Hello 2015!

Hello again!  It's been awhile since I've blogged!  I am now living in central Ohio with my family, husband, two kids and three cats.  We just bought a house and made the move from DC to Ohio over the holiday season.  

So now I'm 'fru-girl' in Ohio.  It's going to be interesting exploring Ohio again after living in two of the more expensive cities in America.  Stay tuned for more posts about family, Ohio living, becoming home owners, cheap eats, Ohio finds, paying off debts and more.  

Grocery Shopping: Adjusting to a New Area...NOVA

With a new area comes many changes when you move across the country...new stores, new layouts, and new regional grocery stores.

Back in Chicago, my frugal routine of grocery shopping was rock-solid....head over to Village Marketplace on Dempster for all my produce, meats, etc, (and favorites like Eastern European candies, different kinds of sauerkraut and Jon's favorite, Kabanos smoked sausages!)...then head to Aldi for the standards, like sour cream, milk, butter, pita chips, etc.

Here in NOVA or Northern Virginia, there are a lot of different choices,...Giant, Safeway, Super Walmart, Target, Shopper's Food Warehouse, and a multitude of Latino grocery stores.  In Chicago, I liked shopping at the ethnic grocery stores....they usually had better produce, meats and prices than the "Jewel-Oscos" and "Dominicks" of the area and I didn't have to clip coupons to get the best price.  Today I have long list of ingredients for this week's meals (I'm also doubling up on cooking many meals so I can stock my freezer with easy meals when the baby arrives!) so, I need to find the best and most frugal grocery options.  I saw an Aldi down the street about a mile which I was very happy about!  Stores I don't know too much about are "Best Way" which looks to be a Latino Grocery Store, as well as a couple independent Latino grocery stores along Richmond Highway.  I am interested to see what they offer in prices and food offerings.

I have bought a couple items at Safeway during my first week, which seems to be a "Dominick's".  Good overall basic American grocery store, but you have to hit the sales and coupons just right and use their membership card.  I checked out Shopper's Food Warehouse, no membership card is necessary, and they double coupons up to $1.00.  (And it's the closest to our home!)  So far, I like their offerings, except they don't have a meat counter...they do have a fish counter though.  Strange trade-off I think!  Anyway, Walmart was a total disaster when Jon and I tried it out and it may deserve another chance, but I'm afraid...when we walked in a couple weeks ago, it was chaos...a DJ was loudly playing and screaming right by the area you grab carts, children were darting everywhere, and the atmosphere was enough to deter us that day.  We have found since then, that Walmart in NOVA has the best price thus far on Breyers Ice Cream,...which is very important when it's summer and you're pregnant!

More to come on my findings and frugal grocery adventures...

Cheap Eats from Your Pantry

Maybe you're feeling a little bit of financial stress...well, you still need to feed yourself and the family, so no fear....'Cheap Eats Part 1' are the answer!

Currently we're going through our pantry/fridge/freezer and creating meals from what we have stored up from previous sales and trips to the grocery! Here's some delicious ideas from what we've created!

Gnocchi with Beef Vodka Sauce and Caramelized Onions

• Gnocchi Package, $1.00 (bought on sale and stored in pantry)
• 4 oz Ground Sirloin, .80 cents (bought on sale and stored in freezer in 4 oz portions)
• 1 Spanish onion, .65 cents (bought on sale and stored in pantry)
• Classico Vodka Sauce (1/2 jar), .80 (bought on sale for 1.75 for whole jar and stored in pantry)
• $1.00 for 1 pound of In-Season Oranges

Boil Water (salted). De-thaw and brown beef in skillet. Drain any fat and add chopped onions. When onions are tender, add 1/2 jar of Vodka Sauce. When water is boiling, add Gnocchi - they are done when the dumplings float to the top, then drain. Plate sauce over gnocchi and enjoy with in-season Clementines and oranges on the side!

Total cost = $4.25

Date & sharp cheddar Quesadilla

It's that sweet and sharp flavor combined that are just so delicious! Yum!

• 2 flour tortillas, .10 cents (.60 cents for package of 12)
• 4-5 chopped pitted dates, .30 cents
• 1 oz of shredded sharp cheddar, .25 cents

Total cost (for one quesadilla) = .65 cents

Italian Quesadilla Dippers

Great for late night pizza cravings! Makes 2 quesadillas to share with a friend/spouse!

