DIY Cleaning Supplies #1

I found this great site that shows you how to make your own cleaning supplies.  A majority of the items are commonly found in the home.  Click HERE to check them out.

My good friend Bailey was telling me about how her mom has a great way to make your own dryer sheets.  This is how its done:

In a container (plastic rubbermaid or old margarine container) put 1/4 cup of fabric softner and 1 cup of water, then place some fabric squares in to the container... When you put the load of laundry into the dryer you get one fabric square, kind of ring it out and throw it in with your clothes... then when you fold your clothes you just place the fabric square back into the container! Easy and resuable!!

NORWEX

(You can go to the site by clicking on the name)  This company is one of my favorite for awesome cleaning supplies that work amazing and are great on the environment.  They aren't DIY but they are products you only buy once and use a zillion times!

They have clothes that contain silver which is a bacteria killer.  You can purchase a cloth and use it to clean your bathroom, including toilet, without using one cleaning agent.  I LOVE THEM!  They gaurentee that 99.9% of germs are killed.  The only time I use any cleaner is when I have chicken on the counter, little bleach just to make sure.

They also have these amazing dryer balls.  Dryer balls eliminate the entire need for dryer sheets.  They even decrease the amount of time your laundry needs to dry and do they ever work great.  DON'T buy them from the dollar store though.  I know a few people who have purchased them from there and they said they didn't work at all.

Anyone???

Does anyone even read this??  I know a few people do but a few people may not be enough for me to continue to function this blog.  Please send this link out www.sexysavvysavingmom.blogspot.com to everyone you know who may want to learn some tricks and save some money!!!

Christmas.... Now??

Okay, you want to have money at Christmas and not be paying off credit cards till June..... SAVE and start saving now.

• Take out $25 a month, by Christmas you will have $250.  And that's $250 more then you would have had.  Decide on a base amount, then if you can add an extra $10 or $25 to that each month, your amount will obviously increase.  
• The easiest way for me to do this is I do my banking online.  On my online banking I set up a transfer that happens each month to an account that I titled, DON'T TOUCH!  That way I don't need to worry about making sure the money is being put aside because its done each  month automatically.  And if you don't do online banking or are unable to do a transfer like this, just go into the bank and they will set it up for you.
• If you are going to do cash at home, decide on a good place to put it.  In a jar that can't be opened or in a safe.  You don't want to be dishing this money early!
• Another way is if you do the budget cash jar system, which I explain in"How To Start Saving", and are putting that $25 away into a jar for the kids already, plan on using that money for only Christmas presents for the kids or for their birthdays.  I know we will use the money for our sons b-day in April and then put money in there each month to use it again for Dec for Christmas.

Utility Cost Cuts

PLEASE check out this site.  It has tons of ideas on saving money on home utilities.

• lowering utilities
• lowering heating bills

One that I would add is turn your heat down at night and put on an oil heater in your room and your kids rooms.  You can purchase them for as low as $30 at many dept stores.  Very safe, most now have things like if it falls over, it will turn off and such.  They do get hot but I find they aren't hot enough to burn you unless you keep your hand on it for a while.  I have one in my little guys room and ours, that way when I turn the heat down I don't need to worry about the rest of the family being cold.  

Week #4 for Eating on $350 a Month

Again, all breakfast and lunch ideas can be found here.

Groceries

• ground beef (cheap at Walmart, about $2.50 for 1lb in the sausage roll looking packets)
• taco kit (right now $2.99 at no frills, normal price $3.49)
• chicken fingers ($17.99 for a box at M&M or make your own with the recipe at the end)
• Thai sauce ($2.99 No Frills)
• Ribs (we get St. Louis Style, at Walmart for a large rack which feeds 2 people easy $8-$10)
• 3 romaine hearts or bag of lettuce ($2.54 at No Frills)
• Spaghetti box
• can of crushed tomatoes ($.88 at No Frills right now, stock up, or buy no name, same stuff!)
• garlic cloves
• can of pork and beans (or any kind of bean you want, I just like the additional of the sauce)
• a few large baking potatoes
• bag of fillet fish (on sale for $4 at No Frills right now!)
• bag of coleslaw
• coleslaw salad dressing (no name brand tastes just as good and is cheaper, or you could add mayo, vinegar, and pickle juice to make your own)
• carton of whipping cream (cheaper then buying the premade stuff)
• pancake mix (Costco $8 LARGE BAG you will just use from the pancake mix you bought in the beginning)
• tenderloin (you should have some left over from your Costco purchase)
• Kaiser buns (4 for $1 at Walmart in bins)
• BBQ sauce (preferably chicken and rib from Kraft, so good)
• onions
• sour cream (should have some left over from other week)
• cheese (should have some left over, just need it for tacos this week)
• rice 
• carrots
• tomatoes (fresh)
• salsa
• frozen strawberries (earlier Costco purchase, LARGE bag, $9)
• 1 green pepper
• bean (big bag you have in the freezer still from Costco)

