Spending Freeze Day 1: State of our stockpile

I mentioned before that people have asked if we stocked up in preparation for this spending freeze, in short no, we didn't, but we do have a stock pile of sorts.  It was only 2 weeks ago that Hubs and I decided to challenge ourselves for the month of February to spend $100 or less on anything that is not a monthly bill.  We did not run out and buy everything we thought we might need for the month, or go on a shopping spree to hold us over, in our minds, that would defeat the purpose. 

I have began couponing 5 months ago, and in that time I have learned that when a price is really low on something your family uses regularly, you should buy enough to last you until the next sale. So with that in mind, we do have a modest stock in our pantry.  What to see? 

We have a bunch of hot cereal, pasta, peanut butter, tomato soup, and certainly enough brownie and cake mix to last us awhile.  We have about 10 boxes of cold cereal (1/2 which are the ones the kids pass over) so we will be seeing how to make those more appealing to the this month.  We are also pretty set on oatmeal, flour, sugar and bisquick, so I am sure i will be baking a bit as well. 


Now the fridge and freezer are looking a bit light these days, we have eggs, jelly, butter, mayo....  but we will need to pick up some more produce for sure.  As for meat, we are all but out, so I will hunting for good deals on chicken and  beef.  (This just might be the month that I finally try cooking a whole chicken).  What to see inside my fridge?  It's a bit of a mess, but here goes...

Hum, we do have some frozen veggies, a pizza and a couple of burritos in there too I see, besides the pizza, these are mostly items my kids groan at, so we will have to get creative and sneaky to get these past my picky eaters. 

Other than food, gas is the other large part of our day to day expenses.  We have 2 cars, the family mini van and Hub's little car, both of which have about 1/8 tank of gas.  We will really be needing to plan our trips out carefully.  I mentioned before that Hub's is currently looking for work, so we don't have his commute to worry about, but trips to the post office and the store can still add up quick and it costs a bit over $50 to fill our van.  I will be wanting to take advantage of sales this month to stretch our budget, but I will have to weigh the sale against the cost of gas, something I have not really done in the past.

So there you have it.  This is what we are starting with, a modest stockpile, very little gas and creativity.

Today we spent $0, we drove nowhere, but instead got out on our bikes and enjoyed the very cold sunshine.

Kimberly

Safeway deals this week

I have not had a chance to go thru all my coupons from yesterday's Sunday paper yet, but since I needed to go to the post office and Safeway is on my way, I decided to head in to score some of these great deals.

 Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.77, limit 6
w/ in ad store coupon
use $0.75/2 coupon from 1/2 GM insert OR
use $1/2 printable coupon-pillsbury.com
Final Price: $1.27

Betty Crocker Fuit Snacks $0.99, limit 6
w/ in ad store coupon
use $0.50/2 coupon from 1/2 GM insert or printable
Final Price: $0.74 each

Skippy Peanut Butter $1.49, limit 4
w/ in ad store coupon
use $1/1 coupon from Safeway's Joy of Savings Coupon Book
Final Price: $0.49
(stock up price)

Activa or Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt  $1.88
use $1/1 coupon from 1/9 or 1/30 SS insert
Final Price: $0.88 each

Refresh 2 liter Soda $.79 each when you buy 4
use $1/4 coupon from Safeway's Joy of Savings Coupon Book
Final Price:   $.54 each

Lucerne String Cheese (12 pack)  $2.99 with in ad coupon limit 4


I also picked up some other things, like eggs and potatoes...  I ended up spending $38.89 and saving $40.58 (51%) I love LOVE love it when I save more than I spend.

In other News, tomorrow marks the 1st day of our spending freeze and people have been asking if I stocked up in order to prepare- the short answer is no, but I will cover that and give you a peak into my pantry in a bit.

stay tuned...

Kimberly

Save Big on Soap.com, + Discount code!

There are some great Free and cheap deals at Soap.com right now, and orders over $25 ship next day for Free too!

Old Spice
Body Wash, After Hours-1.7oz - buy 2, click box for coupon and they will be $0.69  each!

All  Revlon Beauty tool at Buy one get one free!

Neutrogena
Face Cleansing Bar-3.5 oz  $1.89 when you click the coupon box and save $1.50

K-Y products are buy one get one 50% off

Clean & Clear
Daily Pore Oil Free Cleanser-5.5 oz $2.99 when you click the coupon box and save $2.00

Oral B Anti-Microbial, Battery Powered tooth brushes, buy one get one free- so $3.67 each when you buy 2

 

 Buy $25 worth of Product (this is $25 BEFORE coupons!) and get FREE next day shipping - AND to make it even sweeter- use coupon code KIMB1269 and get 15% off your whole order!

 

Kimberly

 

 

February spending freeze is a go.

