Smoothie for Every Wallet

Yep, it's a smoothie that anyone can afford! And you don't even have to go to a local dive.

This recipe has always come to about only $5.00 for 2 full blender pitchers or 4 Liters!

Most likely if not already on hand:

Crushed pineapple or Frozen OJ- 1 can

Honey- 2 tbsp

Milk- 2 cups

Ice- 2 cups

Fruits to get:

Any berries in season- 1 container each

For example, I bought strawberries and organic blueberries-total $4.50

Recipe:

Wash berries and take off tops of strawberries.

Line up all the other ingredients.

Half all the ingredients per blender use.

Blend fruits, juice, honey, milk and ice until well mixed.

Enjoy all the great nutrients for you and several friends.

Yield- 4 Liters or (33.8 ounces x 4= 135.2 oz. /8= 17)

Considering a typical drinking glass is about 8 ounces, you can have up to 16 friends to share with! Since I already have the stuff from my previous smoothies, this time it only cost me $4.50!

So that makes it 4.50/17 = ONLY .27 each glass!

PRAYS execution:

PURCHASE produce in season for smoothies. RESEARCH easy recipes to fit your budget. ALLOT other ingredients you don't use up for your next batch to reduce cost. Look for different YUMMY combos for every season. STAY within you smoothie budget by watching out for great sales of the season or opting for frozen fruits.

Seasonal fruits are both fresh and economical so go ahead, indulge and stay healthy at the same time!

Kroger Deals- Something FREE

Have you a Kroger grocery store where you are? If so, you are lucky. Why, because they do this "Buy these Get these FREE" promos on a weekly basis.

This week, the deal was Buy a Fajita meat and Caesar Salad kit for $8, get Real bacon bits, a reusable bag, a baguette and croutons for FREE- total $7

So for only $15, I only had to pay $8 and I have a real meal or two to make, but in my case, about three.

-Beef Fajitas and Rice with black beans
-Spaghetti with baguette, Caesar Salad and croutons
-Omelette with bacon bits and spinach

Since I already had all these other ingredients in my pantry and fridge as staples, all these dishes still will just cost me, $8!

PRAYS execution:

PRICE the value of the deal. Will it be a good fit to your normal menu line-up?
ROTATE new purchase with ingredients on hand for the weekly menu.
ASK yourself if this deal can work again. If not, don't get it next time.
YOU should use the new ingredients soon for taste testing with the family.
SET ASIDE the money you saved, put the money in a jar and let those savings rack up!

Eye On Deals

Tonight, though still recovering from major travel fatigue and lack of sleep, we hit the grocery stores to replenish our milk and fruit supplies.

But, as you know, with school just around the corner, deals are everywhere! Such as this:

Kraft Cheeses- Buy 5 Save $5 (You get $5 off next shopping trip)

Kroger Promo- Buy 10 Save $5 (Regularly $2.38 each; Buy 10-$1.88 each)

Right in front of the cheese aisle was the auto coupon dispenser for $1 off 2 pkgs. of Kraft items

So, I bought 10 bags. Here, cheese goes fast so it was already a great deal.

Let's calculate our savings shall we?

$1.88 x 10= $18.80 - $5 coupon= $13.80-$10 NST coupons= $3.80 / 10= .38 (cents) a bag!

PRAYS execution:

PAY attention to the in-store deals. REDISTRIBUTE grocery budget to accommodate unexpected but great deals. Meaning, if you borrow extra money, take off that amount from your next grocery trip. ALIGN your menu to incorporate extra food items bought. YEARN no more for those dishes that can use what you bought. Use and indulge. You were able to afford it this time. STRETCH the deal further by mixing up your menu with items you already have on hand.

Another post up, another dollar saved. Gotta love that!

Little Price, Big Impact!

I knew I wanted some privacy drapes for our back door, but the first green one I grabbed from Wal-Mart just didn't cut it. I spent $10 for 2, but when it got dark, the kitchen was still pretty visible from the outside.

One day, we were roaming around in another Wal-Mart and since it was being renovated, they had all kinds of stuff on clearance! Even some of the draperies! I came across this one and it was normally $10, marked down to $3.50! I took it immediately and hoped for another one. No such luck!

