Powdered Laundry Soap

I've been making my own liquid laundry soap for several years now & I'm a big fan!

I decided today though, as I was grating up the Fels Naptha bar, to give the powdered version a try.

I have many friends who prefer it over the liquid.

I'll have to say, the liquid is simple to make, but the powdered soap ... even easier!

Had it completed, start to finish, in a couple of minutes ... the longest part was grating the soap.

{I usually do it in my mini-food chopper but I wanted the arm exercise ;) ha! }

It's one bar of Fels Naptha {grated}, 1 cup of Borax, 

1 cup of Arm & Hammer super washing soda, & 1 cup of color-safe powder bleach.

There are a hundred million recipes for this in blogland & many of them say to add

Downy Unstoppables or Purex crystals, completely optional.

I didn't have any, so I left them out.

The instructions say to use 1-2 tablespoons per load ... I'll go for the 2.

Course, storing the soap in a cute jar will make the laundry a little more fun.

{I decided to keep, fancy up, & reuse this jar after the hot peppers were all gone.}

So, we'll give it a try & see how it works!

Any of you make your own powdered laundry soap?

      4 Easy Steps!

1. Grate one bar of Fels Naptha 
2.  Mix in 1 cup of Borax
3. 1 cup of Arm & Hammer super washing soda
4. 1 cup of color-safe powder bleach. 

     Store in a container with a lid so it stays dry.

**UPDATE**
I super loved this dry laundry soap! 
It works just as well as the liquid & is quicker & easier!

 

 Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday          C.R.A.F.T      The Dedicated House  I Should Be Mopping the Floor
                  Between Naps on the Porch  The Modest Mom
Tuesday     A Delightsome Life   A Bowl Full of Lemons    Titus Tuesday      A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home  The Dedicated House    A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things    Suburbsmama    Sew Many Ways

Saving Money Without Coupons

I haven't been couponing much ... not much at all.
I haven't graced the doors of a CVS since December.
Even my grocery trips have been fewer.
Yes, we're still eating, but I've been making one bigger trip every few weeks.
For the in-between times, I've been having James or one of the boys stop on their way home
from work for those few items like milk, bread, fruit, etc.
It's been nice, I have to admit.
I kinda go into semi-hibernation mode during the winter months.
I'm a homebody by nature ... that combined with cold weather, yea, I'm good to stay indoors
& work on projects til it warms up.

I have, however, been scooping up on some good deals on my grocery trips,
without using many/any coupons ... & that's what I wanted to share today.
{I haven't blogged about savings in a while.}

I always do pretty well at Aldi {great prices on produce especially}, but every now & again,
I get in on some extra super markdowns.
How do I spot these?
I look for the neon green oval stickers with hand-written prices.
Also, there's usually a markdown table towards the front & it usually reads:
'Everything on this table $.99' ... or whatever the markdown price is for that week.
I've gotten stuff for .10 before ... promise.
{Here's a vlog from a while back where I scored some .15 items!}

Here are my cheapies for this trip:
.25 split top wheat bread
.39 avocados {great price for my avocado chicken salad recipe}
1.25 bags of cheese tortellini  {just paid 3.50 a bag last week for these at Meijer - on sale}
AND
everything else you see here was on the .99 table!

 .99 for these Simply Nature fruit snacks

 .99 for Special K pastry snacks ... & Hershey Kisses {only one bag left so I snatched it}

marked-down Valentine candy ... yep .99 a bag ~ perfect for upcoming Easter baskets/eggs
The M&M's will go in homemade cookies.

Sorry for my lacking photo skills ... these packages are hard to photograph without a glare.
This organic granola is really yummy ... it has pieces of dried strawberries & chunks of  chocolate.
Again, .99!

 These are the Aldi version of the fancy Pepperidge Farms cookies ... just as tasty & cheaper too!

I was thankful to find these markdown items.
As I've said before, I pack a lot of work lunch boxes, so these various snacks are a good addition
for an after-lunch sweet tooth.

There are many ways to stay on target with your food expenditures.
Looking for bargains on markdown tables at places like Aldi, that doesn't accept coupons, is a bonus!
Hopefully you are saving $$ on your groceries, as well.

Love These Register Rewards!

I stragically planned my Meijer shopping trip ... & it paid off!
I knew I'd get back the $10 & the $3 coupon ... & the $2 was an unexpected bonus!

