One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1718 of 2143 - 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.

Shopping With Mavis – $10 off $50 Winco Coupon

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 21, 2013 · 35 Comments

I’ll totally admit, this year has gotten off to a rocky start. With my Costco splurge, switching to local milk and now this $40+ trip to Winco, I know the odds are stacked against me. But even though I am seriously in the hole budget wise, I still think I’ll be able to pull off feeding my family for an average of $100 a month this year.

After all, someone is going to have to eat all those vegetables I plan on growing this summer, and with any journey, getting there is half the fun.

{Seriously, who would want to sample rice?}

I thought about stocking up on Cottonelle, but we have plenty of toilet paper right now, and I’m over my extreme couponing days of stuffing 15 packages of toilet paper under our beds, or in the kids closets, so I passed. I’m sure at some point another awesome deal will come along and I’ll stock up then, when rations are low.

I really feel like I have officially become the world’s most boring shopper. Buying 25 pound sacks of oatmeal at $0.38 cents a pound, and scooping bulk spices out of Snapware containers. Sheesh, what’s next? Spinning yarn?

Here is what my Winco transaction looked like with my $10 off a $50 purchase coupon.

25 Pound Quick Rolled Oats $9.50
25 Pounds Regular Rolled Oats $9.50 * There was a limit of 1 per person/ per variety on the oats.
3 pounds Darigold Butter $2.47 each
8 oz Cream Cheese $.98
12 oz Bacon $2.48 {Why on earth did I buy bacon? I just picked up 5 pounds yesterday!}
3 Cucumbers $0.44 each
6 oz Jalapeno Peppers
3+ Pounds Bananas
2 boxes of Sweet Tarts $0.25 each
Jicama
Bulk Black Eyed Peas, Orzo, and Lentils
Bulk Spices
Used $10 off $50 Winco Coupon {NLA}
Final Price: $40.23

If you have never been to Winco before, it’s totally worth rounding up some friends {there is safety in numbers} for the bulk spices alone. The prices beat Costco hands down, and you can probably stock up on a years supply for under $15! It’s crazy I tell you, just crazy.

How about YOU? Did you head to Winco today to use your coupon? Do you think the Quaker deal will be around this year? Have you ever bought a 25 pound sack of anything before? Did it make you see just a little like Laura Ingalls if you did?

Peace Out Girl Scouts, I’m off to go store my oats!

~Mavis

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How to Make a Succulent Terrarium

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 21, 2013 · 3 Comments

The Girl and I decided to make a terrarium the other day after having spotted 2 large shelves filled with mini cactus and succulents at the Home Depot. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t seem to stay away from that place no matter how hard I try.

We couldn’t resist the fat little succulent plants, and it’s nothing sort of a miracle we didn’t bring every single one of them home with us.

If you have never built a succulent terrarium before they are super easy to make, and really are a lot of fun if you enjoy indoor gardening. Oh, and did I mention terrariums are extremely low maintenance too?

How to Make a Succulent Terrarium

Select a container that has a wide opening. Your container can be virtually anything that has glass sides to view your plants. We wanted a specific look, so we decided to spend a little more on a container rather than use a glass vase. The Girl found this mini greenhouse at Target in the Smith and Hawkin Section.

To get started, place about a 2-inch layer of gravel on the bottom of your container to allow for drainage. Keep in mind you’ll probably want to use decorative rocks for a more finished look. We found these at Ikea for $0.89 a bag.

Next place a thin layer of activated charcoal where your plants will be. This will act as an air purifier since we are using a closed top container. Next add a bit of cactus soil {found at Home Depot} around the base of where you will be setting your plants. You’ll probably want to spread the soil over all of the rocks, but we chose not to, because our plants are tiny and had rather shallow roots. Remove the plants from their pots and place them in the soil.

Next, add a small layer of sand, and then some small pebbles to cover the sand {but only if you have OCD like me and don’t want the sand to be visible}.

Finally, add an accent item like a figurine, a small vintage toy or a tiny glass chicken ornament your mother gave you for Christmas that you named Glenda.

The #1 reason terrariums fail is because people over water them, so only water your plants every two weeks or so. Also, make sure you place your succulent terrarium someplace that will receive at least 5 or 6 hours a day.

