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February 2, 2015

February No-Spend Month Challenge: Day 2 Recap

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Hello again, savvy savers! So, for Day 2 I challenged you all to come up with a list of a list of meals, with all of the staples being comprised of your freezer, deep freeze, stockpile, and pantry items. We needed to come up with:

  • 13 Breakfasts
  • 13 Lunches
  • 13 Snacks
  • 13 Dinner Options
  • 13 Desserts

 

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So, here is what I came up with:

Breakfasts (using frozen eggs, bacon, cheese, Homemade Greek Yogurt, and stockpiled cereal): 

  • Homemade Greek Yogurt Parfaits x 9
  • Cereal x 13
  • Bacon, Eggs, and Toast x 4

Lunches (using frozen cold cuts, Thanksgiving pulled turkey slices, and frozen grilled chicken breasts):

  • Almonds, Cheese Crackers, Cheese rounds, with celery, and Crystal Light x 10
  • Tossed Salad with Turkey, light vinaigrette, and Crystal Light x 8
  • Chicken Salad, and Crystal Light x 8

Snacks (using frozen fruit and cheese):

  • String Cheese and grapes x 7
  • Almonds and Gala Apple Slices x 7
  • Strawberries and String Cheese x 7
  • Blueberries and Walnuts x 5

Dinners (made from stockpile and freezer):

Desserts (made from pantry items): 

  • Jello-o Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups x 7
  • Gluten-Free Brownies x 7
  • Brownie flurries with leftover brownies x 7
  • Diet Coca-Cola Slushies x 5

 

As well today, I was also able to accomplish:

  1. I woke up at 6:30, walked my fur babies, showered, & dressed to my shoes, (just sans shoes indoors, as we’re a no-shoes indoor household!) (Thanks, Flylady!)
  2. Worked on my daily Motivated Moms Planner.
  3. I finished one days work of work-week, clerking assignments.
  4. I worked on my lesson plan for my new project, teaching couponing/savings classes at my local community college for an hour.
  5. I read part of a new review book.
  6. I finished today’s Day 2 No-Spend Challenge!
  7. I enjoyed a Free Chik-fil-a- frozen latte!
  8. I cooked from my pantry, three times.
  9. I mailed off a package of coupons for Coups For Troops.
  10. I worked on ten product reviews.
  11. I finished all of my daily blog posts on time!
  12. Read my daily devotional.
  13. I rented two free Redbox movies, which I will enjoy tonight!
  14. I cleaned out my kitchen drawers as part of today’s Monday Deep Cleaning Project! (Thanks, MoneySavingMom)

 

PicMonkey Collage

 

So today I saved:

  • I was able to subscribe to a new, free magazine subscription, which will have a combined savings of $12.00.
  • I completed 2 surveys online via Ipsos-iSay, and earned a $1.00 towards my next Amazon gift code.
  • I submitted ten receipts to Receipt Hog, (if you wish to join please use code drog2894 when signing up) which earned by $175 coins, or $0.40. 
  • I eat at home three times today, saving our family $8.91. .
  • I pre-packed a weeks worth of lunch meals for my family, which saved us $6.89.
  • I recycled, upcycled, and composted one bins of deluge from today’s deep clean challenge, and saved $0.25, the cost of 1 trash bag. 
  • I rented two free Redbox movies, a savings of $2.48.
  • I enjoyed a free Chik-fil-a frozen latte, for free!
  • I received $19.34 worth of product review items, which can be placed in my home gift closet!
  • I also did not watch cable tv, and saved $3.68 by doing so.

So, overall today my family saved: $58.94

This months savings goal remaining: $808.41

 

Now that’s a full day! Stay tuned for the Day 3 Challenge tomorrow!

Here’s to saving,

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Challenge Links:

Weekly Menu & Stockpile Shopping Trip!

valentine's day menu

 

Happy Monday, savvy savers! This week is starting off to a sunny, yet chilly start here in Dixie. Thankfully, this weeks menu is going to be a breeze, and consists of Cupboard Clearing ideas, so stepping out to the market is not necessary! I am cooking and prepping solely from what is in my deep freeze pantry, and stockpile this week! I have spent nothing for this weekly menu plan, part of my 30-Day No-Spend Challenge! 

This week we will be having:

Monday
Breakfast: Meatless Monday low-fat Mozzarella and Spinach Omelette, with Green Tea.
Lunch: Almonds, Cheese Crackers, Cheese rounds, with celery, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Three Bean Chili, cooked with Boca Crumbles, with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green Tea, Coconut Milk, and Strawberry Smoothie; made with Truvia.
Lunch: Freezer Cooking Chicken and Dumplings, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Frozen/Thawed Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with crystal light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry, steamed peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Homemade Gluten-Free  Truvia brownies.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed Salad with Turkey, light vinaigrette, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Burger Patties, sweet Potato Fries, with Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies; we use Edy’s Sugar-Free Ice Cream.

