I went shopping for a staning freezer (we don't have the room for a chest freezer) with my best friend Marcia today.  We shopped locally first at a couple of mom and pop appliance stores, but they didn't have what I wanted.  Finally we went 20 miles down the road to Lowe's (where we should have went in the first place) and found my new freezer!!!  We bought a slightly dented (and gently discounted) 20 cubic foot (it is a big'un!! LOL) standing freezer.  We got a good price because of the small dent in the back corner (which will be against the wall at our house and no one will ever see) and even with buying a 5 year warranty on parts and labor if it breaks (and it covers $250.00 of food loss too), it was cheaper than the mom and pop stores!!!  It will be delivered Saturday morning.

I am so excited to have gotten to go pick it out and buy it by myself (my hubby is so trusting! LOL  I used to pick out things by how "pretty" it was LOL) !!!  And I can't wait for the whoel hog to get here so I can rearrange everything in my nice clean white freezer!  I will be calling the guy at the processing tomorrow to tell him what we want from our 200-250 pound hog.

This evening as soon as Noah went to bed, I went to the pantry room (a small back porch room which has tons of cabinet space we use as a pantry area.  It also houses an ugly avocado green refrigerator which the previous owners of our house left for us.  We use it for extra refrigerated items often and the top freezer on it is full as well as our main refrigerator) and started rearranging things and putting groceries away.  Soon afterwards, Matthew moved the green fridge over to make room for the new standing freezer.

What is so weird and funny about this is......if you had asked me 6 months ago if I would be buying a freezer to house a whole hog, I would have laughed hysterically! LOL  I have come a long way since then huh??? I even bought generic last week!!! *SHOCKING*   Today I have a fully stocked pantry and freezers and refreigerators, but not 6 months ago we were shopping here and there, buying prepackaged junk (I know.........you are horrified by this as well!) and spending too much money because I liked the name brands and loved shopping at....wait for it........................SUPER WALLY WORLD!!!

Ok, so I still love that place and have to limit my shopping trips there, but I am doing great at cutting the grocery bill with lots of new hints and tricks of the trade I have learned from all of you!!!! 

God's Blessings,

Amy Jo