Saving Money | Prudent and Practical

January 27, 2010

The Coupon Experiment

Filed under: saving money — Tags: discounts, food, health, saving money — K @ 1:47 AM

Something has been bothering me. I’m attracted to the real food movement and have been was making progress eating more real food. I try not to eat processed foods and have been limiting packaged powders. I was getting good at grocery shopping and finally staying either in or close to our budget. Then something happened. I’ve read quite a few blogger’s out there get their groceries for a little bit of nothing thanks to coupons and rebates and this intrigued me. I subscribed to the Sunday paper for $7 per month to get coupons. If it didn’t work out, I could easily cancel. Here’s how it went…

Week #1: Wow! I saved $10 on groceries! Crap – I just spent double our budget.

Week #2: Wow! I saved $13 on groceries! Crap – I just spent double our budget, again.

Week #3: Wow! I saved $16 on groceries! Crap – I just spent almost double our budget. The real food is disappearing from our cart

Week #4: Wow! I saved $30 on groceries and only went a little over budget! Cart filled with processed foods

At this point I feel like I fell into a trap. It’s winter in Iowa and there are no markets around here. The nearest grocer that sells a decent supply of locally grown meats and organic produce is one hour away. We need to save money and I actually ended up spending more, not just monetarily, but with our health as well. In the last month, even though we watched what we ate during the holidays, D and I have both gained weight. Our cabinets are getting more and more full, leading us to snack on, guess what, crap foods throughout the day. At this point, I feel stuffed and upset to my stomach. I blame the cereal and HFCS-laden white bread.

Week #5: Well, we’re stocked up on canned soups, fruits, and veggies. We also have plenty of powdered cake, pancake, and cupcake mixes as well as cereal. We did buy quite a bit more fresh produce than usual due to the store’s 80th anniversary sale. We ended up $5 under budget and saving 25% off of our total bill due to the coupons. Saving money makes D really happy.

I had worked out a system and kept a budget and was purchasing real food before all this couponing business. Now we’re so into clipping, we have a stockpile of “Q’s” that we can dig through and use without going over budget. I’m feeling much better this week and am thinking of a plan to get more good food back into the cupboards.

I have found that many whole food producers do actually have coupons! Many I can’t use around here, but my grocer does carry a few products. Some whole foods retailers give away copies of magazines that have coupons in them or even coupon books! I already have plans for a garden around our fire pit. I have some herbs, garlic, a grapevine, and rhubarb planted around the house – that was my first step last year ~ edible landscaping!. This year I’ll be adding some veggies and another grapevine.

See the next page to see how I’m going to save money on real food…

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January 18, 2010

Sesame Turkey Recipe

Filed under: food — Tags: food, meal, saving money — K @ 3:07 PM

Yep, this recipe is delicious sesame goodness, only with turkey instead of chicken. There is a distinct turkey taste, but it’s good and an excellent, non-traditional way to use up leftover turkey!

We like to serve these with my newest discovery, cheese puffs (aka crab rangoon without the crab). You can find wonton wraps in the refrigerated area in your grocery – at Hy-Vee, they are next to the salad mixes and tofu. And of course, these goodies aren’t complete without some homemade sweet and sour sauce!

The original sesame chicken recipe is from RecipeZaar.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Ingredients

Turkey – I use about 4 cups leftover turkey. But I you can adjust the amount.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds – put sesame seeds in a hot pan and stir. They’re done when they’re light brown.

Sesame Turkey Recipe Instructions

Cut turkey into bite size pieces.
Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with Pam, over medium-high heat.
Cook turkey until no longer pink. (Or just reheat turkey.)
Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.
Pour sauce mixture into skillet with turkey.
Cook until sauce thickens slightly.
You can add more water if sauce is too thick.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until turkey starts to soak up the sauce.

Cheese Puffs Recipe

Put a spoonful of cream cheese on a wonton wrap.
Rub water around the edge.
Pinch the edges toward the center.
Drop in hot oil until light golden brown.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

The following recipe tastes just like the packaged stuff but doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. Instead of a bright red color, it’s a translucent brown. This recipe is from About.com.

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

Thanks for visiting! If you’re interested in more recipes you can check out my food and recipes pages. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this week, visit my front page or subscribe via RSS!

I’m also participating in the following carnivals today! You can find many more recipes here:

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November 30, 2009

Dresser Drawer to Designer Dog Bed

Filed under: crafts — Tags: crafts, DIY, projects, saving money — K @ 11:59 PM

Reggie is the heaviest of our five animals. He’s only 26 pounds, but that hasn’t stopped our couch cushions from getting squished. He likes to lay on the back rest. He loves cushions, blankets, pillows, cheapo dog beds – anything that he can “nest” on. Oh, and let’s not forget the LoveSac. The dogs aren’t allowed in the basement because that’s the cat’s refuge, but since we got the Sac, he sneaks downstairs to nap on it. He “makes a bed” just like the cats, but it’s hilarious because he’s much bigger than them.

