Frugal In Florida

It's officially over. I will have to tally up the month tomorrow morning as my day has gotten away from me. Friday, went & got my free Einstein bagel and paid the 60 cents for the honey butter. It was more of a guilt thing than anything else I think. Then went to Publix where I managed to hold up the line for about 15 minutes with the manager saying NO they do not stack manufacturer & Publix coupons. Oh boy. Manager kept saying that it would not let the cashier do it (kept beeping). Then it dawned on me, 10 coupons, 9 items. Duh. So I grabbed a pack of gum ($1.19!!) and it went through. Manager walked with me to towards the exit and I asked him to please call his corporate office to see if the policy has been changed, that I would LIKE to know just for the future. He wrote his name on my receipt to call back later. I called 9 hours later, not thinking he would be there and he was. He apologized and said what we did was totally cool and he was personally making sure that

Somehow I am so messed up on my days. I did NOT realize that it was already the 26th day of the month AND Thursday. Well, I did realize it, but it just didn't click. Read the coupon hunting email for what I did on the 25th. So, for clarification, today IS Thursday & survivor is on this evening. Woohoo. I am quite certain there will be NO GYM again (WTF??!!) which means I will need to get off the computer soon & go do my agonizing 16 minutes of Ab Ripper. Dang if I can’t find the whole video. I think it may have been removed for copyright purposes. If they don’t get the gym up & running by Sunday, I may just blow all this saving out the window & buy the P90X. Crap. I am stopping by Publix on way to work this morning to get my 2 cans of Pam and free produce using the $1 off produce. Grapes are on sale for 99 cents a lb (yeah!) and I am craving bananas. I will also pick up 2 small dawn soaps and use my 2 50 cent Publix coupons & 2 50 cent manufacturer coupon

So because there is NO GYM again (WTF??!!) I stayed at work a little later than normal to finish up some stuff on my desk. Then I decided to go to the Publix downtown to go coupon hunting. They usually have some great coupons! Sure enough, there were! Procter & Gamble must have something going with Publix. Again, they have these sheets (well, actually, it’s a trifold this time) of cleaning stuff. $1 off Tide (2 of them), $1 off swifter refills, 50 cents off any dawn, $1 off bounty, $1 off charmin, etc. Way cool. I know I’ve got some great coupons to match them up with. Unlike the health & beauty sheet, these DO expire. OH – and if you buy ANY 2 participating items, you can get a free Publix recycle shopping bag. Those are 99 cents each folks and I just refuse to pay for them so here they are, FREE. I also got some cracker coupons, only 3 of the buy 1 cracker get $1 off cheese. Bummer. Some $1 off poptart peelies (b1g1f now). $1 off success rice peelies. I did buy a few

Well, only 4 more days to finish the No Spend challenge. I am seriously thinking of carrying it over to March, only because I still want to save more money. *Don't mind the little typos you might notice here & there - sitting on couch with dd's laptop typing this up, not used to the typing on my legs* Stopped at the grocery store on my way home. So needed to. Spent $39.85. Says I saved $70.27. Hmmm... Sorry no pics (again, or ever?) as ds was playing with my camera on the tripod that dh had taken out of his closet to get rid of. Unbeknowst to us, it is a universal tripod for all cameras & video cameras (which is what we had it for 18 years ago when dd was born!) So heres what I got: 4 32 oz containers of progresso broth (2 chix, 2 beef)* Ice cream 3 green giant brocolli spears (box)* 2 bags pizza rolls* Select soup*FREE* Wrigley gum*FREE* 2 progresso soups* milk 2 pillsbury french bread* grated parm cheese with green lid 2 wishbone salad dressings* 2 muir glenn tom

In my depression, I googled and found this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2445079873095200471&ei=meWjSeuaC5GgqgKgspT4Bg&q=ab+ripper+x&hl=en Go ahead, knock yourself out! What I wouldn’t do to learn how to post the video. I could not for the life of me find the full 17 minute video I watched last night. May have to steal dd's laptop & try this on the carpeted floor.

