4 Hats and Frugal

Where where you be in 5 years? (Guest post)

2012-01-17T09:00:00.005-05:00

Today we have a guest post from Michelle who's sharing her frugal story and her frugal future. Hit it, Michelle!

From our Puerto Rico trip

Hi, I'm Michelle and I graduated in May of 2010 with a lot of student loan debt. I currently work full-time in the financial services industry while also attending night classes for my MBA. I own a house with my boyfriend and we have 2 dogs (who are our babies).

I hope that sometime soon we will be able to travel all over the world, but first I need to start saving money. We have never really been too detailed with our 5 year plan, but we do have a somewhat-general idea of our salaries, living situation and life. Me and my boyfriend (together for over 5 years) are always thinking about retiring young and traveling (I have an extensive bucket list), but that seems unattainable right now because of how young we are and the debt we have (mortgage, student loans, car loan).

Today I'm writing about where I think I'll be in 5 years and how I'm getting ready for it now. My 5 year plan is to be out of student loan and car loan debt. I will be done with my car loan next year so that will be a nice relief. I also hope to be in a bigger house. My house right now is fine, but 5 years from now I know I will want something bigger and a bigger yard. I don't plan on having children until I'm around 30. I know children don't always go along with a plan, but I'm definitely not ready right now (and I don't think I will be soon). I also hope to be the Vice-President in my company or at least close to it.

I also hope that I will be able to travel more extensively. I've done a lot of traveling this past year. I've gone to Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, Puerto Rico, Dallas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, DC, but each was for only around 4 days (and some were mainly work trips) and I would like to go somewhere and spend maybe around 2 weeks and really get to know the place.

I'm preparing myself for all of this by getting a good education, having a good mindset, and being willing to try anything. Having my MBA will help me a lot in my field, as people will stop looking at my age (hopefully) and will take me more seriously. Being open to everything and anything is also helpful. I try to say yes to new things so that I can gain new perspectives.

Saving money and being frugal is a BIG way for me to attain my 5 year plan. Once I graduate, I hope to start aggressively paying off my student loans and my goal is to pay around $1,000 to $1,250 every month. At this rate, I should be able to have my loans paid off in around 3 years since I will owe around $40,000 (including my 2 undergraduate degrees and my MBA). I have made a grocery budget on ourselves of around $300 a month and we are trying to limit our entertainment budget so that when the time comes, we will be ready.

What's your 5 year plan? How are you preparing yourself?

Hope you enjoyed reading this! You can read more about my life at Making Sense of Cents.

That new car (my stupid purchase)

2012-01-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

Lindsey wrote an awesome post about stupid things she’s wasted money on, and I was inspired to share my story of my one BIG stupid thing.

It was the winter after 9/11. I was activated for Homeland Security at the ripe old age of 19, but I was making the paycheck of an average school principal. Between my base pay, military bonus money, my per diem and the fact that I didn’t have to spend money on rent, I was making too much money for someone my age. Really, it was too much. I didn’t know what to do with it all. I was already spending money on take out lunch and dinner every day, and shopping at the nearby mall every week. But for some reason, I felt that I needed a car.

Now, since I was taking a trip back home to see my family every weekend, I did need a dependable car. One that would get me through the New Jersey storms and the long rides back and forth. The responsible person in me knew that I could find a dependable used car, but the teenager in me wanted a brand new, top of the line car. I was insane.

Did I mention that this was my very first car? I had used Mom and Dad’s whenever I need it during high school and didn’t see a point of getting my own at the time. But, once I had the funds and the quasi-independence, I spent the money. I had no credit, no savings, and champagne tastes. I ended up with a 2002 Honda Civic EX, and paid quite handsomely for it every month.

Now, the car really was a stupid purchase. But the stupidest part is that even with all the money I was making, I didn’t pay off the car. I could have had it paid in full within 6 months and I didn’t. THAT was the stupid part. I had planned to pay triple payments while I was on orders, but lobster, Macy’s and 4 vacations that year got in the way.

Still to this day I think about not only the ridiculous amount of money wasted on the car, but that whole year. It was my most expensive life lesson, but it was the best one to date.

Ignorance is bliss….until you get the bill….

Crazy, Stupid Things I've bought (Guest Post)

2012-01-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

Lindsey from ChicMoneyTalk is blessing the blog with a guest post today! If you haven't checked out her blog, you need to hop over there after reading this post. She shares great information on living frugality and staying fabulous. Thanks Lindsey!

Hello everyone! I’m Lindsey from ChicMoneyTalk; glad to be guest posting here today. I know I’m not alone when I say that I love shopping; both online and those real stores. And while I’d like to think that I have a pretty good sense of reasoning in what I should or shouldn’t buy…I’ve definitely made some mistakes. I won’t go blaming it all on impulse buys, just crazy, stupid things I’ve bought that I probably shouldn’t.

Brussels Sprouts. Giggle if you want, but I bought them (with only vague childhood memories of disliking them), put them in my fridge, and left them there. For, eh…a few weeks. Anyone else buy groceries with the intent on trying something new only to have to throw it out?

Corner TV Stand. One of my first Craigslist purchases was this corner tv stand that I didn’t really like, but thought I would with a great makeover. I’m still not sure what I saw in it….still. I had grand plans of painting, ripping out the DVD shelf, and somehow, other pieces of furniture had gotten their makeovers, and that one is still sitting there. Waiting to be left when the military moves me again—it’s a great way to get rid of unwanted furniture!

Paper Lanterns. The Dollar Store was having a sale…everything’s a dollar!! Wait? I always try and pop into my local Dollar Tree, and usually I’m pretty good about knowing what I should buy or not buy. But one trip, I came out with about 10 paper lanterns and coordinating colors of fruit candles and plastic plates and bowls. I have yet to use any of them. Years later.

One bookshelf. When my husband and I were living in Germany, IKEA was the place to shop! We made the decision to walk out with a coffee table, two end tables and one bookshelf—all matching. The thought was to go back later and get another shelf. I think that were driving a VW Gulf and didn’t have enough room had something to do with that decision. Here I am, not in Germany, with one bookshelf. Whatever do you do with one bookshelf? Oh, and they discontinue the line.

I could probably go on forever on clothes that I bought thinking “Ooooh! Love it!” Only to get it home, try it on a few days later and ask myself what I was thinking?? I have a dress that would be cute if both of the sleeves were the same length. That’s what I get for ripping tags off as soon as I get home and hanging my purchases in my closet. I’m getting better at not doing that.

Have you made any stupid purchases?! Anything you just roll your eyes and laugh (now) that you actually bought? Please, share! And thanks so much Amiyrah for letting me quest post.

Thank you, Lindsey, for offering to guest post! So, spill it: have you bought things that you've regretted like Lindsey? Leave some comments for her and let her know your secrets :).

Frugal Beauty: lemons

2012-01-09T10:00:00.039-05:00

This is prime time for Lemons, although I never seem to have a problem finding them in my store all year-round. This is a great time to try those elusive Meyer lemons that seem to never pop up in the NorthEast, except in January at Whole Foods or Wegmans. Since this yummy fruit is in season, I wanted to put up a post about how you can use it frugality in your beauty routine. Here are some great and inexpensive ideas:

Acne Mark remover
This mixture does an awesome job of removing those marks left on your face from that time you thought it would be OK to pop "that one little pimple."

2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons Greek yogurt
1 egg white
yields 8 applications

Mix all ingredients together until the mixture thickens. Apply 1 tablespoon of mixture to your clean, dry face and let sit for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water and lightly dry face. Follow up with your usual moisturizer.
____________
Yellow nail remover
If you wear lots of nail polish and see your nails start to turn a bit yellow after a while, this rinse will help.

1 lemon, cut in half

Rub finger tips into the insides of the lemon and repeat for 3 to 5 days or until the yellow tint is gone. You can store the lemon halves in the fridge between treatments and just get rid of them once you are done. Easy!

Beauty routine or not, what are your favorite ways to use lemons? Do you use them in cleaning? Do you have a favorite recipe that uses lemons?

Our New Obsession....

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

When you're deployed, you tend to get attached to very weird things. Whether it's your favorite meal at the chow hall, a type of sock they only sell at the BX/PX or a type of pen that your roommate's mom sent and they decided to share with you, it becomes your little obsession. Well, my shop now has one of those weird obsessions: old bay popcorn.

I don't know why, but this buttery concoction of spice, sweet and fat makes us giggle. The specific brand we've been chowing on is from Fisher's popcorn in Ocean City, Maryland, but I bet any brand would do at this moment. We are officially obsessed.

I wonder what we'll be into next week.

And Gabrielle Union shall play moi...

2012-01-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

I often wonder how my life would play out in a movie. The characters, the drama, the laughs, and what parts the screenplay writer would chose to highlight...and remove. The funny part is, I really do think my life would be pretty interesting as a feature film. That is, if Gabrielle Union was in the starring role.
Read more »

My Journey to Frugalista- Part II (Guest post)

2012-01-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today, we're continuing Beth's Story on how she came into the frugal lifestyle. She left us with a cliffhanger yesterday, so let's see how it all turns out:

I started cutting coupons that Sunday. I had a small coupon organizer and I needed a way to organize all these coupons. With this small organizer, you put your coupons in, but you can't see them, and I wanted a way to keep track of them. So I went onto Word and typed in all my coupons alphabetically with expiration dates, etc. After awhile, it was getting to be too much of a chore, not to mention wasting a lot of paper each week when I would print out my master list of coupons to plan my shopping trips. I noticed a lot of the 'hounds' were talking about coupon binders, and one posted a link to her blog on how she organizes her coupons. Since I'm a visual person by nature, this spoke to me, so I got a binder, some dividers and baseball card inserts and started organizing. This way was so much easier for me. I can just peruse my coupons in my binder and I'll always remember what coupons I have. Even now, someone can ask me if I have a coupon for a product, and I'll know from memory if I had it.

After awhile, I was doing really well with the coupons and kept hearing about people's blogs. My co-workers were always so impressed with all my savings, and I wanted my friends and family to see how to also score some good deals at our local stores. A lot of the blogs were from blogger.com so I started playing around with it and made my own blog.

My journey to Frugalista (Guest Post)

2012-01-03T09:00:00.005-05:00

Today, we get to visit the world of Beth. She's the author of Grocery Hound and Poker Chick, and a great friend of mine. Here's her story:

As far back as I can remember, my house never was the house that had a ton of food. I can remember being so hungry I could eat anything, then look in the fridge and there being nothing I would eat. My parent's fridge always was, and still is, pretty bare. Even the snack cabinet was sparse. My parents were never much into snacks or anything, so they never kept any on hand. However, at my best friend's house, her mom had pantry full of just snacks.

Proud to Be Frugal (Guest Post)

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today's guest post is written by Lucky, a long time reader of 4 Hats and Frugal and good online buddy of mine.

I can see the house in my head. It’s a farm house with a big front porch on about 2 acres of land. It has a kitchen garden, a flower garden and a paved sports court that can be shoveled in the winter so my kids can get out and ride their bikes. The kitchen is spacious and has a book shelf so I can keep all of my cookbooks right at hand. The family room is cozy, and always has a fire roaring when it’s cold. Right now this house exists only in my mind, but I hope some day to find it or build it in Ohio!

You see, my husband and I have a dream of moving our family to another state in the next few years. We’re committed to making this dream come true, so everything we do, all of our decisions, are aimed at this one goal. Moving will allow us to cut down to one income and purchase our dream home all at the same time.

It seems like a no-brainer right? The problem is, it’s kind of risky. The economy where we live now is still humming along, and in Ohio, it’s not. Plus, we plan on going from two incomes to one, so we won’t have the safety net of the second income if DH loses his job. We need a big savings cushion in order to make this work.

Sometimes it’s hard to be the girl who brings her lunch to work every single day while wearing the same sweater she wore when she was hired 10 years ago. It’s hard not to buy the kids everything they want, or go out for pizza every time they ask. It’s not always fun to be the one with a handful of coupons at the grocery store holding up the line.

But, I know it will be worth it. Because that house with the awesome kitchen is waiting for me in Ohio.

Note from Amiyrah: What a great post to remind us about what's important during the holiday season! We all have a reason behind our frugality and a goal we are trying to attain, and Lucky showed us what her plan is.

Lucky is the mother of two young kids and a carb-intolerant kitty. Read about her adventures of balancing kids, work and life with making her own bread at Making My Own Luck.

Top Ten New Christmas Traditions! (Guest Post)

2011-12-20T09:00:00.002-05:00

This week, we have a great post from SomeMother. She's a Canadian spitfire Mom and keeps me going with her posts.

Hi there! Somemother guest posting for your reading pleasure! Normally, I can be found at www.somemother.com where every post features mothers from all over the world answering the same 20 questions – every contribution features its own bit of awesome! I hope you check it out!

My world is quite different from 4Hats&Frugal. I live in western Canada in a large city… I am mom to 3 children, 6 and 3 year-old girls and a 16 month-old boy. In Canada, maternity leave is a full year – we are so blessed! I am fortunate to work for the federal government and have some additional leave options… So, when my son turned 1 and we decided I would continue to stay home with the kids, taking an indefinite leave of absence from work, we had to make some changes… There are many excellent resources on frugal living, smart shopping, and budget savers, and I am a work in progress!! But, given that we are approaching our first holiday season with mama at home, I present to you our top ten new Christmas traditions!

