A Thrifty Day

Well today was a good day. Mcgyver and I drove our new Ford Focus to town, getting 35 miles per gallon, and only burnt a teaspoon of gas it seemed. We drove to Goodwill and dropped off a few tshirts, and then we went to Staples, and took advantage of some rebate savings. We got a pop up tape dispenser, and a pack of mechanical pencils free after rebate. Then we went to the mall, and got his ring fixed because somehow he managed to smash it at work one night. That was free also. Then we drove to Gary's Superfoods and that's where I got the most of my savings. I picked up 4 tony's pizzas, 4 2 liters of pepsi products and 1 can of redi wihp for 8.48 cents total! I had a cupon for 1 dollar off 2 pizzas and 50 cents off 2 pizzas. 35 cents off a can of redi whip and a 1 dollar off 4 sodas. Combined savings of 6.66! Yes, I know freaky right? Well here's a pic of my bounty!

See I've discovered the trick to getting things relatively cheaply. The trick is, buy only sale items and only the items you have cupons for. I've been managing to get bags of rolls for less than half off what they originally cost, bags of frozen veggies for pennies, and while I cannot extreme cupon, due to the fact that my stores do not double, and put HUGE restrictions on cupons and items, I am still managing to save a bit of money, and stock my fridge. I pour over the circulars every wednesday, viewing them online and whenever Mcgyver brings them home for me. Then I look at what cupons I have, and I go! I wasn't able to do this before. We had next to ZERO money to do any extra shopping with, so now that I can do a little bit, I'm having a field day! I love being able to run to the store every couple days and snatch up a deal. Also, I must say that after we did that amazing shopping , I went to subway where it was a dollar off my favorite sub, so I managed to pick up a footlong sub for 4 dollars, not 5. Aweesommmeee. Top that with the fact that Mcgyver sold his motorcycle for 5k, so that's 5k we can put towards our car, dropping the total down to just 9k left owed! Woop!

Anyway, I just wanted to tap out a quick one to brag about my savings. More to come I'm sure. Now if the weather would cooperate, I can start planting and then save even more! Hopefully it'll happen soon. Until next time lovelies.





What a dreary day

It's so gray out there. All the colors mesh together and all I see are gray and bright green. Bad weather is looming and we even have a severe winter watch on our hands. All this and in the last few days, we've had nothing but beautiful weather. Weather nice enough that I could open the windows and allow the breezes to blow through my house. But right now, not so much. The heat is on and I'm back to doning sweat pants, socks and sweatshirts. Oh well. It'll pass hopefully and nothing but beautiful planting weather will ensue. I'm kinda glad we didn't plant our strawberries the other day like I was really pressing Macgyver to do. I'm just kinda worried about our little peach tree. I hope it can survive.
Soccer practice has been called off today and reschedule for 30 minutes before the game on Sunday. HOPEFULLY the weather isn't miserable like it was last Sunday. It was just horrible. Still the princess managed to score two goals and come away with a big grin on her face, not to mention a slight limp. Sports are rough on kids, but she's managing.
I have some chocolate chips in my freezer just begging to be made into something. Cookies are overdone, I want to do something awesome with them. Any ideas?
Anywho, I'm all sorts of scattered today so will continue some other time when I'm not. Until next time.

Cupon Rant!!!

Ok, so yah I know that those shows like "Extreme cuponer" is good for MOST people.. but what about those of us in the middle of nowhere, that do not have a choice of grocery stores like they do in those shows? Yes, it's amazing you can wittle your bill from 1200 bucks to only 150, but what about MEEEEEEEEE??? It seems unfair that the grocery stores we DO have, do NOT double coupons, And I always seem to miss the sales for some reason. I'm s irritated that it's almost a hateful spite I feel towards these people who can do amazing things with thier cupons. Not because I'm jealous of thier haul, but because I'm mad that our own grocery stores do not offer that. I guess I just need to find other ways to save money and realize that when you life in BFE Nebraska, there's no way you're going to save money on anything unless you work harder than the average person. *huff*

HOLY BREAD!!

Yes, I did it again! I am so excite at how wondefully I did on this loaf, I just had to share. It's so pretty!!