Friday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with homemade Greek Yogurt dressing, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Barbecue Pork, Steamed Green Beans, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken Salad, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, Quinoa, and lemonade.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, and Toast, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Sausages, Steamed Broccoli, Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese, with Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

 

 

As well, here is my weekly stockpile shopping trip, purchased on 1/31/15; all goods which will be used in my pantry, blanched, frozen, or used for freezer meals! Here’s what I purchased:

 

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Sam’s Club:

  • 2 1-Gallon Jugs of Italian Dressing, $4.01 each
  • Split Chicken Breasts, $0.69/lb; 10 lb. pack
  • Boulder Sweet Potato Fries, $1.81
  • Simply Right Grain-Free Cat Food 18 pound bag, $8.81
  • 2 3-Packs of Libby’s Pumpkin Mix, $0.91 each
  • 3 piece Neutrogena Body Wash & Oil Gift Set, $5.71 each

Used: $5.00 Sam’s Gift Card Credit (from Savings Catcher Savings)

Total Spent: $27.88, Plus Applicable Tax

 

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Winn-Dixie:

  • 4 Jumex Juices, $0.49 each
  • Candied Orange & Lemon Peel Tubs, $0.25 each
  • Ripe Banana Bags, 2/lb for $0.39
  • 2 Marshmallow Fluff Cups, $0.39 each
  • (2) 1-Liter Coke Bottles, $0.99 each; Submitted for a $1.00 iBotta App, and only paid $0.50 after rebates
  • 2 Zapp’s Chips, 2/$2.00
  • 2 lb bag of Cabbage, $0.49/lb
  • 3 bags of Yaki Nori, $1.00 each
  • Tomato, $0.89 each; submitted for $0.25 Checkout51 Credit
  • 2 cloves garlic, 2/$1.00
  • 2 Tubs Move Over Butter, $1.19 each
  • 1 Quart Fat Free Land-O-Lakes Hal and Half, $1.39
  • 1 cucumber $0.50; submitted for SavingStar 20% back credit
  • 1 Roll of Rollos, $1.19; submitted for full rebate back on SavingStar
  • 3 pound bag of Bolthouse Carrots, $1.29
  • EarthBound Farms Salad Tub, $3.99; used $1.00 Earthbound Farms Coupon

Total Spent: $20.78, Plus Applicable Tax

 

So this week I paid $49.66 for $181.23 worth of groceries and home goods, all of which went to replenish my stockpile, freezers, and pantry! 

 

Here’s to saving,

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February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 2 (Menu Ideas)

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Hello again, savvy savers! So, for Day 2 I am challenging you all to come up with a list of a list of meals, with all of the staples being comprised of your freezer, deep freeze, stockpile, and pantry items. You will need to come up with:

  • 13 Breakfasts
  • 13 Lunches
  • 13 Snacks
  • 13 Dinner Options
  • 13 Desserts

valentine's day menu

Each option will be eaten twice for the remainder of the month, as the entire month will be rotated bi-weekly. Now, this task may seen daunting to you all, but consider the following:

  1. No-spend months are a great time for 5-can soups, dump cakes, casseroles, and pot pies. 
  2. This is also a great time to consider “Food Swapping,” with family, friends, and neighbors, where you will prep meals and then exchange the meals accordingly. 
  3. This is also the time to consider menu streamlining; eating the proper amount of meals, as well as small snacks throughout the day, as well as cutting your dependency on carbonated beverages, and instead eating healthier options all around, will not only fill you up more, stave off food cravings, which will ultimately end up costing you less the month over. 
  4. Consider using “Meatless Monday,” food options; you can save up to $240.00 annually using this method once a week!
  5. You can also check out sites like SuperCook, where you can add the ingredients you have on hand to their database, to find recipes to suit your stockpile of goods!
  6. My best tip for today’s challenge, “Rollable Meals,” or meals that leftovers can be made into different meals using the same ingredients; for example on day 1 you make double the amount of hamburgers and a pan of brownies for dessert. On day two, you can take one patty, broken up and make breakfast tacos, and as a beef topped salad(s) for lunch, and using your additional reserved patties, make crockpot beef patties and gravy for dinner, and using your leftover brownies you can make two additional desserts to last the remainder of the week, brownie parfait cups, brownie flurries, or brownie and berry trifle!

Also, here are a few of my own recipes that can be made inexpensively:

So, just get out a tablet, make a boxed grid; 11″x 8″, divide into a calendar, with seven boxes across, and four boxes down, and there you go! Fill in with all of your ideas!  These options will hopefully not you to not only expand your stockpile and pantry, but your imagination as well! For further ideas, be sure to check out my Weekly Menu Section and Pinterest Menu Idea Boards!

Until tonight’s recap,

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 Challenge Links:

  1. The 31 Day No Spend Month Challange!
  2. February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 1 (Commitment & Pantry Organization)
  3. February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 1 Recap