Monthly Grocery Sale Cycle & When to Stockpile

We all know that produce is seasonal and that if you decide to make a huge batch of strawberry preserves the best time of year to do so would be during the summer when strawberries are in season. 

A savvy shopper waits until a product is on sale and then buys lots of it to get it at its lowest price! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-9 months or until the product goes back on sale and can be bought at its lowest price. Packaged foods are seasonal, just like produce. Check out the list below and find out when your favorite foods will more than likely be at their cheapest. Read more here.  

August: 

Back to school supplies: erasers, pens, crayons, paper, binders, backpacks, notebooks, markers, note cards 
School lunch items: pudding cups, lunch meat, single serve juices, lunchables 
Disinfectants: Clorox and Lysol wipes & sprays 
Seasonal Produce: Avocados, beans, berries, cherries, corn on the cob, cucumbers, eggplants, figs, seedless grapes, melons, onions, peaches, pears (Bartlett), peppers (sweet bell), plums, summer squash, tomatillos, and tomatoes 
Clearance: insect repellent, sunscreen, charcoal, swim suits, gardening supplies and seeds, fans, camping gear

Frugal Fast Food (Tight Fisted Miser)

Stretch your ‘go-to’ money. Coupons, especially BOGOs, will let you go twice as often. Choose the sale items: Subway’s monthly specials often let you choose a foot-long sub for $5 — or less! Many restaurants, including McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and even Kentucky Fried Chicken, offer a ‘dollar menu.’ Most of those items are now more than a buck — but not much more. 

... Choose carefully — and share. Order large fries for the family, instead of a small packet per person. Or set half your meal aside for tomorrow’s lunch. (Put it in a box, out of sight.) ... A large sandwich can feed two adults. Drink water — and you save not only on calories, but price. 

Healthy fast food is out there! Do what Helpguide.org calls “undressing” your food: skip the mayo or sour cream (substitute mustard, salsa or ketchup), or eat your sandwich open-face. Taco Bell offers a ‘fresco’ menu that automatically gives you healthier choices, as part of their “drive-thru diet.” 

Choose whole-grain bread, lower-calorie cheeses like Swiss or mozzarella, and load your pizza or sub with veggies, to ramp up the food value even more. Look for the words “grilled” instead of “fried;” skip “breaded” and “super–.” And don’t assume a salad means low-calorie, unless you’re willing to minimize ingredients like bacon or fatty salad dressing. Kids’ meals have gotten healthier, too. Burger King now offers apple juice, fat-free milk and apple slices on its children’s menu…and other chains have followed suit. 

... Don’t waste a thing. Extra napkins come in handy tucked in the glove compartment, along with that ‘spork’ you didn’t use. Add some zip to chicken noodle soup with a couple of salsa packets, or use your dipping sauce as a marinade for chicken or pork. (They’re great in stir-fries, too.) In their bookThe Phony Gourmet, Pam Young and Peggy Jones wrap leftover burgers in pastry, and serve these ‘pot pies,’ crunchy and bubbling, with special sauce!

Read more here.

Sewing Frugality

"...The key to saving money through sewing is to be resourceful: Thrift stores are wonderful sources for fabric. Menswear is currently a huge trend in home décor. With a couple very simple straight stitches, a pinstripe or plaid men's Oxford shirt for $2 to $3 at a thrift store can be made into a great throw pillow. I saw a fun "Believe Memphis" blanket that someone had fashioned from the Grizzlies' yellow giveaway growl towels. My first sofa was an $80 yellow velour vintage find, for which I fashioned a white canvas slipcover. Buttons and zippers can be pilfered from old clothing being thrown out to save on the cost of notions. Sheets can be used for pattern making. If you go to estate sales or yard sales, bags of fabric or notions can often be picked up for next to nothing." Read more.

Free Homeschool Deals

Source: freehomeschooldeals.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Savings on Eyeglasses

We ordered from Zenni Optical again this year for eyeglasses. I needed readers and my son needed a new prescription. They are super fast and very inexpensive. My son's glasses were $23.95(including shipping) for silver wire rimmed glasses with a mid-range prescription. I ordered them on 7/2/12, and they arrived today. The only thing you need to make sure to have is the pupillary distance, which your doctor can measure for you, or you can take a stab at it yourself with directions at the site. They offer glasses for as low as $6.95. I ordered my readers from this price range. They have consistently delivered good value for us in the past few years.

