Frugal Friday: the well-stocked pantry

This week seemed to be the perfect storm to stock my pantry.... Matt was gone on a trip to Atlanta and our parents gave us thanksgiving leftovers.  Since Matt was gone, I didn't make "normal" dinners.  The kids and I ate  thanksgiving leftovers and cheap meals  (potatoes and veggies, spaghetti with no meat, etc.)  Since both of these things combined this week, it was a perfect week to take a little bit of money to add to the pantry.  This will save lots of money on future grocery store trips.  I went to Aldi and spent $20.07 on a lot of canned goods, then went to Kroger and spent $1.47 on 3 loaves of bread that I will freeze.

So here's what I got for $21.54

4 boxes of mac and cheese

3 boxes of chicken broth (I use this in a lot of meals and I haven't made any in a while)

3 loaves of bread

3 cans of green beans

2 cans of chicken

2 jiffy corn bread mix

2 cans of diced tomatoes

2 cans of tomato sauce

2 cans of tomato soup

2 cans of mandarin oranges

1 can of chicken noodle soup

1 box of beef broth

1 can of corn

1 can of mixed veggies 

1 can of pears

1 jar of peanut butter

1 bottle of BBQ sauce

If your moon and stars don't align like they did for me this week, here are a couple other tips for stocking a pantry:

1) When you buy one canned good, buy another. You'll be amazed at how fast your pile grows if you just buy one or two extra every time!
(tip from lovely little snippets)

2) Set aside a small portion of your grocery budget for stocking up.  Even $3 to $5 per week will make a big difference.  Try to combine sale prices with coupons and if you don't find any amazing deals, just "roll" your stock-up money to the following week.
(tip from money saving mom)

What is your best tip for stocking your pantry?

Frugal Friday! Free books, DVD's, and CD's!

If you are a book-lover like me, you will appreciate this post.

I have found the best website for free books... yes, you heard me right.

www.paperbackswap.com

When you sign up, you receive 2 credits as soon as you list 10 books with the club.  You're able to request 2 FREE books from other members of the club right away.  You also receive one credit for each book you send out that is received by another member.  

There are a ton of books to choose from and there is even an area to list a book you want and they will notify you if anyone lists it.  The only cost to you is postage to mail a book.  When you receive a book, the sender pays the postage.  It's a great system!  

I listed 10 books, I would have listed more but I just sold a ton at Half Price Books over the weekend.  If you decide to join, please use my email address as your referral (berobinson6504@hotmail.com)  :)

They also have a sister website that does this with DVD's and CD's.  

I signed up with 10 books on Sunday and have 2 requested mailings, so I mailed 2 books on Tuesday.  I ordered "The Secret" by Beverly Lewis.  I have 3 other book credits, but haven't had time to find more books.  The only down-side so far is that there are soooooo many books that it's hard to choose from.

How does this apply to Christmas?  Well...
I first heard about this site from a woman on pinterest... she had pinned her blog discussing $5 gifts.  She uses cookbooks she orders from the paperback swap website and creates cute cooking baskets for gifts.  Here was the one she posted:

This is a great resource if you have little money for Christmas.  :)

Happy Frugal Friday!  

Frugal Friday!

Happy Frugal Friday!
It's time to start talking Christmas people.  Crazy, huh?  But there are only 45 days until Christmas, and I know it will be here before we know it!

Don't fret if you don't have much money for Christmas.  When I was really little, my mom was a single-mom and she was broke.  And I mean, macaroni and hot-dogs every night broke.  And I remember the only present under the Christmas tree one year was a cabbage patch doll and I loved that doll until it's hair fell out.  It's not about the amount of money you spend... it's about Christ's birth first and foremost and spending time with loved-ones.

Here are some Christmas tips to keep your family on budget (and not using plastic!)
1) Shop sales!
I have already done a little shopping.  I have been picking up things for a couple months here and there for the kids when I see big sales.  I am very happy that I have small children when it comes to Christmas.  Last year, I bought my son a couple dinosaurs from Hobby Lobby's $1 bin and he still LOVES playing with them.  I am dreading the days when my kids want an ipod or an iphone15 :)

2) Homemade gifts!
Homemade gifts can be fun and personal.  I have found some really cute homemade gifts on pinterest.  There are so many great ideas.  Here are a few:  

coffee sleeves:

 hair straightener holder:

 etched glass:

Oh, and never underestimate the power of baked goods :)

3) Research and get advice from others when it comes to Christmas budgeting!
MoneySavingMom has been blogging about "31 days to earn extra cash for Christmas."  There are some really good ideas.

What are your budgeting tips for Christmas?

Frugal Friday!

Happy Frugal Friday!  Actually, today is about generosity :)  Which is good, since it's totally hip to be generous.

When I was in high school, I learned about Operation Christmas Child, and I've done it every year since.  You don't have to have a lot of money to spend to participate and it's fun to do.

This year is the first year that I've involved Warrick and it's been really fun.  He's helped me shop for a boy his age and has loved picking items out for the box.  I think this is a great way to show children a tangible way to love and do for others.

Warrick will be dropping off his box at his preschool, but Chick-Fil-A has a drop off on November 10th and for each box you drop off you receive a coupon for a free chicken sandwich.

Happy Frugal Friday!