This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Alex on March 24, 2012
We are heading into an exciting season over here at The Thrifty Couple. We realize that we have so much to share with you, but our time and space seems so limited and we just can’t get the information up fast enough on our site! It is coming but seemingly not fast enough! This information includes: How we got out of our nearly hopeless financial situation and how you can apply the principles we used to your financial goals (no matter what they are).
These principles will help you save in every area of life – but especially on your groceries as they seem to offer a high rate of return for just little investment. We have been wanting to share with you our ideas and ways for anyone, whether you use coupons or not, to save on groceries! We know that many of you just want a simple way to save money on groceries, eat healthy foods and not have to look at coupon in your life if you do not want to – and we’ll be sharing how you can save by doing that! But we also know that others want to use as many coupons as possible. All of this information is found in our financial and coupon classes we teach and for speaking events all over the country.
We are in the process of writing it out and trying to get it organized to share with you here on our site! We really can’t wait to share with you how to complete this money saving plan – no matter your financial situation, no matter your financial goals and no matter if you are a coupon fan or not! We just didn’t realize how significant this project is – taking what we have been teaching in classes and conferences and transforming it into bite-size pieces to fit on our site!
So not only is this information going to be coming in several posts on our site in the near future, but we have an additional plan to help you and help with your specific situation and get to know us better no matter where you are in the country! We can’t wait to tell you what we are planning to do…but we have to be hush, hush right now!
In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to offer a couple of polls to find out the overall situation of everyone – which will also help us know how to best tweak our final details in sharing our plan!
Please note: These polls are completely anonymous, even to us! So be as honest as you can be!
First, we want to know if, how or when you use coupons! Is this a significant part of your grocery budget, not at all or part of it. Do you enjoy using coupons or are they the friend you’d love to hate?
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Second, we want to know your current financial situation as well. Are you in loads of debt, a little bit of debt, debt free, working on retirement, or looking for bigger and better investing ideas?
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on March 24, 2012
You may have seen our post earlier regarding the nearly 40 lbs. of fresh pineapple that we picked up from our produce co-op for only $24. This came out to be 16 pineapples, which makes them $1.50 each. Considering that pineapple is in season from March – July, this is the best time of year to grab them and stock up on it for cheaper – then freeze it so you can enjoy it for several months after the season ends. Also, although they are in season right now, they still sell for $1.99 – $2.99 each pineapple. You can occasionally buy them for $1.50 each in the store, but it is much nicer to pick up a whole bunch for this price and get them very fresh as well!
So, yes, we will be freezing most of this stock of pineapple for us to enjoy later!
Let’s answer some questions first about how to freeze pineapple:
You can freeze pineapple for up to 6 months in it’s own juice.
We use them for homemade ice cream, our homemade smoothies and foods like this. We haven’t tried defrosting and eating, but we do enjoy eating it as frozen chunks too!
You can freeze it in slices or chunks.
Depending on how you plan to use it – you can freeze with or without the core.
We freeze with the core as we use it blended in one of the above ways we mentioned in the first bullet. We have a Vitamix and so it is a heavy duty blender that can blend that tough core. Besides, we want the core as it is filled with extra nutrition. (You can read about this extra “core” nutrition on the LiveStrong site HERE).
We do not do anything extra to the pineapple. We just literally cut the skin off, chunk it and freeze! We also are not super picky about cutting out the brown skin that is left (as this has nutrition too!) as it requires cutting into the pineapple quite a bit or taking loads of time to pick each one out. For this purpose, we don’t dig those brown spots out either because the will be blended into our smoothies, ice cream, etc. with the power of the Vitamix.
For fresh consumption, we will spend the time to pick most of the brown spots out because no one like the consistency of it when eating fresh!
Here’s How We Cut Our Pineapple!
It is actually extremely simple:
Cut the tops and bottom off.
Cut the pineapple in half down the middle (this makes it easier to shave in the next step).
Then, using your knife, shave off the skins.
Cut into thick slices.
Then cut into cubes!
How to Freeze Pineapple!
You can freeze them into whatever quantities you want.
When freezing in a bag, squeeze out as much air as you can to make them airtight (or use a vacuum sealer)
We froze 2 pineapples per each gallon bag.
When we go to use them, we will bring up one gallon bag from our deep freeze at a time – but only use the amount we need. We rarely use an entire bag at once but rather typically use one bag of pineapple for several batches of smoothies (mixed with other items) or ice cream or other treats!
The final step is to label your bag or container with the amount of pineapple and the date (to keep yourself from guessing how fresh the pineapple is months from now ).
So when you have the opportunity to grab pineapple for less, even if you are not sure how you would use it fresh, consider grabbing it and then freezing for future use! It is a great extra way to save!
Do you have any tips on how to freeze pineapple? What was your experience
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on March 24, 2012
This is only a portion of it!
