Chicken Parmesan Potatoes

Chicken-Parmesan Potatoes

1 package (4.9 ounces) Betty Crocker® au gratin potatoes
3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey (1 pound)
2 1/4 cups hot water
2/3 cup milk
1 package (9 ounces) Green Giant® frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat Potatoes, Sauce Mix and remaining ingredients except cheese to boiling in 10-inch skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Makes 5 servings

Blue Light Special!

Last tip for CLOTHES! Shop clearance racks! Shop the discount racks! Sometimes there are some clothes that will work for the season you're in! Last week I found some cute "spring" stuff on the rack, that is still really perfect for right now. Especially in the evenings! So always check clearance racks! Sometimes there's a gem!

Now, for next weeks topic - I'm going to do a week of ONE DISH RECIPES! Simply because I love them, and I think you will too!
See you tomorrow!

Credit Demons....not so bad!

Ok, I read about this lady, who applies for all the store credit cards when they are having % off sales. Then she only uses the credit card on special days and weekends when there are specials for the store credit card holders. Now, I have a credit card to a store I *LOVE* - Kohls. I only use it occasionally, and much like her, I usually use it when they are having special sales. This works well. I am not about to tell you to run out and apply for every credit card out there, unless you have the ability to keep from maxing them out. It's a nice concept, but not many people have the will-power to avoid using them that often. If you do use them, try to pay them off as QUICKLY as possible, because your savings aren't that great if you have all that interest!
Really look into that though BEFORE you do it!

I'm adding another tip because I'm so unsure of that one. Now, we all need play clothes for our kids. Something they can run around in and get dirty and we won't care nearly as much. Well, Target, Kmart and Wal-mart ALWAYS have a section towards the outside that has shirts and shorts or pants (depending on the season) for around $3.99. For me, the price is right! I also do NOT pay those $10-$20 prices for PJ's - my kids love to sleep in T-shirts and in the cold months, we switch to sweat pants and a sweat shirt. This is two-fold, because they double as CLOTHES as well. So they can wear them out too. Last week I purchased a set for my daughter that totaled $7.99 - not bad for a pair of pj's that she can wear out too! I do however, splurge at Christmas. Often times I will get them "designer" PJ's (for as cheap as I can find them) with the character or "theme" they like. They get these on Christmas eve. I try to buy those multi sets that wal-mart and target have - the one's that can be worn in the winter AND summer so they can get longer wear out of them! And one last "bad mom" tip LOL (shhh...my daughter isn't that mad about it - she really doesn't care). I often give her my son's hand me downs. She doesn't mind wearing dinosaurs and spiders to bed once in awhile. :) Saves money too!!

Collected tips!

Carry the store credit card. You have to pay it off after every shopping trip, or you are going to end up paying significantly more than you saved in interest. Most stores have great retention marketing, and will send you coupons for future visits, special promos for card holders only and some even give you rewards when you spend so much.

Browse the front of the store. Keep your eye on pieces that you like and wait for them to go on sale if you can.

Shop the sale/clearance rack. It's all about the look. No one knows whether you paid full price, so why do it?

Shop in advance for the next season. When I first started to do this, it made my husband very nervous. However, even if you do save it back and they outgrow it you can resell it on E-Bay. Coats, swimwear, and name brand clothing basics such as Ralph Lauren are fairly easy to purchase. While most of us are not "in the mood" to buy those items because you are ready to move in to the next season, you will be glad you did!

I have a couple of outlets that I shop at on a regular basis. There is a Nordstrom and Hanna Andersson that are near where I live. These are great spots to pick up staple pieces that are significantly less than in regular department stores.

When you have a child that develops his/her own taste and begins to follow trends closely, teach them that dressing stylishly is about a look and not having name brands. Give them a limit and fill in their wardrobe with other items that have a similar look.

Combine to save!

