The Thrifty Place

Bradford County $5 Food Bank Challenge Week of July 17th

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:38:00 +0000

If you have an extra $5 this week please consider buying the following items to donate to our local food bank.

No Coupons Required Deals:

Winn-Dixie:
1 Box of Muellers Whole Wheat Pasta $1
2 Planters Peanut Butters BOGO @ $3.19
1 Kraft Mac and Cheese $1

Total: $5.19

Coupons Deals:

Winn-Dixie:
1 Box Muellers Whole Wheat Pasta $1
2 Boxes Kellogg's Mini-Wheats BOGO $4.59
2 Hunt's Canned Tomatoes BOGO $1.49

Use $1 off Muellers from 7/10/11
Use $1 off 2 Mini-Wheats from 6/5/11

Total: $5.08

If the Bush tax cuts expire, how much more will you be paying in taxes?

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:04:00 +0000

This is a not a political posting at all but simply a warning to all of us that the Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2010. The newly elected Congress will be charged with either doing nothing and letting them expire, voting to extend the tax cuts, or creating an entirely new game plan toward taxes.

It's good to be prepared now in case we all have to pay more to Uncle Sam come 2011. Here is a link to a calculator that will tell you how much more you will pay in January if the tax cuts expire. Be prepared for sticker shock!

My tax burden.com

Frugal Kitchen: When dinner isn't substantial make dessert!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Publix chocolate ganache cake

Dinners with 8 people are interesting to stay the least! With kids coming and going to practices and games, a husband with trumpet playing gigs, and myself who tutors, ~~sometimes~~ dinner can be the last thing on my mind, even with a menu plan!

Tonight was one of those nights, especially since it is two days until payday. In the refrigerator was leftover london broil from Monday's crockpot meal and some small sweet peas. Not enough for a second meal for everyone, but perfect for making beef potpie. Not everyone around here likes potpie so to ward off the naysayers I decided to make a chocolate cake for dessert. Sneaky of me to start the cake first so that when they came home from where ever they were (practice, outside playing, over at a friend's) and they peeked into the oven the first thing they saw was the cake on the bottom rack while potpie cooked nicely on the top rack.

I have tried this strategy before and it works out nicely every once in awhile! Not saying it's the healthiest of mom tricks but everyone needs some chocolate cake sometime. And all the leftovers are gone!

Beef Pot Pie
leftover beef
leftover veggies or can of mixed veggies
cream of anything soup
splash of milk
salt and pepper
pie crusts

Combine ingredients and pour into pie crust, top with another crust and bake at 375 until golden brown

Frugal Tip: Get a raincheck for Purex this week at CVS

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:19:00 +0000

CVS has the Purex liquid laundry detergent and the 3-in-1 laundry sheets on sale Buy One, Get One (BOGO) this week. My local store and most stores are sold out of the laundry sheets because this past weekend there was a $3 off coupon in the Sunday Inserts. By using 2 coupons, each pack of 3-in-1 sheets are only $.99 instead of $7.99!

But don't despair if you didn't get the paper or haven't been to CVS yet this week. Get a raincheck for the Purex. CVS rainchecks never expire! There is sure to be more high value coupons on this in the future, or you could try Ebay for last week's coupon. I anticipate a BOGO coupon in the future too, that would make both packs totally free!

Life is . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Life is a little crazy around here but I'm sure it's the same way in most every family's house, especially those with kids. I've thought about blogging many times over the past few months but just couldn't do it. Then today I just decided to blog, tell my story again, and write if only for myself. This post is going to random and spatially disconnected, just like my life has been lately.

Our home is full, running over, filled to the brim with kids. Each kid comes with their own set of attitudes, goals, standards, strengths and weaknesses and gives me a distinct set of joys and worries. In our home we have two 13 year old daughters, a soon to be 11 year old son, one 10 year old daughter, one 9 year old daughter, and a two year old daughter. Two of these are recent additions to our house and hopefully they will be completely ours by the end of the year.

Space is short, monies are tight, homework a nightmare but hugs are freely given, smiles abound, and fun happens. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm no saint, I'm not supermom, and I am sometimes the mean mom, but I'm thankful for the charge of raising six kids.

Speaking of space, almost all of the rooms in the house are getting a new purpose. Right now, the three youngest girls are in a room, the two oldest in a room, and the son is sharing our master bedroom. Stepping on Legos and Bakugan are now part of the nightly journey to the bathroom!

