Homemade Flour Tortillas

I've had some time off lately and finally got a chance to do some organizing! Now that it's done, I've been able to keep on top of the housework, which has left me with a little bit of time to experiment in my kitchen! Since we've been trying to make more food homemade rather than buying processed products, I decided to try making spinach tortillas this afternoon. I've tried them before and the results weren't great but today I found a new recipe and they were a success! Beside for the fact that no matter how hard I try, I can't get them even close to actually being round. Oh well....

Price Breakdown
Store bought (8 Pack): $3.00
Recipe Cost (8 Tortillas): $0.85

Making your own tortillas will save you $2.15 per pack. If you buy tortillas once a month, you could save almost $26 a year and if you buy them weekly, you'd save over $100! Plus, they're really good. I admit to eating one while making the rest and I almost ate a second one.

My spinach tortillas. They may be slightly deformed,

 but they are still completely delicious!

Click here for the recipe I used from Hot Pot Cooking. I made spinach tortillas but the site also gives instructions for making regular ones. 

Freebie February

I absolutely love freebies. Free samples, which show up to surprise me in my mailbox months after I have ordered and completely forgotten about them, are my absolute favourite. BUT they are definitely not the only way to get stuff for free. When I decided to write about getting freebies, I started thinking about all the stuff we've received over the last few years and was surprised to realize how much it really is. We have got thousands of dollars worth of free stuff and, the best part, it was totally easy! 

Here is some of the stuff we got, how we did it and how you can too:

Free Samples In The Mail

In the last few months, I opened my mailbox to a ton of awesome samples. These ranged anywhere from laundry soap to protein bars to a full sized bag of cat food. 

My favourite sites to browse for these mail samples are Todays Free Stuff and Free Stuff Finder. I check every few days or so. Some days there's nothing that interests me and some days I'll order 5 samples. 

Facebook Groups/ Kijiji

Another great way to get free stuff is to take it off of someone else's hands. There is a whole section for "FREE" stuff on Kijiji. Just browse through, or if you need something specific, try posting a "WANTED" ad. 

On Facebook I am part of a "Pay It Forward" group for my area. When I no longer need something, I post it on there for other people and I comment on other peoples ads when I see something that I like. Note, people usually like to get rid of stuff ASAP so make sure that you comment on a day when you are free and can literally jump in your car or walk over and pick up right away. You have more chance of getting stuff this way. Search for a Pay It Forward, Free Stuff, Buy Nothing etc. group for your area. 

All 3 board games turned out to be brand new with the cards still wrapped!

Huge box of free kids clothes

Even my kitty came free from Kijiji

The Library

Our library often has a table at the exit with all the discontinued books, free for people to take home. Most people walk past the table without looking... and then there's me. I've been seen struggling to walk home with a huge stack of books in my arms. Even if your library doesn't have this, you could always ask what they do with the discontinue books. Many will sell them off super cheap if not free. 

All Those Random Contests

You know all those booths that are set up at job fairs, farmers markets, trade shows, street fairs etc? Well many of those have free contests and lots of people don't take the time to enter. My husband has won a free ipod and a $25 Itunes card, on two separate occasions. 

Also, if your work has contests, draws or safety reports, do them! A contest at my husbands work is how we ended up with our Ipad, which is now a member of the family. Also, at my Dads work, whenever employees saw a safety concern, or something that didn't meet code, they could fill out a safety note and get entered to win prized. I remember my dad winning a fair sized gift card one month. 

Leftovers

Whenever large events are run, way too much food is usually brought in. Often times the leftovers will go to the volunteers or a catering company but it doesn't hurt to take what's free and ask if you're not sure. The worst they can do is say no. I'm always surprised when I leave somewhere to see that people leave water bottles and snacks behind. 

The other day I went to a 15 Hour Scrapbooking Marathon Fundraiser. Close to the end there were two yogurt parfaits left on the snack table so I grabbed them before leaving and we had them for breakfast the next day. 

Also, my husband was away training this weekend and their food is catered by a local hotel. I don't know if it's just because it was the first weekend, but he said there was WAY too much food and most of ended up in the garbage. After seeing a ton of perfectly good chicken thrown away, he was able to snag a full loaf of bread and some fruit. You can always ask.

The Dentists

Just thought I would throw this one in. Even when they don't ask me if I need a new toothbrush, I always asks for something at the dentist. They usually end up giving me a toothbrush, floss, sometimes those mini toothpastes and once I even got a 250 ml sample bottle of Listerine. I've never had them say no... yet. 

Receipt Surveys/Store Contests

You know those survey contests that are on basically every receipt you get? Yeah, they might be worth filling out. They're not too long... usually, and you can win some pretty big prizes. My husband won $1000 in Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards once when we filled out the online survey and lots of other stores give gift cards too. 

Also, lots of stores have promotions, like scratch and win cards, right at the cash. The other day I got two paper "poker chips" free with my $5 purchase and I won a free chocolate bar. Yet, many people walk away without even grabbing them! 

There you have it. Those are some of the different, not too difficult, methods of finding and getting awesome stuff for free. 

Frozen Pizzas

Homemade Vs. Storebought

Store-bought freezer pizzas may not make the healthiest, most delicious meals ever but there is no denying how convenient they are. We love homemade pizza in our house but they do take a lot of prep work so I decided that from now on I will make an extra one whenever I do pizzas and freeze it for a super easy, delicious future meal.

Preparing my toppings while the dough rises. 

Homemade dough, yum!

The freezer pizza.

 I made it the same as usual, rolled out my crust and partially cooked it. Then I topped it and added the cheese but instead of throwing it back in the oven, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and popped it in the freezer. 

The final product. 

I already knew that my homemade freezer pizzas would be healthier and yummier than store bought but I decided to also do a price breakdown and see if it was cheaper.

Price Breakdown

Storebought: Average $5-$7 

Homemade: $3.05

Obviously prices will vary depending on the toppings used and whether the crust is homemade or not. Our pizza had pepperoni, ham, green pepper, onion, pineapple and pizza cheese mix. I figured it costed about $3.05 and it tasted great, so I am going to fill my freezer with a bunch of them for future use. 

January Grocery Update

If you have been following my $175 Monthly Grocery Series, than you know that this year I am aiming to spend about $175 on groceries each month. Right now I just want to update on how we did in January. If you missed the series, check here.

This was my initial trip. 

Mini Trip (Stock up on good deals) #1

Mini Trip #2

Money Spent: $193.37

- Cashback: $16.50

Total: $176.87

So that you can get a better idea of what we eat and how much $176.87 can really get you, here is the meal plan we followed throughout January. 

Breakfasts

Cereal and Milk

 Oatmeal with fruit

Eggs/Omelettes

Yogurt Parfaits

 Breakfast Burritos

Pancakes

Lunches

Sandwhiches

Soup 

Tuna Salad

Pasta Salad

Baked Beans

Dinners

Alfredo Penne and Peppers

Turkey Pot Pies

Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta

Chili and Garlic Toast

Burritos and Salad

Shepherds Pie

Chicken and Bean Quesadillas

Jamaican Chicken w/ Rice

Jambalaya

Chili Cheese Fries

Apple Harvest Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Fiesta Nachos

Snacks

Muffins

Fruit

Homemade Granola Bars

Scones

Veggies and Dip

Fruit Cups

Banana Bread

Nuts

Crackers and Cheese

$175 Grocery Budget Part 4

Click here for Part 3

If you're like me, you probably want to walk through the door after a shopping trip, drop your bags in the entryway, flop down on the couch with a cozy blanket and take a nap while loose apples roll down the hallway. Reality is, a grocery trip doesn't end the second you walk in the front door. The things that I do once I get home from the store are a large part of how I save money on groceries. 

First, I make sure that all my pantry and fresh food items are stored properly. The last thing I want to do is throw out unused food because it went bad. 

Second, I prepare my freezer items. When I go shopping, I often come home with a ton of items which will go straight into my freezer. I take all the soon to expire cartons of milk that I got 50% off and toss them in the freezer. Then I clean and cut up all of the discounted fruits and vegetables that I am going to freeze. These are usually things like peppers, peaches, bananas etc. I also stock up on cheese when it is on sale and freeze it for later. 

Next, I divide up my meat. It is a lot cheaper to buy meat in the larger packages, but I never need that much at once. I use freezer bags to split big packs of ground beef, chicken breasts, drumsticks, pork chops and sausages into smaller portions. Most of these also go straight into the freezer. 

The last thing I do, not usually on the same day, is cook and bake a ton of homemade things. There are so many items that are cheaper to make homemade than to buy at all. My favourite things to DIY in order to save money are homemade buns/bread, baked beans, granola bars, protein bars, fruit cups, muffins and scones. 

$175 Grocery Budget - Part 3

Click HERE if you missed Part 1. Click HERE for Part 2.

Actually going to the store is probably the hardest part of keeping my grocery bill under $175. Even with a well organized meal plan and grocery list, it can be tempting to throw in 'just a few' extras. Before you know it, you've got a bag of chips, some frozen waffles, a tub of ice cream and a $250 grocery bill. Here's what I do to keep my grocery bill down while at the store.

First, choosing which day to go shopping makes a big difference. The store that I shop at starts a new flyer every Friday and they start marking things down around Tuesday. I found that if I go on Wednesday, I will find a ton of fruit, milk, bread and yogurt, usually about 4 days away from the best before date, for 50% off. I love those big pink 50% off stickers. However, if I wait until Thursday, there isn't as much left.