Save More by Combining Coupons With Sales
You can save even more money, and still get the clothes you like early in the season, if you use coupons on sale items.
If you have your eye on an outfit at a favorite store when it's full price, try waiting. Many new-season styles are available long before Mother Nature has decided it is the new season, so by the time their first sale begins, you will still have plenty of time to wear your new clothes.
If you have signed up for the store's e-mail newsletter, you'll be the first to know when their sales begin. Hit the sale while the selection is good. The store may even include a coupon in their sale announcement e-mail. You also can check a coupon code site to find more coupons for the store.
By combining the sales price with a coupon or a coupon code, you may save as much as 40 percent to 60 percent well before the season really begins.

Do Your Homework!

You will find the most clothing coupon offers at coupon code sites for online shopping. Check free shipping offers to save on clothes when ordering online. Be sure to enter the coupon code in the box on the checkout page when you shop online.
You can do this by using google, and the phrase "coupon code" and whatever store you're wanting to purchase from. Sometimes you will find them, and other times, no luck. Just keep trying!

You can also call or visit the store and ask a salesperson if they have coupons available and how they are distributed. They know all the tricks and will often tell you everything they know.
Ask if they have an in-store mailing list and sign up. This is a good way to get coupons, particularly for local and regional stores.
Visit the Web sites of your favorite stores and sign up for their e-mail newsletters. They will let you know as soon as sales begin and will probably send out coupons. Some stores like www.newyorkandcompany.com will let you print a 20-percent-off coupon as soon as you sign up for the e-mail newsletter. (I know this is horrible, but just use a "junk email" account - you know - that free yahoo account you use for other "junk"! LOL)
Sign up for any preferred member programs offered by your stores, which may provide special coupons on your birthday, free gifts or benefits like free shipping for online orders.
Order free catalogs for the store. These can be a great source of coupons.
If you have the store's credit card, make sure you take advantage of special benefits available — like rewards programs, extra coupons, free shipping and birthday coupons.

Outlet Malls - Find them, USE THEM!

There are now Web sites that allow you to print free coupons for traditional stores. These are easy to use because you just print them when you need them. Find printable clothes coupons at www.thecouponmom.com and www.keycode.com. There are other's that you could probably google for, but these are the one's I use most often!

If you like to shop at outlet malls, you can find many good coupons for dozens of outlet stores in two ways:
1. Selected outlet malls have coupon books available for about $5 at the mall's management office. However, if you visit www.premiumoutlets.com, you can print a voucher that entitles you to a free coupon booklet at the management office. As an example, one outlet mall has 140 stores and their coupon booklet had coupons for 90 of the stores.
2. You can also print coupons for selected outlet stores at their Web site. How fun is that?!

Off Season? It's too late!

Ok, recently I've mentioned shopping for clothing at off-season times. But what if you've missed that off-season time, and you really love the new colors and styles NOW!?!?

USE COUPONS!! This week I'll give you tips for saving on shopping for clothes! Most of the tips revolve around coupons, so get clipping!

There are many good clothing coupons available if you know where to look. Coupons are available for stores in all price ranges. More expensive stores are just as likely to have coupons as discount stores.
You can find coupons for clothes in the newspaper, particularly for department stores. You also can find coupons in direct mail pieces, in some fashion magazines and even in-store catalogs.
The Entertainment book has several coupons for national and regional clothes stores. At this time of year, their books sell for half price at www.entertainment.com. You can preview coupons before you buy a book.

No more dirty looks....

Ok so our week of cleaning is over, and we have a brand new topic now! But to finish up the week, I'm pasting in this huge chunk I got in an email group about 3 or 4 years ago that has been really helpful to me! Hope it will help some of you!

Natural Cleaners

Ammonia - cuts grease and strips wax; also a great window cleaner. DO NOT MIX WITH BLEACH.

Bleach - great for whitening, removing mold and mildew, and most general cleaning. Best used diluted with water. DO NOT MIX BLEACH WITH AMMONIA, VINEGAR, OR TOILET BOWL CLEANER.

Baking Soda - Baking soda is a great all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. It cleans, deodorizes, scours, polishes and removes stains. (Note - There's a great article on this site about baking soda, "The Manifold Magic of Baking Soda")

Borax - It deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. It also prevents mold and odors. Great alternative for those who do not want to use bleach.

