Friday, June 13, 2008 Building your stockpile - Part 2. Posted in Stockpile These posts on building your pantry/stockpile are what I personally like in my pantry for our family - every family have different likes, so my pantry will be different from yours. We don't eat a lot of processed food mainly due to severe allergies - I just make things from scratch - this is safer & actually more healthy for everyone. What is in my pantry may not work for you - but if you want to cut your grocery budget simple eating will be cheaper & healthier for you. - Ie eating/cooking  like our grandparents used to Micheal Pollan. in his book Defence of food he shares how our food has become more science rather than real food. A good rule is if you can't pronounce the contents don't eat it, Shop from the outer isles of the supermarket - or better still especially for vegetable & fruit buy local & what is in season if you haven't grown it yourself.. Purchasing paper & cleaning items. Stockpiling these items is a good money saver - they are often on sale. Start slowly building these up as they won't fill your tummy but are a must have in my view. Toilet paper I aim for 44c per roll - (Purex 8's $3.49) - toilet paper is often on sale & I buy it up. I like a bit of luxury & won't buy 1 ply Paper towels $2.49 woolworths signature brand - twin pack. Yes I won't give up paper towels Toothpaste this is often on sale & I buy up when ever it is under $2.00 - I don't care what brand but usually stick with colgate or macleans - none of this odd Chinese brand that has been recalled before due to being unsafe. Soap - knights castle 4 pack $2.89 Cotton tips 100 68c Oil of Ulan $12.79 Panadol $3.89 - tip here get on your Dr prescription you get heaps & way cheaper! Women's items - these are often on sale track what you use - I'm not frugal enough to make my own sorry. - See everyone has their own level of frugal - but if I had to I would - I remember my grandmother telling me how she had to boil up her rags. Plastic wrap I like glad wrap 60 meters $4.42 - I make Brent's lunch about 5.30am & I like to know it will stay fresh until lunch time - I haven't found anything else yet. But very open to new ideas. Foil 1.5m - $3.68 I'm not brand fussy. Palmolive dish washing 750ml $2.49 - again not brand fussy but last price I had in price book. Rinse Aid 250ml $3.19 - you can use vinegar but I find rinse aid gives a better finish. Finish 2kg $7.99 new world & woolworths often has this on sale. Toilet Duck $3.65 Domestos 750ml $5.58 Janola No price Jiff no price Flyspray $2.98 Fire starters $2.19 Stello $2.05 Friend stain remover $4.88 Tomorrow I'll share about fresh fruit & veges & buying local seasonal. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Thursday, June 12, 2008 Building your stockpile. Part 1. Posted in Stockpile Friends have asked me to share more about my food shopping. Stocking a Pantry. To beat the supermarkets at their own game you need tools. Your price book is your best weapon & then to be organised with Stockpiling & menu planning I shop very differently to how I used to shop. I do & recommend shopping weekly as shops have sales each week - some better than others! No longer am I buying the same items each week - instead I am sale shopping. Now I use my shopping money to buy up the items on sale. - Some weeks I don't spend all of my food budget which for your interest is $220.00 per week - this covers all meals & snacks, cleaning & paper products. If we have a take away which is not often due to our food allergies or if Brent buys his lunch it comes out of grocery money - hence I am organised & pack snacks when we go out. To begin with we lived a few weeks on very tight, frugal meals - and used up what we had in the house. I sold some items on Trade Me to get the beginning of my stockpile money. I put very tight rules on family members (including Brent) for just opening the fridge & eating anything. I had menu planned to the last food item in our home - so I couldn't have anyone coming & eating it. Then I began building up the stockpile from sales - it has taken about 6 months to say it is working well - so it will not happen over night. Now I can spot a sale real fast & if money in stockpile which usually there is as I plan purchases first that are on sale then items I want. Open your fridge, pantry & freezer & work out what are your must haves. Then as you stockpile, using your price book you can start building up your supplies. My basic must haves every week. (prices have been the last price I have paid from my price book - not the best price I have paid so if living in NZ you can begin your price book with my prices they are up to date) - NB these items are in no real order - from my supermarket lanes which is how I run my price book - my personality hasn't got time to look up items alphabetically - there is no correct way to have a price book - just have one!. Deli  Eggs (spring & summer we have these from the chooks - but the girls are off the lay at the moment So I buy  15 eggs, size 8 - morning harvest brand $5.70. I like this size & normally don't shop for cheaper eggs. Only Brent & Abbey eat eggs, but I find eggs  good for breakfast , lunches & baking. James never eats anything with eggs due to severe food allergies. Butter - this is only used in baking in our home - I buy it when on sale & freeze Dairymaid 500g $5.85 (my last sale price was $3.59 & I brought up big time. Olivani - is what we use for spreads & James baking (dairy free) 500g $3.56 (cheaper than NZ Butter SHOCKING!) 