Cousin of Frugality

Oh yah! I almost forgot: my cousin is famous! She has an amazing blog: www.thefrugalgirl.com Check it out! : )

Another Week

Thanks for checking in!

Food goal
Monday
Lunch: Tortellini soup and garlic bread, both of which I made this weekend
Dinner: Roast beef and cheese sandwich on homemade bread, cookie from my coworker, grapes

Tuesday
Lunch: Roast beef and cheese sandwich again, grapes, yogurt
Dinner: Went out to eat with my small group and kids (they eat free!!!) I had an omelet

Wednesday:
Lunch: McD's (I was on the go after using my lunch hour to meet with a church about some great opportunities to get back into children's ministry part time)
Dinner: left over omelet from dinner last night! Yum!

Thursday:
Lunch: Roast beef and cheese sandwich, grapes
Dinner: Baja Sol before class

Friday:
Brunch: Egg and cheese bagel from shop, coffee from shop
Dinner: chips and salsa

Well, it is a little over half way through the month and I have spent a little over half my food budget. I am kicking myself because I am missing $18 of my cash! I have no clue where I spent it! Since I am in the swing of paying in cash, I wonder if I spent it on something non-food. Or I spent it on coffee, but I doubt I spent that much and was that negligent in recording it. I am finding that people are not too happy when you pay in cash, that means they have to make change and they rarely give receipts (and I forget to ask). That's the benefit of a credit card. However, the good side is I have been spending less on this cash system! Even though I spent half of my budget, some of that went to buying a food gift card for a co-worker in need, so I feel pretty good about that. Also, there are no late fees with cash. I just discovered I forgot to submit payment for my credit card the last month! This is incredibly frustrating to me! I think I get hung up on the confirmation page and forget to press approve. It is an expensive mistake. : ( I am going to be more diligent about that and hopefully it will be less anyways since I am using cash. I did eat out quite a bit this week which I am not too happy about, but I was also on the go a lot this week, so this is a rare occurrance.

Exercise
I forgot to mention that last week I did get my two exercises in. I did them both on Sunday. In the morning I went on my 3 mile walk. That afternoon I took three little girls ice skating. It was fun and since there were three of them, they could ammuse each other while I did laps and practiced my spins (which I must admit, I am getting better at!). I also walked today, which I am happy about.

Friends
Well? We had game night last night and my co-worker brought his roommate...he's a new person in my life, but I'm not sure I'll ever see him again. I also interviewed with a church about some opportunities and shadowed some special education teachers. I'm not making close friends per se, but I am not lacking a social life, that's for sure! I think this is the goal I need more strategy around.

God's Guidance
I have talked to God for 5 minutes almost every night about His plans for my life today and how to prepare for the future. I missed one because I got too tired and decided I could pray from my bed and then fell asleep. Overall, though, I think I am doing well. I also have two people who I commited to pray for (one for the term of her church council position and another for the year 2010) and I have been doing good thinking of them and praying specific prayers for them.

Asters and Bags and Cooking

ASTERS
The other day, my asters I have been growing from SEED! wilted in the scorching sun. I thought they were gonners, but today they perked up again and are about to bloom!!! Finally! I planted them eons ago!



And eons later, they look like this:



I'm thrilled!!! :-)

BAGS
I started ice skating lessons again last week and this week I start school. That keeps life pretty busy scrunched in between volleyball, work, small group, church, and other various activities. I don't have a spouse and children to tend to, so keeping organized is pretty simple. But I don't like packing and unpacking everything weekly, so here's how I organize. I am the bag lady. Each activity has a bag that is just the right size for all the needed items. I place the loaded bags by the door before bed so I remember what I'm doing when I crawl out the door in the morning. Below are: my school bag(with books, calculator, pen, pencil, and notebook...I usually shove a pain of jeans in there too to change into after work), ice skating bag (ice skates, guards, hair clips, comb, mittens...easy to forget in June!), my purse (everyday necessity), and my lunch bag (though I usually use a cotton green one so I can throw it in the wash more often...but its in the fridge at work). I also have some larger bags for less frequent travels and a sturdier backpack for road or airplane trips. This system saves me a lot of time and sanity!



COOKING
Ok, its probably more along the lines of baking, but I made these granola bars and brought them into work today. They were a huge hit! They're probably more cookie-ish than granola-ish, but its an easy recipe to tweak to your liking.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Today I made a homemade, frugal lunch at work. I brought the spinach, strawberries, and the honey roasted cashews? I had purchased at the store the other day. Using about 1/2 the ingredients, I fed myself and my co-worker. Price wise, it came to a little more than $1 per serving!!! That is cheap!!! At first, my coworker was shocked I didn't use dressing on my salads, but this salad does just fine without it. It is very tastey. You quite literally throw some spinach, cut up strawberries, and nuts in a bowl and ta da! you have salad. Its yummy, pretty healthy, and thrifty. I also like the fact that you can make as much or little as you want and still use the leftover ingredients in other, completely different things (like the strawberries in a strawberry pie or the nuts as a topping on ice cream or the spinach in a different salad or in an omelet). This way I'm not eating the exact same thing all week. Yum!!!