So we had some great results for our Bountiful Baskets produce pickup this week! As we have mentioned many times before, this is a key way to buy produce and save money. We have mentioned this as one of 30 Ways to Save Money On Produce.But with that in mind, one thing we like about our produce co-op (Bountiful Baskets) is that not only do they have the conventional basket for $15, the organic basket for $25, but they also have extras that you can buy each week.
With that in mind, we were super excited to see that there was an extra offering of Pineapple – 19 lb. boxes for $12. We were so excited that we got 2 boxes as we knew we could freeze it and use it for several months! We love pineapple, but it is very pricey and one pineapple doesn’t go very far for our family! But it is still a treat – so to be able to have 16 pineapples was very exciting!
So here’s the results!
First, this week – we did order an Organic Basket for $25:
1 organic celery hearts
1 package of organic baby portabello mushrooms
3 large organic Gala apples
6 small organic Mango (another favorite in our family!)
2 large organic orange bell peppers
1 package of organic green beans
1 bag with 5 organic kiwis
1 sm. head of organic cauliflower
2 organic zucchini
1 bunch or organic carrots
1 bunch of very large organic asparagus
Then we spent and additional $24 for two boxes of 19lb.s of pineapples each (38 lbs. total), which ends up being 16 pineapples (so $1.50 each pineapple, which is a decent price). Before buying, we only had how many lb.s (the 19 lbs. each box for $12). We were not sure how many actual pineapples this would equate to! But we were happy with the value! Plus they are very fresh!
So for $49, we got all of the above produce! We are pleased with this week’s results as the organic version of much of the produce in the store would be more than $25. Plus the value in all of the fresh pineapple made getting up early this morning to grab them very worth it!
So the next question is….. what do you do with all of that pineapple? Well, freeze it of course! Read up on this post here for how to Cut and Freeze pineapple! We did not freeze two of the 16 pineapples so that we can enjoy them fresh the next couple of days!
Finally, we have also posted this information before, but we wanted to keep posting it in these posts so that everyone reading can have some ideas on how to get involved with a produce coop:
First, our specific co-op is Bountiful Baskets and they are available in many states across the nation (mostly Western states). You can find information about Bountiful Baskets and if they are available in your area.
Second, there are many produce co-ops and grocery co op groups and it’s various forms across the nation that you can join and be a part of. A good place to start looking is at a the site localharvest.org (which is going to help you get organic local food) or coopdirectory.org (I am not sure how updated this site is as our area’s listings were old and many not listed, but at least worth a shot!) or search produce co-op your state under google and see what listings come up.
For more fun and informative frugal reads, don’t miss these posts:
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on March 19, 2012
Admit it. Its been on your mind for most of the morning. You can’t get it out of your head. Yes, we’re talking about that all-important question – Can you freeze eggs? You’ve come to the right place to answer this question and stop the worry and never-ending concern. Here’s the answer…. YES! And here’s the nitty gritty on how to do it!
It is that time of year when egg prices drop and you can find some great deals on eggs. So with that in mind and as we eat a lot of eggs in our house we love to buy them for much less and freeze them so we don’t have to buy them at the higher prices the rest of the year. So a few years ago we asked the question ourselves – “Can you freeze eggs?” when the time of year came around that eggs were so cheap that we wanted to stock up!
Eggs are considered the “poor man’s protein” and what better way to help us stick to our budget and to help us stick to healthier eating than buying them at a rock-bottom deal and freezing them so we could continue eating healthier for even less (because we’re not buying them when they are so expensive). But don’t think that springtime is the only time you can find great deals on eggs – we always loving looking for those markdowns (see the pictures below for an example) as you can often find them year-round!
Plus, another consideration is that not only are the “cheaper egg varieties” on sale, but also some of the higher-end eggs as well. We prefer to buy brown or cage-free eggs when we can fit them in our budget, and so when the opportunity arises, we stock-up on them! Then they are prepared to be frozen so we can have them when we need them.
SO Here’s How You Can Freeze Eggs!
What you need:
Eggs
Salt or sugar (to prevent the yolk from turning into a gel consistency when defrosting)
Something to measure out 1-2 cups
Ziploc or other container to store
It is very quick and easy to prepare eggs for the freezer and a task that our 7- and 8-year old daughters like to do (and practice egg cracking:))
We found that about 5-6 eggs is equal to one cup. We freeze most of our eggs in this quantity as we usually use about this many at a time!
First, crack the eggs in a separate bowl and measure them out (we measure by cups).
Second, add salt to the eggs. You will want to use around 1/2 teaspoon of salt for one cup of eggs (if freezing individually just use a dash)! Adjust the salt amount based on how many you are freezing together!
Third, gently mix the eggs so the yolks break up a bit and mix with the salt.
Fourth, pour egg mixture into your Ziploc or other container.
Fifth, label your eggs with date and quantity and then stick them in the freezer!
Here is some additional information to help you preserve your eggs for use!
