Friday Finals - Kroger Mega Event & Tom Thumb

It has been announced that we are officially out of the drought here in North Texas. This is really good news for us, since our lake is now only 5 feet under normal levels. At the end of summer we were 16 feet and falling. If we did not get rain this winter, we were going to be restricted to only drinking and bathing water. I was trying to explain this to my daughter, she said we could just drink milk. I love the way a child’s mind works. She is 10 and I want her to have an understanding of the world and how each thing is connected. So I had to tell her without water the cows won’t have anything to drink or eat either. Then I saw her little light bulb go off right above her head.

*   *   *

Now on to shopping. We had an awesome Link party last week with 26 entries. Stop by these sites to be inspired to save. Here are the top Links from last week:

Homemaking Mom

Frugality is Free

Coupoing Away Debt

To find out when the new Friday Finals are posted Like Pounds4Pennies on Facebook.

Here are my shopping trips for this week:

Tom Thumb 02/02/12

3 Wolf Brand Chili $0.99 each - $0.75/3 Wolf Brand

            -Final $0.75 each

2 Mission flour tortillas $0.99 each Store coupon

1 Starkist Tuna Pouch $1.19 - $0.50/1 doubled Tuna Pouch RP 01/01/12

            -Final $0.19

I spent $4.39 and saved $10.27 on $14.39 worth of groceries this trip.

Tom Thumb 01/31/12

1 Pillsbury Frosting $1.99 - $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury frosting or Brownie mix expired

            -Final $0.94

1 Starkist Tuna Pouch $1.19 - $0.50/1 doubled Tuna Pouch RP 01/01/12

            -Final $0.19

2 Bear Creek Soup mix B1G1 $4.49 - $1/1 Bear Creek Soup mix SS 10/23/11

            -Final $1.75 each

2 18 count eggs store coupon $1.99 each

2 Clorox wipes $1.99 each - $1/2 Clorox wipes expired

            -Final $1.50 each

2 Mrs. Bairds Bread B1G1 $3.19 - $0.55/1 Mrs. Bairds bread SS 01/22/12

            -Final $1.32 each

I spent $14.47 and saved $17.89 on $32.36 worth of Groceries this trip.

Kroger Mega Event 1/31/12

            MEI = Mega Event Item $0.50 off

2 Garden of Eatin Chips $2.19 each – MEI

            -Final $1.69 each – I forgot my coupon for $1/2

4 Goldfish crackers $1.49 – MEI

            -Final $0.99 each

2 Welch’s Essentials Juice $2.49 each – MEI, 2 $1/1 Welch’s Essential Juice SS 11/06/11

            -Final $0.99 each

1 Pullups $9.49 - $3.00/1 Kroger ecoupon

            -Final $6.49

2 Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers $2.49 each – MEI, $1 Ritz Crackers Printable NLA

            -Final $1.49 each

10 Cans Hunts Tomatoes $0.98 – MEI, 2 $0.40/2, 2 $0.60/3 Hunts Printable coupons

            -Final $0.28 each * Stockpile item

1 Hummus Clearance Section $0.99

1 Millstone K-Cup Coffee $7.99 - $2/1 Millstone K-Cup RP 12/11/11

            -Final $5.99

I spent $29.27 and saved $28.08 on $57.35 worth of Groceries this trip. I bought organic chips, whole wheat crackers, all natural juice and all natural hummus using coupons and sales.

I spent $48.13 and saved $56.24 worth of groceries and necessities this week. I love to save more than I spend.

Want to reduce your grocery budget checkout my

How to Start Couponing Beginners Guide

Find more great deals join Pounds4Pennies BlogFrog community or stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook  for MUCH MORE great savings and deals and steals.

One of the best ways to learn how to coupon is to read others posts and you will also find more deals. If you stop by leave them a comment. Link up your savings trips here, or leave a comment so we can see how you did this week. How did your saving trips go this week?