Here's what I did:

Transaction 1

• Buy $10 of  Kingsford, KC Masterpiece, or Hidden Valley, get a $3 coupon back.

I bought
-3 Hidden Valley salad dressings {$3 each ... & I had a $1 coupon for each one}
-1 KC BBQ sauce {$1.50}.
Paid $7.50 OOP & got the $3 back ...in essence, getting each product for a teeny bit over $1.
{I always look at the bottom line ... the final price to see if it's worth it.}

Transaction 2

I did the current Kraft deal again {2nd time}.
{There's still time to do this deal ... it's going til 9/15}

I chose to do this again, this time at Meijer, because they had so many of these items on sale.
And thanks to the printable coupons that have been on the net for the past couple weeks,
I got this stuff for even cheaper!

I bought
Velveeta shells & cheese {$2.07 minus $1 coupon}
2 Kraft shredded cheese {$1.88 each minus $1 coupon}
2 large jars of Kraft mayo {$2.50 each minus $1 coupon}
2 lg. packs Kraft cheese singles {$2.50 each minus 2 - $1 coupons}
lg. Maxwell House coffee {$5.99 minus $1 coupon}
2 Crystal Light On-the-Go drink flavors {clearanced down to $1.53}

Total order was $18.88 OOP & I got back the $10 coupon for my next purchase.
The $2 bonus coupon was from buying 2 Kraft mayos!

So, for my final transaction, I automatically had 3 coupons totaling $15 to take off my total!!
I applied those toward my stock up of the ground chuck that Meijer had for $2.27 a pound!

Not a bad deal ... not a bad deal at all =)


*Now in case you are wondering why I am posting so many 'couponing/savings' blogs lately,
it's because I have several friends who've contacted me for help in this area.
This is an easy way to do that.
Some have said just reading these blogs has inspired them to take a look at their spending ...
to see where they could cut back & stretch their bucks.
With the prices at the grocery getting higher & higher, it's important & necessary to save any way possible!
If you have additional savings tips, share them!
 

Good Deals at Kroger & Meijer

Kroger is having their mega event again this week & I took advantage of some good deals!
You've got til Wednesday to scoop up on these savings!

The way the mega event works, for every 10 items you buy that are part of the deal,
you get $5 off.
What sweetens the deal is when you combine coupons to save even more.
That is exactly what I did these week.

I planned out my shopping trip to include 40 items in the mega event,
counting off & marking my list carefully, mind you.
If you come up short an item or two, it will throw off your whole deal.
{If that ever happens, they can suspend your order til you grab what you need ...
or they can scan an item twice & you can run back to pick up another when you are finished.}

The bonus, the super good deal for this week was the Fiber One & Nature Valley granola bars.
They are on sale through August 26 as part of the mega event.
Here's how it works:

$2.49 Fiber One Bars
-$0.50 on each when you mix/match 10 participating items
-$0.50/1 Fiber One Chewy Bars coupon (from 7-8 SS or 8-5 GM)
Final price $.99

Now, that's a good deal, in & of itself ... but here's where the bonus comes in!
Kroger is offering a catalina too:
Buy 3 Fiber One Chewy Bars {many varieties} in one transaction, 
get a $1.00 checkout coupon valid on your next order. 
Buy 4, get $2.00. Buy 5 or more, get $3.00. Limit 1 offer per transaction. (through 9/2)
OR
Buy 3 Nature Valley Bars in one transaction, get a $1.00 checkout coupon valid on your next order. Buy 4, get $2.00; buy 5 or more, get $3.00. Limit 1 offer per transaction. (through 9/2)


I did both deals!
I bought 11 boxes total ... 6 Fiber One & 5 Nature Valley & received two $3.00 checkout coupons!
Woohoo!
Funny thing, I didn't even know this catalina was going on!

So, I have 2 coupons for $6 off my next trip
OR
 if you look at it this way, I got all these items for $9.63!
{I tallied up what I paid for all these items, taking the $6 off}

I pack 3 work lunches every day for my hubs & 2 sons, so these granola bars won't last long.
With only 6 in a box, we can go through 1 box every 2 days.
This was definitely a good deal for us.

I got the Ragu for free {a coupon by mail from Kroger to get a free jar of Ragu}.

The Irish Spring was also free.
It shows in the ad to be $1.49 {after the .50 off for the mega event}, but mine rang up for .99.
I added a .50 coupon which doubled to $1, making it free!
{There's also an ecoupon that you can load to your Kroger card.}

The Hefty bags were .99 {mega event} & combined with coupons, they were .49 a box.

