Saturday, January 22, 2011

Frugal lunches


I was working on a list of frugal lunches for Down to Earth and decided to post here also.

Some of My cheap lunch options:

Vegetables and dip/salad dressing. I bought a storage dish set that has small containers just perfect for holding small amounts of dressing, peanut butter or sandwich spread.

Peanut butter and apple slices or pear slices. Protein and fruit and your mouth sticking together with peanut butter pretty fun stuff.

leftover Frittata. I've eaten at room temp and they are pretty good

pizza - most children (and adults) love pizza. Make your own at home and make it good aka healthy and cheap.

Along the same lines of Lunchables: lunch meats, cheese slices and crackers, pita bread, wraps and they assemble the food themselves. Even cheese and crackers without the meat would be great.

I remember a friend in high school that was Jewish and during passover did not eat bread. She brought peanut butter and special unleavened crackers for lunch and we were envious. Do the same thing peanut butter and crackers make for fun sandwiches.

You can also use those small scraps of meat and cheese to make a great Chef salad.

And the ever popular leftovers.

Some helpful hints that I tend to forget.
Use the plastic bag inside your cereal carton to put your sandwiches in for your lunch.

Fill old plastic drinks bottle with filtered tap water and store in your fridge as an alternative to bought bottled water. Freeze them and you can use them to keep your lunch cold until you eat. Then you can drink the thawed water also.

Thank you for reading and blessings, Laura

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Snow again

View facing the back field


The neighbors bush (2 doors down). These are actually 2 different bushes and I just love the way they hold the snow and look so pretty when they are covered.


Our bush out front - I liked how it held the snow today also.

Greg the ever faithful friend sweeping off the other neighbors van.

I know what else do you expect in Ohio during January?! We got some pretty fluffy white stuff yesterday. depending where in the city the measurement was taken anywhere from 4 to 5 inches. The nearby TV station got 4.5 inches so that is what I use for our place.

Blessings

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Rite Aid and breakfast this morning



In my quest to be more coupons and money wiser I returned to Rite Aid this week. I had a refund check for $3.95 and $6 in up rewards to use. And of course my coupons.

On the list and since I went before work I made sure I stuck to the list.

2 Wet Ones wipes $1.99 each - $1 up rewards (for each) and - $1 manufacturer coupons = 2 free

Special K cereal on sale BOGO and I used a BOGO coupon = 2 free boxes

Rite Aid envelopes 2 for $1

Listerine $3.99 - $2 manufacturer coupon for the Zero formula = $1.99

A bottle of water for work

After removing the coupons, refund check and the previous up rewards my out of pocket was $3.52

And I have $4 in up rewards for next week. Since there are places online that I can get a preview of the ads early I am checking them and if I am not going shopping the next week I will turn around and use that weeks new rewards so I don’t let them go to waste.

And yes someone again has insomnia and is posting at 4:36 am.

Have a good day and blessings, Laura

Saturday, January 1, 2011

December 2010 Free stuff

Lots of free stuff this month:
December freebies
can of Wolf chili
head of lettuce
free 2 liter of Big K (got coupon last month)
2 boxes of Barilla Pasta
free bag of Ande's baking chips (rebate)
brick of Kroger cream cheese (coupon found ins tore)
$3 Pinecone payment
$10 gc from TRU (promo deal)
10 first class stamps from Quadreaders
dividend check from Life Insurance
tin of nuts from Quadreaders
doz eggs (used Kroger coupon from last month)
can of Whiskas cat food
2 boxes of pasta
small bag of M&M's
$10 amazon toy code
sample pack of Playtex tampons
sample SalonPas heat patch
Free dox eggs (Kroger special deal)
2 bags of frozen vegis
4 boxes of Pillsbury toaster pastries (contest win)
$2 coupon off beef, chicken (Wishbone refund)
Kroger coupons (no freebies)
coupon train envie
Oxy clean clinical samples
$3 Pinecone survey payment
coupon for free bottle of Extra strength Excederin
Rite Aid single check rebate
Caregivers Marketplace rebate
2 coupons free 12 pack Coke (cokerewards)
sample Golean Crisp and coupons including a $3 off 1 should be a free or very cheap box
purse size tube of hand lotion
Avon lip balm
Ande's mint rebate
Little Ceaser's pepperoni pizza (from neighbor)
Seattle's best coffee sample
2 BOGO 2 liters Coke products (Recyclebank point turn in)
$5 Amazon code

Blessings, Laura