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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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Shopping with Mavis | Albertsons Double Coupon Shopping Trip

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albertsons double coupon shopping trip mavis

I headed out to Albertsons this morning so I could snag a couple of deals. There are a lot of really good deals out there but I just stocked up on some basics.

Here are what my transactions looked like:

planters peanut butter

Transactions 1 & 2

Bought {2} Planters Peanut Butter $2.50 each
Used {2} $1/1 Planters Product {01/27 SS}
Used {2} Albertsons Twice the Value coupons
Final Price: $1.00  + I received a $1.00 catalina coupon on each transaction

tropicana farmstand juice

Transaction #3

Bought {3} Tropicana Farmstand Juice – $3.00 each
Used {3} $1/1 Tropicana Farmstand Coupons {03/03 RP}
Used {2} $1.00 catalina coupons from transactions 1&2
Used {3} Albertsons Twice the Value Coupons
Final Price: $1.00 for 3 bottles of juice

dentyne ice

Transaction #4

Bought {6} Dentyne Ice – $1.00 each
Used {3} $1/2 Dentyne Coupons {03/17 SS}
Used {3} Albertsons Twice the Value Coupons
Final Price: $ FREE

tillamook

Transaction #5

Bought {10) Tillamook Yogurt – $0.39 each with in store coupon
Bought {2} Tillamook Sour Cream – $2.00 each
Used {2} $0.75/1  Tillamook Sour Cream Printable Coupons
Used {2} Albertsons Twice the Value Coupons
Final Price: $4.90

Did you make it to Albertsons this morning? What did you stock up on this time around?

~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.

Oatmeal and Caramelized Bananas

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Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas

I believe Gwen Stefani said it best:

This sh** is bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Oatmeal and caramelized bananas. Talk about the best freakin’ breakfast on the planet.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
1 banana
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions

In saucepan bring 2 cups of water and stir in rolled oats. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, making sure to stir the oats occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat.

Peel banana, slice banana, place banana slices on top of the oatmeal. Carefully sprinkle brown sugar the over bananas with enough sugar to coat the top of the banana pieces.  Using a kitchen torch, caramelize sugar by moving the flame continuously over the surface in a slow, circular motion. Serve warm.

Oh my word, I have to go back for another bowl.

This oatmeal rocks!

~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.

Mavis Mail – Send in Your Pictures and Stories of Your Furry Friends For a Chance to Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

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brown puggle dog 12 weeks

Remember when I asked you to send in pictures of your gardens and chicken coops?  Well, now I’m calling for your best pet pictures as well.  Send in 3 -4 pictures of your furry friends, along with a few little details and/or stories about them.  No pet is too big or too small!

I love the sense of community this blog has and I would love to be able to feature some of YOUR pictures and stories as well.

Here’s a couple of ideas to get you started:

  • How you acquired them
  • How old they are
  • What you feed them
  • Where they sleep
  • Any special tricks or talents
  • A story about the funniest thing the pet has ever done

For each animal/story selected, you will win a $20 gift card to the greatest store on earth: Amazon.com.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ben and Lola

Things to keep in mind when you send me your stuff:

  1. I have major OCD. You do not have to be a professional photographer, but your photos do need to be clear and well lit or I won’t be able to use them.
  2. All photos must be original, and they must have been taken by YOU.
  3. I won’t be able to use or get back to everyone–but just assume that whatever you sent in was awesome.
  4. Be sure to include a little information about yourself too!  Also, please include your name and what state or country you are from.
  5. If you have a blog and would like me to link back to it, please let me know, I’d be happy to.

Send your pet photos and stories via email to onehundreddollarsamonth @ gmail.com {remove the spaces} and be sure and put Mavis Mail in the subject line.

Thank you. I’m looking forward to your submissions.

~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 to Grow Spinach {Start to Finish}

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what do spinach seeds look like

I started some spinach seeds last week in the greenhouse gutters and I am anxiously waiting for them to pop through the soil. I thin that’s the hardest part about gardening if you ask me. Waiting.  Spinach is pretty easy to grow, and you can grown an incredible amount from just a tiny packet of seeds. I like the Monstrueux de Viroflay variety for it’s big, fat leaves.

spinach grown in gutters

Brief description:  Spinach is a cold-hardy leafy green.

Where to Plant Spinach:  Raised beds, garden beds, or containers.

spinach

Planting Seeds:  Plant 1/2″  deep.  Thin to 2″-6″ apart when seedlings are 1″ tall.  Plant 4-6 weeks before the last frost.   You can sow seeds every 3 weeks to get a continuous crop.

Growing Tips:  Spinach forms fairly deep roots and will do best if you loosen soil up to 1 foot deep all around your planting area.  To get a crop to grow throughout the summer, sow spinach in the shade of larger plants, such as corn or beans.

homegrown spinach

How to Harvest:  Pick individual leaves from outer part of the plant or cut the whole plant down at the base.

regional planting guides

Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.

Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!

~Mavis

Here are a few of my Favorite Spinach recipes:

Ranch Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Spinach and Green Peas
Ranch Pasta Salad w/ Broccoli, Spinach, and Green Peas

recipe grilled chicken kabobs with spinach quinoa
Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Spinach Quinoa

Recipe Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Strawberry and Spinach Salad

Fun Fact:  Remember Popeye?  Spinach growers in the 1930’s attributed a 33% percent boost in spinach sales because of Popeye’s popularity. Go.Fight.Win.

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