Household Savings:Free Telephone Service

We just cancelled our land line after our downtown area began offering free wifi, and we found Google Voice, a  free local and long distance telephone service(USA and Canada only). It has worked well so far with very clear reception. Google voice allows you to forward calls to another phone, takes messages(voice and text), offers call waiting, and screens your calls.The download was easy, and all we needed to purchase was a microphone for the computer.

The only downside is needing your computer up on Google Voice or Gmail in order to know when you are being called. If you forward calls to your cell, you'll know, but this method charges mobile minutes on the cell.  We'll use it for out calling, and scheduled call backs. It would be nice if there was a pop-up when you are online, or at least a ring when you are surfing and don't have the Gmail or Google Voice window up, but the service is free, so I'm not complaining(too much)!

As long as calls are made on Google Voice or from Gmail, cell phone minutes are not counted against your mobile account. In order for it to be free, you must call only from Google Voice or your Gmail , and not from your mobile. If you forward calls to your mobile, airtime minutes apply.  I think this applies to android phones as well. It cannot be connected to a cell in order to be free. See here. 

We'll be saving close to $700 a year with the cancellation of our land line and dial-up service. We also cancelled Netflix because we can see movies online. That will save us another $14.95 a month. We still have our pre-paid cell phones for calls on the road.

My next experiment will be to try Google Voice with an unlocked Android phone with no wireless service. I wonder if it will work? I'll let you know. I know a tablet or mini-PC/netbook would work, but I was looking for something less bulky to use.  I saw a simple netbook online(see below) with good customer ratings for only $99.00 at Amazon. This might be good for traveling and making calls.


WolVol LIME GREEN 7" Mini Netbook Laptop Notebook Netbook WIFI Internet Android 2.2 Flash Player Tons Apps Games YouTube Facebook 3 USB Ports 4gb HD 256mb Ram (INCLUDES: Velvet Pouch Case, Charger, Mini Optical Mouse)

The Workhorse of Washing Machines

Kenmore 80 series(discontinued). They don't make them like this anymore. This washer is heavy duty and extra large capacity, easy to repair, washes the dirtiest clothes clean, and lasts a long, long time. I just got one on Craigslist for $150.00, delivered and installed with a 30 day guarantee. I love Craigslist! I sold my small Kenmore 90 series washer which was not large enough or powerful enough for our growing family.

Free Phonics Early Learning Videos

Free Radio History Based Drama: You Are There 1776

Source: creativecountrymom.blogspot.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

 

You Are There

"July 4th, 1776 Philadelphia" from March 21, 1948
You are there for the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 in Philadelphia.  The heat is unbearable and even worse is the horseflies.  The Founding Fathers are interviewed as well as some of the dissenters who are against Independence—who will win?

Printable Vintage Paper Dolls and Toys

Source: inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Free and fun for summer crafting time...see here for my collection of paper doll and toy printables. We've done a good number of them, and they print out beautifully using Picasa.

Conforming or Individualizing

Source: play-activities.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Allowing a child a sense of self is liberty and authenticity. What has made America great in the past was our individuality, self reliance, and ingenuity. If we don't nurture this, we become march-steppers in a societal design of others; we become institutionalized.

I don't mind that my children choose to do things on their own, under my supervision. I'm there to provide the material and intellectual resources, and emotional support for their ideas, projects, and creations. Meanwhile our local neighborhoods are empty; parents are at work, and children are in structured activities with very little free time at home. When they do get free time, they don't know what to do with it; and the home is not set up for home activities. There is no established routine or tradition at home for supervised free play.

This has been on my mind lately because we keep coming across grumpy over-scheduled, over-tired families; parents who are not allowing their children to act their age, and are expecting mature behavior from young children. The yelling, berating, and stressed-out controlling behavior toward their children is awful to have to see and hear(for me or my children...today it was at the library, and very hard to ignore). I wonder if it is just my area? I don't notice it when we go out of state, but then we are in vacation areas, so most people are relaxed. It can't be a very happy existence to live like this. Life seems very compartmentalized, as if parents no longer feel qualified to care for and nurture children outside of school.

