Frugal Friday with Marsha --More on Menu Planning

Last week I wrote about my daughter making up a menu plan, then shopping for all of the foods on the plan.
This week I went down and made a list of all the foods in the deep freeze and I meal planned from there.

Interestingly enough, this morning when I opened my kindle app to do some reading in one of the books I've shared with you before, I seen a title on the bottom row that interested me enough to click on it.  The ebook costs $2.99, but I downloaded the sample to read.

It's called Six Dollar Family and it's by Stacy Barr and is how she went from being a homeless mom with $6 in her pocket to where she is now.  
I want the whole book, but being my thrifty self, I don't like to spend more than 99 cents for an ebook.  I will highlight it at the bottom of this post for anyone interested.

In just the sample that I downloaded, she talks about the difference between a thrifty person and a frugal person, yes, including meal planning.  I want to share those 2 excerpts with you today:

"The thrifty person may know what tomorrow's dinner is, but they don't plan their meals or their grocery shopping.  Instead, they often wing it with boxed or packaged meals they picked up on sale, wander through the store buying "what looks good" and often give in to wasteful impulse buys."

"A frugal person menu plans regularly using what they already have in their home first and grocery shopping second.  They often cook meals from scratch and know the "true" cost of boxed meals doesn't always mean just a monetary value."

I fall in the frugal category here, and is exactly what I've done this week----and hope to continue to do. Once the stock of what we have on hand goes down, we can go from there, shopping the sales only on meats and other foods.  I just need to stick with it and give the grocery lists to my daughter.

Stacy Barr has a blog as well that I have checked out this morning.  I see so many posts I can't wait to read and I'm sure you will too.  Check it out!!  Six Dollar Family   From there you can also follow her on on the social media as well.

Here is the link to her book on amazon.  I encourage you, if nothing else to do as I did, and download the sample.  I'm getting a lot out of what I am reading.  So much, in fact, that I'm sure I will go ahead and buy the entire ebook.  On the amazon page where it says customers who bought this also bought these, I see 3 more ebooks right there that I want!

Coupons to Print

For each coupon, click the banner, or the link to access them  :)

Sign up for a free Atkins quick-start kit, including a carb counter and a printable BOGO coupon to get any Atkins product of equal or lesser value for free.


Click and print coupon to save $.50 on any ONE SUPERPRETZEL Soft Pretzel Product.


Don't forget to print out your $1 coupon for Dole Fruitocracy. You can find my full blog post about it HERE, or you can just click HERE to print your coupon. (2 prints per computer allowed)
Here are pictures of my granddaughters Araya and Willo enjoying their Fruitocracy. It is very good, and good for you with 20% of the daily Vitamin C in each pouch.

Don't forget to check each of these sites on a regular basis as coupons change frequently!








Happy Saving!!

Family Fun Magazine Suggests These Toys for Your April Fool's Jokes

FamilyFun Magazine is preparing for April Fool’s Day on April 1^st with the below list of hilarious tricks and gags. From faux bugs and tricky jelly beans to noise putty and fake teeth, FamilyFun’s list will have everyone in the friendly pranking mood!

1. KLUTZ PRANKSTER MAGIC

From mind-reading tricks to faux-gum pranks, your child will learn dozens of ways to fake out his friends with this book of tricks. Ages 8 and up, $13; store.scholastic.com

2. WHOOPEE CUSHION

You better watch where you sit come April 1! The iconic balloon trick never fails. Ages 3 and up, $7 for 12;orientaltrading.com

3. GOOGLY EYES GLASSES

What are you looking at? These oversize eyeball specs wiggle and jiggle as your child moves his head around. Ages 14 and up, $9; mcphee.com

4. HAND BUZZER

Think before you shake on that April Fools’ Day truce. With this wind-up, wearable buzzer, your partner in crime could give you quite the shock when your hands meet. Ages 6 and up, $4; schylling.com

5. BEANBOOZLED

Eat this candy only if you dare! (Or, of course, if you’re tricked.) Is that flavor berry blue or toothpaste? Chocolate pudding or dog food? You won’t know until you take a bite. Ages 6 and up, $2.50; jellybelly.com

6. TOYSMITH NOISE PUTTY

Does somebody need a bathroom pass? Push the putty to create a symphony of hilariously embarrassing bodily noises. Ages 5 and up, $4 each; amazon.com

7. REV-UP ICKY COCKROACH

This trick is what nightmares are made of—a giant cockroach that kids can wind and send scurrying into a room. Ages 6 and up, $25 for a set of 4 bugs; unclemilton.com

8. TWO-WAY TRICK SQUIRT CAMERA

Smile! That family pic is more fun when a squirt of water replaces the camera flash. (But photographer, beware: A switch of a button directs the stream back on you.) Ages 8 and up, $7; tintoyarcade.com

9. NPW CLASSIC SOUND MACHINE

Whether it’s the sound of a doorbell ring or glass breaking, this pocket-size noise machine will up your child’s prank game.Ages 6 and up, $14; amazon.com

10. TROUBLED TEETH

Quick, schedule an emergency dentist appointment! Kids will get a rise out of teachers or other parents with any one of these four sets of fake teeth. Ages 5 and up, $4; landofnod.com

Disclosure:  Family Fun Magazine sent me the list to share with my readers.  I was not compensated for sharing the list, and none of the links are associated to me.

