I have been planning on making this post for a while now, but I just couldn't bring my lazy self to do it! Many people ask me when I stock up on certain items, and why I am willing to buy some things one week but not another. Well, the answer is simple: I have set "stock up" prices for different items. When an item is at or below that price, I buy multiples of it. Grocery stores usually have sale cycles where an item will be on sale at the lowest price, but the cycle is usually every 3-6 months or is seasonal.
Here are a few examples of some items that I buy regularly. The stock up price is in bold and the "oh crap I'm running out of this item" price is in italics.
Laundry Detergent (50 oz or larger): $4.99 $7.00
Dryer Sheets (100 sheets): $1.99 $3.00
Fabric Softener (50 oz or larger): $1.99 $3.00
Bleach (50 oz or larger): $0.99 $1.89
Dish Soap: FREE $0.99
Dishwasher Detergent (20 Loads): $1.00 $1.50
Hand Soap: $0.40 $1.00
All Purpose Cleaner: $0.50 $1.50
Glass Cleaner: $1.50 $2.50
Freezer Bags: $1.50 $2.00
Storage Bags: $1.00 $1.50
Aluminum Foil: $0.50 $1.50
Trash Bags (20ct): $1.50 $2.00
Paper Towels (per roll): $0.50 $1.00
Toilet Paper (per roll): $0.50 $1.00
Tissues: $0.30 $1.00
Paper/Plastic Plates: $1.99 $3.99
Paper Napkins: $0.99 $1.99
Plastic Cups: $1.99 $3.99
I am always on the lookout for sales on paper plates, napkins, and plastic cups at places like TJMaxx and Joann. The brand name and quality of the item matters to me as well - I will pay $4.99 for a big bottle of Tide, but not for Purex (my other favorite detergent). I will pay $1.98 for a big bottle of Mrs. Meyer's dish soap from Target, but not Dawn dish soap. Why? The Mrs. Meyer's soap lasts longer and smells amazing! Always remember that quality counts!
Did I forget anything on this list? Let me know!
- Maggie White
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
[ budget ] :: mint.com
Alrighty guys: I'm not claiming to be a financial expert, but a well thought out budget is essential to being wise with your hard-earned cash. The Hubs and I keep track of our finances through Mint.com. It's safe, secure, and user-friendly, plus I love that I can look up our financial information any time I want. (They don't pay me to say this, I just freaking love Mint.)
The Hubs gave me free-reign over the budget this year, and I don't think he knew what he was in for. Y'all - it's confession time. When I was in grad school I didn't have time to cook (or grocery shop), so The Hubs and I ate out at restaurants all the damn time. In case you didn't know, restaurant food makes you broke and fat. Over the past few years we've been dwindling the overall budget down, but I gave it a massive overhaul this year.
And guess what? We don't have disagreements over money anymore. Or spending. Instead, we fight over other things...like why I keep forgetting to empty the recycling bin. Or serious issues, such as when The Hubs steals the last bite of my steak and I stab him with my fork. True story. Involuntary reflex. We were at dinner with The Hubs' family and they were sympathetic to my plight.
Here is how to start:
1) Take inventory of your monthly fixed expenses - bills you have to pay no matter what. Examples are mortgage/rent, car payments, insurance, bills (phone, internet, cable), and utilities. Allocate these items to your budget.
Your minimum credit card payment should fall into this category. Always pay your credit card bill since not doing so can negatively effect your credit score!
Advice: look over your bills, particularly utilities, and look for ways to save money. Last month, I had The Hubs look over our TV and phone bills, and guess what? They over billed us!
2) Set a budget for your necessities - gas/transportation, groceries, pet food. If you know ahead of time that you will have an expense that month (birthday gift, vet visit), go ahead and budget for that as well.
For example: The Demon Dogs had a vet visit this month and I knew they needed more flea meds and heartworm prevention, so I budgeted for this. I hate surprise expenses!
I have managed to shave down our budget, particularly on groceries, dog food, and household items. Yay coupons! Shop smart and use sales to your advantage.
3) Budget for your variable expenses - expenses you can control, such as entertainment/movies, dining out, books/magazines, and shopping. Prioritize your expenses, too. Is it more important to go out to dinner a few times a month, or put money into savings? Cut expenses that you don't use regularly or need. Again, if you know that you will be spending money on something, plan ahead!
