Dave Ramsey $$ Giveaway

WIN

Today’s keyword is FREE

Good Luck!

Frugal Friends’ Friday

It is time for our second Frugal Friends’ Friday! Remember, each week I choose my favorite tips and share them on the Friday blog- So be sure to send in YOUR frugal tips to frugalmegan @gmail.com. Here are my favorite tips from this week. Keep ‘em coming!

“I make my own salad dressings. Here is an easy one:

Vinegar and Oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup salad oil

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp salt (or less)

1/8 tsp black pepper

Shake together in a pint jar. Use on tossed salad.” -Mary, Lorain OH

“Purchase a lunch box/bag! Not those paper ones-they cost too much! If you want to go all out, buy the plastic containers for your food too-less baggies. This can save $ as well as the environment!” – Amanda, Kipton OH

*You know, I bet you could find something like that in the back to school bins, or for .50c at a garage sale!*

“Save paper and “go green” by printing on both sides of the paper. I even save sheets of paper from mail we get and print on the blank side or use as scrap paper. Also good for kids to color on. After both sides are used, it goes in the recycling.” -Patti, Wakeman OH

Great tips this week!

Here’s to living- Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Dave Ramsey $$$ Giveaway!!

WIN

A Starter Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey is giving away $999 as a “starter emergency fund” to 9 lucky people- One winner everyday for 9 days! It started yesterday, and will continue until 9/17/09. Everyday there will be a new Keyword to enter at this link. Today’s keyword is SAVE. You can find the new keywords by checking daveramsey.com, or following Dave on Facebook. Enter once per day!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

~FrugalMegan~

Menu Planning: Taking Inventory

While I myself probably need a lot of tips in this area, today’s focus is going to be on organizing and taking inventory of your FOOD. It is important to know what you have on hand, and also to know what food needs to be eaten. While I don’t necessarily eat “exactly” in order of expiration, I do highlight the items that need to get eaten first, and form meal plans from those items. This one day of organization saves me so much time, energy and…you guessed it- Money!! Imagine all the food that won’t go to waste or forever be forgotten in the back of that one shelf in the freezer, doomed to freezer burn and the ultimate sacrifice to the trash mound.

Clearly everyone will have a different method or idea of how this needs to be done, but the point here is it NEEDs to be done! I will just explain what I do, and you can take it and alter it for your own situation. I break my inventory into the general areas of where I keep food: Fridge, main freezer, secondary freezer, main pantry, secondary pantry (for many of us, these may be ” pantry under bed #1, under bed #2″ LOL). I just write everything down on some note paper and divide it into categories like fruit/veg, bread, dairy, meat, baking, misc. I try to keep it simple, so if I have something like a veggie burger, I list that in with the meat, since its meant to be eaten as a burger, not a veggie side dish.

Fridge: I do an inventory of the fridge every week to make my meal plans. This is where things go bad the fastest, so it is the place you have to keep up with the most. Veggies about to go bad? Cook them and make something, or chop and freeze. Sour cream been open close to too long? Make a cream soup or Mexican that night for dinner. I think most of us probably keep track in our heads of what we have,  but then again, how often do you say “Aww, darn! I forgot to use that” and in the trash it goes? Thus the value of writing it down and planning your meals. Of course, that requires follow through as well.

Freezer #1: This is your in kitchen freezer- and you may very well choose to take a weekly inventory of it as well. I don’t- I think I officially dig through it every 3 months. I have a chest freezer too, so I may organize it a little differently than you. I keep the things I use most often here (flours, baby food, dry buttermilk), food I have made and frozen that need to be eaten soon (breads, muffins, waffles), and things that need to be eaten soon. Everything else goes out in the chest freezer. I keep meats on the bottom shelf (heat rises), veggies/baby food/dairy in the middle, and premade/bread on top, a long with things we are eating this week. They won’t be so rock hard solid, and don’t stay there long.

Freezer #2: This is our chest freezer. I keep heavy things, large things, items I have a ton of, and meat on the bottom. The baskets have small things, and things that need to be transferred to the inside freezer soon. One  basket is for veggies/sides, one for small meats (hot dogs, bacon), and one for misc/premade. I take inventory once every 3 months, and organize while I’m doing it.

Main pantry: I organize in sections, like breakfast items, canned goods, pasta/rice, beverages, baking supplies, etc. Nothing goes on the floor that can be gotten into by bugs- So its a good place to keep cookbooks, large canned goods, boxes. I don’t recommend keeping potatoes here. Don’t make me remember why, please!! UCK. I take inventory every 3 months, and I *try* to label what is open, as well as organize on the shelf in order of expiration. Generally I just know how long I’ve had something, and put that out first.