1kg $8.59 - an example of comparison shopping - the 500g is usually the better price option. Bacon again I buy up when on special & freeze - 700g $8.59 Ham Beehive shaved champagne ham $3.65 Salami 100g $3.20 - These are used for lunches for Brent & Abbey. NB you can get these cheaper at the deli - But I like sealed as both packs will last me the week, where as deli supermarket only 2 days. Milk Pams calci 2 L - $4.04 - this will usually last the week. Rice Milk 1 L $4.98 used for James in his cereal & baking. Cheese 500g $4.99 -this is Woolworths last weeks special - we brought 6 blocks that won't expire until Jan 09 long gone are the days of me buying tasty cheese Deli Total $42.30 - But not every week will you need these items, so straight off you have a bit of cash for stockpiling if on sale begin buying butter, cheese, bacon & milk - all but cheese can be frozen Store Cupboard items Sugar 5kg $5.98 - I find this the cheapest way to purchase sugar & I store mine in a Tupperware 5kg bin, just because I have Tupperware - I wouldn't rush out & buy tupperware. Icing sugar 500g 98c Brown sugar 500g 98c Golden syrup 1kg $4.19 Castor sugar 1kg $2.24 Flour high grade (best for baking & bread making) 5kg $7.99 this is a cheap price watch New World & Woolworths they have flour & sugar on special often - Pack n save hardly ever has flour on sale. Rice flour 500g $4.59 Baking Powder $2.69 Baking Soda  (have no price) Condenced milk (no price) Vanilla 50 ml $4.06 (I like pure) Yeast - I cheat & use Sure bake which is best for bread makers 130g $3.88 - Watch expiry date if buying on sale. Tomato Pasta sauce - I use watties pasta sauce and this is often on sale at woolworths - so I buy up big time (20 tins) $1.33 Rice - basmati - 5kg $12.50 Olive Oil $12.68 this price always is changing so I buy up as much as budget allows, I stir fry food , not deep fry & only use olive oil - you can use cheaper oil but most say may contain nuts & we are an allergy family. Cornflakes - budget brand as only brand that doesn't say may contain nuts $2.48 1kg - these are often on sale. Rice Bubbles 1kg $2.36 (often on sale) Rolled Oats 1.5kg $2.95 Cocoa $3.29 (I like cadbury) Jam pams 900g $3.84 (We have been living off homemade apricot jam - YUM) Honey 500g $3.69 Coffee Moccona 200g $11.99 - yes a must have if you wanna keep me happy Tea Dilmah $3.00 for 100 and yes a must have if you want me a happy mum in the mornings Tinned fruit 420g $.99c these are often on sale - I always have peaches & apricots in pantry Tomato sauce refill $2.28 - Yes the refill is cheaper by far only takes a minute to refill the sauce bottle. - This is often on sale. Chilli Sauce $1.94 Soya Sauce $1.89 Beef stock $2.19 500g Vinegar 750ml $2.08 (I haven't a price for the large bottle) Sultanas  400g $1.78 Dates 400g $1.18 Mixed fruit 1kg $5.55 Coconut 250g $1.23 Spagetti budget brand 99c Macaroni budget brand 99c Lasagna budget brand 99c Mixed herbs $3.98 35g Ginger - ground $1.99 Cinamon ground $1.99 Curry $1.99 Baked beans 400g 99c these are often on sale Chilli beans 400g $1.59 also normally on sale Chick peas 400g $1.68 often on sale Tinned tomatoes 400g $1.10 Tinned creamed corn 400g $1.09 Burritto wraps $3.48 - 6 pack Taco shells $3.38 12 pack Corn chips 350g $2.98 Popping corn 500g $1.69 Frozen Foods Beans 750g $3.14 Hot chips $2.98 Pastry sheets $4.49 Chicken size 20 $10.99 Chicken pieces 2kg $10.65 Meat Sausages Gluten free 1kg $6.98 Mince $7.99 kg - pack n save often have $20.00 mince packs on sale - these I break up into 4 meals. Rump Steak $10.99 kg again I buy the bulk packs & repack into smaller meals - I like rump as can be for steak or curry, or casseroles & I use less meat than a feed of steak. Beef casserole steak $8.99kg - if not too fatty I buy these for casserole or curry. Lamb off our paddocks. $30.00 per sheep for the cull comes out of my grocery budget - their feed supplement, shearing, etc comes out of another budget. Tomorrow I'll share my paper goods I buy & fresh fruit & veges. Go buy a note book today & start your price book - It really is a good thing I promise! I've blogged about it before here & here And open your pantry - work out what is your must haves. • Comments (4) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Thursday, June 5, 2008 $21.00 PW Challenge Posted in Stockpile Simple Savings Once a year has a $21.00 per week challenge -spend $21.00 per week on your groceries. Now this could be a good thing if you are starting out stockpiling, having a tight week of using up what is in your pantry, freezer & making interesting meals for the week. Then the money not used at the supermarket can begin your stockpile fund. But it could also run you bare and you will need to restock anyway. Stockpiling is the best thing I have done this year - our pantry, freezer & cupboards are nice n healthy.  