Don't forget FREE PANCAKES today @ Ihop!! www.ihoppancakeday.com The kids are up bright & early and ready to leave at 6am to get theirs before school

Well, we are finally on the home stretch and you know what, I am just NOW getting in to the grove of things. Go figure. Perhaps I should continue on into March?? I spent nothing, zero, zilch, nada on Monday. BUT did use the last of the sandwich bread for dinner last night. Of course, milk is getting low. Will mix a little reconstituted stuff with the gallon (sounds so much better than ‘powdered’, doesn’t it??). Kids are griping about no frozen pizzas and the likes. There are some pizza rolls & mozz sticks that I got with good coupons & b1g1f deal a few weeks back. Actually, the pizza rolls are on again right now. When I got to the gym last night, all fired up to get moving (I was in a very motivated mood yesterday), I see a pickup truck backed up to the broken door and they are moving office equipment out. Apparently dispute with the landlord and they are waiting for the lease on a new warehouse facility down the road to be prepared so they can open back up. HUH?? WTF?? Oh,

Hmmm. I love pretzels. I've made them a few times when the kids were little, along with bagels which really, are the same concept in preparing. Just very time consuming. However, ran across this and she made it seem soooo simple. Actually, everything she does on her blog looks simple. Ha. Looks can be very decieving. So, my next rainy, absolutely want to stay home day is going to be make those bad boys. Of course, heart shaped, or not, I don't think my gang will care too much!!

So I’ve been MIA all week. Well, since last Monday. What a disappointment STILL. OH well. Moving forward. The week has been quiet. Which is why I did NOT post daily results. All 3 meals have been pretty much standard fare for our household. Did take advantage (guilt?) of a sale at Publix. $2 off covergirl products & lipstuff was an additional $1 off. So got my lipslick stuff (2), gum, 2 more boxes of the south beach bars. Spent a total of about $7 (don’t have receipt in front of me). Had to stop at the store on way home from gym on Thursday to get milk. Ended up spending $20.73, but hey, saved $25.76. Friday was a stop at Target to get the cheap cheese (Kraft was 3/$6 and I had the 75 cent off coupon) and goldfish (77 cents for a bag). Also did the razor deal using their coupon on site of $3 off and used manuf. coupon of $2 off. These are NOT the disposable razor which makes me feel a little better (so much plastic being tossed nowdays). When I got home though, couldn’t figu

Tuesday & I get to go back to work. Good. That means minimal spending. Bill paying. Oh, wait, I need to balance my checkbook too. Oh. Dd was ou of here at 4:45 am this morning. Needs to go take this language test to see if she’s capable of learning a new language quickly. Down in Miami. Grrr. At least she drives to the recruitment office & one of the recruiters drives her there. She should be back in school sometime during 2nd block. Thank god. BUT then she calls me at like 5:30 and wants to know if I'm awake. Hummm. Apparently, can NOT wear flip flops at MEPS. Makes sense to me. Can I meet her by I95 & bring her leopard shoes? Doh. Ok. DS is still not waking up. I know he's alive (I'm assuming here!). Apparently NOT going to school today. Will set out the tomato soup & such so he can make something to eat when he DOES get up. DH is going to go through the roof. DH had a perfect attendance record all through high school. Did not even do Senior Skip Day.

Day 16 Monday, President’s Day. I’m off! Well, technically anyway. I still went in to let the accountant in to finish her audit AND do a little bit of work myself. And admire the desk & hutch of the ‘new’ attorney/business partner. Should have stayed at work. May as well have opened the car windows and threw out $250 while driving 70 mph down the interstate. Seriously. Let’s just leave it at that. Went to Big Lots. Walked out empty handed. Went to Bealls Outlet. Walked out with 3 nightgowns, $14 later. One of the them is going back. Of course, the cheaper one, $5.99 Gym. Dinner was burgers that I made BEFORE I went to gym since I got home around 3ish. Ds was laying on couch, and his sis said he was sleeping on & off most of the day. Hmmm. Maybe that’s why they didn’t go to the Ren. Fair? Saved me $20 each at least. Did take dd’s car & fill it up since gas was $2.01 and I figured it’s going up. $26. for her. Mine was $27 (odd, we both had ¼ tank). Total spent: $317

