-Last week, I spoke at MOPS about saving money on your grocery bill without clipping coupons. I was considerably less nervous this year, so I was able to calm down and enjoy talking with the Moms, and I hope they learned some helpful tips. I’m sure you’ve all heard the dire predictions about gas prices this summer, and if $5/gallon by Memorial Day actually comes to pass, get ready for grocery prices to spike again. On average, increasing global demand, and rising commodity and fuel costs drive grocery prices up by about 3% per year, but in 2011, they rose by an estimated 4.25% to 4.75%. Some staples of the frugal diet, such as inexpensive protein sources like ground beef and turkey, rose as much as 10% in some areas. The USDA is projecting that prices will continue to rise throughout 2012, so now is the time to prepare.
A couple of weeks ago, I called my husband from the grocery store to express astonishment because toaster waffles went up nearly 50 cents just since the last time I bought some. This indignant phone call to my husband has become a weekly occurrence, and he said something that seems to sum up our collective feelings as a country right now:
“Everything keeps going up…except our wages.”
I think he’s really hit the nail on the head there.
If you haven’t already, you may wish to download Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals from the USDA. This is a free PDF download, and the recipes are frugal and nutritious. Of course, you can always visit my recipe blog, Economical Eats, for more thrifty recipes.
-Ever since I read The South Beach Wake-up Call, I’ve been spending a lot of time planning and preparing meals for my family. The author, Dr. Arthur Agatston, advises readers to “eat as though your life depends on it” (because it does). It’s not unusual for me to spend several hours each day in the kitchen, but in recent weeks I’ve worked even harder to insure that everyone gets plenty of fruits and veggies, and I’ve been experimenting with scratch versions of favorite snack foods. Today I’m attempting “granola thins,” which my kids love (I’ll let you know how they turn out). I’ve also been making breakfast smoothies with Chobani greek yogurt (the absolute best yogurt, in my opinion), lowfat milk, frozen fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries) and frozen spinach. Delicious, and very filling. We went through several pounds of bananas, a big bunch of kale, 2 pounds of carrots, 3 romaine hearts, a pound each of green and lima beans, a head of cabbage, 3 pounds of clementines, and 2 dozen kiwi fruit last week (I feel healthier just reading that!) I’m happy to report that this has been one of the healthiest winters ever for us. I had a cold last fall, but have been healthy since, which is practically unheard of for me.
-This morning I went online and stocked up on cold weather gear for my children for next year. In the Midwest, boots and snow pants are an absolute necessity, but I don’t always have good luck finding them (in good condition, anyway), at garage sales. January and February are the best months to shop for outerwear, because most retailers clearance it to make room for spring merchandise. This morning I bought hats, scarves, and mittens for all 3 kids, 2 pairs of snow pants, and a heavy coat and snow boots for DJ – all for less than $60 at Target, including free shipping. Plus I’ll earn 5% back through Shop Discover. For more information about the best times to buy certain merchandise, see this post.
I also stocked up on Valentine cards for the 2 youngest for next year – Disney Princess, and Cars – because our local Wal-Mart had them for 10 and 25 cents a box!
-Last week, I took the kids to the library for the first meeting of the Magic Tree House Book Club:
Bee loves this series, and has read nearly all of the books, so she enjoyed talking about the book with other kids. All three kids enjoyed the free popcorn and pop, and the dinosaur-themed crafts (the first book in the series is called Dinosaurs Before Dark). DJ was especially thrilled to be allowed to paint, which he rarely gets to do at home because he makes such a mess.
The girls were annoyed with him though, because he kept stirring all the colors together. I think we’ll leave him home next month.
In a desperate attempt to catch up on scrapbooking, and assuage some of my maternal guilt about the only page in DJ’s scrapbook being one that the NICU nurses made after he was born, I’ve been doing a lot of digital scrapping lately. These are some of my favorite layouts from the last week:
The pain of my father-in-law’s passing is still very fresh, so this was a difficult layout to make, but it’s such a special memory. I think, in a way, it was therapeutic.
What I love about digital scrapbooking is that layouts come together quickly, and it’s very easy to stay organized. Also, there are so many great digital freebies available online, so the only real cost for me is the printing of layouts ($2.99 each at Costco). If you’d like to try your hand at digital scrapbooking, you can save $10 on the software I use – MyMemories Suite – by entering my coupon code (STMMMS34141) at checkout. You’ll also receive a $10 credit toward digital scrapbook supplies in the MyMemories store.
It’s only been a month since my father-in-law’s death, and I confess, my heart just hasn’t been in blogging lately. I feel like my husband and I have been going through our own private struggles, and life in general has been hectic and stressful. We’re not always on the same page lately, so to speak, and we’re both just tired and sad. It doesn’t help that we’ve had so little time together. We’ve always been a couple who does everything together, so when there’s distance between us – literal or figural – we both feel somewhat out of sorts. To remedy this, and help us to reconnect, my husband took me to a chamber music performance at an 1886 mansion, which has been restored as a tourist attraction. Cultural events are often hosted there, and at intermission they served champagne and dessert.
If you’re unfamiliar with chamber music, it’s a form of classical music written for a small group of instruments – in this case, flute, viola, and guitar - which is traditionally performed in an intimate atmosphere, by a small number of performers. It’s often called “the music of friends,” or “house music.” For example, if you’re a lover of period movies (like me), you would recognize it as the soundtrack for scenes where the characters are gathered in the parlor after dinner, reading, chatting, or playing cards.
It was a very small, intimate concert, and sitting in this antique parlor, with scenes from Greek mythology painted along the ceiling, snuggled against my husband (who is always warm), with a mild champagne buzz (I only had two glasses, but I’m a lightweight), listening to beautiful, relaxing music played on antique instruments – it was like being transported back in time. I told my husband that I felt like I was in a scene from a Jane Austen novel, and for a couple of hours, the outside world ceased to exist.
We had a wonderful time. We’re still talking about it.
And our world feels right again.
