Mondays With Mavis…
I spent most of last week in the garden. Pulling weeds, catching snakes and planting a few seeds. I was so busy in fact that I made only 1 trip to the store. A while back I had placed a rather large order for Schick razors at Albertsons. The 5-pack of Schick razors {found in the travel section} runs $1.59. The last day to use the $2/1 Schick Razor 1/8 SS coupon was 2/19 so I decided to check to see if my order had come in. OH.HAPPY.DAY.
Here is what I picked up…
Bought {3} Albertsons Milk @2.79 each
Bought {2} Minute Maid Orange Juice @$3.00 each
Bought {2} Langers Juice B1G1 Free $2.00 total
Bought {2} Dole Salad B1G1 Free $2.49 total
Bought Bananas $2.33
Bought {2} Albertsons Butter @ $3.49 each
Bought {3} Pears $1.79
Bought {4} Oranges $1.63
Bought Asparagus $2.13
Bought Onions $1.49
Bought {1} Ham Strips $2.79
Bought Chicken $10.01
Bought {2} Lemons @ $.39 each
Bought {3} Roma Tomatoes $.62
Bought {1} Baking Powder $2.19
Bought {116} Schick Razors @ $1.59 each
Subtotal: $236.04
Used {1} $1/2 Langers Juice Hang Tag
Used {1} $3/1 Clearance Meat Peelie
Used {116} $2/1 Schick Razor Coupons 1/8 SS {$.41 overage per coupon}
Final Price: $.04 + $15.49 tax
I also earned a $5 Preferred Card Reward that I will be able to use on my next Albertsons shopping trip.
Wahoooooo!
How did YOU do this week? Did you use any coupons? What was your favorite deal?
Go HERE to find out more about the Albertsons Preferred Card.
Go HERE to find out how I find extra coupons each week.
Total Spent This Week $15.53
Total Spent This Year $195.13
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $127.48
Mondays With Mavis
I ♥ Gnomes
Although shopping at Albertsons was FAB yesterday my attention has been elsewhere lately. I have been cutting down brush and clearing the backyard like crazy to make room for more garden beds. I recently told my husband of my plans to grow 2,000 lbs of garden produce this year and he just looked at me like I was on crack {and I don’t mean coupon crack}.
My latest project includes digging up a huge 20′ x 60′ patch of land to grow heirloom pumpkins. I thought it would be cool to have a harvest party this year and well you can’t have a harvest party without a few {hundred} pumpkins.
If I had to place a bet right now I’d say I’ll either end up in the looney bin or with a blue ribbon at the county fair this fall. We’ll see.
But for today, I want to tell you about my 3 favorite seed companies.
Some people are Tide Snobs, some people will only buy Tillamook cheese and me, well I am a total seed snob.
Here are my top 3 favorite seed companies. {Pin This}
Not only are Botanical Interests seed packets gorgeous but they are filled with a wealth of knowledge. There is information on the front, back and inside of all their packets. I have never once been disappointed with their seeds. You can typically find Botanical Interest Seeds in specialty garden centers as well as online.
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Seed Savers maintains thousands of varieties of different plant types in one of the largest seed banks of its kind in North America. I love knowing my seed purchase will help future generations. You can purchase Seed Savers Seeds online.
Ed Hume is a total hottie in my book. Sure he might be in his eighties, but he is super knowledgeable, easy going and is a local. Plus, his seeds frequently go on sale at Fred Meyer for half off. My favorite seed from Ed’s collection is the Easter Egg Radish. I started growing the Easter Egg radish when my kids were small as a way to spark their interest in gardening. Radish seeds sprout pretty quick and are ready to pull up in about a month. Perfect for young {impatient} gardeners.
I’m curious…
What is your favorite brand of seeds?
Have you planted anything yet? I keep on telling myself just a few more weeks Mavis, just a few more weeks.
Total Spent This Week $12.72
Total Spent This Year $179.60
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $118.36
You Grow Girl
Mondays With Mavis
Hello FruGALS and FruGUYS,
The weather was so great this past week I spent most of my time outside working in the yard. It was a little on the cold side but at least it was not raining. Over the weekend we hauled in a load of new dirt for the garden beds, pruned the raspberry canes and starting clearing a large section towards the back of our property for an upcoming project {more on that later}.
With the exception of free POM Juice, free Zone Bars and a quick trip to Costco I didn’t pick up many groceries last week. I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to miss my Albertsons cashiers. Let’s hope there are some FAB deals and a new round of double coupons in the near future.
