 |
| This little man pointed it all out to me! Even that they had reindeer waiting and that one of them was Rudolph! |
 |
| Proof Rudolph does exist! |
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2012
Coming Soon....!
Here is proof alone that someone is arriving sometime soon.......
The local shopping mall all ready to go for the imminent arrival of all the helpers leading up to Christmas
Friday, April 09, 2010
What gives...?
After rock climbing today we called in to the supermarket to grab some stuff for lunch.
Ben decided that he wanted hotdogs and Alex wanted chicken nuggets.
I happily sellected 6 frankfurters and a pack of 6 hot dog buns.
Then I spied something.......
A ready made up ready to cook pack of hotdogs (sausages, buns and cheese)
For 2 secs I wondered if this was the better way to go as it was $7.99
A quick check at what I had in my basket, 6 franks at $2.41 and pkt 6 buns at what I thought was probably $3.99 (normal price) as there was no sign.
I immediately realised that no I didn't need this made up pack as what I had was cheaper, ok only by about $1.50 but it did include cheese, so would probably work out cheaper, although who wants cheese on a hot dog? Mustard and Ketchup are fine thanks.
Imagine my surprise when going through the checkout to realise that the buns were actually only $2 for the 6, so I spent a grand total of $4.41 for my 6.
I am so glad I am more concious about what things cost nowadays and also that I know the prices of some basic things in my store to know whether they are actually on special or not!
Ben decided that he wanted hotdogs and Alex wanted chicken nuggets.
I happily sellected 6 frankfurters and a pack of 6 hot dog buns.
Then I spied something.......
A ready made up ready to cook pack of hotdogs (sausages, buns and cheese)
For 2 secs I wondered if this was the better way to go as it was $7.99
A quick check at what I had in my basket, 6 franks at $2.41 and pkt 6 buns at what I thought was probably $3.99 (normal price) as there was no sign.
I immediately realised that no I didn't need this made up pack as what I had was cheaper, ok only by about $1.50 but it did include cheese, so would probably work out cheaper, although who wants cheese on a hot dog? Mustard and Ketchup are fine thanks.
Imagine my surprise when going through the checkout to realise that the buns were actually only $2 for the 6, so I spent a grand total of $4.41 for my 6.
I am so glad I am more concious about what things cost nowadays and also that I know the prices of some basic things in my store to know whether they are actually on special or not!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Beef Anyone?
Yep that is what I said, 1/4 of a beast. 1/4 of a cow is frozen in our freezer, in pieces obviously, in fact even in different pices.
Several roasts, stewing steak packs, eye fillet steaks, porterhouse steak, rump steak and sausages.
More mince than you can imagine recipes for and even weiner schnitzel.
A friend has always had homekill meat, and seeing as we live in the middle of cow country, then where else would you acquire fresh homekill beef?
The mince is so red in colour, hardly any fat in it. It has not been processed 6 times, like you wonder if the supermarket stuff has? It is fresh smelling and gorgeous.
I guess we could class it as prime mince beef which currently sells for about $14.99 / Kg.
I currently have the equivalant of about $120 worth of mince in my freezer.
If you then add to that the sausages (at least $6.99/Kg ) the 10 roast (at least $22.99/Kg) I have and all the steak I have that can run at at least $19.99 upwards then there is a lot of fresh beef available to us.
And we paid all of $305 for the lot!
Apparently it works out at about $5.99 / Kg for everything in our freezer. I was quite impressed when I worked it all out and said yes to the 1/4.
Steve loves the taste of fresh beef and was very happy to accept. But yes, you do need the freezer space for it all and I thought we had more than we do, but it all fitted so no worries, but we may be having beef on the menu a lot in the next few months!
I have been good though, before I placed it all in the freezer, I made a list of what we have so I can cross off as we use things and then I know what is left. This will also make sure I use things within a reasonable amount of time and not find something lurking at the bottom of the freezer in 2 years time!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
New Shop
We have a new shop that has just opened round the corner from us.