Six months into beginning stockpiling I am now shopping differently. I grab a cuppa once a week, me trusty price book & plot my revenge on the supermarkets. Now most of my weekly shopping budget is spent on purchasing items on sale. One example I brought 6 blocks of cheese this week - it doesn't expire until Jan 09  I'm sure we would of eaten them by then but with our spare fridge/freezer gone (we gave it to a family who had come from South Africa - landed in NZ with nothing. The husband got his family out of the country with his skill of a welder - oh my I just couldn't imagine leaving everything & going to a new country with nothing) As my stockpile has grown I am able to really make use of the shops weekly sales & I buy about 4-6 of each item - I'm sure by December I will be buying in bigger bulk. My time spent doing this I enjoy -it's become quite a hobby to see how less I can pay for an item - supermarkets fluctuate their prices quite a lot and I get cross if I have to pay full price for something. I'm finding Woolworths & New Worlds weekly specials are really worth popping in for. Oh & Woolworths seem to have started having a MOn- We sale on one item with usually a limit of 6 - this week it's cheese, last week it was Butter. And if you calculate the savings I make it is better than if I went & worked a few hours per week - especially since my shopping is tax free. • Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Stockpiling Posted in Stockpile A friend asked me what do I buy? - How do you start?, What happens when you run out? How to Start Stockpiling - blogged about here. What do I buy? Yesterday I spent 2 hours shopping - this included getting an odd ball key cut for our laundry door that snapped off in the lock - dramas... and as the house is over 100 years old it was not an easy fix. I had to go to the next town to get animal feed - so I stopped in at New World. Chippies (I only buy if on special) special 2 for $3.00 so I brought 4 packets - Kids ate 2 & 2 in pantry. Finish 2kg dishwasher - this can be up to $12.00 its $7.99 - I can find this on sale often at one of the shops so I brought 2 & I already have a spare in stockpile. Paper towels - (yes i use these - I use them for cattery & still around home they work for me)Normally $4.29 - sale $2.99 I brought 2 packs & have 2 in stockpile. Frozen Chicken - I used my rain check coupon normally over $12.00 I got them for $8.99 so brought 2. In meat isle they had chicken drum sticks marked down so I brought 1.4 kg & popped in freezer. Impulse buy while at this shop some limes - but not all shops have limes so I brought some for my jam. Total $57.67 at this shop PLUS I got a 15 c coupon on petrol (A good deal!) Next shop - Woolworths. Flour man this gets up my nose how much it has gone up - it used to be $4.99 5kg bag - it's sitting over $9.00 for 5kg. And it hardly ever is on sale. - So at $7.99 I got 2 bags. Sugar  I like to buy Chelsea sugar - but well I now buy no label & it was $5.75 5 kg not much of a special but a special. Rice bubbles 500g 2 for $5.00 I got 2 - already have 2 in stockpile. Soap Best sale in my price book $2.81 - got it for $2.33 just brought 1 pack as have 2 in stockpile. Toothpaste $ 1.99 I buy toothpaste if it is under $2.00 thought I was getting low - but errr blush we have plenty Toothpaste is something normally on sale at one shop so haven't paid full price all year. Washing powder I do make my own - but if not organized I run out so like to have some in cupboard - $3.99 is a good buy so I picked up two (Cheapest in my price book is $4.54 & not on sale is over $5.00) Ladies items $6.95 not as good a sale as last time $5.56 - but still on sale & I really can't see myself making my own - there is frugal & there is frugal. But if we were struggling I would look at it - gosh my grandma did. Impulse buy while at this shop - well lets face it this is what the supermarket wants - I got gluten free sausages $6.96 normal price & need some for freezer so got 2 packs. Total $61.87 Next shop Pack n save. I won't type out all my shopping as I did a big shop sales Meat - I only ever buy meat on sale, I look for big packs & re pack them to meal sizes. I try & aim for $5.00 worth of meat a meal. I am home all day so I have the time to grab the bigger packs & re pack them. pork roast $12.88 - 1 main meal & lunches. pork chops $7.74 Pork pieces $10.00 (make into two packs for freezer) Mince $20.00 (make into 4 packs freezer) toothpaste $1.78 - so we are well stockpiled in toothpaste - but an awesome feeling I never have to pay full price for toothpaste. Total price $207.47 This weeks shop $327.01 - I will get more fruit & veges at side market  later in week. - Some weeks are like this higher  as the specials are wanted - last week I spent $50.00 at vege shop & $80.00 supermarket - What happens when you run out? I had to pay full price for golden syrup - ouchy - that happens so I only buy one and will scan the flyers for the next deal. I also had to pay full price for olive oil - man that has gone up $10.98 to $13.44 a diff of $2.46 see it is very motivating to stockpile. I want to get better & have quite a few months