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Home > Archive: February, 2007
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Archive for February, 2007
February 26th, 2007 at 02:40 am
0I am thinking about trying to use non-fat dry milk (NFDM) in place of fresh liquid milk in more recipes. Does anyone have experience with this? In particular, are there any recipes you would caution against using it in?
I was in the process of making Corn Chowder this evening when I realized that if I used the amount of fresh skim milk called for in the recipe (2.5 cups) we wouldn't have any for breakfast in the morning. Luckily, I had a box of NFDM in the cupboard left over from a recipe that specifically called for non-hydrated milk. I mixed up 2.5 cups of rehydrated milk and proceeded with the recipe.
Neither Mr. Bean nor I noticed a difference in taste of the soup. The recipe is one I make a couple times a month, so we both are familiar with the "normal" taste. I've used the NFDM in recipes before with good results.
I don't care for the taste of NFDM for drinking, but I could definitely get in the habit of using it for recipes. When making NFDM for drinking, it's recommended to mix in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours to achieve the best taste. However, in recipes I've always just mixed the amount needed and used immediately. I have not noticed a difference.
asdf123
I am thinking about trying to use non-fat dry milk (NFDM) in place of fresh liquid milk in more recipes. Does anyone have experience with this? In particular, are there any recipes you would caution against using it in?
I was in the process of making Corn Chowder this evening when I realized that if I used the amount of fresh skim milk called for in the recipe (2.5 cups) we wouldn't have any for breakfast in the morning. Luckily, I had a box of NFDM in the cupboard left over from a recipe that specifically called for non-hydrated milk. I mixed up 2.5 cups of rehydrated milk and proceeded with the recipe.
Neither Mr. Bean nor I noticed a difference in taste of the soup. The recipe is one I make a couple times a month, so we both are familiar with the "normal" taste. I've used the NFDM in recipes before with good results.
I don't care for the taste of NFDM for drinking, but I could definitely get in the habit of using it for recipes. When making NFDM for drinking, it's recommended to mix in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours to achieve the best taste. However, in recipes I've always just mixed the amount needed and used immediately. I have not noticed a difference.
Posted in
Cooking
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4 Comments »
February 25th, 2007 at 06:36 am
0I made $55 babysitting 5.5 hours tonight.
Old Total: $839.71
+ $ 55 babysitting
-------------------
New Total: $ 894.71
Making my $1500 goal by 6/1/07 looks feasible! asdf123
I made $55 babysitting 5.5 hours tonight.
Old Total: $839.71
+ $ 55 babysitting
-------------------
New Total: $ 894.71
Making my $1500 goal by 6/1/07 looks feasible!
Posted in
$20 Challenge
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1 Comments »
February 23rd, 2007 at 02:49 am
0I'm adding $75.44 for 5 items I sold during the last week on eBay.
Individual profit for each item was:
$59.88
$12.32
$1.30
$1.08
$0.86
As you can see, there was quite a spread! The small items are hardly worth it, but the idea of Challenge helps to motivate me even when I know the profit won't be much.
Old Total: $764.27
+ $75.44 eBay sales
---------------------
New Total $839.71
asdf123
I'm adding $75.44 for 5 items I sold during the last week on eBay.
Individual profit for each item was:
$59.88
$12.32
$1.30
$1.08
$0.86
As you can see, there was quite a spread! The small items are hardly worth it, but the idea of Challenge helps to motivate me even when I know the profit won't be much.
Old Total: $764.27
+ $75.44 eBay sales
---------------------
New Total $839.71
Posted in
$20 Challenge
|
1 Comments »
February 22nd, 2007 at 05:58 pm
0Wednesday night babysitting $$ to add to the Challenge:
Old Total: $739.27
+ $25 babysitting
----------------------
New Total: $764.27
I mailed 5 eBay sales this morning. I'll calculate the earnings this evening and make another post to reflect the income. asdf123
Wednesday night babysitting $$ to add to the Challenge:
Old Total: $739.27
+ $25 babysitting
----------------------
New Total: $764.27
I mailed 5 eBay sales this morning. I'll calculate the earnings this evening and make another post to reflect the income.