So, you've still got time to make a quick trip to Kroger to get in on some good deals!

{BTW, I could've shared lotsss of things this week, as all of my mega events items were paired
with coupons & ended up being pretty cheap, but it was just too much to post.
I used $28.42 in manu/Kroger coupons & saved $95.39 by using my Kroger plus card.}

On Saturday, I made a quick trip to Meijer for their Super Saturday Sale.
The best deal here was the Soft Soap.
It's was on sale for .99 ... & if you bought 4, you got a coupon back for $4 off your next purchase!
{basically, you were getting your 4 Soft Soaps for free!}

This week's freebie items!

I rolled my $4 coupon right onto my 2nd purchase which was the Peter Pan peanut butter
that was $1.67 each, part of the Super Saturday Sale.
Last year at back-to-school time, I stocked up on Peter Pan pb for .99.
I was hoping to see that deal again, but no such luck.

As far as CVS/Walgreens, I didn't see any deals last week that were worth taking advantage of,
except the .99 eggs which I price-matched at Walmart.

Couponing & planning out your grocery trip is work & takes time, but it's worth it to see the savings.
The money saved can be put toward something else {like vacation!}

Deals from Dollar Tree

I am fan of the Dollar Tree.  

Everything is $1 {or less}.  

Who doesn't like that?! 

Is there some stuff in there that isn't worth carrying home?... Sure. 

But at the same time, there are some good deals to be had.  

I'm going to show you how to stretch your buck by telling you about some 

of my favorite Dollar Tree goodies.

Make no mistake, some items shouldn't be purchased at the Dollar Tree

because you can purchase them cheaper elsewhere.

This is where it pays to know your prices on the items that you regularly use

from store to store.

Maintaining a price notebook can come in handy here.

{If you haven't read my blog on that, click the above link.}

If you aren't a coupon clipper, you are in luck at the Dollar Tree.

I've heard of a few of them accepting coupons, but very few {none in our area}.

You can stop in for a quick item or two & get a good deal ... no coupons necessary.

Here are some of the items I regularly buy at the Dollar Tree:

I'm kinda picky on tortillas.

I like thick 'n fluffy ones ... as authentic as you can get without making them yourself.

These are really good ones.

I buy several packs to stock up each time I'm in Dollar Tree.

 

These Bora Bay cookies are a new-found treat.

The coconut ones are our favorite, but we like the banana & lemon too.

They are crispy cookies with sugar sprinkled all over top.

Another favorite cookie from Dollar Tree are the Maple Leaf Cookies.

Too bad I don't have a pic of these.

They look like leaves & have a maple filling ... & are great dunked in milk.

I especially like to put these out during the Autumn months.

You can get them at other stores but for a much higher price.

These are the items I purchased this week.

When I need wrapping supplies or gift bags, I always buy them here.

I like to keep a supply of cards {birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy}.

The Dollar Tree sells them for 2/$1 & always has a nice selection.

 

For the past few months, I've been trying out the 'LA's Totally Awesome' line of products.

I read lots of reviews online & was convinced to give them a shot.

So far, so good.

This was the 1st time to try out the tea bags.

I probably won't buy them again ... I think they skimped on the amount per bag.

This caused me to use more bags than usual for a gallon of tea.

I was skeptical to try the pound cake, but it felt soft & fresh ...

& the lemon flavor peeked my interest.

For a $1, it wasn't that big a loss, right?

Well, it was delicious.

I sliced it up for an easy dessert.

These are really nice to add to a trifle dessert.

Here are other items that I like from Dollar Tree:

plastic wrap

brown lunch bags

plastic storage containers

cold/allergy medicine

ibuprofen

spices {garlic powder, powdered chicken bouillon}

headbands, hair accessories

I like to buy stocking stuffers at Christmas time, goodies for Valentine's Day,

& basket stuffers for Easter.

The earlier you can stock up on these, the better the selection.

I encourage you to give your Dollar Tree a try ... an easy way to stretch your buck!

Maybe you shop here already.

What items to you especially like?

Stocking Up {part 2} VLOG

article 9 in Stretching Your Dollar series

WOW!  I am super stocked in the health & beauty department!
This is my largest stash ever!
This was the result from one of our local grocery stores running a triple coupon event!
You never hear of that around here anymore.
{Thank you, Marsh!}
While I did well on the grocery side too, I hit the jackpot in the HBA isle!
Check out this video to see my stash.