Now there are de facto recreation and socialization specialists who take over after school hours. These take the form of camps, sports, and structured activities run by "experts", and always the children are divided up by age categories. Parents spend their time hovering in the background, providing taxi service. This style of child rearing is considered superior, normal, and responsible in our area. The pressure to conform among peers, both parents and children, is very strong. A mention of a relaxing low key summer for the children inevitably gets a fish-eyed look. It seems so odd to me because I spent summers bouncing around my grandparents gentleman's country farm, and at the shore with my other grandparents. These were the best times of my life - freedom and time with some older, very wise, special people.

I make it a habit to keep our (apparent) DIY counter-culture child rearing to myself, as I've heard the ominous warning from local parents, more than once, that a child who has too much free time will end up in trouble and/or socially awkward, and culturally deprived. I can understand this being a concern if the parents are not present, as in a latch-key child, but this seems to still apply, in many people's minds, if the children are supervised at home! Am I not qualified?  I know I am, but how ridiculous are the implications. After a while, you realize that you must go(quietly) on your merry way, and let the others go on theirs - both ignoring and taking the occasional aggressive boundary jumping fish-eye gracefully.

Fun with Paper Cut-out Animals

Cute vintage templates for standing paper cut-out animals from an early 20th century teacher's periodical. Click on image to enlarge and print/save.

Potential Recession Looming?

Faber’s bearish market calls have been followed closely since 1987 when he warned his clients to cash out before Black Monday.

And in a live interview on CNBC’s Fast Money Halftime Report, Faber again warned that economies of the world may be on the brink of a serious slowdown.

Faber indicated that while investors remain focused on Greece and Europe – other issues, bigger issues are looming. And they’re more threatening.

“As an observer of markets – whenever everyone focuses on one thing – like Greece and Europe – maybe they miss issues that are far more important – such as a meaningful slowdown in India and China.”

...“I think we could have a global recession either in Q4 or early 2013." When asked what were the odds, Faber replied, "100%."

Read entire article here.

2013 may be a hard year financially with rising food prices and economic recession. It's a good time to stock up the pantry, just in case.  We are saving and buying ahead in many areas such as food and clothing. I usually do this anyway, but I'm being a bit more aggressive now. Thankfully, there have been some good clothing sales lately at both the thrifts and discount stores, and I'm collecting multiple coupons from ebay for the restocking of my pantry. If you can food, so much the better. I freeze rather than can. We've got a floor freezer filled with food from the garden and sale items.

I'm also getting a lot of medical expenses out of the way now, in case things get bad. I needed to get my varicose veins dealt with and my sleep apnea. By the end of the summer, I should be all patched up, full of energy, and ready to start the new school year. : )

Save, save , save...we just don't know what the future holds, and we all need a cushion to fall back on. Keep it simple, live below your means, think long term, and you'll persevere. Do what you can, and leave the rest to God.

Free Educational Printables

Source: sparklebox.co.uk via SparkleBox on Pinterest

I found a new educational site, Sparkle Box which has some handy free printables. Click on the "source" link above.

DIY Nursery Decoration

Source: madeit.com.au via Alexandra on Pinterest

That's a children's book page pasted onto a wooden letter.

YouTube Early Education Videos

Here's my link to our YouTube favorites for early education. I'll be adding more as we find ones which appeal to my daughter. Some of the Indian(SE Asia) ones are really good, even if the English narration is a bit different. So far we have added videos for math, English, and science. Most are animated, and fun, much like Starfall or Reader Rabbit.

Vegetable Garden Gone Wild

I've neglected the vegetable garden this year, and it's gone wild. I've decided I like it because of the interesting and helpful butterflies, bees, and other insects it has brought. My garden insect pest level is way down, probably because of the flowering carrots and onions, and mix of wild flowers. They seem to be attracting "good" insects which is providing a nice balance. I've got some random broccoli(or maybe collard greens) that came back from last year, which brings in the cabbage butterflies which in turn attracts the parasitic wasps who feed on the larvae. I figure this is an excellent sacrificial lamb for the rest of the plants, so I let the pests ravage the broccoli. The radishes are faring better.

I think this(below) is cucumber. My daughter pulled a Curious George and mixed all the seeds together in the starter pots and planting beds. I have no idea what's growing anywhere! Our mint has spread everywhere and smells lovely when I step through it to weed. It's all mixed up, but very pretty to look at.

Here's a nice chart for companion planting(and antagonists) for your garden. My meandering  mint seems to be a good deterrent for many pests. But, it looks like my cucumber should not be near my potatoes. They are both doing well, so maybe there is enough distance. Maybe I'll separate the two with a row of marigolds, a companion plant for both.