in these trying financial times, i've decided to try my hand more thoroughly at cooking to save money. i've devised a cute little list of items that i think are pretty affordable and make some GOOD meals if you take the time to prepare them correctly. i've also included some basics that no house should be without...yanno, just in case all of the supermarkets crash and we're forced to eat from what we have in the house for the next month. enjoy!
potatoes
yellow onions
gallons of water
canned goods
bagged beans
chicken legs (or quarters if you don't mind cleaning and cutting them)
pasta
rice (lots and lots of rice--this stuff is invaluable)
i know this list sounds like a WWII rations list, but trust me, stock your house up with these things because a severe economic crunch may be ahead. it's always good to save money. i know i have about 4 20lb bags of rice and about 50 cans of veggies. i have about 10 gallons of water and about 8 bags of beans. i'm running out of pasta, with about 9 boxes left, and i don't have any chicken legs or potatoes. tomorrow i'm going to purchase 2 large bags of each lol.
i'm crazy anyway though so don't take my word for it. when SARS broke out i had about 100 rolls of duct tape. ever since 911 i've had this whole "issue" going on where i have to stock my shelves for some major catastrophe. i'm not sure if i should seek counseling for this problem--but it sure does make me feel better when i'm loaded down with supplies.
now all i have to do is purchase wings for the house and i'm set.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
talk about crashing.
yesterday the stock market crashed (more like plummeted) 777 points. today, i crashed (more like plummeted) 778 points. i beat the stock.
that's how i feel at any rate. yesterday i was fine, the sun was shining, everything was good. last night i got NO sleep. i don't know what it is exactly, but i think it's a cumulation of situations and issues i'm having...including the social and financial state of the country, my personal goals and dreams being put on hold, difficulty in finding decent employment (for myself), the fact that i can't move my family right now, the fact that i've been going to the gym for a month 4x a week and i feel bigger, and i'm the same weight i was a month ago (walking ALWAYS helps me lose weight--what gives), my mp3 player and my gym card got stolen ANYWAY, my husband is in prison and he's stressing...the list goes on.
i think i had the weight of the world on my shoulders when i woke up today.
so i took the girls to school, came back home and started to clean. whenever i'm stressed i either suck my thumb, clean the house, try to nap, talk to my hubby (if i can), or i listen to music. so i started cleaning, and it just so happens that before my cousin left for work today she left the CD player on. and it switched to my favorite donnie mcclurkin CD. in ten minutes i was bawling and praying for everything to just be alright with me. i apologized to God for my behaviors lately, i asked Him to please just never leave me alone. right now i feel so alone in the world. despite having family and friends that love me, i feel so alone. i also thanked Him for what i do have. there are so many people that have so much less, so many people that would love to be in my shoes. with all of my concerns and issues, there are actually people who would LOVE to be in my shoes. i thank God for what He has given me, and i pray that He helps me learn any lessons that need to be learned from my current state of affairs. after the song finished playing, i felt 100% better and relieved. i still have some residual tears in my eyes, i'm still a little stressed. but i am doing alot better...God is good.
[my] stock market plummeted, but it's not the end of the world.
that's how i feel at any rate. yesterday i was fine, the sun was shining, everything was good. last night i got NO sleep. i don't know what it is exactly, but i think it's a cumulation of situations and issues i'm having...including the social and financial state of the country, my personal goals and dreams being put on hold, difficulty in finding decent employment (for myself), the fact that i can't move my family right now, the fact that i've been going to the gym for a month 4x a week and i feel bigger, and i'm the same weight i was a month ago (walking ALWAYS helps me lose weight--what gives), my mp3 player and my gym card got stolen ANYWAY, my husband is in prison and he's stressing...the list goes on.
i think i had the weight of the world on my shoulders when i woke up today.
so i took the girls to school, came back home and started to clean. whenever i'm stressed i either suck my thumb, clean the house, try to nap, talk to my hubby (if i can), or i listen to music. so i started cleaning, and it just so happens that before my cousin left for work today she left the CD player on. and it switched to my favorite donnie mcclurkin CD. in ten minutes i was bawling and praying for everything to just be alright with me. i apologized to God for my behaviors lately, i asked Him to please just never leave me alone. right now i feel so alone in the world. despite having family and friends that love me, i feel so alone. i also thanked Him for what i do have. there are so many people that have so much less, so many people that would love to be in my shoes. with all of my concerns and issues, there are actually people who would LOVE to be in my shoes. i thank God for what He has given me, and i pray that He helps me learn any lessons that need to be learned from my current state of affairs. after the song finished playing, i felt 100% better and relieved. i still have some residual tears in my eyes, i'm still a little stressed. but i am doing alot better...God is good.
