Taming the Grocery Bill

Is anyone else paying approximately a billion dollars for groceries each month?

I feel like groceries have gotten so expensive. Of course, I have two small boys who eat more than their body weight every day, so that might be part of it.

Seriously, though. I spend about $150 a week on groceries. I'm a bit embarassed to admit that, because that feels like an extravagant amount, and I'm worried you guys will think I'm crazy. I work hard to keep it within that budget. We eat a lot of organic and natural foods, and I try to balance the extra cost of that by couponing and shopping the sales.

I use sites like SouthernSavers.com and FaithfulProvisions.com to search for the best grocery deals each week, and then I plan my meals based on what's on sale and what we already have at home.

I've thought about reducing the amount of organic and whole grain foods we eat, but eating that way is fairly important to me. I usually get organic milk and meat, trying to avoid the hormones and antibiotics that are common throughout the cattle industry. But you guys -- organic milk costs $6 a gallon!

Organic foods are important to me for the health of my kids, but I also like buying them to "speak with my dollar."  I like telling the food companies that I don't want junk in my food. (Except for you, Sonic. Keep putting that cellulose in your yummy shakes.)

So since I want to keep buying organic for now, I'm trying to find cheaper meals to fix. Some Twitter buddies advised me on using dry beans instead of canned beans in my chili recipes, and I think we'll be having a lot more meals based around whole grain pasta soon.

I'd love to hear how y'all are handling your grocery budgets these days. Do you have any cheap recipes or amazing shopping strategies to share?

Old Navy Cardi Party

Our new fall outfits! We got to take them home thanks to Old Navy.
(The dog mannequin stayed at the store.)

In my current state as a mom with young children, scarves are my thing. I love scarves. I'll wear scarves when it's 85 degrees outside.

I can't wear a necklace right now. My toddler will chew on it and yank on it until it breaks. But scarves? Fair game for chewing. Great for peekaboo, too. Oh, and bonus points to scarves for being big enough to hide stains on t-shirts.

Trying out a few options

So when Old Navy offered to send me and three of my friends on a fall shopping mission to find skirts, cardis, and scarves, you can bet I was ready to go. And I took my friends Danielle, Mandy, and Rebekah along for the fun.

Once at the store, we scouted the styles to see what we liked the best.We each tried on a few different looks to find the perfect style to take home.

Mandy and Danielle add splashes of color.

Mandy wasn't sure where to start, but she found some in-store ideas that helped her create a great look. Danielle found an outfit that looks good now and will still work for her after her sweet baby arrives in a few weeks.

Rebekah, whom we discovered can rock a hat like nobody's business, found so many great options that she's already planning a return shopping trip!

I found myself drawn to the pencil skirts. My friend Jessica, one of my fashion heroes, says every woman needs a black pencil skirt in her wardrobe. I tried to go for a Mad Men-type look with the black pencil skirt, but I found that the corduroy skirt was more suited to my casual style.

Rebekah with some Tennessee style.

I think all of us found extra pieces we decided to buy in addition to our free skirt/scarf/cardi combos. I usually shop alone (or online), and combining shopping with a girls' night out was a really fun experience. The encouragement I received from these sweet ladies made me feel like I could step away from my normal look and try some new things (hot pink stripes, anyone?!).

Thanks to the employees and store manager at Old Navy Nashville West for their patience and good humor during our visit, and thank you to Danielle, Mandy, and Rebekah for a terrific evening of shopping. What a fun event!




You can see more of our photos from the Old Navy Cardi Party at Flickr and Pinterest.

