I’ve been waiting with great anticipation for the No Frills at 132nd and Center to open.  Wouldn’t you know it?  This week, for its grand opening, I’m out of commission.  Sick with an unyielding case of nasty bronchitis that has me down for the fourth day in a row.

However, I can tell from the paper ads, the TV ads, and the competition’s stepped-up advertising, this is gonna be great!  This week alone (if you’re able to take advantage of it), there are excellent deals AND chances to win free groceries.

With Aldi right across the street, I expect excellent grocery shopping in the coming weeks and months.  Bag N Save down the street has lost one of its good managers to this No Frills.  The only drawback I see is the ongoing construction and continued reno going on at the center.  The “Baker Square” sign was down Tuesday; I’m wondering what’s going up in its place.

If you’ve been healthy enough to visit the Grand Opening of this No Frills, please let us know!  I will report next week, when I return to the real world.

I hate being sick.  I’m missing work and putting my bosses in a bind.  I’m unable to take care of the family so DH has to take sick days to do my job (totally allowed).  And it hurts to cough, breathe and talk.  Healing is underway, though, and that’s the blessing.  Till next time!

I often read about this tip, and recently tripped over it again on another blog.  To save money and “go green,” switch to cloth napkins instead of paper throw-aways, it goes.

Okay.  I’m all for recycling, and for cutting back on consumables (including packaging), and for saving money.  But as one who has tried this for everyday use, I gotta say, “Whoah, Nellie!”  It doesn’t work for everyone, so be sure this is something you will really do before investing.

Oh, yes, there are super deals at dollar stores, yadda yadda yadda.  But the investment is in more than just napkins.  It is also in time spent cleaning the napkins.  It is in the effort of removing stains.  It is in the extra products needed for removing them.  It is in the time and effort of retraining your family.

If you have children, they will tend to stain cloth napkins, just as they muck up paper ones.  One value of paper.  They, and their parents, will grab cloth napkins to wipe up the spilled milk/applesauce/cocoa/whatever.  This is human nature, and works well for the immediate emergency.  Then comes the nuisance of cloth.

If such a cloth napkin is not cleaned right away, it can stain.  It can mold, especially if there is dairy involved.  It can stain or mold other items in the laundry basket.  So, it becomes necessary to immediately soak, wash, rinse — just till they can be washed with a full load.  Because if you’re doing a laundry load of napkins and towels everyday, how “green” is that?

Let’s talk about the kinds of use these napkins will be getting.  These are not easy stains to remove.  In food, there are fats, natural staining pigments, animal products, and, in some foods (like barbecue), black carbon.  Fats can sometimes be removed with a degreasing dish detergent, mixed with water and left to sit a good long time.  Natural staining pigments, such as tomato, carrot, spices, and “colors of unknown origin,” are difficult to remove, especially from white or light cloth.  Animal products, both protein and fat, are difficult to remove, but enzyme products can help if used immediately.  Black carbon – grill grease – all I can say is, “Have at it.”

Bleach it, you say?  Not all stains bleach out, first of all.  Secondly, not all fabrics take repeated bleaching well.  Even heavy white cotton.  Comes a point of diminishing returns.  Swiftly.

If you think that removing stains isn’t necessary, then you don’t have children.  They never want to use the napkin that has someone else’s stain on it.  And they know their stains v. their brother’s stains!    If they are compelled to take the stained napkin, they will not use it.  Then you have the same stains on sleeves and pant laps.

Now, if you are one of those families that eats every day in the nice dining room, and your family has been perfectly (and I dare say unnaturally) trained to ne’er drip a drop, then you may not have these issues.  Kudos to you!  And I mean that.

But for the rest of us, I believe, using paper napkins is the more frugal way to go.  These can go in lunch boxes without worry.  They can be grabbed to wipe a saucy mouth or a dripping nose, then tossed away inoffensively.  They can be used to blot up a glob of ketchup from the table at the end of a meal without concern for staining.

We still use cloth napkins sometimes.  In the nice dining room, at holiday meals, and after careful admonition.  And with two fingers, ten toes, and ankles crossed.