Eggs can be frozen for up to 1-year.
Defrost your eggs for 1 day before use in the fridge.
You can use sugar instead of salt if you are using them for baking, etc.
You can freeze individual eggs in an ice cube tray for use of one egg at a time.
You can freeze the egg yolks and egg white separately if you need to.
When freezing just the yolks, you will still need to use the salt (or sugar) to prevent it be like gelatin when you defrost them.
When freezing just the whites, you do not need to add any salt or sugar – just mix very gently before freezing.
Eggs can last quite a while after the “best by” date and still be just fine for use and consumption without the need for freezing. You can see our previous post on this topic of Food Expiration Dates: What They Really Mean
Mark your bag/container with either the number of eggs or the amount it is equal to if you plan to use them in recipes. For example: our bags say “1 cup” or “6 large eggs.”
So when you are in the store next and you see a super deal on your family’s favorite eggs, instead of asking “Can you freeze eggs?” now you know you can, how to do and ultimately save your family a little more money in this area!
Have your tried to freeze your own eggs before? What was your experience?
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Alex on March 17, 2012
We had a blast,
Though this trip is now past.
Do you recognize this dinosaur?
When our son sees this picture he does roar!
Are we in the East or the West?
No matter…this place is the best.
Could it be in the South or the North?
We ask for your answer to come forth.
Yes, we know our poetry needs a bit of work. We’re not claiming to be experts. But we do ask that you leave a comment below if you recognize where we took this picture.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on March 17, 2012
It is Saturday, March 17th, 2012! We just got home yesterday at 1 am from our big 2-week road trip across the country to attend and speak at the Family Economics Conference in Chicago, visit the Creation Museum in Kentucky, visit my (Cassie) brother and his lovely family from Michigan and travel through many states and see a handful of “free” things to see and do.
It was a time that our family loved and needed! We traveled over 4,000 miles, met some amazing families and you may have seen our trusty Thrifty Helena at several pit stops or cruising down the interstate.
She made it all of those miles and we are very proud of our van! If anyone would like, we would also love to share some tips and extras that we did this trip to save a little more money and eat healthy while on the road and what we did to save on this trip!
But with that, we came home and one thing we missed terribly was our 1/2 fruit and 1/2 veggie daily smoothie/meal replacement. We were very excited to return home to our free Vitamix and whip up some nutrition. So imagine our disappointment when we opened the fridge to find it empty! Before we left, we tried to consume what we had and gave the remaining perishables to family. So it was a fridge filled with only condiments and sauces.
With no time to cut or print a single coupon and to even begin looking at deals, I ran to the grocery store to get our base essentials for our family. Since we were also pretty much starting from scratch, it was a big trip! But like we say, we always share our results with you so you can see what we are doing – even when we don’t have the “perfect money saving plan” in place.
Here’s what we bought: (we had to double and triple stack things to fit it on the table, so this picture really doesn’t show just how much we bought!)
4 head of organic cauliflower normally $2.99 marked down to .59 each = final is $2.36
1 10 lb. bag of potatoes on sale for $2.59 = final is $2.59
1 5lb. bag of red potatoes on sale for $2.50 = final is $2.50
3 Dole Baby Greens salad normally $2.99 on markdown for $1.29 each = final is $3.87
2 Dole Baby Spinach normally $2.99 on markdown for $1.29 each = final is $2.58
2.69 lbs of Tomatoes on sale for $1.19 each lb. = final is $3.20
1 3-lb bag of yellow onions for $1.49 each = final is $1.49
7 bags of organic celery hearts normally $2.29 each on markdown for .79 each = final is $5.53
2 packages of Romaine Hearts normally $2.59 on markdown for $1.19 each = final is $2.38
1 head of organic red cabbage regular price of $1.69 per lb. = final is $2.28
1 3-lb bag of baby carrots regular price of $3.89 = final is $3.89
4 bags of frozen spinach on sale for $1.00 each = final is $4.00
1 3.21lb cantaloupe on sale for .49 each lb. = final is $1.57
3.13 lbs of apples on sale for .99 each = final is $3.10
10.94 lbs of bananas on sale for .55 each lb. = final is $6.02
2.53 lbs. of grapes on sale for $1.29 each lb. = final is $3.26
5 Wholly Guacamole normally $2.99 on markdown for $1.29 each = final is $6.45
1 Corned Beef Brisket on sale for $4.74 = final is $4.74
18 jar of Naturally Preferred organic baby food stage 2 on sale for .33 each = final is $5.94
5 Greek Yogurt on sale for .80 each = final is $4.00
1 Dannon large plain yogurt tub normally $2.99 on markdown for .85 = final is .85
2 Dozen Oakdell brown eggs on sale for $1.99 each dozen = final is $3.98
1 large Kroger sour cream tub on sale for $1.99 = final is $1.99
1 large Kroger cottage cheese tub on sale for $1.99 = final is $1.99
2 Baby feeding nets on sale for $2.40 each $4.80. I did have a digital coupon for .60 off two on my Kroger card = final is $4.20 for two or $2.10
1 Kroger brand baby wipes sale for $1.97. I did have a digital coupon for .60 off Kroger baby wipes = final is $1.37
Summary: We spent $83.76, but it is all fresh foods (except the 4 frozen spinach which is a super way to buy spinach already pre-shrunk like that ) and it re-stocked our fridge with the essentials. I do not know exactly how much we saved because it doesn’t calculate savings on markdowns, but it appears to be in the ballpark of about 60%! We certainly can’t argue with that!
