compact by design

Monday, June 29, 2009

monday – menus and more

Yet another week of staple based foods. I’m looking forward to having some more fresh fruit in the house, but until then the un-perishables will have to make do. Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Monday: pesto pasta with shrimp (didn’t have this last week, can’t even remember why)

Tuesday: pork sirloin chops in tomatoes and capers

Wednesday: pizza

Thursday: chicken in orange sauce

Friday: fried rice

Saturday: a nice big salad (hoping to be on a regular schedule and home to eat produce)

Sunday: crepes (both savory: unknown and sweet: Nutella)

If you haven’t tried Nutella I dare you to. And then tell me it didn’t change your life. I introduced the husband to crepes and Nutella a few years ago. It changed his life. I think it’s part of why he was so happy to honeymoon in Paris. To walk down the street carrying a hot, fresh crepe slathered with the dark, rich, hazelnut goodness that is Nutella…now that is living.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $43.24 (savings = $0.10)

Trader Joe’s – $22.13

Target – $14.71

Farmer’s Market – $4.50

A grand total of $84.58. It’s either the Nutella or the Farmer’s Market that put us over. Either splurge was totally worth it so I’m not even going to question it.

…

We had a great meal out last week. We will probably have a few more in the upcoming weeks, considering the influx of visitors we have coming and the likelihood that I will not be completely thrilled with cooking every day, what with a toddler running around and (hopefully soon) a newborn draining my last ounces of energy. (Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait. Seriously.)

We do try to limit our eating out to less than once a week though, more like 2-3 times a month. With what looks to be our future dining out adventures how do I take this bump in stride?

Restaurant.com

I can’t recommend it enough. $25 gift certificates for only $10. A few weeks ago we bought several certificates to some of our local restaurants (they are all independently owned) and have used two with visiting guests. Both experiences were great. No hassle. The staff was always accommodating and never questioned our using the certificates. There are, of course, some restrictions depending on the price of purchase and the establishment but nothing that would make it anything less than a great idea.

And what’s better than a great idea at 80% off? Quite often the site offers their certificates at a discount. As much as 80%. That’s getting $25 worth of food for only $2. All while supporting local establishments. There’s a win-win I’ll put my money on.

Go. Eat. Save.

Update: A reader brought an error to my attention. My math is sleep deprived too. If the gift certificates are offered at 80% off it’s a mere $2 for $25 worth of food. Don’t forget to read the conditions ($35 minimum purchase, Sun-Thurs or such things), but what a steal.

Restaurant.com is offering a current promotion (supposedly ending tonight 6/30/09) for 70% of purchase price plus a $10 gift certificate. Use code RECIPE during checkout. Grab the family or some friends and go support a neighborhood eatery.

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 3 Comments »

Tags: Cooking, eating out, Menu Planning, Nutella, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Trader Joe's

Monday, June 22, 2009

monday – menus and more

Let’s see what we’ll be eating this week…

Monday: eggs in spicy tomato sauce

Tuesday: pesto pasta with shrimp

Wednesday: pizza

Thursday: chicken strips, carrots

Friday: spaghetti

Saturday: pulled pork sandwiches

Sunday: wholewheat pancakes (finally got in the whole wheat buttermilk pancakes last week – yummmm!)

This week’s menu is a lot of pantry items and I’m not planning a lot of fresh fruit and veg. That’s intentional, I’m not punishing my family. It’s that we don’t know from one day to the next if we will be at home the next week or so. I need foods that can keep if they don’t get made. No nice summer salads this week. Oh well, at least the weekly pizza is going well.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $29.63 (savings = $0.10)

Costco – $49.64

Trader Joe’s – $5.50

Vons – $1.17 (savings = $2.80)

Walgreens – $1.16 (savings = $5.60)

A grand total of $87.10. Not bad considering most of what we bought were bulk items that will last from a few weeks to many months. Stocking up really can save big bucks when done right. Thanks to all the coupon experts out there that have made it so easy for me to save money.

