So much fun.

One of my homeschool mom friends and I decided to go to the salvage grocery store today and oh, boy did we have a good time.  I bought 10 boxes of cereal at about 1.60 each, which are usually 3.65 to 4.85 each.  So that's a savings of, let's see, even counting them all as the cheapest 3.65 that's more than 2 dollars per box for a savings of 20 bucks.  Then, I got 6 of the kind of gluten free cake mix that they sell in my grocery store for 5.99 for 75 cents each.  That's  another 31 bucks I saved right there.  Of course, I didn't NEED cake mixes, but we are having a valentine party next week and I can bring cupcakes my son and I can eat.  :-)  Plus, every time there is a special occasion this year, pretty much.  (We need to eat them all before the expiration date in September 2012, but we'll manage.)  That's just 2 categories of stuff that I got.  I got a bunch of canned goods, gluten free cookies and crackers, candy, frosting (for the cupcakes ;-) and more.   Then, my friend took us out to eat, with coupons (She's exceptionally smart at couponing) and we all 5 ate at Chik-Fil-la for 2.54 cents.  And we're still full 2 hours later.  FULL.

The most fun part was being around another mom and talking, laughing, talking and laughing while we saved the money. :-) 

Grocery shopping again.

Have I mentioned that I don't like grocery shopping?  I had to go again today and I have had such a headache all day that I imagine that an axe handle must be sticking out of the top of my head, it feels that awful, but it had to be done, so I went.  My husband had given me coupons that had come in the mail and one was for 16 dollars off my order if I went above 160 dollars.  They know that 160 a week is above my grocery budget because they track spending with those plus cards, so they are trying to make me get in the habit of spending more.  I know that, but 16 bucks?  I had to go for it.  My youngest son was with me.  We stocked up on expensive crazy things like peanut butter (really only 1 jar but it was a biggie) and toilet paper and we threw in a few things we really didn't need like Goldfish crackers.   We got the 16 dollars off but we had gotten a little carried away and were over budget even with the 16 dollars off and a few other coupons.  I felt bad because I always feel bad if I go over the budget.   It's a personal challenge, that budget.  I came home and looked up average grocery budgets and found this.   Apparently, according to the FDA, I am even under the lowest estimates for a family of 5 which includes 3 teenagers (AND 3 dogs and 2 cats) and we pretty  much never eat out.  I feel somewhat better, but I am still absolutely determined to stay within budget from now on.  :-P

PS.  I wore the same pants that I blogged about before here. but I've lost some weight and now they are way baggy on me and so they no longer have the same effect.

PSS.  I did have a grocery list today as well as a meal plan, but that coupon made me go kind of crazy.  That's my excuse.:-P

PSSS:  Also, I had a headache.

Fun!

Every now and then I like to go into the Goodwill store and prowl around for books, movies, games, etc.  We have gotten several of our best board games there for a dollar and several times they haven't previously been opened.  Last night, I scored this science kit still in the shrink wrap for a 1.50.  My youngest son has been having so much fun today with it.  He's made a clock run with 2 potatoes, lighted up an LED with 3 bottles of water and even made a little musical thingy play a tune (very softly, we all kind of felt like Horton hears a Who or maybe the Who marching band...) using, of all things, the mud from 2 flower pots.  Fun, educational and cheap.  Enviro Battery