Ryan and I are huge fans of farmers' markets. Unfortunately, many of them that are actually close by are open only on Sundays. Bummer. We enjoy Guadalupe Farmers' Market for local and/or organic produce. It's close by, Priest and Guadalupe, and the prices are pretty good. The produce is in good form, but it's the extras that actually draw me in. This place sells locally made tamales and tortillas. The tortillas there are reminiscent in flavor of ones that Ryan and I purchased while on vacation in Cabo san Lucas. Delish! On one occasion we were checking out and realized there was a cooler next to us with a big sign on it in red letters that read, "Fresh HOT Tamales." They were still warm. We grabbed a dozen at a good price and had dinner to go. I love that I was supporting some local Grandma that needs a few extra bucks in the home. The salsa sold at the store is to die for too. I love their Drunken Irish brand. I'm a bit of a salsa aficionado because I eat it incessantly and this is one of my favorites.
Ryan and I went to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market on Saturday morning. They are open from 8-12 on Saturdays and have free parking. The market is outdoors but every area is shaded and there are fans for cooling. The market is small which is nice for a family with kids because we could get in and out in about 30-45 minutes. There was good looking fresh/local/organic produce, fresh breads and foods, live music, and other homemade goods. We bought some fresh baguettes, bagels, tortillas, salsa, spinach pasta, and produce for the week. Everything that we have eaten so far has been really tasty.
While the quality of the products was good the shopping was a bit of a hassle. They accept credit cards but not every vendor has a machine on the spot. They give you a paper to fill out with each vendor that you hand over at the end to make good on your credit. Sounds good, right? Not exactly. Not every vendor brings your items to the pay area so you have to go back through to get all of your products. We gave up after two vendors and decided to get some public market certificates thinking that would help. It didn't. Everyone looked at them like they had never seen them before and they couldn't give us change for them. So now we have leftovers. I suppose its not a huge deal since we will go again, but its annoying nonetheless. I suggest bring cash and avoid the hassle. We brought our own produce and shopping bags but there were plenty of plastic bags if you need those (and if you want them to sit in a landfill for eternity). No judgment.
Happy Farmers' Marekting everyone!
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Grocery Outlet
Our family drove to Zimbabwe (43rd Ave and Bell Rd) to get a good deal on groceries this week. We strapped our young family in the car and drove for 30+ minutes in fierce traffic to buy some cheap cereal. And.it.was.worth.it. I am very happy to say this trip, unlike the American Discount Foods trip, was much more lucrative. We got to the brightly colored store and immediately found their toiletries section. Hallelujah! For those crazies out there like me that pay 5.00 for a bottle of hand soap because it is made with natural ingredients and biodegradable this is your Mecca. I stocked up on Nature's Gate hand soap, shampoo and conditioner at 2.99 a piece. These babies go for 5-9.00 each at Whole Foods or Sunflower. So, even if I go here just twice a year to stock up on toiletries it's worth the trip.
The grocery section wasn't as fabulous, but I still found some good deals. I purchased some minced garlic and ginger for 1.00 which usually goes for 3-5.00. Yahoo! These babies have a three month fridge life once opened. We bought a case of rice milk for 1.29 a piece, Cascadian Farm granola cereal for 1.49 which usually goes for 3.49-5.49. We bought some soy ice cream and regular ice cream; a pint for 1.50. Awesome. We bought some other staples but the prices weren't stellar. They were basically bottom sales prices at an average grocery store. The produce was not my friend. I'd rather pull from my own garden thank you very much.
I still have one more shop to visit, but in a nutshell here's my advice: Shop the ads and get the best deals at local grocery stores and visit Grocery Outlet to stock up on natural toiletries.