It still surprises me how much I enjoy being in the kitchen. Sometimes. When it works, it really works. I have gotten so used to cooking now that it’s not a stretch for me to make from scratch something I don’t have in the cupboard.

Father’s Day dinner was steak, shrimp and a side of pasta. No veg but the husband was thrilled – all his favorites on one plate. To top it off I decided to have some ice cream with his wonderful oatmeal chocolate chip cookies crumbled on top. (Don’t worry, someday I promise to post that recipe so you can all judge for yourself.)

Somehow that didn’t seem like enough though. I needed chocolate syrup. I didn’t have any chocolate syrup, haven’t bought it in forever. No worries, I’ll make some.

What? Make some? Make something that can be purchased in a bottle for convenience?

Why that’s just crazy talk.

Yup. I’m crazy. Cuckoo. There I was, in the kitchen after dinner making chocolate syrup.

It took about 5 minutes. And then we had sundaes. And they were really good. You can do it too. Go ahead, try it. Chocolate syrup in the fridge whenever you want it? Life is good.

Here’s the recipe from Cooking Cache.

1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, in a medium saucepan. Mix well. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Continue cooking until thick. Once cool, add vanilla.

(according to Cooking Chache – Cost Analysis: (30 ounces) Store bought: $1.89 Homemade: 90¢)

The real challenge is in waiting until the chocolate is cool to add the vanilla. I couldn’t. I needed to eat it right away. And it was good. I know I said that already. But I’m still surprised by the little things in life.

One last food item and I’m out of here. Some of you may remember my Life to Leftovers conundrum that Jonathan Bloom of Wasted Food helped me out with. Or I should say his readers helped, much to our mutual delight.

Now I have a similar challenge for you. I just put about 2 cups of (unpitted) cherries and a handful of grapes in the freezer as they were probably hours away from being past there delicate prime. The grapes, I know, can be eaten as a frozen treat but what else can they do? And how about those cherries? I don’t make pies and I don’t can (yet).

What’s a girl to do?

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 3 Comments »

Tags: Cooking, Costco, homemade chocolate syrup, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Vons, Walgreens

Monday, June 8, 2009

monday – menus and more

Well, I can’t say anything unexpected happened this past week. But it was a good week. I finally got around to making the mobile for the nursery I’ve been thinking about doing for almost two years. Better late than never. The husband and Toddler L both seem to really like it and I think it worked out quite well. In true artist fashion I can’t get overly effusive about my work, it could always be better but it’s good enough to put up in the house.

I can’t say the same for Sunday’s dinner. It was supposed to be crock pot brisket from a chuck roast. I liked the idea of it but unfortunately didn’t quite get the proportions right. Because I cook smaller quantities as it’s just husband and I, I’m usually adjusting recipe amounts and cooking times. Unfortunately, leaving the house to go watch the Lakers’ game threw off my cooking time adjustment. What was supposed to be brisket was headed towards beef jerky. Not that I don’t like beef jerky, it just wasn’t what I was planning for supper. Good thing we were having mashed cauliflower with it, that can save just about any meal. Hopefully this week’s experiments will have better results.

Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Monday: chicken strips, chicken rice-a-roni (I know this isn’t even real food but I love it, so about once a year I make it)

Tuesday: yellow curry

Wednesday: pizza (not sure if I’ll be going thin crust or deep dish yet)

Thursday: penne w/ spinach and sausage, artisan bread

Friday: whole wheat pancakes (didn’t get to these last week)

Saturday: we’ll be out at an adults-only birthday party (probably my last for a while, so I’ll savor it)

Sunday: HOHO (husband on his own)

I got a great deal on a used pizza stone on Ebay (you’d be surprised how hard it is to find used stones), so I’m really looking forward to starting a home-made pizza tradition. And I’m even going to make more bread in the oven. I’m not sure I won’t use the artisan bread dough or bread machine for the kneading but it will come out of the oven and maybe even be the shape of a loaf pan.

I think that’s my only complaint about the bread machine. Bread just isn’t a square block that’s 9 inches tall. Well, mine is. But it kinda rubs me the wrong way. The husband already knows I’m keeping my eyes open for another machine with a horizontal pan. You may have no idea what I’m talking about. That’s okay. Sometimes I just talk for the sake of it.