• 4 flour tortillas, 20 cents
• 2oz shredded mozzarella, .50 cents
• 1 small can tomato sauce (in pantry bought on sale), .50 cents
• Dried Oregano
• Garlic Powder

Make quesadilla in skillet with tortillas and mozzarella, when done, slice into 8 pieces for dipping. Heat tomato sauce (combined with garlic powder and oregano for taste) in a microwave-safe dish in microwave until hot. Total costs = $1.20

Spaghetti-O's (homemade style!)

We stumbled upon this creation that has delighted our childhood appetites! It's better than the real thing and is all natural! For my husband who loves this so much this would only be a 1 serving recipe, but for most normal people, this serves 2-3 people. (Serve with Garlic Toast to re-create childhood tradition!)

• Orzo pasta, .35 cents (whole box was $1, bought on sale and stored in pantry)
• 1 can of basic Tomato Soup, .60 cents
• Grated Parmesan Cheese, .70 cents
• Garlic Powder

Cook 1/3 box of Orzo noodles in a small amount (10 oz. approx) of boiling water. When orzo is al dente, add can of tomato soup and stir. Add 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder and 2-3 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan Cheese and stir in! Total cost = $1.65 cents

More adventures in cheap eats to come....new challenges....using different items in pantry/freezer including Bran, canned Chili, Beans, pineapple rings, Panko crumbs, dry ravioli and more!

Eating out 50% off menu prices!

Even though cooking at home is always cheaper (and usually healthier!) eating out doesn't have to be un-frugal! Who doesn't enjoy a nice dinner date or meeting up with friends at your favorite restaurant!

Here's a "HOW TO" for eating out and maximizing your dollar!

1) Sign up for the Restaurants.com email list to receive email updates to buy restaurant gift-certificates to your favorite local restaurants for a fraction of the menu price.

Just type in your zip code and search the dozens of participating restaurants that pop up on your screen. Restaurants.com does have a minimum purchase; for example at LePeep (in Evanston), a $25 certificate could be used only with a minimum of $35 purchase.

2) Only buy when it's 80% off - this happens once a month, wait for that sale and then stock up!

3) ALWAYS purchase through a cash-back program like EBATES.COM or FatWallet.com. Compare both cash-back percentages and go with the higher percent. Compare cash back % here!

4) Pay for your online purchase with a rewards credit card such Chase Rewards or Discover Card. We'll discuss the best rewards cards in a post...coming soon!

EXAMPLE:

My husband and I bought a gift certificate to LePeep ($3 for $25 off), and we order $35.00 of food, paying only $10.00 to LePeep. (add $6 for tip)...here's how it breaks down into dollars and cents:

Regular eating out price: (35 for food, 6 for tip) + tax = $41.00 + tax

Restaurants.com price: $10 (to LePeep) + $6 (for tip) + $3 (to Restaurants.com) = $19.00 + tax

(Let's say I also purchased the gift card for $3 through Fat Wallet Cash-back (24%) and received back .72 cents.)

So buying ahead of time not only saves more than 50%, but it also earns accumulated cash back from online cash-back programs and of course you would pay the restaurant bill with a rewards credit card to earn extra bonus credit-card points!

For non "Restaurant.com" restaurants - Use Groupons!!

Other options for frugal eating can be purchased through Groupon.com. This site features a daily deal in your area, for 30-90% off their normal prices. Groupon.com is a new great way to try new restaurants, bars, cafes and more in your area and you can also purchase your Groupons through Ebates.com/FatWallet or other cash-back programs (you should always be making the most of your dollar!).

Recently we snagged a couple Groupons for Sushi places near us and of course one of our favorites, The Little Mexican Cafe. These were listed as $10.00 for $25.00 worth of food. Eating out for more than 50% off always sounds like a good idea to me! For fun and experienced Groupon advice, follow the 'Live-off Groupon Blog' for Chicago Native Josh's Groupon adventures!

Use Coupons!

Always look for coupons in your mailbox....or look the "Entertainment Book" that has exclusive local coupons for dining, movies and businesses in your area. You can buy this online, usually free shipping with extensive cash-back. These books usually feature coupons for 'buy one get one entrée free' for restaurants - It's a great way to save. They also make great gifts! Currently you can buy the 2011 book with $7 off normal price, free shipping and 35% cash back through Ebates.

Take advantage of Holiday offers:

Bravo Cucina Italiana in Evanston is a favorite of mine,...and it's less than a block from my living room, so I love it that much more! For the holidays they are encouraging folks to buy gift cards as gifts and giving you an extra $20 for every $100 you spend on gift cards. This would be the time to stock up!

