Weekly Shopping Trip--Savings $53.25

This week before I went grocery shopping, I took the time to throughly go through my pantry and check the dates on the boxes, cans, and bottles. I found that I had several items that were dated with best by dates in 2009!!  I took those items off my shelves and dumped them in the trash. I realized that a couple of bottles were big bottles from a 2 pack that I had purchased at Sam's Club so I made a note of it in my price book not to get those items at Sam's again but rather at the grocery store in smaller quantities. I ended up throwing away a full plastic grocery sack of past dated items that I would not have felt comfortable in using with my family.  It made me sad wasting that money but it was a valuable lesson in staying aware of the items that we could get in smaller quantities despite being a large family.

It was suppose to be a big shopping trip this week but there has been some unexpected debts(like 5 new windows because 3 of them were broken) that we needed to pay off so I decided to keep the grocery bill to the minimum and not do much in the way of stocking up right now. So despite Meijer having a decent 10 for $10 get 11th item free sale this week, I just purchased those sale items that we needed rather than going too hog wild getting items for the church food pantry or stockpiling my own pantry just because it was on sale.

I also kept things simple by only shopping at two grocery stores: Meijer, Family Fare.  I also took the time to do my monthly Sam's Club run this week as well. I figure that I have enough meals to get us through the next 14 days and aside from my Sam's run I spent less than $95 to make it.

Here is what I purchased this week at the grocery stores:

Meijer: 

• 30ct pack clothes hangers $4.76(with sales tax)
• 1 bottle lemon juice $2.49
• 1 jar grape jam $2.49
• 2 lbs strawberries $2.00
• 2-2 liters Pop $2.20(with bottle deposit)
• 2 cans Grands Biscuits $1.70
• 2 cartons Lemonade $1.00
• 3 tubs Country Crock margarine $1.90
• 5 boxes Brown & Serve sausage links $4.00
• 6 Lunchables $6.00
• 2 pkgs pepperoni $2.00
• 2 bottles Sunny Delight $1.50
• 1 pkg. Dole salad blend FREE
• 8 cans Old Orchard frozen juice $6.00
• 2 boxes Honey Nut Cheerios $2.88
• 2 boxes General Mills cereal $2.98
• 1 bag Fast Fixin' chicken strips $3.99
• 3 boxes Little Debbie snacks $3.00

Total OOP: $53.85

Total Savings: $36.39

Total without sales & coupons: $90.24

Family Fare: 

• 8.41 lbs ground beef $15.89
• 5 qt. pail vanilla ice cream $4.99
• 1 bottle strawberry spread $2.99
• 3 gallons milk $5.97
• 4 boxes Kleenex $5.00
• 2 boxes Life cereal $2.59

Total OOP: $37.73

Total Savings: $16.86

Total without sales & coupons: $54.59

Grand Total OOP: $91.58

Grand Total Savings: $53.25

Grand Total without sales & coupons: $144.83

This post is linked to:

• Coupon Super Savers at Coupon Saving Game!
• Savers Bungelow at Saving a Bundle!
• Week-Ending Finales at The Frugal Free Loader!
• Super Savings Saturday at MoneySavingMom!
  
  
• The Cha-Ching Challenge at Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!
• Grocery Shopping Round Up at The Grocery Cart Challenge!

Menu Plan Monday 4/11-4/17

Last week I planned menus but did not post them as it was a busy week.  The busy week consisted of Easter and having my parents over for dinner; Wednesday was an adults only dinner get together with our church small group; and Friday was a planned dinner, movie, and overnight date night for hubby and I.  We had a great time on our little getaway on Friday getting reconnected and working on getting some plans in place for the next few months. 

Last week I did an essentials trip of grocery shopping!  I shopped for some deals and also got the essentials that we were missing from the big shopping trip I did two weeks ago.  My challenge from my hubby to empty the freezer is actually going very well in my opinion. I really need to get myself motivated to bake up some goodies as that would decrease the baking supply items (butter, zucchini, blueberries & mashed bananas) that I have in the freezer.

This week’s meals are simple and using what I have on hand in the freezer and pantry.   I am going to be doing some baking this week.  At the end of the week is payday, so I will be doing grocery shopping and my monthly Sam’s run to do some restocking of my pantry and freezer.  

