Category Archives: Weekly Meals

Goodbye Coupon Chaos…

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I have another surprise in store for you today…dont you just love Monday surprises!  Another guest blogger! :)  I asked my very dear friend, Lauren Nix, if she would guest blog for me today…the topic is coupons.  Lauren is a whiz at couponing and finding deals.  Im not too bad myself, but she is much better than I! Since our economy decided to take a dip in the cool money pool a few years back, coupons have become hot and popular again.  They take time and effort to keep track of sales and deals, but can save you money in the long run.  Therefore, I dont mind spending some quality time with my paper and coupon organizer to save hard earned dollars in the end!

Thank you Lauren!  Be sure to check out her blog too! :)

GOODBYE COUPON CHAOS

I absolutely LOOOOOOVE couponing.  I’ve been an avid couponer for almost 4 years and can’t imagine a “full price” kinda life.  I often sit back and try to imagine what my life, and bank account, would be like without coupons.
I’ve been asked by many of my friends & family, “How do you keep up with ALL of your coupons?”  Honestly, after almost 4 years, it’s like second nature.  Once you get a good niche for how you want your coupons organized, it just flows.  There are several great methods of keeping your coupons organized and contained. Here are a few of those examples…
- The binder system.  Starting with a large three ring binder insert plastic baseball card display sheets (found at your local Walmart).  Insert your coupons into the display sheets, facing outward so you can see your coupon.  It is completely up to you how your coupons are filed; alphabetical order in each pocket, or create sections by area of the market, i.e., Health & Beauty, Frozen, Baby, Paper goods, etc.  You may want to insert some dividers in front of each section…a little extra organization.  Your binder will grow quickly, so be prepared.  I’ve actually witnessed ladies in my local grocery store with 2 binders.  One specifically for food and the other for non-food.  This normally depends on the size of your family and how long you have been couponing.
- The coupon box.  You will need a toteable box with lid.  Cut small cardboard dividers and insert your coupons behind each category.  Or use labeled envelopes to house your coupons and file in the same manner inside of the tote.  You may want to break your categories down into subcategories.  For example: Baby (being the main category) with subcategories of diapers, wipes, food, other products.  Again, this will completely depend on the size of your family, your length of couponing, and your organization comfort level
- Whole insert method.  This is my personal fav.  I have an accordion file folder with 12 sections, one for each month.  Every Sunday, I sit down and write the date on the front of each insert and place in the correct month’s slot, newest first.  This works for me because I do not have a significant amount of time to sit down each Sunday and cut EVERY coupon out of the paper.  Also, most of your couponing blogs post from which insert (whether it is SmartSource, Red Plum, or P&G) and what date they pulled the coupon.  Thus, making it super easy for me to pull the insert from that month’s tab and match my deal.  I just LOVE those fantastic ladies who do all of the leg work in finding these phenomenal deals
For example:
All Almay Eye Cosmetics $5.99
-$2 off Almay cosmetic product, SS 1/01
You will come to find your own fabulous way to organize your coupons, but hopefully these ideas have possibly sparked an interest in getting your’s together or given you an idea on how to tweak your own method.
How do you organize your coupons?  Are you happy with your method?  I’m always open to suggestions on how to be a better couponer :)

Planning Weekly Meals…

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The dreaded run to the grocery store.  I love to cook and create a delicious meal just as much as the next, but I dread making out a grocery list and planning the weekly meals.  However, I equally hate not having a plan and scrambling to figure out whats for dinner each and every night.

If you have a Recipe Binder (see last weeks post), then making out your grocery list is more fun.  You can flip through your binder and decide what to have each night from your organized array of recipes.  Remember to change it up and try a new recipe or two each week.

Another way to make life easier is to refer to your inventory list.  Inventory what you have on hand (freezer, refrigerator, and pantry).  If you already have 3 lbs of ground beef, then decide to make tacos or spaghetti one night.

Write out your meals for each day of the week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).  Use the menu to transfer needed ingredients to the grocery list.

I challenge you to take this a step further and organize the list according to how the store is laid out (produce, bread, canned goods, coffee, etc).  If nothing else — organize by type.