Whatever Wednesday - Homemade Pizza Rolls

When I asked my stepson what he wanted to eat for his birthday party, he told me pizza. I am not the type that wants to do just boring pizza. So I started thinking. Then I remembered Double Daves, a pizza place here in Texas. They serve their own version of pizza rolls. These are the best thing I have ever had. After a little bit of research I found a recipe as a guide for homemade pizza rolls, since this recipe was basic and used more processed ingredients than I wanted to use, I made own version of homemade pizza rolls. I made my own pizza dough from scratch using my bread machine. Overall these are pretty easy to make, but a little time consuming.

This takes a little timing if you are doing this for a party. To make sure the pizza roll dough is ready in time and the rolls will be ready when the guests arrive. This recipe makes enough to put two batches on a pizza stone.

 Homemade Pizza Rolls

First make a 2 pound batch of pizza dough using a bread machines recipe, or the largest amount of dough you can make. Add two cloves of minced garlic and a teaspoon of Italian seasoning to add a little flavor to the dough for the rolls. You can adjust to what you like.

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the dough in half. Then sprinkle some flour on your surface to roll out half of your dough for the pizza rolls.

Start working one half of the the dough into a round shape. This may take a while. Try stretching it in your hands if using a rolling pin proves difficult.

Make about a 12-14in circle. Just like pizza.

With a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut into eight pieces for eight pizza rolls.

Starting at the large end of the dough, place 4-6 slices of pepperoni at the end and put a piece of mozzarella on top. It can be sliced, block or shredded. Since, these are homemade you can fill these pizza rolls with whatever you want. I am traditional and love pepperoni.

Fold the sides over onto itself and stretch the back over the cheese and pepperoni and roll. Stretch the dough as you roll to the point to form a tight seal, so the cheese won’t leak out. It is ok if it does. Do the same for the other half of the dough.

You can spray the homemade pizza rolls with your MISTO spray bottle filled with olive oil and place them on a cookie sheet or pizza stone and cook in the oven on 400 for 15-20 min. The oil will provide a nice brown coating on the outside of the rolls.

Serve these homemade pizza rolls with warmed pasta sauce or ranch dressing for dipping. Very yummy.

~   ~   ~

I was able to time it where I pulled out the last batch of homemade pizza rolls right before the first guest arrived and kept them in the oven on warm until everyone arrived. Then we ate hot homemade pizza rolls. I am going to make another batch using whole wheat flour and keep them in the freezer. When the kids want a quick snack or I don’t feel like cooking lunch, we can just pop them in the microwave and serve. Let me know if you make these. I know you will be hooked. 

Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

Friday Finals - Kroger, Tom Thumb, CVS and Sprouts

I have been super busy this week. I am planning my stepson’s birthday party. We are hosting a Wii party this year at our house. I can’t wait to share the pictures of all the things I have made to make this a great birthday for him. There was not a lot of stuff out there for Wii party ideas, so I had to come up with a few of my own. I will take lots of pictures and share on Wednesday.

I am also a team coach for my daughters DI team. DI is a great organization where the kids put on a skit based on criteria provided and also have an instant challenge. It teaches leadership and developing new skills. Any and all schools can participate, even homeschooled children. You just need to get a team together. We are in our build phase for our set and I have been having girls over at my house painting, sawing, drilling. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Needless to say I am exhausted.

With these two events going on this week, my life has been a little chaotic to say the least. I did manage to get some shopping in. My grocery bill is a little over budget, but some of these items are for the party. As you may also see, it is mainly snacks. We had run out of just about everything except crackers. So I made sure we stocked up. We will see how long this holds us over.