4) If you can afford to, put money into savings. Like I said before, I hate surprises to my budget. Any extra money at the end of the month goes towards paying off more of my credit card bill (preferably the entire thing so I don't rack up interest charges), and some goes to savings. Many finance-gurus suggest having 3+ months of emergency funds, which can be daunting when your savings are at a $0.00 balance.
Start small - set aside $20 per month, or use a debit card with a savings account attached. I get $1 transferred to my savings account every time I use my debit card. Since I use my card for most of my daily transactions, I end up automatically putting $20+ in my account every month. How easy is that?
If you have suggestions let me know! I think that everyone is in a different financial situation, so this may or may not work for you. However, it works for us...Happy budgeting!
- Maggie White
The Hubs gave me free-reign over the budget this year, and I don't think he knew what he was in for. Y'all - it's confession time. When I was in grad school I didn't have time to cook (or grocery shop), so The Hubs and I ate out at restaurants all the damn time. In case you didn't know, restaurant food makes you broke and fat. Over the past few years we've been dwindling the overall budget down, but I gave it a massive overhaul this year.
And guess what? We don't have disagreements over money anymore. Or spending. Instead, we fight over other things...like why I keep forgetting to empty the recycling bin. Or serious issues, such as when The Hubs steals the last bite of my steak and I stab him with my fork. True story. Involuntary reflex. We were at dinner with The Hubs' family and they were sympathetic to my plight.
Here is how to start:
1) Take inventory of your monthly fixed expenses - bills you have to pay no matter what. Examples are mortgage/rent, car payments, insurance, bills (phone, internet, cable), and utilities. Allocate these items to your budget.
Your minimum credit card payment should fall into this category. Always pay your credit card bill since not doing so can negatively effect your credit score!
Advice: look over your bills, particularly utilities, and look for ways to save money. Last month, I had The Hubs look over our TV and phone bills, and guess what? They over billed us!
2) Set a budget for your necessities - gas/transportation, groceries, pet food. If you know ahead of time that you will have an expense that month (birthday gift, vet visit), go ahead and budget for that as well.
For example: The Demon Dogs had a vet visit this month and I knew they needed more flea meds and heartworm prevention, so I budgeted for this. I hate surprise expenses!
I have managed to shave down our budget, particularly on groceries, dog food, and household items. Yay coupons! Shop smart and use sales to your advantage.
3) Budget for your variable expenses - expenses you can control, such as entertainment/movies, dining out, books/magazines, and shopping. Prioritize your expenses, too. Is it more important to go out to dinner a few times a month, or put money into savings? Cut expenses that you don't use regularly or need. Again, if you know that you will be spending money on something, plan ahead!
4) If you can afford to, put money into savings. Like I said before, I hate surprises to my budget. Any extra money at the end of the month goes towards paying off more of my credit card bill (preferably the entire thing so I don't rack up interest charges), and some goes to savings. Many finance-gurus suggest having 3+ months of emergency funds, which can be daunting when your savings are at a $0.00 balance.
Start small - set aside $20 per month, or use a debit card with a savings account attached. I get $1 transferred to my savings account every time I use my debit card. Since I use my card for most of my daily transactions, I end up automatically putting $20+ in my account every month. How easy is that?
If you have suggestions let me know! I think that everyone is in a different financial situation, so this may or may not work for you. However, it works for us...Happy budgeting!
- Maggie White
Friday, September 13, 2013
[ budget ] :: what we eat
A few of my friends have asked me what we eat on a daily basis. Are we living off of Hamburger Helper and canned tuna? No.
You don't have to sacrifice your food quality or your health to eat on the cheap. I've lost almost 40 pounds this year (The Hubs lost around 40, too) by sticking to a better diet and cooking at home - and I didn't have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on "diet food" to do it either!
Here are a few examples of the meals we've eaten over the past week. I originally wanted to document an entire day, but more often than not I scarfed down my food before I could snap a photo. Oops...
Breakfasts:
This week, I've been steadily working through the Bagel Thins I bought in bulk from Big Lots. The picture below is a pre-workout breakfast: a Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel Thin with Aldi Pumpkin Cream Cheese and a hard boiled egg. The Hubs likes his with a smathering of peanut butter and homemade low-sugar strawberry jam. Oh, and we eat tons of bananas. At least one each at breakfast.