If you are wondering where I fit this abundance of shampoo & body wash,
here's where it's at.
It's on a couple shelves in our master bathroom closet.
The storage basket is the key to holding lots of products.
The extra {which I normally don't have}, is on the shelf above.
And from the looks of it, this bathroom closet needs a makeover!
Boy, I was brave to show you this picture ... don't judge me too harshly ;)



Stocking Up

article 8 in 'Stretching Your Dollars' series

The buzz word these days seems to be stockpile!
I really don't like using stockpile too much though.
Conjures up an image of a person frantically gathering piles & piles of stuff
due to some impending doom.
The term stocking up tends to more accurately represent my way of shopping.
When the deals are great ... AND I have coupons, that's the time I buy several of
those particular items.
OR, in the case of realllly great deals + coupons, often times, I am getting items
for FREE!
Yep, that's when my pantry shelves overflow.


That was actually my strategy a few months back ... & I am pleased to say,
it worked masterfully!
While I enjoy couponing to save money {not because I'm addicted/bored/like scissors},
I do get tired of it!
While I don't mind going to the grocery, I get tired of that too!
During the summer, our regular routine goes out the window ...
so, I thought this would be a good time to stock up during May & June,
then take a couple months off!
With July being our most busy month, not having to take the time to make
out a big grocery list & match the coupons to the sales saved me lots of time
{& brain power! ... yes, couponing requires both thinking & planning!}


So, as shocking as this may seem to those of you that know I'm a couponer,
I have not used a single coupon for about 7 weeks!
I was able to pull that off by stocking up on plenty of meat, staples, snacks,
paper & hygiene products.
That way, I'd only have to make quick trips to the grocery for fresh fruit & veggies,
bread, & milk.

Here are some of the items I stocked up on:

pork chops $1.47/lb.
ground chuck $1.88/lb.
b/s chicken tenders $1.77/lb.
spaghetti sauce $1 per jar
pasta 24 boxes FREE
canned veggies .39 can
Campbell's chicken noodle soup .25 can

Carnation evaporated milk .29 can

these were scratch 'n dent cans from the markdown cart

6 bags tortilla chips .49 bag



Fiber One bars $1.50 box
goldfish crackers 8-10 bags FREE
6 boxes Triscuits FREE
mayonnaise (32 oz) $1.29
ranch dressing ~ 6-8 bottles FREE
toilet paper 5/12 double roll pks. $2.50
warehouse box of foam plates (640 plates for $9.99)

Now, this is where it gets pretty impressive, if I say so myself ;)
I was stocked pretty well in the hygiene products already when Marsh decided to
have a triple coupon event.
'Bless them' is all I've got to say!
I totally scooped up in the health & beauty department, getting LOTS of items
totally for FREE!
Here's a sneak peek pic of the products, but be sure & stop back tomorrow!
I'll be posting a video telling you all about these deals!

 

Wanna get 40 washes out of 20 dishwasher tabs?

article 7 in $$ Stretching Your Dollars $$

Check out my video for this money-saving tip!

Isn't this great?!
Most repair guys say too much product is not good for the dishwasher anyway,
so cutting back to 1/2 is even better for the dishwasher itself.
{If you use the powder, use only 1/2 the usual amount}

In addition to this, I use 2 other products to keep my dishes sparking clean: 
the little basket rinse aid {I hang this inside the dishwasher on the top rack}
& a liquid rinse aid that is filled into a compartment inside the door.
Both of these last quite a while & do a good job of keeping the film off the glasses.

The next thing I want to experiment with is using vinegar instead of the liquid rinse aid.
I've heard it works great & of course, would be much cheaper.
I'll be sure & report back on that.

PICS of my current 'Goodwill' stash

article 6 in Stretching Your Dollars


A few days ago, I confessed my mad love for Goodwill.
In case you missed it, you can read all the sordid details here.


I am currently working on a 'gift' to my sister-in-law.
She's expecting a wee one in a few months, & I wanted to be the biggest blessing
to her as I could.
So, for the last several months, I've been going through the infant department
each time I'm out shopping.
I've found some decent deals here & there, but by far, my best findings
have been from ...

wait for it ...

GOODWILL!

That's right, I am giving a gift that includes items from Goodwill!


Here's a picture of my Goodwill goodies for my sweet niece that's 'in route'.