1. Oh how I love thee Pinterest. While largely a fun place to plan imaginary food, fashion and home décor, it is also a treasure-trove of affordable, DOABLE unique craft and gift ideas. I have been occupying my kids with crafts and activities several times during the week, and we are gifting their creations to friends, neighbours, and teachers. WIN WIN. Find me here to see what I’m up to: http://pinterest.com/emelvee/

2. Now that the snow has fallen, Canada’s winter playground is ready to be enjoyed. We are building a back-yard ice rink! It has been relatively inexpensive to construct and has become a labour of love for my husband. The kids are eagerly awaiting cold enough weather to flood the surface and start skating (yes, it is TOO WARM so far – even in the Canadian North!). We will also be sledding down our community hills and using the nearby trails to cross country ski (all second-hand equipment).

3. I am so tempted by all the beautiful Christmas decorations and could easily spend a fortune refreshing our holiday décor. However, I have resisted! I’m not Martha Stewart and I can’t have nice things anyway, the kids can and will destroy anything I treasure. So, my collection of mismatched yet completely signature seasonal decorations are out and the only thing I purchased? Candles from Bath & Body Works, cuz they’re the best, they smell great, they last forever, and I got a hot deal (2 for $25!!) I feel like the house has something “new” and that’s the feeling I was after anyway!

4. Cookies……mmmm…….. Christmas baking is an essential part of the season, bringing back tantalizing memories of my childhood goodie table (a table covered with treats and cookies for WEEKS). However, my kids take after their dad, and they tire of treats. (I know, I don’t get it either.) And, this mama is still mistaken as pregnant for those brave or stupid enough to ask. COME ON PEOPLE. Suffice it to say, I decided to participate in a cookie exchange with a group of friends and that should more than supply our sweet tooth with a variety of special holiday treats. And my friends and I are giggling over the nuts and balls we’re preparing. We are so 12.

5. Three kids getting and receiving gifts from family and friends for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions means A LOT OF STUFF. TOO MUCH STUFF. Yet I don’t think my kids are unusually greedy or self-centered for LOVING PRESENTS. This is hardly a revelation for many I’m sure, but we decided on a single gift from Santa per child, and for 2 of 3, we purchased on kijiji. SCORE. We are also enjoying some homemade advent activities and our Elf on a Shelf, Stanley, to build Christmas excitement. (I filled our daily advent calendar with leftover Halloween treats. Genius, no? No buying cheap yucky chocolate calendars!)

6. I must admit, mommy loves presents too. But, did I mention our hot water heater went a couple of weeks ago? And that I accidentally smucked our van? Mmmhmm. Buh-bye gift I was dreaming of. We decided to forego gifts this year. My cup runneth over already, really. And, getting to stay home with my children is gift enough. For realz. I have learned to appreciate my time with them, as I know many mamas wish they were home.

7. The truth is, my extended family is very broken this year. Most of our traditions for gathering and celebrating are likely…….not…….happening. My heart is so heavy with pain and loss. But…… I am focusing on the joy, hope, and wonder in my children’s eyes and the promise of the birth of Christ… We are part of a wonderful church and will be enjoying the candlelight Christmas Eve service as we have for years. The new part of this tradition? That in Him, it is sufficient. We are really feeling that this year. I know the “reason for the season” means different things to different people, but honing in on peace is universal!

8. Back in the Fall when most kids around here began their rigorous schedule of extracurricular activities, we made the decision to register the girls in an inexpensive weekly program through our church and also our older daughter is trying out Girl Guides. This seemed like a program that focused on the values we hoped to cultivate. I also do a weekly “Mommy Drama Class” with my kids… I searched the net and talked to some friends for ideas. We play games and sing songs to learn skills in communication, movement, improvisation, and expression. They call me “Miss Mommy,” raise their hands, and enjoy being the students to my teacher! We are performing a little-known Christmas song (This Same Baby) and our version of reader’s theatre (Grumpy Santa Gregg). We are not getting tickets to any concerts or events around town, but cannot wait to debut our efforts for grandparents. The resulting video will be a priceless gift!

9. I actually have almost all the elements for our Christmas dinner already! I bought the turkey post-Thanksgiving (in October in Canada), have a huge sack of farmer’s market potatoes, frozen sides and fixings, and ingredients to make fresh bread and other deliciousness. Normally, I am scrambling last minute and spending too much on groceries and impulse buys. This year will be a very relaxed but amazing meal.

10. I actually do not have a #10 but wanted to thank you for reading, Amiyrah for inviting me to share, and wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Each year brings blessings and trials and I hope you make the most of 2012!

I'm here.....I'm safe....

2011-12-19T09:06:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to post quickly and let you all know that I’ve made it safely to Afghanistan and finally settled in. I never thought it would be so difficult to arrange internet access here, but it has been such an issue! Now I have everything all settled and I’m ready to get back to blogging.

On a cool note, I do plan on doing a “Vlog from the frontline” every week to give you all a peek of what I’m up to here. Hopefully, I can figure out how to make really cool vlogs and can incorporate pictures of the landscape here, what I do at work and other cool things like that. Mostly, I just want to give everyone a weekly update on how I am. It will help keep me sane and busy, and I hope it will be a treat for you all. Once I get my schedule down pat, I should have the vlogs posted on Fridays.

Also, I've gotten quite a bit of e-mails asking for my address to send me letters and even *gasp* packages! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get those from you all while I'm here. Those of you that did send e-mails, I've e-mailed back with the address. Anyone else that might like to send off a letter to me, I love you and appreciate you. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll give you the address as well.

Thanks again to all that sent well wishes and prayers when I left. It kept me in a positive and hopeful mood while traveling the most dangerous part of my trip.You all are so great and I'm so lucky to have readers like you. I hope you have a great holiday and keep a look out for new posts from me!

Diary of a Debt Princess (Guest Post)

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

This post was written by one of the coolest Debt Management bloggers I've met, Jessica. I had the pleasure of meeting her in real life at Bloggy Conference, and I know you all will enjoy, and learn from, her story.

My all time favorite story is Cinderella. I love all types of Cinderella movies (my favorite by far is Ever After with Drew Barrymore!). I love hearing stories of the poor girl who grows up to be a princess.

It isn't hard to figure out what my dreams were as a child. We were really poor. We LITERALLY lived on the other side of the tracks as they were across the street. We didn't have a nice house or new cars. We didn't have much and for as long as I can remember, I wanted more.

I use to dream of my “real” family finding me and telling me I was rich or even better, a princess. I just knew that once they found me, I would have all the new stuff that I could ever want.

Apparently this feeling never left and in 1994 at the ripe young age of 19, I began to feed that feeling.

What's in a name

2011-12-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

I have one of those names.

The ones that you see on paper and think that it looks unusual, exotic and all around pretty.

The ones that you try to pronounce but mess up almost every time.

The ones that just might have a wonderful meaning, if only you had enough guts to ask what that meaning was.

Yup, I have one of those names.

One of my many "anonymous" readers left a cute comment about how they wonder all the time how to pronounce my first name. Amiyrah is one of those brandings that you may be leery to put on a young girl. She'll have to learn early to defend her name, the way it's said and the meaning behind. You have to have cojones to carry around this one. I've grown a pair over the years.

I'm sure my dear Dad didn't realize what he was doing when he gave me the name. Because of my parents' Muslim background, he was drawn to Arabic names as soon as they found out I was going to be a girl. The meaning, Princess, also drew him in further. Not to mention that he found an equally hard to pronounce middle name with the meaning "of light." Princess of Light. Yup, that's me.

It's the pronunciation that kills it.
A-mure-ah
Ah-my-rah
Amy-are-rah

Nope Nope Nope.

Amiyrah = Ah-mee-rah
Amiyrah also = A-mirr-ah (like a mirror but an a at the end)

It all depends on your dialect. It also depends if I get tired of telling you it's Ah-mee-rah and let you say the "wrong" way. Please don't blame it on laziness. It's the cojones. And yes, it's because I have one of those names.

Money saving Apps

2011-12-05T09:00:00.005-05:00

Everyone knows that smartphone apps are taking over. We use them to shop, to play, to look up recipes, and even to teach our kids how to read, write and learn math. Here are a few of my favorite apps I use to help keep up our frugal lifesyle.

Foursquare- This is one of my favorite apps of all time. The premise is to check into all of your favorites shops, restaurants, and attractions. Every check in gets you points. The idea is to get more points that your "foursquare friends" and check in repeatedly to become the "Mayor" of your favorite places. I love this app because you can get great hidden deals just by checking in. Some places offer a discount on your order or a free gift with a check in, or even gift cards for the place of business. Become a Mayor and you can even get a discount everytime you enter the store! Imagine using that discount during a big sale at your favorite grocery store. Savings on top of savings!

Shopkick- this app is very similar to Foursquare, except that your points accumilate and you can cash them in for gift cards! You know how much we frugalites love getting free gift cards. Check in frequently and yield the best results. I'm pretty new to this app but love it so far. Plus, I can check into this app and foursquare to yield double savings.

A Full Cup- Yup, the famous savings site has an app! I love using this app to check out the message boards for stores I may be visiting that day. I can get up to date information on any hidden deals that may have been found at my stores, like ShopRite and Target. Also, I can report deals I may find and even upload pictures of the deal to help out other shoppers.

The best part is all of these apps are free. Yup, absolutely free. I love using free things to help me save, or even make, money...don't you?

Do you have any favorite apps that you love to use?

I'm no Lady Gaga

2011-12-02T10:19:00.002-05:00

Lady Gaga has released yet another monumental video and has put the world in another uproar. Her new masterpiece, "Marry The Night," was directed by her and is supposedly the most personal video to date. All I have to say is this woman is insane.

Read more »

No more goodbyes at the School Bus

2011-11-29T09:03:00.001-05:00

It's official: he's too big for good byes.

I dreaded this day as soon as I heard the news. He was big enough to ride the bus and didn't want Mom to drive him. His excitement over his announcement became contagious all summer. Every family member laughed in celebration when he told them about his upcoming adventure. Every family member except me.

I still remember that chubby faced 3 year old that loved to play with toy buses but never left my side. The 2 year old that saw trips with Mom in the car as its own adventure. Now, at the ripe old age of 6, Mom's car rides just aren't enough.

Maybe its because I see him as 6 going on 16.
Maybe it's because I'm not only prohibited from saying goodbye, but I don't get a hug or kiss either.
Maybe I'm just super-sensitive because of my upcoming departure.

No matter the reason, it's still official....

He's growing up.

Good Morning Starshine (last week of freedom)

2011-11-28T09:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday and that you were able to enjoy your family.

Let's agree to start this week off right and positive. The week after thankgiving is notorious for being hectic, overwheming and all around gloomy. I've decided that I will MAKE this week be spectacular.

This is also my last full week at home, so being able to give my family a week of "positive mom" will not only help us transition into our big change easily, but it will help me leave in a high note.

This week all of the Christmas decorations will be put up, cookies will bake and Holiday stories will be read every night. I've even bought some special Christmas gifts just from Mom/Wife and I'll have the family open them the night before I go. I was going to wait and watch them open up the gifts on skype, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get online Christmas day.

I also can't wait to make these new cookies I have planned. Of course, I'll be sharing the recipe with you all because you can't have too many cookie recipes, right?

So, I hope you all will have a great week! If you start to feel a slump or those post Turkey Day blues creep up, feel free to shoot over to twitter and give me a shout out. I'll be your cheerleader!

Turkey leftovers: pot stickers!

2011-11-25T09:47:00.001-05:00

Every year, more and more Americans suffer from the dreaded Thanksgiving leftovers. We have so many to deal with, but not enough ideas about how to use them. You can only have so many turkey sandwiches before you want to poke your eyes out. While making our pre-holiday turkey, a light bulb went off in my head: why not pot stickers?

Pot stickers are fairly easy to make. All you need are wonton wrappers from the refrigerated section of your grocery store, soy sauce, some green onion, garlic and ginger or ginger powder. The key to making turkey pot stickers is to use the dark meat. A great pot sticker has a perfectly cooked wonton and a juicy but smooth filling inside. That dark meat from the bottom of the turkey that you never know what to do with? Yup, that's the best meat for the job.

So, in your food processor, place about 2 cups of chopped up dark meat, sliced green onion, 2 cloves of garlic chopped, a tablespoon of chopped ginger or a teaspoon of ginger powder, and a tablespoon of soy sauce. But the top on and pulse the heck out of it. You want the mixture to be as smooth as possible. If you see that its staying chunky and not coming together, add a tablespoon of water to the mix.

Still not sure how to cook your pot stickers? Check out this video from Food Network Star Sunny Anderson: Shrimp Pot Stickers

Sunny makes shrimp pot stickers, but it the same concept. She also gives quick instructions on how to freeze them at the end!

Still need another idea for those leftovers? Check out my post last year on how to use up that stuffing and gravy.

Black Friday Rules

2011-11-21T13:09:00.001-05:00

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be a frugal shopper's dream: lots of deals on deep discount and all you have to do is wait in line. We're the masters of waiting in line! But, if you are new to Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, or new to the frugal lifestyle, here are some tips that might help you before you go into battle.
Read more »

Frugal Week in Review

2011-11-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

Even when life is turned upside down, I still keep it frugal! Here are some of the best frugal things I did this week:

-On Sunday, we had a small celebration of my youngest cousin's 1st birthday and DH's 31st birthday! I offered to cook for the party since my Mother was making the two cakes. Even though the guest list doubled the day before, I was still able to use my stockpile to create a meal of balsamic and herb marinated chicken, lots of brown rice, a whole heap of buttered string beans, and a big corn casserole.