I was in a crummy mood. Went to Target. Picked up a microwave top lid thingy, 2 bags of m&ms (1/2 price), 2 pks undies for me. $21 Went to BBBeyond. Had my 2 20% off coupons. Got me a 2 set pink handle knife set (the H name brand with the little stick man?) for $14.99 (clearance) and an oblong grittle with the 6 little rings (for my English muffin bread) for $9.99. Got out of there for $20 after the coupons. Went to BJ’s. Bought 12 lbs b/s chicken breast, 6 lbs French fries, put back 2 lounge chairs (beautiful day outside & I have NO lounge chairs to lounge on, just regular patio chairs!!), 50 pk of chips, and something else that I just can’t remember … total was $49.05. Put $40 on the visa gift card, paid $9.05 out of pocket. Meals were scattered. Like I said, I was in a crummy mood. Kids went to wendy’s ($10) and then ds was trying to get tickets to a concert that was sold out. Ended up coming home. He still has the $20 (mental note to self). Total spent: $80 Total for m

Oops, I realize that I forgot to add this one in. Now if I was really techy savvy, I could figure out how to put this between 12 & 14, but I don't know how!!! Day 13 Ohhh…Friday the 13th! Creepy. Kids have dentist exams today. They are freaked out … ha STILL need to get to winn Dixie & publix. Maybe today? I don’t know. I really should avoid the grocery store at all cost since I know I will spend way too much money IF I go. It’s not that I don’t have willpower, just seems that I always need something, then I see a great deal. Hmmm. Maybe I don’t have willpower? Today is also payday which means heavy hit on AE again. Then I’ll be done & I can relax. Which means the rest of the month will have to be no/low spend. Breakfast, fend for yourself (kids are out of school) Lunch, same as above Dinner, taco bake thingy. Lets see if it’s any good. I’ll post recipe later if it is worthwhile. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. Cocktails. Talking. DH deciding to hose down the boat. Me, h

Happy Valentine’s Day & Happy Saturday! Officially half way there! Breakfast, fend for yourself Lunch, same as breakfast Dinner, tbone for DH & I with baked tater & veggies Kids, pizza OR pepperoni bread (homemade) & cheese sticks Went to grocery store at 8:15am. Wanted to get it done. Spent $67. Cashier would not let me stack publix coupon with manufacturer. Had to go to CS desk, they gave me $2 back so yeah, $65. I’m ok with that. Finally returned the stuff and they gave me $20.25 back. Pointed out coupons, manager said that they still had & most likely already processed the coupons so they gave me a full refund. Sweet. That put my grocery total last week around $40 something. Woohoo. What did I buy? Milk. Eggs. Coffemate liquid cream. International cream. (coups on both put them less than 50 cents each). Cookie mix, cake mix & frosting (all with great coupons). Cascade rinse aid (free). Bread. Ice cream. Cheese sticks. Mascara. 2 bottles aleve (total c

Day 12 Wow, it’s like almost there! But again, I look and ask myself if it’s really No Spend February?? I forgot to mention yesterday that the additional $20 was for gas in the big truck. $1.99 a gallon. Geesh. I knew it was going to go up. On that note, a friend of ours had other friends visiting super bowl weekend from Jersey. She was a tech writer for a trade publication. Fuel & Oil industry. So I asked if she had any words of advice … “don’t get used to the low prices, it will be back up over $4 before long again to stay”. Alrighty then. This morning, dd is asking for gas money. All I have left is a $10 bill. Gave it to her. Not even 6:30 and I’m down $10 for the day. Geesh. Need to swing into Winn Dixie and get the 4 cans of soup for 60 cents (15 cents each with coupon). Also need to go to Publix & return hair color & face wash. $20 but after full disclosure of coupons, $12. You know, I wonder if they STILL turn in the coupons for reimbursement?? Anyways, I was

Hump day. Again. Wow, it’s like almost there! But again, I look and ask myself if it’s really No Spend February?? Just for kicks, don't forget to check out Amy who is the one who started this madness! Dentist was fine. After being told $85, told them no way, a regular cleaning is like $45 & the insurance pays that AND they want me to pay the equivalent of 2 more cleanings, blah blah blah. Finally told me to wait a minute while she has the hygienist look at chart. Seconds later, Oh, sorry Mrs. L, your insurance pays for this too. Duh. I think the dentist overheard and shook her head, saying no, not this one, her hubby spends way too much money here. Before I left, made my next appt for August. Thank god. As we don’t do the gym on Wednesday, dh wanted to take us all out to the Japanese buffet. Ds declined, saying it would be a waste of money as there is nothing there that he would eat (he’s right). Dd jumped for joy as she needs to gain 2 lbs and wants to gain 3 to be safe