Frugal Goals

I am not good at making goals. I'm a pretty organized, disciplined person for the most part, but goals are just one thing I'm not into. I like to have margins in life, big margins. You never know what is going to happen. Goals seem confining for some reason, but I am starting to understand they are necessary. When you are in school, the goal is clear: graduate so you can continue next year. After school, goals become a little more specific and are up to you to define. As I start trying to live more frugally, here are my goals:

1. Frugal Clothes
- Donate clothes I don't wear
- Buy matching pieces for clothes I like but don't go with anything (this may not seem frugal, but I wear clothes for a long time, so its worth it...and buying one shirt or shorts to complete an outfit is cheaper than buying a whole outfit)

2. Frugal Food
- Eat out cheaper (hmm...how to do this)
- No food waste (cheerfully eat what I have)
- Make more food at home

3. Frugal Spending
- Spend less (I'm thinking of going to good old cash and the envelop system)
- Analyze giving (this does not sound frugal, but giving is important and I'd like to give more)
- Don't buy STUFF (I spend untold amounts at big box stores like WalMart and Target, rarely remembering what I purchased or if I do, its stuff I don't need)
- RETURN stuff (I did this today...returned a book I know I'll never end up reading and a bracket that's the wrong size, normally I would have just kept these two things seeing as they weren't very much money and could be useful, but I'm glad I have my money back and glad I have the space in my apartment this stuff would have taken)

4. Frugal Time
- Anyone who knows me, knows I hate reading, but its something I want to do more of (maybe 15 minutes a day to start)
- Spend more time with God (is there ever enough?)

A Life of Frugality

My cousin, Frugal Girl, is very frugal. She spends very little and discusses her grocery spending on her blog. In an attempt to be more frugal, I thought I'd start posting my grocery spending like she does. I'll have to admit, the way I shop is very different than her. I don't have time to go to as many grocery stores, search the paper for deals like she does, but I could put some more effort into buying smart, cooking more, and planning meals (which I think is more challenging when feeding one, I could make lasagna and have it three meals a day for a week but would not be a very happy camper). I either have to buy food that keeps a long time or stuff I can prepare many different ways and don't mind eating a lot. So, let the fun begin. I spent $50 this session (session because I don't grocery shop on a consistent basis and I'm excited to see how long this lasts). It seems like a small amount for how long it will last me, and it is, but I must admit, most of my food money goes to eating out with friends (which fortunately gives me an extra meal of leftovers since I don't eat much). I'd like to start monitoring that more closely too. So, what did I buy at the store? Here's the photo:



What is not pictured is a small bad of nuts I got in the bulk section. I realized they were missing when I got home. Not a big deal, right? Well, I'm starting the frugal life, so yes, 2.65 is a big deal. I went to the store to see if I had left them behind and the lady let me get another bag for free!!! 2.65 is a coffee shop visit in my world, so well worth the extra trip. :-)

Why did I buy what I did?

2 bags frozen blueberries - I use these in pancakes and other things, since they are frozen, they will last forever. They are cheaper than the fresh ones and I had a coupon.
Eggs, flour, oatmeal, swirled choco chips, raisins - my cousin has a recipe for granola bars I wanted to try out and these were a few of the ingredients
Spinach - I had a coupon
Strawberries and nuts - to go with the spinach to make a yummy salad
Tilapia - a cheap fish yum! I'm excited to try making this different ways
Mac and Cheese - 5 for $4...I give them to my neighbors when they need food or make it if I am babysitting kids at my house
Hot dogs, baked beans, and carrot chips - for a picnic next weekend
Milk - to put in coffee I make at home
Pita chips - I have some hummus left over I'd like to use and these are super yummy!
Brown sugar - I was out and like to have it on hand
Frappuchinos - These are a splurge that I buy when they are on sale...unfortunately I can't brag too much because they were only .50 off.
I'm also very proud of the fact that I remembered to bring my reusable bags! They are sturdier and I don't have paper bags all over my house!

I think that's everything for now : - )

Here's my poor attempt at food planning : - ) Like my cousin, I don't plan breakfasts, they are usually oatmeal, cereal, or just coffee.

Sunday
L - leftover Carbone's
D - free picnic at the park from the local church (how nice of them!)

