Breaking Even, Inc.

A Moment of Zen In The Breakroom

Most days, I need a little afternoon pick-me-up. I don't mean necessarily caffeine so much as an excuse to leave the cubicle for a few moments. It gives me a chance to soak in some natural light and give my eyes a break from the computer screen, not to mention a moment to center myself...

Because I am now forgoing my coffee shop coffee, I have brought the experience to the breakroom. Since I now don't have to go anywhere to get my gourmet cup of happiness, that means I have more time to go for a quick walk down the street or even just peruse Better Homes And Gardens (I'm not sure who stocks the breakroom with magazines but I'm grateful!)

The french press that an old employee has left behind is nice though don't worry if you don't have such luck as to stumble upon one. The small Bodum three cup French press we have in there costs only about $20 (three European cups means one big 12 oz in America, land of the supersize).

My bag of coffee that I buy once every three months is $10. I know I've previously endorsed Rock City Coffee Jet blend and I'll keep endorsing it! I keep the coffee, Coffeemate powder, some cocoa powder, and some sugar safely in my cube (probably about $10 of coffee accessories total).

So for about $40, I have coffee for three months and more time in my afternoon break to enjoy the things I truly love: sitting in the quiet of the afternoon and perusing a magazine with pretty pictures. Not sure how Zen it really is but it sure relaxes me!

Anything tricks you have to make that work stress just fade in the middle of the day?

Ten Things You Need In Your Kitchen (Besides A Good Cook)

I spend a lot of time thinking about food. I think it's because I feel like buying food is more necessary then buying other products. It's consumable and nourishes my body in a way a sweater can't.

I do a lot of my own cooking to save money and eat healthier.

Saving Money
The average price for a home cooked meal ranges but I doubt that it is more then your $10+ entree at a restuarant. My average cost per meal comes out to $2 a serving. And I eat very well, in the healthy sense and in the amount sense!

Healthier Meal
If you cook something, you have control of what goes in it. How much salt did the restaurant put into your soup? How much butter in those cookies from your favorite dessert place? You probably don't want to know. You can also do things when you cook like sneak in fiber and vegetables to your unsuspecting victims. (Evil laugh here)

Ok so I've convinced you to at least attempt cooking at home, even at least some of the time. Excellent! Here are ten cooking implements I would recommend having, whether you are just beginning to build your kitchen or a seasoned pro.

Crepe Pan
A light non-stick pan that goes beyond making that wonderful little french dish. You can use it like a frying pan, but its lightness makes it easy to make something a little more delicate like an omelet. Buy a good quality one; I've had mine for over six years. (Average cost: $100)

George Foreman Grill
If you eat meat with any regularity, this makes it easy and healthy (no oil). Also great for grilling crispy tofu and eggplant. Oh, and you can think of it as a panini machine, just add butter to the outside of your bread and *perfection*. (Average cost: $25-$80- depending on size and brand)

Wok
For stirfrys but you can also boil water in it for pasta. Get one with a lid, and don't bother with nonstick surface. The real Chinese cooks use metal. (Average cost: $10)

A Strainer, with a fine mesh
For draining pasta, rinsing sushi rice, and making apple sauce. You can also use it like a sifter! (Average cost: $5-$10)

A Knife
A good knife makes chopping fresh vegetables or cutting open packages that much easier. Check a place like TJ Maxx; you can get a discount on one good quality knife. (Average cost: $15-$25)

Cutting Board
Goes with the knife, keeps you dishes and counter from getting damaged. (Average cost: $3)

A Spatula
Get stuff off a non-stick pan, cutting and serving. It's one of those things you only miss when you don't have it, though I can't think of a really compelling use for it at the moment. (Average cost: $5)

Pan (For the Oven)
A glass or ceramic deeper dish will not only make deserts like brownies and pies but you can make layered dishes like lasagna. Sure it makes a bizarre-shaped lasagna, but you don't need to buy a bunch of oven pans this way. (Average cost $15-$40)

Cookie Sheet
For making cookies, pizza, and roasting swiss chard. (Average cost $2)

Rice Cooker
A versatile appliance for busy people who want to eat well? A rice cooker. (From GenX Finance) It steams, it cooks rice, it can brown onions. The nonstick surface and low temperature make it perfect for cooking rice but also soups would be perfect in here. (Average cost: $25-$80- depending on size and brand)

Obviously, you can build up your kitchen over time. Start out with the thing that excites you the most and go from there.