Secondary Pantry: Same as first. Organize in sections, take inventory every 3 months. Rotate things out to main pantry once a month, so you aren’t constantly running back and forth all day getting this and that. I keep extra food in the secondary pantry, my “stockpile” you could say.

WHEW. Ok. When you are done, and have your lists of each section, look through it. I try to circle all the things I see that need to be eaten soon, and make my next few weeks’ meal plans accordingly. This may be too much for some of you, but it may also be too much FUN for some of you- But I then enter all the food into an excel file (except the fridge). For some of you, every time you go shopping or get through a week’s meals, you will update your excel file. Let’s just say I’m not quite that organized! So while things generally don’t get too crazy, I just do an updated list every3 months. When you sit down to plan your meals each week, just look in your excel file, see what you have, what needs to be eaten, and plan around that. Running to the grocery store is then just filling in, or taking advantage of great sales. Also, while you are on this step, make a list of things you are running low of or out of. Then keep an eye out for coupons and good sales on those items.

Ta-da! You’re done

That didn’t take all that long did it? Maybe it did…but it’s worth it in time. As for me, I’m going to have some Chai Tea to celebrate my productive, money saving day. How about you?

Here’s to living: Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Laundry Detergent “Recipe”

Did you know you can make your own laundry detergent?

Why would anyone want to do that, you ask! Well, since there are no perfumes, dyes, or other common irritants, these are great recipes for those with allergies and sensitive skin. The homemade stuff here also does not contain any phosphates, for those of you who are environmentally conscious. Oh, and did I mention, its Cheap??? But you’ll have to keep reading to see just how cheap.

My sister, Mother in Law and I have been using these recipes for just about 2 years now, since I found a great recipe online. I thought I would share it with you! There are basically 3 ingredients, plus water. I just did a search on Harris Teeter (one of our local grocery stores) and found the prices for these items. These recipes were originally found at and adapted from Mary at Everyday Cheapskate. Here are the basic ingredients and their prices (in NC anyhow):

1. Fels Naptha Laundry Bar soap- $1.29/bar
2. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (do not use baking soda)- $3.19/55oz box
3. 20 Mule Team Borax- $4.19/76oz box

Liquid Laundry Detergent

3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (~$0.43)
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda (~$0.71)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax (~$0.25)
2-gallon bucket
1 quart hot water

Mix grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap in a large saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on the stove over Low heat until dissolved. Do not allow to boil. Stir in Super Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill up bucket with some additional hot water, leaving a few inches at the top, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

**Ok, so lets figure out about how much this will be, per load, using our prices above. Total per batch is $1.39. We end up with roughly 2 gallons of detergent, and use 1/2 cup per load. That’s (64) 1/2 cup measurements per batch, and $1.39/64= ~$0.02/load. WOW. And just as an extra tidbit, this one batch generally takes me 15 minutes to make, and lasts me 3 months.**

Powdered Laundry Detergent

**This one is only slightly more expensive, since it uses a bit more of the Fels Naptha, but some people like it more. I have personally never tried it, but this is what my mother in law makes, and really likes.**

1 cup grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons.

Tip: These detergents will not make suds in your washer- Making them perfect for HE washers. If you need proof they work though, just look at your clothes (and the dirty wash water!). I don’t use any fabric softener with my clothes, and I really think it has something to do with the Fels Naptha.

There you have it! Homemade, allergen free, phosphate free laundry detergent, for roughly $0.02 a load! If you like a little scent, I’ve heard of many people adding a drop or two of their favorite essential oil to the liquid mixture. Give it a shot! (as long as it has no dyes).

Here’s to living: Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Coupons: Where do they come from?

Coupons are EVERYWHERE! You just have to know where to find them I am devoting this blog entry to where and how to  get coupons. This will be the post for de-coding all of my future “coupon terms” like catalina, blinkie, MIR, etc.

Sunday inserts: I buy several papers each week, at $2 each for the coupons. If there are (2) $1 coupons in there I will use (which there are def. more) it has paid for itself.

Individual store coupons: Certain stores will issue their own coupons. Like Target for example both mails out store coupons and has them online for you to print. For other stores, these coupons can be found in their sales ads, online, or in pamphlets at the store. Where a regular coupon from the paper would say “manufacturers coupon” these read “store coupon”. Sometimes you even get lucky, and a store will take both a manufacturer’s coupon AND a store coupon (this is called stacking) for the same item. Can be quite a deal!