worth of non perishable items so I never have to pay full price ever. But I think the trick is when you begin stockpiling start slow, menu plan your weeks food including breakfast, lunches, sacks & main meals. Buy just what you need. Then pick one or two specials & buy them - don't spend all of your budget each week - this way over a few months you can spy the specials eg the meat in bulk & repack into smaller meals Stockpiling is working out soo well for us I use to spend $350.00 easy and not have as much food in stock. It is worth the time to menu plan, keep a cash book & watch the flyers. Oh and Bake from scratch including snacks is a goodie too! • Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, April 22, 2008 How to begin stockpile Posted in Stockpile I've had a few ladies ask for ideas on how to stockpile. One question was Money - how to find the extra cash needed. A few suggestions. Have a walk about the house & collect items you no longer use, need or like & sell on trade me (NZ Ebay) use this money for your stockpile. Plan a detailed weeks menu including breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks for one week - just from what you have in the fridge, freezer, garden & pantry. It's amazing what meal combinations you can come up with & my family enjoyed the what ever is in cupboard meals. - Eg stuffed potato bar - have lots of different fillings & everyone stuffs their own. Soup, bread & a pudding. Make muffins & scones for lunches. Then only buy at supermarket what you really must have to feed everyone for the week. I detail planned for a month in the beginning & most of my supermarket budget went on stockpiling - I did get a few complaints that all there was to eat of snack food was tins of tomatoes or baked beans - so make sure enough snack food heheh. I found a few shopping receipts in bottom of my handbag & they were the beginning of my price book. I got a small notebook & mine is recorded in aisle of largest supermarket - (I find most supermarkets are sort of laid out the same way) Some people like it to be in alphabetical order. I find this too much flicking back & forward. Where in isle order I just open to the isle & can keep it open & scan my eyes over it. When setting up price book it is worth while taking into account weights & work out price by the kilo. Eg $2.49 for 2Kg compared to $3.79 for 3kg at a quick glance you may think the 3kg is the best buy BUT 2.49 divided by 2 = $1.245 per kg 3.79 divided bt 3 = $1.263 per kg. Take a calculator with you or better still take your maths kid with you (This is what I do Abbey can do maths quicker in her head than I can key into calculator & the kids are getting practice at maths & real life budget skills) Check out supermarket specials. I look weekly on line - at New World & Pack n save because we are classed rural & don;t get their flyers, Then I just have to pickup woolworths flyers when out - I usually send James to get it for me. Start recording prices in your price book with receipts & flyers. Then with the weeks specials if there is anything that you normally would of brought eg butter (you can freeze), oil, flour etc that is on special buy two. One for your pantry & one for stockpile. Don't spend all of your grocery money this week - keep it for when you see the specials..(I have a  zip lock plastic bag just for my grocery shopping - works for me) Plan all your meals being frugal for the whole month & shop as above. After about a month your stockpile will of begun & you would of got some funds from selling on Trade Me (Ebay) so you will have a bigger stash of cash to use when the sales come up. At time goes on & you have more cash available from shopping differently - you will have a good idea of sale cycles. Then you can start buying 4 or 5 items when they come up on sale - eg I haven't paid full price for tinned fruit, tomatoes, coffee, toothpaste, sanitary items, toilet paper, yeast, cat food, tomato sauce etc... PLUS I brought out nearly the shop when there was a price war on butter - sadly I haven't seen it as cheap again - but I am watching for it to come on sale - I have cash in my grocery bag so I can buy up when it does again. I also only buy my meat on sale. If starting out buy the large packs & repack to meal size - I can get a $20.oo 2 kg pack this I repack into 4 meals. At first it felt like a lot of work & forever thinking food, sales, etc... but after 4 months shopping like this it is not hard. I can spot the specials quickly. A quick scan of flyers & I know whent I want to call into shop for the bargain. It has meant I don't have to shop every week if I don't want to - or if no sale items I need or think I can wait & get a better deal. I do have a pantry in car shed & I'd highly recommend this - these can be picked up cheaply at garage sales or on ebay - trade me. I know my kids would of spent hours playing shops when they were younger & I'd happily of let them play with tins of food. - So if you have small kids it will keep them happy playing for hours. Work at not spending all of your grocery money in one week - save it up for when the bargains come then watch your stockpile grow & how you shop change. It