"Bargain hunting" during summer "Staycation"
I was so relieved that Bush had a press conference a few days ago to set us straight on the economy. Until he told me otherwise, I could have sworn this was a recession.
Give us a break. We go to the market. We go to the gas stations, we pay our bills. We all see the "for sale" signs littering the front lawns of all our neighborhoods. I think we have a bit of a clue that things are "not good" and certainly we know there is far less money available to us these days. In our bank accounts, that is.
The truth is, I never thought that things could get this tight for everyone, but it seems none of us have quite as much money as we used to. It ain't easy making ends meet. Which requires if not "thinking outside the box" certainly encourages me to "shop outside the box."
But, I just have to comment again on the press conference Bush thing. So, it's live, on every channel, first thing in the morning he's calling press conference to calm our financial worries but then lobbies for off-shore drilling? Astonishing.
Ah, well. In time, this too shall pass.
This whole situation just can't drag us down, is what I think.
Time for a "Victory Garden." We certainly have fertilizer.
Besides that new Victory Garden we also need a few new faces in Washington in the next year or so. -- Or so...It's that "or so" part that sticks in my craw. (Just what is a "craw? It doesn't matter, I can't afford one.)
But right now it's summer. I have kids to feed. And more importantly to keep busy. I have to come up with something affordable right now.
Like dinner. Dinner in.
Like, go for a walk, somewhere cool.
Like go to the park. Any park. (pick a new one.) Like spending "a day at the Beach" (We're some of the lucky ones. Beach-trip gas-consumption is low for those of us in the OC. No excuses.) Like, go to the Charter Theaters -- Huntington Beach branch of Regency Theaters. Discount $3.00 movie theaters.
Or, dare I say this, like even watch some of that expensive cable television, at home.
Make it work, people. Make it work. (Speaking of Cable TV, "Project Runway" is back, whoo-hoo!)
Make it work, at least for now.
Eeking-out a family-fun home/vacation here in Southern California with little to no money to spend on, say -- anything other than food and gas, has been quite a creative challenge. However, quite honestly, we've still managed to live well and have a pretty good time chillin' with my home gurlz.
Also, I did discover new ways to feed my "Staycationers" here in Orange County, Ca, which I thought some other grocery-shoppers might care to know about.
However, I warn you all you PTA Moms: It involves the "suck it up" factor. You know what that is, right?
(Pause for laugh.)
No, the "suck it up factor" is when you wish you were shopping at Wild Oats or Pavillions, but you just looked at your bank account so you decide to point your minivan towards "The 99 Cent Store" (or "Big Lots") and just "suck it up."
(Added map in link above to these two chain locations in the OC.)
Hey, it's all good. The money you save will be worth your slumming on the cheap side.
For instance, I have learned how to make a creative and astonishingly healthy meal from items bought at the 99 Cent store (I kid you not.) They actually have decent fresh produce now. Fabulous, healthy fresh watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupes for -- (wow!) 99 cents each. (Who knew?) I found a huge bag of shoestring shredded carrots and big box of raisins to make enough carrot salad for at least a couple of meals (four people per meal.) Total cost of two bucks.
Now, that's what I call a bargain.
For $3 I made big container of healthy fruit salad for my family which lasted a full three days.
In my opinion the food bargains are at Los Costco come only to those who resist temptation. (So not me.) Which is why I rarely go. In any case, when I do I'm always super proud of myself for getting back to the car having limited my purchases to milk, bread and what I think is a super bargain -- One huge Rotisserie chicken for $5.50.
I swear, these birds are so big they must be cross bred with turkeys. I can feed the four of us on one bird for two nights in a row. After making it main course on night one, I use the left over chicken the following night by adding it to pasta. This way I get two full meals out of one cheap bird which, hello? I didn't even have to cook!
Yep, I've learned that Trader Joe's isn't the only place to get fairly decent wine and cereal, and pasta at bargain prices. One can find decent wines at Big Lots, too. You just have to get over it and actually go inside.
