heidiiiii Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Well, I can't live without cable cuz I live for the Documentaries,History,and Food Network (figures-ha!)channels.Could live without most of the movie channels. I think I could live without cable if I lived alone..LOL Because you can watch all your shows online now. Well, almost all of them. We do not have movie channels. If the economy (and the bills) keep going up, I may downsize the cable. I have been thinking about it. No more DVR boxes. Well, we only have one DVR the other cable box is just regular cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 Lunch: Sandwich thin steaks on italian bread with muenster cheese and grilled onions. Dinner: Salad, Cheddarwurst, and thick cut oven cooked french fries. Breakfast is usually a hodge podge. We have cereal, oatmeal, or eggs and toast if we are in the mood. First day. I have no plans of going anywhere so that is a good sign. Fred gave me some bad news yesterday. He thinks that a hose on the radiator of the Jeep is leaking. I hope it is just the hose. If it is the radiator, that is $200 just for the part. Ugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I went into practice mode for the last 2 weeks. I did alot of "window shopping" and a whole bunch of not hitting the purchase buttons :wub: I did have to buy a few supplies but, that was it. It was'nt nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I guess it's due to the fact that before this hobby, I was a real saver Ah well, I love my minis. Heidi, did you shop for the whole month? I'm shopping weekly but, with a budget of 150.00 and no more. That even includes hubby's beer! Gas has gone up to 3.00 *sigh* but, I personally don't use much gas however, dh uses enough for a household of 5 drivers. I can't seem to get him to use less. Made Eggplant Parmesian for lunch, Chicken Mango Sausages, yams, and an apple salad for dinner, and breakfast is Cherios and bannanas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Well, I'm not in 'no spend' mode, but trying to cut way back, as I only have one paycheck left, and DH and his partner are getting ready to start a house for a woman. That's always so risky until it's built and hers! They are building only green houses, which is expensive, although it pays off. so anyway, I'm making a list of things I can give up...Dh's morning coffee, DH's paper, DH's urge to redo everything in the house at once...you get the idea? :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 Heidi, did you shop for the whole month? I'm shopping weekly but, with a budget of 150.00 and no more. That even includes hubby's beer! No I will be shopping weekly. But I bought some supplies (pasta, canned tomato, flour, etc) so that I do not have to run out for anything. I am going to put aside $30 of my food budget this week to shop at Trader Joe`s when we pick up Chelsea on Sunday. We do not have one in the area and I want to take the opportunity while I have it. Fred made brunch for the three of us this morning. So I do not have to make lunch later. We are having a thunderstorm right now so I am going to get offline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I am going to put aside $30 of my food budget this week to shop at Trader Joe`s when we pick up Chelsea on Sunday. We do not have one in the area and I want to take the opportunity while I have it. Wow! Only 30.00 for trader Joes? You are a strong woman! I love their Steal Cut Oatmeal. If you like oatmeal, it's da bomb! Actually, there is'nt much I don't love at TJ's. It's really too bad you don't have one closer. They need to open more stores :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Is it their own brand of steel cut oatmeal? I love McCann's irish oatmeal. That instant Quaker stuff doesn't even taste like oatmeal once you've had the real thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Is it their own brand of steel cut oatmeal? I love McCann's irish oatmeal. That instant Quaker stuff doesn't even taste like oatmeal once you've had the real thing. Sherry, I just ate the last of it 2 days ago, and I don't have the container to be able to tell you. I'll pick some up soon though and let you know. Quaker..uchk! I know! No wonder kids don't like the stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLyn M. Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Well, I'm not buying oatmeal (it's not on South Beach) and I didn't have to pay a fortune to fix my computer...seeing as how it was not "broke" anyhow. So, no spending in July?? So far so good.LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Lol-one day down, how many to go? I didn't do too bad today, only bought groceries, and some fish for lunch. Of course, I am perusing Manor House's sale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmarm Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 gulp gulp gulp! Here we go!!!! We have really cheap steaks I bartered over for the barBee tonight and leftovers. Got sirloins for 4 for $4 (very thin ones, but they have a nice homemade marinade) We will always have milk on the 'to buy' list! I am amazed that Kellan has a low vitamin D count at the doctor's office and swigs down several gallons of milk a week! He has to take supplements because of