So do you agree with my list? Anything you'd take off or you think I'm forgetting?

 

 

Are Coupons All They're Cut Out For?

First of all, my apologies for the corniness of the title. Even though I usually skirt the edges of corniness, today I just dove right in. Somehow, I just thought "coupon update" was too boring.

I decided a photo would help me summarize my coupon experience so far. Voila.

That's right, my zen experience of coupon cutting has since been trumped by a few facts: 1) the stuff that has a coupon is stuff I never buy (mostly brand name products and prepackaged food) and 2) the whole waiting-for-things-to-be-a-low-price-before-using-the-coupon strategy seems to lead to a lot of crumbling expired coupons into my purse. A few lessons:

Coupon websites will only get you far if you are a certain kind of buyer.

If you do buy a lot of packaged foods or brand name products , here are some sites where you can print coupons:
www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.coolsavings.com
www.printable-coupons.blogspot.com
www.wow-coupons.com
To be fair, I did find a coupon for Sean's contact lens solution and a coupon for Benefiber that saved us a combined $2. Sean also has a bizarre fascination with the smell of Tide so I'm keeping the Tide coupon in reserve. That was about it.

In-paper coupons seem better in both quality and useability in your area.

My combined coupon savings from coupons I've physically clipped from fliers have saved me much more money (about $6) then searching and printing off of online websites.

Usually there is a reason they are giving a coupon for a product.

As far as deals went, I found the lower unit price was often on a generic product or on a similar version of the product not on sale. The coupon sounded like a good deal...until you had to buy in major bulk (do I need 3 Tide-to-go pens ever?) or try some new gimmick-y product (that cereal that comes pre-poured into a bowl just seems lazy to me!).

That said, there is plenty of useful information online.

Freebielist (free samples by product type)
A great system for keeping track of mail-in rebates (from Sense to Save).
Eating healthy with coupons (from Cheap Healthy Good)

And add these two blogs to your RSS reader:
Money Saving Mom (she breaks down the sales flier for you for the best deals)
Spending Less 101 (how I saved $8 on my senior dog's expensive food)

If you buy online, see my buy online guide. It'll change your life.

Summary: While I'm not cheerleader-excited about coupons, I'm going to only spend my time going for the ones I like.

I'm going to check online coupon sites only monthly; stay subscribed to the coupon blogs above; and read my grocery and drug store fliers religiously. Saving money on food is certainly worth a little effort but only if it pays off.

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Personal Finance.

My First Visit To Trader Joe's

When I lived on Vinalhaven, I discovered Trader Joe's. No, there was no store on the island but my house was stocked: condiments, pasta, spices... all with this brand name on them. I later found out my landlord's wife worked for the company. He told me to eat/use whatever I wanted in the house (I was going to be living there full time for a few years) so I did. First the marinated peppers and then the whole grain pasta... by the time I left, there was a little salt and pepper left but that was about it.  

Trader Joe's was good but felt very unattainable to me. Primarily, it's a city thing (and not online because they want to be your neighborhood store). Since it is a larger city thing, there are none in Maine. I didn't think I'd ever get to one. 

Well that all changed today folks. I'm in Boston for the weekend and since I brought my car this time, I helped my buddy Ally go grocery shopping at Trader Joe's. 

First of all, the tropical theme kind of struck me. "Are they all like this?" I asked. It seemed to put the pizazz back in grocery shopping. Then I started looking through the aisles.

I went to pay and the price was very reasonable. For example, the Emergence-C I usually buy at my local natural food store is normally around $15. At Trader Joe's, it was $8. Luna Bars that are normally $1.25 at the natural food store were $.99. Trader Joe's doesn't use coupons of have sales; according to the website, they just try to buy direct, keep corporate costs low, and sell perishables when they are in season. The result is that I looked at the prices and in addition to seeing a low unit price, nutritional information was prominently featured. Cheap and good, just how I like my food. 

