Cheap Groceries for One Week

Have you found yourself short on money for groceries for a week? Here is a week's worth of inexpensive meals. You may not feel like eating what is on the menu, but it is what we often need to do. Our wants and needs are at war these days due to the economy. Isn't it about time we cut back anyways? Seriously. Even though following a budget and a menu for the week is no fun, I have to say that I am actually feeling better (even though I am not promoting any of these meals as "healthy") due to eating less. We could all stand to trim our budgets and our waistlines.

The cheap grocery list for one week is based on two adults. You can modify the numbers to suit your particular situation, and you can even modify the menu and just use my menu as a guideline to get an idea about cheap substitutions.

Also, do watch your newspaper for ads where you typically shop and take advantage of the BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE items (just divide the cost by 2 of what they say the item is usually priced at, and as long as that number divided by 2 is less than what you would normally pay for one, it is worth what you are paying). I know that some stores raise the regular price before they advertise a BOGO, but you are still coming out ahead if the price for 2 items divided by 2 is less than what 1 would normally cost you. You can pick up 10 or so items on the BOGO and plan meals around those items. Think multiple uses - -like, if you get a BOGO pasta, get 1 box of spaghetti noodles AND 1 box of ziti (if your store has varied pastas on BOGO), for example. Then grab a 3 lb. jar of pasta sauce, and plan to use it 3 times - with the pasta you are purchasing on BOGO. Just an example.

Emergency Groceries for One Week

All of the following items must be the cheapest you can find. No name brands, if at all possible. Also, please get the items at Aldi's if you have one in your area (it is dirt cheap to shop there, and your money goes much farther - - take your own bags and don't forget a quarter so that you can get a cart - - you will get your quarter back on your way out), or go to Walmart - unless you find the items or similar items for substitution on sale at your regular store.

Hopefully, you already have some of these items at home. If not, you'll have them for next time.

NOTE: We do not plan for breakfast in our house, but I have included eggs here for that purpose. You can also make some toast. If you do not like eggs, you can substitute cereal or oatmeal for it. Also, for lunch, we do not ever buy lunch when we are at work. That is what the peanut butter and jelly is for. You can take a piece of fruit as well.

1 dozen eggs
2 lb. bag of frozen broccoli
1 jar of peanut butter
1 jar of jelly, if you wish
2 loaves of bread (for sandwiches and toast)
3 lbs. of pasta (spaghetti and macaroni and one other box of your choice)
3 lb. jar of pasta sauce
1 can of No-Bean Chili
2 cans of green beans (or any other canned vegetable)
2 cans of corn (or any other canned vegetable)
1 can of peas (need for a recipe)
1 can of tuna in water
2 boxes of macaroni and cheese
1 can of refried beans
1 can of tomato soup
1 package of soft flour tortillas
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 small jar of mayonnaise
1 bag of apples, mixed fruit, or oranges
1 can of pork and beans
1 package of American Cheese

DRINKS/DESSERTS: If you absolutely cannot handle drinking water with dinner, purchase some generic Kool-Aid for mixing up in water, or you can purchase juice on BOGO, and do a half juice, half water mix over ice for each glass. For one, juice isn't cheap. Secondly, juice is high in sugar and calories. Lastly, mixing it with half water over ice in glasses stretches the bottle of juice, and it will last longer - which is the goal here.

If you must have a "sweet" after dinner, purchase enough boxes of generic Jello-O to get you through, or eat a piece of fruit.

Feel free to mix and match or use substitutions, but you will get some ideas here.