The best news is that we all enjoyed a dinner last night of fresh fruit and veggie smoothies! Everyone was happy again!
Now that we have our fridge back full, we will now figure out what coupons we can utilize this coming week and will share those results when we do!
Also, see our article on 30 Ways to Save Money on Produce where many of the principles from this article were used in our shopping trip this week!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on March 12, 2012
We posted about this free way to organize your bills last October. We have been using it since then and have been very impressed and appreciative of the free program. We love to use anything that makes our lives easier, but don’t like paying for it and this is PERFECT! So we are telling you about this again as it is very good deal and one not to miss!
You probably know we receive offers on a normal basis asking us to pass them on to you. Honestly, a majority of them just aren’t that great and we don’t bother. But as I started looking at this one – I couldn’t quite contain my excitement! Best of all, this high quality service is completely FREE!
Right now I have a spreadsheet to manage all of our bills. Our bills are divided by month which means I manually log into each separate website (gas, utilities, cell phones, etc), view each bill and then update my spreadsheet. Thankfully my browser has my login information cached for each as it would be even more of a hassle, but its still a hassle to update each balance manually – and that’s hoping that I’m logging in after the new bill has posted.
Sign up for a free account HERE (took me less than a minute). After that, you add each account by typing the company’s name into the dropdown and enter your login information for each account – this is a one time process. Manilla takes care of the rest:
Within seconds my account information showed up with date due, balance and my full bill was available to view. From now on, I’ll be able to login and view all my bills from one location – and configure each account individually to notify me via email or text message prior to the due date for each bill! Plus they offer a mobile app for both Android and iPhone users to download and provide those reminders as well! I’ll be downloading that as soon as I’m done with this post.
So you might be asking yourself how Manilla can offer this service for FREE. They don’t offer ads (other than from the businesses you have in your accounts) and this is not a 30-day trial trying to lock you into a long-term commitment. As we mentioned before when we recommended on-line bill pay through your bank and going paperless with your bill statements, companies pay a lot of money for printing paper bills and sending them out. When you sign up for Manilla, they stop sending your paper bills so companies actually pay Manilla a small fee every month to save money. As there are so many companies, this is offered for free to us and paid by the companies. I did check though and Manilla states they will keep your bills for as long as you have your account – giving you 30 days to download or print your bills later if you ever decide to close your account.
In the short time that I spent researching this morning, I’ve already setup most of my accounts and configured my notification settings for each bill. Instead of going to all my different biller’s websites, I can now go to one place and review all my account information. Plus I can even pay a majority of my bills through Manilla as well. I’m tickled pink (wow, that says a lot for me, doesn’t it?) and can’t believe just how easy it was to get started!
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla. Please note that my “neater-than-sliced-bread” review is all my own – I really am a believer! Please know our continual goal is to provide you good values and save you both time and money.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on February 29, 2012
Before we make this special announcement, we wanted to give you a personal message – we started our site over two years ago to provide hope to you and your family. You see, many of you already know that we haven’t always been The Thrifty Couple. In fact, we were so far from it that we were financially near the end at any given moment. You can read our story as it is being told and unfolded so far.
But the part of the story that we will be starting to share next is how we worked ourselves out of the demise we created. How we found contentment with what we had, learned how to save in every area of life and to generate more income on top of our jobs already. This part of the story will be just as difficult to tell as the parts describing how we got in the financial mess we were in in the first place.
You see, when we were figuring all of these things out, we didn’t know money-saving sites existed. We had heard couponing and money-saving concepts, we had tried some methods that we had heard, but nothing was actually REALISTIC nor WORKING! We struggled to make ends meet and pay off any debts we could for the first 3.5 years of digging our way out. That first 3.5 years, we paid down only $15K of our total $100K of consumer debt.
We had many things enlighten us the last 3.5 years of our seven year debt pay-off that allowed us to finish paying the last $85K! We discovered things that worked for us, that would lead to paying off our debts and then allow for us to be self-employed (because we had no debt and a savings a whole new world was opened up to us). Plus we are now working towards our next financial goal – all of this to be detailed in the future as we continue our story!
