Frugal Friends’ Friday!

It’s Frugal Friends’ Friday! I truly hope you enjoy this blog post- I know I do! Apparently this week has a theme- Frugal meals!

“Check out the Angel Food Ministries website. This organization sells food boxes that vary every month. Anyone is eligible to do this, there are no income guidelines. We have done it once and I was very satisfied. In my opinion, the price of the meat boxes alone is worth it. You can search by your zip code to see if there is a distribution sight near you.”  – Sara, Staunton VA

–I’ve never done this myself, but I’ve read about it- It’s a ministry aimed toward those in financial need (but Anyone can do it!), and it costs $30 for their “signature” box. October’s box includes steak, chicken stir fry, ground beef, chicken tenders, ham, fish sticks, pasta, sauce, beans, apples, milk eggs and more! Click here to visit their website.

Meal Swap! “Here’s how the meal swap will work: Each person in the group will be responsible for making 1 meal approximately 6 times (1 for your family and 5 to swap). You take home 5 meals to put in the freezer. 5, ready to eat, meals with directions! Who wants to eat a meal in a bag when you can have home cooked?“  – Whitney, Cornelius NC

This is just a fantastic idea! Imagine the possibilities…Know a few people with allergies or dietary restrictions? You could even form “themed” groups that do wheat free, peanut free, or other specifics. No matter what your regular menu is, this would be a great way to #1 catch a break & #2 increase variety in your life. It saves money, especially when you think of what all you could do with the free time you create!

Hope you all enjoyed this week’s post. Please remember to send in your frugal tips to frugalmegan @gmail.com. I, and I’m sure my readers, can’t wait to hear from you!!

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

~FrugalMegan~

Mail in Rebate: SC Johnson

*MIR*

SC Johnson is offering $5 back by mail on any (3) SC Johnson products. The list on the rebate includes: Ziploc, Glade, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Pledge, Shout, Fantastic, Drano, Taid, Off, Saran and Nature’s Source. You can send in (3) of these rebates per household- That is SOOOO generous of them!! Also, the start date was 10/01/09, and the “post mark” date is 7/15/10- So we have almost and entire year to complete this! But I recommend doing them sooner than later…just so you don’t forget.

So here is what you do- Go to the store and buy any 3 of these SC Johnson products. Do this 3 times. Make sure you at least have 3 receipts with 3 products on them, not 1 receipt with 9 products. Each rebate needs it’s own receipt. However, if you have 9 receipts with 1 SC Johnson product on each, it appears that is ok. You just send in 3 receipts with 1 SC Johnson product each (in one envelope) and so on. And do this by say…June of next year.

Next, click here to print the rebate from online. You will see the words “click here for a special offer” in the middle of the page. Click and download the PDF file, then print it. As stated before, you can send in 3 of these, so maybe you print 3. Then fill it out completely.

Circle the SC Johnson products on the receipts. Then mail your rebate along with the receipts by 7/15/10. About 6-8 weeks later, you should receive 3 (if you sent in all 3) checks for $5 each. How about that???

This deal will be extra sweet if you wait for a good sale and combine it with a coupon. You could realistically get the 3 products for less than $5 in the first place. Could be a money maker! WOOT!

Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section of this post, and I will do my best to respond!

~FrugalMegan~

Frugal Recipes: Pizza

Friday is coming!! Are you ready? What I mean is, will you have a 5pm break down and decide it’s all over, you’re in the mood for pizza and a movie? Well why not decide that now, and plan to make your own? It’s much cheaper and healthier than even the storemade take-and-bakes. And pretty easy if you ask me. I guess it’s also a tradition in my home…My mom made us pizza every Friday night as we watched “TGIF” with good ol’ Full House and Family Matters. Now it’s precious time for Hubby and I to relax and unwind with a good movie. In my opinion, this pizza pairs nicely with a full bodied ale or black and tan (porter and ale)- If you catch my drift.