Tom Thumb 01/23/12

3 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers $1.00 each

            -Final $1.00 each

1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 - $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled

            -Final $1.50

4 Boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.77 – 2 $0.75/2 Nature Valley Granola Bars

            -Final $1.40 each average – WE LOVE THESE

4 Betty Crocker Simply Fruit roll ups $0.99 must by 4 – 2 $0.50/1 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll ups, one doubled, one did not

            -Final $0.62 each average

1 Package Black Beans $0.99

2 Pace Picante sauce $1.99 - $0.50/2 doubled Pace Picante Sauce

            -Final $1.49 each

2 V8 Fruit Fusion $1.99 - $1/2 V8 Fruit Fusion Printable

            -Final $1.49 each

1 V8 Fruit Smoothie $1.99 - $1/1 V8 Fruit Smoothie

            -Final $0.99

1 Pillsbury Frosting $1.99 - $0.35/1 Pillsbury Brownie or frosting

            -Final $0.94 – This is for the party

2 7 Ups $0.88 each – This is for the party

1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 - $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch

            -Final $0.19 – Great Deal! STOCK UP!

2 Bear Creek Soup B1G1 $4.49 - $1/1 Bear Creek Soup

            -Final $1.75 each – Unadvertised deal

3 Kleenex Tissues $0.85 each - $0.50/3 doubled Kleenex tissues

            -Final $0.52 each

1 Loaf French Bread $1.99

I spent $32.68 and saved $51.06 on $83.74 worth of groceries and products for my family. I found several unadvertised deals at Tom Thumb this week. Some are good until the end of February.

Kroger 1/24/12

5 Boxes Barilla pasta $1 each – 5 $0.55/1 Barilla Whole Grain Pasta

            -Final $0.45 each

2 lbs. Kroger Cheese $2.99 each

2 Bags Tortilla Chips $1.00 each – One for the party

4 Progresso Soups $1.00 - $1/4 Progresso Soups

            -Final $0.75 each

4 Brawny Paper Towels $1 each – 2 $1/1 Brawny Printable, 2 $0.55/1 Brawny Printable

            -Final $0.23 each

4 Angel Soft Bath tissue $1 each – 4 $0.45/1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue

            -Final $0.55 each

I spent $16.59 and saved $18.71 on $35.30 worth of groceries and products at Kroger.

Tom Thumb 01/24/12

1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 - $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled

            -Final $1.50

1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 - $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch

            -Final $0.19

1 Whonu cookies $2.50 - $1/1 Whonu cookies

            -Final $1.50

4 Mrs. Bairds Natural Bread B1G1 $3.19 - $0.55/1 Mrs. Bairds Bread

            -Final $1.32 each

I paid $8.47 and saved $13.07 on $21.54 worth on retail groceries. I am able to make two Tom Thumb trips each week, since this is on the way home from my taking my son to his Mommy’s day out program at my church.

Sprouts

4 Voskos Green Yogurt $2.00 each

           

I spent $8.00 on my favorite yogurt this week at Sprouts.

CVS

2 Gallons Milk $3.29 – 2 $1/1 Oak Farms Milk, $1 ECB

            -Final $1.79 each, Received $2 ECBs

I spent $3.58 on really good milk at CVS this week and saved $3.00.

This is everything for the week. I spent $69.32 and saved $85.84 on $155.16 worth of groceries and necessary items my family needed this week. I am over budget, but I did buy several things for the party this week. It doesn’t look like there is much I want for next week.

Want to find more great deals? Join Pounds4Pennies BlogFrog community or stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook  for MUCH MORE great savings and deals and steals.

How did your shopping trips go this week? Leave a linkup below and share a comment.

Tips for Tuesday - Quick and Easy Breakfast

Most of us are looking for a quick and easy way to start the day. Let’s face it if the morning starts off bad, the rest of the day goes with it. Breakfast can be one of those moments where you can save a little bit of time and money. Cereal coupons are not always easy to find or always a good buy. Most of the time cereal is packed full of sugar and carbohydrates and not the most nutritious way to send the kids off to school. They will be on a sugar high and it will be difficult for them to focus during the morning. They will be hyper at first and then hit that crash after about an hour or more.

How can you reduce your morning stress, save money,

and provide good nutritious food for your kids in the morning?