In the continuing ups and downs of our budget, we are under this week. I’m feeling really good about that but I’m also wondering at what expense am I doing this? Let me explain.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $47.42 (savings = $0.15)

Vons – $17.44 (savings = $8.58)

Trader Joe’s – $13.78

A grand total of $78.64. This week I didn’t buy any meat and I didn’t even buy several things I had coupons for. Now, they weren’t things we specifically needed this week but they were good deals on things we would use. If I had purchased them, along with a couple of things I would have liked to buy I would have been over budget. So I didn’t get the frozen peaches to make smoothies with. I didn’t get the Nutella that both husband and I love to indulge with occasionally.

How do I get everything we need plus allow a few (not over the top) indulgences and still feel good about the money we’re spending – or not spending? I have said before, there are a few things I’ve decided are worth the extra money. Typically that’s buying organic when I can. We buy only organic milk and eggs. A gallon of whole milk (for Toddler L), a gallon of 1% milk (for the husband and cooking) and a carton of eggs is $15 of any given week’s budget, if they’re not on sale. Ouch! I’d like to buy organic produce more often but it’s just not financially feasible.

How do you justify what you spend versus what you buy? Or do you not bother and wonder what I’m tying myself up in knots over?

I don’t have an art budget because my projects just don’t happen as frequently as I’d like. That’s probably a good thing, at least as far as the checkbook goes. My creative energy can get a little backed up though without an outlet. I’m sure it helps that I rearrange the furniture every 3 months. (I blame Toddler L and his ever changing needs, but it’s probably just my needs.)

What I’m trying (slowly) to get at is my need for another project. A project that requires fabric. Fabric that I can create and custom print. I don’t really sew but I’d like to change that too.

I know it’s not entirely Compact to have more fabric made than already exists, but sometimes what can be had at the local thrift store just isn’t going to meet the needs. When that’s the case, turn to Spoonflower. Upload your napkin doodles, illustrations or patterns and get your own custom fabric in the mail in a few days. There’s no minimum order and a price per yard higher than I would typically pay ($18-32), but within reason for a truly special project.

Would you consider having your own custom fabric made or is this just my design voice locking my Compact voice in a dark room and telling it to shut-up?

Posted in Art + Design, Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Compact, Cooking, design, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Spoonflower, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Frugal Girl, Trader Joe's, Vons

Monday, June 1, 2009

monday – menus and more

I’m really looking forward to this week. I don’t know why. Maybe something unexpected will happen. Or not. But I think it will be a good week.

Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Monday: spaghetti and meatballs, salad, artisan bread

Tuesday: we’ll be eating out with friends

Wednesday: open face sloppy joes, corn on the cob

Thursday: whole wheat pancakes (thanks to The Frugal Girl for the recipe)

Friday: pizza

Saturday: brown rice salad with tuna

Sunday: chuck roast, veg to be determined by sales flyers

I bought a head of romaine lettuce and haven’t touched it yet. I’m expecting salad for lunch several days this week. And lots of bread! I just made my second loaf of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, WOW! It’s so good I can’t wait for dinner to eat more. I imagine making at least one more loaf this week. And I also feel like as good as it is, I have a lot of room for improvement. I can hardly imagine how good it’s going to be.

I’m not getting paid to say this…”try this bread, it will change your dining.” I am thinking about menus based on what can be served with bread.

More over budget. No excuses. Let’s just see the damage.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $52.18 (savings = $0.15)

Vons – $7.68

Trader Joe’s – $22.68

Target – $16.15 (savings = $5.00)

Bakery Outlet – $8.47

A grand total of $107.16. We had house guests. The husband went to the store. There were some deals too good to pass up. Blah, blah, blah. I have to get this under control. I don’t like setting guidelines and then continuously not meet them. It’s a pride thing. I’m full of pride don’t you know.

