Freezing Grapes

Sometimes there are good deals, and sometimes there are GREAT deals. 

This week ( June 18-22) Red Seedless Grapes: 

This deal is going on at Rancho Markets ( located in several locations across the Salt Lake Valley).  Instead of driving on down to Rancho, I stopped at my local Walmart and price matched them. Since the deal was so good, I bought several bunches of grapes. 

They were priced at 1.98 per lb at Walmart so I saved 75% on grapes today!!!! 

When prices are this good, I always buy a little more than I normally would. But I don't want my produce to go bad. 

Did you know you can freeze grapes? 

Yep, you can. 

1. Wash grapes
2. Dry grapes and pick off vine.
3. After they are completely dry lay them flat on a cookie sheet and place into freezer. This is so they freeze individually and don't clump together
4. Once completely frozen, transfer to a ziploc freezer bag.
5. Grapes should keep for 2-3 months. ( If you can make them last that long!)

Learning to freeze food is one of the best ways that you can save money. 

Plus with all this hot summer weather, a handful of frozen grapes sounds like the perfect healthy, refreshing treat that I need! 

Hope you enjoy! 

$$$ Grocery Budget $$$

 

 

Last week I had the pleasure of welcoming another friend into my home to teach them a little about how I menu plan and how I do my grocery shopping. I absolutely love sharing my knowledge with others and told her as she left to get back to me with any questions she might have.

Not ten minutes later she called me and asked,

 

"How much should I be spending

 on my groceries anyway?"

 

This is such a good question, and one that I am so glad she asked. I think the vast majority of us just go to the grocery store and buy what we need to. We think of groceries as a necessity and therefore is just a cost we must pay.

Saving money at the grocery store will only come if you have a number in mind ( aka budget) and stick to it!

So what should that number be? I've done a bit of research on the topic and while everyone's situation is different I found a good guideline by which to go by.

 

$100/per person/per month

 

For example, a family of 4 would have a grocery budget of $400 per month or $100 a week. Now if that number freaks some of you out, I promise you are not alone. If your grocery budget is way over this, think of ways that you can slowly get it down. Try decreasing your grocery budget monthly or weekly by 5%.

The key here is to make this a slow/gradual change. We don't want to treat this like a crash diet that will fail in a few weeks. We want to make a lifestyle change.

$100 a month per person is totally doable, but it will and does take work.

 

*Make sure you are menu planning. This saves you time and money!

*Don't be a brand snob. Try the store brand. It is always cheaper and just as good. When your favorite brand does go on sale or has a coupon stock up so that you don't have to pay full price.

*Shop the deals and/or price match at Walmart. Most store ad's are found online and are updated weekly. You can also look for sights that have gone through the ad's already. Use google. It is your friend!

*Stock up when things are on sale. Recently chicken was 1.59/lb.  I stocked up and now I have enough to last me until the next time it goes on sale. The trick is to never pay full price for anything!

*Learn what foods you can freeze. This is helpful for when you are stocking up on produce and can't use it before it goes bad.

*Double your recipes.  Last week I made BBQ chicken sandwiches. I doubled the recipe, are half and tossed the other half into the freezer for a meal down the road.

*Leave the kiddos home. How many times have you been at the store and your toddler starts having a meltdown. You grab a box of fruit snacks off the shelf open one and fill the kid's mouth with them to keep them quiet? ( please say this isn't just me!) That costs you money right there! Buying something not on your list. It also will save you time not to take them along since you don't have to act as entertainer, discipliner, and mommy. You can just be a savvy shopper!

*STICK TO YOUR LIST! I've said it before, and I will probably say it 100 times more. Never go shopping without your list, and never buy anything not on your list. Every.Single.Time. I have strayed from my list I have gone over budget. Every. Time. Your list is there to help you, keep you organized and accountable.

 

I hope these suggestions and guidelines help. Getting your grocery bill down is so rewarding and it's so much more fun to spend (or save) that extra money on fun things instead of just food!

 





 

 

 



 





My 10 tips for Organized Shopping and Price Matching

If you're like me, you want to save some money on your groceries, but you hate couponing. For me couponing took a lot of time and energy.  They were usually for items I didn't use or need and I often forgot to take them along. When I did take them I would often come home only saving a few cents. Since my goal wasn't to stock pile a garage full of toothbrushes ( who needs that many toothbrushes anyway?) I soon gave up on couponing.
Determined to find a way to save and lower my grocery bill I learned to Shop the Deals and to Price Match.