One thing you can do is prepare a nutritious breakfast for the kids ahead of time. On the weekend try cooking a double batch of what you are eating on the weekends. Then you can take the leftovers and have those during the week. This provides the kids with options for breakfast.

Instead of making one pound of breakfast sausage, make two. One for eating on the weekend and put the leftovers in a container to heat up during the week. If you like bacon, make the entire package of bacon. Drain and let cool, then freeze it. Take it out as needed and pop it into the microwave for 30-60 seconds. This is also great for instant bacon bits. Bacon freezes great and comes out crispy in the microwave. This will save time and provide a great protein for the morning. 

There aren’t many people I know who like dirty dishes or like to cook a big breakfast on school mornings. A quick idea for making scrambled eggs is to spray a coffee cup with cooking spray. Then crack the egg and scramble it up in the cup and cook for 1 minute in the microwave. As soon as you get it out. Cut it up some more. This is quick and easy. You could also mix it with some of the sausage, a little cheese, put it in a tortilla and have a quick breakfast taco.

Make a double batch of muffins on the weekends and place the leftovers in the freezer. As soon as they come out of the oven put them on a cooling rack. Once they are cooled place them in a freezer bag and then in the freezer. To thaw and eat, take two out and place in the microwave for 1 min. They usually come out perfect. I use whole grain wheat and a fruit to make this a heartier muffin. I normally make them from scratch for pennies a piece. 

Pancakes are so easy to freeze and to have ready for the kids on school mornings . To add more protein to your pancakes add a half cup or whole cup Greek yogurt to your batter and decrease your liquid. Another bit of nutrition, add some frozen berries or pureed fruit to the mix. If you do both you are providing a protein and a fruit along with the carbs to make the pancake a complete meal. This will keep your kids full longer and avoid the carb crash later. I also use a multigrain pancake mix. Make a double batch. Once the pancakes are done, place them on a cooling rack to cool. Then place them in the freezer. I find they don’t stick together nearly as much after they are frozen. Then you can pop them in the toaster or microwave to thaw. Instead of syrup to top them off with some powdered sugar. It gives them the sweet taste, but they will not eat as much sugar.

If you start doing these things for your morning routine, you will find that you will not only save time, but you may also find you save money too. I have a pantry full of cereal that has not been eaten in while. The kids love the muffins and pancakes and little do they know it is good for them too! Do you any great time saving tips for the morning?

Want to find more great deals? Join Pounds4Pennies BlogFrog community. I will be posting more deals on BlogFrog than on my blog site. If you want to find Blogfrog and check out the latest deals, it is a little further down on the left hand side. Feel free to check back often to find some awesome deals.

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Friday Finals - 01-20-12

I am still recovering this week from my nasty cold and trying to get caught up on the loads of housework that needs to be done. But I feel so much better. Did more shopping this week and more savings. I scored FREE theraflu this week at CVS see below. I could have used this last week. 


Here are the links that were the clickiest from last week. Stop by to see their awesome savings and say Hi:

My Road To Savings

Couponaholic

Saving Myself Silly 

Kroger

10 Bush Beans $0.57 each average (they were $0.54 & $0.59 each)

1Gallon Milk $2.38

4 Libby’s Veggies $0.62 each - $1/4 Libby canned Vegetables RP 11/13/11

            -Final $0.37 each

1 Package 12 K cup coffee $7.69 - $2/1 Millstone K-Cup RP 10/23/11

            -Final $5.69

Total spent $15.25 and saved $12.23 on $27.48 worth of groceries this week. I bought more beans for pantry stock up items. This was mainly a pantry stock up trip.