As it turned out, I didn't need it! After trying it out the first night, I couldn't see anything clear enough from the outside! So I immediately returned the first two I used and got my money back.

I POUNCED on a great deal. I REALIZED its extra potential (backdoor was not the original spot it was intended for). I ALLOWED for flexibility. I thought of colors for both Feng Shui and the YELLOW that was already in the kitchen. I SOLVED a problem with extra money in my pocket!

With the summer heat, the red actually is dark enough to help cool the kitchen. Awesome!

Patience is Vital

Have you ever noticed that when you exhibit self-control, things and situations tend to sort themselves out? That's the reward of patience. My incredibly patient (and hot) husband has been my great teacher and our children have never gone without.

Since I started working back when I was 16, spending my hard-earned money was always a non-issue. Saving it was easy and I just focused on working. While I wasn't a money hoarder, no store can ever claim me as their "favorite and loyal customer" either. LOL

Now that I have a family, patience in stretching any little money we had was definitely a battle I didn't want to lose.

I use PATIENCE in deciding everything, even our needs. I prioritize then purchase. For example, clothes and shoes are not for others' approval, they are for comfort and modesty. It's clearance or nothing. My children are not allowed to have a say in what they wear until they are about 12.

I have RE-TRAINED my thinking to ask two more questions for things that catch my eye. If I cannot find two extra reasons to buy something, I put it back.

I ALWAYS weigh my options. What do I need or want it for in my life?

I only say YES to items or services that provide major impact in our little budget.

I opt for SAVINGS over immediate gratification so most of what we own are FREE or Clearance items.

With a little restraint and ingenuity, I have adapted my food and household budget to what we can afford, to enjoy both what we need and want. I've tried to live like a budget-less gourmet, but always ended up with a pauper's pantry.

Patience has served us well; often only exercising a bit of restraint before finding our "wants" marked down to an incredible deal!

Listen to Wal-Mart

Remember seeing those ads by the retail giant about eating in related to great savings? Well, it's true!

Though restaurants make it seem so convenient and generous, what you pay to eat out, dramatically outweighs any savings you may accumulate in the long run if you eat in more.

Using PRAYS, choose wisely and PLAN your restaurant indulging. Even a quick lunch will hurt your bottom line if done too many times. RESTORE your fridge and pantry's appeal by cleaning it out and buying foods you eat for lunch and dinner. Be AWARE that your money can and should be like a YO-YO and STRETCH to the next paycheck.

So, with that in mind, Wal-Mart hit it on the nose. So visit one with your lunch and dinner menu list and see that dollar reeeeee-aaaach!

Summer Salad & Gooey Brownies

Nothing says YUMMY than a fresh and nutritious salad and brownies that melt in your mouth.

Using PRAYS, I PURCHASED just what I needed like basil and the eggs I didn't have. REINVENTING the recipes, I got exactly the results I wanted. I also APPOINTED the time that I would make them to not use too much electricity. After both came out perfectly, I said YES to keeping them into the recipe vault in my head and SAVORED the fruits of my labor!

Summer Pasta Salad- all it required were olive oil, lemon juice, basil, tomatoes, garlic salt and black pepper. You cook the pasta, and make the dressing separately. If you don't have shaved parmesan cheese, you can use any cheese that you normally eat outside of processed cheese slices, of course. We love Laughing Cow wedges here so that's what we used for this salad.

I feel so good that when I came across this recipe in the newspaper, I was only missing the basil. So I only had to pay $2.65 for a great summer dish!

This afternoon, we decided to have brownie cupcakes. I didn't have to buy anything but a dozen eggs to accomodate the two I needed and spent only $1.35! But I also do not like to dirty my pans so I always watch cupcake liners on clearance after any big holiday. But instead of the suggested baking time, on the box, I cut it down to only 15 minutes, then I let it cool down for 15 more on a rack. The result is a gooey brownie cupcakes rivaling a molten lava cake!
So see, if you stock up your pantry well, you can come up with amazing dishes and quick desserts that won't burn a hole in your wallet!

Two dishes, for only $4.00! Anyone can afford that, right? Right!

Food Storage- LDS Style

Essential-Architecture.com

You might as well know, I am a Mormon. Well pleased of it and lovin' every minute. In our belief, we endorse and practice provident living.

