It’s almost always good to reassess actions and behaviors.  This year I had some frugal thoughts that I have re-thunk.  Seems they might not have been so frugal after all, or maybe they just didn’t work.  Some require more thought.

The Herb Pot:  For a fundraiser for the high school my son would be attending in the fall, last spring I purchased plants, both edible and non-edible.  The (expensive) floral hanging baskets did not fare well, but I was able to fill them with artificial greenery and silk flowers to provide some solace.  The tomatoes did flourish (see below).  The herbs went into a pot on the patio, partially shaded by the crabapple tree.  They did very well, even though the chives were the garlic version, picked up by mistake, so we didn’t get as much use out of them as I’d hoped.  The rosemary and oregano were to winter over inside the back door.  But, before I could actually bring in the pot (as opposed to just looking at it and reminding myself that it had to be lugged in), it snowed.  And in a major way.  The vortex of drifting on our back patio makes the Tazmanian Devil sulk.  Well, I thought, perhaps the rosemary will survive.  Enter the rabbits.  They live nearby and make rounds every morning, which is most evident when it snows.  The drifting formed a nice little ramp to the top of the pot (24″), and they were able to walk right up, clear away the snow, and munch down to the dirt.  So much for my rosemary.  Next year I think I’ll put my pots on wheels so that I have no more excuses not to bring in the herbs.

The Sprinklers:  We went on a three-week vacation this June, which we’d never done before.  Because of past years’ heat and drought, we programmed our yard sprinklers to turn on at a decent schedule.  I positioned the pots of tomatoes and the one surviving hanging basket so that they would get watered.  Wouldn’t you know it?  It rained half the days we were gone!    The water usage was just a tad high, and the yard was sopping.  Well, the trip was that once-in-our-lives trek around the circle of national parks and monuments, so we won’t be doing that again, or anything similar for a while, so next year we surely won’t make this move.

The Birdhouses:  With the sopping yard came mosquitoes, which we get every year, despite the wonderful landscaping and grading that we inherited.  We also inherited lots of lovely plants that attract insects, on purpose.  A few years back I discovered that the former owners had maintained a purple martin house in the yard.  The very, very deep ground sleeve is still there, but we let the shrubs grow very tall along the fence there.  So, I decided it would be a good idea to become landlords and encourage their recolonization.  The price of purple martin houses is way beyond what I imagined!  And the poles cost more than the houses!  I’m not even sure yet if I could get a high enough pole that would also handle the depth of the ground sleeve (more than 6′).  Scratch that for ‘09.  During the bleak coming winter months, I’ll be researching and hunting around for a deal on these things so that the martins might return.  I’m told we have a good chance, since a neighbor a block away has a colony.

The Insulation:  We knew from Year One here that something was wrong at the front of the house — sauna in summer and a meat locker in winter.  When we finally had The Windows replaced, that helped, but just a bit.  We discovered the problem when we were replacing clogged  soffit vents: no insulation was installed at the joists!  Nada, zip.  (The fact that it was not to code does not surprise us.)  My solution was to install, through the soffit vent openings, faced insulation where it should be.  I could not reach the offending openings, though, so I called Mr. Handyman to rip down the soffits, install the insulation, and reinstall soffits, facia and guttering.  FORTUNATELY, the guy they sent, Jay, had another solution, which was exactly my original solution!  His arms were longer.  Total cost for the two hours of work was $187.  Total estimated cost for a rip-out re-do was over $8,000 and three days.

The Groceries:  I tried and re-tried many grocery strategies this year.  At the end of the year, though, I’m back to what works best for me.  Aldi, BagNSave, and an occasional loss leader if it’s along my way.  I’m back to avoiding WalMart, HyVee and Fareway.  Next year, I may attempt price matching again, at Target.  We’ll see.  It didn’t help that prior to our vacation, I cleared out the freezers (in case the power went out).  I still only have them half full.  And that’s okay, but it reflects that I just haven’t found the deals that I had in the past.

There were many other things I have evaluated over this year.  The recipes alone!  The amount of work put into a service to others that went completely unappreciated.  My weight loss plateau (although 25 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at!).  Leaving that great-paying temp job with unreasonably unpredictable hours.

Share your best and worst frugal decisions of the year!   What worked and didn’t?

This week’s Dinner Deal is a family favorite:  Bacon Chicken Rollups with veggie side.  Chicken breasts are pounded to even thickness, stuffed with a creamy-cheesy mixture, and wrapped in a strip of bacon.  With this I serve a veggie blend; this week we’re having Fiesta Style Vegetables (Meal-Ready Sides from Kroger/Baker’s).

My MasterCook program has already calculated the per-serving and total-meal cost for this recipe.  Let me add that the boneless skinless chicken breasts were a mere $.99 per pound, and the cream and pepper jack cheeses were just .99 each for the full packages (which didn’t get totally used).  The bacon was purchased at Aldi for a ridiculously low price (also didn’t get totally used).  I also socked away the veggie blends when on sale for .99.  Milk is still $1.47 at Aldi.

To be honest, these are decadent!  When I find a deal on the chicken, I make up a few foil pans of these and pop in the freezer.  They thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, and cook up great on a week night.  The whole house smells wonderful!

Next week, because it’s a really busy Christmas week, I’ll have a super-simple Crock Pot recipe for budget-conscious families.

Okay, I’m done.  I said I would give price matching at WalMart another chance.  I did.  I’m done.

I don’t know if I’ll ever go back there, and if I do, it’ll be for a few items, and not for food except for chocolate emergencies.  Should I feel the urge to PM, I’ll pull into Target instead.  Why?  A few reasons.

It seems that every single time lately, there has been at least one item on my receipt that I did not purchase.  Seriously.  The other day, it was “oil.”  I did not buy oil, of any kind, that day.  $4 on my receipt for “oil,” and I watched every item scan without seeing “oil.”   And every time lately, there is a similar addition to my purchases that I have to have refunded.  On this particular day, that involved re-entering the incredibly inaccesible parking lot (thanks to the early snow), waiting in the Customer Service line, and having a refund sent to my credit card.

When I asked what the item/barcode was, I was told, “It must’ve been some kind of cooking oil you bought.”  Could you look up the SKU and tell me exactly what it is?  “Looks like maybe vegetable oil, or olive oil, or some kind of cooking oil.”  I did not purchase any oil. 

After my refund was made, 20 minutes after my initial purchase, I said to the CSR, “You know, this isn’t the only time this has happened; it happens every time I shop here.”  I could not believe her shrugged reply: “Well, I can understand that.” 

“You CAN?!  Seriously?  Is that acceptable to you?”  No reply.  “What is it that you understand, because I can’t see why this should happen.” 

“Well, you know, the scanner scans all barcodes, and sometimes, you know [hands waving] it will take a long time before it figures out what it scanned.”

“But I didn’t have any oil to scan.” 

“Well, you can always get a refund.”

“That’s a real pain,” I said quietly, pointing to the growing line for refunds.

“I know,” she winked.  She actually winked.  THAT ticked me off!

This little incident put me 1/2 hour behind in getting home to my kids.  It fouled my mood, messed up my receipts for Quicken, and sullied their reputation further.

On top of that, many of the items I wanted were cleared, or just weren’t there.  And there were very many other customers there, many if horrible states of mind (hey, Merry Christmas!), and most scowling.  It was a bad experience all around.  And one on a long list of such, too.

In the past, the shelf tags have been far from accurate (I would not have paid $4 for a 2-pack of sponges, but realized it only after cleaning the sink with one of them).  “Lowest Price” means their lowest price, not the lowest around.  The good merchandise is disappearing, being replaced with cheap stuff.  And while Cheap Thrills are good, cheap quality is not.

So I won’t be PMing at WM in the future.  Target PMs, and their shelf prices are often lower to begin with.  (Why I keep forgetting Target, I don’t know, especially since it’s closer.)  On Friday I was there, showing DH one of the gifts I’d gotten at WM….it was $4 cheaper at Target!  Hmm.  That’s the price of, say, a bottle of OIL!

Every week, my family eats well.  Even during this most hectic month, with its last-minute surprises of the weather kind and the academic kind, we eat well.  Blessed with an abundance of “daily bread” in our freezers and pantries, we are able to fill our tummies with goodness even after the day has drained us.

So when those meals show up on the table for less than $5 for the four of us, I can’t help but do “the Mom dance.”  And to show you how it can be done on a regular basis, I’m sharing my Weekly Dinner Deals with you starting this week.  I’ll pick one real dinner from our weekly menu, and give you the breakdown on the cost for two adults, one teenage boy on a perpetual growth spurt, and a growing 9-year-old.

This week’s Dinner Deal is Teriyaki Pork Chops with Brown Rice and Asian Vegetables.

When I found family packs of these chops at this price, I bought a few, divided them into meal-sized packages, and froze them.  I could have purchased the sirloin chops for 1.88/#, but we much prefer the center cut.  For a really frugal meal, you could make this with sale chicken thighs, boned and skinned.  I keep various marinades on hand through the summer, and this bottle of teriyaki survived, so I pulled it out, marinated the meat in a FoodSaver container for a few hours, and pan-grilled these gems.  I saved a little of the unused marinade to pour over the vegs.

Because it takes a while to cook brown rice, and is yukky to clean up, I make a large batch in the time it takes for a small one, and freeze leftovers in meal-sized freezer bags.  A while back I found what I considered a fair deal in the aisles of Bakers.  (Aldi doesn’t carry brown rice year-round, and when we’re both out, I scrounge for deals on this staple.)  Last week I made up the whole bag, and the leftovers went into an icy sleep until now.

A few weeks ago, Bakers had another of its 10/$10 sales on frozen vegs.  I used this opportunity to stock up on the less ordinary vegs that I cannot get for .77 or .88 during other sales.  This blend of green vegs with ’shrooms and onions looked good, and was normally nearly $2.  I also packed the freezer with southwest blend and Italian blend vegs.

I don’t usually include dessert in the cost of dinner, especially at this time of year.  We are “gifted” several pounds (17.5 this year) of chocolate and treats each November.  These tide us over for several months (unfortunately).

You know I love the library.  One of the best values in city services!  This past year had us holding our collective breath, for the libraries, pools, parks and even police vehicles.  We were so thrilled to breathe again, and to learn that the libraries would still be functioning.

Days like today (below freezing and a couple of inches of the white stuff on the ground) make me really, really appreciate the materials that are available to borrow, from new releases, to DVDs, to Christmas music.  I love that when I find a new author, or a new series, most of the volumes are available around the city.  There’s not much more serene than curling up with a favorite author, a blanket, and a cup of “Ginger Snappish” tea on a snowy evening.  Add some background Mannheim Steamroller, and cue the tree lights.

This is my year-end Thank-You to the library.  Thank you for finding the books I wanted that were mis-shelved and putting them on hold for me.  Thank you for constantly adding new releases.  Thank you for being open, and for having return drop boxes.  Thank you for the children’s and young adult reading programs, and for the book clubs and city-wide adult program.  Thanks for offering career enrichment and computer classes that I might not need, but others do.  Thanks for letting me know when my materials were coming due, and for letting me renew them online.  Thanks for being easy to get to, and for having plowed entries and parking lots.

I wish these days that I could go to the library more, but my schedule is unbelievably exhausting.  Still, when I need it, it’s there.  And I so appreciate that.

The other day, I was discussing with a friend the fact that our family Christmas wish lists are posted on the refrigerator, and I wasn’t really interested in getting my guys most of the stuff on them, for various reasons.  I was about to quietly tell this friend my personal plan for Christmas giving, when someone else (not a part of the conversation, to begin with) blurted out that I was a Scrooge and that she only wanted to hear happy, fun things at that moment.  (Rude much?!) 

This got me thinking about this person’s general attitude, and one that  I am observing more and more often.  That is the idea that we must buy, buy, buy everything the children in our lives want for gifts, whatever the genre of the holiday the children wish to celebrate.  “Damn the torpedoes!  Full debt ahead!”  What a twisted view of Christmas!

“What time did you go out on Black Friday?”  “I HAD TO get three electronics and a couple of big toys for my kids, then I HAD TO get XYZ for my mom.”  “This is going to be hard to pay for after The Holidays!”

For us, Christmas has always been a religious celebration, preceded by preparation during Advent.  Attached to it are ethnic traditions, religious traditions, and family traditions from both sides of our family.  Primarily, though, it is steeped in the religious beliefs that bring us the holy day every year.  So it is crushing that many people don’t even realize the significance of the day, but are creating unwritten ”rules” for how folks like us should be spending money in the name of the day.  Not so much “Christmas,” mind you, but “the Holidays,” or “Santa,” or “gift exchanges.”

I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas like us.  I respect your right to practice your beliefs, and to ignore mine.  But please do not impose yours on mine.  I know a wonderful woman who holds religious beliefs very different from mine.  We have not discussed Christmas or Hannukah, and will perhaps wish each other “Merry” and “Happy” as courtesy.  This woman, I am confident, would never think to tell me how I should celebrate my Christmas.  And yet, someone else, whom I barely know, would impose their purchasing standards on me, why?

Talk about your Bah, Humbug!

So here are some suggestions for enjoying your Advent and Christmas without succumbing to the Lords of Retail:

Think about the reason you are giving a gift.  If you really want to do something special for someone, or show them you care, reflect that in the thought you put into a gift.  Did they mention something months ago that they needed or wanted, then forgot about?  Would you like to acknowledge an interest, hobby or vocation?  Let this be reflected in your gift, token or otherwise.

Think about what you have to offer.  We all have talents, skills and gifts in varying measure.  Consider using yours to honor someone, or provide for a need, or make someone smile.  But you don’t need to spend cash to accomplish that.  Here’s where the magazines will list things like making a batch of cookies, or giving coupons for back rubs, or creating specialty bath salts.  Yeah, okay.  But how about thinking of something unique that someone could really use?  How about donating a couple of bags of staples (on sale with coupons) to Project Hope?  How about offering to drive someone to church or school through spring?  Or finally offering permission for an activity that a child might now be mature enough to engage in?

Most of all, think about the reasons gift-giving is a tradition to begin with.  We were given the Greatest  Gift long ago; it came into the world on Christmas night as a true miracle.   This, dear friends, is the real Joy of Christmas.  It’s not the things we buy.  It’s not even anything we do or give.  It is what was given to us.

Gift-giving in December has evolved over the centuries from token symbols of Christianity, to major retailing to the masses, believers or otherwise.  It’s not Christmas most people are really celebrating, it’s money and stuff.  Sadly, children all over know all about Santa Claus, but not about Jesus Christ.  Hey, kids!  He’s the reason Christmas exists!  He is the gift given for us!  He was born on Christmas night, and that’s what we’re celebrating!  His even bigger gift comes to us in Springtime, and that’s called Easter! 

Please relax this Advent season, and don’t dwell on spending money on gifts.  “Prepare the way of the Lord.”  I’m sure he doesn’t need a pink cashmere Snuggli, or a 40″ plasma with Wii, or another gift card to Walmart.  He wants you to hear his message.  Why not cut out one errand this month and slip into a church service?  It’s the best gift you can give yourself!

Book Review.  The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer, 2009

My frugal self borrowed this from the new selections at the library.  Glad I did.  This is a funny author, who does her research on contemporary topics.  Having lurked in several “frugal” discussion boards in my time, and having participated zealously in some, as well, I can say she developed her characters’ attitudes spot on.

The Penny Pinchers Club helps the main character get her spending and saving under control in anticipation of an upcoming divorce.  Unfortunately, the divorce storyline takes front seat to the Penny Pinchers.  But this group of financial misfits is hysterically accurate in their approach to ultimate frugality.  From clipping coupons to Dumpster diving, they run the gamut of the people you’ll find on the Internet (or maybe in your very own hometown!) who proudly boast of their cheapskate endeavors. 

I’ve met online some very strict freegans, gals who actually made money grocery shopping — legally — and folks who could live for months without spending a dime, except for water and electricity.  Serious people, these.  And the characters in this book are based on some of them, I’m sure.  A few personality quirks from the author make them even more enjoyable.

This would probably not happen in Omaha, but I have heard many times of this in other cities, mostly out East.  In the book, the frugalistas get into an argument with a store manager who doesn’t want them “ripping him off” with sales/coupons/rebate combinations.  The fight gets loud, and the women get tossed out of the drugstore.  Over feminine hygiene products.  My observation of Omaha (having lived “out East”) is that the managers, for the most part, are happy to have customers patronizing the store, and if we get wonderful deals, then that’s just great.  I have run into a few uninformed clerks and cashiers here, though.  Minor frustrations in the long run.  And I must admit I don’t do rebates anymore, but in the day, it really was a rush.  I still don’t go to Walgreen’s regularly, but that’s another story.

Strohmeyer acknowledges her online research, and cites several sites and blogs she has used.   I admire that, because many authors would like to leave you with the impression that they’ve done “real research,” gumshoe style.  Internet research for this subject matter is probably the most revealing, anyway.

Get the book from OPL; I’m returning it tomorrow for  you.  You’ll see a little of yourself in there, I promise.

If you don’t have your Thanksgiving turkey yet, and you enjoy the whole bird, get thee to Baker’s in the next few days!

Jennie O whole frozen birds, limit 2, a mere .39/#!!!!!

Other whole birds are also on sale, limit 2, for .49 to .99/#.  Sale runs Sunday 11/15 thru Tuesday 11/17, while supplies last.

For whole birds, you can’t beat this deal.  At least I don’t think, at least not before Thanksgiving, usually.   Stock up your freezer for the winter, too — turkey is great any time, and makes great leftovers (which can be frozen).  Use like chicken.  When do you usually find chicken for .39/#, hmm?

I was recently asked if I could possibly feed a family of four dinner for less than $5.  Pshaw!  All the time!

I rarely exceed $5/dinner for my family of four, including a teenage boy (aka “eating machine”).  Last week I thought I splurged excessively for a dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Jennie O turkey meatloaf on sale $2.99 — This was the big splurge for me.  But in the store, I figured ground turkey breast itself was nearly $3/#, and this was a 2# loaf, so this was a bargain.  Protein, sodium, fat and carbs were quite acceptable to me.

Twice-baked potatoes $1 — With potatoes and other ingredients purchased on sale, and a bunch of these stashed in the freezer, this is a wonderful bargain.

Broccoli/cauliflower blend .77 — Also a sale freezer bargain.

Milk (3) 8-oz. servings .27 — I have water.

Grand total for four:  $5.03

Normally, though, I don’t splurge on the protein.  I purchase poultry, meats and eggs on sale and use for lower-cost meals.  I often prepare meals or components of meals for the freezer.  I recently found boneless, skinless chicken breasts for .99/#.   If the portions of this new-to-me brand are not consistent, I can cut them for fajitas, stir-fries, etc., and use about 1.5# per meal — yes, that’s for four.  A future meal I envision, based on sale prices, might be:

Chicken $1.50 — (2) 8-oz servings and (2) 4-oz servings

Stir-fry vegs $1.12 — 1# serves 5, but we divide into 4

Brown rice $.50 – (2) 3/4-cup servings and (2) 1/2-cup servings, but I make 8 and freeze the rest.

Milk .27

Grand total for four:  $3.39

This is normal for us.  We eat healthfully throughout the day.  Well, at least the breakfasts, snacks and dinners I supervise.  Lunches are made at home, and are healthy when they go out the door, but what actually gets consumed is the age-old trust of parents.  Anyway, because we don’t eat junk throughout the day, and have healthful snacks, our dinner is not often huge portions of cheese-covered, canned-souped whatnot.  We eat appropriate portions of protein, good carbs, vegs and fruits.  And this saves us money while keeping us nurished.

What’s your average cost for a meal for your family?

I’ve finally recovered from my illness, and have returned to my “abnormally normal” routine.  This past week I tossed in a couple trips to the new No Frills at 132nd and Center.