My biggest purchase of the week was at the Costco Business Center. The business center is a FAB place to pick up inexpensive kitchen supplies and the occasional deal on produce. This week I hit the jackpot! I was able to pick up 25 lbs of tomatoes for only $10.89. Now, I know what you’re thinking… Mavis what on earth are you going to do with 25lbs of tomatoes? Well, I didn’t actually keep all 25 lbs. While I was at Costco I called my neighbor to see if she wanted to split the giant box of tomatoes with me. In the end we each paid $5.40 for 12.5 lbs. Not to shabby if you ask me.
I also picked up a 25lb sack of split peas for my food storage for $10.99 and a pound of provolone cheese for panini sandwiches. Last night I made bruschetta for dinner but still have about 10 lbs of tomatoes left to use. Just like every impulse purchase at Costco buying a huge box of tomatoes sure seemed like a good idea at the time. LOL. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to use them up? Help!
Total Spent This Week $33.78
Total Spent This Year $166.88
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $118.36
Are you interested in learning about how to grow vegetables?
Check back this Saturday for my first garden post of the year. This weeks topic: SEEDS
Mondays With Mavis…
Albertsons $.98
My favorite transaction this week took place at Albertsons. Here is what my transaction looked like:
30 Zone Bars $1.00 each
24 StarKist Tuna Packets $1.00 each {flavored tuna on clearance}
2 Haribo Gummi Bears $1.49 each
Rounded Up 30 $.55/1 Zone Bar 1/22 SS
Rounded Up 24 $.50/1 StarKist Tuna 1/1 RP
Rounded Up 2 $.30/1 Haribo Gummi Printable Coupon {NLA}
Final Price: $.98!
Later in the week I also picked up some fresh Meyer lemons and 2 gallons of milk. Because I have a good sized stockpile I did not need to make any additional grocery purchases this week.
What do you think about the Albertsons Coupon Round Up? If you had to choose would you rather have doublers every two weeks or be able to round up your coupons?
Obviously I didn’t spend a lot of time buying groceries last week but I did spend most of my spare time working on my backyard garden. Towards the end of the week the snow had finally melted and we brought in 5 yards of aged compost to fill the raised garden beds as well as a few other areas. Since the weather was relatively nice I thought it was best to take advantage of the sunshine and get as much prep work done as possible.
My long awaited seed order arrived as well. I know I should sit down a make a garden budget, but it’s hard. I know I won’t go overboard, but I also don’t want to limit myself to what I can and cannot buy for my garden. I am a sucker for seeds. It’s hard to walk past a seed rack and not stop to take a look.
Heirloom tomato seeds are my weakness. If I come across a new variety I just HAVE TO HAVE a packet. Some people spend their extra money on magazines and clothing, but all I want to do is buy a few {hundred} packets of seeds. LOL
Gardening is my hobby and to be honest, if I set a budget, I’m not even sure how much it would/should be. What do YOU think would be a good budget for someone trying to grow 2,000 lbs of food? $200? $400? $600? Help me! I have no idea.
Total Spent This Week $12.85
Total Spent This Year $133.10
Total Spent on Garden Seeds/Supplies $111.01
Stay Frugal,
Mavis
P.S. Would you be interested in reading a weekly garden post? If so, what topics would you like to see covered?
The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden. I highly recommend this book! Amazon has The $64 Tomato on sale right now for only $5.58.
Mondays With Mavis…
Last week Western Washington had a bit of a snow storm. Due to the snow piled up in my driveway and on the roads, I was unable to leave my house for 3 days. 3 Days! So instead of concentrating on shopping last week, I decided to stay in my pj’s and plant a few seeds instead.
I was able to start onions, celery and lettuce in trays like the one you see above. Luckily, before the snow storm, I was able to stock up trays, potting soil and a few seed packets at Home Depot. Starting seeds at home is a snap. All you need to do is follow the directions on the back of the seed packet and you’re good to go.
Since I only had a few grocery transactions last week, I thought I would show you how I used the $12 in catalina coupons I earned on my last Albertsons double coupon trip. I know getting FAB buys on fresh produce and milk can be difficult and that is why I LOVE using catalinas on them.