We are very excited to have teamed up with Savings.com as first phase DealPro Teachers to actually bring the things we have learned right to you in person through the Savings Nation! Check out this fun video:
We have taught many, many classes in the past and have even begun speaking engagements at conferences across the country dealing with everything including couponing, budgeting, finances and more! We will still continue to participate as speakers and teachers in different settings (conferences, classes, events, etc.) dealing with the topics of family finances, budgeting, healthy family economies and all things frugal as this is something we love and is a very vital part of meeting your financial goals and being wise stewards of your family’s finances!
BUT we are adding new venues and teaming up with Savings.com to maximize our teaching opportunities through the new SavingsNation nation-wide program. Our grocery coupon classes will continue to be a super-savvy way to learn how to quickly, easily and realistically drop your grocery budget by 50% or more – but with even more reach so we can ultimately teach and help more families!
This is very exciting for us because the whole reason we started this site was to help as many families as possible to learn from our mistakes, to learn from our successes and so this opportunity takes it to the next level so that you can personally reach the next level in your own life too!
Here are some key things that are important to note about our style of couponing and our Grocery Savings Classes:
We make it real, accessible and doable for every family – we also come from the unique perspective of a couple who has worked out the kinks in this area (remember, we struggled with this for 3.5 years until we finally figured out how to make it work!)!
We do not encourage you to change your eating habits, but rather buy the things you have always bought, just for much less – even if your goal is to be healthier for much less (we can offer tips there )
We will teach you how to build your own family’s stock-pile and pantry with a several month supply while dropping your budget dramatically at the same time.
There are many methods and ways to coupons and save money at the grocery store and we have tried them all – so in our classes we will share with you different ways that will work for different families and ultimately what we do (we each have a different methodology and so we have a unique system that works for us!)
We are not Extreme Couponers BUT we are a Real Family of Seven that lives healthier and for less as a family of seven than we did when it was just the two of us! The key to this is based upon “secrets of the trade” that we have discovered, followed and applied and will share these simple tricks of the trade with you so they are no longer a secret
Plus, being in person also allows us to answer your questions, address your concerns and help you and your family in a real way more than ever!
With that being said, we will start teaching these classes in the the Northern Utah and South Idaho areas. If you are interested in attending or even being an organizer, then we encourage you to fill out this form. We do not have dates set yet, but we will be starting in May, 2012.
But there will be four classes available taught by other DealPros to attend in four different parts of the country as the kick-off to this network of Grocery Store savings classes network that we are a part of! You can register for any of these classes now to reserve your spots!
Fill out the form below to be one of the first to be informed of one of these classes in your area and to receive personal invite to the upcoming Northern Utah or South Idaho classes that we will be personally teaching.
So now we want to hear from you! Are you excited about this?
What this means is that we only shop the perimeter of the store and avoid the aisles meaning we hit the produce, dairy and fresh foods departments and that is pretty much it! We wanted to see the results ourselves from doing this type of shopping this past week and look at it from both the health and budget perspective. The perimeter of the grocery store is actually where you spend the most amount of money, even if you use coupons!
So with that being said, we visited two separate grocery stores from the same chain of stores in different suburbs in our community! We wanted to hit both stores to see if it made a difference in terms of our finds. Now obviously, the sales in each of those fresh food departments are going to be the same, and we did get a handful of the fresh foods that were on sale that week – but in terms of what other deals we could find were quite different.
Before we share our results, we need to point out the obvious. We picked up quite a few markdowns – these will not be consistently the same, nor something you can count on each time you go shopping for your budget. They will not be a reliable way to shop to stay within budget on a normal basis, but it worked for us this week and it shows to keep your eyes peeled for those unadvertised deals. What is possibly not obvious however is that each week you will see markdowns. And when you adjust your family’s diet to use the markdowns from that week, you can save money and see those savings reliably in your budget.
Here’s what we bought:
2 whole organic milks 1/2 gallon on markdown for $1.19 each (down from $3.69 each)
1 Horizon Organic Milk 1/2 gallon on markdown for $2.59 (down from $4.69)
2 heavy whipping cream quarts on markdown for $2.59 (down from $5.69 each)
1 Lactaid milk on markdown for $1.50 (down from $3.99)
4 dozen Egglands Best brown cage free eggs on markdown for $1.59 each (down from $3.69 each)
1 whole fresh rotisserie chicken cooked on markdown for $3.59 (down from $5.99)
2 bags of fresh spinach on markdown for .99 each (down from $1.99 each)
1 bag of lettuce on markdown for $1.49 (down from $2.99 each)
5 head of orange or purple cauliflower on markdown for .79 each
2 packages of portobello mushrooms on markdown for .79 each
1 package of fresh organic Rosemary on markdown for $1.09 each
4 packages of baby carrots on markdown for .89 each
1 package of mushrooms on markdown for .89 each
1 package of wheat tortillas (from the bakery – still on the perimeter ) on sale for$1.00 each
3.1 lb.s of asparagus on sale for $1.99 this week = $6.17
1 sour cream on sale for $1.25
1 block of fresh cheese on sale for $3.78
We did also find a clearance rack in the dairy department that did have “aisle” foods, but it was found on the perimeter.