My list of things to be done today is quite long considering it is a work day for me. I have a closing (woohoo!) at 4pm and my package is done & ready. All I need to do is cut checks but must wait for the wire to come in before then. At breakfast, dd was in a mood and pretty much left to fend for herself (18 & crabby), ds had a breakfast sandwich (hoagie, egg, bacon & cheese) and donuts and grapes. He has his FCAT Writes today. Thank god, last year. DH had his usual and I will take 2 muffins from Saturday. Lunch: kids had their choice or buy. DH will take tuna. I have a bunch of stuff I tossed in a lunchbox (need to vote on way to work, stop at Publix, WinnDixie etc.), including, grapes, muffins, oriental salad, oatmeal, etc. so not sure what I’ll eat for lunch). Dinner – Chicken fahitas that is in the crockpot as I type. Just need to remember to turn it on before I leave. Last time it was a little dry and I believe over cooked. This time I will let it cook for 6 hours &

Monday (again). Up at the crack of dawn (5am). Kids up at 5:30. Breakfast was cereal for kids & dh (of course) and I had egg beaters & sausage. Dentist appt at 8. I’m so bad about making my appointments that I had dh make it the last time he was there. Xrays only (I hate that they won’t do xrays & cleaning in same visit. Something about insurance. Oh, only one office visit paid. Another way to beat the insurance thing.) When I go to leave & make appt for cleaning, computers are down, call back around 12. Uh. Ok. Get to work, eat my breakfast. Plug away working. Eat lunch at 2pm. Leave at 5:15 and go to the gym. Have a fairly kick ass workout (lower body today), go home, tell everyone leftovers for dinner (again & it’s over). Sit on computer, order a new ipod screen since ds took it in his backpack & someone stepped on it, thereby giving it that lovely bloom. Hold out my hand for the $20 and scolded him. Took shower, ate some taters & chix apple sausage

So one of my friends, well, our friend, he is going to have a biopsy done on a cyst on his kidney. No big deal right? I mean, I thought they just put a needle in & took fluid out to be tested. But after talking to him last night, and his remark about how he might be needing surgery (hence the request for information on quitting smoking) soon led me to believe maybe it’s not that simple. It all started with his hip bothering him. Went to a hip doctor who did a cat scan & said, dude, it’s your spine. Oh. Goes to the spine guy and in the meantime, the hip guy calls back that when the specialist was reviewing the scan, noticed an area on the kidney. So my friend makes an appointment to have someone read the scan and give an opinion. The last I had heard was it most likely wasn’t a big deal, blah blah blah. But he still gets a 2nd opinion back in Colorado. Now when he goes back to Colorado, he will have a consultation regarding the biopsy. Hmmm. Maybe it is a big deal afterall

Sunday. Got up, made waffles. Funny, we were so excited to get the waffle maker a few years ago & honestly hardly ever use it. I don’t know why. My recipe is pretty easy and it’s not overly messy. Oh well. Lunch was leftovers AGAIN. Dinner. Leftovers. Got way sidetracked as the day went on. Hubby decided to wax his soon to be “new” car and didn’t start that til like 3ish. Then some friends came over as they needed me to notarize something for them. Then a few beers later, etc. and before you know it … well. Total spent: $0 thankfully! Total for month $139 (plus $1000 to AE, $75 to Cap)

Saturday! Woohoo!! I’ve already spent my weeks worth of groceries, really. I sat down and did a very very very detailed list of what I need from the store & it better not cost very much with my coupons. Still, in end, more than I wanted (actually, a lot more than I wanted) but all in all, not bad with coupons. I do have a few things I’m taking back and yes, will be truthful & tell them of the $5 and 3 $3 coupons. I should get back $12 or so. Of course, it does NOT look like a no spend February now. Woke up again at 5am. Dd had her competition today. I woke up, put on the coffee, tossed in a load of reds (my gym stuff, my wraps bleed something horrible so now I have all my newer stuff geared to the red family). Then was trying to find something special for her quickly. Betty Crocker Cinnabon muffins. One of my dirt cheap deals. Baking as I type … and using my snowman cupcake liners I got from target for 25 cents. Of course, she said no thanks and no thanks to the coffee yogur