In addition to having some staples that I always need (like a Vitamin C beverage), Trader Joe's seems like a good place to go if you need some fun appetizer to bring to a party. Thai lemon spiced cashews definitely went in my cart and perhaps if you throw a party and invite me, I'll bring them!

So I was happy to help out a friend and have my first Trader Joe's experience. I would have liked to get more frozen stuff to bring home but next time, I guess I'll have to bring a cooler. 

Are you similarly in awe and admiration of Trader Joe's?

Having Way Too Much Fun With Food

The following guest post was written by Randy Devost, my high school penpal and good dear friend. He lives in Quebec, where he lives a cool French and artistic existence. You can email him at randy.devost at gmail.com.

My General Philosophy on Food: I believe most Americans live on a “snacking” diet. Instead of trying to change that by starving ourselves with bland vegetables, “diet” products, and the absence of food, we ought to indulge in healthier snacks! Certain drinks and foods, along with a rigorous weekly exercise of one’s choice, can improve our health enormously.

·        Make your own Italian Sodas! Buying a case of Schweppes brand soda water and adding Torani syrups is an economic and healthy way to enjoy a gourmet soda.

·        For the brave and experimental: mixing teas with floral water, large tapioca pearls, juices, sugars, yogurts, gelatins, milk, spices, etc. (I inspire from Pearl Milk Tea and Lassi drinks.) The goal is to make the most exotic and intoxicating non-alcoholic drink possible.

·        I learned this one from my Mexican friends—a bag of apples with Tajin fruit seasoning is a great way to spice up the ordinary!

·        Forage for your food! Referring to traditional Native American gastronomy is often helpful. (Here’s a list I came up with for us Mainers. We should grow the list as big as possible!)

o       Clams

o       Perrywinkles

o       Mussels

o       Sea Urchin

o       Blueberries

o       Strawberries

o       Dandylion greens

o       Hazlenuts

o       Beach nuts

o       Choke cherries

o       Wild apples

o       Mushrooms

o       Fiddleheads

o       Raspberries

o       Blackberries

o       Wild spices

·        Snacking on toast is cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Depending on the “bread and spread” you use, it can be relatively healthier, and less costly, than a slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream. Here are some spreads I’ve enjoyed over the years:

 

SWEET: butter & Nutella, Peanut butter & fluff, Peanut butter & mollases, Tahini & honey, Butter & cinnamon sugar,

SAVORY: Vegemite, Creton, Hummus,Veggie patés, Cheese-Whiz, Brie or Camembert cheese

·        Popcorn doesn’t have to be boring or bland! I prefer popping popcorn using the classic air popper or even in a pan on a stove. Here are some of my favorite toppings:

 

o       Grated parmesan cheese

o       Lawry’s brand season salt

o       Chili powder

o       Jalapeno oil

o       Sesame oil

o       Black pepper

o       Cayenne

o       Sugar

 

Got any snacks to share? Do tell!

Some Updates On Projects

Project: The Zen And Art On Coupon Clipping
Time Elapsed: Two Weeks

So far, I'm a little discouraged on this project. I find that I haven't been able to use a lot of the coupons I've clipped. Often, it seems the store brand still beats my name brand coupon. My last shopping trip I saved...$2.38 with coupons. My Grocery Game savings the same trip were around $10, and I don't really have to do anything for that except print off the list and pay $5 a month. (and hey, saving me $10 in an average week means that it pays for itself and then some for sure). I'll keep clipping coupons though and give this a solid month to trial to see if it's worth my time

The one exception to coupon discouragement is the $8 Hills Science Diet Dogfood I got from Spending Less 101. That website points you to coupons you can get online. I waited until the food was on sale ($5 off this week) and I saved $14 on my finicky dog's healthy food: $17 of food will now last at least two months for her.