Tom Thumb 1^st trip 01/15/12

1 Fritos Scoops $1.99 sale – We had Fritos pies for dinner. YUM

2 18 Count Eggs $1.99 each

1 Sweet Potato fries $2.19

1 Potatoes O’Brian $2.19

1 Milk $2.38

2 Hormel Lunch Meat $2.49 – 2 $0.50/1 (One doubled) Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12

            -Final $1.74 each average

3 Hunts Snack Packs $0.99 sale – $0.45/3 doubled Hunts Snack Pack SS 01/01/12

            -Final $0.69 each

2 Quaker Oatmeal instant $3.39 B1G1

            -Final $1.70 each

1 Pillsbury Brownie Mix $0.99 sale - $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie or Frosting RP 11/06/11

            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE

4 Chef Boyardee $0.89 sale - $0.50/4 doubled Chef Boyardee SS 01/01/12

            -Final $0.64 each

I used $2.00 off my next purchase and a $1.00 off my next purchase catalinas that printed last time. So I basically got my milk for free this week.

I spent $20.92 and saved $22.88 on $43.80 worth of groceries this trip. I have been going to Tom Thumb more, since I can use double and triple coupons. I have been finding better deals at Tom Thumb vs. Kroger.

Tom Thumb 2^nd Trip 01/17/12

3 Sliced cheese $2.00 each

1 Imperial Margarine $0.69

1 Hormel Lunch meat $2.49 - $0.50/1 doubled Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12

            -Final $1.49

1 Pillsbury Brownie mix $0.99 sale - $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie Mix or Frosting RP 11/06/11

            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE and I got two boxes

I paid $8.19 and saved $7.19 on $15.38 worth of food retail this trip. I went back mainly for the lunch meat and brownie mix.

SPROUTS

2 Bell Peppers @ $0.49 each

5.23 lbs Onions @ $0.49 lb.

            -Final $2.56

I spent $3.54 on produce this week.

CVS

5 Theraflu 8count $1.99 each

1 Pediacare Fever reducer $4.99

1 CVS Double Pack Womens Multi-Vitamin -$8.99

Used:

5 $2/1 Any Theraflu product SS 12/04/11

1 $1/1 Pediacare Product Printable

1 $2 ECB

1 $1 ECB

20% off my order $1.91

Received $2 ECB

OOP:

I spent $8.02 and saved $15.91 on drug store products this week. I got 5 packages of Theraflu for FREE this week. A total of 40 pills for free!

Altogether I spent $55.92 for the week and saved $58.21 for the week on $114.31 worth of food and health care needs. I am little over budget, but I didn’t get out much last week due to being sick. So it will all work out in the end. I still had more saving than half this week.

I feel my pantry is pretty stocked right now. In February it will be a year since I have started extreme couponing and my pantry is stocked more now than it ever has been. I like that I have food to cook at any time. I can also make just about any meal or snack, since I already have most of the ingredients for anything I may want to cook. Even if the kids suggest something I usually have the ingredients to make whatever they want. This has allowed me to stay at home and still cook nutritious meals and snacks for the kids.

Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

How did you do this week? The best way to learn is to visit others sites to see how they save. Please leave a comment if you don’t have a blog to share or just leave a comment. I love to hear from you.

Product Review - MISTO olive oil sprayer

I found this great little gadget when I was shopping for Christmas gifts this year. It is the MISTO Olive Oil Sprayer. This serves two purposes for me. One I can put whatever oil I want to inside and two it is a GREEN product. I love the fact I can purchase oil on sale and I can put this into the can and use it for all my cooking. Also, I am not filling up some land fill with emptied spray oil bottles. I use mine more than I used the spray can oil and I am using far less oil on my food. I am not only saving money, but calories too!

This is so easy to use. You fill the MISTO container about half way full of oil. The extra space is needed to provide air pressure for the fine mist spray. Then you just pump the top about 10 times or so and spray oil on the surface you want to use. This is great for spraying muffin pans, cake pans, frying pans or whatever else you don’t want to stick. You can even mix up a salad dressing and spray on your salad. I use mine all the time.

MISTO is around $10 for the bottle. After four uses it pays for itself. Since normal aerosol spray oil cans cost over $3 a piece. I used mine for a while before I wrote an article on this fabulous product, since I wanted to make sure it would last. I have used it and refilled it once. Once you see how little oil is in the product you purchased before, you will so thankful for how much money you will save.

