Frugal note

Eat the food not pitch it in the trash after it's buried in the back of the frig behind the butter and other stuff...SIGH.

I cleaned out the frigs...we have decided to focus on eating REAL food and not preservatives as much.  We are already close to 80 % REAL and thought to try to go to 90 %.So I made a menu of 30 fresh salads with REAL food and dressings and then the grocery list... and then decided to check to see what else I needed.... mudroom frig is usually my stable stock up like butters and lard and such ... yogurt and sour cream got shoved behind it and then covered with the butter... WASTE of yogurt and sour cream and now realize I don't have as much butter as I thought.

That isn't FRUGAL.

I did some mending.

I put my coffee maker on a power strip ( garage power strip). I remember to shut it off but not unplug the coffee maker.

My son uses our mechanic and needed maintenance and tires so while I was done in his area(an hr away) at a doctor appt I flipped cars with him. I'm hoping it works out to flip again when I am down closer to him at our youngest's house. Saves both of us gas money.

Got groceries,between sales and coupons saved 37%.

We are combining errands to keep fuel costs down along with wear and tear costs.

I used the drying rack for 4 loads of laundry 

I bought a pizza and tossed salad the other night while coming home from doctor office that is 2 hrs away. Got home at 7 and Hubby had to leave for work at 8:30... the pizza made 3 meals with the salad making 2 .Not the best choice but Hubby didn't wake up until I called him I was on my way home so the roast didn't get started.

March Shopping

I would say goals but I have already done the shopping for March.

I will have to pick up milk, and a stick of pepperoni. It comes from Italy and our local IGA sells it.I slice it on my meat slicer and bag it in sandwich bags in the amts I use on our pizza. Then I put in it freezer bag and toss in freezer. The end pieces I dice for other meals, freeze it on a cookie sheet then bag and put back in freezer.

I spent $337. and saved 37%. The budget is set at $180/month I had about $75 left for Jan and Feb each.The produce should last 4-6 wks. The meat will stretch out what we have in the freezers. I'm $7 over budget. I wouldn't have spent it if I didn't have money set back to cover the rest of this month with the acknowledgement that I have to cut back the next 2 months to make up for it. That should be easy come May with the spring garden coming in.

Both of us are wanting spring to come in so I can plant salad stuff and sugar peas. Right now it's mid 50s until Sat then its back down to freezing until the middle of the following week. If I can between the rain storms I'll cover a few spots to try to have it warm enough after this next cold spell.

Aldis

corned beef tip (not flat brisket which is bigger) on sale for $1.99. They are small but for the two of us we don't need big. I have one out for tonight to make rubens with.

fresh whole chicken for 89¢lb, can't remember when we had a whole roasting chicken (weighs over 8lbs) instead of turkey.

potatoes, small potatoes,cabbage(several heads that are now in root cellar) apples, pears, lemons,limes,Romaine lettuce, flat leaf spinach,celery,bell peppers,grape tomatoes,bananas, mangos,cucumbers,kiwi, mushrooms,brussels sprouts,stuffed olives, jar of artichokes,dried figs and dried apricots,

IGA

Fresh chicken breast $1.49lb
cube steak that was marked down a 1/3rd of price
tomato soup for 75¢/can (my comfort food when I am sick)
sugar snap peas
baby mix spring lettuce
dark rye bread
Razzleberry pie (Hubby's favorite)
water chestnuts that was half price so the pantry is now restocked on that.

Krogers

toothpaste, on sale and had $1 coupon
strawberries 4 lb for $5. AND they actually had flavor.on sale
Red cabbage
navel oranges on sale and coupon
egg beaters (Kroger brand)
yogurt (coupons and sale)
cottage cheese (sale)
sour cream (sale)
sliced cheese (sale, coupons and one free)
asst pasta for daughter who just got the lease signed on her new place (was on clearance rack)
asst nuts...ouch price, wasn't as bad as I've seen else where but still..... but doc wants me to start eating small nuts in salads or jello salads.
asparagus. This just will not grow for us...sigh.
avocado.
bibb lettuce
scallions
red onions
vine ripe tomatoes (tomato salad, cucumber tom and onion salad BLT)
cilantro, parsley, and mint (won't grow in this house)
broccoli
cauliflower
radishes
bacon (sale, coupons and one free)
smoked sausage (sale, coupons and one free)
frozen chicken breasts (thin slice) (sale and coupon)
chuck roast ( been seeing it for $7.88/lb...got it for $2.88/lb)
ground beef (marked down 1/3rd)
cube steak (marked down 1/3rd)
London Broil (marked down 1/3rd...haven't had it in 7 yrs finally got back in my price range with it marked down for quick sale)

I don't plan meals out much as too much happens. We usually talk about what is going on the next day and what we need to eat etc over bfast since Hubby works 3rd. My bfast is actually his supper.

Blessed Be