Project: How To Get Rid Of Carpet Odors
Time Elapsed: Two months

Thanks to everyone who participated in this, including Debt Free Revolution and Bouncing Betty who suggested Odoban from Home Depot. As the daughter of a small hardware store owner, I hate HD but I went to get this product. $8 and only about 1/8 of the bottle later, smell is gone. Completely.

Project: Blogroll Update
Time Elapsed: Too Long!

I finally updated my blogroll with new (well, not so much new as new to me) blogs that I read all the time.

Personal finance-y blogs: Being Frugal, Cheap Healthy Good, Debt Free Revolution, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, My Small Cents, Northern Cheapskate, Spending Less 101, and The Baglady.

Other great blogs: Intelligent Travel, Shorpy, Hoarded Ordinaries, and Satellite Sisters.

If I haven't added your blog or website yet and I clearly read it and comment on it all the time, let me know!

There I got all those updates done like I've been meaning to! Whew! Now anxiously awaiting five o'clock for the weekend to start... Happy Friday!

The Zen And Art Of Coupon Clipping

There are some things we admittedly can't do much about. Gas prices and high taxes are two such things (though I suppose you could convert your car to biodiesel or work under the table but both those things require too much effort for me).

I've been looking for ways to further trim my budget, which is actually quite lean. I have made it a goal though of cutting off $50 a month from my $250 a month grocery bill (that's for two people).

There are a few tips related to grocery shopping that I seem to keep hearing over and over in my research and from talking to people: make a price book and cut coupons.

Price Book
If you look at your grocery list, you are probably buying the same things most every week. A price book is just a book you bring with you to the grocery store and write down the lowest prices you pay per item. This way, when you are shopping and wondering whether something is a good price or not, you can consult a reference specific to where you live and shop. I think I have one of these in my head but I really should formalize it. I may be surprised.

Coupons
Yes, I have been using the Grocery Game for a few months now and it is quite helpful but I really want to step up my game (plus it's $5 a month, I mean, can I do this myself?). I've also used coupons off their website to go with the sales. The idea with coupons is 1) that you wait until something is on sale and use a coupon to buy it and 2) you buy nonperishable things while they are on sale so as to "stockpile" them.

And here's an article if you want to get really serious about the coupons (From The Digerati Life).

Since I haven't given coupon cutting the chance it deserves, I went out on Sunday and bought the weekend paper for $1.50. I then proceeded to cut the coupons from it (probably at least $20 worth). I listened to the radio and had a coffee. I found myself quite relaxed after! I even took a photo to illustrate the experience.

So my financial goal is to reduce my grocery bill by $50 a month using a price book, coupons, and The Grocery Game.

Wish me luck and do feel free to share your own coupon cutting tips and tricks.

Will A Recession Make Us Fatter Or Skinnier?

So the economy is in stagflation mode, not recession mode as of yesterday (Debt Free Revolution). Food prices are soaring and are expected to be inflated for at least two more years (CNN Money). What I want to know is does recession make people fatter or skinner?

You'd think that having less money available would mean less food available, which would make America as a whole skinner. (Interestingly enough, car's are actually lightening up these days. Ford introduced it's car that lost sixty pounds to gain some gas mileage (CNN Money). Maybe if we lost weight on our bodies that sit in our cars, we'd also get better gas mileage?)

In short, recession should slim us all down. There is, however, much more evidence that a recession/stagflation will make us all a little porkier. The Simple Dollar delves into how recession triggers poor food (and other) buying decisions while Sense to Save has reviewed a cookbook born out of a phenomenon: The 99 Cent Only Store Cookbook.

Also in a nation of comfort food, where people are depressed about the economy and watching more television (the most accessible "free" entertainment), it seems we are headed towards getting fatter.

What can we do? In short, shop smart and cook more. If you are totally not excited about cooking or don't know where to start, this is a great post for you. And if you want to know how and why this food crisis is happening (and what you can do), check out this great post at Cheap Healthy Good.

In short, the recession will only make you fatter if you let it. Start cooking and thinking ahead about food purchases and you should stay your healthy self.