The paper napkin, in my opinion, is one of the great inventions of modern society.  Experiment if you must, but I think you’ll come back to reality.

When you’re replenishing your freezer and pantry after “eating down your freezer,” it’s great to encounter an incredible sale.  This Saturday, HyVee had wonderful deals in a 6-hour sale.  It was quite an experience.

I braced when I saw the parking lot so full.  There were limited spots in the incredibly huge lot, and I have never seen that, even right before Thanksgiving.   Inside, it was chaos.  But I had my list, and was in my Happy Place, so the log jams, pokey people and sold out deals didn’t really take a toll.   A friend told me later that she saw how crazy it was, and went to WalMart to price match, instead.  Very smart. 

Here’s the remainder of my list for the week, and what I got. 

milk (1) skim 6-hr sale HV .99

bread S. Lee honey wheat .99 HV C x 2

fruit! bananas .29/# HV 6 hr sale x 2.62#

Hormel pork shoulder roast .99$ HV  out of stock

store frozen OJ .88 HVCoupon Limit 1

FLand sausage 1# .99 (freeze) x 2

shredded cheeses .99 8 oz.  (freeze) x 6

store 1/2 gal ice cream 1.18 HV (store for holiday recipe) x 2

So, for about 70% of my weekly budget, I’ve come away with some fresh, frozen and staple items. I’ve made some very thrifty purchases, repackaged some of it for easy fixin’, and have made more progress in replenishing my freezer.

This is just one week.  Next week will see different deals.  And the weeks to come.  There is no need to pay full price, and no need to overspend on prepackaged “food” all the time.

“But can you make regular meals from it?”  I certainly can!  Having eaten down your freezer, you know you can, too.  It helps that I have fresh and frozen vegs already on-hand.  But if I didn’t, there were plenty of veg deals this week that I could have bought.  Broccoli for .99/#, frozen vegs for .88/16 oz pkg, and more.  Again, you don’t have to get every deal every week.

Today, along with some bulk cooking, I trimmed the pork loin roast, cut eight chops from one end, and repackaged into three meals of chops and a roast with seasonings.  They’re in the freezer now, nicely labeled and dated.  Later this week, I’ll make twice-baked potatoes with some of the 10# bag and cheese.  The sausage will stay in the freezer until we have a festive family brunch, probably around Thanksgiving weekend. 

The point is that I planned my purchases.  I didn’t just get all the deals on items we won’t eat.  Over two or three weeks’ sales, I have enough variety to be choosey with my shopping.  And I do sometimes get the unusual item for pennies, but I know how I want to use it, and I eventually will.

What did I do with the extra $25 this week?  Well, I could have gone back to get more of these deals.  I could have saved it for next week.  I could have picked up some items for the local food pantry.  I could have purchased a 5-shelf storage unit on sale at Menard’s.  What would you have done?

When you’re replenishing your freezer and pantry after “eating down the freezer,” remember that it’s not an overnight process.  You want the most nutritious, best value foods at the least cost.  Different stores have different sales, but price matching can save you time and money in your effort to refill.

Price matching is a store policy that allows shoppers to get the lowest sale price of another store.  With this concept, you can bring the sale ads from several stores to one place, and the store will honor the lower prices.  When you’re replenishing, there’s no need to pay .80 for a can of tomatoes, say, when a store you don’t normally shop has them on sale for .49.  There are rules to price matching, though, so I’ll walk you through it.  But always check with your local store before your first price match trip, because your store may be different.  When you see those “coupon queens” on TV, this is usually how they do it, combined with coupons, etc.

So today I price matched at WalMart, which I don’t always do, to give you an example of how it’s done.  I have another post with lots of details about price matching in general.  Here, though, I’m going to use the remainder of my shopping list (after going to Aldi yesterday) to continue my weekly grocery shopping.  Now, I know that some of the items I want to price match are from HyVee, and I know that I’m going there for their 6 hour sale on Saturday.  So you’ll see how this plays into the process.  I also know that I pass two different BagNSave stores twice per day each, so I can stop in there if I really want a deal I can’t price match.  But I don’t want to do that this week.  That works out nicely as an example for you!