Shopping the Deals is simply to look through the ad's to find the sales and best deals of the week at multiple stores in your area. This can be a great way to get the very best price for your groceries.
But wait! You don't want to spend all day and drive all around town just to save a few bucks? What if I told you that you don't have to!?!
This my friends is where the wonderful world of Price Matching comes in.

Price Matching is available at Wal-Mart. Their policy states that if you find the same item for a lower price, they will match it at the register with no ad needed!

Price Matching has saved me anywhere from 30%-50% on my groceries. I've been at this for a while now and had to learn the ins and outs. I got discouraged at times but I have now perfected my system.  It's easy, organized, efficient, and dare I say FUN?!
Let me share with you a few tips and tricks to get you price matching and saving your family some money!

1. Look through the ad's.  Most stores have their ad's online. Store ad's run through different days.
Don't have time to look through all the ad's? Try pricematchwithrachel.com. ( Local to Utah only. If you are out of state, just try googling price matching lists and you can usually find something!)
Rachel is super duper awesome and has all the deals ready for you on her website!
Her site has been a lifesaver/timesaver for me so be sure to stop over there to take advantage of her awesome service. Just be sure to leave a comment that I sent you!

2. Plan your meals. You can do this before or after looking through the ad's. I do a little of both. When I was first starting out it was easier for me to plan my meals and then search the ad's to see if what I needed was on sale. Now that I am in more of a flow I am able to plan my meals around the deals.

3. NEVER, EVER, shop without a list.  If you do, I promise you will spend more time and more money at the store. I shop with my grocery list and price match list.
On my grocery list I have a little * by the items that I will price match. I also write down the original price of an item so that I can calculate my savings once I get home.

 

 

4. No Kids. At least for your first few price matching trips. If this means you have to shop at 10:30 p.m. then that is when you should shop. Leaving the kids at home will help you to concentrate, get you through the store faster, no tantrums, and as an added bonus a little break for you!

 

5. Shop Organized.  As you can see in the list above that I categorize my grocery list. That way I can get through the store quickly and not miss anything and have to go back. I start my trip in the produce section and work my way back around the perimeter of the store. Produce > Meat> Cheese>Diary> Frozen> back down through the aisles ending with the bread section so that it doesn't get smashed flat.

 

6. Use stickers, post it's, or labels. I take along a sheet of labels with me. When I come to an item that I am going to price match I simply write the price and the store that the price was found at. I stick it on my item. This saves so much time at the register and your cashier will love you. I promise, they have told me!  

 

 

7. Match store brand to store brand. If Western Family is on sale then you would buy the Great Value brand at Walmart. Make Sense?

 

8. Make sure your ounces/lbs match up.  When price matching it must be an identical item. So make sure that if the 18oz of peanut butter is on sale that you get the 18 oz and not the 32 oz.

 

9. Be courteous and friendly.  First thing when I start loading my groceries on the belt is let the cashier know that I am going to be price matching some items. I try to put items that I am not matching up first and leave all the matching to the end. Also good so that I can watch and make sure prices are being entered correctly.

Let those who get in line behind you know that you are price matching. That way if they don't want to wait they can choose another line. ( I've even been known to let those behind me know that they can get lower prices on some of their items that I see in their cart!)

 

10. Be confident and don't get discouraged/overwhelmed. Be confident when you are at the register, and review the policy before you go so you don't run into any trouble. ( as a side note, I have never had any trouble, but it never hurts to be prepared!)

Don't get overwhelmed. This took me many months to get to a comfortable level of price matching and organized shopping. Maybe start slow. Instead of trying to price match your whole trip, just try a few items. Give yourself time to learn.

If you need to, ask for help! I've already gone on two personal shopping trips in the past month to help others learn the ropes of price matching and organized shopping.

If there is one thing that makes me happy like saving money does.....it's helping others save money! Don't hesitate to ask for help!

 

I hope these tips and tricks help you out. Now get out there and start saving your family some money!

If you have any questions, need something clarified, or have tips of your own please leave a comment!

 

Linking up today with ABowlFullOfLemons

 

Try It Out, Tuesday!

 Welcome!
I hope you are all having a great Tuesday after a wonderful 3 day weekend.
Its been raining all morning and we've just been taking it easy and I've been recovering from yesterday's 5k run.
I'm 12 weeks out from having my baby girl and I've only been running, ahem attempting to run, for about 4 weeks now. I must say I am pretty proud of myself for being able to complete a 5k. Granted it was incredibly slow and I am totally sore and tired today, but I did it.
Okay, enough about that.
Let's get talking about this Try It Out, Tuesday thing. I'll be honest with you right now and say that I have spent a fair amount of time on Pinterest. ( follow me here ).



In an effort to actually use my pins and limit the amount of time spent on just browsing I have started to try out those pins. I will be posting about the triumphs and/or epic fails of the pins that are all over my boards.

 

First up, I'm sure you have all seen pins all over the place similar to this one: 

 

 

The cleaning power of Vinegar is simply amazing. My shower doors had seen better days and for the past few weeks I have tried many different cleaners, and lots of scrubbing to get the soap scum off.

Here's a look at the residue left on the shower door. This is taken from the inside of the shower, looking out.

 

Gross, huh!

It was getting to the point that when I was showering I was unable to see out of the shower. Usually not a big deal, but when I am hurrying and trying to keep an eye on my mischievous toddler, I need to be able to see out!

Desperate, here is what I tried.

3/4 cup white vinegar ( warmed up in the microwave )

3/4 dish soap. I used dawn because that is what I had on hand. But I hear that any can work.

 

I poured into a squirt bottle and squirted all over my shower door and windows. I let it sit for about 30 minutes.

When I came back I literally just had to wipe off and rinse.

Did you catch that?

NO scrubbing!

Okay, mostly no scrubbing. There were a few little tough spots that needed a little bit of muscle, but for the most part I just rinsed and it was good to go!

 

This picture does not do it justice. But trust me on this. Vinegar is simply awesome!
The best part is that it is WAY cheaper and safer than all those store cleaners!
So if you have been wondering about this pin, I give it a HUGE thumbs up. It totally works.
Go ahead and try it and let me know how it works for you!

Frugal Finds Friday!

Welcome Back!
I can't believe it's been a week already, and a crazy one at that. I feel like I have been running all over the place. But it's been good.
Yesterday we had the new H&M open up at Station Park and I am so excited about it.
I'm just loving all the new stuff at Station Park and how my little hometown of Farmington is just growing up :)
I still remember when we got our first stop light!
Okay, back to Station Park.

For those of you that are local and looking for some frugal family fun, look no further!

This month they kicked off Family First Mondays. These are being held the first Monday of every month.
This month is was a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party and my little boy loved it!
There was music and dancing, games, face painting, he got a foam sword and a pirate hat and had so much fun!
The best part? Completely FREE!
The event is put on by Radio Disney and Macaroni Kid and will continue through October. Here is the event schedule:

June 3 Monster University Mash Up
July 1 Beach Party Bash
Aug 5 Plane’s Powwow
Sept 2 Sofia the First Shindig
Oct 7 Doc McStuffin Day

The party starts at 5:30 and goes until 7:00. Located in the Village. ( In front of the Movie Theater and by the fountains.)

Also happening at Station Park is an all new SUMMER CONCERT SERIES!

Starting June 29, every Saturday Station Park will host a FREE outdoor concert!

Another perfect frugal outing for you and your family!

Here is the summer line up:

 

June 29, Party Crashers (Top 40)

July 6, Eclipse (A Cappella)
July 13, Kahuna Beach Party (Beach Boys Tribute)
July 20, Blue Moon Swamp (CCR Tribute)
July 27, The Long Run (Eagles Tribute)
August 3, Imagine (Beatles Tribute)
August 10, Hit Explosion (70’s & 80’s)
August 17, Radical Revolution (80’s)
August 24, No Limits (Top 40)

 

 

And for today's last frugal find for family fun ( try saying that 5 times fast) look no further than Cinemark.

While I was perusing all the fabulous things to do at Station Park I stumbled upon the Cinemark Summer Movie Club ( click here to find a participating theater.)