Let's say you eat at Bravo 5 times a year....(estimate about $50 each meal) so thus $250.00 would be your normal Bravo annual spending. So, take this opportunity and purchase $200 of gift cards, (of course on your rewards credit card) get $40 in bonus Bravo Gift Cards.

And then when you dine at Bravo, always bring their coupons from their e-club called "CLUB BRAVO!" Join and right away receive a free appetizer! Mmmmmm! Be sure to enter in your special dates on their e-club like your Birthday and Anniversary for free entrée/dessert coupons!

Many restaurants have free e-clubs that mail you free coupons for desserts and appetizers. Go ahead and do some re-con....Google your favorite restaurants to find their e-clubs. Other holiday deals that come to mind are listed below:

California Pizza Kitchen: Buy $100 in gift cards, and get a free gift card for $20.

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants (in Chicago, Minneapolis, DC, Vegas and Atlanta): From November 1 through December 30, 2010, you will be rewarded with a $25 Holiday Bonus Certificate for every $100 in gift cards you buy. You can buy these online too! (Includes restaurants listed here)

The point is, living frugally doesn't mean you can't go out and live it up on the town! Be smart and use those frugal resources that are available to you online and around the town!

Use your student I.D.

Are you a student or do you work for a school, college, or university? Whip out that Student ID and get your well-deserved discounts!

Northwestern University: Many restaurants in Evanston offer 10% off your total bill for showing your Northwestern University WildCard (even for faculty and staff)! Here's a list of restaurants that give discounts for Wildcards! Check with your college or university to make the most of your faculty or student status!

Have a question or idea? Email me or leave a comment! Thanks!

Breakfast Burritos....Cheap and Tasty!

The best part of waking up....is breakfast? Sometimes the answer is certainly yes! This is especially true when you don't have to spend $5 to get a decent breakfast sandwich and can make something delicious, filling and very quickly on your own stove-top!

What you need: (you can make your own substitutions,...this is just what I used this week)

Sour Cream = .03 cents (16 oz= .99 cents)

Queso Fresco = .30 (was on sale this week for 1.18)

Center Cut Bacon = .38 cents (Package holds 7 servings of three strips, was on sale for $2.50)

Fresh Salsa = .10 cents (I like hot salsa with Serrano!)

1 Egg = .08 cents (Easter sale! Eggs were .99 cents for a dozen)

Frozen bell peppers (chopped in fridge) = .10

2 Flour Tortillas (taco size) = .12 cents

Total cost for two delicious breakfast burritos....... $1.11

Calories for two delicious breakfast burritos with bacon, cheese and sour cream! = 430

In Chicago get "El Milagro" brand of tortillas, not only are they one of the cheapest brands, but also they are made right here in Chicago and are exceptionally fresh and delicious! At Village Market Place on Dempster 12 tortillas will only cost you .65 cents.

First, cook the bacon to drain the grease and put bacon off to the side on a paper towel. Leave a little grease in pan to add some extra awesome taste to the eggs. Crack the egg and scramble it around in the pan. Throw in those frozen peppers. Crumble some queso fresco and add it to the pan. Crumble the bacon and add, (or eat as a pre-breakfast treat! haha). Turn off the heat. Now, if you have a gas stove, turn on a burner on low and throw one of those tortillas on top turning every 3 seconds until flexible and warm. This makes the tortilla SO delicious and is the way Rick Bayless does tortillas "del Casa". If you don't have a gas stove, sorry, you can just use the microwave. Eat one tortilla at a time and come back and warm the tortilla above the gas flame for the next burrito.

Top your breakfast creation with salsa and sour cream and cilantro or whatever! Enjoy! Remember, these can be eaten whenever....not just breakfast! Sometimes, I like substituting for bacon sometimes and use sausage, ham or chorizo. These meats I cook up when I buy them and crumble/dice them and put them in freezer bags in my freezer. That way, when I'm assembling a breakfast burrito in the morning I just add them to the hot pan and they thaw right there within seconds. Also to reduce calories, reduce bacon to 1 strip and use two egg whites instead of 1 whole egg. (That would bring the calorie count down to 303: still delicious and filling! Yuuuuum!)

Also, I like keeping chopped frozen bell peppers on hand to add to my cooking. I found a sale at Kroger (Food4Less in Evanston) last week frozen veggies = .99 for a large bag. Usually I buy bell peppers on sale/discounted at my grocery stores and chop them immediately when I get home and bag them for the freezer. That way when I want peppers on my burrito or pizza, or whatever, they are already there and ready to go!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!! This meal is DELICIOUS....and also happens to be a pretty cheapo-burrito! Add some coffee and you got yourself a pretty awesome breakfast!