Next weekend, all of this will change as we move the 5 girls into the master bedroom, give the son back his original room, and we move into the second bedroom. To say that I'm not looking forward to it would be an understatement. I've got a list of stuff that has to be done a mile long! Not to mention the bedroom we are moving into is too small for our furniture and is a fun shade of shocking turquoise!

The dining room is currently changing into a study room and toy room. That's been fun too! I took all my pretty whiteware dishes out of the hutch and moved them to the top of my kitchen cabinets. Then I filled baskets, vases, and mason jars full of all our school supplies and recreated a "beautiful" vignette in the hutch. It may not be eye-catching but not to have to hear, "Where's the scissors?" will be nice.

Money. Not a lot of that around here! I just love that the government has "been hiding the truth" about the economy by twisting numbers and data! Duh, everyone knows it is pretty bad! We haven't suffered any of the toils of job loss but nonetheless, our own personal economy is in a state of depression. Prices of everything continue to rise but the paycheck doesn't. Insurance at our school is going up, taxes may go up in January, and there is speculation of 20-30% increase in food prices due to corn and wheat shortages. Oh yeah! I am so thankful that God provides even in the midst of uncertain economic times. Supper may be beans and rice but oh how good it tastes!

So as life changes around here, fall comes in with a breath of fresh air, and hope springs eternal! Oh, and report cards are just around the corner.

A great week to start CVSing

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:02:00 +0000

I have to admit that I haven't stepped foot in a CVS in months, except once to pick up a needed prescription. Well, this week I realized that we are on our last tube of toothpaste and I have no stock of anything that CVS sells. So it is back to playing the CVS game, the game where you and I pay pennies on the dollar for everything health and beauty related. Let's get started with this week's deals shall we.

First, make sure you have your Extra Care Card. You must scan it each and every time you make a purchase at CVS in order to get and redeem your Extra Bucks.

Next, gather your coupons and make a list of the items you are buying.

Here's my game plan:

1st transaction: 1 Kotex U $4.99
Minus $1 printable CVS coupon
minus $1 printable manufacturers coupon
Total out of pocket: $2.99
Get back $4.99

2nd transaction: 2 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste $7.00
Minus 2 $.75 coupons from P&G 5/02
Pay with $4.99 ECB plus $.50
Get back $7.00

3rd transaction: Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner $6.97
1 pack of Carefree liners
Minus $1 off 2 Pantene coupon from P&G 5/02
Pay with $7.00 ECB above
Get back $3.00 ECB

4th transaction: Schick Hydro 3 Razor $8.99
Minus $5 off coupon from today's paper 5/09
Pay with $3 ECB from above
Get back $4 ECB

I then use then remaining ECB to buy my milk and bread for the week.

The Thrifty Weekend Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Sat, 08 May 2010 00:45:00 +0000

First, I want to wish all of the moms a very "Happy Mother's Day". I hope you truly enjoy it and if you saw the Mother's Day episode of "The Middle" then I hope you don't have one of those kinds of days! Wasn't it perfectly spot-on!!!

Here's what the Thrifty Florida Mama will be doing this weekend. Saturday morning myself and three kids will be hitting some local yard sales. There are a lot of good ones listed in the paper. Praying that God blesses me again with great things at unheard of prices.

I will be hanging some plates on the wall. I bought a set of white Ironstone plates at Goodwill this week for $.59 each and plan to do a little decorating above our living room windows.

I will be picking the first of our tomatoes from our little container garden.

On Sunday I will enjoy a Mother's Day concert presented by the Gainesville Community Band, in which my husband plays trumpet.

I will be menu planning since the next three to five weeks are stuffed to the brim with activity after activity after activity! I don't want this next month to turn into "drive-thru" month!

What's on your thrifty list this weekend?

Happy Anniversary Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:36:00 +0000

Well, not quite. But in less than 30 days, my dear husband and I will celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss. I can hear the oooo's and ahhhhh's now. Yep, we figured we needed a pat on the back for ~~surviving~~ making it work so we booked us a trip. A real trip with no kids too! Now get ready for it, we're heading to

a NASCAR race weekend!

Jealous aren't ya?

