Green or frugal? December 16, 2008

I have this battle that plays out in my head almost weekly. The battle is with being frugal and still trying to live a more ‘green’ lifestyle. Why is it that to buy products that are good for you or good for the Earth seem to go completely against living on a budget? Am I the only one who find this completely frustrating? Add to that all the samples you can receive from companies. The samples are great…if you will use them. I have received all kinds of samples from coffee to toothpaste, from deodorant to granola bars. But of course, there is another box to throw away. The samples are great because they help me decide if the item is really worth purchasing anyway. I just struggle with the idea of living within my grocery budget and still be conscious of the things I bring into my home.

Do you battle with this? If so, what is your solution?

WFWM – Freezing food September 10, 2008

Oh my goodness…I have found a product that I simply can not imagine not having in my kitchen. It goes right next to my silicone basting brush (if I had one – totally on my list!) and my heat resistant spatula/spoon combo! What could it be? It is the Reynolds Handi-Vac. I tend to buy my meat in large portions but I always have trouble keeping freezer burn off of it. Not anymore people! It is great because I can even dice up chicken and place it in the bag. With hunting season quickly approaching you can believe I will be using this tons! There are two different size bags you can get with this to determine the amount of meat that can fit in it. I use the small ones mostly…they hold about a pound and a half of ground beef or 2 chicken breasts cubed.

Best of all, it is relatively inexpensive! I think I paid $10.00 for the actual ‘vac’ and it came with three bags to try and batteries! While it is a little cost out of pocket to begin, it is saving me money by keeping the meat fresher for longer!

Works for me! What works for you? Check out Shannon’s list of participants here!

Super Savings June 7, 2008

As I have said before here and here, we live as frugal as possible. After all, frugal sounds so much better than cheap! I used to think that pinching pennies meant that you didn’t get the ‘good things’. I was wrong. Crystal normally does a thing on Saturdays called Super Savings Saturday. I have not participated yet. Even though I get good deals and save a good amount of money in the process, I never mange to get a picture of it all before I put it away. I went to CVS this week and saved a little more than $141.00. When my mom tells my dad she saved money, his first questions is how did she have to spend to save that much! I spent a little over $11.00!

Did you see that? I spent a little over $11.00 total! It took three transactions, rolling over ECBs and using coupons. I was so excited to tell Heath! The best part? We needed the items pictured. Well, all except the glucose monitor. The monitor was on sale fro $30.00 this week and I had a coupon to save $30.00 off 1, so it was free. I plan to donate it to an elderly lady we know. I think the best part about saving is having the ability to still give to others. Some months it feels hard to simply feed 3 growing boys, a hubby and myself and I wonder if pinching pennies is even worth it. This month, it sure was! Now, if I had only taken the picture of my Publix trip…where I spent around $24.00 and saved $28.00!