Here’s my remaining list, and what I got at WalMart in blue.  My family informed me this morning we’re out of cereal, so I’ve added that to the list, to see if I can get a deal.  (But they may have to eat eggs and oatmeal this week.)  I’m still way under budget for the week!

Note that I still haven’t gotten everything.  And I crossed some things off my list because I couldn’t find them, or they didn’t look good to me, or I found something better.  You can’t get every deal, and you have to make choices.  It’s not about having more food.  It’s about being properly prepared and preparing your food properly.  It’s about having what you can use, and using it wisely.

Happily, some items were lower priced than the loss leaders!  That’s usually the case when I price match.  All that remains this week is the HV 6 hour sale on Saturday.  Normally, I wouldn’t make the trip, especially on a weekend, but there are several great bargains.

I was in and out of WalMart in about 45 minutes, and that included walking clear across the store to get toothpaste and shampoo.  The paper, cleaning, health and beauty items I picked up weren’t included in the food cost (and aren’t included in my food budget).  I stuck totally to my list!  (That’s hard to do in WalMart.)  Everything’s put away, except for the whole pork loin, because I have to cut and package it into roast and chops tomorrow.

To take advantage of the best loss leaders this week, I went online bright and early to make out my list.  Here’s what I have on my shopping list for this week.

I keep my list in the kitchen, and when we get low on things, we “put them on the list.”  It is a training process with any family, but my guys do pretty well.  Always at the top of a new list, automatically (since I learned the hard way): milks.  This week I see some items have been added already (yay!):  Swiss cheese, sandwich meat (but I crossed that off b/c I had some in the back of the fridge), bread, onions, potatoes, Caesar dressing, fruit, and French bread.  On the right side of my list are paper, cleaning and other non-food items like batteries; but for our purposes, we’re only focusing on groceries.

If I didn’t need to replenish my stashes, I’d only get what’s on my list, and I’d spend about $20.  We ate down our freezer, though, and I’m still (always) finding deals to fit our budget (I’ll use the make-believe $85 budget this week).  So I went to the sites I listed earlier, viewing the ads as well as the online coupons.  There are tons of great deals this week!  Some I will not take advantage of, though, b/c I already have plenty here, or b/c my family doesn’t eat them (like pears). 

Now I head to the store.  First stop, Aldi!  Why?  Because it is very near where my son goes to school, and I know some of their prices are likely lower than some of these loss leaders.  Aldi milk has been $1.67/gal for a few weeks, and the eggs can be as low as .79 in response to competition.  While I’m there, I compare prices and maybe purchase if the Aldi brand is lower-priced.  Aldi only puts out sales info for special purchases, and adjusts other prices regularly.  Here’s what I got today:

Now that I’m home, the weekly ads are in the mailbox.  I can clip the HV coupons to use there when I go to the 6 hour sale.  Tomorrow I’ll price match at WalMart, and we’ll see what deals we find!

If you “ate down your freezer,” you probably found some interesting items in there.  Bits of this and that, a whole package of mystery something.  Vegs, meats, bread items, butter, cheese.  Since it’s time to refill, why not select the foodstuffs you won’t forget, that you’ll turn to for good, fast meals?  Having really low-cost items in your cupboard will allow you to “go shopping” in your home, for the foods that you know your family will eat.

Start with a clean freezer.  Defrost it.  Lost the manual?  Look for one online.  If you’re out of luck, empty the thing, unplug plugs, pull down drain tubes from underneath (and arrange for mess-less draining), turn off the temp or unplug it, and open the door.  Please put several layers of towel rags wherever it might leak, including in front of the unit.  When it’s thawed, wipe it down inside with a towel rag.  If necessary, clean with mild soap.  Now, put it back together, and plug it back in.  Until it’s full, use empty jugs filled halfway with water to take up space and keep the unit running efficiently.

Then take this opportunity to clear out, and scrub out, all of your cabinets and pantries.  In some cultures, this is done ritually every year — excellent practice.  In my house, this is a two-day project because I have extra food storage in the basement, and because the outside of the cabinet doors get pretty cruddy and require extra TLC.  Have a screwdriver handy to tighten up the hinges and handles, too.

Think about the foods you would like to have on-hand.  Do you like ready-to-reheat meals?  Dinner kits?  Plain ingredients?  Partially prepared or marinated foods?  I recommend a little of each.  But you know your family best, and how life works in your home, so adjust this advice accordingly.  As prices and budget allow, gather grocery deals and stash in freezer or pantry. 

Go for only the best frugal food deals.  Follow the loss leader trail (buying only the unbelievable deals), and in about a month you’ll have a well-filled pantry.  But don’t get something only because it’s a deal.  You have to be sure you and your family will eat it, for it to be of value.  Don’t get whole chickens if your family hates bones, just because someone on a discussion board said it was a good idea.  Know what you’ll eat, in what form, and get what you’ll use.

For example, in our family, the best chicken bargain is boneless, skinless chicken breasts at $1.67/pound or less.  Most everyone else online will *gasp* and drop their jaws at that.  But I know that this cut is best for my guys, and is most versatile and economical in the long run.  Sure, I buy bone-in breasts when they hit .99/pound, but I’ll Crock them, debone, and chunk for future boneless use.  So I look for the bl/sl chx deals for the best value for us.  If you love drumsticks and bone-in thighs, go for those deals, by all means!

There are some frugal basics to have in your kitchen:  brown rice, whole-grain pastas, beans, herbs and spices, tuna, sauces.  Don’t overload on them; find super sales a little at a time.  It does me no good to get 10 cans of tuna at one time, because we will eat only about 9 cans per year.  I’ll get 3, because I know there will be another sale in a few months, if we need it by then.

Just like when you were eating down your freezer, if you don’t have a particular item, you can make do.  When you rebuild your stash, to stay in your budget, you may have to make do.  This challenge should be easier than your earlier ordeal, because now you’re only getting what you like, and because you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing what a frugal meal you have created.

I must mention that there is a common suggestion on “frugal” discussion boards that is pretty useless.  “Make muffins and cookies from scratch,” they say.  I ask, “Why?!”  If you don’t normally eat muffins and cookies, why start making them from scratch?  If your budget is in trouble, maybe you should be cutting out those little luxury treats, huh?  For snacks (distinctively different from treats), try whole grain goodies, like two graham crackers and a half-glass of 100% juice.  Or that half apple that came home in the lunchbox uneaten! 

What is helpful is avoiding pre-marinated meats, frozen vegs in sauces, and pricey individual packages of anything.  Unless, of course, it’s cheapest this week!  You can marinate and cook your own meats, herb and season your own plain vegs, and portion your own foods.  Cheaper, healthier, and tastier.

For maximum nutrition (and that’s what eating is about — body fuel), you’ll need to have some protein, some carbohydrates, and vegs and fruits.  These are all ideal when they are fresh; however, in our world and with our finances, it makes sense to find the best deals and freeze/store these foods at their peak.  So look for them on sale, repackage or overpackage, and eat good food.

Some of our favorite foods to have in the freezer:  meats, chicken, or fish in meal-sized and individually quick frozen (IQF) packages.  Breads.  Shredded cheeses, either purchased that way for .99 or in block form and shredded at home.  Frozen vegs, all kinds, including blends and stir-fry mixes for cheap.  Tortillas.  Butter.  Frozen berries and fruits.

For the pantry, we like to keep canned vegs, canned beans, tuna, brown rice, whole grain pastas, pasta sauces, juices, sauces and marinades, refried beans, taco shells, olives, pickles, seasonings and spices, soups for recipes, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, olive oil, flour, crackers and graham crackers.

I do not normally buy seasoned noodle or rice mixes (although I did get several for about .25 each this summer, and mixed them with plain pasta and rice for tasty sides).  I do not normally buy prepackaged and uber-processed items, like “helpers,” baking mixes, cookies, chips, dips, and junk.  I can keep our grocery costs down by making meals with simple ingredients.