Posted in
$20 Challenge
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0 Comments »
February 19th, 2007 at 04:02 am
0This quote from Amy Marcus, a recipe developer and food stylist at Vegetarian Times caught my eye in a recent issue of the magazine:
"I think that people don't enterain enough. There's nothing like going over to someone's house for a home-cooked meal."
We entertain a lot, so it's hard for me too judge what the rest of the world is doing, but in terms of just having a good time, I enjoy being with friends at home (or at their home) over going out. All of that aside, I find entertaining, even with a fairly sophisticated menu, to be less expensive (or comparable) to going out.
The party seems to linger a little longer, and people seem more willing to let their true personalities show better when they're at a home. Growing up, my parents seldom entertained. When they did, it was always a big, stressful production. Although there is a lot about my parents I hope to emulate, I try to take a more relaxed approach to entertaining and try to keep an open door policy towards guests.
Mr. Bean and I had, in my opinion, the best Valentine's Day in Bean-relationship history. It started with an unexpected day off (weather related), a nice pancake breakfast, a few hours of snowshoeing, and a homecooked lasaga for dinner. Mr. Bean was recounting to friends the next day about our pancake breakfast. Many of our friends are international students- including some who have spouses back in their home countries.
Somehow he ended up inviting a few people over for brunch today-- but then the list expanded. In total, we had 10 people from 7 countries (US, China, India, Nepal, Turkey, Germany, Argentina).
We moved the kitchen chairs out to the living room and let people help themselves buffet style to a smattering of food, including a new recipe for Gingerbread Waffles, breakfast burritos, cherry almond cake (my fave!), a rendition of Jodi from Saving Advice's granola, fresh fruit, and an array of goodies brought by friends.
[img]1622[/img]
(The Granola was the the only thing I took a picture of!)
Everyone stayed over 3 hours. Lots of food and 3 pots of coffee later, we were all stuffed, but it was a fantastic way to end the weekend. asdf123
This quote from Amy Marcus, a recipe developer and food stylist at Vegetarian Times caught my eye in a recent issue of the magazine:
"I think that people don't enterain enough. There's nothing like going over to someone's house for a home-cooked meal."
We entertain a lot, so it's hard for me too judge what the rest of the world is doing, but in terms of just having a good time, I enjoy being with friends at home (or at their home) over going out. All of that aside, I find entertaining, even with a fairly sophisticated menu, to be less expensive (or comparable) to going out.
The party seems to linger a little longer, and people seem more willing to let their true personalities show better when they're at a home. Growing up, my parents seldom entertained. When they did, it was always a big, stressful production. Although there is a lot about my parents I hope to emulate, I try to take a more relaxed approach to entertaining and try to keep an open door policy towards guests.
Mr. Bean and I had, in my opinion, the best Valentine's Day in Bean-relationship history. It started with an unexpected day off (weather related), a nice pancake breakfast, a few hours of snowshoeing, and a homecooked lasaga for dinner. Mr. Bean was recounting to friends the next day about our pancake breakfast. Many of our friends are international students- including some who have spouses back in their home countries.
Somehow he ended up inviting a few people over for brunch today-- but then the list expanded. In total, we had 10 people from 7 countries (US, China, India, Nepal, Turkey, Germany, Argentina).
We moved the kitchen chairs out to the living room and let people help themselves buffet style to a smattering of food, including a new recipe for Gingerbread Waffles, breakfast burritos, cherry almond cake (my fave!), a rendition of Jodi from Saving Advice's granola, fresh fruit, and an array of goodies brought by friends.
(The Granola was the the only thing I took a picture of!)
Everyone stayed over 3 hours. Lots of food and 3 pots of coffee later, we were all stuffed, but it was a fantastic way to end the weekend.
Posted in
Cooking
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3 Comments »
February 18th, 2007 at 02:40 pm
0My Wednesday night babysitting job was cancelled due to bad weather, but I babysat last night and made $60.
Old Total: $679.27
+ $60 babysitting
-------------------------
New Total: $739.27
I've sold 2 things on eBay, but I'm going to wait until after I can mail them so I know the exact shipping cost.
We have 10 people coming over for brunch in a few hours-- I need to get moving! asdf123
My Wednesday night babysitting job was cancelled due to bad weather, but I babysat last night and made $60.
