Friday into Saturday is usually the one night that I can try and sleep in in order to play “catch up” on the previous week’s lost and broken sleep.  Thankfully last night was one such night.  THough, truth be told, I could lie right back down and fall back to sleep given the opportunity.

I only work a short shift at job #2 tonight (4 hours), but tomorrow will be  a bit hectic as I am working 5 hours at job #1, coming home briefly, and then going to job #2 for another 4 hour shift.  Then it is a usual week: 40 hours at job # and 21 hours at job #2.

We’re managing to survive since Accolan’s disability was cut off in July.  Not everything is getting paid on time.  We are having to fall a bit further into debt each month.  But, all things considered, we’re okay.

Of course it means that my 3rd job (now that my actual job #3 ended) is very close to what I used to do when Accolan was the sole bread-winner – to make what income we earn seem like much much more.

Some of that means spending hours flipping through sale flyers, perusing couponing websites, printing and or cutting coupons, and shopping.  Shopping with multiple coupons and combining them with special sales and price matching can be a little complicated and so it is something that Accolan and I do together.

From what I’ve seen of this week’s sale flyers, I won’t be able to pull off anything close to my great deal at Acme this week, but I should be able to fill some holes in the pantry nonetheless.

Another part of my “third job” is what is always is this time of year – gearing up for the holidays.  Watching for good sales on items the girls want/need is part of it.  But, this year, much of it involves trying to make as many presents as possible. You know? With all that free time I have (hee hee hee).

So are you starting to plan for the holidays?  Do you make any gifts?

Blessings

Jia

I spent a goodly amount of time this week perusing sale flyers, my two favorite couponing websites, and printing out online manufacturer coupons.  Most of it is for my weekly price-match shopping trip to Walmart tomorrow.  But, this week also required a separate trip to Acme so that I could take advantage of a special sale (extra $5 off the purchase of 10 select items) and the ability to double coupons.

I wound up having to bring the whole family with me so that I could break the order down into 4 separate orders.  I had to make some last minute changes to my plan.  But in the end we purchased:

2 boxes Cookie Crisp cereal
2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
4 cans Progresso soup
3 bags Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
2 boxes Betty Crocker Muffin Mix
2 bags Chex Mix
2 bags Bugles
1 box Milk ‘N Cereal Bars

8 boxes Totino Pizza Rolls
4 Individual Totino Pizzas

6 cans Grands Biscuits
2 cans Crescent Rolls
2 boxes Go-Gurt Yogurt

The Down and Dirty?

The full retail for these items would’ve been $112.51

I spent ….. $35.08 …. a savings of 69% and received a bonus $12 worth of boxtops for education that printed out at the end of my order.

But, it gets a little better … one of the items I purchased didn’t get it’s sale discount so on my way home tomorrow I will be stopping for an adjustment (and will likely get the item FREE).

Wonder how well I’ll do at my next shopping outing tomorrow?

Blessings

Jia

PS Sorry I haven’t been here much.  Jobs #1 and 2 are taking up most of my energy (and time).  Job #3 didn’t last as long as I would’ve hoped and so crazy couponing is becoming my third job.  Add to that the fact that I am trying to make a number of holiday gifts this year and it seems that even my “down time” is pretty darn busy.  I am hoping to be able to better organize my time in the weeks ahead and, at the very least, hope that each of you are well.

This week I was able to pick up a few things free after coupons.

I was able to get 7 1 ltr bottles of Dr. Pepper.  A nice treat for Accolan and the girls as soda is only a rare purchase these days.

I was able to get 2 bags of crave cat treats.  Snack-fed kitties are happy kitties.  Unfortunately, only one of our cats will eat them.

I was also able to get 3 3-pack samples of Cascade dishwasher tabs.

It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.  Have you scored any free, or nearly free deals this week?

Jia

Between being sent home early again for low production and losing time due to needing a sick day (another blasted sinus infection), I didn’t meet my earnings goals this week.  I was only able to accrue 29 hours at job #2 and 17 hours at job #2.  I also was unable to fit in job #3.

As a result I need to tighten the purse-strings a little bit more this week to compensate.  We are doing everything we can to fill the pantry so that, if push comes to serve, I can keep us fed if I have a week here and there when I can’t afford to go food shopping.  I am doing whatever I can to fill the pantry with food that the family can turn into meals on their own.  Unfortunately, left to their own resources, dinner translates into things like grilled cheese, hot dogs, pasta and jarred sauce.

One of the techniques I am using is to take advantage of the price match guarantee at Walmart.  Working so many hours (and usually working 7 days a week) makes it nearly impossible to hit multiple food stores each week. But, I can spend 20 minutes or so after a shift to pick up a couple of items at low prices. Some recent bargains include:

• Blue Bunny Ice Cream – $2.49 for 1.75 quarts
• Kraft Cheese Singles – $1.99 for 1 lb.
• Ronzoni Pasta – $0.79 for a 1 lb. box
• Ragu sauce – $0.99 a jar

Another technique i am using is to send Accolan and the girls out to specific stores when (for one reason or another) achieving the best deal forces to to shop at a specific store (mainly because, unlike Walmart, they double coupons).

I am also making use of couponmom.com to figure out the best way to match a specific sale price and coupon.

What are your favorite techniques for stocking up your pantry for as little as possible?

Blessings

Jia

It’s been a hard week in terms of keeping myself on track financially.  I’ve been exhausted, truly bone weary.  So much so that the extra 15 minutes of sleep seemed so much more important than the ability to make my daily sandwiches that I found myself at the WaWa on my way to work more than once.  Additionally, this week the young man that Reya has been “seeing” since last fall came back from spending July at the academic camps his parents had sent him to out of state. I splurged and ordered a couple of pizzas (spending about $28 incl tip).

What this means in that I had to make up that money by spending less at the grocery store this week.  Luckily,  still have food leftover from last week’s cooking, this worked out just fine.

I raided the pantry for a bunch of canned crushed tomatoes (purchased at $.88 to $.99 each), minced a bunch of garlic and onion, and picked some basil from the backyard and put up a pot of marinara sauce.  Some of it will be served over pasta, and some will (with the help of a block of mozzarella I defrosted and some rolls I have yet to purchase) turn some lentil balls I made last weekend into meatball parm subs.

I also took a bunch of zucchini I harvested last weekend and made zucchini fritters.  The main changes to the recipe involved frying them in the last of the olive oil (I will be using vegetable oil from here on out as it runs about 1/3 the price of the extra virgin oil I prefer) and adding more zucchini to the batter than was called for.  They are crisp and tender and savory and so good I want to eat all of them all by myself.

I still have to make a batch of saffron rice (to keep us in deconstructed tacos), but other than that my once a week cooking is done.  The only food shopping yet to do involves picking up some fresh tomatoes, a dozen eggs, and some rolls – probably no more than $15.

Next weekend?  I still have some chicken meat in the freezer to turn into pasta salad, and the ingredients for potato salad.  I have hot dogs in the freezer and a bunch of frozen vegetables.  Ah!  The joys of a full pantry.

Blessings

Jia

image thanks to Blueclayfarm