8 white onesies, 3 receiving blankets, 1 hat, 2 pr. socks {all brand new from Target}

zippered gown & 1 dress {brand new, tags attached from Carters}

8 patterned onesie-outfits, 1 dress, 1 gown

Think how much a gift like this would cost if I had been paying full price!
A 3-pk of onesies alone costs around $9!


Now, I hesitated to post a pic of all these super adorable girlie things
because I didn't want mys-i-l to see all of it ...
so, I only included in the pic the items from Goodwill.
{Plus, I have several handmade frou-frou accessories to go along with these things!}
And, knowing me & my frequent stops at GW Fashions, aka Goodwill, I'll add
a few more sweet lil' things to this stash before the baby gets here.

As the Duggar's say, buy used & save the difference!

Saving $$ when you eat out!

article 5  in Stretching Your Dollar~

Have you ever made an unplanned stop to eat, only to realize that you have coupon
for the restaurant ... but it's at home?!
You've taken the time to collect & clip coupons for restaurants, but you don't have them when you need them.
Frustrating.

Several years ago, I got tired of that happening, so I came up with a solution.
I keep an envelope of restaurant coupons in the glove box of our Suburban!

Each day, I presort the mail as it comes in ...
the bills go in the bill bin in the office, the junk mail goes in the trash, & the ads
& coupons go in this basket {along w/a few other things, as you can see}.

This basket sits on the shelf in my pantry, holding ads, coupons, notes, etc until I
have time to go through them ... keeping the clutter off the counter.

 My current dilemma, however, is that my envelope is too small to hold all the coupons.
So, I've upgraded to a file folder that I keep in the door pocket.

Any time we decide to stop & eat, the coupons are right where they need to be,
ready for use.
If you plan your eating out around the coupons you have to use, you've found
another way to stretch your dollar!

Here are a a few other ways to save:
1)  Order water instead of soda or tea ~
This alone has saved our family HUNDREDS of dollars over the years!

2)  Don't order the most expensive item on the menu ~
More than likely, this isn't your last meal ;)

3)  Lunch prices are always cheaper ~
If at all possible, eat out during lunch hours.
Also, if eating at a buffet, you can cheap cheat a little by getting there just before the 'supper' prices start thus getting the lunch price for the supper items!

4)  Get CHEAP deals by using Restaurants.com ~
You can score gift certificates for $25 worth of food for $2!!
Yes, you read that right, $2!!
If you've never used Restaurant.com, read all about it here.

5)  Groupon is another way to get some cheap eats.
When they offer a discount on a restaurant we enjoy, I grab up the deal!
If Groupon is new to you, check it out here.

On a quick side note, thank you for bearing with my photos.
Sometimes the quality is not so great, as my camera seems to have a mind of it's own.
I'm shopping for a new one, however, so the pictures should be much improved soon!

Goodies from Goodwill

article 4 in 'Stretching Your Dollars'


So I've admitted that I'm a 'junkie' ...
lover of junk stores, thrift shops, flea markets, garage sales.
It's something my husband loves too ... & we've successfully passed
this hobby on to our sons.
We all dream about finding treasures like they do on the American Pickers
& Antiques Roadshow.

So, it should be no surprise to anyone that I can be found at Goodwill pretty often.
And, not at one Goodwill, but at 5!
There are 5 nice stores within a few miles of our house, so sometimes I'll take a day
& hit each one.


I visit Goodwill quite often when we travel too.
Yes, I've been in Goodwill's from here to Florida!
In fact, I even took a picture of the store in Spring Hill, Florida ... 
because it was so cool & so Florida, but I couldn't find it to put on here.
{I know right, who takes a picture of Goodwill?!}

Now, I'll admit, we occasionally went to Goodwill when I was a kid ... & I HATED it!
There was 1 store in downtown Anderson.
It was pretty cruddy & smelly ... & the items back then, were mostly old cast-offs
that should've been put in the garbage can.
But, that was back then ... before it became all cool to shop at Goodwill.
The stores now are often brand new & full of gently used or new items.
{I occasionally see things that should be in the garbage, but not too often}


There are several reason I really enjoy shopping at Goodwill.
One, I like the thrill of the hunt.
You never know what you're going to find.

Two, I find killer awesome finds almost every time I go!

Three, why would I want to pay full price for anything, if I didn't have to?
This is a way I can stretch my dollar.

It's amazing what gets donated to Goodwill!
I'd be safe in saying, at least 50% of the items I buy there are BRAND new, tags attached!
I specifically look for these items.