A good old fashion Green Grocers
You know the type I mean, like our parents tell us about when they reminise or the ones you can remember going to with your Grandparents when they did their weekly shopping. The ones where the fruit and veg are huge and juicy looking, fresh and so inviting you just want to buy everything and race home and make a salad of some kind.
A friendly neighbourhood shop where you know the owners name - Paul - and they are always ready to help you with anything you want to know. And you know they have been up since 4am because that is when they have visited the fruit market to get the latest and freshest stuff.
If you don't know how is the best way to store a certain fruit or vegetable and want it to last, then just ask and advice is freely flowing.
We visited the shop last weekend prior to doing our weekly shop. I don't think we spent too much on the gorgeous items, but I did happen to have the receipt with us when we got to the supermarket.
I didn't feel that the items were too expensive in the Green Grocers, in fact it turned out that some of the stuff was way cheaper than the supermarket but others things were pretty much the same price.
So it was a little of swings and roundabouts, what you saved on one made up for the other.
As a friendly local shop then I will try my hardest to support it and hope that it stayes.
After all, it is nice to have the personal touch with shopping again like we had in the olden days.
A good old fashion Green Grocers
You know the type I mean, like our parents tell us about when they reminise or the ones you can remember going to with your Grandparents when they did their weekly shopping. The ones where the fruit and veg are huge and juicy looking, fresh and so inviting you just want to buy everything and race home and make a salad of some kind.
A friendly neighbourhood shop where you know the owners name - Paul - and they are always ready to help you with anything you want to know. And you know they have been up since 4am because that is when they have visited the fruit market to get the latest and freshest stuff.
If you don't know how is the best way to store a certain fruit or vegetable and want it to last, then just ask and advice is freely flowing.
We visited the shop last weekend prior to doing our weekly shop. I don't think we spent too much on the gorgeous items, but I did happen to have the receipt with us when we got to the supermarket.
I didn't feel that the items were too expensive in the Green Grocers, in fact it turned out that some of the stuff was way cheaper than the supermarket but others things were pretty much the same price.
So it was a little of swings and roundabouts, what you saved on one made up for the other.
As a friendly local shop then I will try my hardest to support it and hope that it stayes.
After all, it is nice to have the personal touch with shopping again like we had in the olden days.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Grocery Challenge Update
This last Saturday, with my trusty list in hand, I made my way to the supermarket.
I came away having spent a good $30 less than I usually spend per week.
We have still had the same dinners each evening that we would have had had I spent the full amount.
I watched how many of things I brought, did we really need 6 tins of something when in fact we would only be using 4 during the week. That sort of thing is how I got round the shop.
I have been to the shop once this week for fresh bread and milk.
Steve has been once as well for bread, milk and fruit and I would say that we have been good and probably saved about $15 during the week in total from the mid week excursions.
So in total, we have managed to save about $45 this week and I was aiming for $50.
So I am impressed with our first week effort.
I came away having spent a good $30 less than I usually spend per week.
We have still had the same dinners each evening that we would have had had I spent the full amount.
I watched how many of things I brought, did we really need 6 tins of something when in fact we would only be using 4 during the week. That sort of thing is how I got round the shop.
I have been to the shop once this week for fresh bread and milk.
Steve has been once as well for bread, milk and fruit and I would say that we have been good and probably saved about $15 during the week in total from the mid week excursions.
So in total, we have managed to save about $45 this week and I was aiming for $50.
So I am impressed with our first week effort.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Grocery Challenge
The grocery shop challenge that I am undertaking has now started.
I will not be listing what I am eating for meals each day, nor will I be listing what I brought each Saturday at the shop.
I know we have a decent amount of meat in the freezer, and although we are going to go through this, I am not going to not buy meat this month just because I want to lessen the bill, I want to try and get this challenge to assist me in keeping my bill down well after September finishes.
Anyway, if I do use up all the meat in the freezer, I will then just spend more in October refilling it and that to me defeats the purpose. Although having said that, the meat in the freezer needs to be used up so it doesn't get lost in the depths of the deep freeze and end up staying there for 2 years!
I will be writing a post at least once a week to say whether I accomplished the challenge each week and if there was something I feel I particularly saved on then I will mention it.