My mother-in-law was kind enough to make 4 dozen of her oatmeal chocolate cookies on Friday night for us to sell at a local Relay for Life event on Saturday. Apparently they sold very well, even with an entire table of baked goods by the local women’s group. I’m not surprised though, they are amazingly good.

I hope to have that recipe up for you later today. Look for it. Especially if your husband doesn’t cook but says he will bake. It’s the best treat ever.

I think I’ll go have one. (Okay, so not all 4 dozen made it to the Relay. They weren’t counting.)

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 1 Comment »

Tags: Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, The Frugal Girl, Trader Joe's, Vons

Monday, May 25, 2009

monday – menus and more

The weekend has really snuck up on me. Or I guess I should say Monday has really snuck up on me. How can it be here already? I’m not ready.

But then again, I’m hardly ever ready or on time. Even though I hate being late. But that’s for another post. (I’m kidding, I would never bore you with such inane personal blabbering. Okay, yes, I probably would. But I won’t. I promise.)

Back to Mondays. Monday means the week is ahead. The whole week stretches ahead. Unused. Unspent. Waiting to be completed. Oh, the things I could do with a whole week.

But I guess I’ll stick to what I will actually do with a week instead of daydream about things that won’t ever happen. Although, I’m a big fan of daydreaming. And sometimes my dreams do come true. Hmmm, maybe that means the husband will make more of his wonderful oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies this week. A girl can dream.

Let’s see what else we’ll be eating…

Sunday: leftover brown rice salad, (somebody else’s) leftover Thai peanut salad, leftover fruit salad

Monday: burgers, beans

Tuesday: hibachi shrimp (ok, the sauce will basically be the same as the recipe, and it will have shrimp)

Wednesday: london broil, corn on the cob

Thursday: baked pasta with spinach and tomatoes

Friday: we’re at a memorial service

Saturday: in-laws are coming, menu is undecided (ohhh, the pressure)

Sunday: most likely eating out with extended family

Yes, I know. My week has two Sundays. That’s how I get so much accomplished.

Really, I just decided it was strange to post on Monday about a menu that basically happened in the past. Next week you’ll see the week starting on Monday. Unless it’s one of those weeks where we just eliminate Monday. Sometimes they are just better when skipped.

Last week’s grocery bill was over budget and I blamed Costco. This week is really over budget. I blame… Hmmm, I’m stuck on that one. I could blame the husband for telling me at the last minute that we needed laundry soap (and hand soap and dish soap). I could blame the non-coffee coffee tasting drink I tried on Tuesday and then found at the store and which happened to be on sale and I happened to have a coupon from Tuesday but didn’t really need. I could blame myself for spending more than I budgeted.

But there is no blame here. I live without blame. How could I have blame when I have a husband who does the laundry? (and makes cookies)

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $33.49 (savings = $1.10)

Vons – $34.28 (savings = $30.25 not bad!)

Trader Joe’s – $14.65

Target – $27.33 (savings = $7.75)

Bakery Outlet – $2.09 (savings = $4.18 3 boxes Thomas English muffins for the price of 1, love it)

A grand total of $111.84. On an $80 budget that’s really not great, but considering our savings was $43.28 by shopping sales and using coupons I say it’s almost kinda good. Like my English sometimes.

That coffee-like beverage I mentioned…

It’s considered an herbal coffee – a blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts. No caffeine, no acidity. Lots of flavor.

Unlike instant coffee substitutes, Teeccino brews just like coffee in all types of coffee brewers. We prefer the term “herbal coffee” or “coffee alternative” to “coffee substitute” since no one calls herbal tea a “tea substitute”, now do they?

I can’t say Teeccino is inexpensive. Although I haven’t priced coffee beans recently either. I love coffee but gave up caffeinated years ago and haven’t had a taste for it during this pregnancy. Now that I’m almost to the stage of sleepless nights and constant feedings it will be nice to at least feel like I have something to help me pull through.

At $8.99 a bag it might be a splurge but if you find it on sale and have a coupon it’s not a bad deal for a great alternative to tea. We drink a lot of tea. I like alternatives. I only wish I had grabbed more of those coupons.

