Friday Finals March 14-20

This was a pretty good week.  J went to Kroger without my Plus card and no coupons!  I almost choked when I saw the total (half our budget!) and the savings ($0).  I realized I was going to have to step it up to stay on budget, as all he got was coffee and beer!!  I went to Publix twice, and took advantage of the amazing coupon Kingsford has going.  So here's the breakdown, and the pictures:

Kroger

Spent: 29.19

Saved: 0 :o(

Total: 29.19

% Saved: 0%

Publix #1

Spent: 20.53

Saved: 29.58

Total: 50.11

% Saved: 59%

Publix #2

Spent: 12.71

Saved: 36.55

Total: 49.26

% Saved: 74%

(not pictured: $3.37 worth of "incentive" jelly beans for Nora, to be doled out as good grocery store behavior merits)

Publix total

Spent: 33.24

Saved: 66.13

Total: 99.37

% Saved: 67%

Week's Total

Spent: 62.43

Saved: 66.13

Total: 128.56

% Saved: 51%

Check out Southern Savers for sale/coupon matchups, and for inspiration from other savers!

Friday Finals first week of March

As I went a bit over budget last week, I kept it moderate this week.

Kroger 

Spent: $21.24

Total value: $36.83

Saved: $15.59

% saved: 42.3%

Publix

Spent: $23.70

Total value: $46.03

Saved: $22.33

% saved: 48.5%

Target

Spent: $2.69

Total value: $5.38

Saved: $2.69

% saved: 50%

Totals:

Spent: $47.63

Total value: $88.24

Saved: $40.61

% saved: 46% 

I have a question - what is your opinion of Aldi?  A new one opened here yesterday, and while they boast 50% off of the grocery stores, I'm not entirely sure that I can't do better.  Do you shop at Aldi?  For everything or for specific items?

To see more savers (who are very good at this!), go to SouthernSavers.com.  Have a great weekend!

Friday Finals (a few days late)

Wow - it's been busy around here lately!  We started a bathroom remodel (yay!) and the girls have gotten colds (boo).  I have been learning much from a great couponing site, and I've tallied last week's spending and saving.

Walmart

Spent: $7.25

Total value: $7.97

Saved: $0.72

% saved: 9%

Kroger (2 trips)

Spent: $52.20

Total value: $11.25

Saved: $59.05

% saved: 53%

(I have a $4.99 MIR coming from All-Bran)

Publix

Spent: $28.04 

Total value: $80.30

Saved: $52.26

% saved: 65%

(I have a $10 gift card coming thanks to General Mills and Publix)

CVS

Spent: $7.54

Total value: $32.54

Saved: $25

% saved: 77%

(I have a $6.99 MIR coming from Organix Shampoo, and I got $6 ECBs)

Totals:

Spent: $95.03 ($67.05 after $ back)

Total value: $232.06

Saved: $137.03 ($165.01 after $ back)

% saved: 59% (71% after $ back)

I also got some chicken at Reid's big sale.  It worked out to about $0.35/lb for leg quarters, so I got 10 pounds.  A friend of mine got 80 pounds!  That seemed like a bit more than I could handle!

All in all, it was a good week.  I went a little over budget, but I stocked up big time on shampoo, toilet paper, chicken, and snack foods.  I think my list for next week will be a bit smaller.

$4.65

Not including cute girl.

This site helped me immensely! Thanks!

Held

When Nora was delivered, I found out that my uterus is unicornuate - essentially, I have half a uterus.  After doing some research, I realized how blessed I was to have her, and that I may have complications in any future pregnancy.  While my pregnancy with Hannah went well and turned out well, there was one little hiccup.  I had a repeat cesarean, and the doctor made a comment about a "window" while she was operating.  We asked her about it later, and she said that my prior cesarean scar was so thin in one place that she could see Hannah through it, and that she only needed her fingers to open my uterus for delivery - no instruments.  We asked her what that meant, and she told us that we should not have any more children, as this window was likely to recur, and could rupture easily.  At that moment, I mourned the fact that I would not ever bear another child.  Upon further reflection, we came to realize that again we were blessed that Hannah (and I) were even here.  I am so grateful that God kept us safe.  I am still struggling, some days more than others, but I feel like I'm starting to come to a place of acceptance.  This powerful song had me sobbing in the days just after Hannah was born, and it still makes me tear up.  Life was not promised to be easy, but I know God is holding me.

Held (Natalie Grant)

Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held
This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held
If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held
[Repeat Chorus]
This is what it means to be held

Menu Plan Monday (and last week's eats!)

I was remiss in not posting my menu last week (Hi Sarah!).  We did pretty much stay on our menu last week (week 3 of the month-long menu), and have 2 weeks left for this menu.  What I have found is I like having a menu for a month, but shopping for a month did not work out budget-wise.  Oh well - live and learn, I guess!  So here is this week's menu first, and then a round-up of last week's meals.

Monday:  Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks

Tuesday:  Chicken schnitzel, latkes (reheated), oranges

Wednesday:  Church

Thursday:  Shepherd's Pie, Bread, Salad

Friday:  Leftovers or Beans and rice

Saturday:  Beans, tortillas, fixin's

Sunday:  Venison roast, green beans, bread, mashed potatoes

Last week:  M: leftovers/recovery from camping day; T:  Lasagna, veggies; W: church; Th: burgers w/fixin's, fries, carrot sticks; F: Ham and spinach calzone; Sa: Eggs, ham, pumpkin bread; Su: cauliflower soup and latkes (YUM!)

Menu Plan Monday

Short week this week - at least at home.  We're going camping this weekend with another family from church, and other than deciding that we'd each take a night to cook dinner, not much planning has been done.  Yikes!  It will be fun to go.  We'll camping at Hunting Island, which was one of the first places we visited in South Carolina (outside of Aiken) in February.  It's on the coast, and the weather is supposed to be delicious!  I have camped while pregnant before, but I was not this pregnant, so we'll see how I hold up.  

We did pretty well on our first week of the month-long menu.  My big mistake was planning a large meal for the day I knew we'd be grocery shopping.  By the time we got home, I was beat!  Instead, I cooked a packet of beans and rice, served it with sour cream, and called it good.  I made the big meal - chicken - later in the week, replacing a freezer meal I had planned to use.  Also, we grilled 1/2 the pork loin instead of using it for barbeque (slow-cooker recipe).  That was a great decision - it was so good!  

Without further ado, week two!

Monday:  Macaroni and Cheese with cauliflower puree (from Deceptively Delicious), sauteed zucchini

Tuesday:  Barbeque Pork, corn, salad, bread

Wednesday:  Church (may be bringing main dish for 15 - tacos?)

Thursday:  Nachos, cheese, sour cream, tomato, olives, taco meat (freezer), beans, avocado? (on sale this week!)  (may turn leftovers into seven layer dip, as we'll be leaving Friday)

Friday: Camping - hot dogs or hamburgers

Saturday:  Camping - hot dogs or hamburgers

Sunday:  Tuna casserole (freezer), sauteed broccoli

For more great menus, check out OrgJunkie!  Have a great week!