Old Total: $679.27
+ $60 babysitting
-------------------------
New Total: $739.27
I've sold 2 things on eBay, but I'm going to wait until after I can mail them so I know the exact shipping cost.
We have 10 people coming over for brunch in a few hours-- I need to get moving!
Posted in
$20 Challenge
|
5 Comments »
February 16th, 2007 at 04:40 pm
0Sometimes you just get lucky. I need to remind myself of this situation when I start feeling down on myself for losing money on silly things-- like returning a library book late or forgetting to use a coupon. Or that $100 speeding ticket.
Back in December, I read this post at MyMoneyBlog about ShareBuilder deals. I had never purchased stock, but figured I might as well throw in $20 and give it a try.
I don’t have a Costco Membership, but I was able to use some of Jonathan’s advice to finagle a great deal.
This is what I did:
1.) I went to eBates.com to see if they were offering a ShareBuilder.com rebate. Although the eBate is no longer valid, at the time they were offering a $20 eBate for opening a ShareBuilder account plus a $5 eBate for new members.
NOTE: For those unfamiliar with eBates, it’s a shopping portal that offers cash back if you purchase via their portal. Membership is free. If you use this link to become a member and eventually buy something, both you and I will get a $5 check.
2.) After I signed up for eBates, I followed their link to ShareBuilder. Once on the ShareBuilder site I used the coupon code “HIGHER50” when opening my account and transferred $20 from my checking into the ShareBuilder account. I didn’t read all the details about the HIGHER50 code, but it mentioned something about getting $50, so I figured I’d give it a try. I knew I already had my initial investment returned (+$5) through eBates.
I wasn’t ready to buy stock yet, so I just let the money sit in Sharebuilder for a few weeks while I thought about what to do next (well, OK, I’ll be honest, it was more like I let the money sit there while I put off thinking about what to do next). ShareBuilder puts the money in a money market so you can actually earn some interest while you think / procrastinate.
NOTE: HIGHER50 is expired, but I believe you can currently get a similar deal with the code SHARE50 or TVSB50
3.) I fully expected to have to pay the $4 / trade fee when I finally got around to buying stock, but in mid-January I got an email from ShareBuilder reminding me that my 2 free trades would be expiring at the end of the month. Two free trades? Who knew? I do not know how I got these 2 free trades. Maybe it was part of the HIGHER50 code, maybe it was a promo. Like I said, I think I got lucky this time around.
4.) On January 17th, I purchased 1 share of Gentiva
(GTIV) for $19.40. I was not charged a trading fee and the remaining balance ($0.60) sat in the money market.
5.) Today, I got an email from ShareBuilder informing me that the $50 from the HIGHER50 code has been placed into my ShareBuilder Money Market. I checked, sure enough it was. In addition, my 1 share of Gentiva is now worth $21.78 (+12% since I purchased it).
So in summary, my initial $20 investment turned into $77.43:
$21.78 (current value of Gentiva stock)
$25 eBate
$50.65 in ShareBuilder Money Market (includes $50 coupon code bonus + $0.60 left over from initial investment + $0.05 interest).
I plan to re-invest the $50 bonus this weekend. I don’t expect to get rich with this, but it’s been a fun get my feet wet and take an interest in the stock market.
I’m not going to add any of this to my $20 Challenge since technically this whole ordeal began in December.
asdf123
Sometimes you just get lucky. I need to remind myself of this situation when I start feeling down on myself for losing money on silly things-- like returning a library book late or forgetting to use a coupon. Or that $100 speeding ticket.
Back in December, I read this post at MyMoneyBlog about ShareBuilder deals. I had never purchased stock, but figured I might as well throw in $20 and give it a try.
I don’t have a Costco Membership, but I was able to use some of Jonathan’s advice to finagle a great deal.
This is what I did:
1.) I went to eBates.com to see if they were offering a ShareBuilder.com rebate. Although the eBate is no longer valid, at the time they were offering a $20 eBate for opening a ShareBuilder account plus a $5 eBate for new members.
NOTE: For those unfamiliar with eBates, it’s a shopping portal that offers cash back if you purchase via their portal. Membership is free. If you use this link to become a member and eventually buy something, both you and I will get a $5 check.