Other posts at Breaking Even, Inc. that may be of interest:
A Look At Extreme Grocery Shopping
The Grocery Game Review
A Week In Food (good healthy meals for less than $10 per dish)

Headed Back To College...

Use Those Networking Opportunities At Your College

When I went to college, I just concentrated on getting through the semester. I fell asleep while studying my chemistry book (talk about sleep lines!) and took what I thought were challenging and interesting classes. I worked as a lifeguard in my hometown in the summers to make book and fun money for the year. I had a couple small campus jobs to supplement the "fun money". My parents paid for my college and told me my job was to study and get the best grades possible. So I did. I thought I was pretty motivated at that point in my life, until yesterday.

I sat in a room yesterday with fifty to sixty students who gave up one day of their weekend to network with alumni. They had taken summer internships relative to what they wanted to do. They took notes, nodded at what you were saying seeming genuinely interested. They asked thoughtful questions. They knew going in that they might not get job offers; they just wanted to meet us. Five years ago, I wouldn't have been in that room. But I was there yesterday.

BATEScene was set up by Bate's Office of Career Services. I got invited because I have a creative career, both in my "day job" and with this blog. I was part of small group discussions but at the beginning when everyone was listening, we had to give our names, our job titles/companies, and one piece of advice we would give people about to graduate. The good news is I had a two and a half hour drive to think about this.

My friend Michaela always tells me she admires how I always "put myself out there" and I thought about that a lot yesterday. I didn't realize that other people didn't do that. I looked back on how I got a newspaper job, how I met my boyfriend online, how I got someone to publish my first article. No matter how awful the date was or who told me it was too hard to get published, I kept going. When it got to be my turn to speak, I knew what to say.

I encouraged them to internalize what they wanted and tell everyone they knew. I want people to visit this blog for example. It's in my email signature. I published the address to it in my company newsletter. I tell people upon meeting them about it. "Coca Cola didn't become a household name but sending a couple emails then hanging out in its dorm room. Coca Cola told you that it was Coca Cola over and over again until you believed it." I thought this may have been too corny but a few people chuckled. I guess I am a little corny. But persistance pays off.

On the personal finance front, questions of money came up indirectly. In a small group discussion, I encouraged students to start a savings account beginning with their first job. (They were very concerned with liking their first job and how long they should stay at it.) I told them that they should save even $20, whatever they could afford, and have it automatically taken out. I told them that if they ever felt like they wanted to leave their job (or even were faced with a financially difficult situation) that having that cushion would make them feel so much better. "Plus I mean $20. That's lunch. You'll just buy something stupid with it and be happy for five minutes." I kick myself for not starting saving at my last job, which was higher paying than my current one. But what can you do except tell people open to hearing it who are about to enter the same part of their lives.

I not only met some great students but also other people in related fields. I networked, I ate in the new dining hall, I saw my friend Sarah (who got me involved in this). If your college does any networking event like this, whether you are a student or an alum, it's very worthwhile to go. Networking may get you your next job, allow for a travel opportunity, or even get one more person to read your blog. You may also just get to meet interesting people and have a free lunch. You may even be able to help someone out.

My college's networking event was well worth the five hours of driving. And how many things can you say that about?

Image from www.woodworthassociates.com   

In Praise Of Edamame Salad

I make most everything from scratch but I do go to the deli for one thing.

Last night, my usual deli woman was already reaching for it as I walked up to the counter.

"One pound edamame salad." She clearly already knew and smiled.

"You know, I've been telling people about you." she said "I tell people there is this woman who always gets this, says it's a good source of protein. And then they buy it."

I had no idea I had such sway at the grocery store.

So edamame salad from the Hannaford deli is my secret. When I get home, I sometimes add black beans or corn to increase the volume. I like that it's filled with protein and keeps me eating low on the food chain. In a Google search, I saw it listed as a South Beach diet and a Mediterranean food so it much be pretty nutritious.

I found a recipe that looks a lot like it here if you don't have a deli in your area that makes it. Eat it alone, eat it with pasta or rice... all I can say is yum. I can also promise that you won't feel hungry an hour later after eating some of this. Did I mention I've lost 10 pounds on my quest toward weight loss? Clearly, I am a person to be listened to when it comes to deli salads.