Online: There are many sites out there where you can print coupons for use at the grocery store. Sometimes individual grocery stores will have printable coupons on their website,  you can find coupons on company websites (think Filippo Berio Olive Oil, or Stonyfieldfarms.com), and then there are “general” coupon sites that have lots of coupons from many manufacturers. Here are some of my favorites: smartsource.com, redplum.com, bettycrocker.com, couponbug.com, and coupons.com. Just be sure you familiarize yourself with your store’s coupon policy, and many stores may not accept these, or have strict limitations on them- Which is quite understandable. Never print a coupon that is sent to you as a PDF, always go to the site yourself to print, to reduce fraud.

Newspaper: Occasionally, the actual pages of the weekly paper will have coupons printed in them. Certainly not often enough to get a subscription if you don’t already have one, but its worth thumbing through if you do get the daily paper.

Blinkies: These are coupons found in the isles at the grocery store. Have you ever seen those red boxes that spit out coupons and have little blinking lights? Those are what I’m talking about! Now, if your store offers double coupons, these sometimes will not double, depending on the store and how the coupon is coded. I know this is a little confusing, but the stores down here will double coupons that start with a “5″ on the code. Many of our blinkies start with a “9″ so they won’t double. But one store here has blinkies that start with a “5″, so i go to that store, get the blinkies, and use them at the store of my choice.

Catalinas: These are  coupons that print out at the register with your receipt. Often times you can go to your grocery store’s website to see what catalina offers are going on right now- Like buy 2 of “product” get $1 off your next purchase, buy 3 get $2 back, buy 5 get $3 back, and so on. These are great because you can buy the items on sale, with a manufacturer/store coupon, than also get a catalina coupon for your next purchase.

Magazines: There are many magazines out there that print manufacturer coupons on their advertisement pages. The one I am familiar with that offers the most coupons is All You magazine, put out my Walmart. You can get it in store or as a subscription. I have seen coupons in other magazines too, like Parents magazine and Better Homes and Gardens.

On or in product packages: If you buy a package of frozen Super Pretzels for example, you may find a coupon inside off of your next purchase. Here are some things I have found these in: Folgers Coffee, cereal, Muir Glen canned tomatoes (on the label), Gorton’s frozen fish, popcicles, bags of candy, Oxiclean.

Wine tags(WT): These can be found by roaming wine displays around the store or in the wine section. Generally they are hanging around the neck of the bottle. In many states, the coupons will read “buy this bottle of wine, get $2 off of “x”. But in some states, alcohol purchase is not required, so its simply a coupon for “$2 off of “x”. If it’s a coupon for $2 off of Chicken, for example, I take one or two (always leaving some for others!) and go find some chicken for just around $2. Voila, free meat! These coupons are generally very vague, like off of any deli meat, chicken/beef, seafood, produce, greeting cards, cheese, etc.

Mail in rebates (MIR): There are several types of these. My favorite ones by far are the ones issued by beer companies. As with WTs, in many states they require the purchase of alcohol, but in some alcohol is not required. These are generally found on tearpads on beer displays, and will read for example “Save $15 on your next $20 purchase of “x,y,z”. Other MIRs are found in product packaging, or in the coupon inserts in the paper. They could be “Buy me Free” MIRs, for like toothpaste or some type of cleaner. Sometimes you can even find these types of MIRs online, printed from a manufacturer’s website. Still others are found in coupon booklets in store. MIRs come in all shapes and sizes, and with a good sale and coupons, generally VERY profitable and worth the stamp to send them in.

Writing to companies: If there is a particular product you’d like to purchase but never get coupons, or only low value coupons, you could email the the company. Some people tell me they have good luck simply going to the “contact us” page on the company’s website, and telling them how much they love the product. They get emails in response to their comments saying coupons are being sent to them as a thank you. I have not had very good luck doing that, maybe it is the “economy” right now (I hate that phrase, but alas..). I simply say that I have heard about their product and would like to see if it would be a good fit for our family- and do they ever send out coupons so people can try their products? Once I know a company will send out coupons, I try to email them just about every 3 months, and this time I will say “I just love “x”, and say why. Then I get more coupons. It’s a beautiful relationship to have. One company I wrote to told me they didn’t send out coupons- So they sent me their product, free!! WOW!

Survey panel/membership sites: The two I am familiar with are vocalpoint.com and pssst.generalmills.com. These are sites you can get free memberships with, and you can get coupons in the mail from them. Generally they have special promo periods where they will send a sample of a product a long with some coupons, and you answer a survey on how you liked the product. Easy peesy.

