Living Providently

December 2009

2009-12-06T10:59:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,
If you didn't make it to Winco this past week, there is still one more week of their sale. I flier came in the mail near the beginning of the month. There are some great coupons in it. There are also some great deals that require no coupon. These prices are good through December 13th (next Sunday).

Navel Oranges limit 10 lbs - .18/lb
10 lb. bag of russet potatoes limit 1 - .68 (that's 6.8 cents per pound!)
Petite Sirloin Steak, family pack - 1.88/lb (one of my favorite all purpose cuts of beef)
Pork Sirloin Roast (in the bag) - .99/lb (also one of my very favorites cuts)
Deli Sliced Roast Beef - 1.98/lb
Co-Jack Cheese - 1.98/lb
8 inch pumpkin pie 2.48
Walnut Halves and pieces (bulk) 1.98/lb
Raw Shell on Shrimp 2.98/lb (in 2 lb bag - 5.76 each)
Wild pacific keta salmon 3.98/lb
Planters peanuts 16 oz.- 1.79 (good for your food storage)
marshmallow 16 oz. - .78

I went last night and they seemed to have plenty of everything still. We'll be having a pork roast for dinner tonight and then pork stir fry later this week. For the petite sirloin we will have swiss steak and cilantro lime tacos. I'll include that recipe, it's a good one :)

Other things to think about: I found this quote on Safelygatheredin.blogspot.com If you haven't explored this blog, I highly recommend it. Load of good recipes, thoughts, and quotes all regarding provident living.

"Provident living requires us to develop proper attitudes—a willingness to forego luxuries, to avoid excess, and to fully use what we have—learning to live within our means.

Unrestricted by programs and projects, bricks and mortar, the Lord’s real storehouse is indeed in the homes and the hearts of His people. As the members of the Church follow the counsel to become self-reliant, they represent an immense pool of resources, knowledge, skills, and charity available to help one another. This storehouse, the Lord has said, is “for the poor of my people, … to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven.” (D&C 78:3–4.)"

Robert D. Hales, “Welfare Principles to Guide Our Lives: An Eternal Plan for the Welfare of Men’s Souls,” Ensign, May 1986, 28

Think about trying to get your donations made for the Idaho state tax credits before the end of the year. There are two categories and the donations can be made by cash or non-cash items. The two credits include one for Educational Entities (school or libraries mostly). Books, DVDs, Video Tapes, CD are some good examples of what may be donated to the library.

The other credit is for donating to Youth and Rehabilitation facilities. The most common of these that people donate to are the ARC and the Idaho Youth Ranch. Unfortunately the DI does not qualify for this credit.

For both of these you can get a credit of 50% of the value of what you donate on your state tax return up to a credit of $200 (for each of the donation categories - Education and Youth and Rehabilitation). That is $400 off of your state taxes!

Below is an excerpt from the Idaho Individual Tax Return Instructions. Please see the full instructions http://tax.idaho.gov/forms_indiv_09.htm or your tax professional for information specific to your situation.

LINE 25 CREDIT FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO IDAHO

EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES

If you donated cash or goods to qualified educational entities, you may claim a tax credit.

The credit is limited to the smallest of:

• one-half of the amount donated,

• 20% of the tax on line 23 (total tax owed for the year),

• $100 ($200 on a joint return)

LINE 26 CREDIT FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO IDAHO
YOUTH AND REHABILITATION FACILITIES

If you donated cash or goods to qualified educational entities, you may claim a tax credit.

The credit is limited to the smallest of:

• one-half of the amount donated,

• 20% of the tax on line 23 (total tax owed for the year),

• $100 ($200 on a joint return)

See this for complete instructions: http://tax.idaho.gov/pdf/2008/EPB00004i_10-24-2008.pdf#page=6

Back to School deals 8/4/09

2009-08-04T23:20:00.000-06:00

Hi,
Here are the best deals I see this week for back to school specials. Thanks to http://www.krazycouponlady.blogspot.com/ for some of these.

Office Depot

• FREE Scholastic Glue with minimum $5.00 purchase
• Office Depot Brand Pencil Pouch $.05
• Tug Pencil Sharpener $.10
• Paper Mate #2 Pencil 10 pk $.25
• Office Depot Value Notebook Filler Paper 150 sheets $.50

$0.99
• Office Depot Brand 12” Acrylic Ruler for Binder
• Office Depot Brand Marble Composition Book 100pgs
• Office Depot Brand Paper Clips
• Sharpie Accent Pocket Highlighters 6pk
• Liquid Paper Smooth Coverage
• Paper Mate Ball Point Stick Pens 10pk

$1.99
• Tug Brand Book Covers
• Mead Assorted Pocket folders
• Aluminum Ruler
• Pentel Clic Erase Grip
• Fiskars Scissors for Kids
• Mini Clip Board
• Mini Milk Crates
• Paper Mate Eraser Mate Pens
• Expo White Board Eraser
• Expo White Board Cleaner
• Memorex CD-R Media 10 pk

$2.99 Items
• Office Depot Brand Wire bound Notebooks
• Office Depot Brand Notebook 3-hole punch
• Expo Fine Dry Erase Markers 4pk
• Rubber band Ball
• Mini Sport Stapler
• License Notebooks
• Paper Mate Gel Pens
• All Sharpie Accent Mini

Office Max

• Paper Folders $.01 (Limit 6)
• 12″ Wooden Ruler $.01 (Limit 3)
• vPencils (12pk) $.10 (Limit 3)
• Filler Paper (150 sheet) $.10 (Limit 3)
• Composition Books (100 sheet) $.50 (Limit 6)
Target

• 3×5 Index Cards (100ct) $.40
• 8GB USB Drive $19.99
• Crayola Washable Markers (8ct) $1.50
• Pink Pearl Erasers (6ct) $1.50

Walgreens

• Binder or Book Cover $.99
• Corner Office Legal Pad (50 sheet) $.19
• Notebook (3 subject) $.99
• Paper Clips (100ct) $.29
• Paper-Mate Highlighters (6pk) $.29
• Penway Folders (2 pocket) $.09 with in-ad coupon
• Penway Yellow Pencils (10pk) $.19
• Pilot Easy Touch Pens $.99
• Pink Eraser (2pk) or Pencil Cap (15ct) $.29
• Rulers $.29
• Splash Mini Highlighter $.19
• White Poster board (22×28) $.19

Staples:
Filler paper: .01 - Thru Wednesday only!
notebooks, 100 sheet .75
Staples glue sticks 4 pk: 1.00
Z grip pens 7 pk: 1.00
Mechanical pencils, papermate sharpwriter .07 mm, 5pk: 1.00

Shopko:
Crayola pencils 12 pk, markers 10 pk, watercolors, white out, fiskar scissors: .99
papermate 12 pk pens, 5pk mechanical pencils, index cards: .50
Ticonderoga pencils 12pk, Crayola washable markers, Fashion theme books: 1.50

Fred Meyer:
Crayola colored Pencils: .89
Glue Sticks, Avery 6 pk: 1.99

Deals this week 5/25/09

2009-05-25T07:02:00.001-06:00

Fred Meyer:
Chicken Breast B/S frozen Kroger brand 1.49/lb
Strawberries 1.50/lb
Van Camp's Pork & Beans .39 first 3
Cantaloupe .48
Coupons in ad, pick up at front of store
1/2 gallon milk or OJ 10 for $10
Fred Meyer macaroni & cheese or Chicken noodle or Tomato soup 4 for $1
2 lb medium cheddar cheese 3.99
Dreyer's Ice Cream 2 for $5 (I think I have a coupon for $1 off this, wonder if I can use both)
All Swimwear 50% off
Extra 50% off Apparel and home clearance (Monday only)

Here is a link to get $3 off on Coppertone sunscreen. I know I need to restock on sunscreen and I think I'll take this coupon to WalMart this morning before we head out for our family outing to Silver City this morning. http://coppertone.com/coppertone/index.jsp I really do love internet coupons. :)

Honks

2009-05-12T16:20:00.001-06:00

I just found a great dollar kind of store. Everything is NOT a dollar though. But, all items that are $1 are $.88 on Tuesday. They have bread for $1.25. I got some Roman Meal and Idaho Bread Company bread. They had some nice looking hot dog and hamburger buns, French bread, etc.

I got some dry roasted peanuts (taste good) 7.5 oz, socks, containers, and a cold 20 oz soda all normally $1.00, today $.88! The store is huge and I'm sure there are a lot of other bargain there.

It is on the corner of Five Mile and Overland near Albertsons.

Deals this week 4/28/09

2009-04-28T20:13:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone,
I really didn't get too excited about the deals this week. I decided to try the Walgreens deals. I got three things for free and soup for darn close to free. Here's how to do it. Beware, apparently you must buy more items than you use coupons to get the register reward coupons. Print the Got2B coupons and the Cambells coupons twice.

Transaction 1

Got2B Hair Products 2/$10
Use this: http://got2b-production.s3.amazonaws.com/coupon.html ($2 off 1)
Earn a $5 RR when you buy 2 (register reward prints out when you check out)
Final Price: $.50 each

2 - Cambells Soups $.59 with in ad coupon
use this: http://promotion.familytime.com/cscc/default.asp ($1 off 2)
Final Price: $.09 x 2

Out of pocket: 5.50+.18= 5.68

Transaction 2

Nivea Body Wash $4.99
Earn a $4.99 RR when you buy 1
Final Price: FREE!

2 - Cambells Soups $.59 with in ad coupon
use this: http://promotion.familytime.com/cscc/default.asp ($1 off 2)
Final Price: $.09 x 2

Out of Pocket transaction 2: 4.99 + .18 - $5 (RR from transaction 1) = .17

Transaction 3
Rembrandt Toothpaste or Mouthwash $5.99
Earn a $5.99 RR when you buy 1
Final Price: FREE

You need to buy one more item on this transaction, I bought some plants 2/$3 tomatoes, peppers, broccoli.

Final price if you buy 1 plant: 5.99+1.50-4.99 (RR from transaction 2)=2.50

Now you will get another 5.99 coupon to use on some more plants or anything else you might need or your next visit. Be sure to check the expiration date though. They are only good for a couple weeks.

I'll send you more info about how our 72 hour kits are coming tomorrow.

Eva Lu

Deals of the week 4/19/09

2009-04-19T21:56:00.001-06:00

Hi all,
I looked through this weeks ads. Here is what stuck out to me as deals:

Fred Meyer
Petite Sirloin (my favorite) 2.99/lb
Broccoli .58/lb
Whole Fryers .79/lb

All bras (or most) 19.99 each (there is also a !5% off coupon thru Wednesday) final price $17
Get the coupon in the paper in the front of the store or at customer service.