Because I had really bad cabin fever, I went last Saturday.  Mistake!  I personally do not like shopping anywhere on Saturdays (and definitely not on Sundays), but I was dying to see the store and get some of those deals.  I was dismayed at the crowd, the odor of cigarette smoke permeating the entryway, and the “beep-beep” of the construction vehicles and parking lot traffic.  These are things that really annoy me, which I try to avoid, so in an attempt to be fair in my review I returned at a “normal” for me time, during the day during the week.  Actually, my normal time would be in the morning, but last week didn’t allow for that.  I’m going to have to reprogram and try that.

The weekday trip proved more promising to me.  It was more the way I prefer to shop.  Fewer folks in the store, more available parking, happier faces.  I realize it’s this way all over town, and this is why I prefer my established shopping route.  I was more impressed with the weekday, so for the Saturday trip, I’ll just count my blessings with the deals I got.

No Frills offers great deals, mostly loss leaders, and I would like to fit the store into my normal routine.  You should try, too, if you happen to pass this store in your weekly travels.  The Grand Opening deals at this particular store are quite impressive: turkey breast (whole frozen) .88/#; IQF chicken breasts .99/#; bagged salads .88; chicken broth .49; can pumpkin .68; kids’ snack pizzas .77; 1/2 gal ice cream .99, GM cereals 1.88; and many more.  Combine some of these deals  with coupons, and you’ve got some real bargains!  I was able to nearly fill the freezer and pantries.

We know one family that went to NF to stock up on Thanksgiving turkeys and fixings for their huge dinners.  “DING!  DING!”  They got their order FREE!  We heard it was over $200.  This is a very nice marketing promo, and I can see why that parking lot is constantly full.

I was particularly impressed that the produce is quite fresh.  The bagged salads had use-by dates a week out.  You don’t usually find that, and when the price is so compelling, it’s nice to know you can actually get a few to last a whole week.  Most other stores have use-by dates 2-3 days out, which makes it almost useless to get the bagged versions.  (Yes, I know — it’s almost always cheaper to get the elements and make your own salads.  But sometimes consumers need a little something to make life easier, and .88 salad for four is one of those little luxuries, huh?)  So, produce good.

I did not visit the fresh meats, except to pick up 93% lean ground beef for 1.88/#.  It was crowded.  That’s a good sign, actually, that the stuff isn’t sitting out too long getting dry and icky.  But I didn’t confirm that.  To be confirmed or busted at a later date.

One thing that did strike me is the unimpressive inside of the store.  It’s almost the identical layout as the old Baker’s.  Okay, that’s not so bad, but they took how many months to “remodel”?  Yes, there’s a new floor (thank goodness).  And it smells a lot nicer (also thank goodness).  The restaurant is gone, with a pharmacy in that area, which is nice for those who need it. 

But it’s still very akward getting in and out of the store.  The east entrance has a teeny-tiny entry and hallway to accommodate everyone coming in to get carts, wipe the handles, and maneuver them through the hallway, with shopping carts loaded down with deals coming out at them, trying to maneuver the short, sharp corners.  The west entrance could use a reversal of entry/exit doors — coming in or going out, you have to cross paths with the opposite, and this creates logjam.   Also, if the bell-ringer would move westward by maybe 2 feet, that would help.  (Love the bell-ringers!  The issue is access.)   They should have put more thought into the entry/exits, for all their reconstruction.

I’m  anxious to see what it will be like without the construction, and once the intial excitement produces a regular flow.  Parking and vehicle traffic should improve.  Awestruck, middle-of-the-aisle stopper-shoppers, and constant-but-necessary giant restocking carts should diminish.  We’ll see if the number of available cashiers stays high and checkout lines stay short.  These are some of the true tells of a value store, and we’ll have to see over time if this location can handle it.

When the Grand Opening deals fade, it will be interesting to see how the competition responds.  I already notice a little come-back from BagNSave, which is good for bargains.  With Aldi right across the street, BagNSave a mile down, and the Oakview HyVee closing/moving in May, it’s a Great Unknown out there.  I’m hoping the competition increases, and NF deals will continue.  That’s the incentive I will need to add another store to my regular route.

What did you think of your visit to the new No Frills?