The grocery section wasn't as fabulous, but I still found some good deals. I purchased some minced garlic and ginger for 1.00 which usually goes for 3-5.00. Yahoo! These babies have a three month fridge life once opened. We bought a case of rice milk for 1.29 a piece, Cascadian Farm granola cereal for 1.49 which usually goes for 3.49-5.49. We bought some soy ice cream and regular ice cream; a pint for 1.50. Awesome. We bought some other staples but the prices weren't stellar. They were basically bottom sales prices at an average grocery store. The produce was not my friend. I'd rather pull from my own garden thank you very much.
I still have one more shop to visit, but in a nutshell here's my advice: Shop the ads and get the best deals at local grocery stores and visit Grocery Outlet to stock up on natural toiletries.
Extreme Frugality, Extremely Me
A friend of mine sent me this link to some blog posts by a guy named Hodding that was spotlighted on NPR. He reminds me of Ryan with his weirdness. The reads are short and good and inspiring and funny. Basically, he decided to finally live within his means. Since he was so in debt he had very little means after his have-to bills. His family of six lives on 550.00 a month. Here's the link.
All of these crazy ideas are just up my alley and extremely me. Anyhoo, it's given me some ideas. Our biggest expense is groceries. I have 450.00 budgeted but we always spend more. Always. AndthenRyanbailsmeoutattheendoftheyear. Hodding shops at a discount grocery store and it got me thinking, we have to have one around here somehwere. So I googled my way to three different stores. I like Robin's Nest Ministries in Tempe, but it is a small store. I'd like something bigger where I can stock up. This is what I found on google: Grocery Outlet, Discount Grocery Outlet, and American Discount Foods.
I went to American Discount Foods today. I was a bit diappointed. The prices weren't as fantastic as I was hoping for and the place was a bit ickish. I did find some good steals though that I will list below. It's somewhere I'd go to maybe once a quarter just to see what's available. I hope to hit the rest of the stores within the week. One is on Bell and 43rd Ave and the other is on 27th Ave and Northern, but I figure if I'm just going once a month or less, then the drive would be worth it. So far Grocery Outlet seems to be the best option based on their website and the pictures and FAQ I read. Take a look at the website if you are interested.
American Discount Food Price Frys Sale Price (guessed)
Tropicana orange juice 1.49 2.50
3.06 lbs of white rice 2.11 3.50
Jason face wash .99 8.00 at Whole Foods
lighter 2.99 6.99
4 lbs of potatoes .79 1.50
dozen eggs .89 1.29
dozen red potatoes .79 (.20/lb) 2.50
6 gala apples .53 .33/lb 1.49/lb
agave nectar 2.99 5.99
whole grain bread .79 and .99 4.99/loaf
Total 14.56 Total 38.75
All of these crazy ideas are just up my alley and extremely me. Anyhoo, it's given me some ideas. Our biggest expense is groceries. I have 450.00 budgeted but we always spend more. Always. AndthenRyanbailsmeoutattheendoftheyear. Hodding shops at a discount grocery store and it got me thinking, we have to have one around here somehwere. So I googled my way to three different stores. I like Robin's Nest Ministries in Tempe, but it is a small store. I'd like something bigger where I can stock up. This is what I found on google: Grocery Outlet, Discount Grocery Outlet, and American Discount Foods.
I went to American Discount Foods today. I was a bit diappointed. The prices weren't as fantastic as I was hoping for and the place was a bit ickish. I did find some good steals though that I will list below. It's somewhere I'd go to maybe once a quarter just to see what's available. I hope to hit the rest of the stores within the week. One is on Bell and 43rd Ave and the other is on 27th Ave and Northern, but I figure if I'm just going once a month or less, then the drive would be worth it. So far Grocery Outlet seems to be the best option based on their website and the pictures and FAQ I read. Take a look at the website if you are interested.