Meal #1
Beef Tacos/ Taco Salad

• 1-2lbs ground beef
• sour cream
• salsa
• cheese
• taco kit
• lettuce shredded
• tomato diced
• olives (optional)

Follow recipe on the taco kit for cooking and seasoning beef.   Serve on shells or wraps.  If you want to feel a little healthier and fill up, grab a large bowl, fill with tons of lettuce, tomato, and olives.  Add your beef and toppings for a great salad.  Take a hard shell, crush and top.

Meal #2
Thai Chicken Fingers

• either bought fingers or homemade ones
• Thai sauce
• rice
• carrots

Bake or deep fry your chicken fingers (find homemade recipe at the end of this post).  While baking, make rice and boil carrots (cut up sticks or use baby carrots).  When carrots are done drain water and add 2 T of brown sugar and a T of honey, parsley on top to look pretty!  Once fingers are done, cut into smaller strips about 1/2 inch thick.  Put into a large mixing bowl and pour about 1/4 C of Thai sauce on top and mix around.  Serve on top of rice.

Meal #3

Fall off the bone Ribs

• ribs
• salad
• beans
• baby potatoes
• BBQ sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• med onion cut into large pieces
• little olive oil, butter, and salt

Take out your crock pot around 10am (or the early morning if you work).  Put in ribs and fill with water till covered.  Add 1/4 C of Worcestershire sauce and the onion.  Let cook till dinner time (or if you start early like at 8am, let cook on high for 6 hours).  40 mins before dinner start cooking potatos by cutting into quarters, put some olive oil and butter in the dish with them, salt and bake for 30mins at 400 or until soft.  Boil beans on stove for 10 mins or till desired crunchy.  Take out a large cookie sheet and heat the oven for 400 at BROIL.  Take out ribs and lay on sheet, cover ONE SIDE ONLY with BBQ sauce.  Put in oven for about 7 mins, take out and flip over, cover the other side with BBQ sauce, broil again for 7 mins.  Serve with potatos and beans.

Meal #4
Meatless Spaghetti

• can of crushed tomato
• dried basil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1T of olive oil
• finely diced onion
• 1T of sugar
• can of pork & beans
• spaghetti 
• salad

Start cooking spaghetti.  Take out your pan and put in olive oil.  Once hot, add minced garlic and onions.  Cook till onions are clear.  Add can of crushed tomatoes and T of sugar along with basil and can of pork and beans (or any beans, this will be a boast of protein as well as keeping you fuller longer).   Make salad, we do Cesar on spaghetti night.  You could also have garlic bread either homemade (just slices of bread with butter that has garlic powder mixed in, broiled) or bought.

Meal #5
Fish & Chips

• pancake mix
• fish fillets
• large baking potatoes
• large skillet with 1.5 inches of veggie oil covering the bottom and up/ or deep fryer
• coleslaw 
• coleslaw dressing

Take large potatoes and cut up into french fries.  Put on large baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, mixing it around so all are covered.  Then sprinkle desired spices, salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and place in oven at 425 for 30-40mins.  Heat your oil.  Make sure you stay around medium heat, you don't want to have a kitchen fire.  Make your pancake batter (extra so you can use the rest for tomorrows dinner) and get out your fish fillets.  Make sure you dab both sides of the fillet to get rid of any water.  Cover both sides of fish with flour then dip into your pancake mix.  Place into your grease, please watch

Meal #6
Waffles & Strawberries (Breakfast for Dinner)

• pancake batter (made from yesterday) or mix
• frozen strawberries thawed
• whipping cream carton (500mL works good at my house, we have leftovers usually)
• 1/3 cup sugar

Make up batter.  Grill up some waffles or pancakes if you don't have a waffle machine.  While doing that, also get out a hand mixer.  Pour out your whipping cream into a mixing bowl and start mixing.  After about 2 mins on high, add sugar, and continue to mix until fluffy and peaking.  Enjoy!

