Frugal Weekend #1 July 2017

On Saturday we went to the 50% off Goodwill sale. 

Here is a list of the things we bought:
- One flat sheet and two pillowcases - pictured above - $1.00 - A River Runs thru It DVD - $1.00 - It's Complicated DVD - $1.00 - Magnetic Hall Passes for school - 50¢ - Two Liz Claiborne HUGE towels - $1.50 each - Brand new Dirt Devil handheld vacuum - $5.00
While we were in Chattanooga on Saturday we stopped at Sam's Club and picked up a container of chives and one onion powder as we were out of both of them. We also picked up two ten pounds bags of gold potatoes and one package of black grapes. Total spent was $28.
We also stopped at Aldi and picked up three cantaloupes, which were on sale for 99¢, and one package of strawberries, also on sale for 99¢.

This weekend I made one pad for my daughter. This fabric came from Hobby Lobby and was on clearance for $4.00 a yard. I just love this fabric.

I bought this flannel sheet at a church yard sale for $1.00 a couple of weeks ago. I decided to cut it up into 9 x 9 squares and make some flannel cloth wipes with it. 

I made these double sided and was able to get 39 squares out of it, which made 19 cloth wipes, which made them 5¢ each. 

Other frugal things that happened this weekend include:

- I earned another $5.00 Amazon gift card from Microsoft Rewards. 

- On Sunday we had a mystery shop for pizza, which we will be reimbursed for later. 

How was your weekend?

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Saving Money on Cheese

One way we save money on cheese is by shopping and buying it at Sam's Club. 

We can buy the two pound block of cheese for $3.98. That works out to $1.00 for the eight ounce block of cheese, which is a terrific price. 

The cheapest I can find the eight ounce block around here is between $1.50 and $2.50 each. The $1.50 price being more pre-2008-recession, so you can see the savings with buying it from Sam's Club.  
We went to Sam's club this week and bought two of the two pound blocks of cheddar cheese and also a five pound block of mozzarella cheese.  

I use my Salad Shooter to grate the cheese. I do have a small hand grater to use on smaller projects, but when I buy this much cheese and want to shred it quickly, I pull out my Salad Shooter. 

Today I grated all the cheese and placed it into zippered bags to make it more convenient to use. I will place several of these into the freezer so they won't go to waste. 

I also bought some pepperoni, so I can make more pizza kits for the freezer. 

Taking the time to grate my own cheese is definitely worth the savings that I get in the end. 
Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~

Pizza! Pizza! #2

Homemade pizza is cheaper than takeout and easy to make. And of course, one way to save money by making your pizza at home is to buy your ingredients in bulk. I often buy my yeast, flour, sauce and cheese in bulk from from Sam's Club. 

First thing you need to make pizza is the crust. My favorite pizza crust recipe can be found here. 

One of the secrets to making a good pizza dough is to let the dough rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight. This time of slow yeast activation allows the dough to develop a much better flavor than it would if you just used the dough directly after mixing. 

Sometimes, in order to save money by using what I have on hand, I use other items for the pizza crust. These items include...

English Muffins
Bagels
French or Italian Bread
Flour or CornTortillas
Flat Out Wraps

Again, using what  I have on hand or have bought on sale saves me more money over buying a ready made pizza crust or takeout pizza. 
 
 The next thing you will need for your pizza is the sauce. I have used many different things for the sauce on our pizzas. 

I have used tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, crushed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, canned and jarred pizza sauce, Amy Dacyczyn's homemade pizza sauce (which I found to be very bitter), etc. Again, using whatever I have on hand to save money. 

Another thing I sometimes do for pizza sauce,  is to buy the number ten can of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza sauce from Sam's Club, although I did not see any pizza sauce on my last trip to Sam's this past week.  

One way to save money with the number ten can is to figure out how much sauce you like on your pizzas and freeze portions in that quantity. I like my pizza with very little sauce, so I use a mini muffin pan to freeze correct pizza size portions and then store these in my freezer. 

Homemade Taco Pizza

Here are some other posts from me about pizza you may enjoy reading:

Pizza! Pizza!


Saturday


Saturday Night Pizza

And of course, last week I shared how I make pizza kits for the freezer. 

What is your favorite way to save money on pizza? 

Belinda

Frugal Saturday

Pictured below are two free items I received in the mail this week. One was for a full size can of Axe dry spray deodorant and a coupon for $1.50 off the same item from Target. 

The other free item was for flushable wipes from Cottonelle along with a $1.00 off coupon for Cottonelle toilet paper or wipes. 