- To add to the menu even more, I saved a Subway coupon from our local store that gave us 3 footlong subs for 13.99. I got a Subway gift card from Klout as a klout perk for 10.00. So, for 3.99 we got 3 subs. I cut them into smaller sandwiches and we ate them after dinner while watching the football game.

- I got a Kohls 10.00 coupon in the mail last week. I was told I needed to pack a pillow and linens for my deployment so I got a clearance twin sheet set and a new pillow for free.

- I'm still on a mission to create and freeze meals for the family to eat while I'm gone. My goal is to make 60 and I'm at 22 right now.

- I've been obsessed with figuring out how to incorporate more tofu into our diet. I made my vegan cream of broccoli soup recipe again this week and I made a chicken and tofu stir fry. I made a quadruple batch of the stir fry and 3 of the meal servings will be frozen for Dad and the kiddos to eat while I'm gone.

- I got my free turkey from ShopRite! I'll cook it on Tuesday, pull all the meat apart on Wednesday before we leave for Ohio. One breast will be sliced and used for lunch meat, the other will be sliced and frozen with gravy for a meal, and all the other meat will be separated into freezer bags and used while I'm gone for meals. I'm hoping to get about 6 meals frozen from the turkey and to make soup when we get back from vacation.

- DH's birthday is on Saturday! Tonight, we will be going to Red Robin to celebrate. We have a rewards card for Red Robin and there is a credit for a birthday burger on there. To sweet the celebration even more, I received a FREE 25.00 Red Robin gift card from our banks rewards program. We'll eat like burger kings.

- With a bag of lentils, 2 cups of cooked brown rice and 2 packets of pink salmon, I created 3 to 4 weeks worth of toddler meals for the Duchess. I stored them in some cleaned glass ragu jars and will take them over to my Mom's house for the little girl to have for her lunches. I'm going to blog about it next week.

- I hate to admit it, but I'm a Twiheart. Dearest husband has agreed to take me to go see it on his birthday night. I have a 50.00 AMC gift card. We're going to go to the AMC that has "fork and screen" movies and have food and drinks while watching the movie. We'll have a great time for free.

- I had 3 Target coupons that needed to be used before Saturday, so we ran up to our local store to cash in. I got a free loaf of wheat bread, .99 dozen eggs, and .99 lunchable. While we were there, I even grabbed a few of the items I still need for deployment and they were surprisingly cheap. We also saved on gas. Boom.

I'm sure we did more, but that's all I can think of right now.

Deployment

2011-11-15T11:00:00.003-05:00

Brother Hilliard has gone on to be with Jesus.

He was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

He was 33 years old.

This is the latest bereavement notice sent out to the members of my Church. As I add onto my to-do list prior to deployment, I decided to quickly check my e-mail, and this is what greets me. I immediately start to break down and cry.

This isn't my first rodeo; I've been deployed before. The same dangers accompanied me then, as they will now: mortar attacks sent by Taliban sprinkling the base, putting our heads between our legs as our plane nose dives toward theater and hope that we don't get shot out of the sky. I was ready for the challenge. I anticipated the worst and I was tougher for it. But, I'm not the girl I was before. This time, I have something of my own to lose, besides my life.

The girl that deployed last time was a single, gung ho, ready for the world woman. Old enough to enlist and vote but barely old enough to drink. A whipper snapper, as they say, and had no problem seeking adventure. She saw deployments as a chance to say "I've been there, done that" and welcomed them willingly. That girl is now a Wife. That girl is now a Mother of 2. And that girl is now a very scared woman. She's been covering her fear with business as of late; planning meals for when she's gone, buying the kids more winter clothes so they'll have things to grow in while she's away, preparing her husband for the extra jobs he'll have to endure as a temporary single parent. Anything to get her mind off the fact that she's going to the most dangerous part of the world, and will be dropped right in the middle of an ongoing war. She's going from housewife to warrior, and she's having a rough time adjusting to the upcoming change.

I'm frightened. Yes, I've said it. It doesn't help that my military job is one of the most dangerous ones around, and that if the terrorists were smart, they'd wipe out my shop first. But, that's not what's keeping me up at night. That's not what causes me to cry for hours after everyone enters a deep slumber. I'm frightened that I may not make it back. That my son may grow up reminiscing over faded memories of us together. That my daughter will only know me from pictures and videos, and not from hugs and kisses.That my Husband will have to deal with life without his true love.Frightened of leaving him with the burden of keeping memories of mom fresh in our kids' minds for the rest of his life. I'm frightened that the bereavement notice above could be mine in just a few short months.

So, my mind is at a stand-still. The closer I get to leaving, the harder it is to keep positive. As I see parents prepare for the holidays, and making plans for Christmas, I fall deeper into my emotions. I know it's my turn to go. It's my turn to serve. My turn to have heart break during the holidays in the "sandbox." I just want to know that I'll be coming back. I just want to come back.

Thank You....

2011-11-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

As time ticks down, the holidays start to creep up on us, and I become more and more busy, I keep forgetting to just give thanks.

The idea of thanksgiving being around the corner makes me sit back for at least 5 minutes and just think of all the things that are going right in life. I have to say, this blog is definitely one of them. For the past 4 years, I've used this outlet as a way share our struggles to become a frugal family, the ups of saving, the downs of learning expensive lessons, paying off bills and credit cards, and just sharing what we learn about each other as a young family. This blog, to me, is love. I could be talking just to myself with each post, but it still makes me feel like I'm doing something right. Something true. Something fun.

So, I just want to say thank you to all of you. Thanks to the new readers that have found me through conferences, twitter parties, or word of mouth. Thanks to the readers that have been with me since the beginning, cheering my family on as we ventured into a life we needed to conquer in order to survive. I also want to thank the ones that have left a mark on my heart but may not visit too much anymore. I hope they learned something from me in the short time they stayed, because I know that I learned lots from them.

I also wanted to say that I'm not going anywhere. Since my announcement that I was deploying, I saw a BIG dip in the amount of readers I get on the blog daily. Deployment is hard on everyone, and its something that lots don't like to hear, or read about, so I understood the drop. But, this blog isn't going anywhere! I'm still going to write and I have posts ready to go in the next few weeks while i'm traveling to get to my destination and adjusting to my new living situation. Guest bloggers are lined up too, and (thank goodness) I'll have awesome WiFi at my base and can post, and Vlog!, a few posts a week from me. You may have thought you were getting rid of me, but no such luck. :-)

Thank you. Thank you for popping in each week to see what I'm up to, for leaving comments, for laughing at my silliness and my crazy recipes, and for being supportive. Thank you for being you.

Betty Crocker Molasses cookies winner!

2011-11-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry it took so long to get this done; im in the middle of packing. But....we do have a winner!

Congrats to Laura from Scotch Plains! Love that someone only 2 towns over from me won something, but I love you all! :)

Laura, I've given your information to MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker and you prize should be on its way to you in a few days.

I hope to have one more giveaway before I leave, so stay tuned. Thanks to all of you for entering.

Make your own household cleaners

2011-11-10T14:00:00.001-05:00

One of the easiest ways to save on your budget is to make your own cleaners. You can also use a plethora of coupons to get them cheap or free, but if you are looking to be frugal AND green, making your own products is the way to go. Here are a few recipes I've found over the years that are easy and inexpensive:

Toilet bowl cleaner
Once your dish detergent bottle is half full, fill it back up with water. You can squirt it once around the inside of your bowl and scrub with your toilet brush. Easy!

Hand soap
Grate a bar of Dove soap and place in an empty hand soap dispenser. Fill with water. Or...
Once your hand soap dispenser is half full, fill back up with water.

Disinfecting spray
Place 2 teaspoons bleach in an empty spray bottle and fill up with water. Or....
Place 1/4 cup vinegar in an empty spray bottle and fill up with water.

Glass Cleaner
Place half a cup vinegar and 1 cup warm water in an empty spray bottle. Clean mirrors and glass with cleaner and newspaper for best results.

Powdered laundry detergent
Grate a bar of dove soap into a large container. Add in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup borax cleaning powder and mix well. You should use only 1 tablespoon of the mixture for a regular load of clothes, and 2 tablespoons for a large or really dirty load.

I've written before about how to make your own homemade Oxi-clean and homemade fabric softener, so be sure to check those out as well.

Layaway is back

2011-11-09T14:52:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been seeing a word pop up all over the TV and internet that I haven't seen since the early 90s: Layaway. I remember my Grandmother used to take advantage of the layaway program at her local stores and was able to get all of her grandkids presents for their birthdays....all 13 of us. She was also a big fan of the Christmas Club at her bank. I always think I got this frugal bug from her and remember things like this convinces me even more. But, when it comes to Layaway, is it really something that benefits those of us that are already frugal?

Big stores like Walmart and Kmart are bringing retro back by offering layaway to their customers, creating an option for parents to get their kids those "must have" gifts by paying it off weekly. I'm assuming this is in response to the somewhat lackluster sales they had last holiday season. It looks like they are finally realizing that most households are trying to stay away from paying for Christmas and Hanukkah with the credit cards and if they can't pay cash, they won't get it.

This seems to be the way to go if you don't save, or shop, all year for the holidays. I see the stores participating in layaway acheiving a great increase in profit this year, just by offering this to their customers. Also, those responsible shoppers that do use it, just may leave the store with not only their layaway purchase, but with some great stocking stuffers they'll see on the way out. Again, a big plus for the companies.

Are any of you taking advantage of the layaway programs? Do you have family members that are excited about this new option?

Betty Crocker Molasses cookies (giveaway)

2011-11-04T10:00:00.008-04:00

It's cookie season. Yup, you better believe it.

I have an obsession with cookies, so when it starts to turn cold, I get so excited to pull out my cookie sheets, my recipes and go to town. I've gone a little crazy over making holiday treats before, so the fact that i'm eagar to bake goodies the whole month of November shouldn't be surprised.

Read more »

I've never had pork chops

2011-11-02T11:00:00.003-04:00

Last week, I did a really fun writing prompt about the 22 things I've never done. I was so surprised at how many people were shocked that I've never had pork chops. Yup, never. Never Ever Ever had them. Well, did any of your ever wonder why? Wonder no more, because I'm gonna share the big secret with you.

In my parent's household, we followed a diet of no pork, no gelatin and all halal/kosher. Both of my parents are muslim and this is the religion and lifestyle we followed. I grew up with turkey and beef bacon, turkey and beef sausage, pizza with no pepperoni, and no gummy bears, skittles or starburst. Feel sorry for me yet? Don't!

It was one of those lifestyles where you never missed what you never had. I didn't know what I was missing in pork; I'd never had it and didn't realize how great it was. When I was a kid, it was upsetting to see all of my friends chowing down on skittles and marshmallows, but I got over it.

Then came the day when I smelled the most rancid smell in life: pork chops and mustard greens. My Paternal Grandmother was in no way a muslim. We would go to visit her a few times a month and every once in a while she would make mustard greens and pork chops for my Uncles to eat. I can still remember the unctuous smell of the southern meal match up; the mustard greens made my eyes water while the frying pork chops made my stomach turn. Just thinking about it makes me want to sit down somewhere and put a cold cloth on my temples. Isn't it funny how a childhood experience can effect you in your adult life? Until this day, I haven't tried pork chops, and I don't think I ever will.

Of course, there's also the fact that I am allergic to pork now. Yes, its unfortunately true. One day soon, I'll share my "pepperoni story" with you all. It involves an intense craving, a surplus of money, Dominoes and nearby bathroom.

Thanks to Mama Kat for this week's writing prompt. It was fun!

Meal Plan Monday- Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:42:00.000-04:00

My little sock monkey wishes you all an absolutely spoooooky Halloween! Here's what I have planned for meals this week:

Monday: Lemon Pepper chicken with carrots and brown rice
Tuesday: pot roast served over mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, sausage, home fries, and grapes
Thursday: Chicken fried rice with egg drop soup
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday and Sunday: Off to the base to work, so Dad and the kids will have leftovers

ShopRite Deals 10/30 to 11/5

2011-10-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

Barilla Whole Grain Pasta- .88
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/18SS- .38 each
use .55/1 coupon from 9/18SS doubled- FREE

Bar-S franks- .99
use .75/2 coupon coupon from 10/23RP doubled- .24 each

Jamba smoothies- 1.74
use .75/1 coupon from 9/11SS doubled- .24

Butterball turkey bacon- 1.66
use .65/1 coupon from 10/9SS doubled(DND5)- .36

Yoplait greek yogurt- 1.00
use .30/1 printable coupon doubled- .40

Read more »

(Vegan) Cream of Broccoli soup

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I don't go around searching for vegan recipes. We are meat eaters here and if I can, I love using meat as our protein. But, I can't deny that vegetarian and vegan recipes are great for the frugal lifestyle. When I come across some of those great ones, I am intrigued to try them. This particular recipe came about when the fall weather started to poke through and I had a craving for cream soup. With one child(and Mom) that is lactose in tolerant and one child that has a full blown milk allergy, I had to figure out a cream soup recipe that didn't use cream. So, this recipe features a surprise star, tofu.