Cornstarch - cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs, and can be used in place of baby powder.

Ketchup -cleans copper.

Lemon juice - great for whitening items and removing grease and stains on aluminum and porcelain.

Pure Soap - cleans almost anything and is mild.

Salt - regular table salt makes an abrasive, but gentle, scouring powder.

Washing Soda - Cuts grease and disinfects.

White Vinegar -great for whitening, cleaning hard surfaces and windows, and shining metal surfaces. Also removes mildew, stains, grease and wax buildup.

Forumlas and Solutions

Air Freshener

- Leave opened box of baking soda in room.

- Add cloves & cinnamon to boiling water and let simmer.

- Use fresh flowers and herbs.

Carpet Cleaners

- For deoderizing: sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on carpet, using about 1 cup per medium sized room. Vacuum after 30 minutes.

- For deoderizing: mix two parts cornmeal with one part borax; sprinkle liberally, leave for one hour, then vacuum.

- To soak up big spills: dump cornmeal on the spill; after 5-15 minutes, sweep into a dustpan, then vacuum.

- Put 1/4 cup liquid soap or detergent in the blender with 1/3 cup water. Blend until foamy. Use this to clean spots on the carpet, then rinse with vinegar.

Copper Cleaner

- Pour vinegar and salt over copper and rub.

Disinfectant

- 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons liquid soap, 20-30 drops Tea Tree Oil; Mix well in (a spray bottle will work well) and squirt on everything from baby's bottom to the cutting board.

Drain Opener

- Prevent clogging by using drain strainer.

- Pour 1/2 cup washing soda into drain followed by 2 cups boiling water.

- Flush drain weekly with boiling water for prevention.

- Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 1/2 cup vinegar and cover drain tightly until finished fizzing. Flush with one gallon boiling water.

Furniture Polish

- Mix 3 parts olive oil with 1 part vinegar. Use a soft cloth.

- Mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. Use a soft cloth.

General Cleaners (Porcelain, counter tops, etc.)

- Mix baking soda with a small amount of water.

- For stained areas, use paste of baking soda & water, let set a while, then scrub off.

- Mix 3 TBSP washing soda into one quart warm water.

Glass and Window Cleaner

- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup household ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water; Mix the ingredients in a bucket and use to scrub windows.

Laundry Detergent

- Use washing soda or soap in place of detergent.

- Mix detergent half & half with baking soda (use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent).

- Make a paste of washing soda and water for dirty spots.

- POWDER DETERGENT- basic recipe- 5 cups soap flakes, 7 cups of Borax; you can store this in an old laundry detergent box or a plastic container, and to wash, use only 1/2 cup at a time- make sure to shake it to mix up the soda and borax with the flakes. (for hard water, add 3.5 cups of washing soda to mixture)

- GEL LAUNDRY DETERGENT- 1/2 bar grated soap (Fels Naptha, Ivory or castille bar soap),
2 cups borax, 1 gallon rubbermaid or other plastic container with pour spout; fill the gallon container 1/4 full with water. add grated soap and soak over night (to speed up this process, you may melt grated soap in water by cooking on low heat); add washing soda and borax, add water to fill container; shake well before using; use only 3/4 cup per load; a gallon of this detergent can cost as little as 75 cents! (for hard water, add 1/2 cup of washing soda to borax mixture)

Linoleum Floor Cleaner / Wax

- Mop with 1 cup white vinegar in 2 gallons water to remove dull greasy film.

- Polish with club soda.

- Adding sour milk or skim milk to rinse water will shine the floor without polishing.

Metal polish

- 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon salt, I tablespoon white vinegar; Combine salt and flour in small bowl and stir until blended. Add the vinegar and mix into paste. Smear on the paste with a damp sponge or cloth and rub gently. Let the polish dry for about an hour. Rinse well with warm water, buff dry with a soft cloth. (for brass, bronze, copper and pewter; DO NOT use on silver, silver plate or jewelry)

Microwave Cleaner

- Heat 1 c. vinegar in a microwavable bowl for 1-2 minutes (should steam and loosen food inside of the microwave). Wipe out with a washcloth and warm soapy water.