In all seriousness, I am so excited! One of the things that has kept our marriage together is to not have high expectations. That sounds soooo bad. But it's not. I've learned to never expect him to do the dishes or cook dinner or buy me expensive jewelry. He's learned to never expect me to do laundry, stick to a Christmas budget, or clean out the crock pot. So when we actually do one of those things, it's like a little gift of love.

Another reason for our ~~survival~~ happiness, is that we listen to each other. When I told him I wanted to take a little trip for our anniversary, he listened. He found out which NASCAR race would be that weekend, bought the tickets and then asked me to find a cheap hotel. Added bonus: he told me that whatever money I didn't spend on a fancy hotel I could spend at the hugelyexcitingtwostory outlet mall at Concorde, North Carolina. Woohooo, that man knows my heart!

Last, we are a team. We root for our kids, Dale Jr., underdogs, the conservative right, and public education. (There's just the tiny matter that he still bleeds garnet and gold although I did get him to go to the Orange and Blue game!) I can always count on my guy because he is my biggest cheerleader and I am his. No matter what! He came home today and asked who I made mad at the school board meeting Monday night. I said, "why?" and he replied that one of his co-workers who sat next to me at the meeting said he was married to a little "firecracker". He didn't even roll his eyes!

Two of my friends recently wrote about enduring love on their blogs and even though one was about newlywed love and the other was about their marriage of 31 years, I thought Yes! when I read them. They both nailed how I felt, still feel, and hope to always feel about my husband and my marriage.

Stock Up Sale: Monday and Tuesday Winn-Dixie: Old El Paso Products

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:13:00 +0000

Monday and Tuesday is a great time to stock up on Old El Paso products at Winn-Dixie. The deal is that many of the products are on the half-off sale. It gets better because when you purchase 3 items you get a Catalina (register coupon) for $1 off your next purchase of chicken or beef or when you purchase 6 items you get a coupon for $3 off your next purchase of chicken or beef.

Seasoning Packets are on sale for $.65 each.
Taco shell kits are on sale for $.99 each.
Refried beans are on sale for $.75 per can.

Also, on some of the packages there are peelie coupons for a free seasoning packet when you buy 2 products or peelies for $1 off a kit when you buy 2 refried beans. I didn't find any peelies at the Starke store but maybe other stores have them.

Here's how I worked the deal today:

1. Purchased 6 taco seasoning kits for $.65 each, paid $3.90, got back $3 off coupon.

2. Purchased 6 taco super stuffer kits for $.99 each, paid $5.95, got back $3 off coupon.

Now I'm hoping that there will be a great sale on chicken or beef next week!

What if you're not the mom of the straight A kids? What if you can't make your own laundry soap?

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:53:00 +0000

This post probably will have nothing to do with saving money, living a thrifty lifestyle, or using a coupon. I say probably because although I have an idea of what I'm gonna say I don't have it all figured out yet. And I may never have it all figured out. And that is okay.

In this world of the mommy mafia, keeping up with the Joneses, and reality shows everyone wants to present themselves as the perfect mom, wife, teacher, home decorator, or human in general. Whatever. But we are not perfect. I could give a laundry list of stuff I've done wrong just for today alone.

Mere minutes before I began typing this was the scene: laundry in the dryer, dishes on the stove, kids with dirty toes, a dog licking crumbs from the floor, and a kid crying because her sister was being mean.

But today there are other things on my mind. My oldest daughter can't do math. And when I say can't do math, I'm not kidding. She can't see it, memorize it, convert, or measure. It's been this way her whole life. And in the state of Florida, with mandatory testing and 70% of class grades based on test scores, it really stinks for her. and me. and everyone in this house as we beg, plead, cry, erase, and scream during math homework.

She's not learning disabled. She's got a high IQ. She has been taught by two of the best math teachers I know two out of the past three years. They don't understand it either. So she continues to struggle and fail. And her father and I about lose our minds. He drew the short straw and had to go to the teacher-parent conference today.

As a teacher, I cringe at the fact that she will never be on the honor roll again because I know what society thinks of people who can't make the honor roll. I hate that others may judge her based on her grades. But mostly I'm saddened to think that she doesn't think she's good enough. She told me she cried in class today because they exchanged papers and the other kid marked her paper all wrong. So I don't really blame her that she'd rather just not do her work than to be reminded of how she can't do her work.