Frugal Friday With Marsha-- Meal Planning

 First of all, happy Good Friday to everyone.   We have family/church plans to go the Alley this afternoon and then the Good Friday service at church this evening.

This past week we finally got our acts together to do something we should have done months ago, that is start meal planning.

This week wasn't frugal as my daughter asked the children what they wanted to eat for the week.  She then went and bought all the foods from the plan.   We, or she, can't do that again for awhile, so for next week we will have to look at foods we have on hand and then plan the meals.

It's been so nice to look at the list and know what will be fixed over scrambling to decide at the last minute each evening!
For now we will be using a sheet of notebook paper stuck on the fridge, but I hope soon to order a magnetic meal planning board.

I love the 99 cent ebooks added to my kindle app, so I've added this one to my collection of frugal type books to my app:


There are lots of choices of kindle books to choose from on this subject.  I wish I could order and read them all for motivation.  If you would like to check some of them out, just click HERE.

I hope to give you an update next week that we have actually followed through with our plans!

Save $1 on Dole's Fruitocracy!

Have you heard of Fruitocracy?  It's by Dole and is a squeezable fruit pouch that tweens and moms are loving!
Fruitocracy is made with all-natural fruit and comes in vibrantly colored pouches.
You will love that this on-the-go snack has no high fructose syrup and is non-GMO.

Fruitocracy comes in 6 flavors:
Apple Banana
Apple
Apple Cherry
Apple Mixed Berry
Apple Pineapple
Apple Strawberry

Click HERE to print your $1 coupon now!    Psssstttt.....think fun and nutrition for those Easter baskets.

Want more information about Fruitocracy?  Click HERE to visit their website.






Disclosure:  This information was sent to me to share with my readers, including images.  I was not compensated for this post, however it does contain affiliate links.

WIP Wednesday 3/23/16

I didn't end up getting a post written last week with the chaos surrounding my family.  I didn't get much done this week on my quilting/sewing/crafts, so it's a good thing that I have some things to share with you from the week before.

This past week I have been working on the Arkansas Crossroads quilt.  I've just been putting lines on to prepare to make the half square triangles and didn't take a picture of that.  However, at sit n' sew at the quilt shop I did get some of the half square triangles completed, and put together 3 blocks.

I got in some more crocheting on the prayer shawl:

I pulled out the t-shirt rug I started one movie day at church.   Yes, I know, it's no wonder the rugs don't get done when I am flipping back and forth working on 3 or 4 different ones, but we are having another movie day at church soon where I will work on this one again.

Last but not least, I did pull out my purple hexagons for the soscrappy color this month, and got several of those made.  I apologize for my photo being darker and blurred.  I took the picture with just my lamp on after grandkids had already fallen asleep here in the living room.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
3 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug--plus more to sell
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
T-shirt latchhook rug
Rainbow colored locker hook rug
T-shirt toothbrush rug
Charming Stars quilt
Special crocheted prayer shawl
Fall Squares table topper

2016 Finishes:
Smaller pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Hexagon flower table runner

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Frugal Friday with Marsha-- Gardening on a Shoestring-- Book Review

So far my few gardening attempts this year are failing.  My seedlings never did sprout.   I rec'd the book Gardening on a Shoestring- 100 Fun Upcycled Garden Projects in and knew it would fit perfectly for this weeks Frugal Friday post.



Gardening on a Shoestring is exactly what we need around here!
This book is just pretty awesome.  Not only is it full of cool ideas, it also has sections with great gardening tips.

Chapters include:
How to be a Shoestring Gardener
Pots for a Pittance
Style on a Shoestring
Grow Food for Peanuts
How to Make New Plants for Free
How Not to Waste Money on Gardening Supplies
Keep Your Garden Healthy for (Almost) Nothing

I can't wait to read this book cover to cover, take notes, and most of all give some of these things a try.
What stands out to me right now is how to make starter pots with toilet paper rolls and newspapers.  I love those ideas!  Another idea in the book that I see that I know I will use is making raised beds from bricks.  I already have the black roll that you lay on the ground to help prevent weeds, and we have stacks of bricks in our garage just waiting to be used.