Mosquito Repellant

- Oil of citronella can be burned in candles outdoors. It has a scent pleasing to people but not to mosquitos!

- Plant sweet basil around the patio and house to repel mosquitoes.

Multipurpose Cleaner (Tile and linoleum floors, formica counter-tops, appliances, etc.)

- 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup household ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water; Mix ingredients and store in tightly-capped container.

Oven Cleaner

- Sprinkle salt on spills when they are warm and scrub.

- Mix 3 TBSP washing soda with one quart warm water.

- Use oven liners (trays) to catch spills and prevent a messy oven.

- Rub gently with steel wool.

- 1/4 cup ammonia, 2 cups of warm water; Pour ammonia and warm water in a glass baking dish and leave in a warm oven overnight. This will loosen the grime. Scrub with baking soda in the morning.

Silver Cleaner

- aluminum foil, baking soda, salt, very hot water; Combine the above ingredients in a clean kitchen sink. Put your tarnished silver and silver-plated items into the sink and let sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will disappear from the silver and reappear on the foil.

Silver Polish

- Rub article with toothpaste and soft cloth. Rinse with warm water & dry.

- Place cut-up aluminum foil in jar with water, add about 1 TBSP salt, mix. Place article in solution for 5-15 minutes. Remove and rub with soft cloth.

Sink Cleaner

- Combine baking soda and salt to scrub stainless steel.

Shoe Polish

- Polish leather with the inside of a banana peel, then buff.

Spot Remover

- Remove spots as soon as they happen.

- Blood stain - gently sponge with cold water, dry with towel. Repeat until stain is gone.

- Red wine - on rugs, dab out moisture with absorbant cloth. Cover stain with salt. Let sit for several hours. Vacuum when dry.

- Ink stains - soak in cold water, then wash as usual. If stain is on white fabric, wet fabric with cold water & apply a paste of cream of tartar & lemon juice, let sit for 1 hour. Wash as usual.

- Perspiration stains - sponge stain with weak solution of white vinegar & water or lemon juice & water.

Upholstery & Rug Cleaner

- Clean stains immediately with club soda.

Wall cleaner

- 2 ounces borax, 1 teaspoon ammonia, 2 quarts water; Dissolve the borax and ammonia in a big bucketful of water. Scrub a really dirty wall from the bottom up. if you scrub from the top down, the dirty water will run down over the dry, soiled wall leaving hard-to-remove streaks.

Window Cleaner

- 1/2 cup white vinegar to one gallon warm water. Just mix and scrub.

- Use straight lemon juice, dry with soft cloth.

- Use plain Club Soda and scrub with old newspaper.

Wood Floor Wax / Cleaner

- Equal portions of oil & vinegar. Apply in thin coat and rub in well.

- Painted wooden floors can be washed with 1 TSP washing soda per gallon hot water.

- Rinse with clear water.

Note: You can find more cleaning receipes at http://www.amitysworld.com/keeping/cleaningrecipes.shtml

Making / Recycling your own cleaning tools

* Socks - good for cleaning walls, especially textured ones (sponges break off little pieces when you try to scrub textured walls).

* Scrubbers - cut up pieces of mesh potato bags and tie into a small ball - works great for scouring dishes!

* Sponges - throw your dirty sponge in the dishwasher or boil it with a bit of baking soda on the stove to make it look like new again.

* Towels - cut up old towels instead of throwing them away and use them for dish clothes or in the garage.

* Toothbrushes - save that old toothbrush! You can use it to scrub floors, stains on clothing, and more!

* Mop - to make a new mop head, try cutting up strips of old towels, shirts or socks. Rubberband or tie the top ends of the strips together, then secure to the mop stick.

* Window Cleaner - I've heard that newspaper works well to clean windows. You can also try old cloth diapers.