his spinal issue, but this is a cheap vitamin. I'm going to work through the mini kits that I have with supplies I have with paint I have with time I haven't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 I did spend money today but it was a need. I bought some ibuprofen. I think I have an ear infection. Weird. I havent had one in so long, it took me awhile to finally say..Yes, It is an ear infection. If it continues to get worse tomorrow, I will call the dr. office. Otherwise, I did good. Did not spend any other money at all. Went into the pharmacy and just bought the medicine. I will check out the oatmeal at Trader Joes when I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynette Smith Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I have a few previous commitments which still need to be finalized, but they were undertaken before this came up, so I'm not counting them. I went to my favorite bargain grocery store, spent $35, less than usual. I got a 10 pound turkey breast (a dollar a pound, which is my target food budget), some fruit juice, a couple of loaves of bread, hot dog buns, pretzels, tomato sauce, chicken, stir fry veggie mix, snow peas, milk, a package of roast beef (to make my own roast beef sandwich, rather than buying ready made), lip balm, soda pop (the computers went down and I needed something to drink while waiting, cost 50 cents) and I think that's about it. I haven't added up the total weights, but I think I stayed under a dollar a pound. I'm being good, really! There was a DC Cambridge partially built for $20 and I haven't even called. The fact that its quite large and the poorer relation of the Beacon Hill (which I should be getting any day, I couldn't connect with the seller today for pickup, but this deal has been in the works for three weeks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 No spending for me today either. Was gonna stop at the store this a.m. & pick something up for lunch since I forgot to bring something with me, but I made do with a frozem homemade meal I had left in the freezer at work. Tomorrow I have to stop & get gas for the the car and will refrain from buying my usual lotto ticket at the gas station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Well, I was a good girl and didn't order anything from Manor House, deleted the email with the code. I did have to buy gas for my car and will have to buy it for the pickup today. It's too depressing to fill both of them in one day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Fred is mad at me. I never did replace our grill and now that it is July..oh well. He is like *the fourth of JULY! We need a grill! We need to cook meat on the grill! It is not right!* I shrugged my shoulders and said Oh well. LOL He is not going to die if he does not have charred chicken on the grill this month. I think if I wait until August, I can get a grill on clearance and he (meaning I) can grill to his hearts content. I will be spending some cash on all the meat that is going to be going on sale this week though. This is the time to do it folks. Chicken, hamburger, sausages, etc. Most grocery stores sell at a cheaper price now. I have said this tip before and I will say it again. Take chicken breasts (for example). Individually wrap them in saran wrap. Put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer till a bit frozen..not all the way. Then put those in a ziploc bag. They have more protection from freezer burn and you can take out one or two breasts at a time instead of thawing the whole package. I do this with sausages, deli franks, pork chops, and hamburger patties (that I form ahead of time). Alton Brown taught me this tip. Strawberries and other berries are cheap now too. Same thing. I freeze them on a cookie sheet that is covered in parchment paper. Then I put them in freezer bags. No clumpy fruit balls to separate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmarm Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 hummm...was Fred ever a boyscout? Maybe he can dig a 'fire-pit'! When I was growing up, a neighbor had an outdoor fireplace constructed out of bricks and had an iron grill area in front. It was a fairly simple looking structure and had a small chimney at the rear. I'd love to have one like that, but our backyard is sloped and has too much tree cover for a fire. We have a small charcoal grill we use up on our deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Yeah Gayle he was. But that is never going to happen unless I do it. So it isnt going to happen..ROFL He is not a *in the yard* kind of guy. He will mow but that is about it. He will survive. It is only one day out of the year. We are not really big on grilling. I mean, I am not big on grilling. I do it because we like it but I hate the clean up afterward. We will see..if he buys it out of his own pocket money..I did not spend. I am not going to tell him to buy it anyway. We have to spend money to get the scooter on the road since the radiator on the Jeep pooped the bed. $350 parts and labor. We have the money for it but he wants to put that money aside, get the scooter on the road, and use that for the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyLee Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) I have been