We've had some snow in the weather here this week and ended up using four snow days as a result. Unfortunately I missed two days of subbing as a result. 

Some frugal things we did this week include:
Paid $1.38 per gallon for gas at Sam's Club in Chattanooga. I filled up my car for $17.71, which tickled me. However, my brother, who lives in Illinois, is buying gas for 99¢ per gallon! 
Went to Sam's Club this past week and bought pizza making items. I noticed an increase in price on two of the items I normally buy, but did see a decrease in the price of mozzarella cheese. 
August 2012 Pepperoni - $7.98 Black Olives - $6.25
February 2016  Pepperoni - $10.18 - an increase of $2.12 Black Olives - $9.48 - an increase of $3.23
Mozzarella Cheese (5 pound bag) June 2010 - $10.37 March 2011 - $11.29 April 2011 - $12.98 January 2012 - $11.98 August 2012 - $11.26 February 2016 - $10.48
I also bought two packages cole slaw, three Asian salad kits, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, pepperoni, sour cream, worcestershire sauce, tortillas, cottage cheese, and yeast.
Today I am making chili for dinner. I used this opportunity to use up a few things that I had lingering in my pantry. 

I used the taco seasoning and sauce from this taco kit and used the shells and a little bit of the hamburger from the chili to make oven baked tacos for lunch today. I also used up the last of three cartons of tomato sauce. It's good to use these items up and get them out of the pantry. 
How is your Saturday shaping up?
Belinda ~ Living within my means in Southern Tennessee ~
Earn with Swagbucks

Saturday

We woke up Saturday morning and there was no power, so I couldn't cook breakfast for us as I had planned. We ended up eating peanut butter and butter sandwiches. A staple from my grade school cafeteria lunches when I was growing up. 

Afterwards we headed out to run errands, starting with dropping off the garbage, mailing letters at the post office, filling out a job application, going to Rite Aid, Dollar Tree, Sam's Club, McKay Used Books, a petting zoo, and finally back home for the evening. 

McKay Used Books

Today was Customer Appreciation Day at McKay Used Books. They gave everyone who came a free hot dog, cupcake, and drink.

They had trivia games to play and prizes to win. We didn't win any prizes, but we did look through their free book bins and picked out about several books to bring home. This is the spot where they put the books that they do not buy back and the sellers do not want them anymore. They are free for the taking. 

As you can see, they are kind of messy, but you can usually find a hidden gem or two in there. I picked up several that were in great shape, and we've already listed them on Paper Back Swap. I am still not decided about PBS yet as I have read several negative things about them. I've sent out several books, so I will let you know how that goes. We've already had two requests for the free books we picked up yesterday. 

Sam's Club

At Sam's Club, we picked up breakfast cookies, sour cream, cheese, tortillas, honey buns, potatoes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Always pads, sugar, salad mix, toilet paper, bananas, chicken, tortilla chips, peanut butter crackers, pickle relish, cheese dip, muffins, and peanut butter. I spent $155.78 and received $14.50 in discounts on the toilet paper, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Always pads, and chicken. 

Pom brand toilet paper, is normally $19.98, but has an instant savings through September 21st of $4.00 off, so they are on sale for $15.98 right now.  There are 45 rolls with 472 sheets each in the box, and we bought 2 boxes. This is a really good deal and I've been reading good things about the deal online and was witness to many people getting in on the deal in the store yesterday. 

Sam's Club was having a health fair yesterday too and we just happened to be there when several vendors were giving away free items. The Verizon table was giving away free cell phone stands and hand sanitizer. You might think I'm silly (like my daughter - she says it's to watch videos on smart phones), but I love this thing. It makes my cell phone stand up, so I can see who is calling or texting me. It's the simple things in life, you know? :)

Afterwards we were driving around looking for the Dollar Tree store and happened upon a petting zoo. We saw a giant bull with horns and tennis balls on the ends of the horns to protect the children. I should have taken a picture, but I didn't because I was driving. We had such a fun day and have plans to go out today to finish up the grocery shopping and run a couple of more errands. 

How was your Saturday?

Belinda
CFO ~ Chief Frugal Officer
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011-2014.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”
"Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle ~ It will help you save money"

Saving on Food ~ Buying in Bulk

I'm sad to report that my local Walmart is no longer carrying the 2 quart jar of Mt. Olive pickle relish that I blogged about here in May of 2011. I've looked around and couldn't find this product anywhere for sale near me and I even checked the Mt. Olive website, but no stores are selling this here. 

