Earle Proulx's tips--Make it Last Book Review, All You Day 12

My Northern friends (esp) will appreciate Earl Proulx's book Make it Last. Earl was a native New Englander. I say "was," though I cannot confirm if the man is dead or not. In typical New England fashion, he doesn't show up on google except as an author. Anywho...Earl was a regular writer for Yankee Magazine for years and is a master at frugal living, particularly when it comes to creative recycling and making things last. The man has tips for every possible subject. When I was little, my dad subscribed to Yankee, and even then, I would read Earl's articles--guess I've been a tightwad all along! So, it was with much excitement that I picked up a copy of Make it Last at a yard sale last week. Here are a few tips just to give you an idea:

1. Use oil from a walnut to conceal surface scratches on wood furniture. Crack the shell and rub a piece of the walnut meat in the scratch. Polish the area with a soft rag, and the scratch should be nearly invisible.
2. If you have a drawer that sticks, rub the sliders with a bar of soap.
3. To reshape a shrunken woolen sweater, boil it in one part vinegar and two parts water for 25 minutes, then  re-block the garment and do not remove it until it is dry.
4. To remove microwave odors, boil a cup of water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice in it for 5 minutes, then wipe down.
5. Always use warm water for a vase of fresh cut flowers.

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.


Day 12

Breakfast: (whole wheat) toast with peanut butter, fried eggs, milk
Lunch: pizza, green salad, potato salad, soda (all leftovers from the last two nights)
Dinner: chicken on the grill, green beans*, cukes* and tomatoes*, fruit salad (cantaloupe/strawberries), (brown) rice, (pumpkin* and carrot) cake leftovers, milk

I had to take Abby in for an early appointment this morning and since we were going by Bottom Dollar, I decided to stop. I correctly remembered that their meat is marked down in the AM and I was met with a sea of orange discount stickers. This is meat that expires soon, but if you use it the same day or freeze it, you should be good. Once again, I might shop here monthly, if that, but I was going by. I got about 3.75 pounds each of steak (for July 4th celebration) and boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a pound of ground pork for approximately $1.35 a pound...total out: $10.00.

Laundry day, then picking produce...and having a friend over for dinner tonight! Always nice to share the bounty.

You might be too cheap if....All You Day 11

So today we celebrated my youngest 13th b'day. It's actually on the 10th of July, but we are always in Maine and he wanted to have a party in NC with his buds. I was planning to try to do something this weekend, but then it dawned on me that our church was having their annual pool party tonight and we could just combine the two events...maybe I'm getting too frugal....nah...kids loved it and Lee had a great time also. It was a bit challenging to keep in budget. I decided on Lil' Caesars, my new favorite (cheap) fast food. Large pepperoni pizzas, hot and ready all day for 5 bucks. Nice!  And we even have enough left over for lunch tomorrow:)

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.



Day 11

Breakfast: I was at work, not sure what the kids had:)
Lunch: Cheese quesadillas, fruit, pretzels
Dinner: Lil' Caesers, home made birthday carrot cake, soda

Money out:

Lil Caesars: 5 large pizzas $27.00
CVS: four 2 liter Pepsi products (BOGO), 10# bag of ice-- after ECB coupons: $2.00

Free Pantene, cheap Bath and Body; Deals by the Road; All You Day 10

Last night Mike and I went for a walk and found this nice cedar glider in a junk heap. Needs a pressure wash, but it works great! Always be on the lookout for deals, where ever they may be:) Cedar lasts forever. You never know when a trip around the block on trash night might yield a treasure!

Started the day off with a 4 mile run at Jamestown Park...lovely morning.  Visited good friends in Thomasville, picked up our boat in Colfax and are having dear friends over for a cookout tonight. How blessed can one person be??!!