Multi purpose and CHEAP too!

Baking soda - Removes mildew from small areas. Use to clean tubs and sinks (won't scratch). Makes a great scouring powder: Keep in a jar with shaker top. Excellent for those with chemical allergies. Really cheap too!

I can see clearly now...the grime is gone!

Don't pay lots of money for Windex. Wait until the gallon size Windshield Washer fluid for cars goes on sale, and stock up. I see it in our area on sale for .69 cents quite often. Refill the Windex bottles you have, and save!

and an extra tip:

Are your shoes smelly? Here's a solution. Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings and stuff each into a shoe. Leave for a day or two and the smell just vanishes. This CAN work with regular tea bags because I tried it! LOL

A New Kind of White

Do you want your WHITE appliances, to sparkle? Want to prevent yellowing on older white appliances? Wash with a mixture of 1/2 cup of bleach, 8 cups of water, and 1/2 cup baking soda. Rinse well with warm clean, warm water. Dry well. (wipe extremely well). Then rinse agai with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Buff to shine. (use old sweats, towels, etc...cut down to size as a buffer!).

Do NOT mix vinegar with BLEACH!

All purpose cleaner - shop in produce!

Citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons and limes, make good all purpose cleaners. Be sure they are freshly squeezed. Simply mix the juice with water for day-to-day regular cleaning. For really stubborn stains - use straight JUICE.

Good luck! (and it smells great too!)

Doing the Windows....and more!

Save on paper towels by using crumpled pieces of newspaper to wipe the windows off. I seriously thought this was the nuttiest thing, and kept thinking, won't it streak? Won't the black ink get on the windows - NOPE. It actually worked like a charm and my windows looked pretty shiny!

Another useful item - the coffe filter - buy them in bulk or whenever they are on sale - they make cleaning fragile surfaces - VERY easy! (use them to shine eyeglasses, camera lenses, etc.)

Clean Up! Clean Up! Everybody...everywhere...

Ok, so you can tell I'm a mom! But I find so much of my time is spent cleaning that gleaning any tips or techniques to make it faster or LESS expensive works for me! So this week we will focus on CLEANING!

Today's tip - use VINEGAR - it's good for so many things that I will list on Sunday, but today's tip is for scouring out your bathtub.
Create your own scouring cleaner, by sprinkling salt all over the surface to be cleaned. Rub it in with a washcloth soaked in lemon juice or distilled whtie vinegar (the vinegar is the best!) Voila - a non ebrasive, sparkling cleaner!

Laundry's Done!

Ok our final day, and another quick tip to keep in mind!

Cut Down on Ironing Time
My time is valuable. I've reduced my electricity used and time spent by removing my clothes directly from the dryer while they're still warm and laying them flat -- one item at a time -- on top of my washer until the whole load is stacked. Then, I take the entire stack to my favorite folding place. If I have to do something else and return to the stack, it's still unwrinkled and ready to be folded -- not ironed! Now I only iron a few things!

Dry it for less.....

To save on the time spent running your dryer, especially for "heavy" items like throw rugs, diapers, etc., first run an extra "spin" cycle in your washing machine. Then, add a clean, dry, fluffy towel to your dryer with the wet laundry. This can cut your drying time by 25% or more!

*Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it. Overdrying is also a leading cause of static cling.
*Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
*Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
*Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
*Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
*Drying a small load reduces the tumbling effect and consequently lengthens the drying time. Add several clean, dry white towels to speed up the drying of small loads.
*Turn your jeans inside out, so they won't fade as quickly.
*Most dryers have delicate permanent press cycles, which have lower settings to protect fabrics which might be damaged by high temperatures.
*Don't overload your dryer, as it can result in excessive wrinkling.