2.) After I signed up for eBates, I followed their link to ShareBuilder. Once on the ShareBuilder site I used the coupon code “HIGHER50” when opening my account and transferred $20 from my checking into the ShareBuilder account. I didn’t read all the details about the HIGHER50 code, but it mentioned something about getting $50, so I figured I’d give it a try. I knew I already had my initial investment returned (+$5) through eBates.
I wasn’t ready to buy stock yet, so I just let the money sit in Sharebuilder for a few weeks while I thought about what to do next (well, OK, I’ll be honest, it was more like I let the money sit there while I put off thinking about what to do next). ShareBuilder puts the money in a money market so you can actually earn some interest while you think / procrastinate.
NOTE: HIGHER50 is expired, but I believe you can currently get a similar deal with the code SHARE50 or TVSB50
3.) I fully expected to have to pay the $4 / trade fee when I finally got around to buying stock, but in mid-January I got an email from ShareBuilder reminding me that my 2 free trades would be expiring at the end of the month. Two free trades? Who knew? I do not know how I got these 2 free trades. Maybe it was part of the HIGHER50 code, maybe it was a promo. Like I said, I think I got lucky this time around.
4.) On January 17th, I purchased 1 share of Gentiva
(GTIV) for $19.40. I was not charged a trading fee and the remaining balance ($0.60) sat in the money market.
5.) Today, I got an email from ShareBuilder informing me that the $50 from the HIGHER50 code has been placed into my ShareBuilder Money Market. I checked, sure enough it was. In addition, my 1 share of Gentiva is now worth $21.78 (+12% since I purchased it).
So in summary, my initial $20 investment turned into $77.43:
$21.78 (current value of Gentiva stock)
$25 eBate
$50.65 in ShareBuilder Money Market (includes $50 coupon code bonus + $0.60 left over from initial investment + $0.05 interest).
I plan to re-invest the $50 bonus this weekend. I don’t expect to get rich with this, but it’s been a fun get my feet wet and take an interest in the stock market.
I’m not going to add any of this to my $20 Challenge since technically this whole ordeal began in December.
Posted in
Cash!
|
3 Comments »
February 14th, 2007 at 02:28 pm
0eBay is offering 50% off insertion fees for today only.
If you're like me and stuck home in snowy weather, today is a perfect day for decluttering!
I'm trying something new with an item I'm currently selling on eBay. I listed it much lower than the anticipated selling price.
So far, 11 people are watching and one bid has been made. The auction still has ~3 days.
I tried this tactic to:
1.) save myself a little $$ on the insertion fee, and
2.) drum up interest in the item
It will be interesting to see if it works!
asdf123
eBay is offering 50% off insertion fees for today only.
If you're like me and stuck home in snowy weather, today is a perfect day for decluttering!
I'm trying something new with an item I'm currently selling on eBay. I listed it much lower than the anticipated selling price.
So far, 11 people are watching and one bid has been made. The auction still has ~3 days.
I tried this tactic to:
1.) save myself a little $$ on the insertion fee, and
2.) drum up interest in the item
It will be interesting to see if it works!
Posted in
Cash!,
$20 Challenge
|
2 Comments »
February 14th, 2007 at 01:28 am
0As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently made a trip to Aldi.
In addition to having low-cost food, Aldi is a FABULOUS source for inexpensive German chocolate.
Mr. Bean will be receiving this basket for Valentine's Day. All the chocolate is from Aldi.
[img]1596[/img]
There's a little over 1.5 pounds of various types of chocolate. The total cost was $6.75. Once you start eating German (or Swiss, or Austrian...) chocolate, American chocolate really loses its appeal.
Let's hope he'll share some with me! asdf123
As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently made a trip to Aldi.
In addition to having low-cost food, Aldi is a FABULOUS source for inexpensive German chocolate.
Mr. Bean will be receiving this basket for Valentine's Day. All the chocolate is from Aldi.
There's a little over 1.5 pounds of various types of chocolate. The total cost was $6.75. Once you start eating German (or Swiss, or Austrian...) chocolate, American chocolate really loses its appeal.
Let's hope he'll share some with me!
