't have to turn on the oven.

We made some bread & homemade granola over the weekend, so we are more than stocked up on food for the week!

Crockpot Enchiladas
Crockpot Layered Veggies - I'll serve this over noodles & top with cheese, like lasagna
Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup - Using TVP instead of beef
Stir Fry w/ Veggie Egg Rolls
Out to dinner for my birthday (sushi!!)

See more meal plans at ORGJUNKIE

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Cheap Home Decor Using Color

2009-08-06T20:57:00.006-04:00

I've been enjoying the "Splashes of Color" series at Simple Nest and wanted to share some frugal ways that I use color to decorate our home.

A can of paint can be the quickest and cheapest way to add style to any room. But if you are shy about painting the walls, or live in a rental and can't paint, there are other options for using color.

Here are three ways that I've used red accents to add style and color on the cheap.

This crystal vase was given to us as a wedding gift. I filled the vase with our red Christmas ornament balls, which were purchased (cheap!) at Target.

We get the benefit of a shot of red throughout the year, and the added bonus is that I don't need to box up and store our Christmas ornaments!

The vase sits on a dresser in our dining room, where the walls are painted red below the chair rail. You can see a good view of the walls in my Shadow Box photo.

These red and white vases were purchased on clearance at Pier 1. They sit atop a bookcase in our living room.

Thrift stores, Home Goods, AC Moore & Michael's are other places where you can find accessories for cheap on sale and/or with coupons.

Finally, my favorite splash of red are these paintings that hang in our master bedroom.

I bought 4 canvases and 2 tubes of red paint, one lighter and one darker. All were purchases with 40% coupons at AC Moore.

I covered each canvas with a the lighter red, then let them dry. I topped the lighter red with scattered brush strokes of the darker red then blended the 2 colors.

I'd seen something similar in an expensive catalog, and was thrilled with how my cheap reproduction turned out!

Published at Frugal Fridays

See more frugal home decor.

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Easy Sew Curtains

2009-08-06T07:48:00.002-04:00

Curtains are an easy way to add color, texture and pizazz to a room.

However, it can be hard to find the perfect pre-made curtain when you have something particular in mind. Plus, curtains can be so expensive!

Making a curtain panel from a fabric you like can be an easy, frugal option.

These curtains are very easy to make, with only minimal sewing.

I started with an Indian sari picked up an international store. You could use any piece of fabric and either hem the edges or just leave them raw.

I folded the short edge of the fabric and sewed one seam to create a rod pocket at the top. I then used a hot glue gun and pasted a coordinating ribbon over the seam to hide the stitches.

For the tie-back, I used the same coordinating ribbon and sewed a loop to hold the fabric.

With just one seam, you can create perfect custom curtains!

This curtain is in our powder room, where we also have a custom distressed picture frame.

See more of my frugal home decor projects .

Bedtime Schedule Chart

2009-08-05T09:06:00.007-04:00

We've had a rough few weeks at our house. Ever since we moved our toddler to her "big girl" room, she has just not been going to bed easily.

We got some advice to hang a chart showing the bedtime routine and let our daughter (age 2) walk through each step with us, so she knows what to expect and what comes next.

I did some research and found a few cute ideas, such as this system with cards and a board and this kit with stickers.

Ultimately, we decided to just make our own chart with simple graphics. It didn't take long to make, and has the added bonus of being FREE!

Our routine is a bit long, with extras like stretching exercises, because our daughter gets pretty hyper and we've found that she needs the extra wind-down time.

After only 4 days with the chart, we're seeing noticeable improvement. She's getting ready for bed with fewer struggles and going to bed with less crying. Let's hope the positive trend continues!

Would you like to try a bedtime chart?

Download a FREE copy of our bedtime chart in PDF FORMAT or OPEN OFFICE WRITER FORMAT.

Posted at Works for Me Wednesdays

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Vegetarian Meal Plan

2009-08-02T20:11:00.001-04:00

I feel like I've been in a bit of a pasta/rice rut, so I'm branching out and trying some different grains this week!

I've had kasha (buckwheat) as a breakfast dish, but this will be my first time trying it for dinner.

Kasha with Veggies
Wheat berry salad
Loaded Baked potatoes
Onion, Squash & Mushroom Quiche (using this recipe as a base, I'll make one 9" round quiche for this week, plus another 9" round spinach quiche to freeze)
Leftovers or frozen pizza

I don't normally plan out lunches & snacks, but now that I'm home with the kids I'm finding it hard to get lunch & snacks on the table when I don't have any ideas beforehand.

So, here are a few ideas I have in mind for this week:

Lunch ideas:
leftovers
Cheese quesidillas
Veggie potato salad (this or this?) if I have time to make it ahead

Snack ideas:
Cheese stick & crackers
Apple w/ peanut or soy butter
Fruit & yogurt w/ homemade granola

Posted at Menu Plan Monday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Big Frugal Failure

2009-07-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

I like to get soft granola bars as an easy convenience snack for my toddler. It's a good item to have on hand for those last minute occasions when something pops up and there's no time to make a healthier snack, or when I need to take a snack on-the-go.