Here is what my transaction looked like:
Albertsons Milk $2.69
Braeburn Apples $2.06
Spinach $2.99
Bananas $1.85
Carrots $1.69
{2} Ice burg Lettuce $1.29 each
Green Onions $.69
Tomatoes $.77
Used $.55/1 Spinach Peelie
Used $2 Albertsons Store Coupon
Used $10 Catalina Coupon
Final Price $2.77 oop
Total Spent This Week $18.55
Total Spent This Year $120.25
Total Spent on Garden Seeds & Supplies $38.11
Did you get any snow where you live?
Have you picked up any FAB deals recently?
Mondays With Mavis…
The deals at Albertsons this Sunday were too good to pass up. Snow was in the forecast and I had my trip planned out days in advance. I had placed a pre-order with my grocery manager and called the food bank ahead of time to ask if they could use some free salad dressing and razors. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow was going to stop me. 
Wowza. Now that is some extreme couponing {done right}. I posted the breakdown of many of most of my transactions over here yesterday if you want to take a closer look. I spent a total of $28.14 oop and went home with $12 in Albertsons store coupons/catalinas. I was planning on buying fruit with the catalina/coupons but the snow started falling fast and my husband called and ask me to head home so off I went.
The name of the game for me this week was overage. I had pre-ordered 72 Schick razors and used the overage as best I could to keep my total down. Here is what one of my transactions with the razors looked like:
Texas Toast $2.50 each {bought 3}
Schick Razors $1.59 each {bought 3}
Doubled {3} $1/1 Texas Toast Coupons {found in store next to product}
Used {3} $2.00 Schick Razor Coupons 1/8/12 SS
Final Price: $.67 {inc. tax on the razors}
When I went in to scope out deals and to place my order earlier in the week I noticed Albertsons Pie Crusts we on sale for only $.50 a box. So I went ahead and picked up 6 boxes for a total of $3. I plan on using the pie crusts for chicken pot pies.
I also made a quick trip into Costco and spent $5.39 on milk.
Total Spent This Week: $ 36.53 {+ I have $12 in Albertsons Store coupons/catalinas}
Total Spent Year To Date $101.70
Total Spent on Seeds/Garden Supplies $0
* How do I get some many coupons each week? Go here to find out.
Did you venture out to Albertsons this week?
What FAB deals did you pick up?
Mondays with Mavis…
YES,
I am going to do it again!
This year, along with trying to spend an average of $100 a month on groceries, I am also going to try to do the unthinkable. I am going to try and grow 2,000 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables in my very own backyard!
Now, I know what you are thinking. Mavis that is a TON OF VEGETABLES! And you’re right! 2,000 lb is a ton.
Ha Ha Ha.
We all know coupons are FAB and scoring a deal on your groceries is awesome. But you know what else is pretty cool? Being self- sufficient. Just knowing I can plant a seed and grow my own food is pretty far out in my book.
How am I going to do it?
Well, I haven’t figured out that part yet. Do YOU have any tips? LOL.
Here is what I have to work with:
Garden gloves
17 garden beds
1 giant raspberry patch
A shovel, rake, hoe and a few pairs of shears.
1 nice starter kit of seeds {thank you Santa}. Although I was gifted some seeds at Christmas, I am going to need a whole lot more.
There are a few things I want to make clear. My husband thinks I am nuts. He has zero desire to help. In fact the only time he ever seems to help me in the garden is when it’s time to dig up potatoes. I think it has something to do with the fact that he is Irish. And my kids? Well my kids are teenagers and the last thing they want to do is hang out in the garden with a crazy lady who is trying to grow 2,000 lb of vegetables. So this will (most likely) be a 1 woman show. Yikes!
Don’t worry, I’ll still be posting my coupon deals each week. I just won’t be posting all of them because I’ll need to have some time leftover to tend to the garden after my blogging duties on Fabulessly Frugal each day. So be on the lookout for more gardening posts this year, but in the mean time,
Here were my 2 favorite deals last week…
Albertsons: $14.99
Texas Toast $1.00 a box
Cranberry Naturals $1.00 each
Star Olive Oil $1.99 each
Wholly Guacamole $.99 each
Wet Ones FREE with a doubler!
* You can view last weeks double coupons deals HERE.
Target $2.88
Betty Crocker Cookie Mix $.11 each
Target Mac & Cheese FREE
Christmas Clearance Socks $.50 x 4
After a whole year of living with a grocery budget of only $100 a month I went a little crazy this past week. I spent $65.11 and splurged on things like cut meat, 5 gallons of milk, bananas, yummy guacamole, soda, chips and more. Wooo Hoo! Now it’s time to buckle down and get back to business.