American Discount Food Price Frys Sale Price (guessed)
Tropicana orange juice 1.49 2.50
3.06 lbs of white rice 2.11 3.50
Jason face wash .99 8.00 at Whole Foods
lighter 2.99 6.99
4 lbs of potatoes .79 1.50
dozen eggs .89 1.29
dozen red potatoes .79 (.20/lb) 2.50
6 gala apples .53 .33/lb 1.49/lb
agave nectar 2.99 5.99
whole grain bread .79 and .99 4.99/loaf
Total 14.56 Total 38.75
Friday, February 20, 2009
Because of the Economy…
Many people are out of work or have been demoted, or have lost some compensation for their work because of the economy. I know many people personally that are in these situations. Times are tough, money is tight and people and struggling. I just had a friend ask me for some tips on cutting her budget to help things out. I have always been frugal, even when I was young and not spending my own money. I wanted to get the best deals on everything. Now, that I’m an adult (well, sort of) and am raising my own family and spending my own money I have learned a few tricks here and there to cut costs. It is here that I will list a few tips that have helped my family to stay financially sound during these tough times because of the economy.
Grow a Garden
Growing a garden is actually quite simple. Start with basic produce items that your family will eat regularly. You can grow almost anything in Az if you plant it at the right time. You basically have to ignore all of the ‘outside of AZ’ gardening authors. My favorite gardening author is Dave Owens the Garden Guy. His most helpful book is Extreme Gardening. His insights work because he lives here in Phoenix.
I just recently shopped at Goodwill to buy for next year for Justin. I spent a total of thirty dollars and this is what I purchased: 3 shirts for Tyler, one diaper bag for me, (the rest is all for Justin) 5 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, 1 sweater, 2 hoodies, 5 pairs of shorts and a pair of shoes. That is six complete outfits including sweaters and shoes (but minus underwear and socks) just for Justin alone. That’s a good deal. I bought Gap, Wrangler’s, Levi’s, various Target Brands including Genuine Kids and Mossimo, Osh Kosh, Billabong, and Old Navy. Good brands if you ask me. And this stuff is gently used too. I have people ask me all of the time where I find cute clothes for myself and my boys. In fact Jaylee’s favorite phrase seems to be, “Where did you get that? If you say it was $2.00 and you bought it at Goodwill, I’m gonna’ scream.” I love it. That’s how it should be. We don’t need to spend a lot of money when we can buy the same stuff cheaper elsewhere. Plus we get the satisfaction of sticking it to the man!
Grow a Garden
Growing a garden is actually quite simple. Start with basic produce items that your family will eat regularly. You can grow almost anything in Az if you plant it at the right time. You basically have to ignore all of the ‘outside of AZ’ gardening authors. My favorite gardening author is Dave Owens the Garden Guy. His most helpful book is Extreme Gardening. His insights work because he lives here in Phoenix.
Having produce straight from the garden, not only saves money, but it is the best damn produce you’ll ever eat. Gardening also develops a sense of pride and ownership and brings you down to earth (literally). It is a very humbling and satisfying experience to grow and eat and can your own food.
Save Money
I know this sounds stupid, but it helps. I have family right now that is completely out of work. Because they had an emergency savings, they are doing fine. They are not worried, and are able to continually care for their family without too much stress or strain.
Save Money
I know this sounds stupid, but it helps. I have family right now that is completely out of work. Because they had an emergency savings, they are doing fine. They are not worried, and are able to continually care for their family without too much stress or strain.
I personally have several savings accounts. Ryan takes care of long term savings because, honestly, I’m not interested in that and have never been good at it. I save for Christmas, and Household Projects and Vacations. Each year I pick a project to work on and have the money readily available. Each Christmas I am not worried about straining our finances because that money is already there to spend. I could start Christmas shopping now if I wanted to as I already have some money in savings. Another benefit to these odd savings accounts is that if I need them for something else, like groceries if Ryan lost his job, I could use it.