On the other hand she is great at other things. She is a spunky cheerleader. She has a forgiving heart. She has an eye for fashion. She loves to cook. She plays the drums. She rocks at Guitar Hero. She can text message faster than anyone else I know. She's not afraid to speak up for others who have been wronged. She's an organizing freak and frequently rearranges the pantry. She speaks in her defense and clearly presents her side of the story. She loves Goodness and has a gift of discernment. She makes me proud to be her mom.

Sometimes I feel like her in some areas of living a frugal lifestyle. I'm thrifty because I have to be. Living on two teacher salaries with many kids does not afford me the luxury of having much disposable income. There are a few things I can't do well that I know would save me a little more money each month if I did do them. I can't make homemade laundry soap. Tried so many times with not much clean clothes afterward! I also can't keep my coupons organized. Try as I might I just don't have enough time, organizational skills, or space to do it right anymore. I am tired of beating myself up over these things. I give. I can't do it.

But I think this is freeing. I know I can't do these things so I concentrate on the things I can do. I can cook from scratch. I can keep my AC on 78 degrees. I can shop thrift stores and yard sales. So I do these better and better by studying my successes and building on them.

I'm not opposed to trying new things either. I've always been a furniture refinisher but now I 'm giving building furniture a try. I've always cooked from scratch so now I'm forcing myself to have pantry challenges to force me to try my hand at creating my own recipes. If these things go well, I'll add them to my frugal tricks arsenal. If they don't I'll discard them and try something else.

Unfortunately, dealing with the math situation isn't as easy. She has to take math every year and pass state math exams. But we are going to try some new strategies and keep hoping and working and praying for that breakthrough. In the end I know that God has a plan for her and that His plan is perfect. After all, being on His "honor roll" is the only one that matters.

Thrifty Conversations: Credit Cards with my friends

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:51:00 +0000

My family has chosen to live credit-card free. It's the right choice for us me because we I can't use them without making a mess out of our finances.

I do have friends who have and use credit cards though and they are usually amazed that I live without one. Here's a recent conversation with some friends.

Friend 1- "What, you don't have a credit card?"

Me- "Nope."

Friend 1- "Well, what do you do when you have an emergency?"

Me- "Well, we just pay for it but we've really not had many (if any?) emergency situations, thankfully!"

Friend 2- "But what if you need a new set of tires? or you need to travel? or your kids get sick?"

Me- "Well, most of those things we just save up for over a few months if we need to but we usually just make do. Like in January, our truck's clutch system went out, not once but twice. The first time we had enough cash to pay for it immediately. The second time, after the first trip plus some other things drained the baby emergency fund, we just told the shop owner we would pay for it when we got enough cash together and let the truck sit there for over a week."

Friend 1- "Well, having that many kids, it must have been rough only having one vehicle for a week."

Me- "It wasn't too bad. We just had to make priorities and actually talk more about what each of us had going on during the week. My husband had to get up an hour early to bring me to work and I found a ride home each afternoon."

Friend 2- "Well, I like having a credit card for times like that. It gives me security."

Me- "Living without credit is teaching me to be patient, to make priorities, to learn to love what I have, to plan for the future, and to rely on God. It's not what everyone would call ideal but it works for us most of the time."

Crispy Homemade French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:11:00 +0000

Please bear with me through this post for a lack of good photos (my camera battery is dying and I have no idea where the charger is hidden) add this to the fact that I'm already 15 minutes late for work due to spending the evening with my 87 year old granny in the ER. She broke her wrist realllllllly bad and we covet your prayers!

My kids love the french toast sticks that come in a box from the frozen food section. I personally think they taste a little like cardboard, plus they are full of ingredients I can't pronounce. I'm trying to make a conscience effort to eat stuff that I can actually identify as food, you know basic good stuff like butter, milk, eggs, bread, sugar!

I love to make french toast but my kids always complained that it was a soggy mess and it was but I liked it :) I have recently perfected making french toast with the good ingredients and making it crispy and not soggy and my kids devour it! The secret: a potato masher!

Once I flip the toast once, I carefully mash it down with the potato masher. Not too hard, just enough! That seems to do the trick! Easy, peasy!

My favorite French Toast:
4 Eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
generous sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice
Mix together and soak Texas Toast slices. Cook on the griddle with the potato masher! Serve with warm syrup.

I'm linking this up at Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and Blessed with Grace's Tempt my Tummy Tuesday. Click on over to see lots of great real-people-eat-it recipes!

Weekend Thrifty Fun and a Publix Gift Card Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:21:00 +0000

This past weekend, my family along with my little sister Dana, attended the festivities of "The Orange and Blue Debut" or commonly known as the "Orange and Blue Game". Since this was a weekend "between paydays" we wanted something to do that wouldn't break the bank, turns out it was almost totally FREE!

Outside the stadium, game booths and displays were set up for the kids. The kids loved the ring toss, football throw, and free chocolate milk from Gustafson's Farms. The line was too long to wait for face painting but we did get lots of free Gator face tattoos and Gator T-shirts from Scott's.

The tickets to the game were only $5 each but since we were outside at the booths I decided to check out the Farm Bureau Booth which was advertising "Free Tickets". All I had to do was sign up to receive a quote on insurance and they handed us 6 free game tickets. NICE!

My husband is NOT a Gator fan, so when they announced the attendance was "51,500 Gator Fans Strong" he muttered "51,499, GO Noles!" Love him anyway! The game was quickly over so we headed out to find tables flowing with free Gator posters and 2010 schedules. I got a few extra for the kids in my class.

My sister treated us to lunch at Sonny's. YUM! And then we headed to Publix with my $25 gift card provided by My Blog Spark. You know I love Publix, especially their BOGO sales.

We made it home and crashed. What a wonderful, frugal way to spend a Spring Saturday in North Florida!

Now it's your turn to have some fun! My Blog Spark has provided me with an additional $25 Publix Gift Card for one of my readers! Yeah! With careful planning and coupon printing you can easily turn that $25 into a week's worth of groceries! Here's how to win:

1. Leave a comment telling us why "Shopping is a pleasure at Publix" or which college team you root for.

For additional entries:
2. Subscribe to Thrifty Florida Mama via Feed or Email at the top of the page.
3. Become a Follower over on the Friend Connect.
4. Become Fan on Facebook.

Giveaway will end Friday at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Good Luck and Go Gators!

Giveaway and Review: Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:31:00 +0000

My kids have always loved fruit snacks so when a package arrived from My Blog Spark that contained two boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks to try, they were excited!

I was excited to learn about Betty Crocker's new campaign called "One Laptop Per Child":

With specially marked boxes of kid favorites – including Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Stickerz & Shapes – your child could win one laptop to keep and Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks will donate another to a child in Africa.

Each day from now through May 30, 2010, one laptop prize will be awarded to a U.S. winner. For every laptop won, one laptop will be donated to an African child through One Laptop per Child, an organization that creates educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. For your chance to win, simply enter the unique online code printed on participating Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snack packages on www.WinOneGiveOne.com.

Unfortunately we did not win a laptop but were grateful for the opportunity! If you would like a chance to win two boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks for yourself, please enter my giveaway.

To enter:
1. Leave a comment telling about your favorite experience while helping out others.

For Additional entries:
2. Subscribe to Thrifty Florida Mama in a reader or by email. (or tell me you already do)
3. Become a Fan on Facebook. (or tell me you already are)

Thanks to My Blog Spark for providing my family with two boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, information about One Laptop Per Child, and a prize pack for the giveaway winner. In addition to the fruit snacks, My Blog Spark made a $25 donation in my name to the laptop campaign and will donate an additional $25 in the name of this giveaway winner.

Thrity Conversations: Goodwill to an 8 year old

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Last week we were out of school for Spring Break so today when we returned to school the kids and I had our normal "haven't been to school in a while" conversations. "What did you do?" "Did you have fun?" "How was your Easter?"

Later in the day, one of my kids asked me if I went shopping during the break. Here's the gist of our little talk.

C- "Did you go shopping during the week, Mrs. Hopkins?"

Me- "Why, yes, I did C."

C- "Did you go to that store down by the Nail Place?"

Me- "Which Nail Place?"

C- "You know the one by the Chinese Food Place."

Me- thinking.. . . "Do you mean Goodwill?"

C- nervously, "Ummm, yeah that one, the one where people bring stuff they don't want anymore and other people can get it for cheap and all."

Me- "Yes, C. I think I shopped there more than once during the week. I like to swing by there every few days so I can browse the new items in the store."

C- "Whoa, you mean you buy stuff there? I knew I thought I saw you there! But I thought since you're rich and all that you were probably just bringing stuff that you didn't want anymore."