So check your local deli for edamame salad. Tell Heather I sent you!

Photo: Edamame salad plays a supporting role to pasta and cherry tomatoes in this quick supper. Add grated parm or some spinach for a walk on the wild side.   

A Look At Extreme Grocery Shopping

People Are Going To New Lengths To Save Cash On Food- Are You?

So whether it's the fact that every major news media is talking about the price of food going up (whether it's pizza or groceries in general) or just the fact that I've plateaued on my journey towards weight loss, I've had food on the brain lately. Apparently, I am not alone.

The Simple Dollar has posted an "Ode To The Inexpensive Bean", which is clearly a powerfood in a lot of ways. Heck, you can even make brownies with them.

Costco CEO James Sinegal gave some compelling answers about why he doesn't just raise the price of ketchup and why he pays his workers an average of $18.15/hour. (from SmartMoney)

And now the part where we finally get to the extreme grocery shopping part. (And no, it's not a sport like extreme ironing but thank you for allowing me the occasion to mention extreme ironing.) Extreme grocery shopping is beyond my Grocery Game experiment. It is severely cutting back on any sort of grocery budget, almost to an art form. Give Me Back My Five Bucks does a great job of spending little on food for example. 

Sense to Save had a great video she posted this week, especially entertaining to me since I don't have television. See the Ultimate Cheapskate (only food less than $1/pound) and Coupon Mom (self explanatory) battle it out here (originally on the Today Show).

Even The New York Times tackled dollar stores as grocery stores this week.

Then, of course, there is talk of buying groceries in bulk at warehouse stores or online which a woman in my adult ed class told me about. (I have an experiment I've set up testing which options are cheaper for a later post, which is taking some time to craft due to the amount of data gathering required.)

In other words, we're all paying too much for food. It's best to eat less and be careful how you do spend your money, good advice in any economy I suppose. While The Glittering Eye finds it difficult but doable to live on $1 a meal, I'm wondering how other people (like you) are dealing with rising food prices. Do share!

Image: Rice salad, made with avocado, corn, tomato, and white rice in a vinagrette was a staple in my old dinner club, and great with crepes (and fairly economical).   

Video of the Week: Eating Healthy On A Budget

Yes, you can eat well on a budget. Francis Wolff has just launched www.wholehabits.com, a vlog dedicated to healthy eating. (If his name is familliar, he's Meg Wolff's son.) This is one of his first videos. Check out the other videos and recipes on his site; they look yummy!   

Grocery Game Update: Week 3

Saving Money on Groceries

You may remember that I'm test driving what I think may be the most promising grocery money saving web site: The Grocery Game. The month trial for $1 did not motivate me to take any action and I decided that subscribing for two months for $10 was worth a shot.

I'll start out by saying there are some people who are alright with some change and people who are very much less so. I am fine with adjusting my shopping, my boyfriend is not.

We normally shop at Hannaford because my boyfriend prefers it and it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Of course, the Grocery Game goes with high-low grocery stores (which is I'm guessing a grocery store with normally higher prices which has great sales) meaning the GG goes with the local Shaws store.

My boyfriend sulks everytime we go into the store. I remind him that I'm trying to save us money. I have also turned it into an experiment for both his interest and my benefit. Here's what we're doing.

1) We only buy things in Shaws that are on Terry's List. We don't buy anything else there. We buy all other groceries at our usual store.
2) We track our grocery spending (and savings) over a month or two... then we decide if it's worth it.

First GG savings this month: $15
This month's grocery bill: $394
This month's dining out: $90
Total food spending: $484

Last month's grocery bill: $510
Last month's dining out bill:$64
Total food spending: $574

Previous month's groceries: $373
Previous month's dining out bill: $138
Total food spending: $511

So whether it is directly the GG membership or not, I'm saving money on food in my life. Of course if I eat out less, my grocery bill will go up, which is why I'm looking at total food spending. But it's also easy to see that I can cut back on food even more.