3 boxes of microwave kettlecorn on markdown for .49 from damaged boxes (down from $1.00 each)
3 boxes of organic instant oatmeal (for our upcoming road trip) on markdown for $1.99 each (down from $3.99)
1 French’s Fried Onions on markdown for $1.79 each (down from $3.49) These are NOT healthy, but we use them in cooking occasionally, so they can be nice to have on hand . We then used $0.50/1 French’s French Fried Onions 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/15/2012) The only coupon! = $1.29
Even with all of this, we are still hoping to regularly hit a grocery store that is a little further from us that has consistently very good prices on produce year round (e.g., for items such as oranges and bananas) that we had on our list but didn’t find on markdown or sale this week.
The total was $57.07 after all of the regular sales and the markdowns and ONE coupon We are not sure of exactly how much we saved (as our receipt does not show savings on markdowns), but we figure it is in the ball park of 50 – 55% on FRESH ITEMS! We are very thankful for the finds this week.
In addition, our 7-year old spent time before dinner churning (in a food processor – LOL) the heavy whipping cream into butter for us and with the quarts, we ended up with 2 lbs. of butter from that and 1 full jar of buttermilk! She was so excited when we used her fresh butter to make our chocolate yogurt cake last night as it really made her feel like a very needed part of the process! We kept some of the butter out and froze the rest!See how to make homemade butter an easy way!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.
by Cassie on February 22, 2012
We thought we would try something fun for you all! We have many people ask us how we spend our day! You see, those that know us personally know that we are not a normal family (who is?) in a lot of ways (yes, we are weird:)) but being beyond weird, our lives are often filled with organized chaos as we are in non-stop mode most of the time.
Here’s the factors that make our lives and each day interesting:
We run and operate five businesses from home as a family
We have five kids 8 and under
We home school
Alex is also in school undergoing training for the ministry
So how does our family with all of these dynamics run from day to day? Well honestly, each day is quite different. We decided just to pick one day at random and document everything that happened that day for a fun glimpse into one day in our lives.
Are you ready? Here we go…Wednesday, February 15, 2012!
5:00 AM Hour
5:30 am – alarm clock goes off. The snooze button is depressed – which one of us hits it is unknown at this point. The alarm clock is across the room so one of us HAS to get out of bed to turn it off.
5:37 am – alarm clock goes off again. Laying in bed with each of us checking emails from our cell phones to look for deals. I get distracted by Dr. Weil’s email on curing heart burn naturally.
5:44 am – finally roll out of bed.
5:49 am – I am at the computer to begin the day’s business work and Alex prays for production, efficiency and good attitudes for the day.
5:57 am – Alex brings up cups of coffee for both of us – YUM! Alex starts his personal study time!
6:00 AM Hour
6:20 am – Alex jumps out of his study chair and comes to the realization that he needs to take the garbage to the curb and starting bundling up to face the cold. I say “Why? It’s Wednesday!” (the garbage truck comes on Thursday). Alex says – “I need more coffee” and to the kitchen he departs! A few sips later he starts studying again. I get back to work!
7:00 AM Hour
7:15 am – Alex showers and gets ready for the day.
7:30 am – Alex starts his work by taking care of emails and quick requests, I keep working
8:00 AM Hour
8:09 AM – first child up – the 5 yr. old son. My work efficiency decreases a little with the revving car sounds on the floor and questions about why cars can’t drive on the carpet by themselves without pushing them.
8:12 Am – second child up – the 7 yr. old daughter. My work efficiency decreases even more now with two kids playing on the floor under my feet.
8:15 AM – Alex is done working for now and decides to take kids downstairs and start on breakfast so I can finish with focused time.
8:16 AM – 5 yr. old son brings me a Greek Yogurt. Hugs and kisses exchanged.
8:21 AM – My dad calls to say that mom is now in surgery for her knee replacement. Alex comes up to pray for Grandma with the family members that are awake.
8:26 AM – baby is awake and I am thankful he slept so long and hoping everyday will be like this. I take a break from work to nurse him!
8:41 AM – Done nursing. Alex comes to get him and brings me a bowl of my favorite cereal. I take my first bite and it tastes really weird and funny. I text Alex on Facebook to ask him if he thinks the same about the cereal. No response, he’s busy with kids. Maybe it was the peach flavored Greek yogurt I had right before. Either way – I look at the clock and realize I only have less than an hour of “focused” work time left, so I put the cereal down and get back to work!
8:47 AM – Heard Alex’s speech to the kids about “everyone having a part and role in the family” as they perform the morning 20-minute, post breakfast quick clean. He reminds them of the verse “do all things without complaining and disputing.”
8:51 AM – Alex now sees my chat about the cereal and says “it tastes okay to me.” I think it must be the Greek yogurt.
