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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.


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Mavis’ Remodel Blog Day 13 – Walls are Going Up!

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office remodel

Over the weekend drywall guy came and “hung” our new walls and let me tell you Bob, things are starting to look a lot better around here. 🙂 Over the next few days drywall guy will be taping the walls, adding mud, sanding, and lastly adding texture to our new walls {as well as repairing a few spots around the house}. According to Chino, I’ll then have about a week to get everything painted before the exciting stuff like cabinets, flooring and appliances get installed. Wahooo!

The photo above is what the office/ laundry room combo looked like before the remodel.

office remodel pictures

And now we have an office with 4 walls, imagine that! new laundry room diy remodelThe old laundry room with french doors off the office area has been moved, and the new laundry room will have more of a mudroom feel to it. {I’m very excited about this space!!}

new family room DIY remodel

Behind the sheet-rock box is the new laundry room. If you look closely you can see the lines on the floor where the old wall was. By simply adding a wall to the office and having a mud/laundry room area off the garage, we were able to gain 5 feet in the family room. Yay!

corner fireplace remodel

New fireplace area.

My Ugly and Outdated Corner Fireplace Gets Demolished

Old corner fireplace and family room set up.view from the kitchen remodel

The new view from the kitchen.

kitchen demo before and after photos

Old kitchen with dated sofet, counters, cabinets and pantry.

budget kitchen remodel

New kitchen area {cabinets should be installed at the end of the month}.

sweeping subfloor

We are getting there. Now, if I could just keep these sub-floors clean!

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

How I Feed My Family for $100 a Month – Week 40 of 52

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lemon lime juice

Dollar Store $3.00

Last night I had to go to the laundromat to wash our clothes. It totally sucked. I feel bad for people whose only option it is to wash their tighty whities in public while a man in red velour track suit smokes his Marlboros out front in the dark and stares at them through the laundromat window.  It’s a little unnerving to say the least. Especially if you are a suburban housewife.

In between loads I popped over to the Dollar Store and wandered the aisles for a good twenty minutes trying to kill some time and low and behold I found a few deals. Call it a silver lining I guess.

costco shopping trip

Costco $65.39

Costco saved me again this past week with their ready made meals and fresh produce. A big THANK YOU to the person who recommend Costco’s Chicken Salad. WE LOVED IT!!!

Since we are in the middle of a remodel and without a kitchen for a few more weeks, our options are pretty limited. Even though I’ve been working like crazy {blogging, helping with the remodel, painting bedrooms, unpacking, pulling weeds} I am having a blast. It seriously feels like I’m holding down two jobs… but I know it is going to be worth it in the end so I’m hanging in there. 😉

smith brothers dairy farm delivery

Smith Brothers Farm – Sponsored

Last week we hardly touched our milk so this week I decided to forgo my regular milk order and change my Smith Brothers Dairy order up a bit.

Leah’s Kitchen Chicken Pot Pie {I can pop it in the microwave!} a half gallon of Alpenrose Chocolate Milk for Monkey Boy and 16 oz. of sour cream {I plan on buying a giant sack of potatoes at Costco this week}. Doesn’t that pot pie look goooood? I’m excited to try it tonight for dinner.

How did you do this week?

Is there any other ready made stuff at Costco you think we should try?

~Mavis

Total Spent This Week $68.39
Total Spent Year to Date $1484.35 {Over for the year!} 🙁

Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.

Smith Brothers Farms Logo

One Hundred Dollars a Month is proudly sponsored by Smith Brother’s Farms, my family’s favorite milk. Check out their website HERE and learn about the over 100 top quality products Smith Brothers Farms can deliver to your porch box.

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Free Kindle Books, Flashlights for Halloween, $7 Bra’s, Running Deals, Recipes, Coupons and More

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lucy the puggle dog

So, did you have a good weekend? I sure did! I was able to get some much needed sleep AND get some weeds pulled! 😉 Talk about a great combo if you ask me. Hello Monday, I’m so glad you are here.

Have a great day everyone,

♥ Mavis

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Waste King L-8000 Legend Series Continuous-Feed Garbage Disposal

amazon subscribe and save deals

Stock up and save with these deals:

Save 5% when you subscribe to regular deliveries of these items. Save 15% on your entire delivery when you subscribe to 5 or more items that arrive in the same month. No commitments, no obligations, and shipping is FREE. Go HERE to learn more about Amazon Subscribe and Save. 

free kindle books

Available Kindle Books I think are cool…

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Healthy-Halloween-Treats-Easy-Orange-Pumpkins1

Who says Halloween can’t be healthy? These Healthy Orange Pumpkin Halloween Treats prove otherwise! Find more cool projects on my Halloween Pinterest Board.

cute flashlights for halloween

Keep your little gobblins safe with these deals on flashlights for Halloween night:

steel toe work boot deals

Save an extra 20% off Steel Toed Boots and Work Shoes {Caterpillar, Wolverine, Chippewa and Timberland Pro} qualified orders of $80 or more when you use code WORKSHOE at checkout through October 15, 2014. See all the deals HERE.

