Bernie's Blog: My Thrifty/Frugal Shopping I♥SALES!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

My Thrifty/Frugal Shopping I♥SALES!

I've always been told that I am a good shopper.

Well, here are some of my secrets, on how we survive on a tight budget.

I will add more along the way, so check back often.

Clearance bins;

Today I picked up 3 pairs of undeware for my son at zellers. There was a basket full of single pairs of underware (packages had been ripped open). All the undies were priced at 97c. A 3 pack of underware would cost me about $8-$10. At 97c a piece, that is a huge savings! They are also brand name, fruit of the loom, and hanes.

Buyer beware; I have seen this at walmart as well, but with socks. It is not cheaper to buy a pair of socks at $1.00. Do your math, and price shopping before making these purchases.

A bit of my history

I wasn’t born with a chef’s hat on.

I have learned throughout the years.

In the beginning; there was me as a kid. My mom’s idea of a meal was opening can of alfabits. Meals consisted of easy to make items, with not much of a side dish if any. Herbs did not exist in my house. (My mother was good at baking though. Cookies, Pies, Apple Crisp Yum!)
My parents always had snacks on hand, mostly unhealthy. And our drink of choice was Kool-Aid.

Going to grandmas was a special treat. My grandmother loved to cook everything homemade. She grew up on a farm; this was her way of life. Every meal consisted of a glass of milk, salad, bowl of soup, bowl of fruit, and the main course. Grandma always had some kind of dessert, either homemade, or store bought cookie. She loved hosting parties. Grandma would have at least 20 different types of dainties on the dainty tray. Christmas dinner was a feast, and after was at least 3 different homemade pies to choose from, and the dainties.

In Jr. High, I had Foods Class. I started to learn about food, recipes, utensils. I loved it. I continued my Food education in high school. I asked my parents for some herbs to cook with. They were a bit hesitant, but did provide me with one or two basics. I starting making my own supper, as mine tasted better. My parents didn’t like me using the stove, so they watched over me like a hawk.

When I turned 18, I moved out on my own. I still enjoyed to cook, but didn’t have alot of money to work with. Chicken Hotdogs and 3 minute noodles were a staple in my home. We didn’t waste anything. Our church had a free food rack after the service, and we grabbed what we could. Ever have a donut toasted in the toaster oven before? LOL.

I decided to take Wilton Cake decorating classes at Evelyn’s Cake Decorating. After work, I hopped on a bus for two hours to get to the class, determined to learn. I wanted to be a cake decorator, and get out of my 7-11 job. Unfortunally after I took the lessons places like Safeway and Sobey’s told me I was overqualified for the job.

At 19, I then met this wonderful Man, who is now my husband. I moved into my own apartment, and started cooking for him.
When we got married, we were foolish with our money. Trips to the corner store every day. Cooking involved me opening a can. Ordering out for pizza allot! Occasionally I would cook a homemade meal, but It was a special night for that. My sister in law made a comment, that the convenience foods cost allot of money, and I should make homemade. I didn’t agree at the time. I was 22 years old, thought that the world evolved around me, that I was right and others were wrong, thought that I had it all together and I knew everything because I had “life” experience.

Well that changed soon. We moved into our own house, and at 24 years old we became pregnant. (Planned). My husband was wrongfully demoted from his job, that included a $600/month loss. Now we have a house, car payment, new baby, and less income. A good friend of ours was pregnant at the same time. She struggled even worse financially than us, even claiming bankruptcy at 20 years old. I drove her to food banks, and to welfare for cheques because her Matt leave didn’t cover all the bills. She made everything homemade. She would call me up to ask for a recipe all the time. She even made her own Chicken balls! Since she loved Chinese food so much, but couldn’t afford to order out.

Since my son was born, back in December 2003, our lives have changed. I make most of my meals homemade. Sticking to a meal plan and budget is essential in a home when both parents work full time. I learned about OAMC (Once a month Cooking), and started taking a day out to cook a month’s worth of meals. This reduced our water bill (Less dishes, no pots and pans to clean), and reduced our electricity bill (using the microwave to heat up the food). Working for Tupperware for a year also helped me learn alot of microwave cooking, and storage tips. As a bonus my kitchen is now filled with Tupperware.

Weight watchers really opened my eyes to allot of things. Kraft dinner and the 3 minute noodles were filled with calories, and sodium. Through attending weight watchers (twice), L.A. Weight Loss, T.O.P.S., Healthy Living Course at my Church, and seeing a dietician, I have learned allot about foods, and nutrients. In addition I also learned about the emotional aspect of eating.

I am now continuing to learn and grow in the foods area of my life. Children’s nutrition is what I am currently trying to learn. I am also trying to learn a balance, raising two children, working, eating healthy, keeping up with chores, exercising, and still having a social life. (And working in some “me” time in there as well).

Bernie's Blog

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

My Thrifty/Frugal Shopping I♥SALES!

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