Meal #7
Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• tenderloin
• BBQ sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• ketchup
• mustard
• salt
• pulled pork crock pot sauce packet (if you don't want to make your own)
• onions diced
• green pepper diced
• Kaiser buns
• coleslaw

Take out the crock pot again.  Place in tenderloin and cover with water.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Drain water after 5 hours and shred.  Add onions, green peppers, sauce packet OR 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3T of mustard, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1t of salt.  Also add 1/2 cup of water.  Cook on high for an additional 3 hours.  Serve on Kaiser buns with coleslaw on the side.


Total for these meals comes to about $80 if you make your own chicken fingers and if you were following the meals for the previous weeks.  Total comes to just over $350 for all 4 weeks but I allotted a lot for lunches and breakfasts.  And this is if you ate at home every night.

I know in our house we have a budget for eating out and we eat out about 3 times a month, this includes coupon meals and $5 pizzas.  Once a month we try and eat at a sit down restaurant but we only have one child so families with more then one kid that is older then 3 may consider not doing this due to cost.  OR go out with your husband for a date night at LEAST once a month and make that night your sit down meal!!

Homemade Chicken Fingers

Thawed chicken breast cut into halves long ways.  In a bowl add 2 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 t of thyme, 1 cup of buttermilk, and some hot pepper if you like a kick.  Place chicken in bowl and let marinade for an hour.

Grab some corn flakes, no name to save money, and crush.  Take out marinaded meat and cover with crushed flakes, both sides.  Bake at 400 for 15 mins.

For those of you who are new to buttermilk, it's a low fat milk that has a tangy taste.  It lasts for a while in the fridge and is great for a lot of different sauces, recipes, and homemade cake mixes!

Week #3 on $350

Here are meals for week #3.  You can find breakfast and lunch ideas on Week #1's page here.

 Groceries:

• Chicken (If you bought the big breast box from Costco you will have enough)
• Cream of Chicken Soup ($1.29 at No Frills)
• Stuffing Box ($1.49 at No Frills, TIP buy extra after Thanksgiving when on sale and store them)
• Onion
• Cheese
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Rice
• Lettuce Head x2 (take first 5-7 large leaves off and use rest for salad, large leaves for wraps)
• Green &/or Red Peppers
• Perogies (still from week one as you bought a large bag)
• Sour Cream
• Bread Crumbs (made yourself)
• Hamburgers (Superstore sells burger steaks for $10 for 20 yellow no name box, surprisingly good).
• Hamburger Buns (no name $1.99 or 4 for a $1 at Walmart pick your own bins)
• Honey Garlic Dinner Sausage (pack of 9 for $11 at Costco)
• Zucchini
• Mini Potatoes (or buy the full potatoes and cube yourself for cheaper)
• Roast (between $8-$15)
• Garlic
• cumin/ honey/ Worcestershire sauce/ ketchup/ brown sugar (regular kitchen items)
• Half & Half
• grapes
• Yorkshire Pudding packet ($1.49 at No Frills)
• Avocado  
• Pineapple Rings (Dollarama $1)

Meal #1
Chicken Casserole

• chicken either as breasts or cubed
• stuffing mix
• small onion diced
• 1 cup broccoli heads
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken 
• 1/4 cup of mayo

In a frying pan, add your chicken raw and water enough to fill the bottom.  Let cook for 20 mins with a lid on.  While these are cooking make up your stuffing mix.  MAKE SURE you salt both sides of the chicken, makes it real tender.  Take out and either cube chicken (makes the chicken go further) or leave in breasts.  In a casserole dish, mix stuffing made, chicken, onion, broccoli, half the cheese, cream of chicken and mayo.  Top off with remaining cheese.  Cook at 375 for 30 mins so everything can get all gooey.  Serve onto of rice, and with a salad.