I think I might try to tackle some sort of sweet bread next. I know with bread, you can basically put anything you want in it, but I'm still new to this. I just perfected the art of using a glass meatloaf pan to make bread, so I still gotta catch up I suppose. Maybe I can make a cinnamon & raisin bread? Well either way, I think I might also make some home made cinnamon rolls later too. I am gonna have to stock up on yeast that's for sure. I just wanted to brag...Until next time!

Sunday Funday! ( well, not quite )

Hey everybody! Well it's Sunday and you know what that means right? Yes, house cleaning day. Fun fun! Though you know, I really can't complain much after the results. The princess is young enough to still want to help out all the time, and I can usually get rid of my messy boy to his friend's house if need be. There's nothing like picking up a pair of boots and rocks falling out onto your floor by the ton. I don't even know how they walk in shoes like that! I know as a kid, I hated it when my socks even bunched up. ( still do! ) I did notice that since I started a regular Sunday cleaning regiment, my allergies aren't so bad, and that's a good thing since I live on a dirt road in the country and have two dogs and a cat to mess me up. It's just staying on top of dusting that's a pain in the you know what. Oh well we'll manage.
It was my neice's birthday yesterday and so I called her up ( in the middle of her party ) and sang her happy birthday. My sister told me she looked confused, but that doesn't surprise me if you knew my sister. She's a bit confused herself but I love her. I really wish I could see them more, but you know distance prohibits that. I would be able to get around the distance if not for my own activities and family here on the homestead. It's getting into planting season, and family vacation season, and swimming season, so I'm finding it hard to get away. Not that I really want to anyway, I mean I love her to death but I'm actually enjoying Nebraska right now, and there's TONS to do. I do hope to make it out in September when she has baby noodles, but I think that's a pipe dream. September, the kids will have just started school, and Macgyver won't have any vacation time saved up. I think I've already exausted my inlaws too as they were here taking care of my brood a few years ago for almost 3 weeks when I went to New York and Virginia, and they came again when I got sick and was in the hospital. It might work out though so keeping optimistic.
I wish I could visit my other sister too , but she had to go way the hell out to Germany. :P If I even brought the subject up to Macgyver he'd have my hide. We just can't afford the plane ticket these days. Well I have three years, maybe sometime in the near future? We'll see though. It just makes me sad because I have a niece I haven't even met yet, and a nephew I haven't seen since he was 6 months old. I don't want them to not know who I am. Plus a brother in law I've never met either. One day though.
I can hear the heathens stirring in thier rooms. Good thing mom has a " no getting out of your rooms til 8 on a weekend " rule in our house. So I can squeeze at least 20 more minutes of me time in before they demand my attention. I'm thinkin' pancakes and sausage today for a good hearty breakfast. Gonna need it to get this day going. The princess has a soccer match today and while she's really good at it, and she likes to play, she's been complaining about the shin pads. Leave it to my kid to be picky about things. Oh well
Macgyver has been on the hunt for a rear tine tiller, ever since he got sticker shocked at the store and realized just how much a new one would cost. The neighbors have one just sitting in thier front yard in the elements, and he has been eyeing that, but I'm afraid it might be a lost cause. As far as I'm concerned, anything that looks like junk, has got to be junk and thus not worth the effort, still when Macgyver gets his mind set on something, it's hard to convince him otherwise. Speaking of, hes' been talking lately about wanting to go back into debt for a electric car, or to convert one of our beaters into a propane but I'm really not wanting to do that. I know sooner or later I'm going to have to crush his dreams because we REALLY can't afford it right now. Besides, I think it's a dumb idea anyway. He's chalk full of them usually but now I can't afford to let him chase them because they take money away from our family. He gets mad, but oh well. Can you tell I have a little resentment for him and his money spending ways? Well that's another issue entirely and I will not get into it here.
Yesterday we had a nice family day. It was a warm 81 degrees and so we had a picknick at the park. It was lovely! Got to watch the kids play and chow down on some good food. Food always taste better when you eat it outside in my opinon anyway.
Well I must flee for now, the brood is starting to demand some breakfast and I suppose I should feed them before they turn to cannibalism. Until next time my lovelies.

Peaches peaches everywhere!!