So what do I do with these?  Everything!  Maybe I got them on sale in dribs and drabs, but I have real usable food in my pantries and freezers.  Don’t save this food for “eating down your freezer,” when you can use it every day.

It’s not about having more food.  It’s about being properly prepared and preparing your food properly.  It’s about having what you can use, and using it wisely.  Know what you need.  Now let’s start refilling.

The freezer’s empty.  So are the cabinets, pantry, fridge, and that little shelf above the stove.  For whatever reason, you “ate down your freezer.”  Maybe you’ve moved and need to fill the cabinets.  Or, perhaps you’ve gone out on your own for the very first time.  This is a great time to form frugal shopping habits.  It will not be an overnight process. 

It’s important to remember through this process that you may not be able to make “recipes” from the foods you’re restocking, but you will eat well.  Your weekly goals will be twofold: feed your family for the week, and build up a little extra cushion.  So simple meals might be just right.  A little protein, two vegs, a while grain, and a drink for dinner.  Being flexible is key, but you’ve already learned that. 

Let’s start with the tools you’ll need.  First, a budget.  This is not a post about how to prepare a budget.  There are many out there, but I’m not going to add to them.  What I will tell you is that you can’t start replenishing in a frugal way until you have a dollar amount set for your food each week.  Of course, if you’ve eaten down your food stash because of financial issues, you probably have already been working on that budget.  So, for purposes of this lesson, let’s say you’re a family of four, with a food (and only food) budget of $85 per week.

Oh, yes, I did!!  It is entirely possible to feed your family healthfully on $85 per week!  You’re going to be buying the least expensive ingredients, no junk, and no desserts.  It won’t kill any of you.  It might be healthier than the stuff you had in your pantry.

Find something to write on and something to write with.  Make them portable.  I like a steno pad with a pen stuck in the spiral.

You’ll need coupons, either clipped from the newspaper inserts, from the mail, or printed from online sources.  Don’t skip the coupons sections of the grocery web sites, or overlook the Our Family coupons online for local deals.  Any coupon for any item you might buy at the right price, should get clipped.  Who’s to say those $3 frozen skillet vegs won’t be clearanced for $1, and there you’ll sit with a .50 coupon.  So many times I’ve gotten super deals, or even FREE food this way.  Buy One/Get One — BOGO — deals are sweeter with even a .25 coupon.  Clip ‘em; keep ‘em.  More on coupons later.

And you’ll need the current sale prices, either through paper ads or from the Internet.  In Omaha, the weekly grocery ads are distributed on Wednesdays (because that’s when most grocery stores start their weekly sales).  If you don’t have a daily World-Herald subscription, you’ll get them in the mail.  (Consider it a bonus, but it’s really a way of providing 100% market coverage and phenomenal ad circulation numbers.)  Or, if you’d rather get the prices online, or before your mail arrives, look up these stores:  BagNSave, Baker’s, Fareway, HyVee, No Frills, SuperSaver, SuperTarget.  EDIT:  Fareway has once again changed their site, and the Omaha site is not functional.  If you really want to see their ads online, go here. 

The next step is finding out what you can get with your weekly budget.  Note in the sale ads that some items are incredible deals.  These are “loss leaders” designed to get you in the store.  Those are the deals you want!  How do you know if it’s the lowest price?  If you’ve been keeping track (which you may not have if you haven’t been buying groceries for a while), you’ll have a comparison base.  If not, compare one store’s ad to another’s, to start.  If in doubt, write it down, and when you get to the store you’ll be able to tell.  On your piece of paper/notebook/whatever, write the brand, item, size, sale price and store.  Also note if there’s a limit, say of 2 milks at 1.99.  I abbreviate the store: BnS, Bak, HV.  Circle the price in the ad to make it easier to find if needed.  You should  find at least a few deals, and in a good week, a pageful.

Some rules of thumb I use for loss leaders include:  I only buy beef or pork at less than $2/pound, chicken breasts at less than $1.75/pound, and thighs at less than .80/pound.  I’ll buy peanut butter when it drops to .99 (and buy several).  Frozen vegs will go on sale regularly for .88/16 oz. bag.

