Food wants vs food needs....free keurig coffee...and the giveaway WINNER!

My computer is still in an off again/on again mood, and being hunkered down in my frugal state right now, I really have no desire to take it to the shop, consequently, my time spent on here has been less, which isn't a bad thing after all.  I'm continuing on in my quest to cull out the clutter in my home, a bag here, a box there and my things are finding better places to live. It's really a great feeling. Much like going on a diet! I'm also making a conscious effort to be more grateful. It's harder than you think. At least for me. I find myself falling into the trap of grumbling and complaining far too easily....so today...I'm...

Thankful:

Ahhhhh, fall: cool days and pretty leaves. We did finally have to turn on the heat for a few hours yesterday...but I'm thankful that I can do that so easily. I'm thankful that God is in control and I'm not, I'd surely make a mess of things. I mean, I already do in my own little world, I can't imagine having the whole universe to deal with!

Thrifty:

A big part of being thrifty is just learning to get by with less and really figuring out wants vs. needs. I looked in my grocery cart at Aldi this week and thought about how many items were wants: juice boxes, chips, pretzels, coffee, soda, hot sauce, hazelnut spread, cold cereal...you get the idea. Everything becomes so blurred in our land of plenty. Yes, I have to eat, but I don't need name brand cold cereal. Come to think of it, I don't need cold cereal at all...oatmeal or corn meal muffins are so much cheaper. Think your kids won't eat basic, bland foods? Try this. The next time they want a pop tart because they are "starving," tell them to eat a bowl of oatmeal, an apple or a bunch of carrot sticks instead. If they refuse, they really aren't THAT hungry, they just want to eat.  Ask yourself the same question. I eat for many reasons, seldom is it for true hunger. It may seem nit-picky, but if frugality becomes a harsh reality in your life, you need to examine every area, even the tough ones.

There are some great deals at Office Depot again this week. Many, many items that are free after rewards, but perhaps the best deal this week for coffee lovers is free 18 pack keurig cups!  You can pick up 2 boxes every day all week. Very nice! Look for the banner on the top of the page for details: http://www.officedepot.com/

And as promised, I have a winner in this month's giveaway! I have several items for the next 2 months, the item and the winner are chosen randomly:  Drum roll....

Winner is: pescel11@. I don't know who you are, so I'll be emailing you directly and you'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner! This month's prize is a brand new stainless steel crock pot, the ultimate frugal appliance! Congratulations!! Make sure you become a subscriber or follower to be in on next month's giveaway!