We usually don't eat a lot of wheat-based foods, but I do love me some bagels. They are my guilty pleasure! The other mornings, I had 2 hard boiled eggs with a big bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, and blueberries. Should I mention the mass quantities of coffee The Hubs and I go through on any given morning? Delish!
Lunch:
Our lunches vary from day to day. Most of the time, we have leftovers from the night before with a green salad, side of fruit, and a yogurt. Today's lunch was leftover Salsa Verde Chicken and another gigantic bowl of melon, and The Hubs brought some extra fruit and yogurt to tide him over until dinner.
This lunch was from a no-leftover day: turkey and swiss (with gobs of mustard and lettuce) on thin sandwich bread, tons of grapes and blueberries, and homemade garlic-dill pickles.
Dinner:
I like to keep dinner pretty simple. It's usually a combination of a meat/seafood/bean dish with a big, green salad, and 1-2 types of veggies. For example, the other night we had Salsa Verde Chicken (yum) topped with a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese and homemade pickled onions, and a huge watermelon and feta salad.
The meal picture below consisted of 2 chicken drumsticks (grilled with wing sauce...The Hubs cooked), grilled corn, and grilled okra and banana peppers from the garden. We had a big green salad with tomatoes and lite dressing on the side as well. I'm happy to have the night off when he cooks, no matter what he makes!
Snacks:
Yep, we snack as well. Our snacks vary depending on what we have, but The Hubs usually has a piece of fruit and one (or two or three) light yogurts. Every day. Without fail. He can really put it away! I like to snack on almonds, fruit, and fruit/veggie smoothies during the day. If I have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge already, I'll eat one of those after a workout.
So, you may have noticed that we eat a helluva lot of fruits and veggies. I could probably live off of vegetables if it weren't for The Hubs' insatiable appetite for meat. The other day, I was asked about how many servings of each food group I eat, and I honestly had no clue. I don't keep up with that stuff! If I had to guess I would say...
2 - 3 servings of healthy oil and fat (found in olive oil, nuts, avocado, salmon, etc.) 2 - 3 servings of grains (mostly rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat products)
2 - 3 servings of dairy
3 - 5 servings of meat, beans, and seafood
4 - 6 servings of vegetables
4 - 6 servings of fruit
What I do know is this: I pay attention to my portions. When I stick to proper portion sizes, I save calories and grocery money.
I hope you enjoyed seeing what The Hubs and I live off of! Hopefully I'll remember to take some more pictures next time.
- Maggie White
You don't have to sacrifice your food quality or your health to eat on the cheap. I've lost almost 40 pounds this year (The Hubs lost around 40, too) by sticking to a better diet and cooking at home - and I didn't have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on "diet food" to do it either!
Here are a few examples of the meals we've eaten over the past week. I originally wanted to document an entire day, but more often than not I scarfed down my food before I could snap a photo. Oops...
Breakfasts:
This week, I've been steadily working through the Bagel Thins I bought in bulk from Big Lots. The picture below is a pre-workout breakfast: a Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel Thin with Aldi Pumpkin Cream Cheese and a hard boiled egg. The Hubs likes his with a smathering of peanut butter and homemade low-sugar strawberry jam. Oh, and we eat tons of bananas. At least one each at breakfast.
We usually don't eat a lot of wheat-based foods, but I do love me some bagels. They are my guilty pleasure! The other mornings, I had 2 hard boiled eggs with a big bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, and blueberries. Should I mention the mass quantities of coffee The Hubs and I go through on any given morning? Delish!
Lunch:
Our lunches vary from day to day. Most of the time, we have leftovers from the night before with a green salad, side of fruit, and a yogurt. Today's lunch was leftover Salsa Verde Chicken and another gigantic bowl of melon, and The Hubs brought some extra fruit and yogurt to tide him over until dinner.
This lunch was from a no-leftover day: turkey and swiss (with gobs of mustard and lettuce) on thin sandwich bread, tons of grapes and blueberries, and homemade garlic-dill pickles.
Dinner:
I like to keep dinner pretty simple. It's usually a combination of a meat/seafood/bean dish with a big, green salad, and 1-2 types of veggies. For example, the other night we had Salsa Verde Chicken (yum) topped with a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese and homemade pickled onions, and a huge watermelon and feta salad.
The meal picture below consisted of 2 chicken drumsticks (grilled with wing sauce...The Hubs cooked), grilled corn, and grilled okra and banana peppers from the garden. We had a big green salad with tomatoes and lite dressing on the side as well. I'm happy to have the night off when he cooks, no matter what he makes!