*Teeccino has never heard of me. (Except the guy giving out the samples, but I’m not even sure he’d remember me.) They didn’t pay me to tell you how great I think their product is. I did it out of the goodness of my heart. I like to share. You probably know that about me by now. (But if someone at Teeccino see’s this and wants to send me lots of free product I stand behind what I said.)

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Trader Joe's, Vons

Monday, May 11, 2009

monday – menus and more

This weekend had all the makings of being perfect. I got a truly wonderful surprise on Saturday when a group of friends had a surprise baby shower for me. I don’t expect those kinds of things and I certainly didn’t expect this. I hadn’t even considered having a shower as we have so much from our first for the new baby to use.

Occasionally I have been given to some apprehension about having a baby in a year we decided to buy nothing new. But the few items we would not have been able to find used were just gifted to us (thanks again ladies!!) and I think we are pretty much set. We were given a gift card to a favorite kids consignment store as well as a renowned kids store – Crate and Barrel. (What?, that’s what the card said.) (I will admit though, my first thought [okay second thought, right after YEEESSSSS!], was how expensive everything was going to seem.)

The husband and Toddler L gave me a cake and a glorious bouquet of flowers from our neighborhood, independent florist. And after a strict reminder that I would appreciate NOT getting a store-bought card, husband went into the card drawer (we have many blank cards from pre-Compact days) and found something perfect.

Alas, the weekend did not carry through quite as beautifully and I haven’t been able to write or do all that I would have normally written or done.

I have no menu plan for the week. Right now, I’m leaving it as a fill in the blank. If you’d like, feel free to make suggestions. I have moderate cooking skills, basic staples and foods and no imagination at the moment.

Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Perhaps we will simply have Mother’s Day cake every day.

Yes, I think we might.

As for the number of stores visited this week just to do our grocery shopping, YEE GADS. I know. But we walked to one and all others (minus one) were directly en route to other destinations. And with savings like what we saw at CVS (3 boxes of favorite cereal 88¢ each), Ralph’s (6 boxes Barilla pasta 99¢ each) and Walgreens (husband’s preferred deodorant 27¢) it’s hard to not make a quick pitstop sometimes.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $27.91 (savings = $0.15)

Vons – $7.69 (savings = $4.80)

Ralphs – $5.94 (savings = $9.80)

Walgreens – $2.27 (savings = $2.50 + $2.00 credit | original cost $4.49+tax…final cost $0.27)

Target – $1.84 (savings = $4.49)

Cost Savers – $14.49

Trader Joe’s – $11.62

CVS – $2.64 (savings = $10.93)

Bakery Outlet – $4.18

Costco – $46.93

So, before Costco we spent $78.58 , still under budget. But Costco pushed us over. I’m still trying to figure out how to work the Costco trips into our budget. We didn’t really buy that much, just 5 items. But the savings made it worth while for sure. I probably would have spent about $16.00 for just a portion of these items if I had bought them this week at another store. Now I don’t have to buy them for at least a week or several months depending on the product.

I’m figuring about $30 extra spending due to the Costco trip. If I allow myself that much over budget for a monthly trip I can plan to work at keeping the remaining weeks as much under budget as possible. Typically, I’m pretty happy staying under budget, but this scenario would have me really working to keep it as low as possible. I don’t know how feasible this is but it’s the current thinking.

What do you think?

Do you warehouse? As I was considering the inherent value in this I found a post on the very subject over at Money Saving Mom. Apparently there is great debate over buying in bulk. Who knew?

Posted in Compact, Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 2 Comments »

Tags: challenge, Compact, Cooking, Costco, CVS, Ralphs, Saving Money, Shopping, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Vons, Walgreens

Monday, May 4, 2009

monday – menus and more

I don’t know if I’ve talked myself into liking the menu plan concept or if I’m really okay with it. I used to consider those who planned their food for a week or more a little bit cuckoo (sorry Sara).

Really, how am I supposed to know what I want on Thursday when it’s only Sunday? I usually didn’t know what I wanted for dinner by lunchtime on any given day.

But I have to say, it’s working for me. I kind of like knowing that my meals for the week are using the food purchased and at this point I keep the menu vague enough that I have some time to research a good recipe. Which of course I won’t follow, but it’s good reference.

Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Sunday: tacos

Monday: pork roast, saffron rice

Tuesday: chicken strips, corn on the cob

Wednesday: eggs in spicy tomato sauce (as basic as this one is, I still don’t follow the recipe)

Thursday: cheeseburger stuffed potatoes (nope, won’t be doing this one exactly either)

Friday: leftover pork roast somethin’ (i have no idea what this will be, will require research)

Saturday: tuna pasta (we didn’t have this last week)

I’m looking forward to a lot of these meals. I’m even looking forward to shopping next week so I can come up with a couple of meals that involve shrimp. It will be a special “I love you” week for the husband. Just because.

The more I pay attention the more I have to let go (or save for a good massage). As I am starting to really track prices, sales and store competition I find the idea of stock piling a little frustrating. Last week we stocked up on granola bars. Husband has a favorite big-name brand, as they go on sale somewhat regularly it’s not a big deal. Last week they were on sale and I had a coupon. We have (6) boxes in the cupboard (plus one that’s open). Today I saw them on sale at a different store. Best price I’ve ever seen them at. But we already have (6) boxes. And I need the remaining cupboard space for food the rest of the family eats. It was actually hard to say no. But as we were getting close to our budget I made that the focus and forced the cart in the opposite direction.

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $20.36 (savings = $3.49)

Trader Joe’s – $6.35

Vons – $36.28 (coupon + card savings = $25.24)

Walgreens – $15.34 (savings = $14.17)

A grand total of $78.33. Not much below the budget but that’s not really the point. We kept to it another week and I’m thrilled. Don’t I sound thrilled?

I just found out Sprouts takes manufacturer coupons, which I’m very excited about. (Really, if you only knew how that makes me well up with happiness.) Their savings total is a little misleading though. Most everything we bought there was on sale in the weekly flyer but the only savings listed was for a BOGO box of frozen waffles.

I’ve read many people say the work involved in coupon clipping and such is just not worth the effort when they try to cook from basic ingredients and don’t use packaged foods. I would have to disagree somewhat. I have found great savings on things like rice, soap, popcorn. I’m not going to be saving 80% of my bill but I’m pretty happy when I can save 50% like this week at Vons. Even with so much spending at a major chain store I still cook using whole foods and not many processed, packaged things.

But sometimes, with a toddler and a great deal, a little convenience can come in handy. Like those frozen waffles.

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 3 Comments »

Tags: Cooking, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Vons, Walgreens

Monday, April 27, 2009

monday – menus and more

The second week home after a vacation or even a three day weekend is when everything starts to feel normal again. I’m starting to feel normal. I’m trying to build up my routines.

Boy #2 is due the end of June. I have about 9 weeks of routine before all hell breaks loose again. But in the meantime I’m making my lists, checking them twice…oh, wait, that’s another story. Back to my story. Grocery list, check. grocery shopping, check. Menu plan, check.

Let’s see what we’ll be eating…

Sunday: leftovers

Monday: chicken breasts, mashed cauliflower (I love this dish, it’s like mashed potatoes but healthier)

Tuesday: boneless pork sirloin chops, sautéed carrots

Wednesday: pancakes

Thursday: WOHO (wife on her own)

Friday: pulled chicken sandwiches, green beans

Saturday: tuna pasta (not sure if this is going to be traditional with cream of mushroom soup or something lighter with flaked tuna, oil and some veg. I guess it depends on the weather that day.)

Our budget was $80, we spent…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $9.09 (this was all of our produce [minus the bananas] and eggs for the week, amazed even me.)

Vons – $24.96

Trader Joe’s – $10.95 (I can’t believe how little I shop here now, I still don’t want to live without a TJ’s nearby but they used to be my go-to for almost everything.)

Walgreens – $22.41

Target – $7.86 (no food but household items that I consider part of the budget)

99¢ Store – $2.00 (potatoes AND bananas!)

Lots of stops this week but with a final total of $77.27 I think it worked out to shop around for the deals. All of these stores are within a couple miles and typically on our way home from some other outing.

I came across this picture essay from Time.com about the foods and budgets of families around the globe. Although it’s quite old it’s definitely worth checking out. Can you guess which is the American family?

Posted in Blogging, Compact, Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 4 Comments »

Tags: Blogging, Compact, Cooking, living green, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Time.com, Trader Joe's, Vons

Monday, April 6, 2009

monday – menus and more

I’m starting lots of new practices around the house, all in the spirit of living with less. Less spending, less, stuff, less waste, lots of less.

The changes included creating a grocery list, clipping coupons, having a weekly food budget and menu planning. That’s a lot of stuff just to have less. And I have much to learn about how to do it all well. But I’m working on it.

Since I’m not the best at creating tasks and sticking to them I thought I’d make it more of a challenge. Each week I’ll create a menu and post it here. It’s not a new idea, I know. In fact, it’s all over the web, I’m just one of a herd of menu planners. But it’s all about the process. Read the circulars, find out what’s on sale, create the grocery list, create the menu, adjust the grocery list, go shopping, everything’s in the house to make the meals, no wandering the store aisles buying willy-nilly. Follow the logic? I used to do a lot of willy-nilly. Now I willy-nilly no more.

If it makes no sense to you, don’t worry. You may not be of the menu planning herd. That’s okay. If I could I’d be of the eating someone else’s food all the time herd, but that’s just not an option. Unless you’re a chef and want to work for me. For free. Or your the perfect grandparent and you’d like to adopt me. I have a very nice family.

So, what’s on the menu? Let’s see…

Sunday: boneless pork chops and broccoli (I really wanted mashed cauliflower but the store that had it on sale didn’t have any and I’d already been to 4 stores and spent my budget)

Monday: chicken and corn on the cob

Tuesday: hamburgers , homemade buns, mac ‘n cheese, salad

Wednesday: pasta, salad (maybe spaghetti, maybe garlic and oil, kinda depends on my mood that day)

Thursday: leftovers, if there are none – eggs in spicy tomato sauce

Friday/Saturday: I get a pass as we are going out of town for the weekend. No cooking!!

And yes, it’s only one meal a day. We eat more, I just figure you don’t need to know about every calorie. These are the major ones – dinner. I know, the descriptives are a little vague. I’m not a fan of recipes so I don’t always have the complete dish in mind but I know the main ingredient. Don’t worry, if I’m ever planning anything specific (like Pioneer Woman’s chicken spaghetti) I’ll be sure to link to it.

This is week 2 of menu planning and week 1 of telling you about it. So prepare for changes. I don’t know what they might be so I’m preparing too.

♦ ♦ ♦

I’ll also tell you what I spent. Again, in a vague way. But enough so that I feel some compulsion to stick to the budget lest I have to tell you I failed so soon after starting.

Here goes, week 1 of $80 budget…

Sprouts Farmers Market – $25.73 (not only are their prices good, I get 5¢ back for every bag I bring in)

Trader Joe’s – $12.64 (I think this is the least I have ever spent at TJ’s for a weekly shop, blame it on Sprouts)

99¢ Store – $2.80 (Never thought it would happen, but I went and got three food items. Less than 3 bucks!)

Vons – $43.18 (I will say, with coupons and card savings this was a $34.16 savings. Plus I bought 2 5lb bags of flour and dry milk which are beyond a weekly food item.)

So, I’m $4.35 over budget. I’ll just have to try better next week. Although, I’m actually thrilled with where we’re at. I have a stocked freezer of chicken, beef and pork and my pantry is not looking to shabby. Consider that my freezer is a small above fridge compartment and my pantry is 4 shelves of an over-the-counter cupboard before you judge me. I just like to make sure you have all the facts. Feel free to judge away.

Where did the $80 limit come from, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. The Frugal Girl uses $80 (sometimes $100) to feed her family of 2 adults and 4 kids. That’s beyond impressive to me. I took into consideration where we live, stores available to us and some items we feel are musts. I balance our need for organic milk (at a much higher price, of course) and my desire to shop at the weekly farmer’s market versus the better prices available on sale produce at the stores.

It’s a work in progress. Consider these my thoughts on the matter. I’m just sharing them out loud. Lucky you.

Feel free to share back.

Posted in Blogging, Cooking, Menu Planning, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living | 6 Comments »

Tags: 99¢ Store, Blogging, Cooking, reusable bags, Saving Money, Shopping, Simple Living, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Frugal Girl, The Pioneer Woman, Trader Joe's, Vons

Friday, January 30, 2009

a look back

me-mirror

It’s almost the end of the month and it is the end of the week. It sounds like a good time to take a look at where we’ve been. Or how far we’ve come. Or what we’ve done. Or haven’t done for that matter. But you get the idea. We are a month into this here Compact year. How’s it going so far?

Well, ever since I wrote that post about forgetting my bags I haven’t forgotten my bags. I guess I just needed to verbalize my issue. I should keep that in mind. Maybe I’ll just start writing about all my problems. Hmm, I might lose a few of you. I think I’ll stick to the topic at hand. What was that again?

I’ve also been doing a lot of cooking at home. And I mean a lot. More than I ever thought I would want to do. And guess what? I’ve been enjoying it! Shhh, don’t tell my husband. I cook, he does laundry. If he thought I enjoyed the cooking we might have to change our deal. And it works so well for me. But in addition to actually enjoying my cooking I’ve finally gotten to the point where I can go to the farmer’s market, buy a bunch of different produce and actually make real meals out of it. It’s kind of a learning curve you know? I started with fruit and have worked my way up to cabbage, bok choy, various lettuces and so much more! What’s next? No, not that. It won’t happen. If there is any baking going on it won’t be me. I’m quite happy with my Organic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Trader Joe’s. A handful of those a day and I am golden!

We’ve had to buy four birthday presents this month and I was able to find great gifts (at least I think they were great, I hope the getters did too!) all at our local thrift and consignment stores. I think we’ve been to Target twice and it was for soap, toothpaste, kleenex (I know, I know, I use hankies but husband just can’t get on that bandwagon, what’s a girl to do?) and Nature Babycare wipes. All in all, I think we’re doing great on that front. I was also able to score 11 linen napkins at the flea market last Sunday for only three bucks! And I really like them to boot! Got a new (circa 1979) bookshelf to be used as a TV stand in a friend’s apartment too. A coat of paint and that will be one sweet find.

That friend’s apartment…it’s a design job I’m doing. More like a favor really. A favor she’s doing for me. I’ve wanted to spruce up this place for years. Now’s my chance. And my first order of business (after finding the bookshelf) was to select all low VOC (actually Dunn Edwards NO VOC!) paints. It’s truly the best. Playing with furniture, fabric and paint in an eco-conscious way with someone else’s money (on a budget – I like a challenge). This rocks! Okay, I know that was a major digression. Back to my Compact accomplishments. (Wow, does that sound like a pat on my own back!)

We’ve been back to Walser’s with all of our pre-sorted recycling. Did you know they even take the metal hangers that (annoyingly) come from the dry-cleaners? They are so great. Really. And yes, we dry-clean. My husband’s work shirts. I don’t iron. Not like that anyway. I know it’s not environmental (although we do try to use the green cleaners) but that’s why I try to do so much else. I am working to find the balance. I take small steps.

And to keep things honest and real – I’m ashamed to say I threw away some celery today. Granted the whole thing only cost me a dollar at the farmer’s market. But still, I’m not happy about it. I was making soup and had taken as much as I could use for that already. The rest was so limp it bent like a willow branch in a strong wind. I couldn’t think of a use or how to save it until I could think of a use. I’m sorry. I feel terrible. I just thought you should know.

To end on a positive note though, I will say that I am really looking forward to the next month of this adventure. And the one after that. And I promise to have more pictures tomorrow. Pictures make everything so much more fun don’t they? Well, to hold you over until then I will leave you with this…