Posted in
Grocery Shopping and Coupons
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3 Comments »
February 14th, 2007 at 12:37 am
0I'm feeling stressed. I've debated whether I want to get into the details here, but basically Mr. Bean will be graduating with a Master's degree this year, I won't graduate until next (with my doctorate). The issue has been what to do while I finish up. The job opportunities in this town are severely limited for him. Should he go elsewhere while I stay here? Should I ask to spend my final thesis year away? Would I have to forfeit my stipend if I left? Would my adviser be peeved? I know the answers to some of these questions, but not all.
The odd thing is, these issues HAVE NOT been stressing me. Mr. Bean has been applying for jobs both here and elsewhere. I've felt like we have everything in order that's under our control. The rest- well, we’ll just have to wait and see.
And then, I got a call from our landlord. He wants us to sign the lease for next year--even though our current lease doesn’t expire until August. Such are the joys of living in a tight rental market. I love this house—this is the first house we first lived in as a married couple. I don’t want for us to find another place to live—but if I’m here by myself, I probably don’t need an entire house—and if I go with him we certainly don’t need any house in this town.
I explained our situation to the landlord. He said he’s give us a week to decide. I know we won’t have anything figured out in a week. I reminded him that we’ve been great tenants for the past 3 years. I keep the house spic and span—finding renters will not be a problem. He wasn’t persuaded. I understand where he’s coming from. He has a business to run. It seems unfortunate that we’re only ½ way though our 1-year lease and have to make a decision already for the next year or risk losing our house.
asdf123
I'm feeling stressed. I've debated whether I want to get into the details here, but basically Mr. Bean will be graduating with a Master's degree this year, I won't graduate until next (with my doctorate). The issue has been what to do while I finish up. The job opportunities in this town are severely limited for him. Should he go elsewhere while I stay here? Should I ask to spend my final thesis year away? Would I have to forfeit my stipend if I left? Would my adviser be peeved? I know the answers to some of these questions, but not all.
The odd thing is, these issues HAVE NOT been stressing me. Mr. Bean has been applying for jobs both here and elsewhere. I've felt like we have everything in order that's under our control. The rest- well, we’ll just have to wait and see.
And then, I got a call from our landlord. He wants us to sign the lease for next year--even though our current lease doesn’t expire until August. Such are the joys of living in a tight rental market. I love this house—this is the first house we first lived in as a married couple. I don’t want for us to find another place to live—but if I’m here by myself, I probably don’t need an entire house—and if I go with him we certainly don’t need any house in this town.
I explained our situation to the landlord. He said he’s give us a week to decide. I know we won’t have anything figured out in a week. I reminded him that we’ve been great tenants for the past 3 years. I keep the house spic and span—finding renters will not be a problem. He wasn’t persuaded. I understand where he’s coming from. He has a business to run. It seems unfortunate that we’re only ½ way though our 1-year lease and have to make a decision already for the next year or risk losing our house.
Posted in
Introduction and My Life in General
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3 Comments »
February 13th, 2007 at 01:03 am
0I sold a single 15 pound dumbbell for $3 through our local online classifeds.
Old Total: $676.27
+ $3 for dumbbell
-------------------------
New Total: $679.27
I love being active, but lifting isn't my thing. Personally, I try to AVOID lifting heavy things. But, for some reason I bought this dumbbell about 5 years ago with the intention to improve my strength.
Well, I can probably count on two hands (attached to my toothpick arms) how many times I've actually used it. Everytime I've moved I thought about how dumb I was to continue to move this dumbbell.
Well, now it's gone-- I can add $3 to my Challenge! asdf123
I sold a single 15 pound dumbbell for $3 through our local online classifeds.
Old Total: $676.27
+ $3 for dumbbell
-------------------------
New Total: $679.27
I love being active, but lifting isn't my thing. Personally, I try to AVOID lifting heavy things. But, for some reason I bought this dumbbell about 5 years ago with the intention to improve my strength.
Well, I can probably count on two hands (attached to my toothpick arms) how many times I've actually used it. Everytime I've moved I thought about how dumb I was to continue to move this dumbbell.
Well, now it's gone-- I can add $3 to my Challenge!
Posted in
$20 Challenge
|
2 Comments »
February 12th, 2007 at 01:24 am
0Any Geocachers out there?