There are still a few more weeks on The Grocery Game until I come out with my findings (and perhaps a graph!) But just so you know, so far, so good. 

Photo: That's right, I make sushi (and in general a lovely meal most every night). Sean in turn buys me flowers on occasion.

Just When You Think You Have Nothing In Your Fridge...

Supercook to the rescue!

So I've been known for making meals on the fly with whatever I have in my house but now there is a web site that has systemized it, making me replaceable as a resourceful dinner chef.

Enter the available ingredients into the web site and it tells you what you can make. I just tried it with a mostly empty fridge, but apparently I can make Poertzelki and Portuguese Muffins. Who knew I was such a versatile cook? Thanks Get Rich Slowly and Supercook!

Two Project Updates

So for awhile now, I've had several projects going. Good for me (right?) but it probably left you wondering, "Hey, what ever happened to that?" I'd like to update you on a couple of fronts.

First of all, you may remember how I decided to become a total stagemom and use Sadie as a meal ticket. Well guess what?!? Cutestpetcontest has come through for us, at least so far... I'll keep you all posted as to Sadie's winnings. This may be come tease, as half the email is spent telling me how I could go about buying this book that Sadie is apparently in.

Secondly, remember my trying out of The Grocery Game web site? I finally stopped procrastinating last week (the weekly "Guess what you're missing" email from the company in my instance is actually kind of helpful). Sean and I did some of our shopping at "the other store" also known as Shaws since the Grocery Game does not price compare with Hannaford, where we normally shop. One trip saved us $10.91, more than paying for our month membership. (You can also try it for a month for $1.) I'll do this a few more weeks to let you know if it ends up being worth it or not. So far, I get it and I'm a total Grocery Game convert... plus they have coupons you can print off their site. We saved $1 on Sean's contact lens solution last week!

I'd love to compare these with other coupon sites. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? 

A Week In Food

When it comes to food, I am unwilling to compromise. I want to eat things that are good for me, meaning I don't want to eat things just because they are cheap.

I've had people tell me they spend $150 for two people per week at the grocery store. Sean and I spent $400ish last month on groceries and felt like we both overdid it. But how do we eat on so little money? Do I spend hours cooking everything from scratch every night? Back on Vinalhaven I did have that time, but am less inclined to now. Here's a week in food at our house (and a fairly typical one). You'll notice every meal includes vegetables and protein, doesn't have a lot of fat, and sounds pretty good, at least in my opinion:

Monday: Pizza
Dough: $1.50 (from a Portland company, a small splurge)
Salsa as tomato sauce: ¼ to ½ jar- $1.50
Feta and olives: ¼ pound from bulk containers at olive station- $2
Sausage: ½ package: $3
Sweet potato oven fries: $2 (for a bit of oil, salt, and two potatoes)
Meal Total: $10

Tuesday: Tofu Stirfry
1 block extra firm tofu: $4 (Nicole tip:cutting it small allows you to sneak it into the dish for those who think they are anti-tofu)
Oil for frying: $.50
Frozen stir fry veggies: $3
Oriental noodles: ½ package $0.50
Teriyaki sauce (several ounces): $1
Ginger (spice): $0.25
Garlic (a few cloves): $0.50
Meal Total: $9.75

Wednesday: Fish and salad
2 filets tilapia: $5
Seasonings: $0.50
1/2 pound Edamame salad from Hannaford Deli: $2.50
1 can corn: $0.50
1 can black beans: $0.50
1 c. ploye mix: $0.50
Meal Total: $9.50

Thursday: Instant Indian
1 package Indian Food Spices: $2
1 package mixed frozen veggies: $1.50
½ package frozen broccoli: $0.75
1 big pat of butter: $0.25
1 c. Jasmine rice: $0.50
½ jar coconut milk: $1
1 c. flour, some salt, and olive oil: $1 (for flatbread)
2 small chicken breasts: $3
Meal Total: $11

Friday: Tomato, Mozz. Salad and Sausage
2 tomatoes: $3
1 package mozzarella: $5
Balsamic vinaigrette, 4 tbsp: $0.50
Olive oil (a bit): $0.50
Sausage: ½ package: $3
Meal total: $12

Saturday: Crepes
2 c. flour: $2
1/4 c. sugar: $0.50
1/4 c. milk: $0.50
Eggs: $3
Salt and butter: $1
Peanut butter, jam, syrup, etc. to put on crepes: $2
Meal total: $9

Sunday: Leftovers!