Create a Food Storage
We have a three month food supply and some other basics. Food storage is not only for natural disasters. If my family was out of work, I know that I can get by for at least three months with my food storage (and garden) and be just fine. That is so comforting. In fact, with the flu traveling through my home I have not been to a grocery store in about three weeks. Ryan went to Guadalupe Farmer’s market for fruit once and I went to Sunflower to buy diapers and medicine for the boys and that’s it. And the diapers weren’t necessary at all. We used our food storage for all of our meals while we were ill. Our freezer was stocked full of chicken, beef, and sausage and our cupboards were full of canned goods for recipes that we make often. It was nice not to have to worry about when or how I was going to get to the store.
Shop Smart
When I buy groceries I do several things beforehand. I shop the ad and look for the best deals. Then I get out my recipes and compare them to my ad. I create a two week menu and then I shop at the store. While there I also pick up any items that we use on a regular basis that are on sale. These items go into my food storage. I always know that I have purchased my canned goods, frozen meats and toiletries and household cleaning products at the cheapest price possible. That makes me feel good. I like knowing that when I wipe my bum I’m only spending .003 instead of .03 or whatever the math really is.
Create a Food Storage
We have a three month food supply and some other basics. Food storage is not only for natural disasters. If my family was out of work, I know that I can get by for at least three months with my food storage (and garden) and be just fine. That is so comforting. In fact, with the flu traveling through my home I have not been to a grocery store in about three weeks. Ryan went to Guadalupe Farmer’s market for fruit once and I went to Sunflower to buy diapers and medicine for the boys and that’s it. And the diapers weren’t necessary at all. We used our food storage for all of our meals while we were ill. Our freezer was stocked full of chicken, beef, and sausage and our cupboards were full of canned goods for recipes that we make often. It was nice not to have to worry about when or how I was going to get to the store.
Shop Smart
When I buy groceries I do several things beforehand. I shop the ad and look for the best deals. Then I get out my recipes and compare them to my ad. I create a two week menu and then I shop at the store. While there I also pick up any items that we use on a regular basis that are on sale. These items go into my food storage. I always know that I have purchased my canned goods, frozen meats and toiletries and household cleaning products at the cheapest price possible. That makes me feel good. I like knowing that when I wipe my bum I’m only spending .003 instead of .03 or whatever the math really is.
I also shop at Robin's Nest Ministry. This store is on the corner of University and Hardy. The goods for this store are purchased in bulk from local grocery stores. The items are generally just expired, dented or squished. Frankly I don't care. If I eat rice crackers that are one week old but I paid $1 instead of $4, then I'm ecstatic. We buy lots of canned goods and cereal here. As more stores pick up organic and whole foods items we get to purchase better and better products at amazing pricesat Robin's Nest. Sometimes I find soy flours, gluten free baking mixes and organic sugarfree goodies for my kids. The proceeds from the purchases go towards a church too. We also shop for buns here to feed the ducks. They are super cheap at $.10 a bag.
When shopping for clothing I have a few rules I’ve made for myself. I never buy anything that’s not on sale. Although there are a few exceptions to this one. If it’s for me and it has a specific purpose, I will buy it full price. But for the most part I stick to this rule. Secondhand shopping is a must if you have children. Clothing can take up a huge amount of cash and be quite burdensome on one’s budget. I enjoy Goodwill. Every day at goodwill is a sale day. Each day there is one tag and one week number that is on sale. If you donate items ask for a receipt. This receipt has a 20% off coupon on it and is good for any purchase over ten dollars. I almost always have something I can bring with me to donate to Goodwill. Thursday is dollar day, where one colored tag is one stinking whole dollar. This is a great day when shopping for adult clothes. You can really find some good steals. Every other Saturday is their 50% off the entire store sale.
Goodwill has honestly spoiled me. This past year has been really difficult shopping for me. Since Justin now has timelines for when he needs certain articles of clothing for school I’ve had to venture outside of Goodwill more than I normally do. That has been difficult. As I’m at Old Navy looking at a pair of jeans that are $8 all I can think is, this is worth eight jeans at Goodwill. To avoid the sorrow of shopping sales elsewhere I try to shop ahead of the season.