(Vegan) Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 cups veggie stock(warm or room temperature)
3 stalks of broccoli
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 container silken tofu
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
a few dashes hot sauce(optional)

Cut broccoli into pieces and place in a large microwavable bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave for 5 to 6 minutes.
While broccoli is cooking, open tofu, drain liquid and cut into small cubes.
Place a medium size pot on medium heat and put in veggie oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, put in the onions. Stir for 1 minute and add in the garlic. Slowly add in the room tempurature veggie stock and stir.
Place a top on the pot, turn heat to low and let simmer.
Place tofu, broccoli and steaming water in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Place blended mix into the soup pot and stir. Add salt and pepper, taste to see if you need to adjust seasoning.
Let simmer for 10 more minutes and serve.

I love this recipe because it comes out so creamy without adding any type of milk, including soy. Also, the tofu is a protein, so it counts as a full meal. If you want, you can also steam some carrots or cauliflower instead of the broccoli! It's a very versatile recipe and really yummy.

6 months of stockpile in 5 weeks?

2011-10-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

Yup, you read that question right.

I'm now on a mission to create a 6 month stockpile in less than 5 weeks. Just my luck, I found out last weekend that my deployment date has been moved up considerably. The time that I thought I had is gone, and the stockpile that I thought I had time to aquire needs to be here, like now.

My biggest question is: can I do this? Since sales cycles come around every 12 weeks, and deals haven't been all that great, I'm really scared that it might not be possible. But, in the same token, the challenge makes me want to charge at it like a linebacker. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't already in the middle of building back up the stockpile we lost over the summer. All meats are pretty much gone and I have to not only stockpile meat, but cook most of it and freeze full meals, if possible. The list just gets longer.

The best scenario is to just have the husband shop every week. How great would that be?! But, that's not going to fly. He works 10 hours days 5 days a week and has school 2 nights a week. Oh, and he doesnt cook. Oh, and he is the impulse buyer here so if its left up to him, all of the money I make while I'm gone will be all gone before I even get back to the states. Joy.

I do have a plan of attack though: I'm going to up my cherry picking back to the 5 stores I have within 10 miles of us. When gas prices went up, I cut it down to 3 stores and 2 drug store chains. Time to put back on my big girl panties and shop like an Extreme couponing maniac again. Also, I'm going to use my coupon for a trial membership at BJs and stock up on meat. I'm really afraid that if I wait to find out the meat deals at the stores each week, I might not get the stockpile of meals I have in mind. I've always thought the meat prices at the big box stores were pretty good, so i'll dedicate a chunk of the grocery budget to that next week. Other than that, I don't know what else to do but try not to panic.

Do any of you have any ideas? Have you ever had to create a big stockpile within a small amount of time?

ShopRite Deals 10/23 to 10/29

2011-10-22T19:12:00.002-04:00

Glade areosol air freshener- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from October Woman's Day magazine- FREE
use 1.00/1 coupon from October Good Housekeeping magazine- FREE

Vigo Rice- .99
use .55/1 coupon from 3/13RP doubled- FREE

Libby's canned peaches- .66
use 1.00/2 coupon from 8/28RP- .16 each

Halls cough drops- 1.19
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/18SS- .69 each
use .50/1 coupon from November All You magazine doubled- .19

Read more »

22 things I've never done

2011-10-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

In my 29 and a half years i've never:

1. Gone sky diving

2. Owned a dog

3. Gone to a prom

4. Dyed my hair blonde

5. Gotten a bikini wax(lol)

6. Gone to a race track

7. Been to the Statue of Liberty

8. Met someone named Beatrice

9. Gone rock wall climbing

10. Been bit by a snake

11. Eaten pork chops

12. Worn a snuggie

13. Played an Xbox Kinect

14. Met Janet Jackson

15. Been invited to a genuine tea party

16. Been a bridesmaid

17. Eaten a fried twinkie or oreo

18. Gone to a live taping of a TV show

19. Played blackjack at a casino

20. Worn red lipstick

21. Driven a Mercedez

22. Had twins!

That was fun! Thanks Mama Kat for the inspiration.

He's a funny guy

2011-10-17T16:01:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Family Insurance for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My kid is a funny guy. No, really. He loves to watch all the kid-friendly comedies, he puts on shows for his sister to get her to giggle and even when no one is watching, I hear him making up a whole comedic scene full of sounds, fake falls, and canned laughter. He's a funny guy, alright.

I have to admit, I do love this about him. He's animated, almost to a fault, and if we can nurture it enough, maybe one day he could be the next Lenny Bruce. He's also now at the age where Dad and I can tell him funny stories about when we were young and the troubles we got into with his grandparents. We can also share hilarious things we used to do with friends when we were his age. Those are now becoming the stories he asks us to retell over and over, laughing every single time.

Our biggest challenge lately is finding comedies that are great for the whole family to watch. He's 6, not 16, so we have to find something that isn't too "grown up" but that isn't made for babies, as he loves to say. We were recently told about American Family Insurance and their cool site called Stand Up For Family. It had family friendly stand up acts from some of the funniest comedians out right now. I watched a few of the clips with Sonny and we both were cracking up. Our favorite clip is by Donnell Rawlings; he talks about getting his new bike as a kid and having the neighborhood kids borrow it and never bringing it back. I could so relate and Sonny thought it was too funny. We are halfway through the clips and can't get enough.

I think this is a pretty cool idea; there's so much potty humor out there for kids nowadays that the parents either don't want them watching or don't want to sit and watch with them. It's really nice to find something that we all can laugh at. AmFam did a wonderful job with this series and I hope they are able to find more comedians to participate. If you want a giggle to start the weekend, give these clips a peek. They will make you belly laugh.

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-10-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

This weekend, we went to an apple orchard with the kids and stocked up on some yummy apples. We even got a few pumpkins to decorate next weekend before Halloween. So, of course I have to make an apple dessert this week, and I'm even going to make some apple jelly with all the leftovers. I also purchased 2 beef roasts last week and they are each in a slow cooker as we speak right now. One will be used twice this week and the other will be shredded and turned into 3 meals that hubby will use when I leave. Yup, its time to stockpile meals!

Monday: Slow cooker Pot roast served over orzo with buttered corn
Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner: apple cinnamon pancakes, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs and orange juice
Wednesday: Beef and cheese quesadillas with side salad
Thursday: Chicken and green bean stove top casserole served over brown rice
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday and Sunday: Off to drill weekend so Dad and the kids will have leftovers :)

Dessert of the week: apple cobbler using my slow cooker cobbler recipe

ShopRite Deals 10/16 to 10/22

2011-10-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Nature's bounty vitamins- prices start at 3.29
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/16RP- 2.29

use 2.00/1 printable coupon- 1.29 or more each
buy 3, use two 2.00/1 coupons and 1 1.00/1 coupon, get 5.00 catalina- FREE plus overage

Barilla Whole Grain pasta- .99
use .55/1 coupon from 9/18SS doubled- FREE

Arrid Xtra dy deodorant- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Near East Couscous- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 9/18RP- FREE

Read more »

The best friends I've never met

2011-10-13T12:41:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest blessings in life is to have great friends. Family is something you are born into but friends are family that you get to choose. At least, that's how I've always viewed friendships in my life. Because of this, I've never been the one to be friends with anyone and everyone. It's all about quality than quantity with me. Funny thing is, I've had to open up that thinking once I started becoming more active online.

As much as I love my "flesh and bone" friends, most of them aren't in the head space, or life space, that i'm in. They are just now settling into commited relationships or marriages while I've been a wife and mother for years now. It's always fun to get together with them and get updated on their lives but because of where we all are in life, I tend to be the person giving advice, rather than asking for it. As much as you may love helping your friends, it's always nice to have someone to ask for a valued opinion about what you are currently going through. This is why i'm so glad I discovered forums of like-minded moms, frugal mavens and just plain cool chicks I admire.

One of the first places I was able to find kindred spirits was on the now defunked MSN money message boards. Those ladies were tough, smart, funny and knew their stuff. They were also Moms, pet owners, passionate about their families and careers and beyond supportive. A few of them became of the best women I had ever known, even though I hadn't ever seen them face to face.One friend in particular, Sue, has even become the kids' "Auntie Sue" since she always sends them wonderful cards and cute little gifts around birthdays and holidays. She's wonderful and a great source of support and inspiration for me. And no, we've never met or talked on skype or the phone. Weird? Maybe. But the fact that i've never seen her in person doesn't make her any less of a friend to me.

My newest place to find some great new friends is twitter. I've been so adverse to getting into tweeting because it always seemed so overwhelming to me. I realized that your "circle of friends" can be as little or large as you make it by "following" only those people who you would like to have conversations with and that's all. Since then, I have been hooked. I've learned so many things from so many people, and because it's in real time, if I'm having a bad day or need immediate advice, I can have a response right away from one of my friends. It also means I can provide my own support to others as soon as they request it. I could not have survived this past summer and all of the preparing I've been doing for deployment without them. They provide laughs, virtual hugs and when the mood strikes, someone to "watch" bad TV with on those nights you feel like watching a show with a friend.

So, I just wanted to give some appreciation to those friends I haven't met face to face, those friends that have been there for me without seeing the actual tears in my eyes or the bad hair I had that day. So thank you to Sue, Beth, Lucky, Erica, A'Driane, Zoe, James,and Kimberly, just to name a few. You ladies make me laugh, make me think and make me feel a part of something. Always know that you are special, and that you are appreciated by more than just little ol' me.

As for my readers, I'd love to get to know all of you even more! If you haven't yet, hit me up on twitter and let's have a conversation. It would be an honor to get to know you and maybe become a support to you like the ladies above were a support to me. Talk to you soon!

Looking for guest bloggers!

2011-10-11T11:09:00.000-04:00

I'm counting down the weeks until I leave and I'm getting all my ducks in a row. One of my biggest ducks is this blog. It looks like I'll be able to access it while I'm deployed but I'm still not sure about how much access that will be. I have a great plan in place though and I'm in desperate need of some guest bloggers to be featured while I'm gone.

If you are a blogger, writer, or just someone who's had a great idea for a post and would love to share it here in our little community, I'd love to feature you! You can leave me a comment with your e-mail under this post, or you can e-mail me directly at 4hatsandfrugal(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm really excited about what's in store for the blog while i'm gone. I think it's about the only thing that's exciting about the whole situation right now lol.

By the way, thanks for all the continued support. You are all fabulous and I'm so honored to have you as readers.

Living on Less

2011-10-10T15:08:00.001-04:00

Today, while doing my morning check-in to Twitter, I saw that my favorite Bloggy Mom, Tiffany, wrote a post about living on less. She was inspired by the article written on Yahoo Finance and wanted to create a post and blog hop dedicated to it. So, i'm hoping in!

Do you avoid a lot of the expenses that many of your peers spend money on, such as technology and meals out?
This is a tough one for me to answer because I have to provide a "yes and no" response. I have married a man who loves technology and also loves music. So, whenever something new comes out that can help him progress in his music career, we have to try to work it into the budget. On the other hand, I'm one of those people that isn't satisfied with the purchase of something technological until I have run it into the ground, bought it back to life at least twice, and then run it into the ground for the final time. This is the reason I decided to keep my old cell phone for 4 years and didn't have any qualms about upgrading to an iPhone once it died on me. Luckily for this marriage, the yin and yang of technology works in our favor and tends to not break the bank like it would if we were both into always having the bigger, better deal.

When it comes to eating out, it's always with a coupon, gift card and our "eating out" savings from our budget. The only time this may not apply is during birthday times when a family member may request a restaurant that I don't have coupons/gift cards for. But, that money still only comes from our "eating out" budget.

What is your typical meal?
As most of my readers know, I worship the whole chicken. It can provide lots of meals from one night of labor and I'll never turn my back on it. But, if the price is right, a nice big pot roast made in a slow cooker will yield the same results. One of the best meals to have around here is a pot roast with carrots and au jus served over orzo. It's gotten us through many a winter.

What about clothes?
When it comes to clothes for the kids and I, they come when the sales do. I check out thrift stores, consignment shops and re-sale stores for the kids clothes and that has been working out great thus far. I also make sure to ask family and friends to bypass toys as gifts for holidays and birthdays and grab a cute outfit or two for the kids. It always works out great because adults love shopping for clothes more than toys. They can go to Kohl's or Old Navy on a weekday, grab an outfit for the kiddo and maybe something for themselves lol.
With myself, I always keep a lookout at clearance racks at the stores we frequent for groceries, like Target and Walmart, and I always make sure to take advantage of any one day sales or coupons for stores that may come my way. I keep a list of items that are needed in my wardrobe, and if I see it at an awesome price somewhere, I grab it up.
My husband's wardrobe is a whole other story. He has been steadily losing weight and most of his enormous wardrobe is starting to not fit. We've been trying to keep up with his essentials by finding inexpensive items at Old Navy and his favorite store, Burlington Coat Factory, but it's hard to do when you are losing lbs weekly. His wardobe will continue to be a work in progress.

What about going on dates?
We try to make sure to do this at least once a month. Whether it's a quick trip to the movies, a night out at dinner, or double dating with friends, we make time and save money for it. Some might say that a night on the couch can be a date if you make it so, but we spend time like that together every night. We watch our favorite shows, talk about our days and crack a few jokes to make each other smile. Unless DH has class that night, it gets done every night. So, a "real date" is something we cherish and even dress up for. We both see it as something that's worth the investment.