Purchasing coupons: When there is a coupon for a product that I use a lot of, and the value is good, I will purchase a “lot” of them from Ebay. For unpopular coupons, you can expect to pay under $2 including shipping for a lot of 20 coupons. For “hot” coupons, it is generally more. There are other sites you can purchase coupons from too, like some trading sites, and coupon preview sites. Two of my favorites are taylortownpreview.com and thecouponclippers.com. While Ebay tends to have larger lots, these sites allow you to buy in small lots or individual coupons, but there is a certain $$ amount you must spend.

Trading: There are many sites out there where you can trade the coupons you don’t want for ones you do, for the price of a stamp. This can be cheaper than buying off of ebay, but does take more time. My favorite site is hotcouponworld.com, but there are many others. Just google “coupon trading”.

So there you have it! Those are all the places I can think of that I get coupons. Please leave any questions in the comments section, and I will try to address them. For more personal or longer questions, please feel free to email them to frugalmegan@gmail.com and I will answer them to the best of my ability!

Hope this helps someone!

Here’s to living: Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Free Sample: Total Cereal

FREEBIE

“Are you getting 100%?” is what they are asking over at Total Cereal- To make sure, why don’t you try some?

Click Here to sign up for a free sample of Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal- I did!

Enjoy!

~FrugalMegan~

It’s Frugal Friends Friday!

Welcome to the first edition of “Frugal Friends Friday” (pending finding a better name. LOL). Every Friday, I will be featuring frugal tips from readers like You, so everyone has a chance to join in on the site. Here are my favorites for the week!

“Don’t buy children’s wrapping paper- Use the Sunday Comics.” -Patti, Wakeman OH

“Pack Your Lunch! For those of you who don’t work in the home, pack your lunch instead of eating out. It only takes 5 minutes and it saves money and time.
Think about it, you can pack a lunch with about $1 worth of ingredients to make a sandwich or even throw leftovers in a bag. To eat out would cost about $5 on average if you make an effort to eat cheap. That’s $4 a day, $20 a week, or $1,000 a year saved! On top of that, it takes waaaaay less time to pull out a lunch and eat it then to go out or even get takeout, which means more time earning money!”       – Mitch, Cornelius NC

“Don’t go out to eat, and don’t go window shopping” – Angie, Xenia OH                                   -This is a great tip for those of us who are really trying to cut back right now! Cooking from scratch saves so much money, not to mention the added benefit of spending more quality time at home, instead of in a noisy restaurant. Window shopping can tempt you to spend when you shouldn’t, or make you feel somehow feel deprived- When you should be feeling like you are in control of your money, and wise because of how you spend it.

Make your own popcorn! “…you can use an air popper like I have, found cheap at the flea market or check out Goodwill/thrift stores. The price of store bought popcorn is so much more than buying the plain popcorn in a bag and measuring and cooking it yourself. Then you add your own butter (margarine is NOT a good idea, doesn’t coat evenly and makes the popcorn soggy, not to mention its not good for you) and salt or other seasoning. Besides being less expensive, it is healthier and it doesn’t contain all those preservatives store bought microwave popcorn may have.“  -Alison,  OH

Alison also gave us some great links for other ways to make your own popcorn at home! Choose from In your own microwave (although she does NOT recommend you use metal staples to close the bag) or on the stove top. Use the stovetop one with discretion if you have a glass/ceramic flat stove top, as the pan you use *could* scratch the surface.

Thanks for all the amazing tips, everyone! If you have a money saving tip you’d like to see featured here on the blog, please send it to frugalmegan@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you’re doing to save your family money!!

Here’s to living- Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Homemade Soda

We just don’t buy soda around here, since its an “extra” and not too good for you. However, when I find a good, real juice with natural sweeteners on sale- I like to get some and turn it into my own “soda”. Its a great way to make juice last longer, and satisfy my cravings for something a little fizzy . My German grandmother (Oma) taught me this trick:

Mix juice with 1/2 to equal parts club soda or seltzer water (to taste). I can generally find 2 liters of these items for around $.50 on sale, and it makes the juice go much further. Be frugal with your juice, and have a healthier “soda”! Enjoy!!

Here’s to Living: Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~

Send In Your Tips!

Tomorrow is Frugal Friends Friday! Each Friday, I will highlight my favorite frugal tips from my readers. Please send your frugal tip to frugalmegan@gmail.com. I can’t wait to read them!!

~FrugalMegan~