DINNERS FROM THE ABOVE LIST:

Grilled cheese and tomato soup - Have some broccoli for your vegetable

Macaroni and cheese and mix some broccoli in with it (Cook broccoli and mac and cheese as usual before mixing)

Bean burritos (Add some taco mix to heated refried beans and place on heated up tortillas - Add lettuce and some cheese, lightly, if you wish) NOTE: You can also stretch the recipe by adding cooked rice, if you have it, to the refried beans

Macaroni and cheese (Mix in the no-bean chili) - Open a can of veggies or use some broccoli as side vegetable

Egg salad sandwiches with lettuce (if you kept the eggs on the list)

Deviled eggs are nice to make up and eat, too

Have breakfast for dinner (use eggs and make some toast)

Use the pasta and pasta sauce for 3 meals - - the pasta sauce will keep on the top shelf of fridge once opened for approx. 10 days, if necessary - Have corn or green beans on the side as vegetable


RECIPES FOR REMAINING FOODS ON ABOVE LIST:

Depression-Era Meal (right from my grandparents to your table - it is a childhood favorite of mine)

Turn on your broiler
Place 6 slices of bread (less or more depending on your needs and appetite) on broiler tray
Spoon portions of pork and beans on each slice
Place a slice of American Cheese on each

Optional: Grandparents placed a slice of bacon (sliced in half to look like 2 slices) on top of each, but I do not have bacon on the list as bacon can be a high-ticket item unless found on BOGO - - Buy the bacon if you wish to use it for this recipe and then use it for breakfast or bacon sandwiches)

Broil until bacon is cooked, if used. Otherwise, broil just until cheese is melted. You will be amazed. Kids love these, too!

Tuna Mac

Boil macaroni noodles (as much as you need - you should have the 1 lb. box on list above for this recipe)

Drain noodles and return to pan

Mix mayonnaise into the noodles to coat them well and evenly

Drain peas and tuna

Mix in peas and tuna (You may wish to add peas slowly - -I have found that half a can is adequate)

Eat warm. You can also make up a good amount of this recipe and keep on hand in the fridge for lunches or cold meals. It tastes good warm or cold.

Any extra items not specifically mentioned here are for you to use as you wish. Use vegetables as side dishes, as you wish. Use fruits for desserts or in between snacks.

Taco Bell Customer Appreciation Day

Eat Fast Food Cheap on Tuesday

Taco Bell is offering 20 cent tacos for Customer Appreciation Day on January 20, 2009! There is a 10 taco limit per customer, and it runs all day.

What a nice treat for lunch, or feed your family for under $5.00. If you need more than 10 tacos, then send someone in to get 10 tacos and go through the drive-thru and get 10 more.

The trick is that you need to just get the tacos that are 20 cents each and nothing else.

Effective, Cheap, and Safe Flea Control

For Pet Owners

If you have pets, at some time or another, you will encounter fleas. After trying many ineffective, short-term, and unsafe methods for flea control, I have found SALT and 20 MULE TEAM BORAX (find in the laundry aisle at your store). They work like a dream - - not just for killing fleas and regaining control of your household but used on a regular basis, you will not have to worry about fleas ever again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If your pet gets fleas, it is only a matter of time before it will have tapeworms. Also, if your pet has tapeworms (looks like rice in their stool), this is a sure sign that your pet has fleas. To deal with the tapeworms, make sure that fleas are completely gone for at least 30 days prior to treating the tapeworms to minimize your pet's exposure to the toxins in tapeworm treatments. If the flea problem is not gone, and you treat the tapeworm, your pet will get another tapeworm. So, treat the fleas. Then treat the tapeworm.

After quite a bit of research looking for safer and more effective flea control methods, I was surprised to find salt and 20 mule team borax.

WARNING: DO NOT PUT SALT OR 20 MULE TEAM BORAX YOUR PETS EVER! They are for use on the carpeting only. Both of those are safe for dogs; however, I did run across some things that indicated that Borax is toxic to cats. You will not be leaving salt or 20 mule team borax anywhere because you will be vacuuming it up thoroughly so not to worry.