Do you indulge in any luxuries?
We really don't. Our budget has been stretched to the max, especially with the addition of our little girl this past year. We take trips to see family in Ohio and we used to be able to do this at least every 2 ot 3 months. Now it's down to twice a year or less. We have decided that next year we will make time to take our kids on trips outside of our state and give them a real vacation experience. We've also decided to take ourselves on a real vacation experience as well, since we havent been on one for about 5 years.

Do you have health insurance?
Thankfully we do. My husband works for the state, so we have one of the best insurance plans offered to NJ employees. We would be in real trouble without it.

Do you have any savings for emergencies?
Sort of. I have an account set up for savings from a percentage of my monthly military paycheck. I say "sort of" because you do have to jump though hoops in order to get the money, but I opted for it to be that way. Even though we have been diligent on our other savings, I still don't trust our views of "emergencies." DH and I still don't agree on what qualifies as an emergency and what doesn't, so until we do, I'm going to keep that savings on the back burner and just let it slowly grow.

Do you anticipate or look forward to having a higher salary one day?
Absolutely! My dream would be to work from home as a professional blogger, but I'm still on track to becoming the High School English teacher i've been working towards for the past 6 years.

What about retirement? Do you ever plan on saving enough to retire?
Definitely. I don't think we'll be fortunate enough to retire at 65, but it may happen. Right now, we have time on our side for planning everything we need to plan, including college funds for the kids. All it takes is sitting down and taking the leap to save, little by little.

Do you have any advice to others trying to live on $20,000 a year?
There is sanity in planning. Treat your money like it's a game of chess; plan where each piece, or dollar, will go before you spend it. See how that action will effect you later on that week, that money or that year. If you treat the "pawn" of a penny with the same respect as the "king" of a 100 dollar bill, you'll succeed in your challenge.

What about you all? Any of these questions really make you think? If you have a blog, are you going to give these questions a go and share with your readers?

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-10-10T09:49:00.000-04:00

Monday: Red beans and rice with side salad
Tuesday: Baked chicken with carrot shreds and potatoes
Wednesday: beef and macaroni with a side of broccoli
Thursday: Chinese chicken soup
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Slow cooker roast beef with carrots and orzo
Sunday: Dinner at my parents' house

Dessert of the week: pound cake

ShopRite Deals 10/9 to 10/15

2011-10-08T22:21:00.002-04:00

Ok, I officially throw in the towel on the match ups this week! There are way too many and I've been working on them for the past two days. There are still some catalina scenarios I have mapped out, but there are even more that I see that I haven't looked up coupons for! So, please come back tomorrow for the scenarios, but here at the match ups I have gotten together so far. Have a great shopping week!

X-14 toilet bowl cleaner- .89
use 1.00/1 coupon from 7/24SS- FREE

Purina Whisker Lickins cat treats- 5 for 5.00(must buy 5)
use two .75/2 coupons from 9/11 or 10/2RP doubled- .40 each
plus, use your 3.00 purina catalina from 9/24 sale- FREE

WackyMac pasta- .99
use .40/1 coupon from 5/8SS doubled- .19
and use .40/1 savingstar rebate- FREE plus overage after coupon and rebate

Read more »

FlipFlop Wines: you have my heart and soles!

2011-10-07T15:01:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you all realize this about me, but I do love my wine. In the past few years, I've come to develop an appreciation for it, and my girlfriends and female family members have all started to love trying out new and interesting varieties. I have to say, it's pretty cool to have cousins and aunts bring over a new favorite wine to share. Of course, being a frugal maven, I hate spending an insane amount on wine.

Luckily, there are great wines out there that don't break the bank and are still delicious. Lately, FlipFlop wines has been our go-to wine. At around 7 dollars a pop, you really can't go wrong. Plus, I've been on a Moscato kick, and their version is fantastic. Also, I love wineries that not only make great inexpensive wines, but do it for a cause or charity.

FlipFlop wines is partnering with Soles4Souls, a charity that "collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty." How great is that? As frugalites, we are always looking for a way to give without have to create a big dent in our budget. The Flippin Good! deeds challenge is something that we all should jump on. You can check out the challenge page and get started with your own family members and friends. I had the advantage to be part of a twitter party with FlipFlop wines, and once I learned about this challenge, I vowed to blog about it and get the word out.

I'd love to know if any of you plan to give this challenge a shot. I'll be starting it this weekend with family members, so we can be supporters for each other. And also, have any of you tried FlipFlop wines? What is your favorite frugal winery?

Wordless Wednesday- Karate Master

2011-10-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

Can you guess who's starting karate lessons this week? Hmmm?

PYHO: I am not Crunchy Granola....

2011-10-04T14:38:00.001-04:00

I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

Yes, I do baby-wear my little girl and yes, I follow a baby-led weaning food routine for her. I try to bake all of our snacks and breads and I cook our dinner almost every night. But, I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

My Whole Chickens are not free range, but Perdue. I allow Oreos and Twinkies in my house, and every other week, we just might eat out at a restaurant, better yet, a CHAIN restaurant. Gasp. Shocker. Clutch your pearls because like I said, I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

We read books every night, but we also put Spongebob on the big screen on the weekends. And yes, my 1 year old knows who he is. She knows the theme song. Yup, shoot me. I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

I love to go thrift shopping and consignment shopping for the kids' clothes instead of buying new. But, I don't make their clothes. Better yet, I've never sewn or knitted in my life. I also use disposable diapers. Don't pass out! Like I said, I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm all about "The Movement." I fully support the Breastfeeding, no gluten, Ergo Carrying Mamas out there. Actually, I have the pleasure of talking to lots of them almost everyday on social media. But, that one thing that still bothers me is the judgement. Because I pick and choose the techniques we use to parent, I get a scolding over anything that isn't "natural," "Paleo," "Organic," or "Straight from Mother Nature." Being a Parent is hard enough as it is; do we have to add in the shame from other Parents?

I guess I'll never know the feeling of the masses having a positive outlook on every single part of my parenting, while I look down on those that don't do what I do. But like I said, I'm not a crunchy granola Mom.

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-10-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

Monday: Chicken Fried Rice with side salad
Tuesday: hamburg steaks with gravy, brown rice and sweet peas
Wednesday: Matzo ball soup! So excited to make this for the first time
Thursday:Turkey sausage, egg noodles and carrot shreds(similar to this recipe)
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Free dinner with a coupon/gift card deal
Sunday: Going to watch football at my parents house! Game day eats!

Dessert of the week: Banana pudding!

ShopRite Deals 10/2 to 10/8

2011-10-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

Please, please, if I missed any deals this week, let me know. This migraine has been killing me for the past few days, so I know I missed some deals while reading the circular. Thanks all!

GUM toothbrushes- .77
use 1.00/2 coupon from 8/7SS- .27 each
use .55/1 coupon from 8/7SS doubled- FREE

Pepsi 2 liter sodas- 5 for 5.00(must buy 5)
use four .55/1 coupons from 10/2Pepsico insert doubled- .20 each

Haribo Gummy Bears- .88
use .30/1 printable coupon doubled- .28

Total Raisin Bran- 1.99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
use .85/1 printable coupon doubled- .29

Ronzoni pasta portions- .87
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/25SS- .37

Old El Paso refried beans- 1.39
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .39

Rayovac batteries- 1.49
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .49

Betty Crocker Fun da-middles cupcake mix- 2.49
use .75/1 coupon from 9/11GM doubled- .99
and use .50/1 cellfire e-coupon- .49

Celestial Seasonings tea- 1.99
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49

Lipton Iced Tea- 1.00
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/11SS- .50 each

Chex mix muddy buddy snacks- 2 for 4.00(must buy 2)
use two .75/1 coupons from 9/11GM doubled- .50 each

2000 flushes toilet bowl cleaner- 1.64
use 1.00/1 coupon from 7/24SS- .64
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .64

Progresso traditional soup- 1.25
use 8 for 8.37 in-circular coupon- 1.05 each
and use two 1.00/4 coupons from 9/11GM- .80 each

Betty Crocker cookie mix- 2 for 4.00(must buy 2)
use two .40/1 printable coupons doubled- 1.20 each
and use .40/1 cellfire e-coupon- 1.00 each

Snickers fun size candy- 1.87
use 1.50/2 coupon from October All You magazine- 1.12 each

Nestle fun size candy- 1.87
use 1.00/2 coupon from October All You magazine- 1.37 each
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- 1.37 each

Folgers ground coffee- 2.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/2RP- 1.99

Pepsi 20 pack canned soda- 2 for 10.00
use 2.00/2 coupon from 10/2Pepsico insert- 4.00 each

Other Deals
Red cross table salt- .39
Broccoli Rabe- .99/lb
ShopRite brand jumbo pack diapers- 3.49
5lb box tangerines- 3.99

ShopRite Match ups: Where are they?

2011-10-01T20:42:00.000-04:00

Sorry guys! I've been suffering from migraines on and off since last night, so I'm just now getting back to finishing the match ups. Give me a half hour or so to double check the ones I have and I'll get them up so you can get your coupons ready for tomorrow.

10 Things I'm looking forward to this weekend

2011-09-30T11:07:00.002-04:00

Since it's been a crappy few weeks, I decided that I'm making myself list 10 things that I can't wait to experience this weekend. Take that, grumpy me!

1. My Sister's 16th birthday. Like most teenagers, my sister can be a bit of a pill, but every year since she became a teen, I get excited about her birthdays. I know that it's one more year closer to her not being a teen anymore and possibly getting her right mind back. Plus, I love to put together great gifts for her. I'm that sister that gives awesome, unexpected gifts. Like brownies with mint icing, or a cool handbag. Word.

2. Playing dominoes with my husband. We tried to do this a few weeks ago, but the kids got in the way that weekend. This weekend, we don't have much planned, so Friday night will be pizza and dominoes night. We always have a great time when we play each other at any game, but dominoes is the most fun.

3. I'm finally taking the kids to get their brother/sister portraits done. Because it hasn't been in the budget, we haven't been able to do this yet. There was an awesome Groupon out for JCPenney 200 dollar portrait package for only 40 bucks. I jumped on that one! Plus, the dress that I put Duchess in for her baby shower still fits her! Sonny has a green button down shirt and tie that matches the dress, so no need to even buy new outfits. I just hope they stay in a good mood during the session.

4. I get to bake bread again! Its finally getting cooler, so I can start baking our sandwich bread again. I told Sonny that I was going to bake special wheat bread for his school sandwiches and his little face lit up. I might even make a few loaves of other types and take it to my Mom's house on Sunday.

5. Since it's my sister's birthday this weekend, we're having a big party at my Parents' house on Sunday. I'm excited about this because I get to see most of my extended family. Since I'm counting down the weeks before I leave, I really want to spend as much time with friends and family as possible. Because of that, we have lots of events and family gatherings planned up until Thanksgiving. This weekend kicks off the busy schedule.

6. Speaking of schedules, we get to go over our fiscal year planning this weekend! Since we both have government jobs, we tend to plan our years around the start of October, which is when the fiscal year starts in military and government jobs. We're going to plan out all the family events, vacations, school events, etc this weekend with a free calender I got at ShopRite to celebrate The Jewish New Year. I love doing this because I can have a visual of how the year will be for us, busy or calm. I might even color code it this year!

7. Since I'm going to have the oven on the bake the bread, I'm going to bake some school snacks for Sonny. I have a stockpile of snacks, but I'd like to keep those there for Hubby to use when I'm gone and he has to pack Sonny's lunch. It's been a while since I've baked his snacks for lunch, so this should be fun. I'm going to check my snack recipes on here and see what tickles my fancy.

8. I get to start running this weekend. I LOATHE running. I just can't do it properly and it sucks because I have to run in my physical fitness test for the military. They used to not base a lot on the run and I would pass on my weight, push ups and sit ups, but they changed the test. If I don't pass the run, I don't pass. So....I have 3 weeks to learn how to run. I'm looking forward to the time alone listening to my music and trying to catch my breath.

9. We get to go to church this weekend. I know this may sound strange, but we haven't been in over a month due to military duty and other family commitments on Sunday. Religion aside, I just love the fellowship at my church. It's full of friendly, funny, people and I need to be around people like that right now. Plus, my church rocks. Literally. They have a band and everything!

10. I'm in the running for 100,000! A great online buddy of mine(Hi Sue!) told me about this contest over on Cheap Sally called Bring Home the Bacon. They are going to staff a blogger to write a few times a week about the best deals they've seen online. The part is that you'll get paid a $100,000 salary! I'm just a small fish but I think it would be awesome if a frugal blogger won this and I'm hoping it will be me. I plan on telling all of my family about it on Sunday to get some votes. I'd love your vote too! Click here and just click VOTE. You can vote once a day, so please feel free to bookmark my page and give me a vote everyday. I would love you forever if you do!

"I don't care"

2011-09-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

How unfortunate is it to just not care? When the day to day life has gotten your mind and body to the point of detaching, is it acceptable to do so?

The idea of perfection is something all women, especially mothers, attain to. The clean house, the perfect budget, happy kids(or pets), and providing a comfortable lifestyle for yourself and your family. We strive to create an oasis of good in our own lives and the lives of others. But what happens when we just let go of that motivation?

Lately, I've been stuck in a place of "I don't care."