Now, turn to your coupons.  Here in Omaha, some stores have loss leaders to match some of each week’s coupons.  Other stores will run specials toward the coupon expiration.   You don’t always know when the match will come, and sometimes it won’t.  So keep your coupons organized, and always look for a match.  If you have a coupon for the same brand and size that’s on sale, mark on your list that you have a coupon.  I use a circled C.

So now you have a list of the great sales, where the deals are, and which have coupons to match.  You also have a budget amount.  Before you head to the store, though, you’ll need to decide if you want to go to one store and price match, or go to a few of your favorite stores as you pass them during the week.  If you’re hitting a few stores, just take your stuff with you each day and stop when you pass.  Purchase refrigerated and frozen goods on the way home.

If you’re making one price-match trip, you have two choices in Omaha: SuperSaver or WalMart.  [EDIT: Oops, FW will also price match, but since I don't go there (see my older post), I am not figuring that in the equation.]  There are rules.  Both will match national and store brands, and both will often have lower shelf prices than ad prices (so pay attention).   At WalMart, you can also match non-grocery prices (shampoo, detergent, etc.).  At SuperSaver, you bag your own groceries.  You will need to have the ads with you, and they’ll want to see them, because the cashiers don’t have all the prices memorized. 

You’ve got your tools, your plan and your game face.  Tomorrow we shop!

“Eating down your freezer” has been a pretty popular concept lately.  The idea is that you do a thorough inventory of all the food and ingredients in your house (pantries, freezers, fridges, hidey holes above the fridge, extra stash in the garage, etc.), and vow to eat only what you have, until it’s gone.   You save money, meet a self-challenge, and net some shopping time.

There have been front page, Sunday paper articles (another beef for another time) about couples and families who have done this, mostly out of financial necessity.  We did it here this spring because we knew we’d be gone three weeks in June, and didn’t want the stuff we had to “surprise” us when we returned.  There are blogs devoted to this concept, and pretty interesting stories about it. 

Pretty neat.  Until it’s all gone.

Now what?

Never fear; Cheap Thrills is here!  I’m going to give you a quick rundown of the process, and then take you through the steps in detail later.

I understand that if you’ve done this because you’ve lost one or both incomes, or because you’ve been unable to work for a few weeks, money is a real issue.  Going through your food stashes is a great temporary solution, and most of us will go through this at least once in our lives.  I’ve done it a few times.  What comes next is living for an extended time with a limited budget, the smart way.

First things first.  Just as you inventoried your kitchen, inventory your finances.  What do you truly have for groceries each month?  Not eating out; just groceries.  That’d be food and drink, not TP, shampoo and all those other necessities.  We’re talking Eating, here.

Next, you’re going to have to put some time into this.  Pull your grocery ads.  Most of them are going to be on-line, so if you don’t get a newspaper (or get the paper’s food ads in the mail, as we do here), that’s not an excuse.  Go through the ads and find the “loss leaders.”  Those are the food (not junk food) items with the incredibly low prices:  canned vegs for .39/can; seasonal fruit and vegs; tortillas for .69/package.  Write them down on a list, noting the brand, item, size, price, and which store.  These are likely the cheapest items you’re going to find, unless there’s a clearance bin or manager’s special.  Also write down items you need that might not be loss leaders, like bread and eggs.

Now turn to your coupons.   Not a clipper?   Again, many will be on-line for the printing.  Select, print and cut.  Keep them in an organizer like a recycled envelope, cutsie coupon holder that you might already have, and old wallet, or old plastic file box.  Match any coupons with the store deals, and mark those items on your list with a circled C next to the item.  Put those coupons at the front of your collection. 

If you have a favorite store, get to know it really well.  When do they mark their meats for quick sale?  Do they have a clearance item bin?  When is the store least crowded, considering your available hours?  What is their coupon policy?  Most importantly, does the store price match?  If you don’t know the answers, ask the manager or front-end manager.