Great coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase at Bath & Body. This is perfect because they are also having their summer clearance sale...check it out. Coupon is good until July 5th. Time to get ahead on Christmas gifts! (Think teachers)
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=11764584

For Vocal Point members, free sample of Motts for Tots:
http://www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots/address.aspx

And another great coupon for a free full size Pantene product. If the page doesn't load, just wait a couple of minutes and refresh the page...that worked for me!:
http://www.facebook.com/PanteneNA?sk=app_170871922977146

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.



Day 10

Can't believe that we are more than a third of the way through the challenge. Time flies. Today I did a run to Holly Hill Salvage. I wouldn't make a special trip, but it is near some friends of mine, and I really needed to visit them. Nothing too remarkable: 3 bags of chunk chocolate, 30oz jar Miracle Whip, 10 individual applesauce cups, 2 boxes lime jello, box Nestle hot chocolate, beef jerky, box of cinnamon roll mix. Total out: $8.00  I also stopped by the Merita bread outlet and picked up 2 loaves of whole wheat bread and 3 packs of whole wheat hamburger buns for 80 cents each, then got an angel food cake and (guilty) a box of Hostess cupcakes for a buck each. Total :$6.00 I don't go to either of these stores often, but since I was in range, I stopped by. Also got 2 gallons of milk and 1 dozen eggs at Walgreens for $8.00.


Breakfast: coco wheats, OJ, milk (I had a 32g protein shake)
Lunch: box mac n cheese, ham, nectarines/plums/apples, water/lemonade
Dinner: burgers, dogs, baked beans, green salad, potato salad, lemonade, iced tea, pumpkin* cake (the pumpkin came from my brother's garden in Maine last fall. We made a jack-o-lantern here in NC, then toasted the seeds and pureed the "meat." It was in the freezer:) with cream cheese frosting

BOGO frappes and free Tena sample; All You Day 9

Today Abby and I went to her prosthodontist; her partial was loose--so much so that it fell out on one of the rides at Universal. (Thankfully, we found it!) Come to find out, her original bone graft has resorbed to the point that her gum line has changed and she needs a new partial. The good news is...we really like Dr. Martinez and would recommend him to anyone (Kelcy, if you're reading this, make sure you tell him!!) and it won't cost nearly as much as we anticipated. We go back on Thursday and they will do the new molds. This evening I want to put in my second planting of  green beans and cucumbers; gotta love the south! Also might try to take a trip to the local "bent can store."

This isn't a real freebie...but it is a BOGO for Mickey D's smoothies or frappes (which I happen to think are very yummy) and since it doesn't expire until 7/31, I can wait til after the challenge is over to use it for a cheap date night:)!! http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/promotions/Smoothies.html

And here is a link for a free sample of children's Tena pads:
http://www.tena.us/children/product-pavilion/free-samples-for-children/

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.



Day 9


Today I went to Harris Teeter and picked up a few items that were great deals after the super double coupons: two 5lb bags of sugar, pancake syrup, 1 big box of organic arugula,  family size bag of mixed baby salad greens, 2 # of heirloom tomatoes (these last 3 items were in the discount produce bin) and 2 boxes of Reynolds 50 ft aluminum foil. I saved $16.00...Total out: $8.00

Breakfast: french toast (whole wheat bread), coffee, milk, OJ
Lunch: tuna (with light olive oil mayo on whole wheat), green salad, granola bars, water
Dinner: white chili (made with ground turkey and great northern beans that I soaked overnight) corn muffins, milk, (sugar free) jello

I found a two pound bag of beans in my pantry and made that the basis of two meals this week: the chili tonight and made- from- scratch -New England -style -baked -beans- like- my- mama- used- to -make to have at the picnic for our friends tomorrow. Dried beans are one of the cheapest forms of low fat protien that you can possibly buy. I use pintos, black beans, kidney beans and white beans.

My son informed me that he wanted carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for his birthday. I think I have all I need to make it...that's next on the agenda, and since the baked beans are in the oven, it's time to take advantage of the heat and make a couple of cakes and muffins....in fact, I hear my duaghter mixing up a pumpkin cake as I write. Thanks Ab!