*I am wondering if I’m the only one that starts the post in the morning & finally gets around to posting the next morning?? I have to keep changing current to past tense!* I was up at the crack of dawn, 4am to be exact. Dd was being picked up at 4:30am to go to Miami for her military intake testing stuff. I am so proud of her for finally biting the bullet and picking the National Guard. They wrapped it up in Miami around 3ish and then drove all the way to West Palm to sign her up for drill. She starts in 2 weeks. Woohoo for her! Breakfast for her was a studel and a bacon & cheese bagel sandwich her father had made her last night for this morning and tons of juice. Ds will be on his own, most likely cereal (no school on Fridays). Dh will have his usual and me, at 6am, being awake 2 hours, I have no idea. I’m tired. I can’t go back to bed though at this time as I need to get to work on time. Lunch will be leftovers (no taters left, we have chili, brisket, sauerkraut & br

Day 5 Baby it’s cold outside today! This morning, at 5am, it was 40 degrees. At 6:40 when the kids left, it was 37. That’s Oceanside Fort Lauderdale folks, this does not happen ever! Brrrrr…. Anyway. Dh had the chili going all night long in the crockpot. Made me hungry when I woke up. I skimmed some off before he left (it’s a lot for his small office). Sent some cheddar cheese from the freezer. Was going to do sour cream & oyster crackers but he said no thanks as he had the loaf of italian bread. After last nights little shopping fiasco (in my opinion), I started a list this morning on a 3x3 sticky note. Grape jelly. Coffee filters. Yogart ($1.50 off 4 pk will cost me 50 cents), fake sugar ($1 off, will cost me under $1) and quart freezer bag ($1 off, cost about $1.) I did stop at Publix on the way to work and only picked up the 2 yogarts and paid $1 total. So really, not so bad. Actually this was a GOOD deal, 50 cents for a 4 pk of yoplus yogart?? Breakfast – dd had strud

Day 4 Wednesday. Hump Day. No gym day. Woohoo. I’m getting a little concerned, and we are only on day 4! I need to get milk, bread, dish soap, grape jelly. Eggs. Paper towel. Toilet paper. Ok. The papertowel can wait. It’s not a necessity. But to dh it is. Breakfast was pancakes & bacon (ds), dd had strawberry oatmeal, I had oatmeal & dh, of course, had special k & milk. Lunch for kids (if they so choose), pb&j, chips, cookies, granola bar, water. Dinner for all, burgers. Would normally cook on the grill but dang, we have a freeze advisory for the COASTAL area. In other words folks, it’s gonna get pretty darn cold. So I might just make them on the georgie grill. I also need to cook my chicken that I’ve had marinated in Cesear dressing for the past 2 days. This was suppose to have been a filler for dinner or lunch or snack (extra protein for workout days) BUT never got around to cooking. Will cook, cut & freeze in serving size portions for lunches down the r

Day 3 Not a bad start. Used my toaster oven (granted, this is very underused in my house) to toast the bagels & toaster strudels for all of our breakfast. My toaster died finally last week and I just kept putting off buying a new one. Well, now that No Spend February is here, it’s gonna have to wait til March. Breakfast was strudel for dd, bacon (the microwave kind) and egg sandwich for ds, special k with vanilla & almonds for dh (his daily intake of the stuff) and a egg(beaters), sausage & bagel sandwich for me. Ok, so dh is the only fairly healthy one at this time. I made a quart of non fat milk to mix in with the less than half gallon of milk left in fridge. Wonder if anyone will notice? Dh with his cereal? At the last minute I decided to just mix half & half in the thermos for his cereal that he takes to school. Did not say anything. Lunch for kids was pb & j sandwiches, chips, cookies and Gatorade, if they so desired. Dh & I have a choice of leftovers

Day 1 Well the first day was pretty simple, Super Bowl Sunday. Had everything already lined up, well thought out and planned. We made brats & sauerkraut to take to our friends in the late afternoon. They had a TON of food. We only stayed til after half time as its’ Sunday night, I get up early, the kids were still home making their super bowl snacky type dinner and we had to work the next day. My money saving, no spend thing for the day was to return a library book & a blockbuster video that was in danger of being purchased. Day 2 Monday. Ahhh, sweet Monday. $10 to each kid for the week of lunches. $20 into the big truck for nutrition (gas is still at $1.89). Made breakfast, packed up lunches for those who were interested and recycled a few water bottles for my use this week (I know, I know, I should not recycle the bottles like this). Dinner for Day 2 was turkey veggie stirfry over rice. Turkey came from freezer (Thanksgiving leftovers), last of the stirfry veggies an