I am excited (and maybe a bit nuts) to declare that next month will be a spending freeze for the Middle Mama household.  What does this mean?  Glad you asked...  It means aside from our regular monthly bills, we are limiting our spending to $100.  That's right, 1 Big Ben and that is it, when it is gone, it's gone.  That means the combined total of gas, groceries, entertainment, eating out, diapers, shopping etc, cannot be more than $100. 

This is a 1st for us, but we are excited for the challenge (and the savings).   How did I come up with $100, not $150 or $200...  I really just picked it, no rhyme or reason.  My goal in this challenge is to see how little we can spend over the course of a month.  It will take some changes, and alot of creativity, something hubby and I are ready to take on. 

About us- ours is a family of 5, Hubs and I and 3 sons, ages 10, 5 and 3.  The littlest is still in diapers, our 5 year old is not is school yet, and our 10 year old is not in sports but will be trying out for the school musical in Feb.  Hubs is currently unemployed, and I run a small business from home.

Why February?  Because hubs is unemployed, we are needing to tighten our belts even tighter.  Also, we are thinking this may become an annual challenge, and Feb is the shortest month. :)  And finally, because Feb is also the month with the least amount of birthday's and family gatherings so we can try and drive less. (it take about $55 to fill our minivan).

To make it easier to track less tempting to spend, on Feb 1st we will be putting the debit cards away and  taking out $100 cash.

Want to join me?  There is strength in numbers, why not challenge your family to a spending freeze.  Think about how much you think you could trim your spending to, and set a goal a little lower (it is supposed to be a challenge after all).  Blog, or journal about it, or just follow along here and share your progress in the comments. 

Not ready to take the plunge?  I encourage you to follow along anyways, maybe share a few tips, and learn a few at the same time.  Lord knows nearly everyone needs to save money these days.  

So I want to know, have you ever had a spending freeze before?  Will you be joining us next month?  Comments are welcome :)

Walgreens Free and Money makers!

These deals will start Sunday, January 23rd.

Buy $20 in participating products get $5 RR
Buy $30 in participating products get $10 RR
See page 11 of ad for other participating products.

Maalox on sale $5.09 (price may vary, account for 25% off if your price is different)
Buy 6
Use (6) $5/1 coupons from 1/9 SS insert
Pay $.54, get $10 RR
FREE plus $9.46 overage after RR

Omega Smart Fish Oil on sale $10

Buy 1, get $10 RR

Use $2/1 printable coupon

Pay $8, get $10 RR

FREE plus $2 overage after RR

Chex Mix on sale $1.33

Buy 5, get $3.50 RR  (Sunday only)

Buy 6

Use (6) $1/1 coupons from Safeway Football coupon book

Use $.99/3 coupon from Walgreens January  coupon book (at front of store)

Pay $0, get $3.50 RR (Sunday only)

FREE plus $3.50 overage on 1/23

Colgate  Pro Clinical Toothpast on sale $3.49

Buy 1, get $2.50 RR

Use $1/1 coupon from 1/2 SS insert

Pay $$2.49, get $2.50 RR

FREE after coupon & RR  

I will tell you that I have only been couponing since August 2009, and within a month I was to the point that I will only get toothpaste if it is free (or a moneymaker).  I have enough stockpiled that I got free or very cheap that I can wait for free toothpaste now, and I share it with other families as well.  It is not uncommon for friends and family to come visit and I send them home with with body wash or toothpaste.  I love to share the couponing love :)

$1.99 Zantac at Target

Zantac 150, 24 tablets $6.99 (through 1/29)
go here to get a  $5.00/1 coupon
Final Price: $1.99

I so need this deal right now too, and the cool mint version pictured above is my favorite.

Kimberly 

Albertsons – Quaker oatmeal as low as $0.30 cents each (starts Friday)

Just a heads up that there will be a GREAT deal on Quaker Oatmeal starting this Friday at Albertsons.  There is a catalina coupon that will start printing this Friday, which will make their Quaker oatmeal only $0.30 a box!

Here’s how:

Transaction 1

Buy 5 Quaker Instant Oatmeal $2.50 
use (5) $1.00 off from 1/2 RedPlum
Receive $3.00 instant Albertsons Discount for buy 5
Total OOP: $4.50, get back a $3.00 Catalina
Final Price: $0.30 each!

Transaction 2

                Buy 5 Quaker Instant Oatmeal $2.50 

                use (5) $1.00 off from 1/2 RedPlum  

                Receive $3.00 instant Albertsons Discount for buy 5

                use $3 Catalina from previous transaction

               Total OOP: $1.50, get back a $3.00 Catalina

When you are done- you will have paid $6.00 out of pocket and still have $3.00 off your next purchase.  Sweet!

Catalina info:

Purchase any Quaker Oatmeal Products between 1/21-2/18 receive up to $3 on your next purchase:
buy 3, receive $1 OYNO
buy 4, receive $2 OYNO
buy 5, receive $3 OYNO

Kimberly