Monday
L - left over Jimmy's
D - potatoes with paprika and chives

Tuesday
L - strawberry salad
D - whatever snacks I bring to the ice rink and then snacks at small group

Wednesday
L - probably strawberry salad again
D - probably attempt some tilapia (pasta if its cold outside)

Thursday
L - strawberry salad again? maybe chicken
D - I have class this night, so probably will grab something out quick

Friday
L - out with a friend
D - sometimes I forget to eat dinner on Fridays, so probably just some snacks before volleyball

Saturday
L - at my parent's
D - picnic at friends' (bringing carrot chips and hot dogs)

If You Must Eat Out...

I like to eat out as much as the next person. Its fun and I often get to eat food I would not otherwise cook for myself. Here are some deals I've found while eating out:

-Applebee's half priced appetizers. Ok, so you have to stay up until 9pm for this one, but its worth it. I usually get a quesadilla for $5. I munch on it a bit at 9pm, but really, how much can you eat at 9pm. It proceeds to feed me for two more meals! A great deal! Cheaper than taco bell, tastes better, and is probably a little healthier.

-Carbone's Saturday special. I'm not sure if all Carbone's have this, but my friend Kari, her daughter Aria, and I went yesterday. For $9.99 you get two "half" hoagies (which are still about 8 inches!), a plate of cheese bread, and a whole pitcher of pop! All for $9.99!!! We ate our fill and still took home boxes. I'll probably get a few more meals out of my "half" hoagie and Kari was planning on feeding the rest of her family that had stayed home off her leftovers. What a deal! Originally we were going to go to Subway. I think we probably would have spent as much and gotten less.

-Credit card kick-backs. This one is only a benefit IF you PAY OFF your cards IN FULL EVERY MONTH! If you can't, then this deal is not for you. My Discover card gives me 1% cash back on everything and 5% on whatever the categories are for the quarter. With that money, you can buy giftcards for a good deal (a $25 card for $20 usually). There are many restaurants you can get. Since I use my credit card for essentials (food), I'm not spending any more than I would so the gift cards I buy with my money back are pretty much FREE!!! My cousin does the same thing with her family when they go on vacation.


And if you must see a movie...

Many of my friends are sad that the beloved "Buck" shut down in Roseville. But have no fear, there is another "Buck". It is a $2 theatre in Maplewood (off of White Bear Avenue and Larpenteur right next to Woodland Hills Church). My friend Kristi and I took two kids to see Wall-E. We got four tickets, a bin of popcorn (with a free refill), and two large pops (with a free refill) for only $16! For that much my friend and I could have barely bought only tickets at the "real" theater! The Dollar theater was way cheaper and way more fun (with popcorn and pop). What a deal!

Mint.com

Break it almost over, so its time to say goodbye to the family and head back home. :-( Break has been too fun and gone too fast.

Anyways, I was reading my cousin's blog and noticed someone had posted about mint.com. I checked out the site and it looks really useful (especially if you have an iphone). Quicken is my favorite tool for tracking spending and budgeting, I've been using it for years. Mint.com looks comparable (but free!). One feature is that you can see your spending compared to the average person in a particular category. That may be helpful, but also may encourage one to spend more. If you check mint.com out, let me know what you think. And while you're at it, check out my cousin's blog too...she'll save you a bundle of cash!

Grocery Savings

I got some good deals at the grocery store today! Sure, I clip coupons, but unlike my cousin, I mostly forget to bring them to the store. Also, I usually use the gift cards I buy from the Scrip program through our local private school so they get the 2% kick back (with no extra cost to me!). This evening I had no coupons and forgot the Scrip card (I decided to go on my way home from work...cut across a few lanes to make this last minute decision :-) ). Forgetting the card was no big deal since this month is 5% back from Discover which is more than the kick back they get from Scrip; so I can donate the 5% instead. I was pleased to find soup on sale 4/$3. Its not the best deal, but I wanted to buy a few anyways. The jackpot was Kraft Mac and Cheese on sale for 50 cents a box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I rarely see this name brand product at this deep of discount. I bought 8 but am considering getting more since this is something I give my neighbors when they are out of food. Not only did I hit the sale, get 5% back, but my grocery store Cub also gives out discount coupons for gas, so I got 4 cents off 12 gallons of gas, AND they are doing a holiday bucks program so I got $1 off my next purchase! Cool!!! Now I just have to remember to use them. Candy was also on sale (post-Halloween) so I got some $1 bags (usually 2.89) for the office. Apples and potatoes were also on sale. On the bottom of my receipt it calculates my savings for me: $5.67, a savings of 14%!!! I'm not quite the Frugal Girl, but its a savings! I'm working on it.