I don't care if the house is a mess.
I don't care if dinner isn't as good as I used to make it.
I don't care if I wear the same outfit 3 days in a row.
I don't care if my polish is chipping and the neighbors see it on my fingers at the bus stop.
I don't care if I can't convince my son to take something other than peanut butter and jelly for lunch.
I don't care if I've had a ponytail in my hair for the past 2 weeks.
I don't care if my blog posts are lacking.
I don't care if I haven't had a real workout in over a month.
I don't' care that most of my inspiration lately has come from twitter links.
I don't care that some days, I just want to hit the snooze and pull the covers back over my head.
I don't care.

I know this is a dangerous way to think, but it's what happening in my life at the moment. If my house was a multimillion dollar company, stocks would be plummeting right now. The amazing part is that I know I need to care. Eventually, life won't let me just stay in auto-pilot. Plus, above all things, I'm still a woman, and perfection is knocking at my unkempt front door.

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-09-27T08:45:00.000-04:00

Monday: Roasted Chicken breasts(on the bone) with roasted potatoes, onions and steamed carrots
Tuesday: Onion and Potato fritatta with side salad
Wednesday: vegan cream of broccoli soup(new recipe coming soon!)
Thursday: Chicken fried rice with egg drop soup and side salad
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Dinner out using a gift card I earned and a coupon that came in the mail(meal should be free)
Sunday: Birthday Dinner for my little sister! We'll be eating at my parents' house

ShopRite Deals 9/25 to 10/1

2011-09-24T19:33:00.002-04:00

Wheaties cereal- 1.99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
and use .75/1 wheaties cellfire coupon- FREE to .24

Pillsbury brownie mix- .88
use 1.00/2 coupon from 6/12RP- .38
use .40/1 coupon from 6/12RP doubled- .08

9Lives canned cat food 4pack- 4 for 6.00(must buy 4, limit 4 offers)
buy 16 packs, use four 1.00/3 coupons from 9/25RP- 1.25 each
also,if you buy 16 packs, you'll get back 12.00 in catalinas- .50 a pack or .12 a can!

Campbell's chicken noodle soup- 5 for 3.00(must buy 5)
use .40/4 coupon from 9/11SS doubled-.44 each
use two .40/2 coupons from 9/11SS doubled- .28 each

Read more »

Slow cooker Applesauce

2011-09-22T12:42:00.000-04:00

It's apple time again! I think this is one of the best parts about Autumn; apples are all over the place and you can't help but grab up a few, or a peck of them. I used to think a peck of apples was something a crazy person bought, until I cooked up a peck in many different recipes a few years ago. Oh yeah, I finished up the peck and posted another list of apple recipes too. So, now it's time for my favorite EASY apple recipe: applesauce! My recipe is super simple, no bells and whistles or additives. It's basically straight apples and everyone that's had it loves it. It's perfect if you don't want your family hopped up on sugar, since it doesn't' contain any.

5 apples cored and cut into small cubes*
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)

Place water and lemon juice(or vinegar) in the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
Place the cubed apples and cinnamon in the insert and stir until the liquid is over all of the cubes.
Put on lid and turn slow cooker to high. Cook for 3 to 4 hours or until you can't take smell the aroma anymore without tasting.
Once done, take a potato masher and mash the apples until they turn into a sauce. For a finer consistency, use a fork to smash the apples.
Serve warm, cold, mixed with plain Greek yogurt, hot over ice cream, etc.

*I used fuji, eastern or gala, and maybe one granny smith added for tartness

If you liked this recipe, check out my recipe for Apple Cinnamon Brown Betty.

Wordless Wednesday- Nudist at Play

2011-09-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

Almost every day she takes her diaper off and does this. Time for potty training?

Meal Plan Monday(or Tuesday....)

2011-09-20T12:22:00.000-04:00

I don't know what's going on with me this week, but the motivation is lacking! I realized around noon yesterday that I didn't have any meals planned for the week. Luckily, I had a frozen dinner in the freezer to bide us over for Monday, but I had to put my tail in gear today and figure out some other meals. Here's what I have in mind:

Monday: Frozen family size salisbury steak dinner, with mashed potatoes and some sauteed peppers and onions
Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner; pancakes, turkey bacon, eggs and grapes
Wednesday: Cream of broccoli soup with yeast pan bread
Thursday: Baked Chicken breasts with carrot "spaghetti" and brown rice
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday and Sunday: Mama's off to serve our country, so it's leftovers for the rest of the family

ShopRite Deals 9/18 to 9/24

2011-09-17T18:00:00.004-04:00

Looks like it's going to be a slow week. Most of the deals are repeats from last week, but there are a few new ones in there. Hope you all have a pleasant week!

Kikkoman soy sauce- 1.00
use .55/1 coupon from 5/15SS doubled- FREE
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman panko bread crumbs- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman stir fry mix- 2 for 1.00(must buy 2)
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman tempura mix- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Marcal small steps face tissues- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/28RP- FREE

Campbell's tomato or chicken noodle soup- 5 for 3.00(must buy 5)
Buy 15, use four .40/3 printable coupons doubled- .33 each

Read more »

Pinball's post

2011-09-15T12:00:00.001-04:00

I sometimes feel like my little kitty is kind of the step-child on this blog. Unlike the other kids, he only gets posts dedicated to him once in a blue moon. My poor furry baby. Why is he treated so? I have no idea. I think it may be because he hardly makes a sound unless he's hungry, and his siblings make a point of making as much noise as possible. Well, today, our kitty boy takes center stage. Here are a few facts about our favorite child with fur:

Read more »

Strange Stockpiles

2011-09-13T14:00:00.001-04:00

I do love maintaing a stockpile. It saves us so much time and saves me so much energy. But sometimes I do catch myself stockpiling some of the strangest things. They are usually things that we do use quite a bit, but to the eye of another stockpiler, they may seem quite peculiar.

Take a look at my current stockpile of almond and coconut milk. There was a great deal at one of my local stores that made each carton a little over a dollar after coupons and rolled catalinas. For us, that is a stockpile-worthy price since this is all that Sonny can drink and use with his cereal. Since school has started, I know this stockpile will dwindle way before any of it expires but I know I don't have to buy it anymore until it does run out. Plus, we don't have anymore room in the fridge for more!

Now to another stockpiler, they may see it as a "cool" stockpile but would never think to ever use up their "real estate" for alternative milks. Hence, they would see it as strange. It's a staple here, but definitely not in all houses. It's the same way I look at others' stockpile of paper towels. We don't use them anymore, but I still look in awe at the big stockpiles of them for households that utilize paper towels. I wouldn't have any idea where I would keep a stockpile like that if I was ever able to grow one. It's all relative.

Do any of you stockpile something that others might see as strange, but your household can't live without?

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-09-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

It's rubber chicken week! I love when we can roast a chicken and get it in all of our meals all week. It saves me so much time and headache. It's also going to be Sonny's first full week of school, so it's time to start making him some after school snacks. This is what I have in mind for this week:

Monday: Roasted chicken with roasted carrots and brown rice
Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken fried rice with side salad
Wednesday: Turkey Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli
Thursday: Matzo ball soup with mini homemade rolls
Friday: Pizza night! Topped with chicken, peppers, and onions
Saturday: Leftovers night! Mom and Dad will be off to Philly for the night, so a quick meal is needed
Sunday: Dinner at my Parents' house. I may make enchilada bake with chicken and take it over there

Dessert of the week: Banana pudding (if we have bananas left by mid week)
Snack of the week: Apple chips

ShopRite Deals 9/11 to 9/17

2011-09-10T12:00:00.006-04:00

Kikkoman soy sauce- 1.00
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman bread crumbs- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman stir fry mix- 2 for 1.00(must buy 2)
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Kikkoman tempura mix- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Chore boy sponges- 1.25
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .15

Ragu pasta sauce- .99
use .75/2 coupon from 9/11RP doubled- .24 each

Read more »

10 Things I've learned this week

2011-09-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while I have a week where I learn so many new things and I get so excited to share them with you all. So, from now on, whenever one of those weeks arise, I'll do a Friday post listing the great and not-so-great life lessons from the past seven days.

1. Just when I thought Extreme Couponing was over and done with, I found out there is another season in the works. And now there is a show called High Stakes Sweepers, which documents those obessed with entering contests and sweepstakes. Help me, Rhonda.

2. The excitement of getting your child ready for the first day of school, and first time on the bus, will fade as soon as they wave to you from the bus window. I'm proud that I didn't cry, but I missed the bugger all day and so did his sister. I just might pull my hair out when I have to leave him for 3 to 6 months.

3. Yeah, I'm off to fight the war. For serious. This is something I "learned" for sure this week and it hasn't sent our world upside down just yet. That other shoe is dangling though and I don't know what's going to happen when it drops.

4. Just when I see my pantry and freezer becoming empty, a great sale, or two or three, pops up and refills it to the brim. I don't know why I continue to learn this life lesson but I do. Anything empty nowadays makes me antsy, mostly because of the economy and the latest treatment we couponers have endured because of the show mentioned in lesson number 1.

5. People and companies will continue to surprise you, in a good or bad way. I've won some pretty awesome things lately just for following companies on twitter and facebook and yet I've been treated poorly by a company who owed me a 50.00 prize over 2 months ago. You would think that they would recognize the effect of "word of mouth" has been for companies in the past few years and work harder to actually honor their word. Guess not. I'm dying to know how this will pan out.

6. Men do think and have feelings. Heck, they may even sit you down and have a talk about those feelings without you asking them to. It's rare, but it does happen. And I like it.

7. A "kiss" from a cat is almost as good as a peek at heaven. For some reason, my kitty boo has been giving me lots of kisses lately. I think he senses that Mom is about to lose her sh!t in the next few weeks from thinking about all that is going on. He's my favorite furry baby.

8. Unless you say something, no one's going to know about what you do with your time and how you live your life. This became clear to me when I was recently talking with my Mother and she talked about starting a blog. Well, she talked to me about starting "a thing called a blog" like I didn't know what it was and haven't been blogging for 4 years. I realized that I never officially told her about my blogging! Or at least I don't think I did. That was indeed an A-ha moment.

9. I've haven't taken enough advantage of the friends that live near me; before you know it, they may be moving far away from you. One of my good friends, and the Duchess's GodMother, is moving halfway across the country in a few months. We've done a good job of hanging out and keeping up with each other, but, at least for me, it's never been enough. I don't have a quantity of friends, but I have quality friends, and knowing that one of my best ones won't be around to see whenever I want will be hard. It does give Duchess and I a reason to travel to see her, but my heart still aches at the fact that she won't be two towns over.

10. 9/11 is still changing my life. Besides the fact that the day we won't forget caused my world to turn upside down, it's still causing a ruckus. I'm so proud to serve my country, but I'm so angry that not only me but other people that I care about have to put their lives on the line. Upset that we have to cause our family to worry sick about us and our safety while we are gone. Pissed that we still don't know when we will be able to bring all the troops home. Life isn't fair, I guess, but life's events sometimes deserve a swift kick in the nuts. I have to admit, the anger does get me fired up to fight the good fight. Never Forget....

I'm all over the place today!

2011-09-07T11:00:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm actually the guest blogger over at the wonderful James and Jax blog today! I'm really excited this guest post since I love that blog and love talking to James on twitter. She's a fantastic woman and her posts show it. Run on over there and check it out.

Also, I have yet another post up on the Live Better Baby Blog. A big thanks to A&P/Pathmark/Superfresh family for giving me the opportunity to blog there. It's been so much fun and I can't wait to continue.

Lastly, did you all know that I'm trying to bring home the bacon? I'm entered into the Cheap Sally Bring Home the Bacon contest and could win a 100,000 blogging career! Can you imagine? A frugal blogger getting to blog about frugality and getting paid for it! I'd love for you all to vote for me. You can vote daily, so please bookmark the page and click for me everyday.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support. I love each and every one of you dearly!

Where is Autumn?

2011-09-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I can't wait for autumn this year. Summer was a bit of a bust, and having a whole new season to start fresh will be just about awesome.

It didn't help that it rained up a storm, literally, most of the summer here in New Jersey, so most of our staycations that we had planned didn't come to fruition. It also didn't help that we had to sign a new lease for our place and realized that we'll need to bring in more money by the time Fall starts officially. Oh, and that I found out I'll be deploying before the end of the year. Yup, summer needs to be over immediately.

Autumn brings some of my favorite sales as well, mostly at the grocery store. Roasts, whole chickens, baking goods, heaven! This is the time of the year where we love to entertain as well; friends are calming down from their summer trips around the world and look forward to a home cooked meal. We can bust out the sweaters and long sleeves, wellies, and light jackets. It's just a fun time.

This year, Sonny starts 1st grade. We'll get back into a wonderful schedule, and maybe even a weekend one with some soccer or karate thrown into the mix. He also gets to take the bus to school this year, which will save us crazy gas money, and of course, my sanity. He'll be on a schedule at school, and I can put Duchess on a schedule at home, without her brother interjecting all day.

Did you all enjoy summer? Are you looking forward to Fall?

ShopRite Deals 9/4 to 9/10

2011-09-03T18:16:00.010-04:00

New to 4 Hats and Frugal match ups? Check out the ShopRite match up information page.
Don't forget to bookmark the ShopRite Deals page for an updated list of the ongoing deals this coming week!