Me- About to choke from not laughing out loud about "being rich and all". "C, I do buy stuff there. I buy clothes, shoes, furniture, books, dishes, and toys there. A lot of the stuff in our classroom came from there."

C- "Well, that's good to know because when my mom goes there I usually hide out in the car and don't let people see me because my sisters call it the 'Badwill' cause it's for poor people and I don't want others to know I'm poor."

Me- "Well, I think your mom is very smart to shop there. I find Good stuff there all the time. You'd probably find some good stuff there too."

C- "Well maybe you'll see me there next time too."

Do you live your thrifty lifestyle in the open?
I didn't use to share so much about my frugal habits but I have found that there are so many benefits to being open and honest. In fact, I've learned so much more about being thrifty and frugal from others who were also "closet thrifties". Hopefully, C. learned something today. I know I did!

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:39:00 +0000

With the added expenses of Spring Break and Easter last week, this will be a ~~survival week,~~ an Eat from the Pantry week. Here's what we will be having:

Breakfast: Choice of cold cereal, French toast, grits, toast with jelly, bagels, or oatmeal. We will run out of some of these before the end of the week but the variety should be sufficient to last us all.

Lunches: leftovers, turkey, ham or egg salad sandwiches, macaroni salad, quesadillas

Dinners: We will have two away ballgames this week. We should be able to grab a bite to eat at home for one but we will be grabbing Subway for the other. Other nights we will have
cheese ravioli with garlic bread
PW's pork chops, green beans and squash
Southwest Meatloaf with macaroni and cheese and brocolli
Taco Salad

Snacks: sugar cookies, coconut cake, and apple pie for desserts. Cheese sticks, cucumbers, strawberries, and crackers after school.

Hope you have a great menu-planned week!

Food For Thought: Why I don't (usually) buy groceries at Walmart

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Being known as frugal and thrifty around my town, I get asked or rather told that shopping for groceries at Walmart is cheaper than shopping the sales of the other stores. While I can agree to a point that Walmart does indeed generally have lower prices, shopping there exclusively does not help lower my grocery bill. Here's why:

1. I like pretty things. I want more pretty things. Those things are not groceries. When I do my grocery shopping at Walmart, I end up buying other items that are simply wants and not needs. It usually involves seasonal decor items or toys. I leave spending more than I had planned with less food than I need!

2. Walmart wants to make a profit. So while their brands are cheaper than the grocery store labels, something else will cost more. By shopping Buy One Get One Free sales at Publix and Winn-Dixie, I spend less for brand-named items than Walmart's everyday prices.

3. Walmart is not known for it's awesome customer service! And they certainly have their share of misunderstanding of coupons. Too many times I've stood in line while cashier and managers go over a single coupon with a fine-tooth comb. I use coupons as they are written, I'm not trying to do anything unethical. But they make me think I'm doing something wrong when they are the ones who are misinterpreting coupon language.

4. I don't enjoy their produce or meat departments. The prices are generally the same or even higher than sale prices at the other stores (yes, I know they price-match) and their quality is much lower. I prefer to buy local produce and well, Winn-Dixie is "The Meat People".

I'd love to know what you think about this topic!

Today's Groupon: Oil Change, Wash, and Detailing for $19!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +0000

I've been keeping an eye on a neat new site called "Groupon". It stands for Group Coupon. The site targets large cities and offers a new coupon daily to attract customers to local businesses. They have now opened up coupons for the Jacksonville, Florida area and I'm so excited.

Today's deal is a full-service oil change, plus car wash, vacuum, and inside detailing for only $19. This offer is available for the 4 Duval motors location in Jacksonville (Duval Ford, Duval Mazda, etc.) and 1 in Gainesville too!

You can purchase up to 3 of these and I think they would make a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift or (hint, hint) they would be great end-0f-the-year teacher gifts too! My husband is the oil-changer in our family but with the added wash and detailing with this coupon I think he can take the next month off.

Taking car of your car so you can keep it longer is definitely a thrifty thing!

Disclosure: I am not getting paid by Groupon or Duval Motors for this post. I just really am excited about the Groupon idea. If you do sign up to buy a coupon by clicking on my link, I will be given a $10 credit towards the purchase of future Groupons. Once you are a member (which is free) you can refer your friends too!