reading this topic the last couple days. I'm not really participating, although like others have said, due to financial issues I've actually been doing this for a long time already, but not to the extent you guys are. The cost of everything is so high, and then I got my hours cut at work and then I have to pay hundreds of dollars a month in the summer for daycare, so I have no choice but to thriftily spend! I have always been an avid coupon user and budget shop for everything. No one likes to shop with me because I'm a putz ! And we plant a garden every year. And recently my sister and I have done freezer meals, where we spend a whole day making a bunch of meals to last for weeks, and each meal only costs about $8 or less for each meal! But that is also considering using veggies from our gardens, and any normal kitchen staples we already have and don't need to purchase extra, and we each buy a 1/4 of beef each year so we don't add in the cost of beef we use. It takes some doing to get the lists together and then tally up the food list and then shop for everything. And then I usually end up making some things ahead of time on my own. I have a few books on Once A Month Cooking/Freezer Meals and there are tons of websites. They are not only cheap, but it saves you having to cook every nite of the week! Just take the meal out the nite before and then cook it up the next day. And they are not all casseroles either, I couldn't stand to eat casserole every single nite. Edited July 2, 2009 by CindyLee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Stopped & got gas this a.m. & refrained from buying a lotto or mega ticket. Deleted coupons from both Dejoux Miniatures and Manor House and on my way home from work tonight I will not stop to pick up takeout for dinner. Wow, between no mini shopping or takeout I'll bet you I'm saving $100 today alone! lol! And recently my sister and I have done freezer meals, where we spend a whole day making a bunch of meals to last for weeks, and each meal only costs about $8 or less for each meal! They are not only cheap, but it saves you having to cook every nite of the week! I cook up a lot of freezer meals throughout the fall & winter - I love the ease of coming home from work & just throwing a frozen homemade meal in the oven. Last thing I want to do after working a ten-hour day and an hour round trip commute is come home & spend what little free time I have in the kitchen. I need to find more recipe's though. I only have a handful of make-ahead dishes that freeze well that my family likes and almost all of them are casseroles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyLee Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Lisa, if you do a search under Once a month cooking or OAMC, there are tons of sites to check out. Some of them have books or CDs you can order if you wish. THere are some recipes that involve preparing meat and then freezing, then you do have to cook it the nite of the meal, but its just tossing it in a pan. One of my favorites is savory burgers, where you pat out ground beef into a rectangle, then sprinkle with green pepper, onion, parmasan cheese and salt and pepper, then roll it up and then slice into burgers, wrapping each one in bacon as you go and securing with a toothpick. Then freeze them, and day of cooking, just saute in a pan. YUM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Well, I had an appointment to get my hair cut yesterday, but the appointment was set last week. I forgot about that. 60.00. I had to though. It was 2 months over due and feeling pretty fried on the ends. No good for an Esti! lol I can get away with a hair cut every 4 months (if it's a good cut) since my hair is so long. Neither Russ or I ate dinner last night so we'll have last nights dinner for lunch today. (Had to have a late lunch so, we did'nt really feel hungry) Cherios for breakfast again. I love Cherios We have the little one tonight so we'll grill some burgers and make some tater tots which she loves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Haircuts count as a need in my book Monica so you are okay. I have no real plans today, except for cleaning. So there is no need for me to go into any stores. Two days with no NY Post. I am doing good. I have been reading it online. Not the same but still getting the dirt..LOL I have no idea what is for dinner tonite. But that is not me not being prepared. I am sick with this ear thing and I think I am not cooking. There is plenty of things we can eat on the fly. Grilled cheese and tomato soup Breakfast for dinner Hot dogs and baked beans Sandwiches and chips So any one of those options will be dinner tonite and most likely Nat will make it. She made dinner for me last night because I was in pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Oh gawd Heidi! I'm so sorry you have an ear infection! That stinks big time. You'll need to see a doc about getting some meds for that. I hope you feel better asap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I just bought Amadeus on Blu-ray, but it was only 14 bucks. Anything with music explodes on BD. But since I've already spent, I'm good to go for the rest on the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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