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Archives for 2011

June 16: Bi-Lo and Publix Shopping Trip Results

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After the break from shopping, I am back into the savings groove. Knowing I missed lots of sales that may not be repeated for the next 6 weeks, I am not sweating it. The sales will come back around, and my family will survive on what sales I can match with coupons.

Though the deals were not fantastic last week at my Bi-Lo and Publix, I did snag these good deals:

BI-LO

1. Dozen large eggs for $.99 each

2. Baby-cut carrots for $.99 each and paired with competitor (Publix) coupon for $2 off product item. Using the coupon with this purchase resulted in free carrots and $1.01 in overage. This overage was applied to another product, like the eggs. Since I had 2 coupons and each stated “one coupon per purchase,” I divided my purchases up into two transactions and used one Publix coupon per sale.

TIP: If you will have overage, like the $1.01 for the carrots, then purchase another item to absorb the savings in your transaction. For example, purchase the carrots and another item $1.02 or more (after coupons) in the same transaction. Most stores will not give you money back.

3. Bone-in split chicken breasts with rib meat at $.89 per pound. This price was lower than my rock bottom price of $.99 per pound. I purchased 3 packages which after cut up netted 15 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 15 tenderloins, and 6 cups of chicken broth. Here is the tutorial for cutting up the chicken.

With my 2 transactions at Bi-Lo, I purchased $100.38 worth of product for $36.68 which was a savings of $63.70 or 63%. I was pleased with this trip with the limited number of deals this week.

PUBLIX

1. Tombstone Pizzas for $3.15 each

2. Package of smoked white turkey deli meat for $2.09

3. EGGO waffles for $1.29 each

4. Oscar Meyer Lunchables for $1 each

5. Yoplait Fiber One yogurt for $1 paired with $.50 coupon that doubled making the yogurt free.

My total at Publix resulted in $135.66 in merchandise for $60.06 which was a savings of $75.60 or 56%.

Both of my shopping trips resulted in over 50% savings which is my goal. Now that I am back to saving and restocking my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, I am ready to shop again this week. How are your savings panning out? Please leave a comment indicating your savings from feeding your family.

RSS: Feed Reader – Part 2 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Wikipedia

Our topic last week included defining and explaining the RSS which will be a huge timesaver for those who read multiple blogs and web sites. If you want to use your time wisely while keeping up-to-date, then let’s setup a reader to accept all the RSS from your favorite web sites.

There are a number of readers from which to choose, e.g., Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines, and many more. My reader of choice is Google which I have used for a few years without any problem. Since I highly recommend Google Reader, I will show you here how to setup your own account.

STEP ONE: Log in to your Google Account.

Do you have a Google account?

  • If yes, then log in to your account and proceed to step 2. (If you have a GMAIL account, e.g., mywebsite@gmail.com, then you have a Google account.) Go to www.google.com, enter your e-mail address and password, and click SIGN IN.
  • If no, then no worries, you can get an account for free. Just follow these instructions:

TO SET UP A GOOGLE ACCOUNT:

  1. In your Internet browser, type in www.google.com.
  2. On the home page, click the “SIGN IN” link in the top right corner.
  3. When directed to GOOGLE ACCOUNTS page, click on CREATE AN ACCOUNT NOW on the right side under DON’T HAVE A GOOGLE ACCOUNT?
  4. At the CREATE AN ACCOUNT page, fill out the form, and click I ACCEPT. CREATE MY ACCOUNT.
  5. You should then see ACCOUNT CREATED. PLEASE VERIFY YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS. You can either click to button to verify your e-mail or click on the REQUEST AN EMAIL VERIFICATION. Be sure to verify your account in one of these two ways to proceed.
  6. After you receive the EMAIL ADDRESS VERIFIED message, then double-click on CLICK HERE TO MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT PROFILE. You will be directed to the GOOGLE ACCOUNTS page. Your login name will appear in the top right of the page. Now proceed to STEP TWO.

STEP TWO: Add your Reader.

  1. Once logged in, click on your e-mail address in the top right corner of the page.
  2. Select ACCOUNT SETTINGS from the drop down list.
  3. On the GOOGLE ACCOUNTS page, scroll down to TRY SOMETHING NEW, and click on MORE >>.
  4. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the options. Just scroll down about halfway, and locate READER under SOCIAL on the left column. Click on READER.
  5. Your GOOGLE READER will open with new 3-5 items for your review.

STEP THREE: Checking your Reader.

Now, when you close out of Google or restart your computer, here is how to navigate back to your Google Reader:

  1. In your Internet browser (Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.), type www.google.com.
  2. At the home page, sign in with your e-mail address and password, and click SIGN IN.
  3. Your Google Reader may reappear. If it does not, then choose READER from the menu bar, i.e., mail, calendar, documents, photos, reader, etc. The menu bar is located above the words GOOGLE or GMAIL.

CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a Google account with your Reader activated. I’m proud of you! You are on your way to using your time wisely while reading your favorite web sites. Though your account may be empty now, next week I’ll show you how to add your favorite web sites to your reader.

Cookout Meal Options

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (D'Arcy Norman)

How are your summer events going? Are your cookouts successful? With our busy schedule, I have not yet entertained this summer. Our grill has gotten used a little to help keep the heat out of the kitchen.

Though I love a good hamburger and sometimes a hot dog, having them at every cookout gets to be too much for me. So, as I prepare for up-coming family gatherings, I am considering some other cookout options. Here is my current list of possibilities:

  1. Marinated grilled chicken, pasta salad, and corn on the cob
  2. London broil steak, baked potatoes, and green salad
  3. Shrimp, fettuccine alfredo, and vegetable tray
  4. BBQ chicken, potato salad, chips, and green beans
  5. Vegetable kabobs, cold cuts, and rolls

If your family enjoys seafood, then a fish fry theme, complete with hush puppies, could be another possibility. Since our family does not care for seafood, I will keep our possibilities fish-free. 🙂

By planning ahead, I can watch for sales on these items. Purchasing the ingredients on sale will save me money, energy, and time. If you have additional suggestions, please leave a comment.

Maintaining: Lawnmower

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Photograph Credit: MorgueFile (Pambenn)

My husband Paul keeps up our yard. I remember when our old lawnmower quit about 5 years ago, and we began shopping for a new one. After looking and researching the features needed to keep our property maintained, we purchased a push lawnmower from Wal-mart for around $175.

During the summer months, Paul mows the yard about once a week. With a little maintenance each spring and fall, our 5-year-old lawnmower operates correctly and cuts the grass in one pass.

I was reminded this morning, while watching my neighbor mow his yard, that routine maintenance on a lawnmower really helps to save time. With his lawnmower, my neighbor was making several passes before all the blades of grass were cut. Going over the same area numerous times was wasting his time.

Remember that routine maintenance will require investing time and money. You might need a Saturday morning to change the oil, fill up the gas, and sharpen the blades. But using your time wisely to maintain your lawnmower should save you money (for a new one), energy (numerous passes over one area) and time (one pass around the yard).

How has maintaining your lawn equipment saved you money, energy, and time?

Happy Father’s Day!

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To all the Fathers, thank you for investing your money, energy, and time into the next generation. Your care and protection of your family is greatly appreciated.

Happy Father’s Day!

photograph credit: Flickr
photographer credit: epredator