doesn't take long to change I promise. Then there is gardening - grow some of your own food - there is nothing nicer than picking & eating food you have grown. We finished the last of our corn last night - with some of the green tomatoes that are now ripe. - accompanied with stuffed potatoes & bacon that was on sale (bacon freezes really well) Our food bill is down - eg I used to spend $350pw easily! - now i'm about $165.00 - so far this week I spent $50.00 at vege stall (we eat a lot of fruit & veges & garden isn't producing anything now) $12.00 on bread & milk. - Everything else I have in my stockpile - I now only draw out $220.00 pw cash for our food. - This covers food, cleaning & paper goods. And all meals - we don't do takeaways or brought lunches nor meals out. Mainly due to food allergies - but also because I like cooking & think my meals are nicer & my family think so too. Oh WARNING I've found shopping like this has become quite a hobby - I enjoy getting the bargains & buying up large - a few friends think I m nuts & comment their time is worth more to them - but I don't actually spend much time a week on stockpiling - initally yes I did - any new thing takes time until you learn how to do it. But I spend a few minutes a week over a coffee looking at specials & It's like a game trying to see the best buys - probably as much enjoyment as someone doing a crossword. Then when in town we zip into shops & get the sale items. This may not be all in one day - but usually over the week. • Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, April 20, 2008 Cutting food shopping down Posted in Stockpile I have been very successful in shopping for less. One of the BIG changes I have made is eating to the season - ie only buying fruit & veges that are in season. I'm also going to vege stalls - ok about a 30 minute drive away - But I try & do other things in the drive - eg it was block of the month collection for Abbey's quilt on Friday, Hence we picked up veges then. Or we just go for a drive - time to get out of the house. And I know of the best place to buy feijoa's - we actually thought for a fleeting second a few years ago to buy this property - Annandale Manor - We got two big bags for $10.00 - I enjoy letting the kids ok & me pig out on as much fresh season fruit as they want. I have a friend who has feijoa trees that I need to go & raid as they don;t like them. I hope to pick some this week & preserve them. Buying in season food is what my mother & grandmother did - we have been too spoilt with big supermarkets & by going back to buying what is season, you find it is good for the palate and fun to look forward to what each season brings. Sorry USA gals we passed on your oranges & peaches this week & so we did with garlic - I finally found NZ garlic most of it in the shops has been coming from CHINA. And yes buying local & in season is a HUGE saving on the shopping budget. • Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Saturday, April 19, 2008 Rain Checks. Posted in Stockpile Yesterday I stopped & thought I'm not embarrassed nor were the kids embarrassed re my stockpiling habits. Here I was at the supervisors counter getting a rain check for their sale items that had run out. I've only done this a few times and felt such a heel. But the staff at supermarkets put me up to it. And the supervisor doesn't mind doing it - it seems a lot of other shoppers do this. Well when their dishwasher liquid is on sale at $7.99 I stock up so I was miffed they had run out yesterday  plus their chickens I also wanted. I don't need them yet - but I have got into the habit of only buying most of my shopping items on sale that well I wanted them - Hence I swallowed my pride & asked for rain checks and I found it was easier than when I asked for my first rain check.. I have got even more clever - I ask for two products of rain check items. You get 14 days to redeem the item. Maybe if I had little kids waiting around I might not do this but I have big kids whom I can send then to the car to put shopping in boot for me. Rain Checks are a good thing when you are stockpiling • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, March 11, 2008 Grocery shopping Posted in Stockpile Last night I really felt successful in my grocery shopping. Over the last few months I have been working hard at it. I changed how I shop & it has been the best thing ever - My weekly shopping is less - and I don't have to shop every week - but do as we eat a lot of fresh produce - my garden supplies us with lots but not as much YET that we need. My shop this week was $170.00 - and I got everything we needed. (I should say here before I changed my shopping our food bill could be up to $350.00 pw - so I have made huge savings PLUS food is going up shockingly here in NZ)- My pantry is full, my stockpile (which we call fondly as the shop - its a big pantry kept in car shed) is well stocked - our freezer is full to the top - thanks to 3 of our lambs home killed & the beef home kill we brought off a friend - plus all the meat I buy on sale (I only buy meat on sale.) - I did say to Brent we may have to buy another freezer the way i am going & we think this