Well, not yet. Hoping though by next year. We bought ourselves a peach tree!! Spent the majority of the day pulling up this pole thingy in the back yard, only to move the hole a few feet from it and having to re dig. Nothing like making more work for yourself, but it's planted and hopefully by  next year, producing. We should at least get some pretty flowers this year if anything on it. I love nature. I love planting. It's a lot of work though but I did make sure to grab a handful of dirt and take a big ol wiff. It was lovely! Here are some pics.

Pulling the pole thingy out the only way we know how.

Gathering manure while the "source" looks on.

Holding the truck down.

Yay tree!

So moving on, I also re discovered one of my older cookbooks, circa 1971. I love the old recipes and want more of them. Will have to start hitting up flea markets soon. Anyway, that's our adventure for now. Soon we'll be planting strawberries too and then tilling the garden. I can't wait! But I must dash and pick up the younin's. Until next time my loves.



Gardening season is almost here!!!

It's getting closer! I can feel it. The weather is losing it's bitterness, and turning wet and warm, and the smell of the air is crisp. Walking into stores, you find all sorts of bbq and gardening things. I'm getting more and more excited. I LOVE SPRING! Ok, *sips coffee* I'm better now. But for reals... we bought a peach tree the other day with intentions on planting it once the wind decides to stop blowing so hard. I'm very excited and so are the kids. Macgyver informed me that he will be excited once he can grab a peach off the tree and eat it. Well at least he's happy? We also purchased 30 strawberry plants. Last year we were too late and could not find ANY. This year though, we hopped on it ahead of time and grabbed them soon as we found em. Macgyver is currently looking at tillers, and wants a rear tine sooooooooooo badly. Unfortunately for him, they're about 800 bucks, so he's going to have to just borrow one for now. The neighbors have one just sitting out in the elements, and he's been eyeing that one too. Payday he plans on going over and asking them about it. Hopefully he can get it cheap and there's nothing wrong with it. Realistically it's probably just a pile of crap. Oh well. Saturday we're planning on having a family day. The plan is to drive to Kearny about an hour and a half away and surprise the boy with a meal at Red Lobster. Then going to K-Mart and shop around since we don't have one here. I'm expecting to pick up quite a bit of thier spring wardrobe there. K-Mart is usually good for that. I wish we had a Ross, but there's not one nearby. It sucks though and I'm NOT going to TJ Max. That place sucks.  I'm working on furnishing the last two bedrooms we have. One I want to be my office, so that I can FINALLY free up the dining room table of my mess and we can stop eating in front of the tv, and the other to be a guest bedroom with a queen sized bed, incase any family wishes to visit. *hint hint* or friends too I guess but mainly family. I'm actually becoming quite content living out here. Maybe it's the horsepoop that's gone to my head, but it's nice. I mean, quiet, and spacious and yet, have a concentrated mass of decent people right around me. I know half of them and the other half know OF me. Everytime I go into the school, people smile at me and ask me how I'm doing and some even ask me if I work there. It's kinda funny but I love being that involved. I'm becoming quite content with a lot of things actually. My weight being one of them which is really ironic since it's been the biggest thing that's tortured me for years. But I've decided to just let it go, and just take care of myself the best I can. If I never get skinny again, so be it. I can be fat, and happy. Long as I'm healthy, which I am. Just no idea why I can't drop it, or keep gaining. I guess I could get it checked out, but I'm kinda tired of doctors at the moment and I don't trust them anyway. Well enough about that....
I think Macgyver is finally starting to get on board with my crazy chicken idea. I told him yesterday that with all the grasshoppers we tend to get, we'd never have to buy food and the chickens would be very happy. Also fresh eggs! I'm trying to cook breakfast more and more, like actual hot food with meat and eggs. It's expensive though but better to eat a big meal at the start of the day than at the end. We also might get some goats too. I guess we're turning into quite the little farm out here, and that's ok. Because we really should get back to our roots. It was simpler that way. Maybe more work but you felt good at the end of the day. Americans are missing that. Everything is just too easy for us, and we're growing girth wise because of it. Before you had to harvest your own food, grind the grain into flour, make the bread, now we can just walk into the store and get it. We had to hunt our own food, kill it, clean it, cook it. Now you  just drive to a window and order it. That's not a very good long term plan if you ask me. Anyway, I'm off. It's gonna be a beautiful day and I'M GOING TO ENJOY IT! Much love.