Washing Tips

Washing Time
Never set the washing time for over 10 minutes -- most detergents have done all the work they are going to do by then-- the rest of the time your clothes are just agitating in the dirty water.
It may not seem like much, but you can save a quite a bit of money over time using this trick.
Water Temperature
Water temperature plays a key role in the washing process. Hot water offers the quickest, best form of cleaning, and should be used for the following items: Sturdy whites, colorfast pastels and light prints, cloth diapers and similar baby items, and heavily soiled clothes. Warm water removes wear wrinkles, helps reduce wrinkling in the washer, and minimizes dye loss. It should be used for permanent press, all colorfast dark or bright colors, nylon synthetics, polyester, acrylic and washable woolens. You may want to keep in mind that laundry detergents are formulated to clean best at temperatures above 60°F/16°C. Cold water may prevent sensitive dyes from "bleeding" minimizes washer wrinkling and saves hot water. It can be used for lightly soiled fabrics, and should be used to rinse all loads, regardless of wash temperature. However, due to detergent formulations, cold water does not clean as effectively as warmer temperatures.

Oversized or Odd Items

Odd & Oversized Items:
Stuffed Animals
Old stuffed animals can be salvaged. Place stuffed animals in a pillowcase, tie a knot in the case, and then place the stuffed animals in your wash machine on gentle or permanent press. You can even dry them. For best results, machine dry animals for about 20 minutes and then let air dry. Your child's favorite stuffed toy may look like new.
Baseball Caps
To clean baseball caps without destroying their shape, place them on the top rack of the dishwasher and run through a complete cycle.
* Large items such as bedspreads, comforters and king size blankets should be washed alone or laundered and dried in oversized machines, which are available in most laundromats.

Dry Cleaners Eating Your Money?!?!

Think you have to take that sheer voile blouse, beaded top, fringed silk shawl, or lace trimmed dress to the cleaners? Think again! You can clean these at home by simply tying the articles in a cotton pillow case, knotting it closed, and washing in cold water on regular cycle. Beads, sequins, buttons and delicate laces will not fall to pieces, and garments can be restored by steam ironing or steaming in the shower! My washer has a cycle for HAND wash that is EXCELLENT for dry cleanable items like down comforters, jackets, etc.

BBQ Sauce? Blood? What now?!?!

Did you accidentally dump the beans in your lap at your 4th of July Picnic? Or did your toddler fall and blood got on their clothes? Here's a few stain removing techniques - saves on having to buy new clothes!! LOL


Blood, Fresh & Dried
Rinse fresh blood stains in cold running water and rub with soap. Repeat. For dried stains, first scrape or rub off as much dried blood as possible. Soak in warm water using a product which contains enzymes. Wash. If this doesn't work, rewash the item using a chlorine-free bleach. In the case of stubborn stains, rust removers may be helpful.
Coffee, Tea
Presoak item in liquid detergent with bleach. Wash using the hottest water temperature that is safe for the fabric.
Cosmetics
Dampen stain and rub with liquid detergent. Rinse, then wash.
Dingy White Socks
Presoak in a liquid detergent solution for a minimum of 30 minutes. Wash in a liquid detergent which contains oxygen bleach, OR use Oxyclean.
Food Coloring
Soak in cool water. If stain remains, rub on detergent and rinse. Wash.
Fruit Juice, Wine & Soft Drinks
Soak stain in cool water as soon as possible. Then, soak in OxyClean, using the hottest water safe for the fabric. Wash.
Mud
Brush off as much as possible when garment is dry, then rinse under cold running water. Pretreat with a paste of powder detergent and water, or liquid laundry detergent. Wash using laundry detergent and a fabric-safe bleach.
Rust Stains
The yellow, orange or brown spots we sometimes find on our clothes may be caused by rust. Iron content of over .2 parts per million in your water supply can cause these type of stains, so it's important to have your water supply checked. Two possible sources can be rusty water pipes or water heaters. One way to combat this problem is by using a mechanical water softener with an iron filter. Also, using a non-chlorine bleach can help, as chlorine bleach may cause the iron in the water to precipitate on fabrics and leave stains.

Happy 4th! Hang it out to dry!