Meaning we are taught to live within our means and stay out of unnecessary debt.

"But living providently is more than just putting aside food for future need. It encompasses all areas of life. If we want to face the future with confidence and peace of mind, we must prepare ourselves in six areas: literacy and education, career development, financial and resource management, home production and storage, physical health, and social-emotional and spiritual strength. When we strive to prepare in each of these areas, we can enjoy peace of mind as we face the uncertainties of the future."- Liahona, 1987; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

So today, I'll be sharing what we do for our food storage.

We have a guideline for basic nutrition for 1 adult for 1 month or a year, depending on what we need if there is ever a need for it.

OILS- Canola, Extra Virgin Olive, Corn.

BEANS- Store and use what you eat or learn new easy recipes to boost your nutritious mix

PASTA & GRAINS- Most are easy to cook

SUGARS- Honey and regular, but if you can afford others, go for it.

FLOUR- All sorts if you're not allergic to gluten

SALT

CANNED Meats, Veggies, Fruits

POWDERED Milk, Juice

WATER (see recommendation)

The point is... Though we have similar basic nutritional needs, we are still in control of what we can add to the basics.

In addition to above, my family and I add a lot of other noodles that can extend our pasta and grains. Mung and rice noodles are healthy choices.

We add snacks that having staying power like pudding, crackers, and dried fruits.

We have extra spices like turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, garlic and onion powder to ensure flavor.

Cereals are in abundance.

Since we often eat these additional stuff, we don't create too much waste. But since we have a lot of them, our pantry does seem cluttered most of the time. LOL

So, we PICK our add-ons. We go to Costco twice a year to REPLENISH. We then ALLOT for storage and for daily use. We assess YEARLY if an item or items are not making the cut and SLEEP better knowing that we are prepared-somewhat.

Before the Market, Open Your Pantry

(Photo courtesy of Healthline.com)
Back in the Philippines, where I'm from, pantry is a luxury. Often, our excess non-perishable items are just on simple shelves. Unless of course, you have the means to have what we enjoy here in the U.S.

So often, we head to the market knowing exactly what what we want to eat and when. In more rural or poor areas, we go both before lunch and just before dinner so fresh food is actually, well, fresh!

Back to now and here in the U.S. Modern thinking led us to big massive containment. Both for saving time, gas and money. Well, if we look at it, are we really saving on all these three big factors of our lives?

Let's look at that, shall we? (I'm guilty of this, too as well as my husband)

We often get things we don't really need that only sounded great at the time or someone else convinced us to get it.

We don't organize our current stock so that we have an idea of exactly what we have therefore no time to organize what we can do with them.

We make a lot of food but don't really like eating it all or we eat it all within a few days and we're back to square one of not having enough.

We make too many excuses!

I've learned during lean times that change has to start with how I use what I already have before thinking I can afford what the stores offer.

So... I've learned to PORTION, REINVENT, ALLOCATE, YAMMER for ideas, and finally SOLVE my problems of what to do with what I already have!

Who Knew You Can Find Money, too?

From April 5, 2010 Family Blog:


(Photo courtesy of Finance with AFP)
When it comes to money, I prefer earning and saving over spending anytime. Am I a miser, some may say that but of course with a family, even being a miser is not always feasible.

So... I've made sure that I find money, too! Yep, I find them! Meaning, I look at all the deals and promos out there-not ignoring any mail that comes in with offers.

For example, in mid-March, we've researched and researched the price ranges of the style of refrigerators (french doors, freezer bottom) I wanted. When the time came, I even considered buying the classic style (two doors, freezer top) to stretch our budget, but by sharing this idea with a good friend of mine, she referred me to a Sears Outlet Store that mainly dabbles in appliances.

We looked around the refrigerators and making sure not to resort to "need to pee-pee" dance like movements, I quietly approached MY fridge. The one that I've been hoping to be able to afford for years now. Brand spanking NEW! As in "just came from the manufacturer assembly line, but got rejected so it ended up in the outlet NEW!" The inside smelled of styrofoam, plastic and tape because the whole inside was filled with them! So cool!