[my] stock market plummeted, but it's not the end of the world.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ok. sarah is starting to grind my nerves in a NOT so good way.
i just found this clip on youtube. i wasn't looking for it, but it's obviously sarah on a phone interview. and if she can laugh at someone making such a mockery of a cancer survivor and fellow mother, then i can imagine what she's saying about barack, and all of those rumors about her making racist remarks concerning blacks is probably true.
i was feeling bad for her, because i know joe is going to RIP her ass to shreds during the VP debate, but now i'm going out to buy extra popcorn because it's going to be one bloody political murder i can't wait to watch.
Friday, September 26, 2008
a few other saves!
i just found the 2x concentrate trend detergent, and let me tell you--that stuff is working wonders on my clothes. i thought it would suck because it's trend, but it is good stuff. at 1.99 on sale, it's even better.
but remember to buy the 2x concentrate--the regular one doesn't seem to be AS good as this one.
i find that krasdale and red and white brands are excellent substitutes for their more expensive counterparts. some things i love to purchase by these brands--aluminum foil, sugar, trash bags, apple juice and salt.
t-mobile has this new flex pay plan...which seems to be wonderful for those who aren't able to get a cellular phone plan that's monthly. heck, it seems so good and their phones are so cool that even I want to get rid of my monthly plan! but it's in the hubby's name so i'll keep it :D
the dollar stores up here are lifesavers. from them i purchase toilet tissue, baking pans, detergents, socks, glass cleaner, brillo pads, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, carpet fresheners, air fresheners, candles, x-mas lights and decorations, gift wrap, cellophane wrap, sippy cups for the baby, cups and bowls, utensils, batteries, napkins, plastic utensils and cups, paper plates...the list goes on. and yes, in the NE, the dollar store really has items that cost 1.00 each.
but for those of us willing to go a little more expensive, family dollar sells the best towels and washclothes for the price i've seen anywhere. they are extremely soft and durable. and it's a 12 pack for 5.00 last i checked--well worth it.
as i come across more saves in my daily running around, i will be sure to post them!
but remember to buy the 2x concentrate--the regular one doesn't seem to be AS good as this one.
i find that krasdale and red and white brands are excellent substitutes for their more expensive counterparts. some things i love to purchase by these brands--aluminum foil, sugar, trash bags, apple juice and salt.
t-mobile has this new flex pay plan...which seems to be wonderful for those who aren't able to get a cellular phone plan that's monthly. heck, it seems so good and their phones are so cool that even I want to get rid of my monthly plan! but it's in the hubby's name so i'll keep it :D
the dollar stores up here are lifesavers. from them i purchase toilet tissue, baking pans, detergents, socks, glass cleaner, brillo pads, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, carpet fresheners, air fresheners, candles, x-mas lights and decorations, gift wrap, cellophane wrap, sippy cups for the baby, cups and bowls, utensils, batteries, napkins, plastic utensils and cups, paper plates...the list goes on. and yes, in the NE, the dollar store really has items that cost 1.00 each.
but for those of us willing to go a little more expensive, family dollar sells the best towels and washclothes for the price i've seen anywhere. they are extremely soft and durable. and it's a 12 pack for 5.00 last i checked--well worth it.
as i come across more saves in my daily running around, i will be sure to post them!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
a list of comparisons.
well, since i have about 20 minutes until i get the girls from school and prepare them for girl scouts, i just thought that i'd make a list for my readers who are interested in saving some money.
because i have already tried these items (and my taste buds are on POINT, meaning that if something is nasty i'll be honest about it and if i say it's good you can trust me on it), you'll be taking much less of a risk when you shop.
in my part of the country, these are the stores that i shop at regularly: shoprite, pathmark, extra supermarkets and rite aid. so if you don't shop at any of these stores, then this little blog won't aid you at all, unfortunately.
but if you do shop at any of these stores, you're in for a treat.
ok. first, i have noticed that as far as brand names go, pathmark has by far surpassed the competition concerning taste, quality, and packaging of their products. so about 50% of the items i buy are pathmarks namebrand, which USED to be pathmark until about 2 months ago. A&P food chains have brought out pathmark, so although pathmark will retain it's name, it's brand is now America's Choice. which is still the same item, simply packaged under a new name.
some pathmark brand items i do NOT leave the store without because their quality and/or taste is just as good, if not better than, and save big bucks over versus the big name brands:
light bulbs (1.00 for a 4 pack versus GE @ 3.00 for a 4 pack)
syrup (2.50 for 36 ounces versus aunt jemima @ 4.49 for 36 ounces)
pancake mix (1.69 for 1 box versus aunt jemima @ 3.79 for 1 box)
spring water (2.79 for 3 gallons versus poland spring @ 5.00 for 3 gallons)
now. shoprite has a disgusting tasting storebrand, so i refuse to purchase ANYTHING by shoprites brand unless it is their canned goods. their Can-Can sale is unbeatable. i usually pay on average 1.00 for 3 cans of vegetables...the cheapest in the city. HOWEVER, shoprites prices on NAMEBRAND items cannot be beat. on average, without a sale, their items are priced anywhere from 5-10% cheaper than pathmark or any other grocery chain. that adds up to big bucks when you don't have coupons or sales going on.
