Cooking Schedule and Themes

Anyone who knows me well knows I just HATE cooking!  There are so many things I would rather be doing than making a meal and cleaning up after it.  But food is necessary to sustain life (darn it:-) so it's got to be done.  I realized the hardest thing for me about cooking is coming up with the idea of WHAT to make.  So I came up with 12 dinner themes.  By repeating two themes, I have two-weeks worth of themed food nights, making it easier to come up with a menu (and helping us get out of a dinner rut).  I schedule these on the calendar and pick a meal for each theme.  What saves money is knowing before 5:00 what I'll be making for dinner so we don't fall back on "Let's just pick something up."  Another money saving tip is to create your menu specifically on what you have on hand or what is on sale that week.

For those of you who are interested, here's our Themes:
Italian
Mexican
Asian
Soup/Salad
From the Oven
Something New (to encourage me to branch out from our usual staples)
Family Favorites
Crockpot
Pizza (homemade)
Meatless
Simple (mac n cheese from a box, Ramen, grilled cheese, etc.)...twice
CORN (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)...twice

My husband has appreciated the better meals (and not having to wait so much when he gets home) and I've loved the anxiety-free feeling I have of knowing what we're having for dinner.  So, get your calendars and pencils ready and start planning your menus!  Who knows, you might actually start enjoying cooking every once in a while!-)

Store Coupons

I failed to include in my Coupon 101 post an important thing about store coupons.  They can be used in combination with a manufacturer's coupon and an electronic (Cellfire) coupon.  This equals extra savings!!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Growing up, my mom always had a large productive garden.  We'd grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, onions, rhubarb, and other veggies with varying success.  We also had many fruit trees--cherry, plum, apricot, peach, apple.  Since my marriage, I've dreamed of having a similar garden, but it is yet to become a reality.  Our current backyard is tiny.  The only space suitable for a garden would be smack in the middle of the grass, which would not survive the rough housing and ball games of my boys.  I've attempted container gardening, without much success.  This year I'm looking into joining a community garden, but am unsure if I have the time to commit to it.

So, my question for you is, how do you garden?  What have you successfully grown in Colorado, particularly with containers?  Please share!!

Coupons 101

Ok, I'll admit it.  I 'heart' coupons.  In fact, I'm probably a little fanatical about coupons.  Even my kids know to ask if I have a coupon for some item they'd like me to buy for them.  Coupons are great because they save money, and hey, they are just FUN!  (I know...I'm a little crazy!-)  But you do need to know how to use them in order to really get a good deal and to not just buy something you don't really need.

Here are the basics you need to know about coupons:

1. Types of coupons
2. Where to find coupons
3. Store Coupon Policies

First we'll cover the different types of coupons (and a little bit of where to find them):

• Manufacturer Coupons-- These are the most common.  Usually found in newspapers, magazines, and online.  These coupons can sometimes be "doubled."
• Store Coupons--  Offered by your local store.  Sometimes they come with the newspaper (like Target's) or, if you have a shopping card at King Sooper's or Safeway, you will be mailed special store coupons.
• Internet Coupons--  Some websites allow you to print off coupons.  Usually these are a digital form of manufacturer coupons and often you can only print off one of each coupon.
• Digital Coupons-- Companies like Kroger (King Sooper's) and Safeway, as well as other companies like Cell Fire,  allow you to download coupons directly to your store card and/or cell phone.  Using your card at checkout, the coupons are automatically deducted when your couponed item is scanned.  While you can only download one coupon per item, you are allowed to use a manufacturer coupon on top of it...meaning double savings!
• "Peelies"-- These are the coupons that come attached to a product you purchase.  You can either use it then or save it for a later purchase.
• "Catalinas"-- These are the printed coupons that are handed to you with your receipt.  Some are junk, but pay close attention to these as sometimes there are great deals such as "Save $3 on your next purchase."  Lately, I've noticed catalinas printed off at King Sooper's that inform you of upcoming promotions.  (For example, "Buy 4 Kleenex, save $1 on your next order"  with the promotional dates.)  I've started saving these in my coupon folder so I can really know when there are special deals happening.

Where to find coupons:
I get most of my coupons in the newspaper.  We were able to get a great deal on the Denver Post (liberal newspaper, I know, but they have good deals) where we pay $4.17/month for a daily delivery.  The coupons usually come in Sunday's edition, but I often get extra "leftover" coupons in my Wednesday or Thursday papers.  Extra coupons = extra savings!  Just remember to recycle your finished paper!

You can also find coupons in magazines, store mailers, and online.  The Grocery Game website now has a great site that leads you to several online coupon resources, including Cell Fire.

Store Policies
The best thing to do is to check out the store's website and/or call customer service.  Some clerks are easier than others with coupons.  I try to be completely honest with my coupons, but there is one clerk at King Sooper's that questions EVERY coupon (even though I buy the correct item) so I avoid her (since I usually have 10+ coupons.

King Soopers and Safeway "double" your coupons up to a dollar.  This means that if your coupon is for 50 cents off, they'll give you an extra 50 cents discount.  25 cents off, they'll give you 25 cents additional discount.  75 cents off, they'll give you 25 cents extra.