Fortunately for me, I have found another source for cheap pickle relish at Sam's Club. Now, because it is located in Chattanooga, we only go there a few times a year since we live 50 miles from there. But, this jar is big enough that it will last until we make our next trip in a few months. 

This is a photo of the one gallon jar of pickle relish, which I bought for $5.22, and is an even better deal than my previous source.  My previous source would have been $6.72 for a gallon, so a savings of $1.50 over my previous best price.

Now, you may be wondering about my Sam's club membership and the yearly cost of the $45 membership. The savings that I earn on medications, which I blogged about here, more than pays for the membership to Sam's each year. In fact, this month when I paid my membership fees they also gave me a $10 gift card, which I will apply to my next visit. 

Belinda
CFO ~ Chief Frugal Officer
© Belinda & Frugal Workshop, 2011-2014.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”

Taco Soup

This recipe for Taco Soup comes from the Get Rich Slowly website. I made a big batch of this soup on Tuesday evening after work and school and we've been eating this for the past three days. I actually made a double batch of this recipe and in the end my 12 quart stockpot held about 6 quarts of this soup. Here is the recipe along with some tweaks (my changes are in red) that I made.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
2 large yellow onions, diced and cooked with ground beef
7 cups water (or use beef broth and omit concentrate below)
1 can (about 15 ounces) corn kernels (I drain both cans first)
2 – 3 cups potatoes, diced (I use 8 cups for a double batch)
7 oz. can of diced green chilies
1 package Taco seasoning (I use my homemade version)
1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 tbsp. beef broth concentrate such as “Better than Bouillon”
1 can (about 4 ounces) sliced black olives

Directions:

In a large pot combine water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Add green chilies, corn, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and cooked ground beef & onions. Simmer 15 minutes more. Add cheese soup, olives, and beef bouillon. Simmer 5 more minutes. 

Makes 10-12 two-cup servings.

Here is what my portion looked like in my soup mug:

I've been using this recipe for the last five years and it has become a tried and true family favorite. I love making a big batch of something early in the week and then being able to eat on it all week long. It is definitely a money saver when you don't have to cook all week, but simply have to reheat something.

Belinda

Saving on Medicine

We have three allergy sufferers in our household, and all three of us take a daily allergy pill as a result.  

Pictured above is a package of Loratadine, which is an allergy medication, that I purchase at Sam's Club. This is a 400 count package of Loratadine and it sells for $13.50, which is a little less than four cents per pill/day. I used to buy this at Walmart, which sells the 120 count box below for $13.42 or eleven cents per pill/day. 

I save money by buying this product at Sam's club verses buying it at Walmart or even having a monthly prescription for $4.00. 

Let's look at the savings:

Sam's Club: 4¢ per day equals  $14.60 per year multiplied by three people equals $43.80

Walmart: 11¢ per day equals $40.15 per year multiplied by three people equals $120.45

Monthly RX: 13¢ per day equals $4.00 per year multiplied by three people equals $144.00

Therefore, buying this product at Sam's Club verses Walmart or a monthly prescription saves me $ 76.65 or $100.20 a year, which more than pays for our $40 yearly Sam's Club membership. 

This is just another example of how we save money at the Frugal Workshop and why we enjoy our Sam's Club membership.

Belinda
© Belinda Richardson and Frugal Workshop, 2012.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”

Saving Money with Number Ten Cans

Another way I save money in my frugal kitchen is by purchasing food in number ten cans, which usually range in size from 102 to 110 ounces. Several types of food can be bought in these bigger quantities for less money than smaller canned goods. 

Back in 2012 when I wrote this article, the prices I paid were cheaper than they are today, but I have updated these prices to reflect the cost in 2024. 

Black Olives - (105 ounces) - was $6.25, now $15.99

Carrots - (105 ounces) - $6.99

Cheddar Cheese Sauce - (106 ounces) - $9.99

Corn - (106 ounces) - $6.99

Fruit Cocktail - (106 ounces) - $4.35, now $13.99

Green Beans - (105 ounces) - $6.99

Tomato Sauce (105 ounces) - was $2.98, now $5.99

Whole Tomatoes (105 ounces) - was $2.88, now $8.99

Diced Tomatoes - (102 ounces) - was $2.98, now $6.99

Crushed Tomatoes - (102 ounces) - was $3.22, now $6.99

Pizza Sauce - (105 ounces) - was 2.98, now $8.49

Pineapple Tidbits - (106 ounces) - was $3.78, now $9.99

Spaghetti Sauce - (105 ounces) - was $2.98, now $8.49

Groceries cost more these days, but there are still some good deals to be had. Like this number ten can of peaches I bought at Kroger last week for $8.99.