So for Christmas, I wanted to make Reggie-bear something special. Something just for him that he could lay on…. So I pulled out my giant 3-ring binder of clipped articles and found just the thing. A dog-sized armchair!

Here’s what you need to get started:

(Above: If you don’t have a spare dresser drawer, you can make one out of scraps)

(more photos to be added later this morning…)

Take a drawer and knock out the bottom and sides

Make a new bottom that extends past the drawer sides

Screw 1×1′s or 1×2′s onto the inside of the drawers (the bottom/cushion will be attached to these)

Mark a line 1″ from the top of the sides all the way around, on both the inside and outside of the sides

Staple one side of foam to the outside line, staple the other side of the foam to the inside line. (Now you have rolled arms!)

Cover each side individually with upholstery batting (I didn’t have any so I used 2 layers of medium loft quilters batting). Spray adhesive is your friend here…

Now take a big piece and cover the whole thing with the one piece. (This helps get rid of lines and gives you a good work surface for the next step.)

Cover with fabric! This is where the tack strips come in handy, giving you a nice seam edge.

OK! The arms and back are done!

Now for the seat cushion…

Grab the seat bottom. Measure and cut out more 2″ foam. Spray adhere the two together.

Spray adhere batting to the foam, wrap around and staple on the bottom.

Spray adhere fabric to batting, wrap around and staple on the bottom.

Yay! The seat cushion is done!

Set the cushion in the arms/back piece. Flip over and screw through the 1×1′s or 1×2′s from earlier.

Attach the legs according to directions. (I painted and stained mine).

There you have it! A designer-looking dog bed made in one day from a dresser drawer!

And all the animals had to come check it out…

(Below: Can you tell she’s “the queen” ?)

This article is happily shared with readers at DIY Day @ A Soft Place and Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage! If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe or check out what I’ve been up to lately!

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November 10, 2009

Homemade Dog Ear Cleaner

Filed under: fun,life — Tags: health, pets, saving money — K @ 11:30 PM

Disclaimer: I’m not a vet. This recipe is what we use on our dogs and it works for them. You should consult your vet first before trying this to make sure that your dog’s ears are healthy and unscratched and that the eardrum is intact.

reggie long tongue 300x225 photo Homemade Dog Ear Cleaner

Yes! That is Reggie doing his Gene Simmons impression...

Reggie is our crazy Cocker Spaniel. His nails and fur grow at a ridiculous rate, his tongue is too big for his mouth, and his ears are always the source of some type of trouble. Those ears bring in seeds in the spring, leaves in the fall, are always getting dirty when he eats and drinks, and they’re just too tempting for Gunner during playtime. If you have a dog with long, furry ears you know what I’m talking about!

Over time we noticed that Reggie started scratching the side of his head on the carpet. We then noticed his stinky ears. Reggie, like many Cocker Spaniels, had reoccurring earwax buildup. I had some dog/cat ear cleaner, but it was expired and only to be used for routine cleaning. Worried, I went online to check things out pertaining to Cockers and found Zim Family Cockers web site. The Zim’s breed Cocker Spaniels and were given an ear cleaning recipe by the former Secretary of the Cocker Spaniel club of San Diego county. This ear cleaner helps with earwax buildup and ear infections, which can be costly to treat.

Here’s how to make an inexpensive ear cleaner with items you probably have on hand. This can be used on both dogs and cats.

Ingredients

6 ounces Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
1/2 tablespoon Powdered boric acid
2 ounces White vinegar
1 teaspoon Povidone-iodine (Betadine) – do NOT get Betadine “Scrub” as it contains a detergent
Applicator with a long tip – something you can find at a beauty supply store
An old towel for cleaning up

Ask your pharmacist for help if you can’t find this stuff. Our grocery store pharmacy had all but the boric acid, which we found at a bigger pharmacy.

Directions

First, please be careful, especially with the boric acid. If the boric acid or iodine get on your skin, wash it off immediately. Second, follow the directions! Bad chemical reactions will happen if you don’t do it right!

Pour the alcohol in the applicator bottle.
Add in the boric acid.
SHAKE WELL, until the boric acid has dissolved.
Pour in the vinegar.
SHAKE WELL.
Pour in the iodine.
SHAKE WELL.
It should now be a pretty amber color, like beer… or iced tea.