Disclaimer: Old Navy provided free clothes to my friends and me, and Crowdtap gives me points for writing honestly about my experience. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

Linky Dinks: Referrals Edition

So I have some random things to tell you guys about. The first couple of items involve making your holiday shopping easier, and the last one is just totally random. They all involve some nice kickbacks for me, though.  :-)

First I want to tell you about the Usborne books e-show I'm hosting. My friend Nancy, mother of Itty Bitty Becca, had to quit work when her daughter arrived 3 months early weighing 13 ounces. In between shuffling Becca to all her appointments, Nancy is a consultant for Usborne books, which sells classics like Everybody Poops and That's Not My Kitty. Check out Usborne's Cyber Monday deals to get some extra discounts on books for the little ones in your life. Here's the link to my show: http://www.ubah.com/HOS188314. It runs through November 30, so get your orders in soon! Depending on how many orders I get for my party, I'll get credit to order my own books from Usborne. That means you also can host your own show and earn credit for free books, so contact Nancy if you are interested!

Next I want to tell you about my favorite shopping tools: Ebates and RetailMeNot. I can't remember which blogger first told me about Ebates, but it's a great way for me to spend a little less on my online shopping. Basically, many shopping sites offer a percentage of your purchase back to you -- maybe 1% or even 5% -- if you go through Ebates as a referral site. Just go to Ebates, sign in, find your shopping site, and click the link. I've ordered so much from Old Navy and Express when shopping for Paul and me online that I've already received $15 back in the past year. We recently ordered a washer and dryer online with 5% cash back, which takes quite a nice chunk out of the cost! If you sign up through Ebates through my referral link (here, click here!), you and I both get $5 in our account after you make your first $25 purchase.

After I go through Ebates to get to a site, I always make sure to check RetailMeNot.com before I checkout. RetailMeNot is a great central database of coupon codes, with users rating how reliable each coupon is. Just last night I found free shipping for my Container Store order!

And now for something completely different.....I've also been asked to refer friends to the Right from the Start early pregnancy study at Vanderbilt. Right now they are looking for women who are trying to become pregnant, and they will provide you with free pregnancy tests. If you are asked to complete a diary while attempting to conceive, you will be eligible for other incentives as well. I've been participating in the study since I was about 8 weeks pregnant  (they also work with women in early pregnancy sometimes). I'm not sure what the focus of the study is, but I'm hoping my misadventures will help another woman's pregnancy. For more information, check out Right from the Start's website at http://www.mom2be.org. I know they are currently enrolling women from Tennessee. If you live outside the state, try contacting them to see if you are eligible. If I refer someone to the program, I get a "gift," so tell 'em I sent ya. ;-)

Well, that's all I have to blog today, folks. I hope you will find some of these links helpful!

Saling

So I'm totally into the couponing/grocery sales thing right now. Inspired by Nancy and Ashley, I started following Southern Savers and Faithful Provisions to learn how to save money on my grocery bills every month. I would say I spend an extra 2 hours on grocery planning each week with this new (to me) method, but I find it worth my time.

I loathe buying anything at full price any more. Publix and Harris Teeter run so many buy-one-get-one sales that I can get many items I need for half price. For instance, the items I bought at half price during today's grocery run include lean ground turkey, lasagna noodles, organic baby food, and turkey bacon.

Aside from the crazy money I have to spend on baby formula, I generally save 30-40% on my grocery bill by shopping the sales and clipping coupons. I buy what I can at half price or deeply discounted and then spend the rest of my budget on things that don't go on crazy sales, usually organic produce.

Central to this method of grocery shopping is the ability to stock up on items when they are at a good price. I currently have three boxes of cereal in my basement because it was on BOGO sale. My freezer is filled with chicken and vegetables that were half price. I also have a decent assortment of snack food, much of it purchased during Harris Teeter's super doubles promotions (when they double coupons under $1.98).

 I know Kelly from Faithful Provisions uses a lot of her savings to purchase extra food that she can donate to food banks. Often she can find items for donation that are free after coupons and sales. I'm not quite that skilled yet, but I hope I'll get there.

Another area that's a bit beyond me is drugstore rebates. CVS and Walgreens often give cashback on future purchases as incentives on certain products, and I've heard that is the cheapest way to by cosmetics, medicine, and many household items. I'm not sure I'm ready to jump into that arena, though.