Meal #2
Meatloaf

• ground beef
• small onion diced finely
• garlic finely minced
• squart of mustard
• 1 large egg beaten
• T of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Half & Half
• 1/2 green pepper finely diced
• 1 cup diced finely bread
• 2 T brown sugar 
• cumin/ honey/ Worcestershire sauce/ ketchup/ brown sugar

1. Take onions and green peppers and garlic and cook in frying pan till soft.  2. Take 1/2 cup ketchup, tablespoon of cider vinegar, t of cumin, splash of Worcestershire sauce, and a T of honey and mix in a different bowl, this is the glaze.  3. In a bowl whisk egg, brown sugar, salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, half and half, and half of the glaze mixture.  Once mixed, add first and second batches made to meat and mix gently with hands, making sure not to squeeze meat or over mix.  Shape into loaf and put into greased bread pan.  Bake at 350 for 60 mins.  Add remaining glaze mixture after 10 mins of baking.  Make sure your meat reads 160 degrees before taking it out.  Once cooked let stand for 10 mins and then cut into loafs and enjoy!  Serve with a veggie and salad.

Meal #3
Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• chicken cooked and sliced or can of flaked chicken
• full lettuce leaves
• mayo/ sour cream enough to moisten batch
• grapes cut into halves or quarters
• green and or red peppers diced
• red onion diced finely
• cheese grated
• rice
• ranch
• carrots

This can be considered a lunch meal but I like light suppers to on busy days and this can be wiped up quick. Start by getting a pot out to make your rice (make double the recipe if you plan on eating BBQ sausage tomorrow), as well as a pot out for boiling your carrots (or eat them raw).  Then mix first 6 ingredients together (except the leaves) and put in bowl.  Break off large leaves from lettuce head and scoop good size amounts of mixture into leaves, wrap.  Make rice, once finished, add 2 T of ranch (I prefer the ranch packets mixed with mayo or sour cream, tastes better to me).  Serve with the rice and carrots.

Meal #4
BBQ Sausage

• honey garlic sausage
• BBQ sauce (we prefer Kraft Chicken n' Rib)
• rice
• green and or red peppers cut into large pieces
• onion cut into large pieces
• pineapple rings
• zucchini

Turn on the BBQ and place your sausage on there.  While that's cooking, cut up peppers, onion, and zucchini, put on shishkabobs and lather with BBQ sauce.  Bring out to BBQ along with your pineapple rings.  Place on BBQ and lather rings with BBQ sauce.  Sausage takes about 20 mins to cook, making sure the inside isn't pink anymore, and turn veggies every few mins, especially the pineapple rings.  Serve with rice and BBQ veggies.

Meal #5
Hamburgers

• hamburgers
• hamburger buns
• lettuce
• cheese
• onion
• pickle
• avocado
• dressings of choice
• salad
• large potatoes

First cut up large potatoes into fries, sprinkle with olive oil and make sure coated with hands.  Sprinkle salt and paprika on top with chili powder.  Place in over at 400 for 20 mins.  Take burgers to the BBQ.  Serve with salad.

Meal #6
Perogies

Easy supper night, recipe found here.

Meal #7
Roast

• CROCK POT
• roast
• potatoes cubed
• carrots cubed
• onion sliced
• onion soup mix
• splash of Worcestershire sauce
• t of salt
• salad
• Yorkshire pudding packet

fav!).

This week you are looking at about $65 in groceries for suppers.  If you factor in about $23 for lunches and breakfast your total for groceries this week should be $88.

Costco Premium Toilet Paper

Run quick to Costco, they have their Premium Toilet Paper 36 (500sheets/roll) individually wrapped 2-ply rolls on sale for $14.97!!!  Save $4.00!  One other tip.  Buy ALL your toilet paper for a year at one time.  Especially at this cost.  This way in the future you aren't taking time out of your day to go and get more toilet paper, an essential that will always be used up anyways.  I know we got 2 packages for $30, enough for a year for us!