Here is what you do:
Pick up all of your pets' food and water and dump and place dishes/bowls in sink. Do not take any chances.
Lock your pets up in one room while you treat the other room or rooms.
Sprinkle your carpets with salt and/or 20 Mule Team Borax. You can use one or the other or both. Use it like you would carpet freshener for your vacuum. Don't walk through it, though, as you do not want to distribute the mix throughout the rest of your home.
Let the salt and / or 20 Mule Team Borax sit for at least 30 minutes and then vacuum. Thoroughly! Vacuum every area more than once and in various directions to make certain that you have vacuumed all of it up.
As soon as you have finished doing all of the rooms - move furniture and pet beds to get under them - take the vacuum bag outside to the trash can immediately to avoid fleas escaping back into your home. I have a bagless vacuum cleaner, and I examined the receptable after doing each room so that I could get a better understanding of where the largest infestation is. This is important to know because that is the area that you want to be the most aggressive with. In any event, do not let what you vacuumed up sit inside your house for any length of time. Get it outside, and get those fleas out of your home!
Do this in each and every room weekly, and for at least the first week, vacuum every single day to disrupt fleas.
After just 24 hours, we have seen a huge decrease in flea activity here, and the cat has stopped scratching.
At a minimum, you will need to do the heavy room treatments at least once per week for a month due to the flea reproductive / life cycle. But get in the habit of vacuuming daily to keep the fleas out - - at least during flea season!

Cheap and Healthy Acid Reflux / Heartburn Remedy

Ever hear the quote "Necessity is the mother of invention"? Well, this next tip is something I came across not because of wanting to save money but just because I was tired of being in pain all of the time and spending beaucoup bucks on over-the-counter, not-so-good-for-you reflux/heartburn medications.

After lots of name brand and generic versions of Zantac and Tagamet - not to mention loads and loads of various antacids, i.e., Pepto Bismol, Rolaids, etc. - I did quite a bit of online research to find an alternative treatment.

What I found repeatedly in my research was GINGER. Yes, simple ginger. First, I recommend that you just go to a health food store - a chain like Whole Foods is fine - and simply purchase a box of GINGER ROOT or GINGER tea. Make sure that ginger root or ginger is the only ingredient. The others do not work as well.

With just one cup of this tea - first thing in the AM before anything else (and especially before coffee!), I was more than happy to trade the monthly cost of Prilosec (and the health risks that go with it) for my one cup a day of Ginger tea.

Now, before you say "But I don't like tea", "I am not a tea drinker", hear me out. This isn't about enjoying a cup of tea. Treat it like medicine, and do it just this way:

First thing in the AM, go ahead and have a glass of water while you boil enough water for a large cup. As soon as the water comes to a boil, throw in ONE BAG of Ginger tea, and remove the tea kettle or pan from the burner. Let it steep for a few minutes, then pour the tea AND THE BAG off into a cup. If some is left in the kettle or pan, just leave it there for later.

Now let it cool down. You can throw ice in there if you are in a hurry or if your stomach is on fire.
A word of warning: Ginger has a "bite" to it. You will be amazed at how spicy it is, but stay with it. Throw ice cubes into it and drink cold or just keep watering it down so that you can finish it, but do use it! If you use it each and every day, Ginger will become your new bestfriend, I promise you that. It works better, faster, and lasts longer than anything I've ever tried.

When I first started using Ginger, I was skeptical, but I am an herbalist so I tried it. I am so glad that I did. From my first cup of Ginger tea, I was able to completely get away from over-the-counter products that only worked about half the time. I was able to return to a cup of coffee in the AM - AFTER drinking the Ginger tea FIRST. Then, I could eat and drink whatever I wanted all day and night without pain! That was the first time that I was pain-free in a year and a half! I had pain so bad that I could not stand up straight. It was terrible.

By the time you finish your first cup of Ginger tea, your pain will have subsided greatly or be gone - - and your acid reflux stays gone! If you are having a bad bout of acid reflux, or if you are just starting out and in pain, brew enough to take with you (leave the bag in) for sipping throughout the day. That is what I really love about this remedy. Portable - - and it works! You can experiment and make entire pots of it (using 2 - 3 bags), and sip on it at home or take with you wherever you go.