My daughter really likes the Kashi soft cereal bars, and I got the idea that I could make something similar using homemade pie crust wrapped around a homemade blueberry filling. How hard could it be, right??

I made a whole wheat pie crust and had the (not-so) bright idea to add some wheat germ plus a touch more butter than the recipe called for. I used some frozen blueberries, water & cornstarch to make a sugar-free filling.

The problem is that my pie crust was WAY too dry. It was crumbly and wouldn't roll out or fold without tearing. I tried patching the dough with water, but it was a mess.

So I wasted whole wheat pastry dough, a stick of butter and a cup of blueberries on my Oooops! recipe.

They are ugly and don't taste very good, but my husband and I will be eating them anyway so it won't be a total waste.

Still, I'm glad I tried and I'll definitely try again. But next time, I won't modify the crust recipe on the fly!

Posted @ Frugal Friday & Fearless Friday

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Twitter update

2009-07-30T16:25:00.001-04:00

Not sure why, but my Twitter account has been suspended. I've contacted their Support. Just an FYI for those of you who follow me. I hope it will be resolved soon!

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Talking about money with aging parents

2009-07-30T06:57:00.000-04:00

My parents have recently retired and moved across country to a city where they don't know anyone.

That decision caused my sister and me quite a bit of stress, as we felt that our parents were making many poor financial decisions:

Selling their (former) home at the bottom of the market, in one of the worst-hit real estate markets in the country

My mom quit an excellent job in her field and filed for Social Security at the earliest possible date

Stopping contributions to, and preparing to withdraw income from, retirement accounts that are down about 40% of their value prior to late last year

Considering buying a home in a new-construction development that was barely started, when the market is glutted with unsold homes

Each of these decisions is the exact opposite of the financial advice aimed at those of retirement age.

In addition, they left an active social life with a group of family and friends to move to a city where they don't know a soul.

Thankfully, they did decide to rent a house for a year to see whether they like their new location before buying a home.

My sister and I had several conversations with my parents to try and encourage them to learn more about the current financial climate and the steps they could take to secure their financial future long-term, rather than just continuing with plans made before the bubble burst.

Although my kids are still very young, I feel that these futile conversations gave me insight into the frustrations of dealing with stubborn teenagers who refuse to acknowledge or consider any viewpoints besides their own!

It was finally my brother who stepped in an gave me a word to the wise: "All you can do is all you can do." I've said my peace, I've sent them financial literature, I've recommended that they see a financial planner. I've done all I can do.

My focus needs to be on frugal living and family financial management for my own little family- my husband and our two kids.

I'm happy to share what I've learned about those topics with anyone who is interested but I certainly can't force my parents or anyone else to make the choices that I would make. I also need to learn to accept things I cannot change, rather than letting them cause me undue stress!

Decorating with metal trivets

2009-07-28T20:17:00.005-04:00

I have a small collection of metal trivets that I use for hot dishes in the kitchen. I like the look of these trivets and wanted to hang them, but still have them convenient for use in the kitchen.

My solution was to hang them on the wall next to our kitchen cabinets.

The trivets and hooks are from the flea market and the wood frames are from a craft store.

Much like my collection of plates and vases, I feel like a small collection like this has more impact when displayed in one group.

I like that this trivet display is multipurpose--- a pretty display of items that I like, and a useful kitchen tool in a convenient location.

Posted at Works for Me Wednesdays

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Menu Plan Monday

2009-07-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

We had a whirlwind weekend with family in town, so I'm going to try and take it easy for the early part of this week.

I'm also going to make some extra pasta & sauce to take to a friend who just had a baby!

Mini-ravioli w/ tomato sauce & spinach
Black Beans & Rice (crockpot) - Carryover from the last 2 weeks!
Mom's stew (I need to type up this recipe and post it, will do that soon!)
Pizza
Fish wraps

See more menu plans at orgjunkie

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift

Update on our Garden

2009-07-25T08:29:00.000-04:00

I posted previously about our plans to save money by planting a garden. We've done a modest container garden this year, but we're still reaping the money-saving benefits of gardening.

We have basil, tomatoes and sweet peppers planted and so far we've harvested some basil and tomatoes. We have a few small peppers growing, but nothing ripened yet.

The tomatoes are smaller than I expected, but tasty! And of course the size really doesn't matter when you're cutting them up into salads or other recipes.

It is such a pleasure to have a thriving basil plant out the back door. When I need some for a recipe, I just walk out back and snip, snip! Growing basil is an especially great money saver, since a handful of fresh basil stems can set you back $3 or $4 at the grocery store.

While I'm enjoying our little harvest this year, my dream still lives for a raised bed garden next year!

Want more? Subscribe to Practicing Thrift