Also, Target donates their clearance stock to Goodwill, of course, all brand new!
It's not uncommon to see the clothes I've been looking at at Target on the racks
at Goodwill, for a fraction of the price.
{all 'new' items from Target have a grey paper tag on them}

I've had way too many fantastic finds at Goodwill to list them all,
but here are a few that come to mind:

-REAL Coach change purse ~ .99

-2 brand new in the box, pre-lit 4 ft Christmas trees in decorative urns ~ $7.50 for both
{I had been wanting a set of these for my front porch & had been watching for a good deal!}

-lots of home decor {incl. a hand-painted seascape framed picture by a local artist from the 50s w/the certificate of authentication & addtl info in an envelope on the back ~ $19.99}

-a pair of Aeropostale jeans {Not such a big deal, right?!  Well, when Gunnar tried them on,
& slipped his hand in the pocket, he found a $10 bill!!}

-a REAL Dolce & Gabanna shirt
{paid $2 for it, came home & found it on the internet for $118!!}

-an Armani suit for James {paid maybe $12 for a $1000 suit ... you think I'm kidding?! 
Look up Armani suits on the internet ... CRAZY expensive!!}

-Armani denim skirt for my niece {paid $4 -- used ones selling on ebay for $55}

-more brand name clothes than you could shake a stick at
{Hollister, GAP, A & F, Aero, AE, RL, Banana Republic, etc.}

-& as I said, there's more, waaay more deals that I could list!

Here are a couple tips for maximizing your Goodwill shopping:

The stickers & the plastic barbs are by color.
Each week, one 'color' is 1/2 price.
Check the large sign just inside the door for the color that is 1/2 price for that week.
Look for items marked with that color & save 50%.

If there is a garage sale sticker still attached to any item, you get it for that price.

Leave tags attached for easy returns.

Making a Price Notebook

article 3 in Stretching Your Dollar series

Several years ago, we relocated from Anderson {IN} to Indianapolis.
Among the many changes that came along with moving to a bigger city was
having to choose a new place to buy groceries.
With the cost of living a bit higher than the area we were moving from, I knew doing
my homework would be in order.

I decided to take a spiral notebook & begin charting the regular, non-sale prices
of items that I regularly purchased.
I did this at several of the area grocery stores to see who offered the best overall prices.

I divided my notebook by stores, & made columns for the product/brand name,
size, & regular price.
One store at a time, I begin filling in my notebook with the pricing info.
{If there were sales, I'd notate that too, but I mostly gained the 'sale' information by watching all of the grocery ads}.

My price notebook helped me to determine where I'd eventually do the bulk
of my grocery shopping.
I no longer keep a current price notebook, partially because I, for some unexplainable reason, keep this information in my head.
I may not be able to call my sons by their correct names, but I can sure tell ya where you'll find the best price on toilet paper ;)

In addition to making a price notebook, here's another bit of useful info:

Know the best sale price on items you use.
Let that be your guide for when or when not to buy.
{Knowing a good price can save a lot of money compared to buying something because you are guessing it is a good price.}

Say you need a bag of shredded cheese & it's not at it's lowest sale price.
Go ahead & pick up 1 bag, but do some stocking up the next time it's at the
rock bottom price.
Once you have charted the regular & sale prices, you will begin to take notice of the sale cycle, which are usually on a 6-10 week rotation.

The idea is to buy when things are on sale, using coupons when available, to bring the price down even further.
If you stock your pantry & freezer well, it can last you until the next sale.

Know Your Grocery Store

                                              article #2 in Stretching Your Dollar


In order to maximize your savings at your local grocery store,
you must know that store like the back of your hand!

Here are a few tips in get you in the 'know' zone:

1)  Find all the clearance spots!

Every store usually has a certain area where they move items that have been
put on clearance.

My Kroger has an area in the bread isle where they place all the mark-down bread,
buns, bagels, english muffins, etc.
They also roll out a cart with the bakery mark-downs, like cakes, pies, donuts, etc.
I always check these areas before choosing my bread/bakery needs.
I make a purchase from this area every week, often finding bread from .25/.50.
It's really nice to find the bakery pies that were originally $8 for $2-3.

They also fill up grocery carts with scratch & dent items.
These sit by the milk coolers at the back of the store.
I love to find canned goods sometimes priced as low as .15!
Lastly, they have a table near the HBA that is for reduced items.