Yep, this weeks topic is Laundry!! My favorite, but most of you think I'm nuts! LOL

Brighten Colors with Salt. Hard water can cause clothes to become dull or dingy after several washings. To solve this problem, add a couple of pinches of ordinary table salt to the washer with the detergent. Let some water run in the washer to dissolve detergent and salt, then add clothes. Colored clothes will come out much brighter.

Now, go enjoy your family picnic or BBQ!

The end of our theme...and a new beginning!

Today marks the last day of our "Grocery Budget" theme. Here are my final tips for this week:

Keep a Price Book. When you shop take a few moments to jot down what you buy and how much it costs. (or just save the receipts but be sure to come home and put them in your price book!)
Make a master list of items and the prices (include prices from each store that you shop). When you take the time to do this you will know if it's worth it to go to a different store to stock up on a sale item. It is also a great way to calculate how much you will spend before you get to the grocery store.
I actually use a software called Home Cookin to keep my Price Book. I got this tip from someone else, immediately downloaded the program, and bought it a few days later! It has been a wonderful addition to my "kitchen clutter" problem, by helping me keep it picked up and organized!
Another tip worth repeating - Only take what you plan to spend. If you use a debit card, request only the money you will need from the ATM in the amount you plan to spend for groceries. Then leave your card AT HOME. That way you won't be tempted to spend more than you have budgeted.
Hey! Eat Your Leftovers. Have beans leftover, make refried beans. Stale bread can be made into bread pudding or bread crumbs (and actually many other things too!). Chicken from last night's dinner becomes chicken salad, or makes a tasty sandwich! Leftover pasta sauce can top a pizza, or be thrown in a one dish meal! Don't prepare a new meal until all the leftovers are gone.

What?!? What?!?! What are you looking at!

I bet you were eager to find out what my tip for the day is, since I pretty much left you hanging yesterday....

Convenience foods are a HUGE waste of money, which is why I almost always ...
Cook from scratch! The more you can prepare meals from scratch, the more money you will save. Home cooked meals are also higher in nutrition and you know exactly what you are eating, unlike many pre-made meals. From scratch doesn't have to mean a lot of time and clean up. A simple meal like baked or grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and rice can be prepared in under 30 minutes with minimal clean up.
Freeze Things. I always try to prepare a double or triple batch any time I cook anything. It saves me time and effort for future meals and on days that things get really hectic I don't have to worry about "What's for dinner?". You can also freeze bread ends to make bread crumbs (which can then be stored in the freezer), leftovers to use for future lunches, bruised and brown bananas for breads and muffins and anything else that might otherwise get thrown out and wasted.
Forget the junk food. My theory is if you don't buy it then you can't eat it. We RARELY buy junk food. Occasionally the kids will get a treat of sodas or chips, but they are almost always the BAKED chips! And I try to make home-made cookies rather than buying the kinds at the store, along with brownies, cakes, etc. A special treat of icecream, because it's the one treat my kids just love, is allowed if it's on sale. (And I only buy Edy's because that way if it's not on sale, I don't have to buy it!) I give my kids healthier snacks most of the time and I encourage them to drink a lot of water. I do make them Kool Aid (the watered down, less sugared kind), lemonade and sometimes buy juice (but usually water that down a bit too).

Some more worth repeating!

I am not repeating these because I am running out of topics, I am repeating these because they are important. Trust me, a great deal of our money saving venture will take place in the kitchen because I have so many GREAT ideas!!

Buy Store Brands. It's true that all the ads on TV and in magazines make the name brand items look much more glamorous, but often times the store brands are just as good if not better. Actually, many store brands are manufactured by the same name brand companies we all know and recognize.
Shop on sale days. Our local grocer offers specials every Monday. They range from a one day meat sale to a Pillsbury brand sale. No matter what the theme is for the week, the prices are always great!
Don't buy convenience foods. It's so easy to load up a grocery cart with frozen meals, instant boxed dinners, individual serving sized juices, pre-packaged lunches and junk food. However, not only do these items offer little nutritional value for your family, they are a huge waste of money. Which is why tomorrow's tip is worth repeating ;-)