now extra is a store only found in the northeastern part of the country, namely nj and ny. i go there and get all of my meats because they are good cuts and fresh. and most of all, they are affordable. now extra's store brand is Parade. i have nothing but good things to say about Parade products--they are of a great quality. some parade brand items that i buy regularly are (and yes--they save me tons of money and are just as good, if not better than, their namebrand competitors):
waffles (1.00 a box compared to eggo @ 3.50 a box)
peanut butter (2.29 a jar compared to JIF @ 3.79 a jar)
frozen vegetables (1.39 a bag compared to Birdseye @ 3.99 a bag)
now i have to add as also, that extra here in my city sells alot of ethnic foods, especially for hispanic and carribean cuisine. so they also carry alot of ethnic names such as goya, iberia and vitaroz. i LOVE iberia's snack crackers...they are better than ritz (1.09 per box of 4 packs compared to ritz 4.19 per box of 4 pack), and i only buy vanilla wafers from vitaroz because they taste great(.99 per box compared to nabisco @ 3.99 per box). now goya i'm not too thrilled about because goya has decided that they were going to up their prices since they are so popular. but when i do purchase from goya, i love their spices...which you can grab on a good sale for about 60% off the regular price. not only that, but extra sells Malt-O-Meal cereals, which my kids LIVE by. they are about 65% cheaper than any name brand cereal and they are JUST AS GREAT TASTING--i PROMISE. my kids wouldn't eat them if they weren't. i buy by the bag their cinnamon toast crunch (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to General Mills @ 6.49 for 24 ounces), their fruit loops (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces), their honey nut cheerios (2.99 for 24 ounces versus General Mills @ 4.79 for 24 ounces) and their apple jacks (2.99 for 24 ounces versus Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces).
on to rite-aid. alot of people do not believe that rite-aid offers anything of value, but for the coupon savvy person, rite-aid offers many things for free. the only irritating thing about rite-aid is that because they are in the speciality of drugs and not groceries, you have to catch their sale on the day the sale starts if you don't want to be waiting for 4 months for another shipment of that item to come in. rite-aid has EXCELLENT sales weekly, but they are only truly excellent if you have accompanying coupons. if you have a coupon (or a ton of them like i do), rite-aid will happily give you for free the following items (these are things i never pay for--well except tax and that's 0.03):
colgate toothpaste (3.49 reg.)
lady speed stick 24/7 (3.49 reg.)
irish spring 3 pack (3.49 reg.)
bic ink pens 10 pack (3.00 reg.)
these are items i get a real steal on with coupons:
softsoap handsoap: .75
iams dog food (8 lb. bag): 3.00
G.U.M. toothbrush: .50
always pads: 1.00
tampax tampons: 1.75
friskies cat food: .15 per can
so the tips i can offer today for those living in the NE part of the country, namely NY, NJ, CT and the surrounding states are:
1. pathmark for their store brand items--excellent quality and excellent pricing compared to name brand items.
2. shop rite for their name brand items and their storebrand vegetables. do not purchase shoprites storebrand for anything else unless you like a chemical or greasy aftertaste in everything you eat.
3. extra for their meats and their ethnic items and their bagged cereals...especially the Malt-O-Meal brand.
4. rite-aid for their super sale items (which are usually priced at 1.00 for alot of great things) with coupons. although the coupons don't usually double, if the item is very cheap and the coupon is a good one...you're getting it free (colgate palmolive ALWAYS have coupons for 1.00 off an item and rite-aid sells those items for 1.00).
i will post more later but the girls are home now and it's time for Mommy Duty. LOL.
enjoy!
because i have already tried these items (and my taste buds are on POINT, meaning that if something is nasty i'll be honest about it and if i say it's good you can trust me on it), you'll be taking much less of a risk when you shop.
in my part of the country, these are the stores that i shop at regularly: shoprite, pathmark, extra supermarkets and rite aid. so if you don't shop at any of these stores, then this little blog won't aid you at all, unfortunately.
but if you do shop at any of these stores, you're in for a treat.
ok. first, i have noticed that as far as brand names go, pathmark has by far surpassed the competition concerning taste, quality, and packaging of their products. so about 50% of the items i buy are pathmarks namebrand, which USED to be pathmark until about 2 months ago. A&P food chains have brought out pathmark, so although pathmark will retain it's name, it's brand is now America's Choice. which is still the same item, simply packaged under a new name.