Next week — how to plan your meals around whats on sale and coupons! :)

Organizing Your Recipes…

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Anyone who knows me, knows I love binders.  I love to store all kinds of information in binders: holiday binder, decorating ideas binder, plants & garden binder, workout binder, and RECIPE binder! :)

I subscribe to roughly 6 monthly magazines (Southern Living, BH&G, Self, etc).  I love to tear ideas and recipes out of the magazines and then recycle them when Im done.  (No piles of year-old magazines sitting around my house!) But what to do with all the pages once they are torn out?  Here is my (refined) system:

1.  Tear out any recipe that you might like to try from the newspaper or a magazine, or print one online.

2.  Three hole punch the paper and place in your recipe binder

3.  Any new recipes that you have not tried and tested go in front of each section.  Recipes that you constantly use go in the back of each section in sheet protectors.

— This helps you keep track of what you have tried and like

4.  Once you have tried a new recipe

A. Throw it away if it tastes awful

B. Cut out the recipe and tape to a white piece of paper.  Place the paper in a sheet protector

How to Make a Recipe Binder:

1.  Buy a 3 ring binder (1″ or 1.5″ is best) — I like white binders with clear pockets in the front

2.  (optional) Create a cover sheet for the binder on your computer (slide in pocket on front of binder)

3.  Create different sections within the binder with tab dividers.  Ideas of sections: Seafood, Chicken & Beef, Side Dishes, Desserts (always the largest section for me), drinks, breakfast, etc

4.  Start adding to your binder!  

Ive seen some interesting ways of ‘storing’ recipes — Ive even seen a recipe drawer that I immediately labeled ‘A Hot Mess’.  The binder is a great way to keep track of recipes that you love and recipes that you might want to try.  The key — throw away a recipe if you hated the way it turned out OR store it in the binder in a sheet protector.  Make a decision right away when you try a new recipe — it will help keep the madness at bay.

Another idea – vow to try at least 2 new recipes a week.  Your family will thank you for mixing it up.

The reason I recommend cutting the recipe out and taping to a white piece of paper is to cut down on visual clutter.  Most recipes from magazines are on the same page as pictures, other recipes, and ads.  I dont need to check all that out when Im searching for a recipe.  Cut out the recipe — trash the rest!  I take it a step further and organize the recipes that I plan to keep by style.  Example:  all apple pie recipes are taped to the same page (multiple pages for me because I love to bake).  When I want to make an apple pie, I flip to the dessert section and then to the apple pie section.  Now the decision can easily be made! That might be a little over the top for some…

The binder is very helpful when it comes to planning your weekly meals and making your grocery list.  (Tips on this next week)!

Organizing your Pantry…

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I must admit that keeping an organized pantry and refrigerator is a challenge for me.  The hardest part is knowing what you have, what is about to expire, and what you need to buy.  My goal to managing my food stockpile is to save money!  I dont want to buy more ground beef when I have 2 lbs in the freezer, or purchase a can of frosting when I already had one in the cupboard.

If you use a closet as your pantry — I suggest building a system that works for you either with ClosetMaid shelving or built in solid shelving.  I prefer the solid wood in pantries because items dont tip over like the do with ClosetMaid.

Suggestions:

  • Keep a running list (either handwritten or electronic) of items in the freezer and pantry
  • Make your weekly menu plan from this list & buy only what you need
  • Empty everything in your pantry (you will thank me later)
  • Clean the shelves
  • Toss anything that is expired — donate anything that you dont need or even like — sort the rest
  • Store flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, etc in clear canisters with tight fitting lids (label the canisters)
  • Use risers for canned goods and spices
  • Use undershelf baskets (if you have space) to keep bread uncrushed and off the counter
  • Maximize door space (shelves that you attach to the door or corkboard)
  • Shelves attached to the door are great for items that you will need this coming week for a meal or items that are about to expire
  • Corkboard is great for keeping that inventory list handy or to showcase a recipe
What are your tricks to keeping your pantry organized?
Coming soon…organizing your recipes, organizing coupons, saving money at the grocery store with coupons and a plan! :)
*Image courtesy of www.transformhome.com