If you stick with the one-cup-a-day regimen, you will never suffer again. I haven't. And after a few months of this regimen, I was able to stop using it daily, and I've rarely felt the "burn" since.
Give yourself some relief, and give your pocketbook - and body - a much needed break.

Eat Out - Lunch or Dinner - Cheap - Actually Free!

Buy One, Get One Meals

I am absolutely thrilled to share this big money-saving tip with you, if you like to eat out but feel that you can no longer afford it.

I do not go out often but have been known to enjoy a meal now and again at Sweet Tomatoes (Souplantation to some of you, depending on your geographic location).

If you visit the website for Sweet Tomatoes or Souplantation, all you need to do is sign up for "Club Veg". They will send you a confirming email, and once you confirm that you wish to receive email from them, watch your mailbox. Soon thereafter, you will receive a printable coupon for one FREE buffet meal when you purchase just one buffet meal and two drinks. What a savings!

So, after long since abandoning eating out and really missing our visits to Sweet Tomatoes due to the cost of it for just the two of us (last time we ate there, it was approximately $22.00 for two buffet meals and two softdrinks), me and my better half ate there this past Saturday for under $14.00! We were thrilled.

Best part of this all: Both of us have since received another coupon in each of our mailboxes for the same deal for this weekend, and actually the coupon for this weekend extends through Monday due to the holiday.

You can even forward the coupon to others or print off more for friends or family joining you; however, you will want to run separate tickets at checkout (who wants to chance missing out on the deal?) I am going to print off an extra next time we go and give it to someone in line. When we visited the restaurant on Saturday, the lunch buffet in our area was $8.19! In this difficult economy, passing along a coupon to a stranger would definitely be a random act of kindness!

Enjoy!

Improve Your Credit Score - Even Without Debt

Is your credit score suffering - not because of bad choices or irresponsibility, but because of lack of revolving accounts or mortgage that are being paid on regularly?

I have found the answer. It is called PRBC, Pay Rent, Build Credit, Inc. (PRBC) is an FCRA compliant credit repository that offers consumers and small business owners the opportunity to build a credit file and score, which is solely based on their history of making rent and other regular (monthly) payments. This record can be used to prove an individual's creditworthiness when he or she applies for an apartment, mortgage, or car loan or even when an insurance company or prospective employer runs credit!

If you do not have credit cards, and you pay cash (or use checks) aka "real money" to pay your bills or make purchases, you are not alone. There are approximately 50 million people in the United States that do not have any credit whatsoever. It is hard to believe that there are so many others just like you, isn't it? Why should being responsible and "paying cash" for everything you purchase or for every bill you pay mean that you are not creditworthy? Unfortunately, paying cash or using real money for everything does not create or build a credit report or FICO score for you. If you ask me, using real money for everything actually makes you less of a credit risk so you deserve credit whenever you ask for it. Maybe even more so than others.

That is where PRBC comes in. "PRBC" is short for Pay Rent Build Credit, and their service is a relatively new credit bureau that permits for the usage of a non-traditional credit model to help consumers in just your situation. With their service, you can self-report and build your own credit report just by doing what you are already doing anyway - - such as paying your rent, utilities, phone bills, and any other contractual agreements on time. PRBC uses the information you give them to verify your payments, and they, in turn, take that information to build your credit report accordingly. What good is this service? Well, the FairIsaac Company has acknowledged PRBC and joined with them to build a unique FICO score that prospective lenders, insurance companies, landlords, and employers can use when assessing the risk of applicants who have no traditional credit history.

It's a tough economy out there right now. People who were previously considered "creditworthy" are suffering job losses and credit line closures or reductions. Shouldn't we who have no lines of credit use this time to build a credit file for ourselves just in case we should ever require a credit line? It is getting tougher and tougher to obtain credit even with a good credit score and history. We cannot afford to be left out in the cold, should we find ourselves in need.