some pathmark brand items i do NOT leave the store without because their quality and/or taste is just as good, if not better than, and save big bucks over versus the big name brands:
light bulbs (1.00 for a 4 pack versus GE @ 3.00 for a 4 pack)
syrup (2.50 for 36 ounces versus aunt jemima @ 4.49 for 36 ounces)
pancake mix (1.69 for 1 box versus aunt jemima @ 3.79 for 1 box)
spring water (2.79 for 3 gallons versus poland spring @ 5.00 for 3 gallons)
now. shoprite has a disgusting tasting storebrand, so i refuse to purchase ANYTHING by shoprites brand unless it is their canned goods. their Can-Can sale is unbeatable. i usually pay on average 1.00 for 3 cans of vegetables...the cheapest in the city. HOWEVER, shoprites prices on NAMEBRAND items cannot be beat. on average, without a sale, their items are priced anywhere from 5-10% cheaper than pathmark or any other grocery chain. that adds up to big bucks when you don't have coupons or sales going on.
now extra is a store only found in the northeastern part of the country, namely nj and ny. i go there and get all of my meats because they are good cuts and fresh. and most of all, they are affordable. now extra's store brand is Parade. i have nothing but good things to say about Parade products--they are of a great quality. some parade brand items that i buy regularly are (and yes--they save me tons of money and are just as good, if not better than, their namebrand competitors):
waffles (1.00 a box compared to eggo @ 3.50 a box)
peanut butter (2.29 a jar compared to JIF @ 3.79 a jar)
frozen vegetables (1.39 a bag compared to Birdseye @ 3.99 a bag)
now i have to add as also, that extra here in my city sells alot of ethnic foods, especially for hispanic and carribean cuisine. so they also carry alot of ethnic names such as goya, iberia and vitaroz. i LOVE iberia's snack crackers...they are better than ritz (1.09 per box of 4 packs compared to ritz 4.19 per box of 4 pack), and i only buy vanilla wafers from vitaroz because they taste great(.99 per box compared to nabisco @ 3.99 per box). now goya i'm not too thrilled about because goya has decided that they were going to up their prices since they are so popular. but when i do purchase from goya, i love their spices...which you can grab on a good sale for about 60% off the regular price. not only that, but extra sells Malt-O-Meal cereals, which my kids LIVE by. they are about 65% cheaper than any name brand cereal and they are JUST AS GREAT TASTING--i PROMISE. my kids wouldn't eat them if they weren't. i buy by the bag their cinnamon toast crunch (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to General Mills @ 6.49 for 24 ounces), their fruit loops (2.99 for 24 ounces compared to Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces), their honey nut cheerios (2.99 for 24 ounces versus General Mills @ 4.79 for 24 ounces) and their apple jacks (2.99 for 24 ounces versus Kelloggs @ 4.79 for 24 ounces).
on to rite-aid. alot of people do not believe that rite-aid offers anything of value, but for the coupon savvy person, rite-aid offers many things for free. the only irritating thing about rite-aid is that because they are in the speciality of drugs and not groceries, you have to catch their sale on the day the sale starts if you don't want to be waiting for 4 months for another shipment of that item to come in. rite-aid has EXCELLENT sales weekly, but they are only truly excellent if you have accompanying coupons. if you have a coupon (or a ton of them like i do), rite-aid will happily give you for free the following items (these are things i never pay for--well except tax and that's 0.03):
colgate toothpaste (3.49 reg.)
lady speed stick 24/7 (3.49 reg.)
irish spring 3 pack (3.49 reg.)
bic ink pens 10 pack (3.00 reg.)
these are items i get a real steal on with coupons:
softsoap handsoap: .75
iams dog food (8 lb. bag): 3.00
G.U.M. toothbrush: .50
always pads: 1.00
tampax tampons: 1.75
friskies cat food: .15 per can
so the tips i can offer today for those living in the NE part of the country, namely NY, NJ, CT and the surrounding states are:
1. pathmark for their store brand items--excellent quality and excellent pricing compared to name brand items.
2. shop rite for their name brand items and their storebrand vegetables. do not purchase shoprites storebrand for anything else unless you like a chemical or greasy aftertaste in everything you eat.
3. extra for their meats and their ethnic items and their bagged cereals...especially the Malt-O-Meal brand.
4. rite-aid for their super sale items (which are usually priced at 1.00 for alot of great things) with coupons. although the coupons don't usually double, if the item is very cheap and the coupon is a good one...you're getting it free (colgate palmolive ALWAYS have coupons for 1.00 off an item and rite-aid sells those items for 1.00).
i will post more later but the girls are home now and it's time for Mommy Duty. LOL.
enjoy!
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