Making Couponing Work for You (and me)

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:39:00 +0000

All of us go through stages of couponing. It is for many of us a cyclical, rather than linear path to savings. Okay, let me turn off my teacher voice and just say, "sometimes I coupon and sometimes I don't." Lately it has been the "I don't do it much."

When I first learned to coupon, I did it with all my might. I clipped them all, printed them all, matched them up to the store ads myself (before blogs!), drove to drugstores, grocery stores, and discount stores weekly to save money. And I did save a lot of money. Some people even think that my friend Erin and I put one local grocer out of business!

But as my life has changed over the past 10 years, my level of couponing has gone through cycles. In the summer, when times are lean in this two-teacher household, I coupon a lot! I have a lot of time on my hands then, too to clip, sort, print, and match up.

During holidays and ball seasons, I don't coupon as much. It's ball season now so I've actually not bought a Sunday paper in some weeks.

Does this mean that this Coupon Queen is a coupon failure? Nope! I have learned the basics of saving money. Even when I don't have a coupon box full of coupons I know the basic rules to save money:

1. Shop the sales, especially BOGOs.

2. Buy marked down meats and dairy products.

3. Shop for produce at the local market (Like Lori and Clayton Norman's in Starke!). I always check the $1 table first.

4. Keep the pantry stocked with items to make quick meals.

5. Know which restaurants have Kids Nights for those night when cooking at home just isn't going to happen!

I also don't abandon all coupons during these times. I still check the blogs for printable coupon match-ups, I still look for in-store peelie displays, and work deals that produce Catalina reward coupons for money off my next purchase.

So what's the bottom line? Don't let couponing and deal-seeking consume your life. Use coupons to your advantage when it works for you and when it doesn't work out for a little while, just stick to overall, good common sense methods of saving money. When you're ready, the coupons will be there!

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Thrifty Florida Mama is back!

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:06:00 +0000

Well now, it's been a long time since I've blogged. Like a two and a half months long. Not by really any choice.

My domain name got hijacked or some non-sense? I was publishing a bit at the old thriftyfloridamama.blogspot.com address but no one knew it because I didn't know how to tell ya'll! After months of emailing, begging foe help, and then giving up I decided that I do love blogging. So I ended up moving to a new website name. So glad you found me again!

So a lot has been going on in my little ole life and so far I've lived to tell about it.

Here's the good stuff:
1. We have completed our 5 straight weeks of Saturday adoption classes. We spent 5 Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm learning the ins and outs of the Florida Foster Care and Adoption System. It was eye-opening, heart-breaking, and down right depressing most of the time. If you know any foster parents give them a hug because these people have to be saints!

We are getting deeper into the process of bringing "our" two girls home to be adopted into our crazy life. Hopefully, it won't take as long as I think it will.

2. Camryn turned 2 and is every bit the apple of our eye. Snuggling with her every night is such a blessing. She is enthralled with her big brother and sisters and has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. We are so glad she's part of our life!

3. My dear friend Denise started blogging after much encouragement from me! She has a gift! You will be blessed if you take the time to read her blog "The Queen of Really Nothing at All". Since she has almost survived raising two teenage girls, I respect her advice, covet her mothering stories, and adore her fresh take on being the daughter of The King!

4. Caleb and I read through the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series" just in time to take in the movie together last weekend. Though nothing like the book, we enjoyed our mother-son date and late-night flashlight conversations.

5. My husband and I are spear-heading a "band reunion" for our dearest band friends from high school. We both skipped our regular high school reunions but this event we are looking forward to! Band Geeks never die! In conjunction with the reunion, we will hold a memorial concert to honor our beloved Mr. Cassels who led the band program. He passed away last year and we want to do something special for his family and his legacy.

6. My kids and I have rediscovered "playing" together while we've been cooped up from the frigid winter weather. We have drug out the Littlest Pet Shops, Little People, Loving Family Mansions, Legos, Playdoh, coloring books, and board games. Did I mention that it helps not having mom glued to the computer?

I could list all the crappy things that have gone wrong over the past few weeks too, but I'll spare you! Just know that I, too, am experiencing financial stresses, couponing complacency, dry, itchy skin, and state legislation blues.

Until next time, stay thrify!

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Contact Thrifty Florida Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:53:00 +0000

I would love to hear from you!