I look forward to reading the other sites that are also participating in the challenge, even though 99% of them are in the US, to see how they have accomplished their challenge.
Maybe you might like to set yourselves a little challenge??
I will not be listing what I am eating for meals each day, nor will I be listing what I brought each Saturday at the shop.
I know we have a decent amount of meat in the freezer, and although we are going to go through this, I am not going to not buy meat this month just because I want to lessen the bill, I want to try and get this challenge to assist me in keeping my bill down well after September finishes.
Anyway, if I do use up all the meat in the freezer, I will then just spend more in October refilling it and that to me defeats the purpose. Although having said that, the meat in the freezer needs to be used up so it doesn't get lost in the depths of the deep freeze and end up staying there for 2 years!
I will be writing a post at least once a week to say whether I accomplished the challenge each week and if there was something I feel I particularly saved on then I will mention it.
I look forward to reading the other sites that are also participating in the challenge, even though 99% of them are in the US, to see how they have accomplished their challenge.
Maybe you might like to set yourselves a little challenge??
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Food Prices
As you may have read in the past few days, I have joined Mary over at Owlhaven in her September Grocery Challenge.
Try anyway you can to cut down on your weekly grocery bill.
One tip I acquired from Sophie Grey, Destitute Gourmet, was to go to your grocery store and know the every day price of the items you regularly buy. This would then assist you when you see something on special, because if you know straight away what you normally buy, then you can see if it is really truely on special?! And whether it is something you regularly buy and need!
Supermarkets are notorious for putting something on the end aisle with a big flashing sign and everyone immediately thinks "Hey special, lets get them!"
But when you get home and think about it, you realise that in fact they never were really on special because even though you brought the 2 items for $3 and thought it was a great special, they usually sell for $1.49 on everyday price!
Now there are several ways of knowing this information, which does take time to collect by the way. You can either carry a notebook with you when you are shopping, which has all the regular items you buy in alphabetic order and the everyday price written next to it or you can use your printed shopping list from the computer and have the price written next to it on there.
Having it on the shopping list is my preferred way to do it. Then I do not have to remember anything extra to take with me to the shop.
Then when you see something on special you immediately have the regular price written in front of you to compare with to see if you really are getting a special.
The reason I am mentioning this, is because several months ago, I tried yet again, to get the regular prices of my normal run of the mill weekly stuff written down so I could save.
It actually involves going to the shop, on your own, and slowly walking round the whole shop writing down the regular price of the item.
Now I never finished it and have realised that I need to do it again to get up to date prices, but that is what I have immediately noticed, the prices really have gone up!
Now we normally spend roughly the same amount of money each week at the shop and we are still spending that same amount, even though the prices have gone up. So maybe I am already succeeding at this September challenge because I am managing to keep my grocery bill the same even though the prices have gone up?
To compare I have noticed the following over the last 3 months:
Try anyway you can to cut down on your weekly grocery bill.
One tip I acquired from Sophie Grey, Destitute Gourmet, was to go to your grocery store and know the every day price of the items you regularly buy. This would then assist you when you see something on special, because if you know straight away what you normally buy, then you can see if it is really truely on special?! And whether it is something you regularly buy and need!
Supermarkets are notorious for putting something on the end aisle with a big flashing sign and everyone immediately thinks "Hey special, lets get them!"
But when you get home and think about it, you realise that in fact they never were really on special because even though you brought the 2 items for $3 and thought it was a great special, they usually sell for $1.49 on everyday price!
Now there are several ways of knowing this information, which does take time to collect by the way. You can either carry a notebook with you when you are shopping, which has all the regular items you buy in alphabetic order and the everyday price written next to it or you can use your printed shopping list from the computer and have the price written next to it on there.
Having it on the shopping list is my preferred way to do it. Then I do not have to remember anything extra to take with me to the shop.
Then when you see something on special you immediately have the regular price written in front of you to compare with to see if you really are getting a special.
The reason I am mentioning this, is because several months ago, I tried yet again, to get the regular prices of my normal run of the mill weekly stuff written down so I could save.
It actually involves going to the shop, on your own, and slowly walking round the whole shop writing down the regular price of the item.