[img]1589[/img]
We logged 3 this afternoon!
Between being a FT doctoral student and my various odd jobs, I'm a pretty busy gal. Luckily, Mr. Bean is supportive of my choices.
Nevertheless, I like to keep Sundays open and spend time with him. He's recently really gotten into Geocaching. Aside from the initial outlay of a handheld GPS unit (~$100-150), it's a pretty frugal hobby. It’s also a great way to get outdoors and explore new trails. We don't have kids (yet), but we notice in the log books that a lot of families with kids are into it.
The GPS unit is handy for hiking, too (just make sure you don't place it on the top of your car while loading up and then drive off-- this is how we lost our first GPS unit-- doh!)
asdf123
Any Geocachers out there?
We logged 3 this afternoon!
Between being a FT doctoral student and my various odd jobs, I'm a pretty busy gal. Luckily, Mr. Bean is supportive of my choices.
Nevertheless, I like to keep Sundays open and spend time with him. He's recently really gotten into Geocaching. Aside from the initial outlay of a handheld GPS unit (~$100-150), it's a pretty frugal hobby. It’s also a great way to get outdoors and explore new trails. We don't have kids (yet), but we notice in the log books that a lot of families with kids are into it.
The GPS unit is handy for hiking, too (just make sure you don't place it on the top of your car while loading up and then drive off-- this is how we lost our first GPS unit-- doh!)
Posted in
Introduction and My Life in General
|
6 Comments »
February 11th, 2007 at 03:08 pm
0I earned $40 babysitting Saturday night-- which I'll add to the Challenge.
Old total: $636.27
+ $40 babysitting
----------------------
New Total: $676.27
I agreed to babysit for them on Valentine's Day. I hope that by making myself available and easy to schedule, I'll be the babysitter they'll always want to call.
asdf123
I earned $40 babysitting Saturday night-- which I'll add to the Challenge.
Old total: $636.27
+ $40 babysitting
----------------------
New Total: $676.27
I agreed to babysit for them on Valentine's Day. I hope that by making myself available and easy to schedule, I'll be the babysitter they'll always want to call.
Posted in
$20 Challenge
|
2 Comments »
February 10th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
0It’s Triple Coupon week in my neck of the woods! You’re allowed to triple 6 coupons (up to $1). They swipe your store bonus card to make sure you don’t triple more than 6 over the course of the week. My loot is pictured below. I’m pleased with what I got for $24.53.
[img]1586[/img]
The store was a zoo—as is to be expected on a Saturday morning. I realized once I got home that I could have had made a few different coupon decisions for a slightly better deals, but c’est la vie. I didn’t want to be in the store all day.
I checked out with:
2 pounds cornmeal
2 loaves whole wheat Pepperidge Farm Bread
1 bag Nestle Chocolate Chips
2-1.75 oz packages of M&Ms
2 jars Jif Peanut Butter
1-15oz can Lite Coconut Milk
3-28-oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
2-15.5oz cans black beans
2 -15.5oz cans Chick Peas
2 jars Oretga salsa
Bananas
Organic Salad Mix
4-Pack Dannon Yogurt
1 pint Fat Free Half and Half
18 eggs
Olivo Butter Spray
Loreal Vive Shampoo (1) and Conditioner (1)
Swiffer Wet Jet Refill
When I clipped coupons this week I clipped everything and sorted them into piles of "Stuff I'd Buy" and "Stuff I Won't Buy" with the intent of sending the "Won't Buy" pile to overseas military families. The pile of coupons I won’t use was certainly larger than the pile I will use, but I have to disagree when people say they never see coupons for healthy stuff. Yes, you’ll see some ice cream and M&M’s in this photo (I couldn’t resist, I had a BOGO coupon and I thought the M&M's would be a nice treat for when we see movies on campus), but canned tomatoes, salsa, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, yogurt and organic salad? All these items get this nutritionist’s stamp of approval and all were purchased with a coupon!
asdf123
It’s Triple Coupon week in my neck of the woods! You’re allowed to triple 6 coupons (up to $1). They swipe your store bonus card to make sure you don’t triple more than 6 over the course of the week. My loot is pictured below. I’m pleased with what I got for $24.53.
The store |