What about you? Do you have any grocery savings secrets? Do you work the drugstore rebate system? Are you embarrassed at how excited you get when the new Publix ad comes out each week? (Raising my hand....)

Kroger Care

It's been a rough day. Nothing terribly bad happened, I'm just very tired and a little lonely. Little guy seems to have his first cold, and I'm afraid I might be in for a rough night. Our family was going to check out a new church community group tonight, but we decided to stay home so we could keep our germs to ourselves. So add disappointed and bored to tired and lonely.

I decide I need to get out for a bit. But where? I could hit a coffee shop.....or even the Nashville Symphony's CD release party at The Flying Saucer. No, I know what I need to do.

I need to go Krogering.

Where else can I go in my nursing shirt stained with spit-up and not have anyone give me a second glance? Where else can I get a gallon of ice cream for 2.99? Where else within 10 minutes of my house is open at 10pm?

I set some ground rules for my trip. One, I can treat myself to some fun items. I'm not a big advocate of happiness through spending, but sometimes a tiny luxury can make a big impact on my pysche. Two, I'm not allowed to buy anything we actually need. Baby wipes and milk can wait until tomorrow, otherwise the trip quickly will transform into a chore.

So I get to Kroger, toting my reusable shopping bag, determined to look super-hip (while still in my stained shirt). Unfortunately, there are no shopping baskets to be seen, so I have to drag a giant cart around the store with me. Ugh. Carts are SO not super-hip.

First stop, flowers. I definitely need some flowers. A single sunflower? A giant bouquet of randomness? Ooh, that bouquet is free if I purchase a pound of M&Ms...... I finally decide to go with a pot of daisies. Hopefully they'll stay perky enough to brighten the rest of my week.

Next, the Halloween section. There's got to be something here to liven things up a bit. A "supermodel wig" featuring a purple bob! Just about perfect, but Ian might not recognize me. Fishnet stockings....yawn......I really want the pink and black-striped tights, but they only come in children's sizes. Interesting commentary on the maturity of my fashion sense.

Having struck out in the Halloween section, I check out the toiletries department for bath fizzies and such. I almost buy an eye mask and pajama pants -- essential ingredients for relaxation -- but decide I would rather find handmade versions on etsy than buy them at Kroger. I'll try that later this evening.

Time for one of my downfalls, the makeup department. I adore makeup, although I rarely wear very much. I just love the pretty colors and the sparkles and, let's be honest here, the marketing campaigns. Tonight I look for a solution to my everlasting problem of mascara that gives me raccoon eyes. I currently have water-proof mascara that I practically have to chisel off, and I still have artifically-enhanced dark circles under my eyes at the end of each day. And so I look at the.....the...[can't bear to say it]....THE FALSE EYELASHES! That's right. You heard me. I've thought about trying false eyelashes in the hopes that I can say goodbye to mascara forever. But I'm not that brave tonight. Moving along.

After a cursory glance at the books and magazines (stopping and staring in amazement at the cover of a romance novel that features a guy holding a baby -- somebody really knows how to market to mommies!), I decide to go back to my standby happiness-in-a-box. Or carton, rather. Ice creeeeeeeeeam. Yay.

I check out at the self-scan and just carry all my items out to the car rather than use a plastic bag. It's only once I'm at my car trying to juggle ice cream and daisies and, um, a chocolate bar that I remember I brought a reusable shopping bag that is still slung over my shoulder, empty.

Yep, I'm a mom. And I'm tired. And my idea of fun is a late night solo trip to Kroger.

But I have brownie moosetracks ice cream, a pot of daisies, a sleeping baby, a handsome husband, and a happy home. I'll take it.

Online Mary Kay Party!

So today I'm hosting an online Mary Kay party. Online parties aren't nearly as fun as real parties with samples and such, but they save time and gas, so I thought I would give it a try.

If you are into that sort of thing, or want to try some fun, new products, hop over to April's website and take a look (April Hedges is my fabulous Mary Kay consultant). If you order anything, I would love it if you would put my name (Christy N.) in the comments at checkout so I can get hostess credit.

Oh, and if you want to host your own party, be sure to give April a call. She'll make sure you and your friends have a great evening of fun and free stuff!

Buy stuff!

Hey, readers, time for a little self-promotion.

This Saturday, June 28, I'll be at CRAFT's Summer Extravaganza with ghia. You should check it out. There will be dozens of local artists peddling their fabulous work, plus a cookout to benefit East Nashville Cooperative Ministry.

I'm supposed to receive a new shipment of fair trade jewelry and accessories tomorrow, so anyone who comes to the event will probably get to see new products even before they are on the website. Hope to see you there!

Hemp, Hemp, Hurray!

So, I ordered some new products for ghia. I've found a couple of fair trade companies that provide awesome products at very affordable prices. That's a hard thing to do when avoiding unethical manufacturing processes (sweatshops, child labor, etc.).

I've been trying to expand my inventory of items appropriate for guys. While ghia carries tons of cute dresses and jewelry, we also have a some great button-down shirts for men that get lost in the girlyness.

In an effort to appeal to the guys, I stocked a really cool hemp wallet that I think has lots of earthy appeal.

I also ordered a hemp t-shirt that was on clearance. I could tell it had a design on the pocket area, but the catalog picture was so small that I couldn't tell what it was. Since it was on clearance, I thought I would take a chance and see if it turned out to be another product that would be great for guys.

So this t-shirt arrives. And it's all hemp-y and earth-y feeling. And I look at the design on the upper left corner, and it says "Santa Cruz Hemp." What on earth is that? It's not some crazy fringe group, is it? Plus, there's a little tag on the seam of the shirt with a certain leaf emblem on it. Surely this is just to show the material used in the shirt and not meant to advocate any illegal practices. 'Cause I AM DEFINITELY NOT ADVOCATING THAT.

The next week I receive some new men's western shirts that I had ordered. I gushed over these in the catalog. They are super-cool and seem to be well made. Plus, they have this cool leaf embroidery on the front to give them that Western feel. Wait, leaf design? When I looked at the shirts in the catalog I totally didn't comprehend that these awesome shirts were embroidered with a hemp leaf motif.


[sigh]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be banned from the East Nashville Crime Prevention meeting now. Maybe I should move my store into the old Marivuana Hempalot store on Shelby Street. I definitely DON'T plan to take these shirts to the event I'm doing at an elementary school this weekend.

If you know any stoners who like fair trade clothing, though, send 'em my way.

No Craftiness This Weekend

Tomorrow's CRAFT event has been cancelled due to the threat of rain. It has been rescheduled for Sunday, September 16. So if you want to watch me stutter as I try to overcome shyness and sell things, you will have to wait until next weekend. Alas.

The nice thing is that this gives me time to bring out some new products I have waiting in the wings....yay!

Side note: My spellcheck tells me that "canceled" is the preferred way to spell that word, but I like "cancelled" so much better. It just works. "Canceled" looks like it should be pronounced kan-seald. Or kan-se-led. Kanseled. Sounds like a knight of the Round Table.

Shameful Self-Promotion

Shameful, as in, "full of shame," not "disgraceful." Yes, that is the archaic use of the word, but it fits my purposes. So :-P.

I am not a born saleswoman. I LOVE my store, and I LOVE the products I sell. Sometimes I want to keep them all for myself.

But I have such a hard time promoting the store to other people. It's just not me.

Yesterday I dropped off a "ghia gift basket" as a donation for a silent auction. The woman running the auction asked me about my store and the gift basket. I really wanted to be like, "I'm great! My store is great! Buy buy buy!" Instead, I was like, "Um, hereyougohereisthegiftbasketokaybye."

Sigh....

Same thing with The Best of Nashville. I have been asking some people to vote for ghia as Best New Retail Store and Best Place to Buy a Gift. However, despite the fact I think my store rocks, I feel ashamed about promoting it like this.

Anyways.....

Here's my next round of shameful self-promotion:

Come see me tomorrow! Assuming it's not raining, I'll be at the CRAFT event behind the Lipstick Lounge in East Nashville from 11am - 5pm. The Lipstick Lounge is at 14th and Woodland. There will be all sorts of awesome vendors there with apparel, art, candles, etc. So check it out. And buy stuff. My stuff.

Strange Treasures of the Impulse Aisle

So I was at the Inglewood Kroger today, waiting to check out with my groceries, when I noticed some interesting items positioned for the perusal of us poor souls waiting in line. These walls of product directly preceding a cash register often are termed the "Impulse Aisle," as the purpose is to convince the conveniently captive audience that they need yet another item before they end the day's shopping.

So here are my wondrous finds:











Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

Yes, now you can taste jelly beans in the exciting flavors of worms, soap, and more! This Harry Potter-inspired candy is made by Jelly Belly, which seems appropriate to me because I think some of their existing flavors taste like worms and soap. Personally, this is not the Harry Potter candy I would pick for an impulse aisle. Chocolate Frogs, complete with collectible wizard cards, are totally the way to go.













Elvis Pez

Not only do you need an Elvis Pez dispenser, you need THREE Elvis Pez dispensers: Fat Elvis, Young Elvis, and Military Elvis. I suppose these were ordered for "Elvis Week" last month, but I didn't notice them until this week. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing this would have impulse appeal to a very limited segment of the population.

Why Harry Potter Is Evil

I got to go to Publix today. Yay! Because I live in the ghetto East Nashville, there is not a Publix nearby. However, I was near one today for another appointment, so I stopped by to do my weekly grocery shopping.

However, I was listening to an audiobook of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the way to Publix. And then I found myself staring at the aisle of British products in Publix. And then I found myself returning home with this nonsense:



Evil, evil Harry Potter. Making me buy British products at the store. I count myself lucky for escaping without bread pudding.


I had a lot of fun at Publix, even though I spent waaaay too much on groceries.

I even got a surprise for Paul, who has been wanting to make sushi at home:


Surprise, hubby!

Tomato Time!

This Saturday is East Nashville's annual Tomato Art Fest. I'm going to be there, and you should go, too. :-)

Actually, I'll have a booth there for ghia. Come see our new fair trade purses and accessories, plus fun tomato hats and buttons. My friend Ariana will be there, too, selling her awesome hand-crafted earrings.

I'll be in the lot next to Art & Invention on Woodland Street, from 10am to 6pm. While you're there, check out the rest of the festival, including a parade, a fashion show, lots of music, and salsa dancing lessons. Oh, and the tomato art! You can see a complete schedule at www.tomatoartfest.com.


On Sunday, I'll be taking part in CRAFT -- A Creative Community. It's a terrific event with Nashville artists and artisans selling their wares. Visit us behind the Lipstick Lounge (Woodland and 14th) from 11am to 5pm.

Jean Blues

So what's up with blue jeans?

They are so tight when I put them on in the morning that I wonder if I should go up to the next size.

By the evening, I have to use a belt to make them stay up.

Someone needs to build a better denim.

I Got Attacked By School Supplies at Target

I went to Target today in search of flip-flops and new pillows. Little did I know what awaited me there.

Aisles, baskets, and bins full of every imaginable pen, notebook, folder, eraser, etc. It was beautiful.

I have a fascination with school supplies, in the same category as my fascination with The Container Store.

The dollar section at the front of the store was the most hazardous, with glittery pencils, multi-colored pens (you know, like the pens from the 80s), colorful erasers, and cute animal stickers with googly eyes ..... I barely escaped without a purchase. I was not as successful in the folder aisle, however, where a Chococat folder JUMPED INTO MY BASKET AND INSISTED ON GOING HOME WITH ME.

I'm still regretting that I didn't purchase that pack of glittery pencils, though .... le sigh......