Whew!  Sorry for the novel of a post, but hopefully this helps.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.  Please don't feel overwhelmed by this massive explanation.  Start out slowly and soon you'll become a coupon queen!

Sprout's Double Ad Day

You are probably already aware of Sprout's double ad day, but in case you are confused, here is how it works:  When you shop at Sprout's on Wednesday (the day their weekly ad comes out) you get not only the advertised sales for that coming week, but the advertised sales from last week.  What a deal!  Remember to take your reusable bags for additional savings!

Jamie

Price Tracking

There are several ways to keep track of prices so you know when it's on sale:

• In your head-- this way is definitely the easiest but not always the most accurate.  I use this for the basic items I buy often...just trying to remember what price I usually pay and recognize when it's truly on sale.  This is not so great when you are trying to compare price per ounce or when items start increasing in price due to inflation.
• Excel spreadsheet-- very time consuming, but a great way to keep track of each item and/or brand and how much you pay per ounce.
• Binder method-- in a book I read once, the author kept a separate sheet of paper for each item (ie., ground beef, cereal, cheese, etc.).  She'd write down the price of an item, the store, and the date.  After a few months, she had a good idea of the lowest price and the sale cycle.  Great for if you have/make the time, but very time consuming.
• Subscribe to a company that does it for you--There are several companies online that will do this for you for a small fee.  I personally use the Grocery Game.  They track the price of items, combine it with coupons, and calculate when an item is at it's true sale price (rather than a phantom sale).  I pay $5/month for the list for my local grocery store.  You can add more stores to your list for an additional amount.  The upside: it saves you time and tracks items in the store circular and unpublished sales.  The downside:  it does not track the price per ounce, nor does it compare prices with neighboring stores.  It is item specific.  (For example... it tracks, say, a Satin Care Shave Gel 7 oz. bottle.  Usually it is $2.36 (at my King Soopers) but is on sale for $1.88.  Combine it with a coupon and you can get it for $0.88--a "savings" of 63%.  But you could possibly get a better price per ounce by buying a larger bottle or by purchasing it instead at Walmart using your coupon.)
• Do a combination that works for you-- then you get the best of both worlds! 

Jamie

Stock Up When On Sale

A great way to save money is to stock up on an item when it is on sale.  Say, for example, that cream of chicken soup is on sale for $0.39/can.  Knowing that you use the soup often for meals, buy several cans at the reduced price.  Not only are you saving money by buying them at a discounted price, but you are also building your food storage!

Two caveats:

• It may be tempting to be a little wasteful when you know you have "extra" stock on hand.  Don't do it or you'll lose your savings!
• Make sure the sale is a true sale....many stores will tout sale items in their flyers, claiming them to be "on sale."  However, if you track prices (more on this in another post) you will realize that many "sale" items are only reduced a few cents in price--which is called a "phantom sale."   Only stock up when it is a true sale.

Jamie

Got Milk?

Did you know that you can freeze milk?  Just put your plastic gallon bottle or cardboard 1/2 gallon into the freezer.  (Occassionally the container will split, but usually it is fine.)  When you are ready to use it, pull it out and thaw it in your fridge or in the sink overnight.  Some separation occurs but it is still great for cooking or pouring on cereal.  It's taste is slightly different so those of you with pickier finer :-) tastes may not want to drink it.

When milk goes on sale (say on clearance because it's about to expire), stock up and freeze.  I just bought a 1/2 gallon for $0.75!

Jamie

Cost per ounce

One of the best ways to ensure you are getting the most for your money when shopping is to find the lowest cost per ounce or unit.  If possible, keep track of the cost/unit so you know when an item is a good deal.  It's helpful to take a calculator when shopping because those price tags that show the cost/ounce aren't always accurate! Although I'm not always the best at this, it does save money when I take the time to do so!

One side note:  Be careful to figure out the true cost per unit or you may not be saving as you thought.  For example, one brand of dish detergent may be cheaper by ounce than another.  However, it may require you to use twice as much detergent in a load than another brand, so it may not really be the cheapest.  Figuring out the cost per load would be better than the cost per ounce.  The same goes for diapers... one brand may be cheaper, but if you find you have to use several more diapers a day because of their lack of absorbancy, you may need to go with a brand with a slightly higher cost/diaper.

Shopping Bags

The latest "earth-friendly" craze is to bring your own shopping bag.  But did you know that you can often earn some green while being green?  Some stores will give you a discount for every bag that you bring that you use.  For example, my local grocery store gives me 5 cents for every bag I use that I've brought.  And the bag doesn't even have to be "reuseable."  I just reuse the regular shopping bags, which don't cost me anything, until they get holes in them.  Then I put them in the grocery store's bag recycling bin.  Just ask a clerk or customer service of their policy.

It's not a huge savings initially, but when you figure that if you use 8 bags a week for a year, you'll save over $20!!

**Update** King Soopers, Sprouts, and Target offer a discount if you bring your own bag.
Jamie