Stockpiling

Rules for Stockpiling:
Some may seem obvious but it took me a while to catch follow through with them

1) Only buy what you will use, if you hate blueberry poptarts it doesn't matter that they were .02 a box, you wasted two cents a box on something you won't eat.
2) Only buy what you can use before the expiration date, free/cheap pasta is awesome but most people don't go through 200 boxes of it before it expires.
3) Rotate your items, this is so they don't go bad
4) When/if you discover you have more than you can use but already have the item give to friends/family or donate some place.
5) You don't use it donate it, or give to family or friends. Often times stores will have deals that you can get free items or even make money off of buying certain things (such as CVS) but you have no use for them, do not stockpile these items as fast as they come into your house get them out of your house!!
6) Organization is key, you need to know what you have and be able to find it. This will stop you from having to go to the store and pay full price for spaghetti sauce because you couldn't find a jar in your stockpile.
7) Keep list's, keep a list of items that you regularly use and keep a list of your stockpile

Those are all i can think of for now, if I think of more I'll edit and add them.

My Price Points: this is the most I will pay for items

Shampoo $1/bottle
Toilet Paper .25cents a roll (up to .28 for Charmin)
Paper Towel .50 cents a roll (but I really hate to go over .30)
Cereal $1/box
Fruit Snacks .50/box
Toothpaste $1/tube (can usually find free)
Toothbrush $1/each (can usually get for less or free)
Diapers .17 per diaper
Pasta sauce $1/jar (this is for brand name stuff)
Pasta .25/box
Meat $2/lb (unless we are talking steak)
Popcorn $1/box
Milk $2 gallon
Macaroni and Cheese .50/box (Kraft brand)
Rice $1/bag
Frozen Veggies .25/bag (steamers)
Crescent rolls .50/tube

The three best things that I have learned from couponing/stockpiling
1) Organization is Key!! Without this all is lost
2) Menu Plan-this makes the most of the stockpile, keeps grocery bill low, stops you from feeling lost at dinner time or from wasting money on going out to eat.
3) The value of a Dollar!!

Let us Pray for Haiti

When I was little (and clearly still learning about God) in the car on a drive someplace with my Aunt we passed a car accident- right then without thinking she interrupted our conversation and started praying for the people in the car accident and those involved in helping. I asked what she was doing and why, and she said that she was praying for God to be with all those people and help them. I didn't get it then but I get it now as an adult.

Let us all take time out of our day today, and for the next few days to pray for all these people -those that were in the earthquake and the people that are helping them (rescuer's, dr's, police officers etc.)

Where to find coupons??

There are tons of great places to find coupons first (and my personal favorite) is the Sunday newspaper. Next up is all the great printable sites (I will list several at the bottom) but then there are in store coupons these come in many different shapes some can be peelie's that you find on a product, sometimes Q's can be found inside products, blinkie's are coupons found inside those machines at the store that blink, Q's can also be found in booklets that are by products or being handed out at stores-so always check what just look like annoying advertisement or recipee's often it will have recipie's for the product (which can be great too!) but at the end of the booklet there can be a handful of coupons and/or even rebates for buying those products. Recently I got a booklet that was with all the crackers in the main isle of meijer I beleive it was called "Jingle the hoildays" it had some cute ideas for recipie's in it and coupons and a rebate at the end. The rebate was $10 rebate when you buy (wyb) 10 products, well I got a coupon online for $2/2 ritz crackers so I got five of them bought ten box's @ $2.37 a box only $1.37 a box with coupon and once I get the rebate back I will have only spent $.37 cents a box (full size boxes) for ritz crackers. I was very excited as we go through a lot of these in our house, my kids think they are cookies :D Another great way to get coupons is to email (or post mail) a company to let them know what you think of their product for ex. Heinz ketchup I emailed to let them know that my family loves their ketchup, I've even had to stop my child from putting it on french toast and that we go through a bottle a month and thanked the company for making such a great product. If you have problems with a product you can also call the company if you prefer not to write. Sometimes you will get coupons and sometimes you won't but I would say that it is well worth your time to do this. I almost forgot about another type of coupons they are called Cat's (short for catalina, the name of the machine that spits them out) they come out of the little machine at the register at the time you check out these coupons can be for money off your next order or coupons towards products you bought but of a different brand. For example at meijer when I buy enfamil formula I usually get a coupon for BOGO (buy one get one free) or $8 off any can of similac formula. I obviously won't be swapping my kid's formula left and right due to coupons, but usually I can find another mom on afullcup.com and swap her coupons with mine for the type of formula we use.

