We have 7 dogs living at our house. Dog food used to run us about $85.00 a month when they were eating Purina. Attempting to save money, I tried to do a mix of Purina and the Fred Meyers Brand dog food but it just isn't working. It cut the bill down to $50.00 a month but the dogs don't seemed satisfied and it doesn't seem to be digesting completely. It would almost be painful to keep shelling out $85.00 again. So I came up with a plan...
I make the dog food. I've done a lot of research on dog food. It seems like the more information I read, the less comfortable I am with giving the dogs any brand. I had a golden retriever who lived 15 years on a diet of Purina so that has to say something about that brand of food. But let's see how becoming the dogs' personal chef works out for my family.
40% meat, 30% vegetables, 30% carbs. If you ever try baking for your dog, make sure you have a full list of products that you should never put in dog food. I never use onions or garlic even though I find them in a lot of recipes because I occasionally find them on vet "Do Not Eat" lists.
Money Invested...
20 quart stock pot $20.70 (org. $45.99)- I'm going to use this baby out!
3LB Rice $2.10 (SW Sale)
Leftover oatmeal $0
Leftover carrots $0
Last Summers Salmon $0
Freezer Bags $.75
1/3 Bag of FM Dog Food to transition $4.67
20LB Purina to transition $8.49 (org. 16.99)
Supplies- $21.45
Food- $15.26
Ok, well the numbers don't look so good considering my food goal is $25.00. I have to have the transition food though. So the new goal.... $30.00! ($25.00 will be my goal next month)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Fred Meyer's Monday Doorbuster Sale!
Fred Meyer's is having a Doorbuster Sale on Memorial Day from 7AM to 1PM.
The coupons found in the flyer:
-$5.00 off any pair of Men's, Women's or Children's Shoe 14.99 and up
(Pair this with the advertised $10.00 Off Athletic Shoes In-store bonus coupon, excludes Sketchers) OR
(Pair this with the 15% off Sketchers Coupon)
(Pair this with the sale for $9.99 Riverside Sandals Reg. $22-$32) OR
(Pair this with the sale for $11.99 gardening clogs. I love mine!)
-$5.00 off any Men's, Women's or Children's Apparel or Accessories Item 14.99 and up
-15% off Apparel and Accessories (Can be combined with $5.00 off apparel and accessories coupon. Coupon excludes shoes so it can not be combined with shoe coupon.)
-10% off All Outdoor & Indoor Plants
Go Here to find this flyer.
There are a couple good deals that I might take advantage of tomorrow (May 31st).
-$7.99 for a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter + a FREE Jobes 8 pack Tomato Spikes with in-store coupon.
(This is the lowest price I've seen this year. I have heard good and bad about these contraptions. My dad seems to like his so I will probably try one. I have researched how to make them but to be honest I don't really want to look out my window to see soda bottles and reusable grocery bags hanging willy nilly from the trees. If the topsy turvy does work, I'll make them next year with my son. Then instead of looking out my windows thinking my trees look like they have been digging in the trash, I will think my son is a brilliant boy with the gift of duct taping.
-B1G1 Free Brita Water Filtration Go Here to find a printable $5.00 off coupon for the filter pitcher and a $2.00 off coupon for the filter. Don't forget to print twice! When I last bought the pitcher it was $21.99. Don't forget to use the 10% off housewares bonus coupon in the regular flyer. It will take $2.20 off one, $0 off the free brita. Then you can use two $5.00 off coupons to buy two pitchers for $9.79 ($4.90 each). I'm using the $2.00 coupons to score 2 filters for about $2.00 each. Unless they changed the price they were around $8.00.
50% 0ff List:
All Open-Stock Cookware
All Hand Tools (Father's Day is approaching)
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24- Piece Set
Oversized Indoor/Outdoor Area Rugs
Boys' 20" Tony Hawk Huckjam Series 720 Bike
10% Extra Bonus Coupon can by used on all these items also!
Happy Shopping!
The coupons found in the flyer:
-$5.00 off any pair of Men's, Women's or Children's Shoe 14.99 and up
(Pair this with the advertised $10.00 Off Athletic Shoes In-store bonus coupon, excludes Sketchers) OR
(Pair this with the 15% off Sketchers Coupon)
(Pair this with the sale for $9.99 Riverside Sandals Reg. $22-$32) OR
(Pair this with the sale for $11.99 gardening clogs. I love mine!)
-$5.00 off any Men's, Women's or Children's Apparel or Accessories Item 14.99 and up
-15% off Apparel and Accessories (Can be combined with $5.00 off apparel and accessories coupon. Coupon excludes shoes so it can not be combined with shoe coupon.)
-10% off All Outdoor & Indoor Plants
Go Here to find this flyer.
There are a couple good deals that I might take advantage of tomorrow (May 31st).
-$7.99 for a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter + a FREE Jobes 8 pack Tomato Spikes with in-store coupon.
(This is the lowest price I've seen this year. I have heard good and bad about these contraptions. My dad seems to like his so I will probably try one. I have researched how to make them but to be honest I don't really want to look out my window to see soda bottles and reusable grocery bags hanging willy nilly from the trees. If the topsy turvy does work, I'll make them next year with my son. Then instead of looking out my windows thinking my trees look like they have been digging in the trash, I will think my son is a brilliant boy with the gift of duct taping.
-B1G1 Free Brita Water Filtration Go Here to find a printable $5.00 off coupon for the filter pitcher and a $2.00 off coupon for the filter. Don't forget to print twice! When I last bought the pitcher it was $21.99. Don't forget to use the 10% off housewares bonus coupon in the regular flyer. It will take $2.20 off one, $0 off the free brita. Then you can use two $5.00 off coupons to buy two pitchers for $9.79 ($4.90 each). I'm using the $2.00 coupons to score 2 filters for about $2.00 each. Unless they changed the price they were around $8.00.