Homemade Pizza
Crust: 1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tbs honey
1 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 1/2 cup bread flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or one package)

Crust Directions: If you have a bread machine, put liquids and salt in first, then flours and yeast. Put on dough setting, and let it run through its first kneading cycle. Then turn off, and let dough rise for 1 hour. Then remove from machine and shape on your favorite pizza pan. I like to put cornmeal and a bit of salt on the bottom of the pan! YUM.
**If you do not have a bread machine, combine warm water (no hotter than 100F), yeast, salt, oil and honey- Stir with a whisk. Yeast does not have to be completely dissolved, but mostly. Then on in another bowl, mix the two flours together. Pour in yeast/liquid mixture and knead for 10-15 minutes. In a clean, lightly oiled bowel, let the dough rise for one hour. Punch down and let rest for 5 minutes, then shape as desired.

Pizza Sauce:
1 sm. can tomato paste
(1) 15oz can tomato sauce
Spices to taste (the following are what we like): Some dry onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, salt.
Directions: Mix all together! If using things like dried onion flakes, it will taste better the next day, but you can use it now and it will still be yummy. Just don’t over do it- We use like 1 tsp. Then use about 1/4 of this mixture (more or less to your liking) on the pizza crust.

Preheat your oven to 425F. Once you have your crust formed and the sauce spread on it, you can put down your Mozzarella cheese, and any toppings you’d like. Mushrooms, pepperoni, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, spinach, ground beef- The possibilities are endless!! And I have used the soy cheese at Trader Joes in the past. I think its yummy!

Bake for 15-16 minutes in the 425F oven, or until cheese begins to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then divide!

**This recipe costs me about $1.50 to make, depending on the toppings. Sometimes if we get fancy it will cost me $3 a pizza. Hubby and I eat it every Friday night and then Saturday for lunch!

Healthnote: Using whole grain flour in the crust, smart balance (or any other nonhydrogenated spread) as the grease in the pan, low fat cheese and healthy toppings can turn normal greasy pizza into a true meal. Get creative- Try a Mediterranean theme with spinach, olives, feta cheese and tomatoes. Now that would be packed full of antioxidants!

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

~FrugalMegan~

Bloom Super Doubles 10/07/09

Bloom Super Doubles are running from Wednesday, Oct. 7th through Tuesday, Oct. 13th. I haven’t found any good “match-ups” on any of the couponing sites, so I went in on the fly. I had a few coupons in mind to use though, so it wasn’t too bad. And everything ended up turning out quite nicely.

Here are the rules in case you have yet to check out Bloom: Will double coupons $1.99 in value and under (ie, coupons worth $1.75 will double to $3.50). 20 coupons per transaction per day, no limit on “like” coupons, although they reserve the right to limit quantities. For this store, coupon codes that start with a “5″ will double.

Here is what I purchased today:

All “free and clear” 32 load: on sale for $2.99- $1 coupon x2= .99c

(4) Ziploc freezer bags: on sale $2- $1 coupon(found on tearpad at Harris Teeter (HT)) x2= FREE

Muir Glen organic pizza sauce: $1.99- $1 coupon (bettycrocker.com) x2= FREE

Muir Glen organic tomato sauce: $1.79- $1 coupon(bettycrocker.com) x2= FREE

Sun Crystal 50 pk: On sale $1.99- $1 coupon x2= FREE

Bloom deli turkey: 1/2lb for $2.82- $1 coupon (Wine tag(WT) found at HT) x2= .82c

(3) Thai Kitchen light coconut milk: $1.99- $1 coupon (peelie found on pkg)) x2= FREE

Thai Kitchen thin rice noodle: $1.63- $1 coupon (peelie found on pkg) x2= .63c

Thai Kitchen stir fry noodle: $2.49- $1 coupon (peelie found on pkg) x2- .49c

Freschetta Brick Oven Pizza: on sale $3.99- $1 coupon (WT found at HT) x2= $1.99

Wasa Crackers: on sale $2- .75 coupon (coupons.com) x2= .50c

Maryland Style Crabcake: $1.99- $1 coupon (WT found at HT) x2= FREE

(2) Yoplait delights: $2.59- $1.25 coupon (coupons.com from september- promo over) x2= .09c ea

Angus Sirloin: Mark down to $1.84- $2 coupon (WT found at HT-won’t double)= Overage of .16c

OOP (out of pocket): $5.53         Saved: $53.54      Extras: Received (4) $2 catalinas, saying “off of your next purchase”. Apparently these were for the Ziploc bags, which I recieved for free after coupons. But others are saying it’s supposed to be a $2 cat for every 3 you buy. I don’t know what happened, I only bought 4 and got (4) $2 cats! Yay? So I paid $5.53 and walked out with $8 to use on my next purchase. Sa-weeet!