Snacks:
Yep, we snack as well. Our snacks vary depending on what we have, but The Hubs usually has a piece of fruit and one (or two or three) light yogurts. Every day. Without fail. He can really put it away! I like to snack on almonds, fruit, and fruit/veggie smoothies during the day. If I have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge already, I'll eat one of those after a workout.
So, you may have noticed that we eat a helluva lot of fruits and veggies. I could probably live off of vegetables if it weren't for The Hubs' insatiable appetite for meat. The other day, I was asked about how many servings of each food group I eat, and I honestly had no clue. I don't keep up with that stuff! If I had to guess I would say...
2 - 3 servings of healthy oil and fat (found in olive oil, nuts, avocado, salmon, etc.) 2 - 3 servings of grains (mostly rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat products)
2 - 3 servings of dairy
3 - 5 servings of meat, beans, and seafood
4 - 6 servings of vegetables
4 - 6 servings of fruit
What I do know is this: I pay attention to my portions. When I stick to proper portion sizes, I save calories and grocery money.
I hope you enjoyed seeing what The Hubs and I live off of! Hopefully I'll remember to take some more pictures next time.
- Maggie White
Monday, September 9, 2013
[ budget ] :: the importance of buying in-season
I cannot stress enough how important it is to cook for the season you are in. Not only is the produce more fresh, it comes from more regional farms instead of being shipped thousands of miles from Mexico or South America. Should I mention that it is cheaper, too?
A few days ago, I posted my recipe for my Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Summer Salad. Most of the ingredients were either purchased on sale or grown in my garden. Remember my Aldi trip the other day? I got the sweet corn and avocados at the peak of their freshness, but at a low price. The peppers, tomatoes, and green onion came straight from my yard so I know they're fresh! The canned black beans were on sale at Publix a while back, and I got a 3 pound sack of Vidalia onions at the beginning of the summer for $0.99 (what a steal!). The other ingredients (salt, pepper, oil, lime juice) are all items that I have on-hand at all times.
So what did 10+ servings of delicious salad cost to make? Here's the breakdown:
$1.34 - Corn
$0.34 - Beans
$1.38 - Avocados
$0.08 - Onion
Free* - Tomatoes, peppers, and green onion
$0.15 - Dressing
Total: $4.18, or $0.42 cents per one cup serving.
Note to self: calculating cost of dressing ingredients was a huge pain. Never do it again.
*As The Hubs points out, it costs water, fertilizer, dirt, seeds, etc. to grow food. I consider gardening a hobby so I don't count that towards the cost of our food.
I mentioned in my recipe that I would serve the Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Summer Salad with tacos or spicy chicken - so what would I do in the winter months? I would probably serve a rice and bean dish, or cilantro-lime rice, with an amazing red cabbage slaw. Perhaps a green salad with cilantro-lime dressing. It's all about making it work!
Save money, eat healthy!
- Maggie White
A few days ago, I posted my recipe for my Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Summer Salad. Most of the ingredients were either purchased on sale or grown in my garden. Remember my Aldi trip the other day? I got the sweet corn and avocados at the peak of their freshness, but at a low price. The peppers, tomatoes, and green onion came straight from my yard so I know they're fresh! The canned black beans were on sale at Publix a while back, and I got a 3 pound sack of Vidalia onions at the beginning of the summer for $0.99 (what a steal!). The other ingredients (salt, pepper, oil, lime juice) are all items that I have on-hand at all times.
So what did 10+ servings of delicious salad cost to make? Here's the breakdown:
$1.34 - Corn
$0.34 - Beans
$1.38 - Avocados
$0.08 - Onion
Free* - Tomatoes, peppers, and green onion
$0.15 - Dressing
Total: $4.18, or $0.42 cents per one cup serving.
Note to self: calculating cost of dressing ingredients was a huge pain. Never do it again.
*As The Hubs points out, it costs water, fertilizer, dirt, seeds, etc. to grow food. I consider gardening a hobby so I don't count that towards the cost of our food.
I mentioned in my recipe that I would serve the Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Summer Salad with tacos or spicy chicken - so what would I do in the winter months? I would probably serve a rice and bean dish, or cilantro-lime rice, with an amazing red cabbage slaw. Perhaps a green salad with cilantro-lime dressing. It's all about making it work!
Save money, eat healthy!
- Maggie White
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