Total Money Spent This Week: $65.17
Total Money Spent Year To Date: $65.17
Total Spent On Garden Seeds: $0
I will try again to keep a budget of $100 a month for my family’s food, toiletries and dinners out.
Here are the guidelines I have set for myself:
#1 Money spent on vacation food does not count. Why? When we travel we use money from our “vacation fund.” It is money we have set aside specifically for vacations.
#2 If I or anyone else in my family receives a gift card to a restaurant or fast food establishment it does not count. Why? Because the gift card was a gift. We did not have to pay for them out of our own pockets.
#3 If I WIN a free gift card or gift certificate to a store it does not count. Why? Because I won it. I did not have to pay for it out of my own pocket. Also, if I earn a free Amazon gift card from Swagbucks it does not count. Why? Because it was free.
#4 If I am able to score a free $10, $20 ect. catalina from the purchase of a gift card (Amazon, Home Depot, iTunes ect.) the amount I spent on the gift card does not count towards my food purchase total. Why? Well, if I know my family will be making a purchase from a particular store in the near future and I have the extra funds available, it only makes sense to purchase a gift card and score a catalina for some free food in the process. After all, I can’t eat nails and plywood, so a gift card to the Home Depot does not count.
#5 If I purchase any seeds for my garden I will count the seed purchase as “food” money spent. However, if I can somehow re-coup the seed money through selling my extra produce to neighbors, friends or family I will deduct any earned money from my “garden seed” total. I will keep this tally separate from my food purchases.
#6 If I am given seeds, barter for seeds or collect free seeds it does not count towards my total. Why? Because the seeds were FREE to me.
Any questions? Any tips for growing unusually large (and heavy) vegetables?
Stay Frugal,
Mavis
I hoe, I hoe it’s off to work I go!
Mondays With Mavis…
This year I went to a few extremes to reach my goal of spending an average of $100 a month for groceries. I did a little dumpster diving, a little bartering and a whole lot of coupon shopping. When I originally set my goal back on January 1st, 2011 I’m not sure if I actually believed I could do it. I liked the idea of saving a ton of money on groceries, but I felt putting my plan into action and following through with it was going to be a little tricky. And it was at first, but after the first month or so saving money became rather routine. It was more a test of willpower than anything else.
At the beginning of the year I was going to Rite Aid every Sunday for free toiletries. Back then you could print $5/25 Rite Aid coupons pretty easily online through Redplum.com. But times have changed and sometime around April I stopped shopping at Rite Aid pretty much altogether. My cupboard was full with enough free toothpaste, toilet paper, tissues, band aids, ointments and cough medicine that I was set for the year.
As for the rest of my shopping? I primarily shopped at Albertsons when they offered doublers. Each week I would first go through the ad and find items I could get for free. Then I would go back over the ad with a fine tooth comb and see what I could pick up for mere pennies with my coupons. I had a system. And it worked. I know my system is not normal, nor would the vast majority of people chose to do it. But it worked for me. It still works for me. It is how I have grown accustomed to shopping: free, almost free, and then full price.
Anyway, here is what I picked up this past week:
In Early December I was able to pick up a ham for Christmas dinner thanks to the Albertsons gift card promo they were running at the time. I knew I wanted to make split pea soup with the leftovers, so I bought a 1lb bag of peas & a gallon of milk at Fred Meyer last Monday for $3.57.
By Thursday we needed milk. But I knew my funds were limited so instead I resorted to whipping up a batch of powdered milk I had in the back of the pantry and decided to pick up a 15 pound sack of potatoes, 8 oz of provolone cheese (for panini sandwiches) and 5 tomatoes instead (yep, it came down to powdered milk. But there was no way I wasn’t making my goal!). My total came to $7.64. I quickly handed over my $5 off coupon and then scrounged around my purse for the remaining $2.64. If I would have been able to use the $5 off coupon towards liquid dairy products, I would have.
By then I was down to $1.36 for the rest of the year and there was no way on earth I was going to blow my budget at that point.
I told myself I was not going to walk into another grocery store until January 1st. And I didn’t. Wait. I take that back. The Coupon Fairy did go to Albertsons to take photos of doubler ideas, but Mavis did not.
Overall the experience has been great on so many levels. It taught me frugality of course, but it also made me very aware of how frivolously I could spend my money. I would recommend it to anyone looking to cut back on expenses. Even if you don’t have a garden, can’t barter with your neighbors or think dumpster diving is just plain gross, you can do what I did on a smaller scale. The idea is to set a goal and stick to it. It might not be easy and you might hate me for planting the idea in your head, but 12 months later I can tell you with absolute certainty, IT WAS WORTH IT!