MISTO is not paying me to write this article. All opinions are my own. This contains affiliate links and I may be compensated from this article.


Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

Friday Finals 01-13-12

I still have this nasty cold, I think maybe it has turned into a sinus infection. I am very stuffy at times and other times I can breathe fine. Everyone had been really good, since I have been sick. I have had to let quite a few mommy duties go this week. The clothes are washed, but they are in a big pile in my room. So if anyone needs anything they can rummage through the pile to get it. I hope to get that done today. I went to pick something up for dinner on Wednesday night. I didn’t even feel like making a freezer meal and the hubby was out of town. We made it cheap and ate at a Taco place. The kids loved it. I got my favorite thing, but I could not taste it. With me being sick I am way under budget this week. I went shopping twice and that’s it.

Top Three Clickest last week. Stop by and say hi to these fabulous shoppers:

Savings is Free

Homemaking Mom

Shopaholic Savers

Walmart 01/07/12

1 White Frosting Mix $1.28

1 Cilantro $0.44

2 Great Value Chick Peas $0.68 each

1 Lime Juice $0.88

1 Golden Butter Cake Mix $1.25

2 Hillshire Farms Cocktail Sausage $2.50 each - $1/2 Hillshire Farms Cocktails Sag. Printable NLA

            -Final $2.00 each

I spent $9.21 and saved $1.00 for $10.21 worth of groceries here. Doesn’t sound like much, but I forgot to get a few things I wanted. I was trying to make it a quick trip.

Tom Thumb 01/10/12

3 Boxes Rice a Roni $0.89 each

1 Fiber One Granola Bars $1.99 - $0.40/1 doubled Fiber One Granola Bars Printable

            -Final $1.19

1Fiber One 90 Cal Bars $1.99 - $0.40/1 doubled Fiber One Chewy Bars Printable

            -Final $1.19

4 Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.79 each – 1 $0.75/2 GM 01/08/12

1 Frosted Toast Crunch $1.99 - $0.50/1 doubled Cinnamon Toast Crunch Printable

            -Final $0.99

3 Kikkoman Soy Sauce $1.89 each - $1/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce Found under Product

            -Final $0.89 each

4 Cans Chef Boyardee $1 each - $0.50/4 doubled Chef Boyardee

            -Final $0.75 each (ON SALE $0.89 Fri, Sat, Sun, at TOM THUMB)

1 Pie crust $2.99

2 International Delight Creamers marked 50% off $3.28 - $0.55/1 Int’l Delight Creamer 12/11/11

            -Final $0.27 each (The receipt took off an additional $0.82, I don’t know why)

6 Yoplait Yogurts $0.60 each - $0.40/6 doubled Yoplait Yogurt Printable

            -Final $0.47 each

I spent $24.85 and saved 25.02 on $49.87 worth of groceries at Tom Thumb. The receipt printed differently than it normally does and some coupons were hard to find on the receipt. It seems every time I go to that Tom Thumb I get a different type of receipt and it is difficult to decipher.

Well I spent $34.06 and saved $26.02 on $60.08 worth of groceries this week. I am way under budget due to my cold.

Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

How did you do this week? Share your savings trips below. It is great to see how others save, so you can learn how to save too. Stop by and leave a comment if you visit someone shopping trip.

Whatever Wednesday - Meatball Soup

I have been sick since Sunday. Thank goodness I picked up the Theraflu from CVS last week. I have been drinking it to relieve my stuffy head. I can’t taste or smell a thing. So last night when I was cooking dinner, I added a few spices here and there, but I didn’t know if it had the right flavor or even if it smelled good. I made meatball soup.  My husband and kids thought it tasted good, but it was fail in my book.