 

Every week this summer a Cinemark theater near you is featuring a family friendly movie for just $1.00!

Here are the films that Station Park is offering ( click above link to find out about your theater)

*Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

*Horton Hears a Hoo

*The Smurfs

*Ice Age

*Dolphin Tale

*Happy Feet

*Oceans

*Rio

*Chimpanzee

*Alvin and the Chipmunks

 

And there you have it. A whole slew of free or cheap family things do keep you and your little ones ( or big ones) busy this summer.

 

*disclaimer: all opinions in this post are my own and I did not receive any compensation. I simply love Station Park and all the fun things to do and wanted to pass them along to you, my local readers.

 

 



Frugal Finds Friday!

Welcome to the first installment of

 

Today I had a fabulous day out being all thrifty and such and got some really great finds today.
One of my favorite places is Kid to Kid. In case you don't know, they are a store that buys and sells gently used kids clothing. The best part is, the give you cash or store credit on the spot!
Today I was able to trade in a bunch of pants and some sweaters that my little boy had outgrown and I got some fabulous store credit. With that I was able to get my little boy new swimsuit trunks and my little girl SIX {6} new outfits and a fancy little bow.
 After my store credit all I owed was $10 more dollars. Pretty fabulous right! 10 bucks for all that!
While I was there they had just got in a light pink double jogging stroller. It was a bit dirty ( light pink is a color that will show dirt easily) and they were trying to get it clean while I was there.
They priced it very low because it wasn't very clean.
As I was leaving they had just priced it at $79.99!!!
I almost turned around and bought it right then and there since I have been in the market for a double stroller.
Instead I took a picture and sent it to my husband to get his opinion, and left.
I'm so glad I didn't impulse buy, because I went home and jumped onto trusty KSL.com to view their classifieds to make sure I was getting the best deal possible.
3 pages in and I found a grey and yellow ( much better colors ) double jogger just 10 minutes from me.
The best part.....
It was priced twenty dollars lower at just $60.00!!!
I decided the shopping gods were being very generous to me today and I jumped on that deal!

My Fabulous Finds!
 

 

I'd say that my Frugal Finds this Friday were quite successful.

Do you have any frugal finds or shopping tips? I'd love to hear 'em!

My grocery deals this week





There were some awesome deal going on last week, especially on produce!

Here's a peek at my loot for the week.

 

Watermelon

2 avocados

10lb bag of potatoes

green onions

3 lbs apples

5 lbs bananas

2 lbs grapes

2 packages strawberries

tomatos

5 lb frozen chicken

32 oz turkey lunchmeat

3 packages tortillas

3 42 oz bags of cereal

granola bars

corn

gallon milk

2 loaves bread

12 pack Dr Pepper

peanut butter

12 count paper towels

12 count toilet paper

 

 

Total cost would have been $111.74
My cost with price-matching ( and a coupon for milk and lunchmeat ) came to

$69.09!!!

That is 40% savings my friends! I can't tell you how excited I was when I left the store. ( and so were the people behind me, when they saw how much I saved! )

If you are interested in saving up to 30-50% on your groceries leave me a comment with your questions!  

Madison's First Price-Matching Trip!

Last Thursday I had the absolute pleasure of having three lovely ladies in my home.  We talked about the power of meal planning and preparing before you go to the store and about how price-matching or ad-matching can cut your grocery bill by 30-50%.

The first time out grocery shopping a new way and using price-matching can be a little overwhelming. I know this because I was there once.

I offered to accompany my friend Madison on her first price matching trip.

I had a blast and she totally scored for her first trip and now she has the confidence to do it herself and continue on with the savings.

Here is a little breakdown of her trip.

3 bags Malt O Meal cereal

1 box Life cereal

2 lbs ground beef

 one loaf of bread

strawberries

2 dozen eggs

 tortillas

tortilla chips

frozen fries

mayo

 yogurt

2 gallons of milk

green onions,

broccoli

goldfish crackers

2 boxes pasta

 BBQ sauce

2 lbs apples

bananas

 carrots

 cream cheese

 cottage cheese

seedless grapes



 

All of that would have cost her 72.90.
However with a little prep she was able to walk away only spending

 49.02!

That is 33% savings without clipping a single coupon!
Way to go Madison!!!!!!!