Hatfield hot dogs- 1.00

use 1.00/1 facebook coupon- FREE

use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Crest toothpaste(look for 33% more tubes)- .88

use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/28PG- FREE

Beech nut baby food stage 2- 10 for 4.70(must buy 10)

use three 1.00/3 printable coupons- .17

and get 1.00 back from SavingStar- .07 each after coupons and rebate

Totinos party pizza- .99

buy 4, use two .50/2 coupons from 8/7GM doubled- .49 each

and use 1.00/4 cellfire e-coupon- .24 each

Yoplait greek yogurt- 1.00

use .50/2 coupon from 8/14SS doubled- .50 each

use .50/2 printable coupon doubled- .50 each

and use .50/2 cellfire e-coupon- .25 each

Banana sandwiches

2011-09-01T10:00:00.006-04:00

With back to school time in full swing, I figured it was time to share yet another quick and easy after-school snack I put together for Sonny. Bananas seem to always be available and at a great price all year 'round, so this would be easy to put together anytime. Also, these are awesome frozen! They make a yummy snack for summer as well.

Banana sandwiches

1 banana, sliced into 8 rounds
16 small cookies or crackers(think chips ahoy or ritz)
1/2 cup chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional)

Place a banana round in between two cookies(or crackers).
Roll the banana section in the chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional).
Freeze for at least 1 hour or eat immediately. Your choice!

Wordless Wendesday- I found Santa and he's tan!

2011-08-31T11:00:00.000-04:00

All about presentation

2011-08-30T11:19:00.002-04:00

It may be my Food Network obsession talking here, but I feel that any meal, frugal or not, always seems to taste better if the presentation is on point. Now, I don't mean that we have to top parsley to every meal or some type of edible flower to the plate, but when you can place that piece of chicken just so, life seems to be just right, at least during dinner.

Mostly, I feel that this is my CDO (OCD put in it's proper alphabetical order) kicking in, but I make sure to do this for my family members. I try to use the "good china" when possible, I like to make everyone's plates for them and even have drinks poured and ready before they sit down to eat. It makes that chicken dinner that we have 2 times a week seem a little less ordinary.

Yes, I do cut the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in halves or triangles, either 2 or 4, and I love to place a matching cup of milk or juice next to a matching plate. If we have tacos for dinner, I put them on my nicest serving tray. Because we do eat quite a few frugal meals, the effort of presentation is appreciated. Plus, my son thinks it's cool. Anything I can do to gain cool points with my six year old is worth the effort.

Do you all present your meals in a cool or interesting way?

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-08-29T12:49:00.001-04:00

I have a cool giveaway going on right now! Have you entered yet?

This should be an easy week. We have another "staycation" planned for Saturday, so that's one less day I have to actually cook. We'll be having dinner out that day.

Monday: Slow cooker pot roast with orzo and carrot "spaghetti"
Tuesday: beef and bean burritos with side salad
Wednesday: Chicken Adobo with brown rice and broccoli
Thursday: Turkey noodle soup with garlic bread
Friday: Pizza night! Made a white pizza last week and I'm REALLY craving it again for this week
Saturday: "Staycation" to the Poconos! We'll treat the family to dinner out :)
Sunday: Invited to a BBQ for the holiday! Should be fun!

Dessert of the week: Ritz cookies!

Hope you all have a great week and an even better holiday weekend!

ShopRite Deals 8/28 to 9/3

2011-08-27T10:00:00.012-04:00

New to 4 Hats and Frugal match ups? Check out the ShopRite match up information page.
Don't forget to bookmark the ShopRite Deals page for an updated list of the ongoing deals this coming week!

I hope everyone stays safe this weekend! Looks like most of us will lose a day of ShopRite shopping since most of the stores in all 6 states will be either closed or open for a limited time on Sunday. Be safe!

Chex Mix snacks- 2 for 3.00(must buy 2)
use two .50/1 coupons from 8/7GM doubled- .50 each
plus, use .50/1 cellfire coupon (available Sunday)- FREE

Butterball turkey bacon- 1.50
use .65/1 coupon from 6/26SS doubled(DND5)- .20

Friendship sour cream- 1.34
use 1.00/2 coupon from 7/24SS- .84 each
use .55/1 coupon from 7/24SS- .24

Nabisco snack saks- 5 for 5.00(must buy 5)
use two .75/2 coupons from 8/7SS doubled- .40 each

Read more »

Set the party mood with an invitation (giveaway)

2011-08-26T10:00:00.003-04:00

We try to do a good amount of celebrating in our family. Because life is so short, we try to make sure we enjoy our friends and family and create get-togethers at least every 2 months. For the big celebrations, like birthdays or anniversaries, I try to make them beyond special. When you're on a budget, it can seem like this might be a challenge, but you just have to pick and choose where you want to stretch your dollars. Here are a few quick tips:

Read more »

A Tale of Two Parties- Duchess(part 2)

2011-08-23T11:45:00.001-04:00

Click the link, if you missed the first part of Duchess's birthday party breakdown.

Our plans were working out perfectly: we were under budget for both parties, the menu was decided for Duchess's party and even my mother said that she would make a wonderful cake to match the theme we decided on.

Read more »

The bank of Mom and Dad

2011-08-22T09:36:00.005-04:00

When it comes to loans, especially in this economy, we see them as totally taboo. You have to give your left arm, first born and promise of your soul to even get one nowadays. But guess what? There's always the bank of Mom and Dad.

Read more »

ShopRite Deals 8/21 to 8/27

2011-08-20T15:00:00.003-04:00

Finally, some back to school food deals! Looks like we can start stockpiling cereal, peanut butter and jelly for the school year. Have a good week!

Carolina Rice mix packets- .66
use .50/1 coupon from 5/1RP doubled- FREE

Kozy Shack pudding- 1.49
use 1.00/1 coupon for bread pudding from 5/1SS- .49
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .39
use .75/1 coupon for CowRageous from 3/27SS doubled- FREE

Cocoa puffs brownie crunch cereal- 1.88
use .75/1 coupon from 7/17SS doubled- .38
(check your filed coupons for a printable!)

Wheaties cereal- 1.88
use 1.00/1 printable facebook coupon- .88
use .75/1 coupon from 7/17SS doubled- .38

Read more »

ShopRite match ups: Get ready for changes!

2011-08-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

We are working on some great things over here at 4 Hats and Frugal! Since ShopRite is the only match ups that I do, I decided to dedicate a whole page to the match ups and any new deals that pop up. I've been a bit upset that I can't share the deals that pop up during the week like I want to, since I don't want to flood the main part of the blog with deals. Although I love sharing the new hidden sales that pop up for ShopRite, i'm not essentially a "deal site" so I can't justify filling up the blog with them.

So, if you look at my navigation bar at the top of the blog, you'll see the ShopRite Match up information tab and now a new ShopRite Deals tab. Feel free to bookmark that actual deals page and check into it once a day for any deals that pop up. I will be essentially updating that page a few times a day, so please take a peek at it. Also, I'll still be dedicating a whole post to the weekly deals, and I will be posting them on the new page. The newest deal will always be featured at the top of the post and the weekly deals will be close to the bottom to make it easier for you all.

I'm excited about this! This is actually the first step to a bigger project i'm doing with the ShopRite Match ups, so I want to get us all acclimated to having the deals separate from the actual blog. It will help us transition into the new project easier.

Stay tuned for this week's deals a little later today. Thanks for all of your support!

Why Didn't I Think of That?!

2011-08-19T00:34:00.001-04:00

When it comes to being frugal and constantly reading frugal and finance blogs and magazines, I get totally burned out. It seems like everyone either has the same ideas or are repeating what was obvious to most years ago. Sometimes it makes you want to go off the frugal grid and look in a different direction.

Read more »

Wordless Wednesday- Staycation at Fort Sea Girt(beach time!)

2011-08-17T09:30:00.002-04:00

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-08-15T12:22:00.000-04:00

We're dealing with a bit of stress this week since I found out that there is a 90% chance I will be deployed in a few months. So, I need food that's going to be easy. Like, stupid easy. I have lots of phone calls and running around to do now, so cooking will not be at the top of my list. Here's what I'm thinking:

Monday: Teriyaki Tilapia with broccoli and brown rice
Tuesday: Cream cheese chicken over egg noodles with a side salad
Wednesday: Freezer meatloaf with mashed potatoes and carrots
Thursday: veggie soup with quick yeast bread
Friday: pizza night!
Saturday: DH is taking me out on a date! I think he's missing me already, even though I'm not leaving for a while lol
Sunday: Dinner at my parents' house. Thinking of making a warm dip in the crock pot and taking it over there

Dessert of the week: Slow cooker peach cobbler! Peaches are on sale again this week :)

ShopRite Deals 8/14 to 8/20

2011-08-13T09:30:00.003-04:00

For more information on how match ups are done on 4 Hats and Frugal, check out the ShopRite match up page.

Barilla piccolini- 4 for 5.00(must buy 4)
use two 1.00/2 coupons from 6/26SS- .75 each
use four .55/1 coupons from 6/26SS doubled- .15 each

Butterball turkey bacon- 1.50
use 1.00/2 coupon from 6/26SS- 1.00
use .65/1 coupon from 6/26SS doubled- .20

Honey nut cheerios- 1.79
use 1.00/2 coupon from 7/17SS- 1.29 each
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- 1.29 each
use .75/1 home mailer coupon(from vocalpoint) doubled- .29

Kleenex hand towels- 2.79
use .75/1 coupon from 7/17SS doubled- 1.29
Buy 1 kleenex hand towels, get 1.00 catalina- .29 after coupons and catalina!

Read more »

Baby Cothing Network

2011-08-12T10:15:00.004-04:00

If you've been a reader of 4 Hats and Frugal for a while, you know that I love a good deal on kids clothes. It seems like with every new day, they are growing out of something, or ruining another clothing item. It can turn you batty if you don't stay on top of it.

My favorite thing to do to remedy this issue is to consignment shop. My NEW favorite thing to do is to do this consignment shopping online. This is where Baby Clothing Network comes in. I have a deep love for sites like this and the Baby Clothing Network is now on the top of my list. Like most online consignments, it's free to join and you just pay a small fee plus shipping, but this site stuck out to me for a few reasons:

1. on their main page they insure "quality first"; one of the downsides of thrift and consignment shopping is all the stains and holes you may find on a somewhat good piece of clothing. What a mood-kill! It's awesome to know that quality means so much to them, and in turn, when I sell the clothes the kids have outgrown, I can care back.
2. They're main goal is to deliver quality clothing to moms for $1 a piece. How awesome is that? Obviously I always try to keep things as inexpensive and frugal as possible, so knowing that they are on a mission to give me a piece of clothing for a dollar bill is fantastic.

Needless to say, my first box is on it's way. Like I said, I love these online shops and Baby Clothing Network is now a great contender.

Click the link for more tips on how to take advantage of consignment shopping, online or brick and mortar. Make sure to sign up for Baby Clothing Network and get your stress-free shopping started.

Disclosure: This is a paid post on behalf of Baby Clothing Network. All opinions stated are my own

I miss being pretty...

2011-08-09T10:00:00.016-04:00

In the world of Mommyhood, heck, in the world of Frugal Mommyhood, the idea of going to get your nails/toes/feet done gets put on the back burner. Mostly because we are smart enough to see that it isn't a necessity and it is something that we can do for ourselves right at home. That doesn't mean that we don't miss the hell out of it.

Read more »

Meal Plan Monday!

2011-08-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted a meal plan in forever! And it's showing; I've been razzled trying to get meals done. No more of that!

Monday: Breakfast for Dinner- homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, grapes, turkey bacon and homemade syrup
Tuesday: Slow cooker peachy chicken with broccoli and brown rice
Wednesday: Slow cooker turkey chili with homemade baked tortilla chips
Thursday: Beef fried rice with side salad
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday and Sunday: Mama's off to serve her Country...again.

Dessert of the week: Slow cooker peach cobbler

ShopRite Deals 8/7 to 8/13

2011-08-06T09:00:00.006-04:00

Looks like we get a week to breathe! There are a few good catalina deals where you can roll your Dollar Days catalinas from last week. Here are the best deals I see:

Crest toothpaste(look for the "extra 33%" tubes)- .77
use .50/1 coupon from 7/31PG doubled- FREE

Colgate toothpaste- .77
use .50/1 coupon from 7/24SS doubled- FREE

St. Ives body wash- 1.99
use .75/1 coupon from 7/10SS doubled- .49
Buy 2, use 2 .75/1 coupons doubled- .99 and get back 1.00 catalina
2 FREE after coupons and catalina!

Read more »

Budget Redux

2011-08-04T11:56:00.000-04:00

Lately, we've been trying to stretch our budget down to the penny. I mean, this isn't anything different from what we have been doing, but it seems with the addition of Duchess, the rise in gas costs, the lack of awesome grocery deals like years past, and DH being on a mission to lose weight and eat healthier, that budget is screaming. We also found out that our rent will be increasing yet again starting in the fall, so we have to keep that in mind. So, it's definitely time for a Budget Rennovation.

Read more »

PYHO: Since you've been gone

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have been thinking about my Grandmother.

How she looked, smelled, her mannerisms, her laugh. What she would be like today. How she would react to my children.

I lost my grandmother when I was 14. She was the light of my life, and I, hers. I was her first grandchild and she took me everywhere. She was the "fun" grandma; cooking the sunday dinners, letting all of the cousins sleep over in her living room almost every weekend and letting us have all of our birthday parties either in her house or in the backyard. She was the world to me.

It hurts to remember that she's gone, so I don't do it often. But when I do, it feels like she's there with me. Like she's right over my shoulder watching how my family grows, and wondering if I'll make it to 6 kids like she did.

