Spice Girl

We ran out of cumin. Check out this bag. $2.59. It's waaaay less than what you'd spend for this spice in the Spice section of the supermarket.

Anyone who uses ethnic spices might want to consider the ethnic food section of the store. The baked good versions (McCormick, Spice Islands, etc.) are too pricey. I found this in the Indian food aisle. The previous week, I grabbed a bag of curry powder. I can also buy bulk traditional spices at my favorite local green-grocers (Guercios). A big tub full of dried Basil is under two bucks. There is an Asian store in my neighborhood -- but it's harder to shop there because of the language barrier. Luckily my local Wegmans has a good section -- with products labeled in English.

If there aren't any ethnic versions at your supermarket, look in the bulk section. Good pricing can often be found there. In fact, I buy my chopped walnuts and slivered almonds in the bulk section. Even when I have a coupon for a name-brand. The bulk option is always cheaper. We buy the store brand (Wegmans) canned almonds, because they are the cheapest way to go. However, I digress here.

If you're a serious Spice Girl... go ethnic to save money!

Making Moisture Mobile

After using up every last bit of Burt's Bees lip balm, I set out to re-use the container. I made this paste by combining Vitamin A & D ointment (love that stuff), cream petroleum jelly, and assorted lip balm odds and ends. I have sticks that are either to hard, or those that are at the end and the remainder can't be "pushed up" from the stick. I scrape out what I can. For the stuff that's just too hard (generally beeswax or cocoa butter), I soften it up with a blow dryer. I'll use whatever is left around the house or in my purse. I mix it all well and put the lid on -- then I blast with the dryer again. It softens the stuff up so it settles well. This mixture is a bit soft, so I won't carry it in my purse. But I use it at my desk.


I keep small travel size bottles and refill them. I keep this one in my car. I peel off the label and clean the bottle well -- so schmutz won't stick to it. In my car, dust and dog hair can get into and on to just about anything. I wipe and vacuum frequently, but still hate to have dirty stuff! This is a good use for the stuff at the bottom of the pump bottle which is too low to easily get out. Cut down the bottle and scoop the stuff into a travel size container. Try to save those that have wider openings.

My dashboard has lots of cool compartments. I keep lip balm, a small bottle of moisturizer and a tin with mints in the front. I'll often stash my card holder too -- holding coupons and shopping lists. I try not to let the car look like an over-stuffed travelling office. But a gal's got to be able to address dryness when driving!

Two Different Stop Shopping

This week, it was Wegmans and CVS. I didn't bother with Tops since I needed to spend enough at Wegmans to get our holiday turkey. The special price per pound was .29 cents after a $25 purchase. Also, I only had time for two stops and I wanted to make my first CVS foray into the world of ECBs.

The $60.25 grocery total was pretty good considering I picked up supplies for the week along with stuff for our "better late than never" home-cooked turkey meal that we do the week after Thanksgiving. I got the bird, gravy and cranberries, crescent rolls and brownie mix. I'll wait to get the potatoes, veggies, stuffing and pie fixings (apples, etc.) until the week we're doing it. But you gotta grab the bird when the special price deals are in effect!

I just recently received my CVS Extra Care Card. I've been reading a lot of blogs that extol the value of the CVS program. The regular prices at CVS are a bit high for my budget, but I've been intrigued by what others have accomplished. A trivia note: my first job out of college was as a Manager Trainee for CVS. They had a pilot Point of Sale program out of my store. That was my intro to the world of computers, and why I work in IT today!

On to my bargains... I saved 21 bucks. The trip cost me 19. A good deal: Whisk, BOGOF for $8.49. I had a dollar off coupon. So each bottle was about $3.75. I had a $1 off Jergen's coupon -- no sale but a bottle was on clearance (half off) for $3.74, and I used the coupon. King-sized Snickers (our favorite!) at .99 cents, I had a dollar coupon for two. I also had a Colgate coupon, a buck off on two, and they were a BOGOF.

Ladies, CVS is the place to go this week for Tampons. The CVS Tampax generics are half off. There is no reason to buy Tampax when a good store-brand version exists, and especially when that is half off. If there is one item we deserve a cash rebate on, it's femminine protection -- and it ought to be given to us when we reach menopause!

I guess I did OK for my first CVS trip. The ECB bonus is for candy -- which I might go for if I can dig up enough coupons that go with their sale. I'd appreciate any feedback with this, as I am a CVS newbie.

Bye-Bye Little Box

Yesterday was the trailer swap. We weren't there... this is a picture from last year. Johnston's drove down the new travel trailer and took away our little box. The tiny trailer served us well, but I don't think we'll miss it much!

What a lot of folks don't realize, is that you can buy a trailer even if you don't have a truck to haul it with. The dealer will bring it to you. I think we wasted money outfitting our Blazer to tow (the hitch and a transmission cooler). We only hauled the trailer a few times -- although we bailed out a few people with boat issues too. Anyone interested in doing what we do (renting a seasonal spot in an RV park) can save money by skipping the truck/hitch part of it and just having the dealership haul the trailer to the site. It makes more sense to use a small car that gets good mileage to do weekend traveling.