maidenform bra sale

Get the Self Expressions by Maidenform Demi Extra Coverage Bra for just $7 shipped today at Maidenform.com !! Wahoooo. Now is the time to stock up! Get an additional 30% Off at Maidenform.com when you shop today plus score FREE Shipping {includes sale and clearance}.

ebatesAre you signed up for Ebates yet? If not, now is a good time to sign up because Ebates is awesome! You get cash back at over 1,700 stores any time you start your shopping trip at Ebates.com. There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees. Stores pay Ebates a sales commission for sending shoppers their way, and Ebates uses the commission to pay you cash back. Sign up HERE and get a $10 gift card with your first purchase over $25.

running times magazine

Discount Mags is offering a 1 year subscription to Running Times Magazine for only $5.99 a year when you use code MAVIS at checkout. This deal will expire tonight 10/13/14 at midnight EST so be sure and grab your subscription before then.

deals on running gear

Check out these deals on running gear:

target logoAttention Target Shoppers… Be sure and pop on over HERE to print these Target Coupons:

Slow-Cooked-Boston-Baked-Beans

Some people might think summer BBQ when they see these Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans. But I serve them all year round because they make a pretty awesome side dish. Get the recipe HERE or Pin it for Later.

amazon local deals

AmazonLocal features deals in cities all across the country.  Restaurants, local events, classes, you name it. Here are a few of my favorite Amazon Local Deals available right now:

I recently signed up for Unsubscriber and haven’t looked back. I LOVE it!!!!
Unsubscriber is the simplest way to stop emails you don’t want. Just move unwanted messages to the Unsubscribe folder and Unsubscriber takes care of the rest. It’s a satisfying way to simplify your inbox. Go HERE to get Unsubscriber.

ziplock coupons

Check out these New Printable Coupons:

Find More Printable Coupons

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Weekly Meal Plan – Menu Plan Ideas Week 40 of 52

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menu plan ideas

Even though I don’t make a weekly menu plan, I still love the idea of having a bunch of recipes right in front of me to choose from. Here are a few recipes from my recipe collection I thought you might like:

Grain Free Granola Recipe

Breakfast Ideas 

Blackberry and Toasted Quinoa – This is like oatmeal on steroids.  It is super healthy AND tastes fantastic.  {Pin for Later}
Grain Free Granola – If you are on the grain-free kick, this granola is where it’s at.  It’s perfect dry, or pour some milk/almond milk over it and go nuts {pun intended}.  {Pin for Later}
Spinach Power Smoothie – This is a great way to get your veggie on.  {Pin for Later}
Sausage and Apple Cheddar Biscuit Bake – There is not a single word in the title that isn’t delicious on its own, put ’em together and what do have?  Magic.  {Pin for Later}

Vegetarian-Indian-Spiced-Lentils-with-Spinach-and-Rhubarb-recipeSlow Cooker  and Freezer Meal Ideas

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Indian-Spiced Lentils with Spinach and Rhubarb – This is a nutrient packed tummy filler that is pretty easy on the food budget too.  {Pin for Later}
Chicken Tortilla Soup – I love this soup.  It tastes even better with a cheese quesadilla on the side.  {Pin for Later}
Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal – Teriyaki chicken is great on it’s own or over a bed of rice.  I’ve even been known to throw it onto a bun with some pineapple and mozzarella.  {Pin for Later}
Freezer Meal Peach Cobbler – You will be the hero when you pull out a homemade peach cobbler at a moments notice.  And, who doesn’t want to be the hero?  {Pin for Later}

dutch oven crusty breadSoups , Salads and Main Dish Ideas

Heirloom Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salad – This recipe is like all the best of your garden in one salad.  It is tasty.  {Pin for Later}
Roasted Corn with Bacon – This is a great side dish for any potlucks you might be headed to this fall.  No potlucks?  More for you.  {Pin for Later}
No Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread – This is the perfect accompaniment for pretty much any crock pot meal.  {Pin for Later}
Butternut Squash Pasta – Who knew butternut squash could turn pasta into sheer awesomeness.  {Pin for Later}

Homemade-Granola-Bars1Cookies,  Snacks and Desserts

S’mores Cookies – These are everything you love about smores, without the sticky fingers  {Pin for Later}
Homemade Granola Bars – Perfect for packing in school lunches.  {Pin for Later}
Dehydrated Kiwi Fruit – These are awesome for trail mixes, or you can just eat them by the handful.  Whatever.  {Pin for Later}
Oatmeal Cookies – I don’t mind saying, these are the best oatmeal cookies on the planet.  I’ve done a verified exhaustive study.  It’s a fact.  {Pin for Later}

zucchini-relish-recipe1Canning Recipe of the Week

Zucchini Relish – This is another clever way to use up the last of the zucchini.  {Pin for Later}

What are YOU planning on making this week?

~Mavis

Looking for more recipes? Check out my recipes boards on Pinterest

Also, be sure to check out:

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Mavis Butterfield Etsy