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!