This was the only view we had of the lake from inside our little Pioneer. The new "tt" will have a side window too -- but also a huge back picture window. Wooo Hooo!

There is a bit of nostalgia for the old box, as it was where we cozied up with our dearly departed Woodydog. She loved cuddling on the bed, made the couch her own and just really enjoyed the closeness of the small interior. New girlie is a "space invader" and just needs a lot more room. I think she'll be happier. The first box was the Woody-Wagon. The new one is the Teddy-Trailer.

This is like getting a bicycle for Christmas. We have it now, but can't use it until next year... but a trip out is in order this weekend so that our stuff can be moved out of storage and put in place at our spot.

Healthy Dessert

I have a sweet tooth. I also have a bad hockey habit. Can't watch the Sabres without a snack between periods...

This is a healthy dessert idea that won't lead to much guilt. Start with a heap of vanilla low-fat yogurt. Add slivered almonds and bananas. Sprinkle on some powdered cocoa/chocolate then repeat.

The powder is made by whizzing up a few blocks of Bakers Secret semi-sweet chocolate, then adding in some Hershey's cocoa. This mix gives just enough sweetness, but also has the health benefits of dark chocolate. The nuts are high in healthy omega 3. The yogurt has active cultures to nourish your gut -- but in order to optimize this function, the little lacto-bacillium need something to feed on. The bananas serve that purpose and provides potassium too.

Combining protein and carbs in the same bowl means the carbs take longer to absorb. This helps me make it through the night without a 3AM snack-attack.

If you're looking for a healthy dessert, this one's easy to make!

Two-Stop Shopping

It was by no means a cheap grocery week (I spent about 90 bucks for the two of us). But there were some interesting bargains -- at two different stores. I'm generally a Wegman's shopper, but this week a few items at Tops peaked my interest.

Alaskan Cod fillets were on sale -- four bucks off. So, I ran in and picked up a little over two pounds. We eat a lot of salmon, so this will be a nice seafood break. I picked up a pineapple too. Big Guy (I really do call him that) loves it with cottage cheese. It was $2.99 at Wegman's, and $2.49 at Tops. Since Dole has a .75 cent coupon out and Tops doubles them up to a buck -- the choice was easy. We're nearly out of toilet paper and Tops had it on sale, so that was worth it too.

At Wegman's the bargain for sure is my favorite rice made by Rice Selects. Wegman's sells it for $6.99 and Tops has it for $8.99. I printed up a bunch of coupons for two dollars off, which expire 12/31/09 -- so I've been picking up a jar pretty regularly, even though we have enough of it at home. Get the coupon here. Goya beans are always cheaper at Wegman's too -- .65 cents per can. Goya has a coupon out to give you a buck off when you buy six and Weggie's has them on sale this week for .50 cents per can. I got the Goya coupon in the Sunday paper.

Wegman's prices on Healthy Harvest and Smart Taste pastas are considerably less than what I'd pay at Tops. Coupons.com are the place to go to save on each -- each brand has coupons for a buck off when you buy two boxes. Tops won't double those either. The problem I've run into at Tops (maybe they've changed, but I'm not willing to test them), is that they only double coupons that are 99 cents or less. For anything over, they don't just give you the extra .99 cent reduction -- they don't offer any sort of double at all. Since Wegman's prices are better on these items anyway, I get them there.

I'm sure we could be saving more -- and I probably didn't need to shop for much more than fresh veggies (our pantry is still pretty full). But I had coupons worth using. I'm still basically staying away from processed food and going for high fiber foods.

I wish I could do it all at one store, but sometimes it's worth it to hit two.

Makeup Budgetry

I am a big fan of inexpensive cosmetics. I don't necessarily like "cheap." But I've determined where I can save, and where I want to splurge. Since I wear so little make-up and put it on so infrequently, I only splurge on items that are not subject to expiration.

Lately, I've been stocking up on loose powdered eye shadow in two colors: white and gold. The thing is, I am not reserving the stuff for my eyes. I use it as a subtle highlight for my entire face.

I like a monochrome palette, so I use a lot of peach,pink, nudes and earth tones. If I am wearing more of a pink palette (with silver jewelry), I use the white as an accent. If I am wearing peach (generally with gold jewelry), it's the gold. I apply it on the brow bone, above each brow, in the center of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, at the top of the cheek bones, a small dab in the upper cleft of the lip and another in the fold of the chin under the bottom lip.

I've actually done pretty well at the Dollar Tree. This month, the store near my office has had an end cap of a brand that is probably foreign -- Carlos Ramon, labels either in Spanish or Italian. Small bottles of loose powder shadow are two for a buck. I don't know if this product is available at many/all Dollar Tree stores, but I think it's a good buy for frugal fashionistas -- so it's worth looking for.

For the past few weeks, I've had a buck and some spare change in my wallet on Friday... so I've been picking up a few bottles at a time.

I know I'll use this stuff for a long time, and it's cheap. Not a lot of artistry involved... just a little "budgetry."