You can find me at thriftyfloridamama@gmail.com

Facebook: Angie DeVore Hopkins

Twitter: www.twitter.com/thriftyflmama

About Thrifty Florida Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:48:00 +0000

Hello! and Welcome to Thrifty Florida Mama!

My name is Angie but my friends refer to me as the the coupon queen, queen of thrift, cheap chick, well you get the picture! I'm constantly looking for ways to cut costs without cutting out pleasure!

I believe that all families can live comfortably within their means, no matter the income.

I believe that "Debt is dumb and cash is King"

I have not always lived like no one else. We once had $80,000 in non-mortgage debt!

I've been on my frugal quest since 2001 when my husband lost his job and we had three kids three and under living on one teacher salary.

I love the colors green and orange but not together.

Goodwill is my store of choice.

My beats skips a beat when I spot a yard sale.

I cook from scratch most of the time.

I love old junk especially "Crazy Daisy" Corelle War, Vintage milk glass, Vintage fabrics, anything with a bit of rust or patina, old windows, and aprons.

I married my high school sweetheart.

I have four children and am in the process of adopting two more.

I teach 3rd grade but have taught high school and middle school.

I'm obsessed with my hot glue gun and burlap.

I'd rather be home than anywhere.

Menu Plan Monday: Soups On Edition Jan. 11th-15th

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:16:00 +0000

I spent so much money last week that this week I'm only allowing my self $20 to spend between Sunday and Thursday. Friday is payday (All the teachers scream collectively "Yeah"!!) and I will get the grocery money then for the remainder of the month.

Here's my plan for the week:

Breakfasts: Eat up any remaining cold cereal, instant grits, toast and jelly

Lunches: Dh is set with 5 Healthy Choice meals that I bought last week with coupons. He will also take some crackers and cheese for snacks. Kids and I will be taking sandwiches, leftovers, or making "Momables".

Snacks: Homemade sugar cookies, tangerines and oranges, cheese cubes, raisins, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday- Chili topped baked potatoes, apple pie

Tuesday- Italian Sausage Soup served in bread bowls

Wednesday- Crockpot Beef Stew with homemade biscuits

Thursday- Orange Chicken Stir Fry (from a bag)with rice

Friday- French Toast with sausage links and fresh fruit

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Menu Plan Monday: January 4th-10th

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I don't know about ya'll but I'm about to freeze to death this week and really want some warm comfort food. We are also celebrating Ciarra's 9th birthday this Tuesday and participating in the "January Pantry Challenge".

Here's what we're eating during this cold, frigid week. All ingredients are on hand, in the pantry or freezer. The only things I need to buy this week are milk, fresh fruits and veggies.

Monday- Fast and Easy Shrimp Paella, adding in extra veggies

Tuesday- Ciarra's Birthday! Her requested menu:
Cubed Steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli with cheese, cupcakes

Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner- bacon, eggs, toast, hashbrowns, tangerines from granny's tree

Thursday- Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing, green beans, biscuits

Friday- Light and Easy Chicken and Dumplings in the Crockpot (recipe below)

Chicken and Dumplings the easy way:

Ingredients:
3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts
4 cups chicken broth or water plus buillion cubes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small package flour tortillas torn or cut into strips
pepper to taste
Directions: Combine all ingredients except the tortillas in the crockpot and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

After this pull the chicken breasts out. Meanwhile, dump the torn tortillas into the crockpot, you may not need the entire pack. Stir.

Shred the chicken breasts and put back into the crockpot. Cook on low for another hour. Season with salt and pepper as needed for your taste.

You can also add in veggies if you like at the beginning of cooking such as carrots or celery.

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For My Orlando Friends: Get 2 Free Magic Tickets

noreply@blogger.com (Thrifty Florida Mama) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:37:00 +0000

This information provided by Who Said Nothing in Life is Free! Thanks Amy!

The Orlando Magic and Kia Motors are teaming up to send you to a game at Amway Arena! Just test - drive any new Kia vehicle at a participating Kia retailer from now through January 31st and get a voucher for 2 tickets to an upcoming Magic home game courtesy of Kia Motors, while supplies last.

Experience Kia’s full-line of 11 quality cars, SUV’s and minivans. Brought to you by Kia Motors, Proud Partner of the Orlando Magic. Kia. The Power To Surprise. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Tickets available while supplies last.

GO HERE for more info and a list of participating retailers!

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