Tried a pretty favorable Pinot Grigio from Big Lots for only $4. There were plenty of other wines for less. Couldn't go there. Also: Scored big box of Cinnamon Life & Kashi cereal for only $2 ea a box. Shh. Don't tell anyone, but, hello? those are pretty good prices for this economy.
FYI: Stay clear of the wine from The 99 Cent Store. Tried it. It was hideous. Not fit for a Wineaux. Only buy if planning to kill someone with it. Also: Imagine running into another school-mom with rot-gut wine in your cart. Hard to pass that one off. Better to buy your grown-up libations from Trader Joes or (very, very quickly) from Big Lots.
Also at Big Lots are bags of high end gourmet pastas and sauces for a dollar or so, too. But, this isn't always the case. I don't know why now there is more on the shelves, but that's fine with me. I even got some great Silver Palate and Annie's Vermont-Whatever salad dressings for around $1.80 ea.
Yes. You are shopping under ugly florescent lights. Yes, it smells institutional. Yes, the parking lot is funky. Who cares? Get over it. The prices are great.
And there are also now a great deal of high end hair care products there for next to nothing. Pantene, etc. I'm telling you -- get it now, because they didn't have this stuff a few months ago.
Big hit for 3 bucks. Fresh Brownies. Chewy, rich chocolate brownies.
Add one box of Duncan Hines Brownie Mix (From 99 Cent Store.) Add one bag Giradelli Semi-Sweet chocolate bits (Big Lots.)and make a huge tray of brownies for about $3 total. (No nuts, though. We have peanut allergies in our house. For once, that's a cost saving situation.)
Most of the time, we're having to spend more than "normal folks" on all of our daily allergy medications --- which reminds me --
Costco (Costco has, hands down, the best prices for allergy and cold medications! Seriously. Kirkland Benedryl and Kirkland Zyrtec are dirt cheap there. (Like huge bottles of each for less than $5.00?) The savings on these daily meds alone has been worth their sobering $50 membership fee.
Anyhow. I thought I'd quick post some of the family Staycation bargains I've found around Orange County, Ca, lately.
Hope someone can find the same and other bargains, as well.
If you have any cool tips on cutting costs while staying home in the OC, then let me know and I'll share it here, too!
~ Louise.
Give us a break. We go to the market. We go to the gas stations, we pay our bills. We all see the "for sale" signs littering the front lawns of all our neighborhoods. I think we have a bit of a clue that things are "not good" and certainly we know there is far less money available to us these days. In our bank accounts, that is.
The truth is, I never thought that things could get this tight for everyone, but it seems none of us have quite as much money as we used to. It ain't easy making ends meet. Which requires if not "thinking outside the box" certainly encourages me to "shop outside the box."
But, I just have to comment again on the press conference Bush thing. So, it's live, on every channel, first thing in the morning he's calling press conference to calm our financial worries but then lobbies for off-shore drilling? Astonishing.
Ah, well. In time, this too shall pass.
This whole situation just can't drag us down, is what I think.
Time for a "Victory Garden." We certainly have fertilizer.
Besides that new Victory Garden we also need a few new faces in Washington in the next year or so. -- Or so...It's that "or so" part that sticks in my craw. (Just what is a "craw? It doesn't matter, I can't afford one.)
But right now it's summer. I have kids to feed. And more importantly to keep busy. I have to come up with something affordable right now.
Like dinner. Dinner in.
Like, go for a walk, somewhere cool.
Like go to the park. Any park. (pick a new one.) Like spending "a day at the Beach" (We're some of the lucky ones. Beach-trip gas-consumption is low for those of us in the OC. No excuses.) Like, go to the Charter Theaters -- Huntington Beach branch of Regency Theaters. Discount $3.00 movie theaters.
Or, dare I say this, like even watch some of that expensive cable television, at home.
Make it work, people. Make it work. (Speaking of Cable TV, "Project Runway" is back, whoo-hoo!)
Make it work, at least for now.
Eeking-out a family-fun home/vacation here in Southern California with little to no money to spend on, say -- anything other than food and gas, has been quite a creative challenge. However, quite honestly, we've still managed to live well and have a pretty good time chillin' with my home gurlz.