Internet Coupons
www.smartsource.com
www.coupons.com
www.couponbug.com
www.redplum.com
Bricks Coupons I love this one lots of little tiny words add up to some big savings
Betty Crocker
Box Tops for Education
Pillsbury
Also there is a site called my points (if you want to sign up please lmk I'll email you my link to get credit) you can print coupons (usually the same ones from coupons.com) however when you print and use 10 a month you get 25 points, and points add up to gift cards to a lot of different places like CVS, Target, and there is also a bunch of restaurants on the list. So I like printing from here too just so I get the points.

www.shortcuts.com This site you register with but are able to add coupons to your Kroger Card

www.meijermealbox.com this site will allow you to print coupons that are meijer store coupons meaning you can use it with a manufacture coupon to get a maximum amount of savings, most of the coupons on this site usually go together with sales. Once you get to the site look to the right at the box that says meal box then click on the specials tab and then below that click on coupons.

Couponing and Savings Tracker

I learned the art of couponing two years ago, I am really just starting to "get" how the whole system works and it has taken a long time. Not to say that I am an expert, because I don't think that I am. My Aunt told me about a website called thecouponproject and on the site there is a savings tracker that you can download (this was made and designed by the owner/operator of thecouponproject) at first this Excel program was very confusing to me, not just because I am not familiar with excel but also because I wasn't sure how to read my receipts and how all the savings was calculated on the receipt. First of all I went back to thecouponproject to see what she has been up to latly and I noticed that she now added a better explanation of how to use it. Sadly this is after I spent a couple hours today figuring it all out by myself lol.

Here are my directions:
Meijer: I use the terms which are found at the top of the receipt under Savings Today.
Shelf cost = promotions+coupons+discounts+total (what you actually paid)
Coupons = Promotions (which are meijer coupons)+Coupons
Discounts = non-coupon savings

Kroger: Your savings will be found at the bottom of the receipt, once again using the wording on the receipt.
Shelf cost = coupons+discounts+total (what you actually paid)
Coupons = MFG CPN savings
Discounts= STR CPN & KRO PLUS savings

If I will be using a receipt for a rebate I enter the amount under rebate, and at the end under comments I enter what rebate was for (i.e. Kraft, Nabisco, etc.) Also if I am going to be mailing away for something (coupons or items) I enter this info in at the end under comments. If you enter all the information correct the total should tally what you actually paid without you having to try to alter it. Also I will be adding Catalina's, Extra Care Bucks, and Register Rewards at the end under comments so that I can also track these "extra" savings, because I will be curious what my saving's from just those are however year long when spent they will be counted as coupons.

So far this year, ALL Twelve Days!! My total savings has been $427.69, 129.94 alone of just coupon savings!! I have only spent $205 total out of pocket (oop) For me this covers food, diapers, paper products, cleaning supplies, essentially anything that you would "normally" buy at the grocery store is what I include with my savings tracker. I may actually open another file under the savings tracker for all the other stuff that we buy out to eat, clothing, other house hold purchase's just to keep track of what we save there but also (possiblly more importantly) to see how much we spend on all these items.

Pre-Cut Mats

I have wanted to do silhouette pictures of my kids for all the parents and grandparents for Christmas this year but i had no idea how to make this an affordable idea considering you need either photo frames, or canvas's which are also expensive I mean even when you buy dollar store frames times three kids times 8 gifts well that is just more then I can afford to spend (DH has been out of work for six months so gifts really need to be well thought out this year.) But I just found this website Pre Cut Mats and they have lots of different size's and prices to go with them lol they seem to be very fair priced. So I could be making these gifts for as little as .95 cents each maybe even less because that price would include a backing and bag which I might not need.

Menu Planning Monday

Normally for this I would do a week's worth of meals but since I am having baby Jacob in 11 days!!! (I am very excited to see baby #3) plus the holiday and family plans I will be making a month long meal plan.

1- Sausage in Crescents with mac and cheese
2- Soup
3- Mini meatloaf with french fries and corn (making 3X normal for freezer)
4- Cheesy Chicken in Rice &veggies (make 3X normal sauce for freezer)
5- Turkey Dinner (will make pot pie's, and casserole's with leftovers for freezer)
6- EAT OUT
7- Taco's
8- Turkey pot pie
9- Chicken Alfredo
10- Freezer Food
11- Up to Daddy-Baby Jacob's Birthday
12- Mini meatloaf, corn, and fries (all will be in freezer)
13- Sandwiches
14- Soup
15- Spaghetti, salad/veggies, and bread
16- BBQ Chicken
17- Calizone's/Pastie's
18- Steak, salad, veggies, potatoes, and bread (my birthday dinner!!)
19- Sausage in Crescents
20- Sandwiches
21- Taco's
22- Cheesy Chicken and Rice (sauce in freezer)
23- Soup
24- Make your own pizza night (tradition started last year!!)
25- Ham dinner with cheesy potatoes, veggies, and bread
26- Turkey Casserole (from freezer)
27- Scalloped potatoes and Ham
28- Eat Out/leftovers
29- Freezer Food
30- Mini meatloaf, fries, and corn (all in freezer)
31- Appetizer Dinner (lots of fun snack foods)

There are several things/meals that I want to make extra of for the freezer this month but on top of all that I have some Christmas Baking that I would like to get done also:

Chex Mix (3 batches)
Surgar Cookie Cutouts (for parties and kids decorating, make TONS)
Breads (sesame seed, cranberry, Cinnamon, banana nut,)
Choc. Chip/Brownie Muffins
Hershey Kiss Cookies

So very much to do!!

Nesting drive's people like me insane, because I have a mental will to do something and physically unable to (since the baby is on my nerve in my back and my pelvic bone!!) However thanks to Hubby I do have the crib set up in my room and his dresser, his idea and boy was it a good one. I have a mile long to do list (including a honey do list) that I just really want to get done and I don't have the energy.

Since being pregnant and having the baby on the nerve in my back certain things in my house have been lacking in cleanliness such as the kitchin floor (which appears to have a gray tint to it that doesn't belong there) and my bathrooms-the tub, floor, sinks, and mirrors- nothing really gets clean enough in these areas right now and I am praying I get the energy up to do so before I have the baby.
I need my husband to attach/put up the door on Johnathans room, yes we have lived here an entire year and we still do not have his door attached we just drag it back and forth to open and close it which is killing my back/pelvic bone. I also need/want him to replace the bathroom floor (or cover with carpet), put caulk around the kitchen sink and bathtub, fix the hole in my bathroom wall, and let me rest too lol. He does let me rest a lot, thank god for him being home to help this pregnancy has been very difficult. But I get frustrated when he does fix/work on things and I can't rest and have the kids all by myself. Which is truly kinda funny when you consider that as soon as he gets another job he will be back to work and I will have to do it by myself without whinning!!! I will pray for God to help me with this.
Also before the baby comes (december 10th) I would like to finish decorating for Christmas, have all Christmas shopping done and wrapped, and also have about 10-15 meals in the freezer for the nights that I do not want to cook.

Working on it....

My husband has been out of work for six months now, two days before he lost his job I thought I might just be pregnant and I was right. We are now six months down the road, thank God for unemployment benifits, state health and food benifits, and loving people whom have blessed us!! My husband's unemployment will be up by the end of the month and I've been worried, God willing he will get an extension and/or a job. We've been living well off of our stockpile and grocery money and up til now I've not thought too much on where more will come from when needed. Two years ago I learned how to coupon, mass coupon-- as in make a stockpile in your house couponing!! This was and still is such a blessing to us, however it has come with some drawbacks, such as not always buying things that we "needed" or might not even use (16 jars of salsa for .30 cents is great, but not if only one person in the house eats it!!) I would like to develop a stockpile that is full time usable as in if something happens I don't have to go to the grocery store for a month unless I want to. I need/want to save money for the future to make sure that we can pay our bills-house payment, electric, gas, phone, and maybe have enough left to keep up tv and internet. I am having a really really hard time becoming a good and happy housewife. (I very much look up to the happyhousewife) I would love to be as good as her some day, which at least gives me a goal right? lol. I often feel very disappointed when DH doesn't appreciate something that I do or want to do, or if he has doubts. This also usually makes me feel very angry towards him, which is not a behavior that I am proud to admit. So I've been doing research and trying to come up with a viable plan for shopping my pantry til it's full and so I will use all these items before they go bad. I currently have a menu plan of 20 meals which was so very, very hard for me to come up with. I fight picky eaters that do not like veggies with my liking veggies and wanting my family to eat healthy. I have choosen these 20 (and very similar ingredients) meals and plan to try some new things that my family will enjoy and God willing be able to add more variety to our meal plan. So for now I am working on a pantry grocery list, and organizing my self and our home. Here are my goals

Goals:
1) menu plan and follow thru!!
2) pantry shop for useful items only
3) try new meals and add more to menu plan
4) organize kids birthday party's
5) organize mom2mom fundraiser for church
6) find other mom friends (maybe join MOPS)
7) plan Christmas
8) make Christmas presents list--and plan out how to complete
9) organize boys room
10) clean house!!

15 meals my whole family will Eat??!!

This is the challenge handed out by the happy house wife so I am interested and decided to join in. Now I know that often you see menu plans on my blog, but that doesn't mean I always go by it manly because my whole family does always eat all of it... so here are my 15 meals:

1) Spaghetti
2) Chicken Alfredo
3) BBQ Chicken
4) Steak
5) Turkey Dinner
6) Crock Pot Pizza
7) Taco's
8) Sausage and Rice
9) Chicken Pot Pie
10) Monstocholli
11) Kick'n Chicken (same thing as chicken alfredo but with a spice added)
12) Fajitas
13) Breaded Chicken and Fries
14) Meatloaf Volcanoes (these are made in a cupcake pan as mini meatloaf with cheese in the middle)
15) Calizone


However my issue is usually that these meals don't all seem very healthy and I am not sure how to change them up into something more healthy. also there is a lot of ground meat which is something that they all eat but I will not....

Menu Planning Monday

Now if you looked at my menu last week there are definitly a few repeats, some meals we just didn't make and as for breakfast being the same, lol it probably will be.

Monday- A good day of R&R
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chef Boy R D (we've got to eat up some of this stock pile)
Snack: Yogurt and Bear crackers
Dinner: Find something in the freezer

Tuesday- Mom's at the Dr.s today
Breakfast: Mini Pancakes with pineapple
Lunch: Soup
Snack: Pretzels, rasin's and peanut butter
Dinner: Spaghetti

Wednesday- Organize MY office (something that we put off for over a year)
Breakfast: peanut butter toast
Lunch: Chicken nuggets
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner:

Thursday- Cookie Baking Day/ SET UP mom to mom sale for church
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Snack: Fruit and yogurt
Dinner: Eat something out of the freezer, once again trying to eat up stock pile

Friday- Clean out Kids toy room.... and ELIMANATE
Breakfast: mini pancakes
Lunch: Hot Dogs
Snack: Cookies
Dinner: Steak and potatoes

Saturday- Art's and Craft's Fair
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets
Snack: Gram Bears and yogurt
Dinner: BBQ Chicken

Sunday-Church Day
Breakfast: Cinnamon Eggo toast
Lunch: Picnic @ Park with family
Snack: Fruit Snack
Dinner: Pizza