Check out how adopting a frugal lifestyle and clipping coupon has changed our families budget over the years:
In 2008 I spent $9,768 on groceries. An average of $814 a month.
In 2009 I spent $7,584 on groceries. An average of $632 a month.
In 2010 I spent $5,004 on groceries. An average of $417 a month.
In 2011 I spent $1,198.64 on groceries. An average of $99.89 a month!!
What are my plans for next year? Will I try and do it all over again? Should I try and do it again? Should I attempt a new goal? What do YOU think?
Mondays With Mavis…
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and your refrigerator is now stuffed to the gills with leftovers so you don’t have to cook today. Even though my kids were home from school last week for winter break, the week just seemed to fly right on by. I only made it out to the store once but boy was it an awesome trip!
Last week I contacted my grocery manager over at Albertsons and placed an order for 80 packages of 5 ct. Schick Razors. The razors sell at my store for $1.59 per package and I had 80 $2/1 Schick Razor 12/4 SS coupons.
Here is what my transaction looked like:
{80} 5-count Schick Razors @ $1.59 each for a total of $127.20
Used {80} $2/1 Schick Razor $2/1 12/4 SS coupons
Final Price: $32.80 overage! {I did have to pay $10.68 in tax}
As per the Albertsons new coupon policy, overage may be applied to other items in your cart, but they will not hand you back any cash. So with my caculator I went around the store and stocked up on a few basic supplies.
With my overage I was able to pick up 2 pot roasts, carrots, bananas, onions, potatoes, 2 gallons of milk, half & half and 16 lbs of sugar. I went slightly over and had to pay $.87 oop but still, not bad.
I also earned a $5 off my next order coupon {my Albertsons store participates in the new Albertsons Rewards Program, not all stores do}.
I spent a total of $11.55 last week.
Used $7.24 remaining balance on my Albertsons gift card I won over the summer.
Used $4.31 cash
Total Spent OOP This Week: $4.31 (I depleted my Albertsons gift card)
Total Spent Year To Date $1192.43
I still have $7.57 in cash and my $5 off Albertsons coupon.
There are only 6 days left in 2011 and I have every intention of meeting my goal of spending an average of only $100 a month for 2011. I’m almost there! 
See you next week!
Mondays With Mavis
If Old Navy ever gets rid of the dog, I have found his replacement. I spotted this super snazzy peacock at World Market over the weekend. Although I was seriously tempted to pay $24.99 for a piece of styrofoam covered in blue and green feathers. I did not. Walking away was hard, but I did it.
I paid $8.55 for everything you see above. Before I heading into Albertsons on Sunday, I picked through the trash a wee bit. EUREKA! I struck gold! I found 4 free product coupons.
{Red Alert: According to the new Albertsons coupon policy you are only allowed to use catalina coupons that printed for YOU… not other people. So, with this tragic news, Mavis can no longer pick through Albies trash cans in search of free food coupons. Bummer. Hang on while I go get a tissue}
Transaction #1
2 Gallons Albertsons Milk $2.79 each
3 Old Orchards Juice $2.49 each
Doubled {3} $1/1 Old Orchards Printable Coupons
10 Taco Bell Refried Beans $5.00
Used {5} $1/2 Taco Bell Refried Beans tear-pad & product coupons taped to cans
1 Pita Bread
Used Free Pita Bread Albertsons Store Coupon
1 lb Carrots
Used Free Carrots Albertsons Store Coupon
1 Dozen Eggs
Used Free Albertsons Eggs Store Coupon
Final Price: $7.05
Transaction #2
Bought {4} 2Liter Bottles Sprite $1.25
Doubled {2} Save $1/2 Sprite hang-tag coupons
Final Price: $1.00
Transaction #3
Bought {3} Colgate Toothpaste $1.00 each
Doubled 3 $.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste 12/4/11 SS
Final Price: $.25 tax
Transaction #4
Bought {3} Colgate Toothpaste $1.00 each
Doubled 3 $.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste 12/4/11 SS
Final Price: $.25 tax
Total spent oop this week: $0
Total spent year to date $1187.08
I now have $11.88 in cash left to spend and $7.24 left on my Albertsons gift card I won over the summer. Woot!
How did YOU do last week? Score any good deals?