9:00 AM Hour
9:03 AM – Alex decides to replace my cereal with oatmeal since I complained! So sweet!
9:05 AM – I hear giggles and colorful conversations for the kids and daddy (and realize that the 1st child is down there and didn’t hear her get up!). I love that sound of kids and dad laughing!
9:15 AM – I hear Alex tell the kids that “he’ll be right back as he needs to run the diaper out to the trash.” I think to myself “so glad that the baby decided to have his big bad diaper on dad’s watch right before I take over!” And then I say to myself: “Good boy!”
9:19 AM – 5 yr. old son comes up to see if he can take my dishes!
9:27 AM – Last child, the 3 yr. old wakes up. I am so glad that she slept in hoping for a good 3-year old mood!
9:28 AM – Scratch that, she was woken up by the 7 yr. old and NOT in a good mood!
9:32 AM – I look at the clock and realize my focused work time is up and I call down and ask for 5-10 more minutes to finish what I was working on.
9:43 AM – I am done working and go downstairs and see the kids finishing up their handwriting while the 3 yr. old slowly finishes her oatmeal and fruit breakfast.
9:50 AM – Family in the livingroom listening to the 5 yr. old son give his report on sharks. We listen to the story about the bottom dweller shark eating another shark that swam close by and swallowing whole. His sisters are fascinated and I am looking around thinking “am I the only one feeling sick right about now?”
10:00 AM Hour
10:00 AM – family Bible study time!
10:35 AM – singing last song when phone rings. It is my dad letting us know that mom is out of surgery and doing well. Praise God!
10:40 AM – Alex starts his focused work time in the home office. Kids starting writing out their current memory work. The 5-yr. old son decides he can work better wearing the dinosaur towel.
10:50 AM – ACK! Haven’t got meat out for the beef stew yet. Missed the Dinner by 10 deadline, but at least remembered during the 10:00 am hour, so we will call it “dinner by 10:50″.
10:54 – I unload the dishwasher while the kids keep doing their schoolwork.
10:56 AM – 8-year old asks if we can study science now (because it is her favorite). My response, “Book work first, not until this afternoon!”
11:00 AM Hour
11:03 AM – 7-yr. old cites memory work while I fold laundry
11:06 AM – 5 and 8 year old cite memory work while I finish laundry and then kids onto their math books!
11:12 AM – 8 year old asks if she can help the 3-yr old with her workbook. I say “sounds good,” as I am thinking that this is good for character building to help her 3-year old sister with the strong personality!
11:34 AM – serve lunch to the kids and I get on the computer to answer emails, etc.!
11:56 AM – I realize that the pencil sharpener has been going continually for the last several minutes. I then find the 3-year old with a pile of sharp pencils.
12:00 PM Hour
12:38 PM – Sit down with Alex in the office to enjoy a 30-minute lunch together. Kids are on their 30 minute quiet reading time.
12:58 PM – Okay, so lunch was 20 minutes and I rotate laundry, help 3-yr old on potty and change the baby.
1:00 PM Hour
1:09 PM – Kids are done reading. 7 and 8-yr olds back on school work. 5 yr. old reads out loud to me while I am nursing the baby.
1:34 PM – The kids and I do a 20 minute quick clean. Focus areas for this quick clean are the livingroom and kitchen.
1:55 PM – me needing to vacuum after the quick clean. The kids take a break.
1:59 PM – Turned off the vacuum 1 minute before Alex’s video conference call with his professor. I need to keep the 3, 5 and 8 month old quiet for the next hour….. Contemplating putting on a show so I can finish folding and putting away laundry. “Never mind” is my next thought as the 5-year old pulls the blanket from underneath the 3-year old and she screams. Laundry can wait. Time for the preschool/Kindergarten character building course – we’re on obedience! Sounds good to me!
2:00 PM Hour
2:05 PM – Start character class
2:06 PM – Baby starts screaming in play yard. He was apparently entertained by the 5 and 3-yr old wrestling and watching the blanket being pulled from under the 3-year old. I move him to the swing next to me teaching the Character Class.
2:08 PM -I read ONE paragraph and then 7-year old says she is done with all of her book work for the day. Going to go get her ready for the Master Reader course on the family computer.
2:09 PM – I tried the password to unlock the computer. It was wrong. I kept trying…… I was then locked out of the computer. “Never mind” I say in frustration and tell her to “join us for Character Class.”
2:12 PM – back on Character Class on the topic of obedience. As I reread the 1st paragraph, the 8-year old interrupts to ask a question! Then back to reading the 1st paragraph YET AGAIN, realized we finished the all of the lessons related to obedience lesson. I quickly flip to the next unit on the topic of patience. “Perfect,” I think as that is what I need right now!!