Health note: We almost never buy frozen pizza- in fact, I don’t think we’ve purchased one since our first home (over 2 years ago!). I thought it would be worth the mental health to have one on hand, and this particular pizza is made with all natural cheese and with no artificial ingredients. Nothing on our “no no” list is in it. Weee!

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

~FrugalMegan~

Make Your Own: Granola

My husband LOVES this stuff!! Depending on the prices for these items in your area, you should be able to make this type of granola for around $0.15 a serving- Which is less than half of what you will pay at the store. Get a few of these items by couponing, and you’re on the road to crazy cheap!

Here is the recipe I use. It is from “The Complete Tightwad Gazette” by Amy Dacyczn. I recommend picking up this book if you can find it on ebay or at a used bookstore, by the way. But then you wouldn’t visit this blog anymore! LOL

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup cooking oil

1/3 cup honey

5 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup raisins**

1/2 cup dry milk

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a sauce pan on low heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine dry ingredients in a large cake pan. Pour sugar mixture and mix well. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan then store in an airtight container.

**- Add raisins after cooking

Optional add ins that she suggests: nuts, wheat germ, coconuts, dates, etc. I personally like to use sunflower seeds, crushed pecans, craisins and ground flax seed. The possibilities are endless!

Health note: I use oils like Canola or light olive oil rather than maybe vegetable oil. These oils are considered more “healthy fats” than vegetable. Also, adding things like ground flax seed and wheat germ can have quite the positive effect on cholesterol levels. Granola is a great high fiber, heart healthy snack, if prepared with a little bit of thought!

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

~FrugalMegan~

Deal Alert! Mott’s Applesauce and Juice

Deal Alert!

**I’ve decided to post good deals occasionally; but only if they are national deals, and something I would actually buy!**

Target has Mott’s applesauce and juice on sale for $1.75, and they are offering a $5 Target gift card when you buy 5 Mott’s items. Now, I don’t see any coupons out for Mott’s at the moment, but it’s possible some of you have some from somewhere! Even without extra coupon help, the gift card makes each item $0.75c. And THAT is just a good old fashioned great deal. I’ll be looking to see if their “natural” apple juice is included in the deal. That stuff is amazing!

Also, since Target just started a price matching policy, check your local store ads- Drug stores included. If someone has a better price on the Mott’s applesauce or juice, you can take your receipt to customer service after check out and have them give you back the difference (between Target’s sale price and the competitor’s sale price). Just make sure the ad is current, good on the items you are purchasing, and you bring the ad with you to Target!

Have fun with this deal everyone! The rule is typically one deal per transaction.

~FrugalMegan~

Salvation Army

Many of you are familiar with thrift stores, like Goodwill, Salvation Army and the Habitat ReStore. Today I want to highlight Salvation Army in particular, as it just has to be my FAVORITE of all. It’s an amazing organization that contributes not only to the local community, but to people in need around the world.

I am so thankful that God placed a desire into the heart of men that could achieve the goals they do- Helping American families stay within their budget and achieve financial goals through finding great deals at their store, helping the community through youth camps, disaster relief, adult rehabilitation programs, and helping the world through water/sanitation programs, woman’s literacy programs, international anti-human trafficking and global disaster relief. Not to mention the most valuable thing this organization takes to everyone they are involved with- The Gospel, and true hope and knowledge of the ultimate salvation.

How can you be a part? Well, if you’re reading my blog, your main concern right now is probably simply to make sure you own family is cared for and taken care of while you drive down the road to financial freedom. So there probably isn’t too much money left in your budget for donating money and time to this fantastic organization. So let me tell you what I do. First, I donate my gently used clothing and household goods to Salvation Army. They resell your home goods and the money it earns go towards those great programs I mentioned above. So second, you could shop at Salvation Army for your family- Once again, the money you are “donating” goes to those programs as well!! Also, the men and women you see working in the store are those that are in the adult rehabilitation program, so shopping there is providing Salvation Army with a means to continue this program. HOW COOL!