What I would do with these large portions is to open up the can, take out the portion I need and then freeze the remainder of the food into meal size portions. 

Black olives have risen a lot in price in the last few years and now cost around $1.99 for a six ounce can. But I can get this 110 ounce can of black olives from Gordon Food for $15.99. This works out to 15 cents per ounce. Walmart's price is 34 cents per ounce and up, which is more than double the price. 

 We love black olives here and include them in many dishes, so this is a good money saver for us as well. I simply transfer the olives to a container and store them in our refrigerator for a couple of weeks and we've never had any problems using them up in that time frame. Of course, it helps that I plan meals that I know call for black olives like tacos, pizza, pasta salad, etc.

Now, I know that not everyone has access to these types of canned foods, but for those who do they can be a money saver. Sometimes Walmart and some grocery stores have a small section devoted to the number ten size canned goods, so it is worth your time to check into this. 

However, it is important to note that sometimes you may run upon a good sale on a similar product in the 14.5 ounce canned good size. I know I have found canned tomatoes in that size priced at 3 for $1.00 at Big Lots before, although that kind of price has been hard to find since the Great Recession. 

Also, some number ten canned goods are not a good value. So, as always, be sure to know and check your prices to make sure you are getting the best deal for your family. 

Thursday Ramblings

 

Yesterday we ventured out to Chattanooga on our last day of summer vacation. First stop was McKay’s used book store, where my daughter traded several books and a movie or two and received $32.18 in credit, which she then turned around and bought $31 in books, movies, and music.  So, no money exchanged hands, but she has new books to read, new music to listen too and a new movie to watch. She also has a small credit leftover to use on our next visit.

Second stop was Sam’s Club where I bought the following items:

15 pounds Baking Potatoes 7.32

Hormel Pepperoni 8.87

Nestle Quick 6.64

Black Olives 6.25

(2) 5 pounds Mozzarella Cheese 11.26

Pineapple Tidbits 3.78

Lettuce 1.97

Cole Slaw 1.98

5 pounds Clementine’s 7.98

Beef Sirloin Tip Roast 15.23

Club Crackers 3.84

2 pounds Sour Cream 3.06

Green beans 3.88

2 bags – 72 count tortillas 4.26

My regular readers may recall how I keep track of the price of the 5 pound bag of mozzarella cheese here and here. The cost has gone down from $11.98 to $11.26 since I last purchased this in January. It’s good to see that some prices are actually getting lower rather than constantly going up in price. Here is a breakdown of the cost of cheese for the last two years.

June 23, 2010 - Paid $10.37

March 23, 2011 - Paid $11.29

April 22, 2011 - Paid $12.98

January 8, 2012 - $11.98

August 8, 2012 $11.26

Once we got home we stopped to check the mail and my daughter received the following book in the mail from Amazon:   The Land of Stories – The Wishing Well by Chris Colfer. She earned the money with her Swagbucks account. Anyone over the age of 13 can have a Swagbucks account and everyone in your household can have one account. I’m happy that she earned the money for this all on her own.

Today was her first day of high school. I dropped her off and although she was a little nervous I'm sure she will be just fine. I'm grilling hamburgers for dinner tonight, which is one of her favorite dinners, so that should make her happy.

What's going on in your home today?

Belinda

© Belinda Richardson and Frugal Workshop, 2012.

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”

Sunday Grocery Run #2 for January

 

We made a grocery store run to Sam's Club in Chattanooga today. My daughter wanted to go to the used book store and Sam's is right down the road, so I took advantage of the opportunity. 

The mozzarella cheese that I wrote about increasing in price in this post actually went down $1.00 from $12.98 to $11.98.  Nice to know that some items are actually going down in price. 

                           

Here is the list of what I bought today:

2 bags tortillas - $4.26

1 bag tortilla chips - $3.78

5 pounds onions - $3.98

2 pounds Romaine - $2.98

2 pounds shredded lettuce - $1.97

3 pounds Coleslaw - $2.26

5 pounds shredded Cheddar Cheese - $12.98

5 pounds Mozzarella Cheese - $11.98

3 pounds Pepperoni - $7.98

4.5 pounds Hamburger - $13.53

15 pounds baking Potatoes - $7.98

5 pounds carrots - $2.98

101 ounces EVOO - $15.98

1 Roasted Chicken - $5.99

Total: $ 98.63

The 15 pound bag of potatoes is actually a bag of baking potatoes. I'll have to count them later and see how many I actually have in the bag.

Belinda
© Belinda Richardson and Frugal Workshop, 2011.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without”