When shopping for clothing I have a few rules I’ve made for myself. I never buy anything that’s not on sale. Although there are a few exceptions to this one. If it’s for me and it has a specific purpose, I will buy it full price. But for the most part I stick to this rule. Secondhand shopping is a must if you have children. Clothing can take up a huge amount of cash and be quite burdensome on one’s budget. I enjoy Goodwill. Every day at goodwill is a sale day. Each day there is one tag and one week number that is on sale. If you donate items ask for a receipt. This receipt has a 20% off coupon on it and is good for any purchase over ten dollars. I almost always have something I can bring with me to donate to Goodwill. Thursday is dollar day, where one colored tag is one stinking whole dollar. This is a great day when shopping for adult clothes. You can really find some good steals. Every other Saturday is their 50% off the entire store sale.
Goodwill has honestly spoiled me. This past year has been really difficult shopping for me. Since Justin now has timelines for when he needs certain articles of clothing for school I’ve had to venture outside of Goodwill more than I normally do. That has been difficult. As I’m at Old Navy looking at a pair of jeans that are $8 all I can think is, this is worth eight jeans at Goodwill. To avoid the sorrow of shopping sales elsewhere I try to shop ahead of the season.
This is what $30.00 buys you at Goodwill.
I just recently shopped at Goodwill to buy for next year for Justin. I spent a total of thirty dollars and this is what I purchased: 3 shirts for Tyler, one diaper bag for me, (the rest is all for Justin) 5 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, 1 sweater, 2 hoodies, 5 pairs of shorts and a pair of shoes. That is six complete outfits including sweaters and shoes (but minus underwear and socks) just for Justin alone. That’s a good deal. I bought Gap, Wrangler’s, Levi’s, various Target Brands including Genuine Kids and Mossimo, Osh Kosh, Billabong, and Old Navy. Good brands if you ask me. And this stuff is gently used too. I have people ask me all of the time where I find cute clothes for myself and my boys. In fact Jaylee’s favorite phrase seems to be, “Where did you get that? If you say it was $2.00 and you bought it at Goodwill, I’m gonna’ scream.” I love it. That’s how it should be. We don’t need to spend a lot of money when we can buy the same stuff cheaper elsewhere. Plus we get the satisfaction of sticking it to the man!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Green and Green
One of the hardest parts of being environmentally friendly is watching the dollars disappear from your wallet faster than you can say global warming. It's amazing to me how expensive items can be just because they aren't popular and the demand is not as high as the average American product.
I've been wanting to replace my cosmetics and facial creams for sometime now, but have been waiting for them to run out (I'm cheap and I hate to throw things away). Anyway, my cosmetics stores are nearing the end so I've begun my research. The main ingredients that your cosmetics should not have are sodium laurel sulfate, Pthalates, parabens and fragrance/parfum. It has been difficult to find cosmetics that are a good price and healthy for you. I feel lucky that I've found a few items at Target, of all places. I've discovered Physicians Formula Organic Wear. I've purchased their pressed powder and blush. Hopefully they are just as good as my chemically ridden products that I smear all over my face that I buy at such high end stores as Walgreens while on clearance.
Today at Whole Foods I was in search of face wash, eye makeup remover and face lotion/sunblock. I could not believe that prices. Some of these items are over $40.00. It's amazing! I found a Kiss My Face facial line that was on the lower end. Face soap 12.99 and lotion 18.99. The lotion was in a one ounce bottle if you can believe that. I know! I also purchased Earth Science makeup remover for 6.49. It's so hard to buy these items at these prices. I'm just not used to it. But I suppose if I really want to be healthy and green I've got to give a little more green than I'm used to. Now is the time to put my money where my mouth is...and maybe I can look pretty while doing it too.