If store loyalty does not mean as much as cheap groceries, take everything (including the ads, just in case) to your nearest WalMart or any store that will price match branded items and store brands.  This means that you can get all the loss leader deals from all the stores in one place.  If it’s a store or regional brand, they’ll honor the price.  Make sure you can use your coupons.

Now, shop.  Get only the items on your list (so if you know you need milk, it should be on your list) and unexpected deals.  Compare shelf prices, because sometimes a store brand or special trumps a loss leader.  If you’re wondering how to make meals out of what your’e buying, well, you did it while you were eating down your food.  This is the same, but you might have more selections in your sale items.  You have your budgeted amount, and you should keep a running total on the side of your list to be sure you don’t go over (be sure to deduct any coupon amounts).  Instead of grabbing just one of those can veg deals, grab two or three, but make sure that fits the budget. 

Find an unadvertised special?  Grab it if it fits the budget.  I once got several jars of national name brand spaghetti sauce for .25 each, because the store was discontinuing them, and I had coupons.  I’ve purchased extra lean ground beef for .29/pound!  I got 15 for the freezer, because I had extra that week after my regular shopping.  I often get bakery bread for .99/loaf on the discounted shelf.

Stop by the meat case, if you eat meat, even if meat isn’t on your list.  You could find an incredible manager’s special that could be prepared right away, or frozen for future use.  For the same reason, stop by the dairy case, frozen foods, and bakery department.  Just make sure it all fits your budget.

When you get home, take quick and proper care of your food.  Wrap and freeze.  Wash, dry and package.  Portion and store.  Just don’t let it get lost in the back and go bad, or become forgotten.

You will find that almost as quickly as you ate down your groceries, you will replenish them.  If you’ve taken two or more weeks to eat down your pantry, you know the value of recipe web sites.  Keep using them with your new, ever-changing, set of groceries.  When you want to make something in particular for dinner, you can shop your food supply at home before you run to the store.  Continue shopping this way, and soon you will have extra budget money for a great grilling steak on sale, or other treat.

Notes: 

There are tons of ways to organize and tote your coupons.  You need to find a way that works for you and your shopping habits.  Some like baseball card binder inserts; some like an oversized  envelope.  I use a plastic file box I once used to hold my graphics supplies (before computers!  Yikes!) — the closure broke, so I made an elastic band to keep it shut.  I made dividers by food type (canned goods, produce, soups, etc.) from ugly cardstock I had from a project.

To find online grocery ads for your stores, go to Bing.com and search for your store by name and/or location.

Some suggested online coupon sites:  Coupons.com, boodle.com, couponbug.com, coolsavings.com, OurFamilyCoupons.com, or on the site of your favorite grocery store

To find out more about eating down your food, go to Bing and search for “eating down the freezer.”

The thing about being cheap is, well, it’s cheap.  Thrifty — now there’s a great term.  But the best way I can feel that I’m getting a deal, is to find that value-added service that makes me say, “Boy, am I glad I came here.”  I found such a service recently.

Preface: I have not had good experiences with health care providers here in Omaha.  I’ve found that mostly, the office staff do not care for their jobs, apparently.  Either that, or their jobs do not really, truly incorporate customer/patient service.  Especially true with dental offices.  That’s my experience, I’m sorry to say.

Recently I had to make dental appointments for myself and my sons, and for a variety of reasons, I decided to take the opportunity to switch dentists.  The new dental plan has a nifty doctor-finder, which I used, and I found one closeby, with Saturday hours, who could see us within a reasonable time frame.  Dr. Straub, Whispering Ridge Dental, in front of the HyVee at 156/Maple.

Dr. Straub answers his own phone, first of all, which impresses me, and he makes the reminder calls.  I appreciate a provider who does what needs to be done.  While he does have minimal staff, he is not to “above” knowing how to file an insurance claim, and even doing it.

His x-rays are digital.  Very cool.  No harmful chemicals poured into the environment, no waiting endlessly, and no blurry images that can’t be retaken.  You moved!  Delete it and do it again.  Five whole seconds.

