tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932030936008956432012-01-07T15:34:58.791-05:00Recipes, lists, organization, and money-saving tips for the penny pincher in all of us.Laina Ynoreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-42600818356745683442009-07-24T09:32:00.003-04:002009-07-24T09:37:49.813-04:00

Time to tally up what we've spent so far this week. We've had yet another change of plans for the weekend, and this time it may cost us, so what do I have left?Spending so far:Acme: $61.25Mom's dinner out: $17.00Ice cream treat mid-week: $10.34Total so far: $88.59Left to spend: $11.41To finish the week, we'll need: bread, milk, lettuce (maybe), granola bars and other trail snacks for hub's hike.

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-89652680188529736962009-07-20T14:20:00.002-04:002009-07-20T14:34:05.880-04:00

I think I have some ideas for a menu for this week. It's a little up in the air, but it's a particularly low-budget menu, so I'll use up the extra cash to go out with some moms from a local homeschooling group tonight, and to stock up on chicken which is 50% off at Acme this week!Breakfasts: cereal, oatmeal, maybe some homemade bagels if I'm feeling ambitiousLunches: Sandwiches, soup from the

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-52054778923224901382009-07-19T21:16:00.002-04:002009-07-19T21:31:42.424-04:00

I will say that Week 1 of the All You Grocery Challenge was a success for me! As I approached the end of the week, I realized that I hadn't checked my pantry as carefully as I should have before setting out for the store, but a few little substitutions, and we made out a-ok! Our week also included one unplanned stop at McD's for coveted Dawn of the Dinosaurs Happy Meal toys. Even with that

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-58892525901625846862009-07-16T09:39:00.003-04:002009-07-16T09:53:25.544-04:00

I can remember sitting at my parents' kitchen table cutting out coupons for my Dad who was the primary grocery shopper in our house. I don't know that it did us much good then. Dad was a sale shopper, and if it was on sale, or he had a coupon, it was in the cart whether we would use it or not.A few years later I found myself working at the corner grocery store, a small, family-owned local shop.

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-22388981908635528502009-07-14T09:34:00.005-04:002009-07-14T09:58:50.904-04:00

This is week 1 of the All You Grocery Challenge from All You magazine!I took care to plan ahead this week and try to get my spending as slim as possible. I left room for milk and bread runs later in the week, and other ingredients I might find I'm lacking (such as yeast and flour).I've been grocery shopping once this week to my local Weis Markets and my total was: $47.18I'll comment on my

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-56271340763121635452009-07-14T09:30:00.002-04:002009-07-14T09:33:52.782-04:00

Ok, ok... so I'm lousy at this blogging thing. Ah, but give me a challenge and you're sure to bring me out of the woodwork!For the next month, All You magazine has challenged readers to limit their grocery spending to $25 per person in their household. For me, that means $100 per week, which is above where I actually want to be. They're offering a contest (though I believe sign-ups have

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-78653572693214994962009-06-02T08:44:00.002-04:002009-06-02T08:53:34.665-04:00

Ah, that Acme receipt finally turned up, so I can post my spending summary for the week thus far.In my second check-out at Acme on 5/31, I picked up2 5-packs of Kraft Mac N Cheese2 10-packs of Capri Sun Sunrisejar of mayonnaise2-liter of A&W root beerhalf-gallon of Edy's Ice Cream2 boxes of Eggo wafflesGrand total: $8.69So this month so far (I'm counting 5/31 for June): $79.83

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-48788488298111957382009-05-31T21:42:00.003-04:002009-05-31T21:49:52.292-04:00

Sunday: Soup, leftovers Hamburgers, baked fries, root beer floatsMonday: Make bagels, muffins to stock freezer for breakfasts Sandwiches Salads for dinnerTuesday: Cereal, frozen waffles Mac N Cheese (for kids), leftover salad (for me) Soup and sandwiches for dinnerWednesday: Bagel with egg String

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-61254490890693825472009-05-31T21:26:00.002-04:002009-05-31T21:42:49.740-04:00

I got up early this morning (before my son commenced vomiting, fortunately) and picked up some deals at Acme. Some were major luck... the person checking out in front of me didn't wait for her coupons from the printer, so the cashier gave them to me. I scored a coupon for $2 off the next purchase and a free Edy's Ice Cream! I made a second trip into the store to pick up the ice cream and more

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-73041123710363752352009-05-30T16:05:00.005-04:002009-05-30T19:28:25.823-04:00

Some thoughts on planning for the upcoming week:My hub and kids don't need to slim down at all, but I do need to shed some pounds and that's a major struggle in my planning. My son and I watched a few episodes of "Cook Yourself Thin" on Lifetime on-demand this week and a few recipes caught his eye: Stuffed French Toast Sundaes (probably too pricey for this week), Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-5755241966170265272009-05-30T15:25:00.009-04:002009-05-30T19:28:05.860-04:00

Well, that November plan didn't work out so well, did it? *wink*But it's spring, and I'm back! We have so many interesting things going on around here to make our budget in the kitchen that I'm going to have to blog it because I'm just so flippin' excited! So what's new and exciting, you ask?Our garden!!! Last year for my birthday, my dear husband bought me a copy of All New Square Foot Gardening

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-16505230500662177192008-10-28T23:13:00.003-04:002008-10-28T23:22:12.717-04:00

Planning!This week, I'm concentrating on planning for the month of November. My goal is to get grocery spending to around $100 per week, or $400 per month. I'm trying first to get some sort of sense of what I have in the pantry to work with, although I do realize that I have to figure that once it's used, it's gone and I have to replace, ya know? But we have a good bit of storage stacked with

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793203093600895643.post-27259754168922875932008-10-27T23:14:00.007-04:002008-10-27T23:43:54.612-04:00

The kitchen is my favorite part of my whole house. I love that it is the room where my family gathers, the room from which the nostalgic aromas of home cooking bring us back to what is really important year after year, the room where my children's giggles echo from inside the cabinets... yes, inside... after they've emptied one of storage containers and climbed inside as their own little

Laina Ynoreply@blogger.com0