And for $1,000 LESS. SAVED MONEY! I was able to use that money to pay for NEEDS that popped up like new clothing for school and work and shoes for school and prom plus AP tests, my graduation pictures, Spring pictures, lunch money and various moving expenses AND NOT BREAK THE BANK!

Then, we came across a bank offer of $125 for opening a new account with a minimum and direct deposit. So we did. In 3 weeks, that account will be $125 fatter. FOUND MONEY!

Kohl's had a TAX-FREE, 20% off for $100 or more purchase AND $10 for every $50 spent promo from April 1-3. We took advantage of that and saved tons of money for clothes and shoes, plus earned $20 in Kohl's Cash for me! FOUND MONEY!

Tonight, while picking up the mail from our house, we came across a store offer of $5 giftcard to invite my business. Then we realized that we haven't checked our apartment's mailbox. Sure enough, there's one there, too! Mr. Man "dumpster dived" to see if there are more that others foolishly threw away. Yep, three more! A total of $25 giftcards. FOUND MONEY!

The kids all had great report cards and high A's in their recent TAKS practice tests, homeworks, and projects so we treated them to Souper Salad. I had a coupon! One for "Kids Eat FREE (normally $6.39 each) for every paying adult" and the other for, "$5.99 AYCE (regularly $7.25)". We made sure we all ate "well and healthily" and... made room for some soft serve. We saved a total of $14.05! SAVED MONEY!

In the same mail stash at our house, was the new debit card for our new account, in it was an offer of $30 cash just for enrolling the card number into a program to get you started in online bill pay. And you only have to pay 3 bills to earn it! Guess what?! I have three bills to pay by the end of the month! So before April 30, that new account will have an additional $30! FOUND MONEY!

How are you doing with your money hunting? I hope you'll be as lucky as I am!

Here, we used the PRAYS philosophy by first, PUTTING together a budget and PERUSING ads for incentives. We RESEARCHED and RESERVED the good deals for when we can use them, ASSIGNED and ASCERTAINED our decisions. We also YIELDED to what our extra funds really is (minus bills, tithes and necessities) then SURPRISED ourselves with all the deals we got to enjoy!

Living On Less- Some Tips

From March 19, 2009

Often, we don't have any PARTICULAR reason why we handle our money the way we do. When in truth, we should RESPECT money and know the impact it has on our well-being. When we have an ANGLE, we can YAWN our way to restful living since having left overs bring SANITY.


I've been reading up on some of my AZ friends' blogs about Food Storage and living on less. As I somewhat experienced this more than twice (early marriage, job loss, pregnancy expenses, moving squeeze...), I'd like to share some of the things that worked for us.

Coupons are your friend. Don't use these when it's convenient, use it because you want to see your piggy bank get fat! If you calculate all those $1 off ones on those you normally use, that you threw away every week, you'd realize that you are at least $300 poorer!

Stock up on non food items during easier times. This is self explanatory; it is easier to buy necessities on sale when you have the money to stretch your budget than trying to stretch it with non-Gro items because you ran out. Most non-Gro items are rarely ever on sale when you need it.

Make room. Indulge only when you can afford it, and only after you stock up on your needs. Believe me when I tell you, when it comes to good clearance finds, even 1% of your meager good year, can go a long way. Also, stock up to share, the blessings are incalculable.

Gauge your stock between short and long term. If you're in a location for only 6 months, DO NOT buy 2 year's worth of stock. Buy enough with enough extra for just in case, but not waste. 'Nuff said.

Buy packed food items you NORMALLY eat. If you don't eat it, why have it hanging around in your pantry? If it's still there after a year or so, it just becomes a reminder that you wasted your money. If you got it FREE, give it away, blessings come to those who share...

90% need, 10% want. If you are stocking up, go for things that you know you will use spiced up with some things that you want. It is very easy to feel tired of the same things, but the "wants" make it more interesting. For example, we stock up on Cheerios a lot because it's nutritious and versatile, but we also get the Multi-grain and/or Honey Nut to stretch out our stock and add a little sweetness to the mix for the kids and not use up our sugar.

Get powdered. Powdered milk and juices are great in a pinch for instances of needing to choose between milk, juice or gas money.

Drink up! There had been an article or two about keeping dehydration at bay if you just eat foods with soup or broth on top of drinking your daily ration of beverage. So, to stretch your dollars during the lean times, use broth to perk up pasta, noodles and rice dishes. Even your breads will get a second life just by dunking it in broth, so stock up on water and different stocks! Have very little stock, add 1-2 cups of water and some veggies and create a whole new stock!

Half Off. I extended my meat recipes just by cutting them in half and chopping them into cubes. So during lean times, I don't make lasagnas or any recipes asking for more than 5 items or a lot of meat.

Salt is Gold. If you salt your meats first, the flavor spreads better in dishes. A quarter of a small onion can also do enough flavoring, if you saute it with meat and a little salt as salt draws out moisture, the flavor mix easier.

Can the Greens. Find as many different canned veggies as you can THAT YOU EAT so that when you are strapped for some Lincoln greens, you have the canned ones to still feast on.

Ask yourself twice. If you see something you want, ask yourself what you'll do with it then add two more reasons. If you can't come up with two, YOU DON'T WANT IT THAT BAD. Put it back!

One is plenty. You can make a whole dish with four ingredients of 1/4 cups of onion, veggies and 1/4 pound of meat plus 1 package of pasta and 1 cup of water or broth. I've fed my family of five with this exact measurements.

Brace for the downpour. If we pay our tithings, we increase our faith and contentment. Place the same faith in your budget by putting away 1/2 to 1% of your income in a savings a month. For any bonus, put away more. There was an article about the significant difference of putting away two quarters a day. That totals to $182.50 a year! How much more if you can put away just $1 or $5 a day! And do not ignore any coins, just like a drop of oil is insignificant on its own, a jar of coins can easily add up to get you from point A to point B and back! I sent my husband to work several times on a jar of collected coins!

Bills are non-negotiable. Though most places will accept a 50-75% payment arrangement, remember that your budget should include bills every month and not seasonal shoes or purses or that hobby you started once.

Hope these tips can help you; I have a family of five, one of which is a son with food allergies.

A Tale of Three Toilets

What?! I went from Food to Toilets? Am I insane? NO! The PRAYS philosophy is sound here as well...

We found this house near our old apartment back in March. It is currently 20 years old. As expected some of the plumbing need to be checked and re-checked. With three children in a two-story abode, water disasters are bound to happen. Couple that with old plumbing, well...

So we made a decision. Back in May, to take advantage of all the tax credits for energy and water efficiency, we decided to change out our toilets first before the fixtures.

We PRICED out all possibles places, REALIZED Costco had the best deal @ $98 a complete piece, ASSIGNED each purchase per room priority, YEARNED for the next paycheck that can allow us the purchase, and SAVED a minimum of $156 over the cheapest competition! And... since it has the Water Sense logo on the boxes, they qualify for the tax break! Yes!

The first one and also the first installation of Mr. Man, went to the Master Bath, then the upstairs Bath. The third one, is still awaiting his glory to replace his water guzzling counterpart.

Too Many Veggies?

No problem! Combine them into your own stir-fry! Who says stir-fry has to have baby corn and carrots alone or even the standard broccoli?

In the vein of USING WHAT YOU HAVE, don't forget that WASTE OR WASTING is the worst "cuss" word in the food world. In our fast-paced nature, it is more prevalent to use what's available before the dreaded "gunkies" take over, even in the fridge! Or else, you go broke!

Here's an example:

Two weeks ago, I visited our local Asian market and fell in love with practically all the fresh produce. On top of that, we found some great deal on produce at Wal-Mart! Next thing I know, we were headed to Utah and my fridge is groaning from being invaded by the GREENS!

Bless my fridge, it's one of those newer models and it kept these nutritious beauties fresh! So, since I am not, I repeat, am not a recipe person, I once again decided to experiment!

I found in my freezer the $4 chopped up beef from Wal-Mart that I separated into two PORTIONs. Then I looked at my veggies and found my bokchoy and broccoli. Then I remembered I had some shallots in the dining room fruit holder. But I wanted something crunchy, so I looked and looked until I found some red potatoes underneath my kitchen towels in a deep drawer of my island!