Application Directions

This is a 2-person job. If there’s just you, you should either have super grip or use a grooming table and noose. Wear appropriate clothes and do this outside…
1 person is the dog holder and the other person is the ear squirter.
Fold the ear flap back.
Clean the ear with a cloth, cotton ball, or Q-tip if there are crusty or gooey bits, like ear wax. And please don’t go digging for gold deep in the poor dogs ear canal – you could hurt him!
Squirt the solution in the ear so it completely fills it up the ear canal – you need super grip here as Mr. Doggy is not going to like you at this moment.
Fold the ear flap back over.
Smoosh the base of the ear so that the solution gets squished around in there.
Push your dog to run away from you. As soon as you let go of his ear, you’re going to get showered (so hopefully you’re wearing old clothes)
Call doggy back and clean him up with an old towel. You don’t want this going into his eyes or mouth.
Repeat with the second ear!

We did this every other day for two weeks and noticed a huge improvement in Reggie’s ears. The stink and the scratching were pretty much gone!

If you’d like additional information, please visit Zim Family Cockers Ear Cleaning page. They explain the process in depth and have a list of FAQs regarding the recipe. They also have a lot of cute puppies on their site!

Do you use any homemade pet remedies?

Does your dog do anything crazy, like stick their tongue out all the time?

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November 9, 2009

Basement Remodel Begins

Filed under: DIY — Tags: basement, DIY, home improvement, movies, projects, saving money — K @ 11:50 PM

Winter is approaching. Since we’re spending more time being indoors, D and I decided to get a start on the basement. Iowa winters can be harsh so the main objective is to turn the basement into something fun ~ a movie room! This is not going to be a nice television downstairs room. We are going all out (almost) on a budget and can’t wait to both share the results with you and use the room as well. And embarrassingly, it’s messy now because we’re in the middle of a project ~ I love how projects come together near the end

Here’s the main idea:

Red and ivory with black accents. Since we’re on the verge of putting it up for sale when the economy gets better, we didn’t want to go the traditional home theater room route by making it floor to ceiling (and including the ceiling) black, navy blue, or hunter green. That freaks me out just thinking about it… it would be complete turnoff to potential buyers. Keep in mind that this is a long and narrow basement room, not a dedicated theater room. We wanted to make it fun and functional, yet intriguing to potential buyers. And if it doesn’t sell for a while, we have something to enjoy!
Replace old globe lights with recessed and add more lights
Replace old, dirty outlet covers with new wood ones
Paint the walls – ivory on top and red on bottom, separated by a chair rail molding
Get rid of self-stick duck wallpaper border
Update the furniture – one new piece, slipcovers for the old couch and love seat, paint our modular/retro side tables
Move the projector screen to another wall – 120-inches of movie goodness!
Make a decorative cover for the projector screen casing and sew up some black velvet curtains
When we can find a good deal, we will be replacing the dark, splotchy brown carpet with a lighter carpet and tiles near the basement entry. Eve has unraveled the carpet at the laundry room, so the tile will solve her bad habit, while giving us a floor for…
Installing a 5-foot wet or dry bar by the laundry room
And finally garnishing with our favorite movie posters and memorabilia!

How do we plan to do this?

We already have the projector screen and D made a projector three years ago – he really loves DIY projects!
We purchased the paint and recessed lights on sale through Menard’s.
We purchased one slipcover on clearance through Target.
We purchased our new piece of furniture, “The Big One” LoveSac off of Craigslist for less than 1/3 the new price.
D purchased surround sound speakers and a receiver on clearance online.
I am looking to purchase a granite slab and cabinets off of Craigslist for the wet/dry bar.
I need to call in a plumber to see if he can do a drain or pipe or something to make a wet bar. If it’s going to be to extensive or expensive, it will just be a dry bar.
I plan to purchase the movie screen curtain fabric through Hobby Lobby or Joann’s when it goes on sale.
Carpeting and tile are still up in the air… we’re hesitant to spend that much money, but it will really improve the look of the basement. The room is 36′x12′ so we plan to have 30′x12′ carpet and 6′x12′ tile. We have no problem installing tile, since we have tackled that one before, twice. (Our kitchen doesn’t look like that now either!)

The Project Commences

We started with the lights. The weather’s (uncharacteristically) nice now, but will soon become chilling. Turning off the basement light breaker means turning off our thermostat upstairs – yes, our house is wired extremely weird – and turning off the heat for a loooong time, while D works his arms off.

Of course there are a few surprises. A “nest” of wires just tossed up in the ceiling. Multiple wires coming together but not in a junction box. And of course, you’ve got to love the 3-way lights: because somebody couldn’t walk reach 3 feet to turn off a switch. This means a lot more time and care go into making sure that certain wires are connected to the right place. And a quick note ~ I really wanted to change the drop ceiling to drywall a while back. We were told by a realtor that making the change in our town would not help sell it, so we left it. So as much as I dislike the stuff, you can see in the photos how much we have benefited from it.

So, what projects are you up to this week? What’s the biggest project you’ve tackled? Do you like LoveSacs?

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