I’d also like to show you what you can find at Salvation Army for your own home. Many of you might be saying “sure I can donate there. But shop there? I don’t need any worn out old T-Shirts or jeans with holes in them”. Well then, the following might just surprise you.

These clothes were all purchased on a Wednesday, which is 1/2 off clothing day at Salvation Army. They are all in excellent condition, and brand name- From Old Navy and Merona (Target) to Ann Taylor Loft and New York and Company. I was even able to try everything on in their dressing rooms.

Prices ranged from $2.49-$4.99, but since it was half off day, I got them for much less. I bought 7 items for $13 plus tax. It was a fantastic day of savings, and I really boosted my wardrobe for fall!

If you would like to learn more about shopping at Salvation Army, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about what Salvation Army is doing in the USA, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about Salvation Army overseas, please click here.

Happy Shopping/Donating/Helping your family and world!

~FrugalMegan~

Frugal Friends’ Friday!

Hurray! It’s Frugal Friends’ Friday! This honestly has to be my favorite blog entry of the week. I just love getting emails about what everyone does to save money for their families. Pennies add up, for sure! We’ll focus on just two this week. Why not try’em out for yourself?

“My friends and I would pass around a bag that we would fill with items we weren’t using anymore. The items could be clothing, home decor, shoes, kitchen tools, really anything.” – Whitney, Cornelius NC

–That sounds like so much fun! What a great way to keep your home free from clutter you no longer need/use, and trade for things you will use! Not to mention you are trading to people you know, which I’m sure has its benefits.

“Save money on printer ink: Use “draft” mode on your printer. It works fine for most printing, including bank statements and utility invoices. You can easily switch back to “normal”  for card or picture printing.” – Patti, Wakeman OH

–I even do this when I print coupons from online. I turn it to “normal” mode once we get low on ink though, since you do have to be careful that the barcode fully prints.

Great tips everyone! Do you have a money saving tip you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it! Email me at frugalmegan @gmail.com

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

~FrugalMegan~

DIY: “Foodsaver”

“Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone.”- Gran Torino

Although, our project today is so easy we won’t even be needing these tools.

I’m sure you’ve seen (perhaps even drooled over) the vacuum sealing food saver machines on TV. ” Awww, man, if only MY food wouldn’t get freezer burned!” you might say. Well did you know you can get very similar results from a trick you can do at home?

All you need is your kitchen sink, a plug that fits the sink, a running faucet and a freezer safe “ziploc” type bag. And of course the food you are wanting to freeze.

Step #1: Fill your sink with water.

Step #2: Place whatever it is you’re wanting to freeze (meat cuts, produce, etc) in your freezer baggie- seal the top about 3/4 of the way

Step #3: Carefully place the bag with its contents in the water, with the top zipper part staying up OUT of the water. You may want to use one hand to submerge the bag, and one hand to hold the top up out of the water. You’ll notice that the air in the bag gets pushed out by the pressure from the water.

Step #4: Once you feel confident most of the air bubbles are out of the bag, seal it tightly. Bring the bag up out of the water after it has been sealed and dry it off

Step #5: Now would be the appropriate time to label the bag and stick it in the freezer. Sometimes, depending on the marker used, the “dunking” process can wash off your label.

Now you will have freezer-burn free food for MUCH MUCH less than using those expensive machines (and expensive bags!). I have never once had an issue with freezer burn using this method, and I would estimate I’ve keep things like cauliflower and beef cuts in the freezer like this for up to 6 months. It may not be “as good” as the food saver- But it’s pretty darn good!

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

~FrugalMegan~

FREE: Starbucks Coffee!

FREEBIE

Starting tomorrow at your local Starbucks, try their new coffee and receive a free tall brewed coffee coupon for your next visit!

Starbucks VIA^™ Taste Challenge

“From Oct. 2 – 5, Starbucks invites customers to join the Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Taste Challenge at their favorite U.S. Starbucks location. Participants can taste Colombia Starbucks VIA™ next to fresh-brewed Pike Place™ Roast and challenge themselves to guess which one is Starbucks VIA™. Starbucks VIA™ Taste Challenge participants will receive coupon for a complimentary Tall brewed coffee on their next visit as well as an offer for $1 off a Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew purchase.”

For more information about this and other Starbucks promotions, click here