I've been wanting to replace my cosmetics and facial creams for sometime now, but have been waiting for them to run out (I'm cheap and I hate to throw things away). Anyway, my cosmetics stores are nearing the end so I've begun my research. The main ingredients that your cosmetics should not have are sodium laurel sulfate, Pthalates, parabens and fragrance/parfum. It has been difficult to find cosmetics that are a good price and healthy for you. I feel lucky that I've found a few items at Target, of all places. I've discovered Physicians Formula Organic Wear. I've purchased their pressed powder and blush. Hopefully they are just as good as my chemically ridden products that I smear all over my face that I buy at such high end stores as Walgreens while on clearance.
Today at Whole Foods I was in search of face wash, eye makeup remover and face lotion/sunblock. I could not believe that prices. Some of these items are over $40.00. It's amazing! I found a Kiss My Face facial line that was on the lower end. Face soap 12.99 and lotion 18.99. The lotion was in a one ounce bottle if you can believe that. I know! I also purchased Earth Science makeup remover for 6.49. It's so hard to buy these items at these prices. I'm just not used to it. But I suppose if I really want to be healthy and green I've got to give a little more green than I'm used to. Now is the time to put my money where my mouth is...and maybe I can look pretty while doing it too.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Best Reason to Buy Green
We buy green cleaning products. I'm paranoid about my kids licking the floor (it happens a lot), so I use vinegar or just water. I don't want to leave soap on my counters so I use essential oils, but it took me the longest time to get green bathroom cleaners. Several months ago I found a green toilet cleaner that I liked. No biggie, it just works. Come to find out, I'm really glad that I use non-toxic toilet cleaners. Apparently, when I am not looking Tyler lifts the lid, gently swishes the water around with his hand and then sucks the water off his fingers. Nice. Hooray for a non-toxic toilet cleaner. Now if that is not the best reason to buy green, then I don't know what is.
And while I'm on the subject...I've discovered green cleaning right under my nose at Target. Target carries a brand called Method. I knew they had hand soap but didn't realize that they had cleaning products. Turns out they have a washable floor mop (similar to a swiffer), a floor cleaner, and get this, my favorite, compostable cleaning wipes. I love these! they have more products but these were really the only ones I was really excited about.
I beat my record of 65.00 saved in one grocery shopping trip. This past week Fry's was having a rockin' sale and I used coupons, plus my cloth bags credit... I saved 74.73. I am truly a domestic goddess!
I failed to mention this tidbit, Ryan and I ran out of our green dishwasher detergent. We had some gel cascade that someone had given us. "Help! My eyes are burning!" I screamed to Ryan the first night we used it. My eyes got teary and were red from this toxic fumey cleaner. You really don't realize how gentle the green cleaners are until you go back and try a toxic filled one . Holy smokes what a difference it makes. And to top it off, the cleaner sucks. It has left this thick film on all of our dishes. We have to rinse them off and scrub them before using them. I should just pitch it and use my own non-eye burring cleaner that I bought from Sunflower during my sad Sunflower trip. Geez!
And while I'm on the subject...I've discovered green cleaning right under my nose at Target. Target carries a brand called Method. I knew they had hand soap but didn't realize that they had cleaning products. Turns out they have a washable floor mop (similar to a swiffer), a floor cleaner, and get this, my favorite, compostable cleaning wipes. I love these! they have more products but these were really the only ones I was really excited about.
I beat my record of 65.00 saved in one grocery shopping trip. This past week Fry's was having a rockin' sale and I used coupons, plus my cloth bags credit... I saved 74.73. I am truly a domestic goddess!
I failed to mention this tidbit, Ryan and I ran out of our green dishwasher detergent. We had some gel cascade that someone had given us. "Help! My eyes are burning!" I screamed to Ryan the first night we used it. My eyes got teary and were red from this toxic fumey cleaner. You really don't realize how gentle the green cleaners are until you go back and try a toxic filled one . Holy smokes what a difference it makes. And to top it off, the cleaner sucks. It has left this thick film on all of our dishes. We have to rinse them off and scrub them before using them. I should just pitch it and use my own non-eye burring cleaner that I bought from Sunflower during my sad Sunflower trip. Geez!
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