For Two Lunches and Two Breakfasts, 5 times a week and snacks:
2 loaves of bread (we make sure to get the kind with no corn syrup): $4
Peanut butter (natural-1/2 jar): $1.50
Nutella (1/2 jar): $1.50
Honey (1/2 jar): $2
Rice crackers: $2 for a lot of them
Yogurts (6 Stonyfield Farms): $4
Mixed nuts: $5
3/4 lb natural turkey breast deli meat: $5
1/2 lb cheese: $3
Box of clementines/bag of apples/insert 5-8 pieces of fruit here: $6
Cereal: $3
Milk: $2
Bag of tortilla cips: $2
Total: $41

So for about $100, I've got almost all meals (weekend mornings usually involve a breakfast out) for two people covered. You'll also notice that there are remainders of items that carry into the next week, meaning that over the course of a month, we actually spend less than this in the average week.

For those who have asked, that's how I do it. So what's your favorite cheap and good meal secret? 

The Grocery Game

I'm all for coupons. They're a good idea and I have absolutely no problem taking the time to cut them out (or, as we have now entered the internet age, seek them out).

I've tried a few coupon sites. Coupons.com has coupons for things I never buy (but they're on my Google toolbar, you know, just in case). I have subscribed to CoolSavings.com  for free daily emails (just a warning is that it takes a little while to sign up since they make you go through about 5 screens before you're officially signed up). Couponchief.com has an RSS feed and coupons for major online and store retailers. Ultimatecoupons.com is for online retailers only. Basically, I want to save a couple bucks at the grocery store, etc. without having to think a lot. None of the above sites really deliver for me, so far anyway.

I've heard of The Grocery Game in sevaral magazines and, while it is a paid service, they have a try-four-weeks-for-$1 promotion so I couldn't resist. The site combs through the best deals and then tell you, based on your zip code, the deals at different stores. Of course, there is only one store for my area but I'm giving it a shot anyway. That and I'm subscribing to a Sunday paper. Will do a cost-benefit analysis for a future post.

In the meantime, anyone have some fool-proof coupon sites or sources?

I'm Offically Addicted...

My mom has been recieving Bon Appetit magazine and then either sending them or giving them to me for years now. Also, whenever people see a great recipe in a book or are thinking of getting rid of a cookbook, they ask me first.

I'm known as a lover or recipes and a bit of a cook (though not at all a baker as some friends are a little too quick to point out...though my cake with substitutions did work out in the end, anyway...). The problem then becomes a file folder of recipes I can't organize, let alone find to make. Plus piles of ripped out magazine pages just get to me.

While in my real life, I would love to go completely paperless and get rid of my three file boxes (which were whittled down from four last year), I realize I need to take this one step at a time. Organize one life area at a time, feel success in that, learn to maintain the organization, then move onto the next thing.

I stumbled upon this great recipe coraller via another blog which has great recipes in its own right. Tastebooks allow users to import recipes from Epicurious, Bon Appetit, and Gormet magazines as well as type up their own. You can then share them with other people and then choose recipes and assemble them into your own nice cookbook. If you want control over th design, you have it. The products look beautiful and, at only $35 each, they seem like they would make a great gift for any friend who likes to cook. The best part though is it's free to store and share recipes. And you know how much I like free, but never at the expense of nice. Tastebooks is no exception.

Now, I used to belong to an all female "dinner club" and if we had known about this site, I bet we would have shared a lot more recipes with each other! (My poor friend Ally was in charge of combining our recipes and formatting them into a book... and apparently, we are a hard bunch to extract recipes from!) So sign up and begin organizing and sharing your recipes with your friends and family.

Tis the season to cook up a storm and share good cheer!