Lowes
9 pack broccoli plants 3.48
blueberry gallon size plants 6.98

Albertsons
3 double coupons in the Sunday paper. You can now use internet coupons for this. For more info on how to put together a great shopping trip at Albertsons see:
http://krazycouponlady.blogspot.com/2009/04/we-have-confirmed-that-idaho-and-utah.html

There are also a couple other good coupons.
chicken - frozen in 4 lb bag 1.79/lb
power bars - .68 each --think 72 hour kits

Happy Shopping!!

Good News!

2009-04-16T13:05:00.000-06:00

Wheat and Morning Moo are in stock at Costco again. If you missed getting some before they ran out like we did, I thought I would let you know. Marty picked up both wheat and Morning Moo for me today. I am having second thoughts about the Morning Moo. It is in a 5 gallon bucket, 37 lbs. I feel like I need to repackage it in smaller containers, like cans or maybe I could just seal usable sizes in my foodsavers. Any thoughts?

One piece of super good news. We have a new food storage store in town. It is called Food 2 Store and is next to Eddy's Bread Store off Fairview/Locust Grove. The owner is Doug Hastings (can't remember his wife's name). The wife, whose name I can't remember, is Gary Clayton's sister, in case you know the Claytons who used to live in this area. Food 2 Store is a Blue Chip distributor in case you have heard of Blue Chip. And they carry Morning Moo. Someone was asking me about dehydrated veggies and they do have plenty of different kind of veggies and fruit - freeze dried. One other thing that I was happy to see was those pitchers with the plunger thing. It was about $10. These are good for mixing up the dried milk products or juice. :)

I've been hoping to see a store like this open with the economy the way it is, people are paying more attention to thier food storage. I wish the Hastings much success with their business.

Here is their website with a list of what they plan to carry. They don't have everything in yet. I hoped to find Taco TVP, which my some in family really like. They should be getting that in pretty soon.

www.food2store.com

So, I compared the price of the big bucket of Morning Moo to the more usable #10 can of morning moo they had at Food 2 Store. The cost per pound in the bucket from Costco is 1.49/lb, the price in the can is 3.10/lb. So it is quite a bit more, but more usable. Humm....It's a quandary.

And lastly, today is April 15th, Tax Day. It's a big day for me because I prepare taxes. A big sigh - Whew!! So, I will have more time to devote to finding ways to inspire you all to live more providently, frugally, abundantly, aware, able to find great deals, and to prepare every needful thing.

"The best storehouse is the family storeroom..."Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:8).
~President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008)

Coupon Shopping 101

2009-02-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

Hi girls,
This is one more email where I will simplify a coupon shopping trip to Albertsons for you to get FREE FOOD. It is a little complicated and tends to overwhelm some people. If you are some of those people, follow these steps to get FREE FOOD and some really great deals! You only have until Tuesday to do this though.

Step 1:
Print Internet Coupons.
Go to this link. It may ask you to install a coupon printer. Just do what it says. It is something that keeps you from printing multiple coupons.
Print 2 of this coupon.
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qa4feam40829255&bt=vi&o=54716&ci=1&c=GM&p=I45nUFQV

Next go to this link. http://www.progressotastechallenge.com/Progresso_Soup_Coupons.aspx
There are 2 coupons on this link. Print both of them twice - 4 coupons all together.

Now you will have a total of 6 coupons for Progresso soup.

Print these instructions!

Step 2:
Go to Albertsons.
Put these items in your cart:
6 boxes of Betty Crocker Cake mix
4 cans of Progresso soup - traditional or Rich and Hearty only, not vegtable or light or the other varieties.

Step 3:
Coupons
Get out your progresso soup coupon for 1.10 off. You have 2 of them.
Find your progresso soup coupon for 1.00 off 2. Use just one of these this time.

Step 4:
Check out.

You should pay approximately $11. You will get a $10 off your next purchase. Take these items to your car.

Step 5:
Next trip thru.
Put these items in your cart.
10 cans of progresso soup
1 package of your favorite gum or other other item that you need for about $1.

Step 6:
Coupons
Get out the rest of your progresso soup coupons.
There should be 2 - $2 off 4 cans and 1 - $1 off 2 cans

Step 7
Check out.

You should pay about $1 after the coupons and the $10 off coupon. You will get another $10 off coupon.

Step 8
Your choice. There are some in store coupons in the ad, in the front of the store. Potato chips for .98- limit 2, Kraft salad dressing for 1.68, Grandma Sycamore bread (super good bread) for 1.68 (no coupon, just on sale). There is also b/s chicken and hamburger at the butcher block for 1.99/lb. You are just looking to spend $10 to use up your coupon.

Step 9
Go home. Put away your bounty.

Total Spent: $13.50

Possible purchases:
14 cans of Progresso soup
6 boxes cake mix
2 bags potato chips
2 loves bread
3 lbs b/s chicken
1 package of gum

There are other items in the store on great sales, but these are nice things for your pantry for the beginner coupon shopper. After you do this a few times, you may gain more confidence and will be able to do more. But, baby steps. If you try too much the first time, it will end up crazy.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Crockpot Sunday

2009-02-08T14:27:00.001-07:00

For our Crockpot Sunday today, I tried fajitas and they were fabulous. I bought a pork loin roast from Winco (actually 3 in a package) for 1.43/lb. I cut it up in strips along with a couple green and red peppers (also on great sales at Winco) and an onion. I saute'd them briefly in my crockpot, which I can take off it's base and put it directly on the stove, I love it. If you are in the market for a new one I would recommend it. It has a nonstick inside and is lightweight and easy to clean. Then sprinkled Laurey's Fajita seasoning over the top and stirred it. I put it on medium high for around 3 hours. It was a little juicey when we got home. So I took the meat and veggies out and put the juice back on the stove to reduce it down. Then I added the meat back in stirred and yumm! We had it will tortillas, salsa, sour cream and cheese.

Here is a link to see my crockpot: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000065UF2/qid=1068435245/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_etk-kitchen/002-7293462-8630432?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=284507/flyladynet-20

I just received a great link to some more crockpot recipes from someone in my missionary mom group. Let me know if you try any of them. http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html

Rich Americans

2009-02-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I hope you enjoyed our great Stake meeting (those of you in our Stake). It really gave me a lot to think about with Elder Costa and our attitude about how bad our economy is. Poor Us! "Our happiness is not bound to the economy. It is bound to the Gospel."- Elder Costa. To hear of the stories of the people of Chili and the extreme poverty they lived in, the sacrifices they made to attend the temple. They were happy. A difficult life in many ways, but more simple in others. There would not be so many choices to make on how to spend our money.

I remember a man I met who was from Ecuador. He told me in his broken English, "when people of my country join the church, they become rich." I thought that he met they were rich in that they now had the gospel and Christ in their lives, much fuller richer lives. When we asked he about it he replied that while that our understanding was true, he said they also increased in their wealth. Elder Costa brought up on more than one occasion the scripture, "If you keep the commandments, you will prosper in the land." I think Elder Costa has seen this particular promise fulfilled in his life as he has been raised in what we would consider extreme poverty, became relatively wealthy , and was willing to give it all up on more than one occasion because of his convictions. But, God has continually blessed him in many ways.

I know that he gave me a lot to think about as a provident living specialist and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Crockpot Sunday

2009-02-03T11:45:00.002-07:00

Crock Pot Shepherd's Pie

4 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
Garlic to taste
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme (I used basil)
t Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. frozen vegetables (I used 1/2 corn and 1/2 peas)

In a skillet cook onions with oil until translucent. Add garlic. Add beef and cook until brown. Stir in tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, stewed tomatoes, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix cornstarch in 1 cup of cold water. Add to skillet and cook, stirring until liquid thickens slightly. Pour into crock-pot. Layer vegetables on top of meat mixture, cover with potatoes, then cover with cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Debbie

Crockpot Sunday

2009-01-31T18:03:00.003-07:00

Do you have plans for dinner tomorrow? Here is a great crockpot recipe that uses cheese which I (and many of you) now have a lot of.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Serves 4

2 cups chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen cauliflower (fresh is ok too)
1 medium stalk celery -- cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium carrot -- cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion -- cut into eighths
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper -- to taste

1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded

Throw all ingredients except milk and cheese into a crockpot and cook on low until vegetables are very tender, about 4-6 hours.

Carefully pour mixture into work bowl of food processor fitting with steel blade or into blender container. Cover and process until smooth. OR, if you like it a little lumpy and bumpy like I do, use a potato masher and have at it in the crockpot itself--mash to your heart's delight.

Place your cauliflower mixture into a saucepan; stir in milk and cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot.

Per serving: 235 Calories; 16g Total Fat; (59% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 701mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A big green salad and some whole grain rolls make for a nice supper.

Deals of the week 1/30/09

2009-01-30T15:02:00.004-07:00

I found a great new blog http://grocerygirls.blogspot.com/
This is the blog of a gal apparently living in Meridian, so the sales are local. She has some good info especially on old Meridian Albertsons (Meridian/Cherry Lane) because her husband works there.

Albertsons:
Boneless Skinless chicken breast 1.77/lb
Ex Lean ground beef 1.99/lb
Beef loin steak 4.99/lb
GM select cereals 2/$5 plus free milk with 4

Fred Meyer
Bone in Chicken breast .99/lb
Broccoli .88/lb
Grapefruit 3/$1

Crockpot Sunday

2009-01-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Chicken Breast Supreme
6 chicken breasts
mushrooms
can of mushroom soup
swiss cheese
chopped fresh chives
bacon

Put chicken, mushrooms (sliced or whole) in crockpot and pour the soup and chives over the top. Cook on high if chicken is frozen and medium if it is thawed for 3-4 hours. Top with cheese and bacon and cook another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Deals this week

2009-01-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

Hi,
The clearance sales are getting good now. I went out Saturday evening and found a few great sales. I'm not sure if they are continuing this week or not. Maybe today and then later in the week. Anyway, what I found was Target has 30% off the 50% off. I found a few great t-shirts for me and a couple of pair of Levi's for Marty all at great prices. A couple of my t-shirts were under $2!

Old Navy has a similar sale, 50% off the clearance price. I did find a couple pretty good deals on pants for Wesley who's legs are getting longer than his pants.

Kim wrote earlier in the week:
I found some great deals today. Macy's has an
additional 50% off clearance. JCPenney has an
additional 40% off clearance. Old Navy has an
additional 50% off clearance. I found some great stuff
for almost nothing.
Kim

Thanks Kim!!

I am doing my Costco membership renewal this week. If anyone needs a Costco membership, I would be happy to add you to ours. The best deal is if you split one. Each membership comes with 2 card (traditionally husband and wife), but they don't care who the partners are. So, the membership costs $40, if you split it, that is $20 each. Let me know right away if you would like to do this with us. I'll partner you up if I can.

Here is a great tip send to us by Starla. Also, look for Shelf Reliance at Costco this month. Here is a link to the items they carry. I know you can order these directly through costco.com with no shipping. Or you can order directly through http://www.shelfreliance.com/shop/frs

Eva Lu,
I don't know if this is a tip, but what I have liked is something I didn't think I was actually going to when I first got them. I bought 2 of those can roller things that they had on sale at Costco (probably 2 years ago) from Shelf Reliance. The ones that you put the cans in the top and they roll through and you rotate your storage with them. They are the ones that sit on a shelf, not the whole floor unit. I thought they were a pain, and took up too much space, but I put them together and found spots in my pantry for both of them. The labels are useless because they fall off all the time (I think my label maker will make better labels, just haven't gotten to it yet). But I love them now. I have soups and olives, tomatoes, etc. in them. I have such a hard time rotating my can goods that aren't in these rollers...it's glaringly apparent to me how well they work. I also can see at a glance if I am getting low on, for example, Cream of Chicken soup. I just wish they were smaller, I'd get more (or if I had more space somewhere!!). My in-laws have a huge, homemade one in the middle of their food storage room in their basement...if someone knows where a handier, small storage space friendly one is available, I'd love to know!

Love your updates!
Starla

Thanks Starla,
You and Kim get a prize this week for sending in tips!

Suze Orman Free Book Download

2009-01-09T10:06:00.003-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Suse Orman was on Oprah yesterday and has offered her latest book "Suze Orman's 2009 action plan" for free for the next week. This offer expires Jan 15th.

The basics of her "plan" is to get out of debt first (credit card), then build up a savings of at least 8 months of your living expenses. Eight months is the average of how long it takes in this economy to find a new job if you lose your job. I think her ideas are sound.

She includes methods for getting out of debt and good investing ideas.

One thing that I am not sure about is her idea that you should be completely out of credit card debt before you build up a savings account. I think that you need at least a month's worth of expenses saved in an emergency account before you tackle the debt. This little bit in an account can give you peace of mind, be there if something happens, and is vital to becoming self reliant. I know on paper it may not be the best. You certainly can't earn much interest on money in a savings account and you are definitely paying out interest on the credit card debt. In spite of that, I believe that 1-3 month's expenses in an account is vital.

The other thing is that you have an impulse to buy something, instead of putting it on a credit card, you must take it out of savings to pay for it. This makes you stop and think a little harder. It is much harder to spend "real" money. If you do decide to buy the item, then you must have a plan to pay back the savings account. I think a person with a savings account spends differently than a person with no savings.

As the book download, I haven't yet got it to completely download. I get pieces of it with errors. I think that the server it is coming from is probably a little too busy. I will just keep trying. I would just send out a copy of the file to those who want it if I finally get it, but it asks you not to do that. So, I guess I won't. :)

Good luck!
Eva Lu

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081119_tows_bookdownload

#3

2009-01-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

Good Morning,

Here is the next food storage top 10 item. It has to do with essentially making something out of nothing. It will require an explanation. The point is that if you are looking for ways to use what you have, you may find something more than what you thought you had. I had some mostly rotting pears, but found a new favorite.

3. Pear Vinaigrette - We picked pears at our parents home in Rupert. They were little and pretty scared, but we thought they would be good to eat, which they were. After a week, they were over ripe and would be rotting soon. Marty asked if we were going to can them. Uh, no, way too much work for the very small pears. We (ok Marty) had just made applesauce though and I thought maybe he could just run them through the applesauce maker, which he did. So we got sort of runny, but very tasty pear sauce. I looked up pear recipes on the Internet and found the pear vinaigrette recipe which is one of my all time favorites.

Here is the recipe:

Pear Vinaigrette

1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in juice, undrained (I just used the pear sauce)
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of ground red pepper

To prepare dressing, drain pears, reserving 1/3 cup pear juice. Combine pears, juice, vinegar, and remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Yield: About 2 cups (serving size: about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I have been thinking about what kind of Provident Living New Year' Resolutions I want to make and accomplish this year. Of course, I will keep working on building up and using my food storage. Not perfect, but practice makes more perfect. I think I really made some improvements this last year. I would like to know what food storage successes you all had, favorite finds for your food storage, or new food storage recipes you discovered last year. I am going to give you my top 10 of my best find of the year, many of which you have heard before, sorry. I'll send you one or two a day. If you post your favorite or favorites, I will give you a prize. You'll like it, I promise. If you are not in the Cloverdale Ward, I will still give you a prize. :)

1. Costco canned chicken (makes great soup and chicken salad) - I'm sure the church cannery chicken is good too, and maybe cheeper.
2. Costco (again) precooked bacon, shelf life 6 months, longer in freezer. Makes everything taste better. Relative low fat, 3 grams fat, 3 grams protein in 2 Tablespoons. I am on a low carb diet, so this is a great way to get a little more protein in my diet and no carbs. I recently tried heating it up in the microwave and then adding it to my cottage cheese. Delicious!! It made it a little crunchy.

Good luck and send me your top finds.

Winco deals

2009-01-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

When I was at Winco last night I saw some great deals!!! Wheat Thins, etc. 1.24 a box max 4, Chex granola bars 6 per box $.98 a box.

Just thought you might want to know!
Jenny

Deals of the week Jan 3

2009-01-03T15:12:00.003-07:00

I saw a couple of great deals this week, I thought I'd send them out to you as I'm not sure how long they will last.

First, Costco has tamales on sale, I think the regular price was around $13, they are $4.88 for 13 pork tamales. I bought 3 bags and will freeze 2 of them.

Everyone of course has their Christmas stuff on sale at great discounts. Fred Meyer had, in addition to all the other Christmas stuff, white tissue paper. I think there were 20 sheets the final cost was $.24. I was there a couple days ago and they still a lot of Christmas stuff.

I have been out clothes shopping this week. I prepare taxes during the Spring and needed to get a few things for my "professional" wardrobe. The best deals I found this week are Dillards on New Years Day had a 50% off the clearance prices. The place was a zoo! They will do deeper discounts and have a 50% or 70% off the clearance price sometime in the next couple weeks. If you read in the paper or hear when it is happening let me know and I will let everyone know.

Kohl's had some decent discounts, but I think it will be better in a week or two. I found a couple nice things at Ross too. One was a cute jacket that was missing a button. At first I thought I would have to steal a button off the sleave, but then I saw it came with an extra button. It was marked down to around $9 due to the missing button. Burlington had some pretty good deals and some pretty nice clothes. I was excited to find a pair of brown pants that fit (petite = no hemming) and were a good price $11.99. I have looked everywhere for the perfect brown pants and finally found them. Yay!

I have been thinking about how we all will have to learn to be better crockpot cooks due to our new meeting schedule. I copied a few recipes out of a cookbook I found. I will let you know how they turn out. In the meantime, my favorite crockpot recipe is on my blog, myprovidentliving.blogspot.com. Just look on the right side under the labels. Look for Thai Chicken Crock pot. BTW I saw chicken thighs (with bones and skin) for $.99 per pound at Winco, in the fresh meat area. The Thai Chicken recipe calls for thighs and when fully cooked, the chicken will practically fall of the bones. Just take the skin off before you cook it.

Sorry it has been so long since I have sent out an email or posted on my blog. I've been a little lazy with Christmas and all. And as always, if you see a good deal, please share it with us all. Email me and I will pass it on.

Deals of the week 12/9/08

2008-12-09T22:16:00.002-07:00

There are a lot great deals out there. Here are a few of them:
Winco
Petite Sirloin steaks 2.63/lb

Albertsons
Beef Round Rump Roast 1.99/lb
Pork Top Loin Roasts 1.99/lb
Fuji, cameo and Gala apples .68/lb
50% off Spices (go to Winco!)

All below are when you spend 10 in a single transaction on the participating items:
.75 each on items below
Betty Crocker Cake Mix
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers 12 oz

1.00 each on items below:
Betty Crocker Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper
Pillsbury Grand Biscuts 16.3 oz
Better Crocker Pie Crust Mix
Betty Crocker Cookie and Brownie Mix

1.50 each on items below:
Betty Crocker Ginger Bread Mix
Gold Medal Flower 5 lbs
GM Cereals:includes KIX, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheeries, Reeses Puffs, Chex Mix,
Fruit by the Foot, Gushers, Fruit snacks
Gogurt,
nature Valley Granola Bars
Progresso Classic Soups and Broth
Green Giant Veggies in Sauce

4 Days only - Thursday - Sunday
Wild Caught Lobster Tail (limit 8) 4.99/4 oz portion
New York Steak, Top Sirloin, Tri Tip Steak 4.47

Fred Meyer
Hillshire Farms Spiral Cut Ham 1.98/lb
Fuji, Braeburn apples .68/lb
Celestial Seasoning Herbal Tea $1 each
Tbone steak 5.99/lb
Whole Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon 3.99/lb
Items below W/coupon
BOGO Eggs or English Muffins
Mountain Dairy or Private Selection Ice Cream $1 each 56 oz or 1 pint
All Laundry Soap or Snuggle Fabric Softener 3/$10
Hershey's Pot of Gold BOGO
Aquafresh toothpaste .99 each
Halls Cough Drops $1 each

A spiritual Advent Calendar

2008-12-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the advent calendar that was passed out at Enrichment night this week. You are a couple days behind, but that is ok. Just do what you can. Merry Chirstmas!

This is an ADVENT calendar designed to bring Christ in to your life daily. The verses are short, yet very meaningful. Take time to ponder and meditate on these verses and they will bring you true JOY this Christmas season.

Dec 1st
SCRIPTURE: Remember the Savior's promise: Matthew 18:20
SUGGESTION: Invite your family to join you in each day's reading and singing.
SONG: "O Come All Ye Faithful" --- Hymns 1985, Page 202

Dec 2 - At Christmas we celebrate much more than the birth of a baby -- we celebrate who that child already was, and what he would yet become. Christmas is a time of looking to the past and to the future, with its promise of eternity.

SCRIPTURE: Mosiah 3:5, 8-10
SUGGESTION: As you decorate for Christmas, choose or make a decoration that will remind you of the Savior and his mission.
SONG: "I Believe in Christ" ---Hymns 1985, Page 134

Dec. 3 - All that we have, the air we breathe, the light by which we see, are gifts from a loving Father and his Son. In this season of giving, let us give one of the greatest gifts we can offer, a grateful, humble heart.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 17:12-17
SUGGESTION: In one of your prayers today, give thanks for every blessing you can name, without asking anything.
SONG: "Count Your Many Blessings"---Hymns 1985, page 241

Dec.4 - Many people are hungry--not just for food but for love, for acceptance, for support. Some are starving spiritually; Jesus knew how to feed every kind of hunger. In our small way we can do the same.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:15-19
SUGGESTION: Share your testimony of the Joy you feel of your knowledge of Christ.
SONG: "Angels We have Herd on High”---Hymns, page 203

Dec.5 - Christmas shines with lights -- on trees and houses and city streets. As you recall the bright star over Bethlehem, do we remember the Source of all light?

SCRIPTURE: D & C 88:6-13
SUGGESTION: Look up at the heavens and think about who made the sun, moon and stars. Record your feelings in your journal.
SONG: "Stars Were Gleaming” ---Children’s Songbook, Page 37

Dec.6 - Jesus was a healer. He touched away blindness and filled withered limbs with new life. He restored the mind and soul. Surrounded by much hurt and sorrow, we can, in our own way, be healers also. Sometimes a kind word and a helping hand are all that is needed.

SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 17:5-9
SUGGESTION: Try to be as kind as possible to others today.
SONG: "The Shepherd’s Carol” ---Children’s Songbook, page 40- (try this as a round)

Dec.7 - The Savior knows the weight of our suffering and the depth of our pain. He has suffered for us, and he loves us without reservation. There is no problem so hard or despair so dark that he can't help us if we let him.

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 53:3-5, Matthew 11:28-30
SUGGESTION: Go out of your way to befriend someone who needs a friend. Follow through in the days and weeks to come.
SONG: “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains” ---Hymn page 212

Dec.8 -The greatest blessings aren't those of getting but those of becoming. Jesus taught:

SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 12:3-9
SUGGESTION: Foster peace on earth by not quarreling with others.
SONG: "It Came upon the Midnight Clear”, Hymns, Page 207

Dec.9 - In a world divided by national, religious, political, and racial hatreds, it's time everyone reviewed Jesus' answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"

SCRIPTURE: Luke 10:30-34,36
SUGGESTION: Do a good deed anonymously
SONG: "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” Hymns, page 209

Dec.10 - We take our free agency for granted, but it was seriously challenged before our mortal lives began. This Christmas let's give thanks for the one who defended our freedom.

SCRIPTURE: Moses 4:1-3
SUGGESTION: Use your free agency to set some goals for yourself. Seal a copy in an envelope to be opened in a year.
SONG: "With Wondering Awe", Hymns, page 210

Dec.11 - We could labor every day of our lives and still not repay the kindness of our Lord. But he has shown for us that there is a way to serve him.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:37-40
SUGGESTION: Visit someone who is sick or lonely.
SONG: "Away in a Manger", Children’s Songbook page 42

Dec.12 - The Master taught that it isn't what you have that counts; it's what you give. Giving of yourself can fill your world with joy, not only at Christmas, but all year long.

SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 13:19-20
SUGGESTION: You'll treasure the time you spend helping others. Do volunteer work for some worthy cause.
SONG: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", Hymns, Page 214

Dec.13 - We don't like to think of illness or death at Christmas time, but these shadows can fall on any season. Jesus taught us an unforgettable lesson in empathy when he shared the grief of his friends after the death of Lazarus.

SCRIPTURE: John 11:35-44
SUGGESTION: Do something to bring cheer to someone who has a reason to feel sad.
SONG: “The First Noel”, Hymns, Page 213

Dec.14 - Have you ever wished you could be baptized again and start over fresh? Thanks to Jesus and the Atonement, when we repent of our sins and partake of the sacrament worthily, we renew our covenants and are clean.

SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 18:1-11
SUGGESTION: As you partake of the sacrament, make a special effort to think about the Savior.
SONG: "I Stand All Amazed”, Hymns, Page 193

Dec.15 - Turmoil and strife combat and competition-- our world is full of the consequences of man. But the Savior told us how to try to succeed, through peace on earth and good will toward men.

SCRIPTURE: John 14:15 Matthew 7:12 Mark 10:43-44 John 13:34-35
SUGGESTION: Today tell someone that you love them. Express love for the Lord in your prayers.
SONG: "Love One Another", Hymns, page 308

Dec.16 - Jesus came to lift our burdens. One of the heaviest burdens we carry is that of hate. In teaching us to forgive, the Lord set us free.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 18:21-22 Matthew 6:14-15 3 Nephi 12:44
SUGGESTION: Try to forgive someone who has wronged you. If appropriate go to him today and be reconciled.
SONG: "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem " Hymns, Page 208

Dec.17 - Christmas could hardly be Christmas without children. They are so much of the magic in the season. The Savior also loved children. In both the New World and the old, he called the little ones to him.

SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 17:12, 21-24
SUGGESTION: Do something fun with a child.
SONG" Oh, Hush Thee, My Baby", Children's Songbook, Page 48

Dec.18 - We all have storms in our lives -- storms of fear and anger and regret -- storms at home and work and at school. The Master's hand can calm all our tempers.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 8:23-26
SUGGESTION: Be a calming influence today. Be a peace maker rather than easy to anger.
SONG: "Master, The Tempest Is Raging", Hymns, Page 105.

Dec.19 - The greatest victory of all time was not won on a battle field but in a quiet hillside garden. We cannot fully understand the cost of that triumph, but as Christmas draws near we should at least try.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:39 D&C 19:16-19
SUGGESTION: Accept the gift of forgiveness. Pray to Heavenly Father about some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it.
SONG: “How Great Thou Art", Hymns, Page 86

Dec.20 - Some things are almost too painful to think about. To see our Savior mocked and murdered is one such thing. And yet, through the Scriptures, we should visit Calvary from time to time. We must never forget Jesus died so that we might live and live more abundantly.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27-30 Luke 23:33-34Mark 15:29-32
SUGGESTION: Read the accounts of the crucifixion in the four Gospels, and then write your feelings in your journal.
SONG: "There Is A Green Hill Far Away", Hymns, page 194

Dec.21 - The morning of Christ's resurrection was the brightest morning in all history -- a time of transcendent joy following the gloom of the crucifixion. The words of the angel still echo down the centuries undiminished. He is risen! Those words signaled more that the triumph of a God. They proclaimed the supremacy of life over death. As we celebrate Christmas, we also celebrate the free gift of immortality for all mankind.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:1-6 Isaiah 25:8
SUGGESTION: Read the accounts of the Resurrection in the 4 Gospels and 3Nephi and then record your feelings in your journal (see Matt.28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20 and 3 Nephi 11).
SONG: “He Is Risen", Hymns, Page 199

Dec.22 - As the holidays get busier and busier, we become involved in so many things -- running errands, attending parties, buying presents, choosing wrapping paper and ribbons. It's easy to become focused on material things. Instead, let's remember where our lives ought to be centered.

SCRIPTURE: John 6:35 John 10:14 John 11:25 John 8:12
SUGGESTION: Go look at Christmas lights and think about where all light really comes from.
SONG: “The First Noel”, Hymns, Page 213

Dec.23 - Jesus is no mere figure from the past, captive in the pages of SCRIPTURE. He lives today! He holds the universe to its course, and guides the work of his servants on the earth.

SCRIPTURE: D & C 76:19-20, 22-24
SUGGESTION: Go out singing Christmas carols, but add some hymns about other aspects of Christ's ministry.

Dec.24 - Jesus came to Bethlehem a humble babe, born in poverty. But he has promised to return to earth in majesty. Then heaven and earth will be reconciled, and the King of Kings will reign.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 24:27,29-30,36,42
SUGGESTION: Try to live this day as if it were the day of Christ’s second coming.
SONG: “Silent Night” ---Hymns page 204

Dec.25 - Jesus was born in the meridian of time, thus giving an ideal vantage point from which to look both backward and forward. For the last 24 days you have stood, as it were, in Bethlehem, gazing in both directions. You have heard the Master's voice in premarital councils. You have seen him suffer, die and rise again. You have watched him return triumphant in the clouds of heaven. Now you are ready to focus with greater joy on that moment when heaven came down to earth.

SCRIPTURE: 1 Nephi 11:14-21 Luke 1:30-32- 38 Luke 2:1-16
SUGGESTION: Consider what gift you could give the Savior and determine to give it all year long.
SONG: "Joy To The World", Hymns, Page 201

We hope you've enjoyed this Christmas pilgrimage through the life of the savior. If you have, there is still on last gift to open.

Open your LDS edition of the Bible to the Topical Guide and look under "Jesus Christ." You will have 18 1/2 pages of references!

Christmas may be past, but you can go right on reading about the Savior's mission.

In fact, what you received here was only a small taste of the scriptural feast available.

The suggested activity for this day and the rest of your life is to read and enjoy the word of God as found in the Holy Scriptures. Give yourself a gift that fills every day of your life with the JOY of the real spirit of Christmas.

A fun website

2008-12-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just found a new favorite website. I thought I would share it with you. www.etsy.com

It is a website to sell homemade items. Lots and lots of fun stuff to look at. Good ideas for thing to make and sell if you are interested. I will put it in "A few of my favorite websites."

Deals of the Week 12/2/08

2008-12-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few deals I found in the ads this week.

Fred Meyer:
Texas Red Grapefruit .25 each
Broccoli or cauliflower .88/lb

The ad (find one in front of the store) has a coupon for 10% off any item for the HOME
There is also one for 15% off apparel, shoes, accessories, watches, jewelery.

Albertsons 12/3 - 12/9
Chicken - whole frying, drum sticks, thighs, or whole legs .88/lb
Clementines or Satsuma Tangerines 3.88 for 3 lbs
Honey dew .79/lb'
Coupons in ad for:
Albertsons Mac n Cheese .25 each limit 8
Hunts Spaghetti Sauce .69 each limit 2
Fresh Express lettuce or spinach 1.48 limit 3
American Singles (fake cheese) 8 oz. .88 limit 2
Cooked Shrimp ring 10 oz 3.99 limit 4
Tide liquid 75-100 oz 9.99 limit 1
VO5 Shampoo or Conditioner .69 limit 2

Rite Aid (Cherry Lane/Meridian Road or Fairview/Milwaukee
BOGO free M&Ms, Hershey miniatures, Bob's Candy canes, Mini candy canes, Hershey's Pot of Gold, Queen Anne Cherry Chocolates, Russell Stover Candy, butter cookies and more.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Mall

2008-11-30T12:26:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas merchandising is in full swing. I tend to get a little overwhelmed this time of year. This year is shaping up to be the same as usual. So, I am going to share with you some of the things that I am going to try to see if I can't keep my sanity and keep my bank account intact.

The first I will be sharing with you Tuesday night at enrichment night. It is a spiritual advent calendar. I will post it here, for those not in our ward on Wednesday. It will hopefully help me to find more spiritual strength to find peace in the chaos.

Next, here are some tips I found in an article by Martin Lindstrom in today's paper -- "Buyer Beware. What to know before you shop".

1.Leave the kids at home. Studies have shown consumers to buy 40% more items when accompanied by their kids. I know this is not always possible. But, be aware if you are shopping with the kids.

2. Watch out for fake bargains. "$2.50" or "2 for $5" (same price, but at 2 for $5, they sell more). Limit 8 per customer (must be a good deal, huh?). Also, watch what you pay at the register. Make sure you are getting the great deal you think you are. If you are not good at mailing in rebates, don't count on that additional discount.

3. Avoid BIG carts. If you are going to WalMart for a couple items, get the basket, otherwise you will be tempted to fill the cart. Reach has shown that people buy 30% more items when they shop with a big cart. Make a list and stick to it.

4. Don't Sniff. Or don't shop on an empty stomach. This is self explanatory.

5. Beware of Shopaholism. Beware of the credit cards especially this time of year. There are super deals to be found, but are they what we need or even want. Shopping and getting that great deal can bring a rush for those of us addicted to shopping. Before you buy, think about what really brings happiness. The average American household has an average of $10,000 in credit card debt. This debt can take years to dig yourself out from. Not such a happy event.

Confessions of a Penny Pincher

2008-11-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

12/1/08

Here are a couple of new tips.

>White vinegar: For inexpensive window cleaner, use 1 part water to 1 part window cleaner. White vinegar is an excellant cleaner for hard water. It works better than anything I have purchased for cleaning the shower head. Also, when cleaning windows and mirrors, use newspaper rather than paper towels. It actually works better and it's FREE!

>Printer: To save money on ink, set your printer to print in draft mode, unless you really need a super clean copy. Draft usually looks pretty good. Also, recycle your paper, use the backs of your paper if it is not something that matters.

>Dryer sheets: Cut them in half for smaller loads of laundry. Also, I have heard, but not tried, used dryer sheets make great swiffer sweeper cloths. I don't have a swiffer, but this makes sense. Let me know if this one works. Maybe I'll buy a swiffer if I don't have to buy the cloths.

>Do you get coupons in the mail for $10 off a $10 purchase? I get these for Office Max, Kohls, JC Penny, Famous Footware, and Fashion Bug. I used to use these to try to time a good shopping trip. Sometimes this works, but sometimes I don't need anything or don't have the time to search for a good deal. $10 doesn't go very far, except for socks. So now these $10 coupons mean "free sock time", except the Office Max coupon. I can always think of a $10 need at the office supply store. BTW, I use the Office Max coupon at Office Depot because Office Depot is in my neighborhood. They accept it with no problem.

>Albertsons and rainchecks. This has changed. The rainchecks are only good for 30 days! One of my favorite tricks is to buy the rest of whatever is on sale off the shelf and then ask for a raincheck for a lot of the item. This way I can fill my shelf now and can fill it again later at a super low price. Sometimes I will go back a couple times and get more rainchecks if they are still out so I can fill my shelf a couple of times.

>I seldom buy a drink when I eat out. Lately I've figured out a trick that is pretty nice. I get water with lemon. I squeeze the lemon into the water and add Splenda (or sugar), and walaa!, freash lemonaide. This is also great because it is rare that a restaurant has diet anything with no caffeine. Yesterday, I did this at Baja Fresh, they have limes, so limeaide, yumm!

>WalMart price matches anything. You need to bring some proof of the price, like the ad from the paper. This is particularly worth while at back the school time when every store has a great ad, and you feel like you have to visit them all to get the best deal.

>Deseret Book also price matches, even with Distribution. So, if you want to buy something that you could get through Distribution at Deseret Book, just let them know that you want the Distribution Price and they are very happy to look up the price for you, and you get the points toward your book club, if you have one. Pretty cool deal. You don't have to prove to them that WalMart or Costco has a better price, they generally know and will take your word for it.

Deals of the Week 11/2/08

2008-11-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's November! Can you believe it? The holidays are coming and we are about to get hit from every direction with messages that say we have to spend, spend, spend in order to make our holidays memorable and to show our love to our loved ones.

It is time to think now about what is important to us and not let those messages get to us. Think about the importance of peace in our lives and ways to achieve it during the busy season.

Now for the deals of the week.

Albertsons
General Mills Cereals including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, and others, plus Better Crocker fruit snacks (Fruit by the foot, etc. ) 1.88 each (no minimum)

BOGO on several beef, chicken and pork items. Ok deals, but nothing to run to the store for in my opinion.

Winco
Last night was Winco shopping night. I forget how much I like Winco until I am there. I was out of a couple spices, so I got sage for .04, oregano for .10 and some curry for .32. Got to love those prices.

Here is some of what I found:
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Mint Bliss - Yummy! - individual squares in bulk .10
Green Giant canned Veggies .48
Tyson Chicken Breast b/s frozen 2.5 lbs 4.98
Green Giant frozen veggies 1.38 (with my $1 off coupon that was a great deal) net cost .38
Chex 2.38 (look on package for $3 off when you buy 3) net cost 1.38

Shopko
All sheets, blankets, electric blankets, etc. 50% off
Holiday dinnerware, table linens, flatware, dinnerware, glassware, bakeware, cutlery, etc. 40% off

Deals

2008-10-29T11:09:00.000-06:00

This was forwarded to me from another ward.

Hey everyone-I just wanted to let you know that WinCo still has their 5lb sugar and flour on sale for $1.50. Walmart has just their sugar right now for $1.50 and Tuna is still $.50. Also if your a Chex Mix fan Walmart had Chex brand cereal on sale for $1.66 a box. I just bought some to eat! If you are a stamper the Craft Warehouse had Christmas stamps 10 for $10 kind of thing, I'm not a stamper but I heard that was a good price. On Saturday you'll be able to find clearance sales on all Halloween stuff, so go get some for next year. Fred Meyer has Fuji apples for $.88 and Albertsons has some buy 1 get 1 free deals going on, but you'll have to check out the ads to see if there is anything there worth it, You have to be careful there because often with those buy 1 get 1 free deals, they're not deals at all, you end up buying 1 for the price of 2, so be careful. Happy Halloween and may your treats come in the form of savings!! Angie

Cash and Carry

2008-10-21T15:30:00.000-06:00

One more link I found that I am excited about. This is a link to the ads for Cash and Carry/Smart and Final. A couple items that I think are great deals are:

Shedded Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, or Cheddar Jack) 5 lbs. 10.97

Long Grain Rice 50 lbs. 19.99

12 oz Honey bear 1.75

Torani Syrups 3.20

http://www.smartandfinal.com/specials.aspx?Ad=UGGEN

Great new resources

2008-10-21T11:29:00.000-06:00

Darci sent me a link to a great food storage blog. Thanks Darci!
http://everydayfoodstorage.blogspot.com/

This is a great blog. Also included in the blog is a link to another blog http://www.thecrazyshopper.blogspot.com/

And yet another website for coupons. I am getting back into coupons. It really does take me extra time when shopping to figure it all out, but when I do, I can really save a lot.

http://grocerysmarts.com/utah/lists/splashg84cso.php

Good luck and Happy Shopping!

Pandemic Flu

2008-10-10T17:58:00.001-06:00

Darci sent this one in. Thanks!

The state of Idaho launched a new website on Pandemic Flu. The website is http://www.panfluidaho.org/. It has a lot of good information about planning for an emergency.

It would make a good FHE topic. There are also some good links for emergency planning. People can also order a pandemic flu packet (just information from the website) by calling the 211.

Food Storage Recipe of the week

2008-10-10T12:47:00.003-06:00

Pear Vinaigrette

1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in juice, undrained
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of ground red pepper

To prepare dressing, drain pears, reserving 1/3 cup pear juice. Combine pears, juice, vinegar, and remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Yield: About 2 cups (serving size: about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

Chicken Salad
1-13 oz can chicken
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise (approx. can use Miracle Whip and/or yogurt)

Optional additions - add 2 or 3 of what you have and like:
1/2 cup craisins or raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc)
1/4 cup wheat berries
pickles
celery
grapes cut in half
mandarin oranges
water chestnut
seeds like pumpkin, sunflower
1 tsp. flax seed
salt and pepper

Drain and shred chicken. (Save the chicken broth for soup or another recipe.) Add mayonnaise, seasonings and additions. Mix together and serve or chill until ready to eat. Makes approx. 4 sandwiches--Serve in pitas, rolls, bread, or eat plain no bread. This is quick and easy. I tried it and it took me less than 15 minutes to make! The ingredient are easy items to store as well.

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Delicious Granola Bar Recipe

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounces)
2 tablespoons melted butter or 1/2 cup peanut butter

3 - 4 cups of any of the following:

shredded coconut
nuts - almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, etc. - slivered or chopped
miniature semisweet chocolate chips
cranberries, dried

raisins

sunflower seeds

flax seed

any dried fruit chopped

trail mix

Another option: add 1/2 cup dried milk or protein powder for a little more nutrition.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix oats, butter, and additions in large bowl
Press into greased 9x13-inch pan
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned
Let cool 5 minutes
Cut into bars
Allow to cool

These are great to take along for the winter activities and all ingredients could come from your food storage. :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cajun Curry Chicken
2 tsp curry
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbls prepared mustard
2 Tbls marg or butter (optional)
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Boneless skinless chicken breast (up to 6)
Combine ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 375 for approx 45 minutes.
Serve chicken and dripping over rice. I like brown rice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7/21/2008

Thai Chicken Crock-Pot
These ingredients should be easy to store. The only fresh ingredient is the ginger. You could use powdered ginger if you don't have fresh or freeze some shredded ginger should work.
Cook Time: 9 hours,
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. ginger root
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Preparation:
Place chicken in 3-4 quart crockpot. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except peanuts; mix well. Pour this mixture over chicken in crockpot. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve over hot cooked rice or couscous. 4 servings

Safely Gathered In

2008-10-10T12:33:00.000-06:00

I found a great provident living blog. I will put it's link on "A Few of my Favorite Websites".

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com

Deals of the week - Oct. 5

2008-10-05T18:11:00.001-06:00

There are some pretty good deals out there this week. I put my favorites in red. I did want to mention that the cooler weather is here and we need to be thinking about the cold and flu season. It may be time to stock up on vitamins and there are great sales out there this week. Also, it is really nice once you or your kids get that cold to already have the meds and cough drops ready. I think that flu shots have started too, so go get a flu shot if you need to.

If you have any kitchen type items you want to get for (dare I say it) Christmas, Shopko has most everything at BOGO which is of course 50% off, but you have to buy 2. Something to think about.

Fred Meyer
15% off coupon for all apparel, shoes, accessories - thru Sat. (coupon in ad for week in front of store)
Hershey's snack size Almond Joy, Kit Kat, Reese's and more 1.88 w/coupon
plus $1 off 3 coupon in Sunday coupons from last week.
Large Fuji Apples .88/lb
Chicken Fryer Breast (bone in) .99/lb
Fred Meyer Butter 2/$4
Progress Light Soup 4/$5

Kmart
$5 off any purchase $50 or more
25% off Halloween costumes
30% off coats & shoes

Rite Aid
Rite Aid Vitamins - Buy one get one free
Always and Tampax - Buy one get one 50% off

Walgreens
Nature's Bounty, Oseo Bi-Flex, Walgreens and Sundown vitamins and supplements,
mix and match Buy one get one free

Shopko
Buy1 get 1 Free Sale
GE lightbulbs
Filtrete Furnace Filters
Decorative Items - window panels, picture frames, pillows, slip covers, chair pads, rugs, door mats, lamps, candles, Halloween decorations
Furniture - kitchen chairs, bar stools, book cases, storage cabinets
Kitchen items - glassware, towels and hotpads, bakeware, gourmet appliances, open stock cookware and dinnerware, kitchen gadgets
Bed pillows
Boys and Girls screen tees
luggage
cold weather accessories
sterling silver jewelry
Envision studio fashion jewelry
designer handbags

50% off all blankets and throws
40% off Halloween costumes
Buy one get one 50% off all shopko vitamins

And if anyone sees or knows of any great deal out there, please send me a quick email or call so I can share it with everyone!

hale62go@gmail.com 895-0135

Blue Chip Group and Shelf Reliance

2008-10-05T14:09:00.001-06:00

This is a place where I ordered a few different food storage products a few years ago. They sell Morning Moo and a lot of other food storage items and the prices are very good. I doubt you can beat them. That is if you don't have to pay shipping.

http://www.bluechipgroup.net/products/fdretail.pdf

Here is another food storage and store systems company that I get email on. This link is to their "sale" items.

http://www.shelfreliance.com/shop/sales

Paul's Case Lot Sale

2008-10-05T13:34:00.000-06:00

Here are some prices for the case lot sale at Paul's. Thanks to Darci for sending these to me.

Case of Kraft mac and cheese - 7.00 (8 packages in a case)
Kleenex 2 for 3.00
Case of paper towels (15 rolls) 6.98
Case of toilet paper (never tried the brand so we'll see how it is) 36 rolls 6.98
Case of 24 kidney beans 12.00
25 lbs Sugar 8.98 (limit two - cheeper than Costco 10.99)
Tomatoe sauce case of 48 11.00
Case of 24 green beans 11.28
Case of 24 corn 11.28 (they also have peas at this price)
Case of 24 canned tomatoes 12.00
Case of 8 apple juice (64 0z) 10.00
Spring water 2.48 24 pack

I'm pretty sure the other types of beans we didn't buy were the same as the Kidney beans and all the vegatables were 11.28 a case.

I did a little checking on the prices for the White Wheat listed in the previous post. The email that was sent to me said that the cannery is out of white wheat and will not be getting any until January. They were not sure of what the price will be. My price list (dec. 2007) had wheat at 6.25 for 25 lbs., which is a little cheeper (50 lbs. for $15).

Bargains

2008-10-03T23:10:00.000-06:00

I just got this email passed on to me from my sister in the Cottonwood park ward who got it passed on to her. I'm not sure who it originated from, Angie? I am going to check out some of the deals that are listed here. I will buy a few boxes of the crackers. I am also going to buy some wheat. If any of you find something good with the Paul's Market deal, let me know.

Ok ladies here it comes, hold on to your seats-

First of all Walmart is having a sale on their Saltine crackers $.50 a box, stock up for those days your kids are sick or you need them for soup or to crush for recipes, also their Nestle Hot coco 10pkg box is $1.00 cheaper than the generic brand and you can pick different flavors like Milk chocolate, or Double Chocolate if your like me. In my experience the bargains are usually on the ends of the aisle so look there. Walmart seems to be rotating their deals about every week or so and some of them are pretty good.

Paul's Market is having it's case lot sale, from what I understand (I've never done this before) you go and can order items by the case and I guess it can be quite a bit cheaper. You pay when you pick it up. I looked on the website and couldn't find exactly what all was available or even exactly how it worked but if I go I'll let you know the details. The sale ends Tuesday October 7th from what I can gather from the website, but it might be worth checking out. If anyone knows more about it, feel free to share with me and I'll pass it on.
http://www.pauls.net/Weekly_Ad_Page_1.htm

I just got a great tip on White Wheat! There is a place in Nampa called MELMONT BEAN and SEED that is selling wheat for $15 for 50 pounds. That is one heck of a deal! I paid $33 for the same 50 lbs. this summer. Anyway, you can buy it in the bag, or for $24 it comes already in a 6 gallon bucket! So, don't delay, this is an amazing deal. I called the man and he said you just have to call his office phone number and leave a message telling him how many bags you want and they will have it ready for you to pick up. The number to call is 495-2818. Their address is 4842 Southside Blvd in Nampa. He also has pinto beans. Pass this info on to anyone who needs their wheat.

Ok last but not least thanks to all of you who call or email me great deals, it helps us all out, I really appreciate it. Let me know how else I can help!

Now go bargin hunt and let know what else you find!!

Happy saving and storing!

Angie

Storage Recommendation of the Week

2008-09-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

Buy the 1.69/lb chicken from Albertsons. Make a double recipe your favorite chicken recipe. Freeze the left overs.

Buy several of the Ultra Dawn from Albertsons for $1.

Here is a chicken recipe that I made up this summer to use the plentiful zucchini and still be pretty low carb (I'm trying to avoid carbs!) This would freeze just fine.

Chicken
Zucchini
Salsa
Cheddar, Jack, or Pepper Jack Cheese
Cream (optional)

Dice and cook chicken w/minced garlic. Slice and saute' zucchini in butter. Place a layer of zucchini in a casserole dish. Add a layer of chicken. Cover chicken with salsa and cheese and a little cream if you want. Repeat. Heat to melt cheese.

Albertsons this week 10/01/08

2008-09-30T21:53:00.000-06:00

Looks like there are quite a few items worth mentioning.

Chicken breast or tenders - 1.69/lb
Grapes .88/lb
Hot pockets (8) or Paninis (6) 1.88 Each

Cereal, Soup, etc. (when you buy 10 items) 1.50 each
Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Kix, Total
Progesso Rich & Hearty Soups
Betty Crocker Cookie Pouch
Pillsbury Ready to back Cookies
Ghiradelli Baking Chocolate 4 oz
Green Giant Veggies 7-10 oz
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks

Dawn Ultra Dishsoap $1

Buy one Get one Free (regular Price)
Pork Loin Chops (3.49 lb)
Boneless Pork Shoulder Ribs (3.99/lb)
Boneless Pork Sirloin (4.49)
Lean Ground Beef (4.99)
Sirloin Tip Roast (5.99)

Three Day Sale Thursday - Saturday
Beef Bone In Rib Eye 5.88
Extra Lean Ground Beef 1.99
Poink Loin Baby Back Ribs 3.99

Deals of the week - Sept 29

2008-09-29T21:40:00.000-06:00

I read the paper and nothing seemed like a great deal to me this week. Maybe it is because I have a garage full of apples and other produce that I was able to harvest from our parents' homes in Rupert while we were there. Not to mention all the left over salads and BBQ. It makes me not think that I will ever need to grocery shop again. Or maybe the news is just getting to me and making me want to quit spending now.

One suggestion I do have for the week is that IF you have a garden and it has treated you well this season, don't quit on it. That is my tendancy this time of year. I just get tired of it. If this is you, look for someone to share the wealth with if you have canned, eaten, frozen all you can. If you need help, comment here or email me and I will find someone for you. :)

So in looking in the paper for food storage type items, I did see the following:
Fred Meyer
Whole chickens .79/lb
pumpkins (cook and freeze for pies later) .18/lb
Pillsbury cake mixes .89
Pastaroni $1

Remember the last day for the Albertons ad is tomorrow - Tuesday. There were some pretty good deals there. And don't forget Winco.

I am also considering putting together an order for dry goods such as beans, sugar, popcorn, etc. I have a contact in Rupert that can get us some good deals there. Potatoes are another possibility if there is interest. Please make a comment here and tell me if and what you are interested in.

Free TV

2008-09-22T10:23:00.000-06:00

I always like a good deal. And I love my tv shows. I do not have USA network anymore, but I can watch my favorite shows online, for free. Also, if you missed an episode, didn't DVR/Tevo it, or what ever, almost everything is available online. Here some links if you feel like being entertained and wasting time.

http://www.usanetwork.com/fullepisodes/

http://www.nbc.com/Video/library/

http://community.abcfamily.go.com/watch

http://abc.go.com/

http://www.cbs.com/hd/

Ok, here is something you can feel a little better about. BYUTV, PBS, and Discovery Channel.

http://www.byutv.org/streaming/

http://video.discovery.com/

http://www.pbs.org/video/

Robert Smith

2008-09-17T12:56:00.000-06:00

Here is another way to add to your food storage. Robert Smith has been selling food storage items for quite a few years. If you would like to be on his email distribution list or have a question for him, email him at rsmith20055@msn.com

Sept 08 - Food Storage Items
Red Feather Canned Butter:
We have found a canned butter that is
imported from New Zealand with an
indefinite shelf life, no refrigeration is
necessary!!
It is a smooth, creamy, high-quality
butter. And the best part (besides the
great taste), is the list of ingredients;
Pasteurized Cream and Salt – that’s
it!!
___4.35 12 oz can
___99.05 18 lb case of 24 cans
Red Feather Canned Cheddar
Cheese:
We have found a canned cheese that
is imported from Australia with a 10 -
15 year minimum shelf life, no
refrigeration is necessary!!
This is real cheese that can be
grated like any other cheese. It
melts, it can be sliced into thin
slices for sandwiches, pizzas,
lasagna or meat loaf – it’s great
for grilled cheese sandwiches,
fantastic omelets or just by the
slice.
___2.65 7.9 oz can
___91.25 18 lb case of 36 cans
Yoder's Canned Bacon:
Each can is 9 ounces of fully
cooked and drained bacon. Each
can is the highest quality fresh
#1 bacon slices. Cured, cooked
and then hand wrapped, rolled
and packed in the U.S.
With a shelf life in excess of 10
years, this bacon makes a perfect
addition to your food storage
program and it is great for every
day use.
___9.50 9 oz can
___108.90 6.75 lb case of 12
cans
Yoder's Canned Meats:
Made in Ohio as an Amish family
tradition for more than 40 years.
Each case contains 12/28 oz cans
- Fully Cooked, Low fat content,
10+ years non-refrigerated shelf
life, and 100% US Raised and US
Canned Meats.
Beef Chunks
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
Chicken Chunks
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
Pork Chunks
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
Turkey Chunks
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
Pork Sausage
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
Ground Beef
___6.85 28 oz can
___78.35 21 lb case of 12 cans
MOUNTAIN HOUSE FREEZE
DRIED PRODUCTS:
If you want to eat or store the best...
look no further than the Mountain
House® brand. Mountain House®
Freeze dried food products are
surprisingly delicious, generally require
no cooking (just add water) and taste
as fresh years from now as they do
today. Great for Emergency
Preparedness, camping, hiking and
backpacking meals, 72 hour kits,
comfort food and sick days. Great
tasting, High Quality, Light Weight,
Easy to Prepare, hearty servings and
long shelf life...10+ years.
SINGLE SERVING:
Rice & Chicken
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Spaghetti
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Beef Stew
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Beef Stroganoff
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Chicken Teriyaki
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Lasagna
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Chili Mac w/Beef
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Sweet & Sour Pork
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Pasta Primavera
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
Mexican Chicken w/Rice
___4.54 each
___26.24 case of 6
DOUBLE SERVING:
Rice & Chicken
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Spaghetti
___4.69 each
___27.14 case of 6
Hearty Stew w/Beef
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Beef Stroganoff
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Chicken Teriyaki
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Lasagna
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Chili Mac w/Beef
___4.69 each
___27.14 case of 6
Sweet & Sour Pork
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Pasta Primavera
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Mexican Chicken w/Rice
___5.54 each
___32.08 case of 6
Chicken Stew
___5.54 each
___32.08 case of 6
Chicken ala King
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Chicken Polynesian
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Beef Teriyaki
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Noodles & Chicken
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Wild Rice & Mushroom Pilaf
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Turkey Tetrazzini
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Vegetable Lasagna
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Oriental Style Spicy Chicken
___5.98 each
___34.59 case of 6
Seafood Chowder
___5.54 each
___32.08 case of 6
Jamaican Style Chicken w/Rice
___5.54 each
___32.08 case of 6
Macaroni & Cheese
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Potatoes & Cheddar
___4.33 each
___25.03 case of 6
Potatoes & Beef
___4.69 each
___27.14 case of 6
Grilled Chicken Breast w/Mashed
Potatoes
___6.85 each
___39.61 case of 6
FOUR-SERVING:
Spaghetti
___8.68 each
___25.11 case of 3
Hearty Stew w/Beef
___8.68 each
___25.11 case of 3
Beef Stroganoff
___8.68 each
___25.11 case of 3
Lasagna
___8.68 each
___25.11 case of 3
BREAKFAST:
Scrambled Eggs
___3.43 each
___19.85 case of 6
Scrambled Eggs w/Ham
___3.88 each
___22.44 case of 6
Scrambled Eggs w/Bacon
___3.88 each
___22.44 case of 6
Granola w/Blueberries
___3.39 each
___19.60 case of 6
VEGETABLES:
Peas
___2.45 each
___14.18 case of 6
Green Beans
___2.45 each
___14.18 case of 6
Corn
___2.45 each
___14.18 case of 6
SNACKS & DESSERTS:
Neapolitan Ice Cream Bar
___1.75 each
___20.25 case of 12
Ice Cream Sandwich
___1.68 each
___19.44 case of 12
Raspberry Crumble
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Blueberry Cheesecake
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Chocolate Strawberry Crunch
___5.11 each
___29.57 case of 6
Organic Strawberries
___3.02 each
___23.33 case of 8
Organic Mangos
___3.02 each
___23.33 case of 8
Organic Apples
___3.02 each
___23.33 case of 8
Organic Bananas
___3.02 each
___23.33 case of 8
---------------------------------------
Please write how many you want
next to the items.
---------------------------------------
Thank you for your order!
Name ____________________
Phone ____________________
Sub Total $____________
6% Sales Tax $__________
Check Amt. $____________

Build a Reserve - Avoid Debt

2008-09-07T21:35:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a little about debt and savings. The latest statistics show that our national savings rate is actually in the negative for the first time ever. See this article for an interesting perspective on this topic. http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/retirement/2007/02/02/our-savings-rate-is-abysmal.aspx

Here's what our prophets have counseled.

President Heber J. Grant said, “From my earliest recollections, from the days of Brigham Young until now, I have listened to men standing in the pulpit … urging the people not to run into debt; and I believe that the great majority of all our troubles today is caused through the failure to carry out that counsel.”

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Do not leave yourself or your family unprotected against financial storms. … Build up savings.”

President Harold B. Lee taught, “Not only should we teach men to get out of debt but we should teach them likewise to stay out of debt.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: “Many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings. …I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts” ("To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 54).

"We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. . . . If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts."—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances, Feb. 2007, 1

Food Storage at Costco.com

2008-08-17T14:36:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple links for food storage that might be interesting to you. This first link is for basically a 7 day gourmet emergency food kit. I calculated it to be $12.85 per day or average 4.25 per entree. This would be great to use for your family 72 hour kit. The shelf life is 5 years. From the little bit I have researched online, it seems a little expensive, but it might be better than the MRE's I was looking at. If any of you know more than I do about this, please let me know.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11192506&ec=BC-EC17036-ProdID11219554&pos=0F&lang=en-US

This link is to a product offered by Costco that is more of a long term food storage. The meals are much more economical that the one listed above. The average cost per meal for this one is .37 per entree. The shelf life is 20 years. I think it sounds pretty reasonable. But it appears to be definately long term storage, not the store what you eat kind of meals.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11219554

Health Related Items

2008-08-14T16:48:00.001-06:00

While I was at Costco today I noticed a couple of items I would like to share. First they are having a company come in and do Allergy Testing for $10 this coming Saturday, Aug. 16th. I'm am considering doing this as I suffer from allergies but have never been tested. For $10 it would be nice to know some of what sets me off. If you are interested call 323-8707.

Also Costco has a prescription program. If you are not covered by any prescription coverage, they have a program which would discount the amount you would have to pay for your prescriptions. It varies by drug. Call 1-800-806-0129 for more info.

Next, some of my thoughts on Health Insurance:
Being self employed means that we buy our own health insurance. I had thought that once I was through with school, I would get a full time job, with benefits. It turns out that I am not ready to leave my kids full time. So, my part time job does not have benefits, yet... I have been covered by BSU insurance for the past three years while I have been in school. So, it was time to go insurance shopping. What I found was interesting. The insurance was less expensive now than it was 3 years ago for us. I think that many people do not want to be self employed due to the health insurance issue. I think this is not necessarily as big of an issue as it used to be. But being covered is important.

If you are not covered by health insurance, find a way to get coverage. I think that you cannot afford to not have insurance coverage. We have been counseled by our church leaders that insurance is important. "Appropriately involve yourself in an insurance program. It is most important to have sufficient medical and adequate life insurance. "Marvin J Ashton, One for the Money 2007. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=ac529cf12df64110VgnVCM100000176f620a____

If your children or the children of someone you know are not covered by health insurance or if the deductibles and copayments are beyond your ability to pay, you need to know that coverage through State Health and Welfare may be a possibility. To qualify for low cost or no cost insurance you must be at 185% of the federal poverty level. An example would be a family of 6 including adults, making $4378/mo or 52,536 per year. I think that I heard that Congress is debating whether to increase the limit to 200% of the federal poverty level. This could either completely cover your child medical expenses or help pay for either individual insurance or even employer sponsered insurance plans up to $100 per child. Yes, this is socialized medicine which I have mixed feeling about, but, when necessary due to financial difficulty, I support it. Just to clarify, the coverage is for the kids only, but adults are considered for the family size. For more information see http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/DesktopModules/Documents/DocumentsView.aspx?tabID=0&ItemID=6222&MId=11697&wversion=Staging

Costco and Walgreens Prices

2008-08-14T16:27:00.000-06:00

I have started to collect prices on items that I need or am considering for my food storage. I started with Costco and a couple items at Walgreens. If you could help me out by checking any of these or other basic items while you are shopping that would be wonderful. My way of collecting the info is pretty easy, I take a picture with my cellphone of the sign with the price and all the info. And just for your info, Milk is still less expensive at Costco than any place else I have found at 4.59 for 2 gallons that's 2.29/gallon for 1%.

Cattledrive Chili 104 oz (#10 can- .055/oz) 5.99
C&H granulated sugar 25 lbs - .44/lb - 10.99
Conagra All Purpose Flour 25 lbs - .304/lb - 7.59
Conagra Bread Flour 50 lbs - .312/lb - 15.59
Pace Medium Picante Sauce .068/oz - 4.35
Pinto beans - dry 25 lbs .588/pound 14.69
Blue Ribbon Long Grain Rice 50 lbs - .50/lb - 24.99
Rosarita Refried Beans #10 can .47/lb - 3.29
Kirkland 16.9 oz drinking water 35 bottles .1333 each - 4.65

Zyrtec Costco .42 each 75 total 31.79
Walgreens generic Wal-Zyr .23 each 120 total 34.99
Walgreens Ibuprophen 1000 ct .02/each - 19.99

Flax Seed

2008-08-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

I have found something amazing that I am so excited to share with you all. I found a recipe on the Internet using flax seed as a substitute for eggs. This is exciting for a couple reasons:

1st: Flax seed is easily stored, good for our 3 month storage and possibly long term as well.

2nd: Flax seed is very good for you. It is loaded with omega -3 fatty acids which can help lower cholesterol. The health benefits listed for these little seeds are long including helping control blood sugar, protection against certain types of cancer including breast and prostate, it contains a complete protein source, and is high in fiber for your digestive system.

3rd: Flax has a nutty delicious taste : )

As far as storing flax seed goes, the information that I found was sketchy. I do know that storing the seed whole rather than ground is best. One source said that the seed would last for 2 years in a cool dry place. Other sources said refrigerated is best. I will continue to research this and let you know. In the mean time, I will store mine in the freezer. I also read that to get the nutritional benefits from the flax seed, it must be ground, otherwise, it just passes through whole.

Where to find: Winco sells it in the bulk food section. I know you can get it at the Co-Op as well. I have not yet checked prices.

I have done a little experimenting this week to try out the egg substitute flax. I first tried it in my blender pancakes and it worked great. Next we tried it in our sourdough pancakes and they were a little gooey. I think I might try using the flax for half the eggs next time. And then yesterday I used it for 2 of the 3 eggs in zucchini bread, which I also substituted applesauce for half the oil. Everyone loved the bread.

There are a couple options in making the flax seeds turn into an eggy substance. What I did was to put the flax seed along with the water in my blender and blend it up. Then I cooked it either on the stove or in the microwave for about a minute. Then let it cool a bit before adding it to my recipe. It gels up as it cools. Supposedly you can add the whole seeds to boiling water and then simmer for 20 minutes and it will release the eggy substance. Then you can strain out the seeds. But, in doing this you would lose the great fiber source and some of the nutrition as well, I believe.