50% 0ff List:
All Open-Stock Cookware
All Hand Tools (Father's Day is approaching)
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24- Piece Set
Oversized Indoor/Outdoor Area Rugs
Boys' 20" Tony Hawk Huckjam Series 720 Bike
10% Extra Bonus Coupon can by used on all these items also!
Happy Shopping!
Friday, May 28, 2010
New Coupon Book at Safeway!
I didn't plan on posting many things this week because of the yard sale we are having. There is a lot to go through and I just want to get it over with and out of the way. But an unexpected errand put me in North Pole today so I decided to hit the bank to get small bills (the bank is in the back of Safeway). I just couldn't help but enjoy a good browse through the store. I got some great deals I may post about later but it is a little to late to start on my grocery spreadsheet (I love spreadsheets!).
I was ecstatic to find a new coupon book in the dairy aisle. It has some really good coupons that I just don't come across. The value on them is good, not amazing. And the book is full of recipes.
Manufacturers Coupons:
$1/2 Kraft Singles 10.5 oz or larger
$1/2 Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese 6 oz or larger
$1/2 Jello Gelatin, Mousse or Pudding Snacks
$1/2 Knudsen or Breakstone's Sour Cream or Cottage Cheese 16 oz or larger
$1/2 Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Sorbet, or Frozen Yogurt
$1/1 Nestle Coffe-mate Liquid Creamer
$1/5 Weight Watchers 6 oz Yogurt Cups
$1/2 Florida's Natural Premium Juice
$1/1 2lb Baby Loaf of Tillamook Cheese
$1/2 Chobani 32 oz yogurt
$1/2 Sargento Natural Deli Style Sliced Cheese, 5 oz or larger
$1/1 Sorrento or Precious Fresh Mozzarella or Ciliengini
$1/2 Kozy Shack 22 oz tubs or 6 packs
$1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$1/10 Yoplait Yogurt
$1/2 Popsicle Ice Pops and Fudgsicle Ice Pops
$.55/1 Promise Spread Product
$.50/1 Fage Total Yogurt
$.55/1 Silk Soymilk half gallon
$.50/2 Simply 100% Juice
$.50/1 Land O Lakes Butter
$.55/1 International Delight pint
$.55/1 Horizon Organic Milk half gallon
$.55/1 Simply Hashbrown
$.55/1 Crystal Farms All Whites
Store Coupons:
$1/2 Lucerne Cheese 16oz shredded or chunk
$1/2 Lucerne Cream Cheese
$1/2 Lucerne Sour Cream 16 oz
$1/2 Eating Right Pro-biotic Yogurt multipack
$1/1 Lucerne Non-dairy Creamer 32 oz
$.50/1 or $1/2 Lucerne Creamery Fresh Ice Cream 1.5-1.75 quart
Plus 35 Recipes!
I was ecstatic to find a new coupon book in the dairy aisle. It has some really good coupons that I just don't come across. The value on them is good, not amazing. And the book is full of recipes.
Manufacturers Coupons:
$1/2 Kraft Singles 10.5 oz or larger
$1/2 Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese 6 oz or larger
$1/2 Jello Gelatin, Mousse or Pudding Snacks
$1/2 Knudsen or Breakstone's Sour Cream or Cottage Cheese 16 oz or larger
$1/2 Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Sorbet, or Frozen Yogurt
$1/1 Nestle Coffe-mate Liquid Creamer
$1/5 Weight Watchers 6 oz Yogurt Cups
$1/2 Florida's Natural Premium Juice
$1/1 2lb Baby Loaf of Tillamook Cheese
$1/2 Chobani 32 oz yogurt
$1/2 Sargento Natural Deli Style Sliced Cheese, 5 oz or larger
$1/1 Sorrento or Precious Fresh Mozzarella or Ciliengini
$1/2 Kozy Shack 22 oz tubs or 6 packs
$1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$1/10 Yoplait Yogurt
$1/2 Popsicle Ice Pops and Fudgsicle Ice Pops
$.55/1 Promise Spread Product
$.50/1 Fage Total Yogurt
$.55/1 Silk Soymilk half gallon
$.50/2 Simply 100% Juice
$.50/1 Land O Lakes Butter
$.55/1 International Delight pint
$.55/1 Horizon Organic Milk half gallon
$.55/1 Simply Hashbrown
$.55/1 Crystal Farms All Whites
Store Coupons:
$1/2 Lucerne Cheese 16oz shredded or chunk
$1/2 Lucerne Cream Cheese
$1/2 Lucerne Sour Cream 16 oz
$1/2 Eating Right Pro-biotic Yogurt multipack
$1/1 Lucerne Non-dairy Creamer 32 oz
$.50/1 or $1/2 Lucerne Creamery Fresh Ice Cream 1.5-1.75 quart
Plus 35 Recipes!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Here goes nothing!
Well I finally started my blog. I set up the account months ago but I think it is time I actually commit to writing entries. I figured by this fall I'd be organized enough. I'm plagued with the feeling that I'm never organized enough to start various tasks. Well I guess this will just be one of those adventures that I will just throw myself in. My sentence structures aren't great and my spelling leaves much to be desired but I'm good with numbers. So that is a good place to start.
I actually enjoy matching up coupons and deals. Sometimes though I have moments where I wish I could just buy and buy without thought to our budget. But then I save 80% on groceries and the thrill is wonderful. It gives me that extra push I need to keep going.
I actually enjoy matching up coupons and deals. Sometimes though I have moments where I wish I could just buy and buy without thought to our budget. But then I save 80% on groceries and the thrill is wonderful. It gives me that extra push I need to keep going.
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