Next, there are certain things that I always bring to the store that help me stay organized and save money. First, my own shopping bags. I have quite a few reusable ones and then I grab a handful of plastic ones. This saves me from buying bags and it's good for the environment. Also, I have my grocery list, a pen to check off what I have already grabbed, my ipad so I can double check the cashback items, any flyers from other stores that I plan to price match and, of course, a ziplock full of coupons.

The first thing I do when I get to the store is make a mad dash for the clearance rack. I go here first so that I can grab anything that's on my list for 50% off before grabbing it at regular price. Also, the sooner I get there, the more stuff that will be left. Then I make a quick trip to the dairy aisle to snag any yogurt, milk or juice that's marked down, but only if it's on my list.

After I mark off any clearance items from my shopping list, I start at the front of the store and go around like normal. I avoid going down any aisle that I don't need stuff from, and I don't stop to look at items that aren't on my list.

Before I check out, I separate all the items that require coupons or price matching. If I have time, I also double check the coupons/cashback deals to make sure I didn't grab the wrong item since I won't have time to go back once I'm in line. I put all of those items up last. I do all the pricematching at once and then I have the coupon items scanned last and give the cashier my coupons with each item so that she doesn't have to pull them back out to double check. Then I always hand over my PC Plus Points card, even if I don't think I'm getting any points that week... sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.

The last major "must do" before leaving the store is making sure that I have my receipt safely in my wallet and not just in a bag or box where it could fly away. Without that receipt, I can't get any cashback! 

Check back to hear what I do at home that saves me money on groceries.



$175 Grocery Budget - Part 2

Click HERE if you missed Part 1 of the series. 

As you probably guessed, attempting a monthly budget of $175 takes lots of planning. My monthly grocery trip starts wayyy before I step through the doors of the store. It involves flyers, lists, meal plans and more.

The first thing I do is look through my pantry and freezer and make a list of what I already have and DON'T need to buy. This often includes the staples, like meat, cheese, butter, cereal, and crackers because I stock up on these items when I find a good sale.

Next, I go through all the flyers and write down the REALLY good sales on my grocery list. Now that I've been doing this for a while, I have what I consider really good sales and sales that are just okay. Really good sales are items that I'm going to stock up on no matter what because the price is good (Ex. Crispers for $1 at Walmart, I bought 6 bags. When cheese is under $5 I buy at least 3). Sales that are just "Okay" I keep in the back of my mind to check if I have a coupon, cashback or PC Plus pts to make the deal even better.

Third, I pull up PC Plus in my browser so I can load my offers for the week. If you haven't heard of this, it's a points program available at Loblaws, Superstore, Independent and No Frills. Purchasing certain in-store items gives you points plus you can get extra offers, personalized to your shopping habits, by signing your card up online and loading your offers every week. I have had this for about a year and I have almost 50,000 points which will give me $50 in free groceries when I redeem them.

At the same time, I grab my Ipad, to look through my cachback offers, and pull out my ziplock full of coupons. Although there are a few different cashback apps out there, the ones that I consider best are Checkout51 and Zweet. I have had Checkout51 for less than 6 months and have already earned over $50 back and I have had Zweet for a few weeks and already have $5 in my account. Coupons I get from all over. I mainly print or mail order them from websites like Smartsource, Websaver, P&G Everyday and Save.ca but I also often find them on the coupon board on my way into the store or in the aisles.

Once I have everything pulled up, I check for overlaps. I often find that I have cashback or PCPlus pts (or both) for a sale item. Also, the Checkout51 and Zweet offers will often overlap or I'll have a coupon for something that is also offering Cashback. If I have offers or coupons for an item that I don't often buy or isn't on sale, I will go on Walmart.ca to check the price and see if it's still a good deal. I add all good deals to the grocery list that I have going. I always write the price beside the item and note if it has a coupon, cashback, pts, pricematch etc. That way, when I am at the store, I won't grab the wrong item because I will notice the price difference and I won't forget which coupons I need to use.

Finally, once the deals are written down, I look over what I am buying, and what I already have and figure out a meal plan. Then I add missing items to my grocery list. For example, if ground beef and pasta sauce are on my list of good deals then I will make spaghetti part of my meal plan and add noodles to my grocery list. For extra items like these, I will usually buy the no name brand or whatever is cheapest at the store.

Once I have a general meal plan and a grocery list, complete with prices, it's time to review. I add up the prices and hope that my total is under $175.00. If it isn't, I will go back over the list and see if there's anything that we don't really need for the month and then cross it off. I also check if there's anything missing that I may be running out of. Potatoes and carrots, for example, are something I always keep in the house since they are generally cheap anyways.

It may sound like a ton of work but it isn't as bad as it sounds. It totally pays out in the end. Plus, I love feeling completely organized and prepared when I head to the grocery store.

Stay tuned for Part 3 and find out what I do while at the store to keep my bill under $175.