If you like this recipe for the egg substitute and find recipes to use it in that you like (or don't like), please leave a comment.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2-3 tablespoons water
Directions
1Simmer flax seeds and water in a saucepan for about 5 minutes (or less or more time depending on the amount you are making) or until thick, egg-like consistency has been reached.
2Let cool before using in a recipe.
3This recipe makes 1 eggs worth, but it can be easily made into a larger quantity using the 1:3 ratio- for example, 1 cup ground flax seeds and 3 cups water (that would make 16 eggs worth) and will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
4Use about 1/4 cup (which is equal to 4Tbs) egg substitute for every egg

Sources:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=451

http://www.recipezaar.com/104832

http://www.mormonchic.com/recipe/recipebox/pages/foodstorage.asp

Wheat

2008-07-27T11:29:00.000-06:00

7/31/08
I found something new to do with my cooked wheat berries that shows some promise. I took the cooked wheat berries and then toasted them in butter in a frying pan. They popped like popcorn. Wesley thought it was a lot of fun. Wesley, Mr. Picky Eater, actually tried them and said they were pretty good, like a mixture of popcorn kernels and burnt popcorn. Ha! Burnt popcorn is a good thing for him I guess. I think they are pretty good too, an interesting crunchy little snack. They would be good as something crunchy on a salad. I then tried to coat them in curry before I cooked them and found that they didn't pop and just got super hard. I then popped a few more and added curry after. This worked out well. I am wondering what other flavor might be good, Tabasco? Maybe soak them in some kind of salad dressing....
Stay tuned.

7/30/08
Here is a recipe that I found that sounds interesting. I have eaten the wheat that I cooked Monday a couple of times. I still have a bit left and am looking for a way to use it. It doesn't really keep me feeling satisfied until lunch. I like the way it tastes, but I can't eat much of it.

Here is the link to Creamy Wheat Berry Hot Cereal with oats, raisins, etc. I'll let you know if I actually get around to trying it. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wheat_berry_porridge.html

I am not really cooking much this week with Marty and Tyler being at the high adventure or I would try to sneak the wheatberries into some enchiladas or soup or something.

7/27/08
I have been thinking about wheat for some reason the past couple of days. Wheat is something I think more of as the "long term" food storage rather than the 3 month of food your family is used to eating. However, I really like wheat so I think that I will incorporate it into my 3 month plan. I am fortunate to have a wheat grinder, so making flour for bread is possible for me. There are other ways to use wheat that I really like. The one that I think I will try this week is to cook wheat whole (wheat berries) for breakfast with honey and milk. They can also be added to other recipes. I'll let you know what I use them in this week and how it works out.

Please let me know if you have a way you like to use cooked wheat berries.

What I am going to try is to pour boiling water over the wheat in my crockpot and then cook on low overnight. This should work.

Here is another recipe that I use often that uses wheat, but no wheat grinder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKl2QyHFzy0

Blender Pancakes
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup powdered milk (or just 1 1/2 cup milk)
1 1/4 cup wheat
Blend for 3 minutes

Add:
2 eggs
2 Tbls oil
1 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Blend 2o seconds

Add:
1 Tbls baking powder
Pulse 3 times

Three Months of Food Storage Recipe of the Week

2008-07-21T20:45:00.000-06:00

Chicken Salad
1-13 oz can chicken
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise (approx. can use Miracle Whip and/or yogurt)

Optional additions - add what you have and like
1/2 cup craisins or raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc)
1/4 cup wheat berries
pickles
celery
grapes cut in half
mandarin oranges
water chestnut
seeds like pumpkin, sunflower
1 tsp. flax seed

salt and pepper

Drain and shred chicken. Add mayonnaise, seasonings and additions. Mix together and serve or chill until ready to eat. Makes approx. 4 sandwiches--Serve in pitas, rolls, bread, or eat plain.

This is quick and easy. I tried it and it took me less than 15 minutes to make!

Cajun Curry Chicken
2 tsp curry
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbls prepared mustard
2 Tbls marg or butter (optional)
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Boneless skinless chicken breast (up to 6)

Combine ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 375 for approx 45 minutes.
Serve chicken and dripping over rice. I like brown rice.

7/21/08

Thai Chicken Crock-Pot
These ingredients should be easy to store. The only fresh ingredient is the ginger. You could use powdered ginger if you don't have fresh or freeze some shredded ginger should work.

Cook Time: 9 hours,
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. ginger root
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Preparation:
Place chicken in 3-4 quart crockpot. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except peanuts; mix well. Pour this mixture over chicken in crockpot. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve over hot cooked rice or couscous. 4 servings

Confessions of a Penny Pincher

2008-07-06T10:58:00.000-06:00

I haven't put in any new tips recently, but I just thought of a good one. Send me YOUR tips!!

>Do you get coupons in the mail for $10 off a $10 purchase? I get these for Office Max, Kohls, JC Penny, Famous Footware, and Fashion Bug. I used to use these to try to time a good shopping trip. Sometimes this works, but sometimes I don't need anything or don't have the time to search for a good deal. $10 doesn't go very far, except for socks. So now these $10 coupons mean "new sock time", except the Office Max coupon. I can always think of a $10 need at the office supply store. BTW, I use the Office Max coupon at Office Depot because Office Depot is in my neighborhood. They accept it with no problem.

>Albertsons and rainchecks. One of my favorite tricks is to buy the rest of whatever is on sale off the shelf and then ask for a raincheck for a lot of the item. This way I can fill my shelf now and can fill it again later at a super low price. Sometimes I will go back a couple times and get more rainchecks if they are still out so I can fill my shelf a couple of times.

>I seldom buy a drink when I eat out. Lately I've figured out a trick that is pretty nice. I get water with lemon. I squeeze the lemon into the water and add Splenda (or sugar), and walaa!, freash lemonaide. This is also great because it is rare that a restaurant has diet anything with no caffeine. Yesterday, I did this at Baja Fresh, they have limes, so limeaide, yumm!

>WalMart price matches anything. You need to bring some proof of the price, like the ad from the paper. This is particularly worth while at back the school time when every store has a great ad, and you feel like you have to visit them all to get the best deal.

>Deseret Book also price matches, even with Distribution. So, if you want to buy something that you could get through Distribution at Deseret Book, just let them know that you want the Distribution Price and they are very happy to look up the price for you, and you get the points toward your book club, if you have one. Pretty cool deal. You don't have to prove to them that WalMart or Costco has a better price, they generally know and will take your word for it.

Important Points

2008-07-06T09:40:00.000-06:00

In the post below are "Official Church Answers to questions about Family Home Storage".

I love the simplicity of the new guidelines. The brochure "Family Home Storage" and Family Finances are very short simple and to the point.

I think that it is very important to prioritize. As King Benjamin counseled, “See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.” I think this could apply to our food storage as well.

To me wisdom would be to prioritize. This order makes sense to me.

1. Do we have enough food and water to sustain our family for 72 hours, and is is portable and easy to access?

2. Do we have enough food and money to sustain our family for a 3 month period. Is this food that our family is used to eating? Don't forget the money part! The church does not specifically say 3 months, it does say, "Gradually build a financial reserve, and use it for emergencies only. If you save a little money regularly,
you will be surprised how much accumulates over time."

3. Get out of debt. We have been counseled, "Spending less money than you make is essential to your financial security. Avoid debt, with the exception of buying a modest home or paying for education or other vital needs. Save money to purchase what you need. If you are in debt, pay it off as quickly as possible."

4. Long term food storage. Once your house is in order as outlined above, it is time to work on long term food storage.

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve."

Sources: http://providentliving.org/fhs/pdf/WE_FamilyResourcesGuide_International_04008_000.pdf
http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7587-1-4087-1,00.html

Family Home Storage: Official Church Answers to questions about Family Home Storage

2008-07-06T09:14:00.000-06:00

What is the most important thing I can do regarding family home storage?
Get started!
If you have already begun, faithfully continue your efforts. As President Hinckley taught: “We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. As all of you recognize, this counsel is not new. But I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all. Begin in a small way, my brethren, and gradually build toward a reasonable objective” (In Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 65; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 58).

What’s new or different in the new pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage?
The pamphlet emphasizes the need to build a small supply of food that is part of your normal daily diet, store some water, and save some money. Over time establish a supply of basic foods such as wheat, white rice, and beans for longer-term needs.

What’s the difference between the three-month and “longer-term” supply items?
Three-month supply items are non-perishable foods that you normally eat, such as canned and commercially packaged foods that have a stable shelf life. “Longer-term” supply items are basic food items like grains and beans that have very low moisture content (about 10% or less), can be stored for long periods of time (20–30 years), and would sustain life if nothing else were available to eat. A portion of longer-term supply items may be rotated into the three-month supply.

The Web site and the family home storage pamphlet state that longer-term storage items can last 30 years or longer. Isn’t that a much longer period of time than previously thought?
Yes. Properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought according to recent scientific studies. The studies, which are the first of their kind, increase the estimated shelf life for many products to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on “best-if-used-by” recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans) and Vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years. While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.

New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-LifeEstimates (In Years)
Wheat 30+
White rice 30+
Corn 30+
Sugar 30+
Pinto beans 30
Apple slices 30
Macaroni 30
Rolled oats 30
Potato flakes 30
Powdered milk 20
Carrots 20

Why was the pamphlet produced at this time?
To teach the simple principles of home storage and encourage participation. It offers hope by showing that it is possible for most Church members to prepare for adversity, starting modestly by storing a few items of food, filling a few leak-proof containers with water, and saving a few coins each week. The pamphlet helps eliminate the perceived complexity of home storage.

Does the information outlined in the pamphlet supersede all previous counsel?
Yes.

Where do I start?
Start by adding a few storable items that you typically eat, storing some water that is safe to drink, and saving some money, if only a few coins each week. Then over time, expand these initial efforts—as individual circumstances allow and where permitted—by storing a longer-term supply of basics such as grains, beans, and other staples.

How quickly should I obtain my food storage?
It is not prudent to go to extremes or go into debt to establish your home storage all at once. Gradually build reserves over time as financial resources and space permit.

How often should I rotate stored products?
Continually use and replenish the food in your three-month supply to avoid spoilage. You may wish to rotate into your regular meals elements of your longer-term food supply. Such items can, however, if properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place, last 30 or more years. See the Home and Family section of the Church’s Web site, LDS.org, for more information about home storage rotation and packaging.

Where can I get more information on family home storage?
Go to the Church’s Web site, LDS.org, and look under "Home and Family." You can also get information at Church home storage centers.

Will more information on home storage be forthcoming?

The pamphlet was included in the August 2007 issue of the Ensign and Liahona magazines. Additional magazine articles on various principles of home storage and family finances will regularly appear through 2009. The Church’s Web site will also have periodic featured articles on home storage and finances.

Will Church home storage centers offer fewer products?
Home storage centers continue to offer the same products. However, the product list is being reviewed and may be reduced in the future. What about 72-hour kits? Church members are encouraged to prepare for adversity by building a basic supply of food, water, money, and, over time, longer-term supply items. Beyond this, Church members may choose to store additional items that could be of use during times of distress.

Source: http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7636-1-4104-1,00.html#question_14