The tips alone throughout the book should really help me to know what I'm doing.   My dad was such an awesome gardener, and he gardened on a shoestring.  He grew up very poor, living with 5 brothers and a sister in a  tiny shack in a field in Missouri.  He learned hands on.  I wish I had paid more attention.  I see in this book how I can make my dream come true of gardening like my dad did.
I also hope to make use of several of the landscaping ideas in the book as well.

If you are a gardener, or like me, and want to be one, I highly recommend this book!




Disclosure:  I rec'd this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way and any opinions are my own.  This post does include affiliate links.

Frugal Friday With Marsha--Trip to the Casino

A trip to a casino and frugal just somehow don't seem to go together.  However, I took a day trip with my daughter and her friend this week to the Boot Hill Casino.
The original plan was that we were going the week of the 27th when my husband could go too.  That's his vacation week.  We found out that the tour company didn't have a bus going the Tuesday of that week.   We still wanted to go, so we did.

See, Village Tours, is having a special this month.  As long as you bring at least 2 friends with you, everyone rides free.  It's normally $35 a person for the day trip.  How can you pass up riding free when you still get the $25 in free play at the casino and the $10 food voucher?

I took along $30.  I had some good luck on my very first spin.  I spent $1.50 max bet on a quick hits machine and won $67.25 on my first spin.  I vowed I was going to save that cash out voucher and not cash it in until leaving.....but I didn't.  
What I did have was a LOT of fun.

Not a bad day out for $30.  I got the ride on the bus to the casino, $25 in free play on the slots, and a good lunch for that $30.....not to mention a day away that was lots of fun.  In the end I was literally playing a penny at a time on the slots....and wondering why I didn't do that all the time. Now I am itching to go back to do it.  Hubby and I do plan on going on a trip of our own in April for our birthdays and free steak dinners.

We discovered that the bus has 110 plug ins as well as a free wi-fi hot spot.  I was already doing some things on my phone like rabadaba and tsu on the bus ride with mobile data.  On the way home I used the wi-fi.  So, I still earned some pennies while gone, but had I known about the wi-fi, I would have brought my tablet and did some traffic exchange clicking too.

I took this picture as we were leaving.  That's the bus we were on.  It's a 2 hour bus ride each way then 5 hours at the casino for the day trip.

intelliARMOR 4-Port USB Charger Fits Our Family Needs

When I seen the intelliARMOR 4-Port USB Charger I knew it was something this family needs.  With 8 of us living in the house, and all of us having devices that need to be charged, it really is a need. (In fact, we need a second one  LOL)

Someone is always asking where an open plus is for charging.  Now with intelliARMOR we can just use one socket and 4 devices or other items can be charged all at the same time.

As you can see in my photo, it works not only for phones and tablets, but for other items as well.  We are charging a vape pen and a Playstation controller as well, all at the same time.

The charger is going to really come in handy when we go on our family camping trips.  We use the vehicle battery to charge with a unit plugged into the power port.  However, there is only one outlet and one USB port on it.  Now we will be able to use the outlet so that 4 devices can be charged at once.  No.....we can't go camping and not still use our devices.  Yes.....that is the world we live in now.  :)


*INPUT: 100-240V 50/60Hz 0.4A 

*OUTPUT: 5V 5A 

*Get Quality Charging Catered Directly Toward Your Devices' Charging Needs 








Disclaimer:  I rec'd this product in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own.  Affiliate links are included.

WIP Wednesday --Back to My Schedule?

I decided Sunday I was going to try to get back to the schedule I made myself for getting things done.  I'm feeling a little out of control by not having set routines.

Sunday I pulled out the t-shirt latch hook rug to work on.

Monday I got out the 3 inch squares for the Arkansas Roads quilt so that I could start making the lines for the half square triangles.  That didn't work out well.  I got them out of the box and drew one whole line.  It's sit n' sew at the quilt shop this Friday night so I plan on working on something on it there.

Tuesday is doll sets and I went on the bus trip to the Boot Hill Casino again so took those along.  I did get a little work done on the rugs on the ride.  I carry this little bag in my purse so I can work on these in any down times---if I would just do it instead of messing on my phone.

I didn't restart my schedule until Sunday so that really is all that I got done since last Wednesday.
I did forget to mention last week that I finished the Hexagon Flower table runner.  Hopefully I will soon have it listed for sale in my etsy.

Wednesday is my day to work on the color of the month with the soscrappy blog scrap challenge.  It's purple this month so I will pull out purples in hexagons (which are my project to work on Saturday) and work on the purple 4 patches that I started last time the color was purple.

I have Thursdays to be to work on any other UFO.  I haven't decided yet which one that will be.  Then Friday is yo-yos.  

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
3 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug--plus more to sell
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
T-shirt latchhook rug
Rainbow colored locker hook rug
T-shirt toothbrush rug
Charming Stars quilt
Special crocheted prayer shawl
Fall Squares table topper

2016 Finishes:
Smaller pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Hexagon flower table runner

I link up with the following blogs: