It's been a busy two weeks here and I ended up working nine of the last ten school days. Payday came early this month and I've already paid the monthly bills, which always gives me peace of mind.
Last week I sold three things on Ebay that netted $36.83 after fees for the items that cost me $1.24 at a thrift store and rummage sale.
We've been in use it up mode here using several items out of the pantry that are good to get off the shelf. It's so important to use up what you have stored in your pantry because it saves you money because then you don't have to buy more food. That will free up money for other things like an unexpected expense.
With that in mind, I would like to share a link with you.
I've shared this link before, but it's been a while. There is a lot of good, useful, and frugal information there. Bob advises people to keep two months worth of food in their pantries.
He says...
If hard times come your way -- if you get fired, get sick, there's a blizzard, your utility bills are too high, whatever the crisis, with food in the pantry, hard times are less hard.
One way we do this is our home is to get the Wednesday grocery store sale ads and find out what is on sale that week. Food City has begun to have Friday only sales or three day only sales, so we went yesterday and picked up four packages of sausage, bacon, and cream cheese.
These were good prices for our area and I've already put the bacon and sausage in the freezer. Bacon is a rare treat in our home, due to the expense, so I was tickled to find it at this price. BLT's will be on the menu sometime soon.
It's cold here this weekend, so I'll be making soup today. I have plenty of ingredients on hand from shopping the sales and stocking up on them.
Many people are talking about the Frugal Queen blog disappearing. You can always use the Internet Wayback machine to access her older blog pages.
Belinda those were some good deals you got. Sounds like you have been busy at school. It's about time for Christmas break - so hoping you enjoy your time off.
I try to keep several months of food on hand - but anything extra sure does help. I am huge at finding mark downs and close outs to add to the pantry. It sure has saved us a lot of money. I love finding a deal we will use. Like money in the bank! Have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Cheryl. I am ready for Christmas Break so much! LOL I am looking forward to staying home and doing things here that I love even though I love subbing as well.
It always feels good to know the bills are paid. I’m working on using things up unless I simply find prices too good to pass up. Your prices on sausage, cream cheese, and bacon were good! Do you ever use sausage in pasta dishes? I do from time to time and my family loves it.
I use Italian sausage in pasta dishes, but have not tried pork, although I'd say it's good. We love sausage here, Good for you for using things up, it's a great way to save money. :)
Your deals are always something to write home about. Freezers and pantry are life-savers for us. With a clean-it-out time, we have months to eat down and still have our emergency pantry intact with water supply. Fresh produce is bought along the way.
Except for 30% off an order at Kohl's, stacked with one or more coupons and gas points, we no longer coupon. After-Christmas sales are terrific for pre-planned gifts for the year, at least where I live.
However we can best save, according to where we live, we continue to try.
I think you've both done a wonderful job, Anna. We move in and out of couponing as time allows us too. Bailey was very busy with schoolwork this semester, so couponing took a back seat for the moment. But she will return to it as time allows. I hope you both are doing well. :)
Belinda, I moaned when I saw the stacks of soaps, tooth paste, and so forth that DD stocked for all but free. Then came the hurricanes, and she almost emptied her supply for trucks going to hurricane stricken areas. Happy to know her stacks went to hurricane victims. Good couponing.
Bailey is queen couponer at your house but is allowed to keep her nose in books for the semester.
With flu prevalent, I may use Kohl's 30% coupon and stack on-line instead of in-store shopping. Still, after-Christmas shopping beats all for me.
Needing to shave $2000 to $3000 off yearly spending, I've managed to shave $1320 for 2018 so far. It is a battle daily, isn't it?
Oh, that was sweet of your daughter to donate those to the hurricane victims. I would definitely wait until after Christmas to use the Kohl's coupon. You don't want to be exposed to the flu this year. I read that the flu vaccine is only 10% good this year. I hope they are wrong about that. And you're right, managing money is a daily battle. You are doing good for 2018 already, way to go!!!
DD did not hesitate to take her closets of filled with almost freebies to a "going-to-hurricane-victims" truck. Appreciate her generosity.
One of my former students is a TN First Responder who spent his time in TX and FL. Fire Fighters have their act together when they must respond long-distance. My student was first-page with mayor (just happened to be), which makes me more proud for him. Fine man. He gives his all for those he does not know. 10% effective flu vaccine is not encouraging. Even so, it will save lives. Our society is spoiled, including me; therefore, if stretching our funds is not a daily habit, my goals are not met.
Personal finance author Liz Weston calls a full pantry "the emergency fund you can eat." And as you note, while it's necessary to use that stuff up in a timely way, it's also a good idea to keep replenishing -- especially with prices like those.
I live in Alaska and while we do get some decent loss leaders now and then, the prices in general are noticeably higher than in the Lower 48. When I visit my daughter in Phoenix I read the food ads to my partner during phone calls. He sighs about them as much as I do.
I'm probably the only person in the world whose "souvenirs" of Phoenix include things like kosher salt and matches from The Dollar Tree. Oh, and on my last visit we went to a thrift store on half-price day and one of the things I bought was a half-full box of Reynolds Oven Bags. I think I wound up paying about 30 cents.