I have also been enduring the age-old struggle with my sons regarding brushing, flossing, and understanding why.  Dr. Straub was not afraid to lay it on the line with my kids: you can brush with toothpaste and floss now, or I can use a drill later, it’s up to you.  THANK YOU!  Finally, a straight-talking doc who will strongly reinforce our efforts with our kids.  No cow-towing, no pacifying, no sugar-coating (pardon the pun).  Okay, so Dr. Straub is from Jersey, and they’re pretty direct there.  I appreciate a provider who will recognize the dynamics and professionally address my sons’ needs (not wishes).

I hadn’t had a cavity in 21 years.  Until a few weeks ago.  I was having discomfort.  He found four.  Then his assistant took pics with a nifty lipstick camera, and they appeared on the TV installed to relax the patients.  How cool is that?!  I could actually see what needed to be filled, and why, instead of blindly trusting that work needed to be done.  I appreciate a provider who understands that I want to know what’s going on and participate in my own health care.

“Do it,” I said.  “But first check my insurance.” 

“You’re covered,” he said.  “Your cost for everything will be $XX.  We already checked your insurance when you got here, and even have this coverage chart (waving it) in your file.”  I appreciate a provider who understands that cost is a factor, and that I haven’t memorized the 86-page policy that Human Resources provided five months ago.

Value-added!  Even if we just had the semi-annual cleaning and checkup at no cost to us, there was value added to the experience.  Plus, he’s pretty funny, so there’s that, which my kids really liked.  And if they like the dentist, we’re in really good shape.

P.S. — I was having trouble with one filling.  Ba-da-bing!  The doc smoothed it out and made it right without issue.  He even offered to see me immediately (which unfortunately wasn’t an option).  Excellent.

YAY!  I’m down nearly 20 pounds since Election Day!  In the aftermath of the electoral process, following a good look in the mirror, I stepped on the scale.  Well, if I couldn’t control the economy, I reasoned, I could at least control my own weight.  Something had to be done.

I joined my local Curves for Women last June, during the “30 days for $30″ fitness study.  I lost 4 pounds, then gained it back during a particularly stressful autumn.  (That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.)  The monthly withdrawal from my account is around $36,  or about $1.20 per day.  Shocking!  “Couldn’t you just walk in your neighborhood for fitness?” you ask.  “Surely there must be less costly workouts.” 

Nah, not for me.  I realized that when I use (really work) the hydraulic circuit machines properly, there’s nothing better for me.  I enjoy walking, but not on my area’s crooked  sidewalks, and not with the weight loss success I’ve found now.  Sure, I bought a bike, helmet and lock a few years ago, but haven’t used them much.  And while the males in the family like for Mom to tag along on hikes and geocaches, it’s not a regular, total workout.

See, the value of something is different than its cost.  I get more in 30 minutes in a room full of other sweaty huffy-puffy women than in an hour and a half hiking dusty hills in the middle of summer with my three stinky guys.  In addition to my own personal workout, I’ve received advice on parenting from a professional, warnings on OTC meds from a pharmacist, and spiritual support from the pastor’s wife.  Plus, I’m two pants sizes smaller already, thank you very much.

I won’t rationalize the daily $1.20 by saying I’ll save that much off my food bill, or that it’s so close I’ll save that much in gas somehow.  Heck, I could eat $1.20 worth of celery sticks and fat free ranch dressing while sitting on my butt watching “The Biggest Loser.”  No, this is $1.20 that I choose to spend on my health and well-being, in a way that I know works best for me.  Twenty pounds is quite an accomplishment for this old gal.  And worth $1.20 each day.

This process has brought a new dimension to my lifestyle.  My eating patterns are different; my family’s eating patterns are the same, just a little healthier.  I’m up and at ‘em earlier in the day — my location opens at 6 a.m., and I’m there shortly after that, usually, these days.  It used to take me two hours and four cups of coffee to wake up; now it’s about half an hour of news and weather with one cup now, and one or two more cups doing chores later on.  I don’t crash in front of the TV at 7:30 p.m. anymore, and I’m crossing off my to-do lists more quickly.  It’s a bargain for me.

Fitness membership: $1.20/day.  Reduction in grocery budget: $10/week.  Five inches off my thighs: priceless.