will be a reality once I get my big vege garden going. I budget $250.00 pw & I use CASH first best part of my shopping change. If I don't use it all - which is the case more often now than not. I keep it in a safe place & then have the money for the beef pack , home kill or stockpile. So my changes are: Cash only Buying items on sale & building a big stockpile. This means I go to 3 shops a week - doesn't take much extra time & I see it more of a hobby than a chore - I get a BIG thrill beating the grocery shops at their game. Price book - I keep a price book and this has really helped knowing when I have a bargain or not! If a bargain I stock up And now I have built up a good stash of cash as I very rarely use the full $250.00 pw I can get the best prices. And we continue To not buy take aways or eat out I pack Brent's lunch for him If we are going out for the day I pack our own food & drinks I cook from scratch It has been well worth the effort. • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Stockpile Posted in Stockpile The supermarket fliers haven't had much of what we need - but yesterday we cleared Woolworths shelf of Rice milk. James can only have rice milk & for it to come on sale - well all I can say is woopie!!!!! Next time we are in town this week I'll check to see if they have restocked & we will repeat - clearing the shelf - by the way my kids realy enjoyed clearing the shelf - giggle. It's normally $4.98 at packnsave & $3.98 woolworths yesterday it was $3.26 • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Saturday, February 23, 2008 What's up - Stockpiling, home schooling & quilting Posted in Stockpile Stockpiling - I have had complaints from James that my new way of shopping isn't working for him, - there is NOTHING to eat for him that he likes - as in snacks. - I'll admit it is a bit sparse for what he likes - I need to do some baking for him & he needs to not eat it all.... I haven't been shopping all week just been living off food in home. I am going today (Saturday) to the farmers market for fresh fruit & veges- my freezer is too full so been trying to get room for the lambs. I can confirm my new way of shopping is really working well! I am staying well within my budget & I don't get too many complaints normally Quilting I got to play a little yesterday afternoon & began putting the 21/2 inch blocks of the green & pink scrap quilt together - but this morning I have changed my mind of how I am going to do this scrap quilt - so I'm gonna unpick once I've played on the blog. I got a few bits of material cut out for the winter quilt & sewed a few blocks on the blue scrap quilt. Yes I have five quilts on the go at once - brilliant for me as I love change! - My friend Judith popped in & couldn't believe how many quilts I was working on. Garden I am picking a basket of tomatoes daily. Had a few harsh words to the pukekos yesterday they have found my tomatoes - man they are a pest! My friend Catherine borrowed my preserving book - so I'll call in today for a coffee on way out today Home School Life has got into a routine now - I am now organised with all the kids activities etc... back into full swing of home schooling. Abbey worked hard all week & got her workload done in 4 days - this gave her Friday off - she worked on her knitting & had some free time. - One of the perks she saw as a big benefit to com home from school! James would rather do school on Friday's than do more work each day so we did school It has been really hot last two days - we are forecast rain Sunday - we are all hanging out for some - the grass is brown - and everything is looking very thirsty. Brent has been moving around electric fences so sheep & goat can have a bit of tasty grass - He doesn't have to weed eat or mow lawns with his electric fences BWG. • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Thursday, February 21, 2008 Dried tomatoes Posted in Stockpile I'm pretty thrilled on how my tomatoes turned out in dehydrator. I've popped them all in the jar, filled with olive oil & about three cloves of garlic. Nothing will go to waste as can even drain off the garlic as we go and use -mmmm I'm going to dry more today. Sorry no photo flicker is packing a wobbly! BIG TIME. Drat as I was so ever proud of my jar of sun dried tomatoes. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, February 17, 2008 Firewood Posted in Stockpile Every year Brent cuts down a few trees & spends a few weekends cutting up firewood. James is a great helper! Won"t be long & he will be chopping it up. This year we decided to buy wood - eeeeek Brent has been busy doing other things & firewood was one thing we crossed off his long list. He has been busy tho gathering FREE firewood where he can & we have only brought in one cord of wood. And our firewood stash is looking good & ready for winter. Being home all day I use a lot of wood. In the winter the fire doesn't really go out. I even hang washing on clothes horse in front of fire to dry our washing (I won't use a dryer as man they suck up the power!) You can see my clothesline Brent put up for me when we first moved here. I can hang up clothes in the woodshed over winter & in two days they are dry. - I normally hang towels & sheets down here. - Cloths on clothes horse in lounge. Brent has been talking of making me a pulley line in the lounge so I can hang clothes close to the ceiling. We have an old villa so the stud height is high & hot air rises. Will really look likes a Chinese Laundry then. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Friday, January 25, 2008 Stockpiling Posted in Stockpile I threw out my receipts on what I had brought & savings made - but woolworths & New World are having good sales. I am picking up their fliers (would be easier if they came to my door - but we are classed rural so no junk mail) Pack n save a few goodies - Butter $1.96 limit 6 guess how many I got? And mince $4.00kg I sit with me cuppa tea & go through sales & compare with my price book - becoming a wee hobby now. I write my list of sales eg tinned fruit was 5 for $4.00 the cheapest it has ever been - so I got 20 tins. I use tinned fruit to pop in jelly & have a fun treat - the kids had their friends over the other week & thought this was just beaut. Way cheaper than buying fruit & jelly molds packed for you. I use tinned fruit in dishes my peach & kumera dish & apricot & chicken dish. We don;t have pudding often but sometimes tinned fruit & custard. Or we have tinned fruit for breakfast I was looking after a boy Thursday (it was a never do again ever ever again) he behaved well at shops (but totally not when we went on a lovely picnic to the lagoon & sea  ) & found my way of shopping most amusing - I am now only buying whats on special and have a good enough stockpile to shop like this - I am honestly finding my shopping money is below budget every week (last week I had $30.00 left)  it used to go over - hence why I started stockpiling to this degree.. One BIG problem I forgot we need to do some home kill & my freezer is FULL. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Friday, January 18, 2008 Shopping finds for stockpile Posted in Stockpile Woolworths have come through again with jolly good buys this week. Jam craigs 375g $1.99 Oak beetroot 99c oak corn 99c Rice Jasmine 1 kg 2 for $4.00 oak tomatoes 4 for $3.00 Demnaine tomato, garlic & olive oil 3 for $3.00 Hubbards muesli $3.99 Tegal thighs 5kg $21.00 great buy and we use these heaps on BBQ My savings at woolworths were $11.38 My stockpiling is going really well. My shopping money is staying well below budget & so far we have not felt deprived eating out of whats at home - instead of how I use to plan mmm what shall we eat this week & make a menu then shop for that. Now we are eating whats in pantry. Brent isn't working away again for awhile so next week I'll go back to menu planning - but we are eating lots of bbq's & salads out of the garden - that's not really cooking. I printed off a shopping list of what we usually purchase (already on computer) and have made rows re our three pantries. - One in use, one in kitchen & car shed supply. I am planning on marking off what we have - not sure how I will go with this as my personality is i'll do it later - ie grab what I need & plan to later fill in form - and I know I won't fill it in. So far this year I have just been building up stockpile from items on sale (only items we will use) I had a pretty good pantry to begin with but I need to watch for items I am using that haven't come on sale eg olive oil - onto my last bottle. - If I get a chance I am recording specials on blog so I might see a cycle when retailers discount certain products - I've read thats what they do but I have no idea if true or not. It would be awesome if I could bust their cycle - then I would feel I've really beat them at their game. I can confirm shopping this way has kept my shopping money well below budget - I have a nice stash of cash in my plastic bag to use when items come on sale. • Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, January 13, 2008 Saturday frugal shopping Posted in Stockpile Another beautiful summers day. Saturday is market day - Abbey & I went, we got loads of bargains. PLUS the 4 square shop has a price war as I imagine the market takes most of their business away - so we checked out their sales $1.69kg tomatoes, $3.99kg peaches & nectarens. 3 punnets strawberries $3.50 We are all enjoying eating summer fruit YUM!!! We took these home so not sitting in car & off to next bargain shopping. Woolworths for the bargains. 35c off a tin of cat food. We brought 50 tins. Plus woolworths had sale on flour - so 3 5kg bags was brought. Baked beans & spag $1.00 each James rice milk is $1.00 EACH cheaper than at packnsave so stocked up & have made mental note to buy it at woolworths. I also found out we need to shop earlier in week as obviously other ladies are shopping like me & a lot of the sale items were empty - I had missed out. My family is getting on board with my stockpiling & they are enjoying seeing the cupboards bulging and laughing at my huge pile of cat food. Abbey enjoyed putting it all away for me & is as anal as me that all the cans have to be in order & face the right way. - I am NOT like this in all areas of my life - just stocking my pantry - so glad you can't see my kitchen bench - its back to being my hot spot again. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Wednesday, January 2, 2008 Stockpile Savings Posted in Stockpile I have shared in blog before how I shop differently than I have before & probably differently than most. Here in NZ we do not have coupons that we can cut & save with. The supermarkets do have weakly specials. We do not get junk mail as too rural SIGH So while out & about we go into shops & collect their flyers. I have a price book (also blogged about this before) that I record my best buys  - so I pretty much can look at my price book & know if I have a bargain or not. With prices going up of food I got so cross that I wanted to beat the supermarket chain & I believe I have with my new way of shopping. Price book Flyers BIG stockpile (I have 3 pantries but don;t let space put you off use linen cupboard (I store toilet tissue in here), underbeds a corner of car shed (That's where my 3rd pantry is.) I shop & buy items on special - hence unless I really need something - we wait until its on special & then we buy minimum 2 or 3 depending on what is already in stockpile. I have a ziplock bag that I keep my supermarket fund in a budget of $250.00 PW - this covers everything paper, cleaning, toiletries, grog & eating out (not that we do this often at all.) Woolworths has really good specials eg today I got. Robert Harris coffee $8.49 today $6.99 Oil of Olay $ 12.79 today $9.99 Paper towels (yes I use these & don't want to stop - use them heaps! especially for cats) a 4 pack for $1.99 never brought a 4 pack before - a 2 pack is normally $2.98 - these $1.99 are Woolworths brand - again never tried before but price is jolly right! Today I saved $17.00 - at woolworths. Pack n save is meant to be overall cheaper - but New World & Woolworths have brilliant savings - you just have to be strong & only buy what is on special or buy what you can't get at packnsave like Chocolate condenced milk. • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Monday, December 3, 2007 Stockpile Posted in Stockpile I not only stockpile food but also medicine. James has severe food & environment allergies & me a chronic asthmatic - now with allergies SIGH! As I was no better after lunch I rang my GP's nurse who spoke to my Dr. She told me to take some steriods - as she has me keep a stockpile of these she knew she could medicate me over the phone. What a blessing as I was in no state to drive. Kids missed their last music lessons of the year too. I have in our medical stockpile Asthma meds, antibiotics for James & I steriods adrenaline antihistamines In an emergency I can medicate James & I I have a wonderful Dr who trusts me & if I ever use the meds I contact her asap so she is aware. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Friday, November 2, 2007 Pet food – stockpile Posted in Stockpile Pet food – stockpile We have a lot of animals & I always have at least one month of their food stockpiled in the barn. In an emergency I need to be prepared not just for us humans but also our animals. Kitty litter, adult cat & kitten food, dog biscuits, sheep pellets, chicken food. Photo in barn shows cat food & litter stockpile in front of my pantry & freezer. You can also see my stock pile of toy mice for cats & kittens he he Behind where photo taken from is another fridge freezer – This is my small space in Brent’s Barn. – I might have to chat with him this weekend to see if I can have a bit more room so it’s a bit tidier – be nice to have a shelf unit for me to stack it on. But I think he has plans for all this to go into my new cattery barn when it is built. For sheep & Chicken food we buy in bulk & store in big plastic rubbish bins – helps keep out rodents. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Friday, November 2, 2007 Price Book Posted in Stockpile I have kept a running price bookl on computer in excel of groceries – man have things gone up! Yesterday I had time to reorganise how I do my grocery shopping as no school again – both kids still not well. With the prices going up I need to get smarter of how I shop. So I have transferred all my information into a notebook with the cheapest price next to the item. I keep my price book in main grocery shopping Isle order – ok this won’t work for most people much use an A_Z index notebook – but in isle order works better for me. Just as my telephone book won’t work for many eg – telephone names are never in name order as I never remember names – mine are listed in groups eg – Abbey’s friends, James friends, stockcar friends, home school mums, neighbours… then I see the name & remember their name. I also find in Isle order is easy if I go to another shop as most things are located in similar groups at each store. Abbey has refused to come shopping with me on my new way to shop by looking & recording in my price book as I go. I plan to shop more at home than in the shops – I am lucky I have three pantries – two big ones in my kitchen & one double pantry in the barn. I am going to blog as I stockpile the items each week – These will be the best price I can get them at. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link