Wow, that is a great deal on the Reynolds Oven Bags. I was laughing out loud over you reading the food ads to your partner. That sounds like something I would do. LOL
Thank you for sharing how to access Frugal Queen's blog records. I too have been missing her. I liked her writing style and her sage advice on how to save for retirement. She was so passionate about helping people in debt and showed such sympathy for people who just did not earn enough to live. I also miss hearing about the house in France and how they are doing with the revamp. Maybe she will return? I hope so. Best wishes for the festive season Belinda, and to your other readers too. This is my first time here but I have bookmarked you and will return :) Eilidh in Scotland
You're welcome, I thought my readers would like to read some of Frugal Queen's blog. I know that I really enjoy reading it. I hope she returns as well someday. Thank you for the best wishes, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season too. I'm so glad you came to visit and enjoyed the blog. :)
Belinda those were some good deals you got. Sounds like you have been busy at school. It's about time for Christmas break - so hoping you enjoy your time off.
ReplyDeleteI try to keep several months of food on hand - but anything extra sure does help. I am huge at finding mark downs and close outs to add to the pantry. It sure has saved us a lot of money. I love finding a deal we will use. Like money in the bank!
Have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Cheryl. I am ready for Christmas Break so much! LOL I am looking forward to staying home and doing things here that I love even though I love subbing as well.
DeleteHope you have a wonderful week too!
Does anyone know what happened to her? Or Sonya Ann? Those are two ive followed for years and so enjoyed their content
ReplyDeleteI don't know what happened to Frugal Queen. And I've not heard of Sonya Ann. Does she have a blog?
DeleteHi, I found her after much ado: https://twitter.com/batt_jane Followed her blog for yons. She is on twitter. Happydancing!
DeleteIt always feels good to know the bills are paid.
ReplyDeleteI’m working on using things up unless I simply find prices too good to pass up. Your prices on sausage, cream cheese, and bacon were good! Do you ever use sausage in pasta dishes? I do from time to time and my family loves it.
I use Italian sausage in pasta dishes, but have not tried pork, although I'd say it's good. We love sausage here, Good for you for using things up, it's a great way to save money. :)
DeleteYour deals are always something to write home about. Freezers and pantry are life-savers for us. With a clean-it-out time, we have months to eat down and still have our emergency pantry intact with water supply. Fresh produce is bought along the way.
ReplyDeleteExcept for 30% off an order at Kohl's, stacked with one or more coupons and gas points, we no longer coupon. After-Christmas sales are terrific for pre-planned gifts for the year, at least where I live.
However we can best save, according to where we live, we continue to try.
I think you've both done a wonderful job, Anna. We move in and out of couponing as time allows us too. Bailey was very busy with schoolwork this semester, so couponing took a back seat for the moment. But she will return to it as time allows. I hope you both are doing well. :)
DeleteBelinda, I moaned when I saw the stacks of soaps, tooth paste, and so forth that DD stocked for all but free. Then came the hurricanes, and she almost emptied her supply for trucks going to hurricane stricken areas. Happy to know her stacks went to hurricane victims. Good couponing.
ReplyDeleteBailey is queen couponer at your house but is allowed to keep her nose in books for the semester.
With flu prevalent, I may use Kohl's 30% coupon and stack on-line instead of in-store shopping. Still, after-Christmas shopping beats all for me.
Needing to shave $2000 to $3000 off yearly spending, I've managed to shave $1320 for 2018 so far. It is a battle daily, isn't it?
Oh, that was sweet of your daughter to donate those to the hurricane victims.
DeleteI would definitely wait until after Christmas to use the Kohl's coupon. You don't want to be exposed to the flu this year. I read that the flu vaccine is only 10% good this year. I hope they are wrong about that. And you're right, managing money is a daily battle. You are doing good for 2018 already, way to go!!!
DD did not hesitate to take her closets of filled with almost freebies to a "going-to-hurricane-victims" truck. Appreciate her generosity.
DeleteOne of my former students is a TN First Responder who spent his time in TX and FL. Fire Fighters have their act together when they must respond long-distance. My student was first-page with mayor (just happened to be), which makes me more proud for him. Fine man. He gives his all for those he does not know. 10% effective flu vaccine is not encouraging. Even so, it will save lives. Our society is spoiled, including me; therefore, if stretching our funds is not a daily habit, my goals are not met.
Sonya Ann stopped blogging a while back. I'm in e-mail contact with her.
ReplyDeletePersonal finance author Liz Weston calls a full pantry "the emergency fund you can eat." And as you note, while it's necessary to use that stuff up in a timely way, it's also a good idea to keep replenishing -- especially with prices like those.
ReplyDeleteI live in Alaska and while we do get some decent loss leaders now and then, the prices in general are noticeably higher than in the Lower 48. When I visit my daughter in Phoenix I read the food ads to my partner during phone calls. He sighs about them as much as I do.
I'm probably the only person in the world whose "souvenirs" of Phoenix include things like kosher salt and matches from The Dollar Tree. Oh, and on my last visit we went to a thrift store on half-price day and one of the things I bought was a half-full box of Reynolds Oven Bags. I think I wound up paying about 30 cents.
Wow, that is a great deal on the Reynolds Oven Bags. I was laughing out loud over you reading the food ads to your partner. That sounds like something I would do. LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing how to access Frugal Queen's blog records. I too have been missing her. I liked her writing style and her sage advice on how to save for retirement. She was so passionate about helping people in debt and showed such sympathy for people who just did not earn enough to live. I also miss hearing about the house in France and how they are doing with the revamp. Maybe she will return? I hope so. Best wishes for the festive season Belinda, and to your other readers too. This is my first time here but I have bookmarked you and will return :) Eilidh in Scotland
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, I thought my readers would like to read some of Frugal Queen's blog. I know that I really enjoy reading it. I hope she returns as well someday. Thank you for the best wishes, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season too. I'm so glad you came to visit and enjoyed the blog. :)
Delete