This week’s lunches that are listed below are for the kids and me! Unless we are having leftovers, our lunches are served with apple slices or carrot sticks along with fruit juice or water.  Hubby usually takes a dinner leftover along with various snacks for his work lunch so I don’t take the time to really plan his lunches. I just take the next container of leftovers in the stack in the fridge that I have prepared ahead of time.

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus; go check the over 300 other delicious meal plans that have been linked at Laura-Organizing Junkie's site or look down in my right sidebar for my menu suggestion lists!

Sunday (4-11)

Breakfast: eggs, hash browns, sausage and jiffy muffins

Lunch: mini pizzas

Dinner:  Steak N Shake

Snack: ice cream

Monday (4-12)

Breakfast: cereal and powdered sugar donuts

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  chicken pot pie and homemade bread

Snack: snack basket

Tuesday (4-13)

Breakfast:  waffles and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  baked chicken, mashed taters& gravy, peas and homemade rolls

Snack: snack basket

Wednesday (4-14)

Breakfast:  bagels and cereal

Lunch: pizza

Dinner: bacon burgers, fries and corn

Snack: snack basket

Thursday (4-15)

Breakfast: Pancakes and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  saucy chicken, rice, green beans and homemade rolls

Snack: snack basket                                                       

Friday (4-16)

Breakfast: cereal and toaster strudel

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: chicken clubs, fries, and carrot sticks

Snack: snack basket

Saturday (4-17)

Breakfast:  Your Choice

Lunch: sandwiches & chips

Dinner: ????? not sure yet as we might be having company.

Snack: popcorn or snack basket

Homeschooling FREEBIES:Bible Curriculum & Reading Incentives

Another week of finding more homeschooling freebies!! I came across these while reading other blogs!  Last week was geared towards middle and high schoolers, so this week I have found some items for the younger kids from kindergarten through 6th grade.

Does your child like hands on programs that include songs, crafts, and games??  This Bible curriculum by Praise Factory just might do the trick! (Thanks to Kristen at We are THAT Family) Praise Factory is an affordable, flexible, quality Christian curriculum for pre-school(2s-3s) and elementary age(K-6) children.  The curriculum is available for download through the Praise Factory website free of charge for those using it for non-commercial, educational purposes.

There is three different curriculum choices:

1. Teach, Take, Tell  is a one year, 12-unit children’s systematic theology for use with two and three year olds. It focuses on twelve key biblical truths. The same Bible story and truth are presented each week of the four/five week units, allowing the children to master the concept and story.
   
   
2. Big Questions & Answers for little people is a three year children’s systematic theology for three to pre-kindergartener five-year-olds. It presents 52 key biblical truths that expand the children’s understanding of the same12 Big Questions and Answers used in Teach, Take and Tell. There are 3 weeks of curriculum for each of the 52 biblical truths. A Bible story, reflective of the truth is presented along with the concept each of three weeks.
   
   
3. The Praise Factory is a six year, multi-age children’s systematic theology curriculum for elementary school children. It is comprised of 104 key biblical truths -- called "Big Ideas"-- divided into 16 units, common to a systematic theology. These biblical truths expand the children’s understanding of the same 12 big questions and answers used in the two preschool curriculums and add four additional big questions and answers. Within each 3-week Big Idea, there is an Old Testament, New Testament and Church History/Missions story presented. Each week’s curriculum includes 8 different activities to reinforce the Big Idea concept and story.
   

Here are a couple of reading incentive programs that are homeschool friendly!

First, Pizza Hut's Book-It program. The program runs from October to March. Each month if the child meets their reading goal set by the teacher, they get a certificate to use for one personal pan pizza.  The enrollment for next school year's(2010-2011) program is taking place right now through June! Enroll now!   I did this program with my children this year, we just set a goal of reading 1/2 hour each day and then once a month we go to Pizza Hut with each kid having their coupons and then hubby and I order a large pizza and we all drink water and we end up only having to pay around $15 for all seven of us to eat pizza!

Second, Six Flag's Read to Succeed Program. Each child reads who completes 6 hours of recreational reading is rewarded with a ticket for free admission at any participating Six Flags theme park. The Reading Club coordinator/teacher gets a free admission ticket as well. This Reading Club program also has lesson plans/program guide and access to their "Wild about Reading" website that has book lists, videos, tips to encourage reading and activities. The admission tickets are sent out in late April to redeem in June through August.  Registration is limited to those schools that are within 150 miles of a participating Six Flags theme park and is a first come, first serve basis. Sign up now for next school year!! Thanks to Connie, at Smockity Flocks.