Radical; All You Day 8

Our Sunday School class has been reading the book Radical by David Platt; a book I would recommend if you need to be shaken up a bit in your devotion for Christ and how that all comes in to play with the "American Dream." Today we finished up the last chapter and were challenged to do 5 things:

1. Pray for the world. Literally. http://www.operationworld.org/
2. Read the entire Bible in a year. http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/
3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose. (Not just give out of excess, but sacrifice.
4. Spend time in another context. (Maybe a short term mission, or feeding the homeless...)
5. Commit your life to a multiplying community. (Think small group of like-minded believers)
Mike and I will be discussing over the next few weeks what this might look like individually and for our family. I have been convicted, and that is good. I think anytime I am comfortable in my Christianity, it's time for God to do something in my life. For me, comfortable always equals less reliance on Christ.

This happens to flow nicely into the All You Challenge as I am already learning more ways to cut back and do without. My motto: Stretch money so I can live better, save wisely and give generously. Soooooo...

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.



Day 8:

Breakfast: homemade banana and chocolate muffins, fried eggs, milk, coffee, OJ (I even made enough muffins to share with our Sunday School class!!)
Lunch: stir fry veggies (cabbage, onions, mushrooms, carrots, summer squash*) in (light) olive oil over noodles, milk/water
Dinner: linguni and clams (in garlic and light olive oil), cantelope, milk/water, (1/2 Hershey's bar)

I have been diligently trying myself to drink water with more meals. At lunch--well, except for today--I have been serving water to everyone with rarely a complaint. I've also been going light on desserts. And good news! My boys only paid to eat out at one meal on their trip...their coach paid for pizza (thanks, coach!!) for the other meal. They also came home with quite a bit of the food I sent with them and a little extra--hence the Hershey bars.

Looking forward to a great week: 13th birthday party for my youngest and a farewell dinner for friends of ours who are going to...AFRICA!

Money out today: Lunch for the boys @ Taco Bell: $8.00

All You Day 7--the week's totals

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, I round to the nearest dollar.


Day 7:

I have to admit, this All You Challenge is more difficult than I thought it would be. I have always been very frugal with my grocery budget, but I never include eating out in that budget as that comes under the "entertainment" tab at my house, and even then it is rare. (However, in my normal grocery budget, I include toiletries, paper products and cleaning suppllies, and in this challenge, these are not included) Of course, we had to start on a week when there were two (not ONE but TWO) trips planned and I really didn't have a choice. Now that it's over, I'm glad though. It just made me that much more conscious of what I was buying.

Breakfast: whole wheat pancakes, milk, OJ
Lunch: ham and pepper jack on whole wheat, nectarine, diet coke (just me!!)
Dinner: chef's salad with ham, eggs and cheese, milk

My totals out this week (rounded to the nearest dollar)

Complete Total for Food this Week: $127.00 new update $112.00! (the coach paid for pizza)

Groceries Total: $70.00
CVS: $1.00
Harris Teeter: $17.00
Walgreens: $7.00
Aldi: $38.00
Dollar Tree: $6.00
Walmart: $1.00

Eating Out Total: $57.00 (new update: $42.00)
Grove City College Cafeteria: $15.00
Boys camping trip meal one $15.00 
Abby/Mike meal one(Primati Brothers Gorve City): $15.00
Abby/Mike meal two(McDonalds): $5.00
Abby/Mike meal three(Arby's):$7.00

$30 is $30, freebies! All You Challenge, Day 6

I read an interesting article some time ago about how we assign different values to money based on the cost of what we are purchasing. Consider this: You stop into your favorite shoe shop and find the sneakers you want on sale for $50.00. You're happy about that and are all ready to buy them when a lady walks up to you and says, "Did you know that Super Shoes two blocks down has those same exact shoes on sale for $20??? Dude! How awesome is that??? You happily walk the 2 blocks and save yourself 30 bucks. It seems like a fabulous amount of savings...over half off!!