Keep Calm and Carry On.

~Mavis

For more ideas on building your own terrariums, check out out the highly rated book Tiny World Terrariums: A Step-by-Step Guide to Easily Contained Life.

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National Hug Day January 21st

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 21, 2013 · 4 Comments

{photo credit}

Did you know January 21st is National Hug Day? I know what you’re thinking, a whole day devoted to hugging? But I bet you didn’t know that researchers have done extensive studies on hugging and found it actually improves your health–move over treadmill, there’s a new kid in town.

Researchers have also concluded that people who hug regularly {and I really do mean just regular ol’ innocent hugging} had lower levels of Cortisol {that nasty stress hormone}, higher levels of oxitocin {the feel good hormone}, lower blood pressure, and increased nerve activity which reduces anxiety, depression, and pain. Seriously, I don’t know why I’ve been choking down kale, when I could just hug everyone I meet.

Studies also showed that children who were hugged regularly walked and talked earlier. When they surveyed couples in successful long-term relationships, they attributed regular hugging to their higher overall satisfaction in their relationships. Basically, hugging is a super-power. So in the wise words of the Rolling Stones, take this opportunity to “love the one your with”. Or, a complete stranger during a mud race.

The best part? Hugging is FREE! So get out there and side-hug, bear-hug, group-hug, every-which-way-hug yourself toward better health.

Happy Huggin’,

Mavis

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Mondays with Mavis – How to Feed Your Family for $100 a Month

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 21, 2013 · 22 Comments

So, I bet you want to hear about what happened with Pablo. Well, yesterday morning after Pablo started crowing, I immediately called Chino the Handyman.

Mavis: Chino, I need to find a good home for Pablo the Rooster. He started crowing this morning and so we can’t keep him. The Handsome Husband is freaking out!!!

Chino: Hey Honey, {yelling to Girly Girl} Do you think Susan want’s a rooster? Doesn’t she have a bunch of chickens? Can you text her real quick?

I’ll call you back. “

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Chino didn’t call back. So then I asked a few friends of facebook if they were interested but sadly no one wanted a rooster. As I was starting to get discouraged, I received an email from One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Holly,she offered to take Pablo home with her on Monday the 28th on her way back home to Oregon {she was going to be in town for a conference}. So at that point I knew Pablo would have a home somewhere, but Ideally I needed to find a place for him as soon as possible so I didn’t get a call from one of the neighbors.

Anywho, to make along story short, Chino and Susan’s husband showed up just after dark last night and placed Pablo in a crate. Pablo went to a good home where he will be with lot’s of ladies, and I’m sure he will fit right in, seeing how he is so sweet and lovable. Yay for happy endings!

Now that the Pablo drama is over, here is what I bought at the grocery store this past week:

Fred Meyer $10.82

Tillamook cheese was on sale last week, and for only $4.99 for a 2 pound loaf I stocked up on Cheddar and Colby Jack. I also picked up some Kalamatta Olives for the Lentil Salad with Olives and Feta I made earlier in the week as well.

Albertsons $0.23

Thanks to One Hundred Dollars a Month Reader Dianna who sent me a $20 Ablertsons Gift card as a thank you gift, I was able to pick up 5 pound of bacon, and a few other ingredients for some upcoming recipes. Thanks Dianna!

Mr. Produce Guy $ FREE

Mushrooms for omelets and some fresh fruit for snacking were all free thanks to Mr. Produce Guy. Each week is a little different, and it’s fun to see what’s in those reclaimed produce boxes each week.

QFC $6.58

Although I have not seen Monkey Boy drink a glass of milk yet, I did notice he had some in his cereal the other day, and I didn’t say a word. The Girl and I think the whole thing is hilarious, and I bet before too long he will be back to drinking milk again.

All in all not a bad week. I came in under budget and that’s the most important thing. I did print the $10 of $50 Winco coupon{no longer available} and today is the last day to use it, so I might head on over there to see what I can find. We’ll see.

How did YOU do this past week? Did YOU go to Winco? If so, what did you buy?

~Mavis

Total Spent This Week $17.63
Total Spent This Year $299.18
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $0

Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.

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.