I will post the recipe how it is supposed to be done and not the way I did it last night. This is a great meal to pull from your stockpile.  I didn’t take a picture because, it looked awful. I put the noodles in the slow cooker and cooked them in there instead of cooking them separately and throwing them in at the last minute. They fell apart and were very mushy. It looked like a meat ball mess, instead of meatball soup. It still tasted ok, from what I am told, but it didn’t look so good. We all ate it and little face even had some today for lunch and he ate it all. So he must have liked it. I ate for lunch too, but I couldn’t taste it today either

Soup:

1 Cup pasta 

1 Small Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

1 28oz Can Whole Tomatoes & Juice

2 Small Carrots

3 Cups Chicken Broth or (1 chicken cube with 3 cups water) 

2 Table spoons Italian herb seasoning

Meatballs:

Or you could use frozen meatballs, print $1/2 Armour Meatballs coupon now!
1 lb Ground Meat

2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

½ Cup Bread Crumbs (I used Italian for more flavor)

½ teaspoon Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Meatballs:

Add bread crumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese, paprika and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and let set for a couple of minutes. Then add the ground meat. Roll into small ½ inch meatballs. Cook the meatballs in the oven at 350 for 30 min and then throw them in your pot. I like to bake mine before. They come out much firmer.

Pasta:

Cook your pasta in water in a separate pot. VERY Important step!

Soup:

Cook onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until translucent. You can puree the tomatoes and carrots in a blender or pour them in the pot with onions and garlic and use an emulsion blender to puree the mixture. I like doing it all in one pot. Less clean up. Now pour in the chicken broth. Let simmer covered for 10-15 Minutes.  Then add the pasta and the meat and let simmer for a few more minutes.

I hope you will try this soup. It really is delicious, just don’t try to cut the steps like did. I also tried to make this in the slow cooker, instead of on the stove. I wanted something to be ready when we got home. On the stove it turns out great. Tuesdays are our long days and we don’t get home until 5:00. Dinner pretty much needs to be ready when I walk in the door. I got a slow cooker cook book for Christmas, I should have gotten a recipe from there instead.

Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

Money Saving Monday - Realistic Budget

How did you do working getting all your money divided out into buckets? Were you able to capture every dollar you spend? Probably not, but you should be able to see where the majority of your money is going. I not a financial expert, but I would like to share some ways I have found to save money and still be able to get have a great lifestyle. Now let’s take a look at some areas where you can shave some money off your budget.

1. Impulse buying

One important thing is to stop spending money on the little impulse buys you make, such as a drink at the convenience store or fast food restaurant for a soda. How about that extra coffee you get on your way to work? If you can cut $10 out of your budget on these items a week, you will save $40 a month or $520 a year. If you really enjoy a good cup of hot coffee from that great coffee chain based in Seattle, ask for gift cards for items like this. This makes your coffee FREE and you still get to enjoy a great cup of coffee.

2.  Entertainment Expenses

This depends on your family size and how often you go to some type of entertainment. Look to see if there is an alternative that is less expensive. Like going to the movies, see if there is a $1 movie or matinee in your area. You can still enjoy a movie for a much reduced cost. Evaluate all your options to see if there are also some FREE things you can do as a family. Parks are great and very inexpensive.

3. Going Out to Eat

This one is one that many people don’t realize how much they spend on eating out. This should be considered a treat. Spend your money on something worth eating, not always fast food. One way to stop getting fast food all the time is to have ready made food in your freezer or use a slow cooker. Try to make and have a few freezer meals cooked and ready in your freezer one weekend. These are great for when you are sick or just don’t feel like cooking that night, you will have something ready to go and not stop by to get some fast food before you get home. Also start something in the morning before you leave for work and let it cook all day in the slow cooker, you will have a nice warm meal when you get home. These are usually healthier options as well. You may just find being frugal will help you lose weight too!

Review

Now start trying to implement a few of these changes this week. See if you can start cutting back on a few areas. Examine your priorities and find out where you really want your money to go. If you are in a place where a flat tire would put you into debt, stop by next week where I will discuss how to start savings and what is a good amount to have in your savings account next week. You may be surprised.

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