Now consider this scenario: You are purchasing a new living room suite for $1000.00. You've been saving for quite some time now and are ready to buy. You make your way to Joe's Furniture with your thousand big ones in hand. Your buddy Tom walks in and tells you that the same set in on sale 2 blocks away for $970.00. You think about it for a second, but decide that 30 dollars really isn't worth the hassle of going to the other store. You fork over the 1000 bucks.

So what's the difference?? 30 dollars sure did seem like a bunch of money when you bought those shoes. I'd like to think that I would be the one to walk away from the furniture and buy elsewhere, but the reality is, I do this, as do we all, in different situations. I happen to get lax on vacation...spending more on one meal than I do all week at home. Apparently others do also: While Mike and I were eating in Epcot a few weeks back, a British couple with two kids sat down at the table next to us. The kids wanted to order milkshakes to drink and ice cream for dessert. The Dad looked skeptical. "Oh, whatever," said the mom, "we are on vacation after all!"

I'm not saying this is always a bad thing, but the article has caused me to rethink purchases and not be so quick to blame my lack of money on higher gas prices or increased electric bills. Maybe I should just pay closer attention to the cost of the items I do buy!!

Free sample of  Splenda: https://www.splenda.com/freesamples/coupon (love this stuff!)

Free sample of Glade trash bags (vocal point members...sign up for free):
http://www.vocalpoint.com/glad/address.aspx

I will be updating daily on the All You Grocery Challenge, which runs June19- July16. The Challenge: spend only $25 per person per week or less ($150.00 for my crew) to feed your family, including eating out...but do so in a creative, healthy way. An * denotes our own garden food; (parentheses indicate healthy changes.) Winner gets $1000 and a write up in ALL YOU magazine! Please know that for grocery purchase totals, i round to the nearest dollar.



Day 6:

Breakfast: cold cereal, milk, toast with peanut butter and honey, coffee
Lunch: grilled ham and cheese on (wheat), cukes*, orange slices, pretzels and (sugar free lemonade)
Dinner: Since it's just the boys and I, I decided to use 4 coupons I have for Chick-fil-A, two for free chicken sandwiches and two for free shakes, we shared and rounded out the meal with nectarines, pretzels and sugar free lemonade. Not the healthiest meal, but a nice Friday night treat.

And today was my shopping day. This week is proving to be a challenge because I will have to average in Mike and Abby's eating out on their trip and then tomorrow the boys--all 3 of them--are going on an overnight camp out for cross country. While we are sending food for breakfast and lunches, I need to send enough money for two meals out for each boy. I am only going to give them $10 each ($30 total) and they will have to use their own money if they want to spend more than that.

Today I went to Walgreens, and after regular coupons & WG coupons (for $37.00) and a $5 rebate I'll be getting back, I only spent $7.00. Here's what I got: three 12 oz canned hams, two 10 oz packages of Oscar Meyer ham, 3 Gatorade G 03 products, 2 cans mushrooms, 2 cans mandarin oranges, 10 boxes sugar free jello, 9 oz can almonds, bag of candy, 1 gallon drinking water(for the camp out).

At Dollar Tree I spent $6.00: 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, 2 quart jug of vinegar, 3 bags of sunflower seeds.

Aldi: 2 gallons milk, 2 bags of apples, 6 lbs of nectarines, 2 lbs of plums, 10lbs of potatoes, fresh garlic, 2 cans of frozen OJ concentrate, 1 cantaloupe, 1 lb strawberries, 1 lb macaroni, 1 lb of spaghetti, 2 cans of tuna, 3 "gatorade" type drinks-32oz, 1 box granola bars, 2 packages cheese/crackers Total: $38.00 

Walmart: baking soda, 10oz diet coke (free!) $1.00

Happy Weekend! Remember how good God is:)!!