Mostly I wonder if she would have been proud of what I'm doing with my life. Would she support the fact that I'm home raising my kids, or would she insist that I at least get a part time job? Would she encourage me to start my own business like she did once my kids are school age? And would she divulge her fried chicken recipe to me or just make me guess it until I get it right?

When I do feel her over my shoulder, I hear her saying "Don't give up. You're doing a great job. Keep laughing, because you do it so well. I AM proud of you." The tears well up, and I hope that it's not just my subconscious creating the phrases, that it is her speaking to me.

All and all, I just miss her laugh. I'm sad that my Husband and children won't ever get to hear and have it warm their hearts like it did mine. I guess I'll just have to laugh loud and long in her place.

Miss you, Grandma....

Cheap Eats: the big salad

2011-08-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

For all of your Seinfeld fans, you get the reference of the big salad. A meal in itself, a bowl of lovely salad greens topped with whatever you can imagine can be one of the best things you ever had for dinner. It can also be one of the cheapest meals of the week.
Read more »

ShopRite Deals 7/31 to 8/6

2011-07-31T01:24:00.004-04:00

This week is also Dollar Days! Click the link to see the best ShopRite Dollar Day s deals for this week.

Weight watchers yogurt- .40
use 1.00/5 coupon from 6/26SS- .20 each

Butterball turkey bacon- 1.50
use .65/1 coupon from 6/26SS doubled- .20 each

Pure Silk shave creme- 1.99
use .80/1 coupon ffrom 7/10RP doubled- .39

Read more »

ShopRite Deals 7/31 to 8/6- Dollar Days!

2011-07-30T15:18:00.003-04:00

Dollar Days are back! This post will be dedicated to all of the great dollar days scenarios we can use for the next week. I'll put up a separate post for all of the regular deals that aren't associated with dollar days. Have fun shopping this week!

Advantage: Buy 6 participating items, get 5.00 back
Marcal small steps single roll- 4 for 3.00(must buy 4)

Deal Idea:
Buy 6 Marcal small steps
Pay .95 for the last 2 rolls(regular price)
Pay: 4.90 and get back 5.00! FREE+small money maker after catalina! And this deal rolls! Stock up time :)

Splenda- Buy 3 participating items, get 3.00 back
Splenda Essentials- 4.00
use 3.00/1 coupon from 7/31SS- 1.00

Deal Idea:
Buy 3 splenda essentials
use three 3.00/1 coupons
Pay: 3.00 and get back 3.00! FREE after coupons and catalina
________
ConAgra- Buy 10 participating items, get 3.00 back
Chef Boyardee products- 1.00
use .50/3 printable coupon doubled- .66 each

Gulden's spicy mustard-2 for 2.00(must buy 2)
use .30/1 coupon from 6/26SS doubled- .40
use .35/1 coupon from 6/26SS doubled- .30

Hunt's ketchup- 2 for 2.00(must buy 2)
use .25/1 printable coupon doubled- .50

Blue bonnet dairy spread- .99

Deal Idea:
Buy 3 Chef boyardee products
Buy 4 gulden's mustard
Buy 2 Hunt's ketchup
Buy 1 Blue bonnet

Use 1 printable coupon for Chef Boyardee
Use 4 coupons for gulden's mustard
Use 2 printable coupons for Hunt's ketchup
Pay: 5.19 and get back 3.00! That's .22 each after catalina and coupons!
_______
Lipton- Buy 3 participating products, get 3.00 back
Lipton to go Iced tea- 2 for 4.00(must buy 2)
use .60/2 coupon from 7/31RP doubled- 1.40 each

Deal Idea:
Buy 4 Lipton to go packets
Use 2 .60/2 coupons for Lipton tea products
Pay 5.60 and get back 3.00! That's .65 each after catalina and coupons!
_______
Kellogg's- buy 10 participating products, get 10.00 back
Select Kellogg's cereal- 2 for 6.00(must buy 2)
use 1.25/2 coupon from 7/10RP- 2.37 each
buy 6, use two 2.25/3 coupons from 7/10RP- 2.25 each

Sunshine Colby baked cheez-its- 2 for 5.00(must buy 2)
use .70/1 printable coupon doubled- 1.10 each

Kellogg's corn flakes- 3.39
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- 2.89 each

Deal Idea:
Buy 8 select kellogg's cereals
Buy 2 Colby cheez-its

use 4 1.25/2 coupons for select kellogg's cereals
use 2 .70/1 printable coupons for cheez-its
Pay 21.16 and get back 10.00! 1.11 each after coupons and catalina!

Deal Idea:
Buy 6 select Kellogg's cereals
Buy 2 Colby Cheez-its
Buy 2 Kellogg's corn flakes

Use two 2.25/3 coupons for kellogg's cereals
Use 2 printable coupons for cheez-its
Use 1 printable coupon for Corn flakes
Pay: 21.48 and get back 10.00! 1.14 each after coupons and catalina!

Coupons to Troops

2011-07-29T09:12:00.003-04:00

I know a good amount of us use coupons to maintain our frugal lifestyle. I also know that most of us are aware that military families overseas are able to use expired coupons, up to 6 months, at the base exchange. There are so many programs out there that offer to take your coupons for you and send them to bases all around the world to help out these families. I have to admit, as much as I love the idea of sending my expireds to my fellow military brethren, I get leery that they will have enough time to use the coupons once they are mailed, sorted and picked through by the sorting offices. That's why I was so glad that Lesley from CouponsToTroops contacted me. Here is some information on their program:

Read more »

A Tale of Two Parties- Duchess(part 1)

2011-07-27T13:02:00.006-04:00

Well, now it's time to talk about how I planned the little girl's 1st birthday party!

Because her brother's party was first, it was easier, and more difficult, to get hers finalized. It was easier because whatever was left over from his party, table covers, party favors, plates, napkins and the like, were all transferred to be used at her party. On the other hand, it was more difficult because the same guest list from Sonny's party was coming to her party, so I had to find ways to switch up the menu, the party schedule, and to make it more of a party that suited the little girl's personality. Like you haven't guessed this already, having two plan 2 kids' parties back to back blows.

Read more »

Now that you're one....

2011-07-26T10:00:00.020-04:00

Now that you're one...
I see your personality in full force. You are sweet, anamated and a social butterfly. You are the perfect mix of your Mom and Dad. And I love it. I truly do.

Read more »

I've been blogging...I swear!

2011-07-25T10:03:00.000-04:00

With our vacation almost 2 weeks ago, a weeklong conference at our church, and the Duchess's birthday party(aweome posts coming up soon on that!), my poor blog has been suffering. I mean, I've still been blogging, just not on here. Shame on me! I am excited to say that I have been plugging away for another great site.

Live Better Baby, a program developed by my local stores, A&P and Pathmark, and their affiliates Food Emporium, Walbaums, and Superfresh, has now started blog to give parents some tips, and showcase some of the best parent bloggers in our area. I'm happy to say that I'm on that blogger list! Please go on over to Live Better Baby Club and take a peek at my first blog post. I'm so giddy about this opportunity and I think writing over there once a week will inspire me to keep writing interesting articles right here on my own blog.

I've got some great posts lined up for this week so stay tuned.

ShopRite Deals 7/24 to 7/30

2011-07-24T01:46:00.000-04:00

Buy 75.00 worth of participating items, get 25.00 gas card
Items in this match up that are part of the deal:
Cookie crisp cereal
Pringles snack stacks
Twizzlers candy
Hershey's chocolate syrup
Downy fabric softener
Febreze air effects
Totino's party pizza

These items will be in BOLD in this week's match ups so you can plan accordingly. The deal should be based on shelf pricing, not sale, so that gives us an advantage. If anyone comes up with some good scenarios, please leave them in the comments and I'll make sure to post them in the match ups, with a credit to you of course :).
Read more »

Bloggy Conference breakdown

2011-07-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

Last Wednesday, I have the pleasure of attending Bloggy Conference in Mason, Ohio. Yup, this frugal blogger actually went to shmooze with other bloggers, on my own dime. Such a shocker huh?

Well, I ended up getting a free conference ticket by asking if I could volunteer (did you know you could do that?!) and since we were driving to Ohio for the summer in July, we just planned the whole trip around the conference. It was like perfect timing! I have to admit that I was pretty scared going into this; I have a mild case of agoraphobia(OK, its not diagnosed, but still) so meeting a large group of people, women at that, makes me beyond agitated. As I sat at my table with these bloggers whose writings I have admired for the past month(yes, I had been stalking some of them through their blogs), I felt my heart pump harder. But, once Mary of Pajamas and Coffee(who I stalked the most) decided to take off her heels and place them on the table, I knew I was in the right place. Stuffy these ladies were not, and funny they definitely were. For the next 3 hours we laughed, shared and expressed our excitement over what we would be learning in the next few days.

I learned so much about blogging, and also about how to be more of an influence as a frugal blogger, thanks to the frugal bloggy squad I was a part of. So, needless to say, this conference not only lit a fire under my butt, but it showed me how much I truly appreciate all of you, my readers.

I can't wait to attend Bloggy Conference next year. I also can't wait to keep plugging along here, sharing what I learn and being a cheerleader to all of you that are looking to make a frugal lifestyle work for you and your families. a big thank you to Tiffany and Sherry for creating an environment conducive to learning how to be the best blogger and the best supporter of your readers. I can't wait until 2012!

They just don't get it...

2011-07-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

Lately, for some reason, the men in my life have been treating me like I'm an alien. Like I'm someone they've never encountered before and they don't know how to deal with me. Personally, I'm realizing that they just don't get it. Here are a few brief excerpts of what I've been going though:

My Husband doesn't get....that just because I don't want the chocolate you bought me RIGHT THIS SECOND doesn't mean that I won't want it in the near future. You see, once a month...nevermind. I like to collect my chocolate and use it at the perfect time. Please stop eating up my collection.
Read more »

ShopRite Deals 7/17 to 7/23

2011-07-16T09:30:00.006-04:00

Sundown vitamins- (prices start at) 2.19
use 3.00/2 printable coupon- .69 each
Buy 2, get 3.00 catalina back- FREE plus 1.62 money maker after coupon and catalina!

Redpack tomato sauce- .25
use 1.00/4 printable coupon- 4 FREE

Beech nut stage 2 baby food- 3 for 1.00
use 1.00/3 printable coupon- 3 FREE(great donation item!)

Purina dog treats-(prices start at) .99
use 1.50/2 coupon from 6/26SS- .24 each
use 4.00/4 coupon from 6/26SS- 4 FREE

Dove deodorant- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 6/26RP- FREE
Read more »

My kids do my laundry

2011-07-15T09:00:00.002-04:00

I loathe laundry. I just do. I don't know what it is about it, but I just can't bring myself to do it until we absolutely need it done. I think it has more to do with the folding rather than the actual cleaning. Don't get me started on dishes. Can't stand those either.
Read more »

Bloggy Conference 2011

2011-07-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

As you read this, I'll be on my way to the Cincinnati area, Mason OH to be exact, to attend the Bloggy Conference at Great Wolf Lodge. I'm so excited to actually be attending a blogger conference. This will be my first one so I'm a big ball of nerves, wondering if it will be like the first day of high school all over again. When it's all said and done, I know that Tiffany, the creator of Bloggy Moms and the Bloggy Conference., would have put on a great shindig for us mom bloggers. I can't wait to tell you all about who I meet, what I learn and how the experience changes me within the next week. If you're following me on facebook and twitter, you'll get some backstage peeks and tweets of what I'll be experiencing. If you are not, follow me on twitter here, or like me and friend me on facebook here. In the meantime, I'll still be posting as usual, so be sure to check back here everyday. Talk to you all soon!

More month than money...

2011-07-11T10:30:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been in an instance where you just think the month will just never end? Then, you check out all of your bills and it just seems like there won't be enough money to stretch to the end. I see a lot of heads nodding out there. It seems like no one wants to talk about those times when there seems to be more month than money. I'm not afraid to say that we've been there quite a few times.
Read more »

ShopRite Deals 7/10 to 7/16

2011-07-09T14:07:00.004-04:00

Beech nut stage 2 baby food- 3 for 1.00
use 1.00/3 printable coupon- 3 FREE(great donation item!)

Honest Iced tea- 1.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from Recyclebank- FREE

Colgate toothpaste- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 6/26RP- FREE
use .50/1 coupon from 7/10SS doubled- FREE

Goya low sodium canned beans-.66
use .60/2 printable doubled- .06 each

Goya blue label canned beans- .66
use .75/3 printable coupon doubled- .16 each

Pillsbury brownie mix- 1.00
use 1.00/2 coupon from 6/12RP- .50 each
use .40/1 coupon from 6/12RP doubled- .20

Read more »

Happy Birthday Little Boy!

2011-07-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to put up a quick post telling my first born that Mama loves him and to have a happy birthday. Now to go wake him up and present him with his birthday (pan)cake. Hope you all have a fantastic day!

A Tale of Two Parties- Sonny(part 2)

2011-07-06T10:06:00.007-04:00

If you missed part 1, check it out here.

Besides the hot dog bar, I was adamant on having some type of chocolate bar. Sonny has a complete "thing" for chocolate so I wanted to feature that during the cake cutting and dessert time. I do think it's important to feature at least one or two of the child's favorite things at a party, especially if they are school age and can tell you what they love.

Read more »