Pretty RESOURCEFUL, huh? I also, ALLOTED the broccoli and bokchoy to be used for another great dish. Then I YANKED my brain into what dish I want out of it. Voila! STIR-FRY!

So, knowing I don't want the typical stir-fry, I didn't use much oil and stirred the chopped meat until they are cooked. I set them aside. Then, I sauteed the sliced medium shallot and quartered potatoes and stirred. I then decided to give it a little sauce so I used 1 tsp. soy sauce and water each. Then I remembered that Mr. Man picked up some of the Panda Orange Sauce from our last Costco trip, so I added a tsp. of that with some garlic powder. I put the lid on and I let the potatoes tenderize from the steam for 7-10 minutes and then I added the meat back in, then the broccoli and bokchoy next. I put the lid on for about 7 minutes on med-low heat then stirred the whole thing until the meat and veggies were covered with the sauce.

I steamed some rice that I always have on hand and had ice water.

How did it taste? My oldest said- "Mommy, this tastes like the teriyaki beef (which she loved) at the Asian restaurant we went to but yours tasted much better."

The next day, my friend came over and we shared the left over and she loved the fact that it wasn't greasy, full of veggies and that the meat wasn't intrusive!

There you go, another proof that "She who PRAYS, eats!" Til next time!

Less than $13 for 3 Families

From a previous post on the family blog:

You read right... I made dinner for three families: Mine, Next door and a Mother&Son. A total of 12 mouths.

I made Spaghetti with Homemade Sausage & Parmesan Spaghetti sauce and Texas toast.

Real Food Real People dot com

Here's my total:

Barilla Pasta- 4 boxes- 99 cents each = $3.96
Tomato Paste- 1 can- 35 cents
Tomato Sauce- 75 cents (big can)
Tomato Diced- 75 cents
Parmesan, Herbs, Spices- FREE (already had it)
Texas Toast- 1.5 boxes- $1.97 each = $2.96
HF Beef Smoked Sausage Links- 1.5 pkgs.- $2.50 each = $3.75

$3.96 + .35 + .75 + .75 + $2.96 + $3.75 = $12.52 Total

Why did I do it? Well, it was back on Sunday night the 7th, before I-Dude's birthday, so the spaghetti is a traditional dinner to wish him a long life ahead. For our next door neighbor, it is to help their daughter who comes to YW, get some of her Personal Progress checked off and because my friend Annette has started working again. For my friend Heather and her son, it was because her MS turned for the worst and she needed some dinner help while the steroids did their thing to help her legs.

See? Service and Frugality can be totally complimentary. (I actually already had the pasta from last month, February, so technically they're already FREE, according to my budget.) No need to go to the store for the whole meal if you just stock up on few necessities...

Here, I PORTIONED what I have in the pantry, RESEARCHED what each family can eat, did not ADD any drinks to customize their dinner, taught a YOUNG girl to cook a big dinner, and SAVED all of us time!

How do you like that? Til next post!

Brownies on the Cheap!

This post is from February 1, 2010 from my family blog during one of our non-necessities Shopping Hiatus

We had to buy milk, bananas and toothpaste today for our needs, but food for dinner, noooo problem!

Last week, I got these Hormel Polish Sausage 2-pk, BIGIF for $4.99. So that made it $2.50 each pk for us. Then in the freezer, I had these two store brand frozen bags of stir-fry veggies with rice that only cost me $1 each. What to make, what to make?

A one dish wonder called Sausage Stir-fry!

I only used one of the sausages, making it $1.25 + $2, subtotal- $3.25 (Sorry, no picture, the family ate the whole thing)

Then, my children found a box of family size brownies in the pantry, that cost me $1.49 (on sale, $2, reg. $2.50) since I bought it with a promo of B10G$5off from Kroger.

We only had water and 1 full plate each (that's all we needed, oddly enough).

So let's see... $1.25 + $2 + $1.49 = $4.74 / 5 of us = .945 or 95 cents a plate + dessert!

Can't beat that!

On this one, I took advantage of a great PROMO PRICE, RESTOCKED my pantry, ALLOWED room for dessert in the budget, the YES on the brownies made the fam happy, and the SALES didn't dent my wallet, how can you not be happy about that?

She who PRAYS, eats! What did I tell you?