By checking these specifically designated areas, I've stretched my dollar countless times ...
finding unexpected bargains.

2)  Be familiar with the tags!

Learning to read tags is very important.
James taught me how to check unit prices on products several years ago.
There are tags either above or below grocery store items that have the “unit” price listed.  Always check this against the same item that is being advertised as on “sale”. 
A great majority of the time, the 'sale' is not the best deal.

By knowing what is a sale tag vs. a clearance tag vs. a close out tag, you can often find unadvertised deals for extra savings.
My Kroger almost always has plenty of dairy products at a reduced price.
I know what stickers to look for to get an additional savings.
{I've gotten 1/2 gallons of chocolate milk for .25 before!}

3)  Know your store's policies on everything!

While using internet couponing/savings sites is very helpful in finding sales
& coordinating coupons for additional savings, you must keep in mind that policies
may vary from store to store.
The policies at my Kroger can be entirely different from another Kroger
just on the other side of town.

Here are a few things to find out:
Coupon policies  -- do they double & up to what amount {if so, how many will double}
                               -- do they accept printables
                               -- how many 'exact' coupons do they accept per day
                               -- do they stack coupons
                               -- do they accept e-coupons or cellphone coupons & do those stack
                               -- do they accept competitors coupons

BOGO policies  -- do they require you to buy 2, or can you buy one at 50% off

Raincheck policies  -- do they expire

Store courtesy/discount card  -- how to use this for maximum savings

Price matching  -- does your store allow this & on what items

Sale cycle  -- learn this about your store {generally a 6-10 week cycle}

Keep tuning in as we learn to stretch our dollars!

Seasonal Savings

                                             $$ Tip #1 in Stretching Your Dollar Series $$


I love the sales that come along during the various seasons of the year.
There's no better time to stock up the pantry
... & rack up the savings in the process!

It's almost Memorial Day ...
& Memorial weekend = COOKOUTS!

Grocery stores will have nice deals on hot dogs, hamburger meat, buns, chips, soda, potato chips, watermelon & condiments.
Add any available coupons to these great deals & get FREE or cheap food!

Most of these items will be on sale throughout the summer, but you may not see prices this low until closer to the 4th of July {& again at Labor Day weekend}.

Here are a few other seasonal savings to look for throughout the year:

Back-to-School  -- best prices of the year on peanut butter, jelly, drink boxes, cereal, lunch meat, cheese slices, yogurt, pre-packaged snacks, school/office supplies

Easter  -- ham, eggs, candy, rolls

Thanksgiving/Christmas  -- turkey, ham, butter, baking supplies, spices, broth, foil,
baking pans

Of course, after the major holidays, you can find super clearance deals on chocolate {candy}, seasonal decor, clothing, toys, etc.
These often sell out quickly, so be on the lookout within a day or 2 after the actual holiday.

I stopped in at Aldi today for pinto beans & found an unbelievable seasonal deal!
Take a look at this video to see what I got for .15!!

Wanna read more on how to get the best deal on everything you buy?
 Click here for a month-by-month guide.

$ Stretching Your Dollar $

Everyone wants to save money, right?
With gasoline prices at an all-time high & the price of EVERTHING on the rise, many
are exploring new ways to save ... & ultimately, stretch that dollar as far as possible.

I have always been on the frugal side {otherwise know as thrifty &/or cheap}.
There seems to have always been an unseen force drawing me to all things sale & clearance.
My thought process has always been 'why pay more when you don't have to!!'
As a little girl, I would save my money & then patiently wait until the item
I wanted finally went on sale.
I specifically remember the yellow, red & purple purse I bought at Kmart ...
just as excited about the sale as I was for the purse!

I had some good training.
I watched my Dad work hard for his money ... & I watched my Mom respect that
by being conscious of how she spent it.
She was demonstrating to me what a Proverbs 31 woman was all about.

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 ¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
 ¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Now that I'm grown, with a husband & children of my own, I'm so grateful for these
skills I began to learn at a young age.
I've added to them many times over, gleaning from many good teachers,
learning to manage our home well ...
learning ways that help us to thrive, not just survive.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing several blogs specifically
about saving money.
I'll share my thoughts & tips on shopping, couponing, simple living, & cutting costs
in all areas of life.
I hope to be an encouragement & will answer any questions along the way.
Any time spent in bettering our household is time well spent.
It brings honor to our husband & to our Saviour as we strive diligently in this,
our high calling.

 ²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
 ²⁸Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.