2:13 PM - As I quickly scan the lesson to determine what the first lesson is about, the 3-year old gets up and runs over to the swinging baby, who was finally dozing off, and wakes him. He starts screaming again! I look up and open my mouth to snap “NO, why would you do that?!?!”….. Back to reading about patience…. “boy I really need this right now.”
2:39 PM – Alex is done early with his video conference call and we finish up our lesson. He gives me a 5-minute head and neck massage. Kids eat a Valentine treat from grandma and grandpa from the day before.
3:00 PM Hour
3:00 PM – Alex and kids do their science lesson while I have focus work time again.
3:50 PM – Kids have a snack and I am thinking that I can catch a shower before making dinner.
5:00 PM Hour
5:05 PM – After a nice long shower, nursing and a phone call – it is time to make dinner.
5:06 PM – I decide to switch the dinner plans from Beef Stew to Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry as we have fresh broccoli that needs to be used before the stew veggies.
6:00 PM Hour
6:06 PM – We sit down to dinner! We all decide that we love the Beef and Broccoli stir-fry with the Korean BBQ sauce.
6:42 PM – we realize that it is getting late, we need to hurry and get ready to go see Grandma at the hospital that is 30 minutes away and decide we better hurry! The food gets put away, but the table does not get cleared off, only for me to handle it later in our haste in getting ready to go!
6:58 – Alex calls for everyone downstairs to get loaded up into Thrifty Helena. The 5-year old yells from upstairs that he “can’t find his shoes!” after nearly twenty minutes of getting ready. I look into his room and he doesn’t know I am there, but he wasn’t looking for shoes, he was playing with his cars. I call to him and he jumps as he realizes he is not doing what is was supposed to be doing and I caught him in the act. “Oh look,” I say, “your shoes are right here!” in the bucket in his closet – go figure!
7:00 PM Hour
7:06 PM - Alex and I are in the house doing final prep for leaving while the older kids are supposed to be getting into Helena and getting buckled. We hear crying…. I run out and see that the 3 girls are in the van and have locked their brother out. They don’t want him in because “he stinks” (he always stinks according to them ) and it will “make the van smelly.” I feel bad for the little guy that he doesn’t have a brother big enough yet to have a pal and the sisters gang up on him.
7:07 PM – They finally unlock the door and he gets in and we are right behind. We pull out, get onto the main road and realize that we do not have the EpiPens for our daughter with the deadly peanut/tree nut allergy. We go around the block and pull back in (always wondering if the sweet older lady next door is watching us and counting how many times we come back before finally leaving the house). Alex runs in to get the Epipens.
7:12 PM – we are officially on the road! We need to stop and pick up Get Well Flowers for Grandma.
7:40 PM – We stop at Walmart close to the hospital and realize that the flowers are all 50% off! We make a joke that all surgeries should be the day after Valentine’s day so you can get cheaper flowers! We pick out a dozen peach roses arranged in a vase! So beautiful and still look great and cost half as much!
7:58 PM – get back into Helena and buckle everyone again!
8:00 PM Hour
8:07 PM – find a parking space and unload and make the long trek in the big hospital to find Grandma’s room!
8:07 – 8:19 PM – find the right elevators, arrive on the right floor, get confused by all of the hallways as patients and hospital staff find a family of seven wandering around the hospital and look shocked at our family size and that by “God’s grace at the time” are very quiet for as large as our family is and as young as all of our children are – but there were many strange looks and second glances as we walked around!
8:19 PM – finally found grandma’s room! All 7 of us pile in with my Dad, sister and brother-in-law. It was a very full room. We visited for about 45 minutes with hospital staff popping in and out and shocked by all of us in there. We also enjoyed a few funny laughs from “talking animals” videos being played on my sister and brother-in-laws laptop in the room.
9:00 PM Hour
9:03 PM – we decide it is time to go. The kids were silent (WOW!) the whole time, but before we push it and have utter meltdown, we better skedaddle! Back through the hospital maze and to our trusty Thrifty Helena!
9:15 PM – we leave the hospital to head back home for the next 30-minutes. Alex and I discuss going home and working for an hour. I then get a bad headache. I say that I am exhausted!
9:46 PM – we get home, two kids are asleep and we carry them to bed. The older two get ready for bed.
9:54 PM – the older two get in bed. Daddy prays.
9:55 PM – the older two are out of bed – they need water. I get them water!
9:57 PM – the older two are back in bed.
9:59 PM – baby starts last nursing of the day (hopefully) and I shut my eyes while nursing!
10:00 PM Hour
10:02 PM – 8-year calls from the other room because she has a question. I am nursing, but Alex comes upstairs – they talk for a minute and then I hear “go back to bed, it is late and you need to be in bed!”
10:25 PM – done nursing, put the baby in bed.
10:33 PM – Plum exhausted, I crash in bed. Alex prays for us and I guess I fell asleep during the prayer…….
Did you enjoy this post? Share with us if you think we’re crazy or just plum weird. We had fun living it and a lot of fun sharing it!
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