Also, I did discover new ways to feed my "Staycationers" here in Orange County, Ca, which I thought some other grocery-shoppers might care to know about.
However, I warn you all you PTA Moms: It involves the "suck it up" factor. You know what that is, right?
(Pause for laugh.)
No, the "suck it up factor" is when you wish you were shopping at Wild Oats or Pavillions, but you just looked at your bank account so you decide to point your minivan towards "The 99 Cent Store" (or "Big Lots") and just "suck it up."
(Added map in link above to these two chain locations in the OC.)
Hey, it's all good. The money you save will be worth your slumming on the cheap side.
For instance, I have learned how to make a creative and astonishingly healthy meal from items bought at the 99 Cent store (I kid you not.) They actually have decent fresh produce now. Fabulous, healthy fresh watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupes for -- (wow!) 99 cents each. (Who knew?) I found a huge bag of shoestring shredded carrots and big box of raisins to make enough carrot salad for at least a couple of meals (four people per meal.) Total cost of two bucks.
Now, that's what I call a bargain.
For $3 I made big container of healthy fruit salad for my family which lasted a full three days.
In my opinion the food bargains are at Los Costco come only to those who resist temptation. (So not me.) Which is why I rarely go. In any case, when I do I'm always super proud of myself for getting back to the car having limited my purchases to milk, bread and what I think is a super bargain -- One huge Rotisserie chicken for $5.50.
I swear, these birds are so big they must be cross bred with turkeys. I can feed the four of us on one bird for two nights in a row. After making it main course on night one, I use the left over chicken the following night by adding it to pasta. This way I get two full meals out of one cheap bird which, hello? I didn't even have to cook!
Yep, I've learned that Trader Joe's isn't the only place to get fairly decent wine and cereal, and pasta at bargain prices. One can find decent wines at Big Lots, too. You just have to get over it and actually go inside.
Tried a pretty favorable Pinot Grigio from Big Lots for only $4. There were plenty of other wines for less. Couldn't go there. Also: Scored big box of Cinnamon Life & Kashi cereal for only $2 ea a box. Shh. Don't tell anyone, but, hello? those are pretty good prices for this economy.
FYI: Stay clear of the wine from The 99 Cent Store. Tried it. It was hideous. Not fit for a Wineaux. Only buy if planning to kill someone with it. Also: Imagine running into another school-mom with rot-gut wine in your cart. Hard to pass that one off. Better to buy your grown-up libations from Trader Joes or (very, very quickly) from Big Lots.
Also at Big Lots are bags of high end gourmet pastas and sauces for a dollar or so, too. But, this isn't always the case. I don't know why now there is more on the shelves, but that's fine with me. I even got some great Silver Palate and Annie's Vermont-Whatever salad dressings for around $1.80 ea.
Yes. You are shopping under ugly florescent lights. Yes, it smells institutional. Yes, the parking lot is funky. Who cares? Get over it. The prices are great.
And there are also now a great deal of high end hair care products there for next to nothing. Pantene, etc. I'm telling you -- get it now, because they didn't have this stuff a few months ago.
Big hit for 3 bucks. Fresh Brownies. Chewy, rich chocolate brownies.
Add one box of Duncan Hines Brownie Mix (From 99 Cent Store.) Add one bag Giradelli Semi-Sweet chocolate bits (Big Lots.)and make a huge tray of brownies for about $3 total. (No nuts, though. We have peanut allergies in our house. For once, that's a cost saving situation.)
Most of the time, we're having to spend more than "normal folks" on all of our daily allergy medications --- which reminds me --
Costco (Costco has, hands down, the best prices for allergy and cold medications! Seriously. Kirkland Benedryl and Kirkland Zyrtec are dirt cheap there. (Like huge bottles of each for less than $5.00?) The savings on these daily meds alone has been worth their sobering $50 membership fee.
Anyhow. I thought I'd quick post some of the family Staycation bargains I've found around Orange County, Ca, lately.
Hope someone can find the same and other bargains, as well.
If you have any cool tips on cutting costs while staying home in the OC, then let me know and I'll share it here, too!
~ Louise.
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