Now I never finished it and have realised that I need to do it again to get up to date prices, but that is what I have immediately noticed, the prices really have gone up!
Now we normally spend roughly the same amount of money each week at the shop and we are still spending that same amount, even though the prices have gone up. So maybe I am already succeeding at this September challenge because I am managing to keep my grocery bill the same even though the prices have gone up?
To compare I have noticed the following over the last 3 months:
- Rice was $2.99 a bag it is now $3.75
- Cordial was $9.72 a bottle it is now $10.33
- Tin of Chilli Beans was $2.54 it is now $3.65
- Tin of Tomatoes was 89c it is now 99c or $1.09
So yes is the answer when ever someone asks you if the cost of groceries have really gone up. I have the proof.
Monday, August 31, 2009
September Challenge
Mary over at Owlhaven has many times before set challenges to spend less each week on groceries.She has even written 2 books on the subject of feeding a feast on a set amount per week and also how she survives with 12 in the family! Yes she has 10 children!
So I have decided that I am going to try my hardest to cut down on our grocery bill during September. It means no more impulse buys in September. No deciding to just nip to the supermarket for some meat for dinner when there is plenty at home in the freezer.
I do go to the supermarket during the week, but only for bread and fresh fruit. I have always done this and have always managed to walk in and walk out again with only the things I need. Sadly I love fresh bread rather than frozen and I am not stopping this as this is one area I will not compromise on!
It means sticking to the menu that my shopping list is built around.
It means using what we have at home in the cupboard first before deciding to rush out to the supermarket because we feel there is nothing to eat. Maybe even making up a batch of cookies from scratch so that there are sweet things to eat if someone fancies something.
I do already look at our weekly bill and sometimes wonder where the money goes, I do follow a budget shopping list that I created, along with the menu, with advise from Sophie Grey, Destitute Gourmet. But still each week I look at the bill as we pay and wonder what the hell I have brought that made it cost so much?
I could go the whole hog and totally buy budget products on everything, but I am sorry, you only live once so why should I have to eat tasteless spaghetti on toast and use shampoo that always seems to dry my hair out?
I do already look at the cost of what I am buying and see if there is something slightly cheaper. I also check out the cost of buying the product in bulk over the single pack we need.
A classic for this is the rice we buy. You can buy it in a 1kg bag or a 5kg bag.
The 1kg bag is about $3.75 whereas the 5kg bag is $19.99.
A quick calculation and you soon realise that it is cheaper to buy 5 x 1kg bads than it is to buy 1 x 5kg bag. Sneaky on their part!
I am also getting very good now at buying only what we need for that week, not just deciding that we need tomatoes, so lets just buy 3 tins, when in fact for the week we only need 1.
So here goes the challenge, on Saturday, our first weekly shop for September (as I only just read about the challenge today so couldn't start it at the weekend just gone!) I will indever to bring our shopping bill down, I will question every item that goes in the trolley to ensure we actually need it. I will try to find a slightly cheaper alternative with out compromising my taste.
I will also keep you posted with how it is all going.
Wish me luck....! Oh and maybe you could set yourself a challenge too?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Right Thing
Today Alex and I ran some errands.
We ended up at the supermarket and picked up a few little things we needed.
1 of the things we got was a little bag a lollies.
However at the checkout, Alex decided to help himself to a box of Smarties!
I however did not notice the box until he showed them to me at the car.
And I made him do the right thing.....and take them back!
I know cruel mean mummy, but oh so morally right mummy!
So we walked back in, with me explaining about taking without paying and that he had no money so couldn't have them. Then I made him give them to the lady and say 'sorry'.
She however looked at me at little surprised at first, until I explained how he had taken them and we hadn't paid for them. Then she smiled and said 'thank you'
I have no idea if he understood what we did, but at least I can hope he might.
We ended up at the supermarket and picked up a few little things we needed.
1 of the things we got was a little bag a lollies.
However at the checkout, Alex decided to help himself to a box of Smarties!
I however did not notice the box until he showed them to me at the car.
And I made him do the right thing.....and take them back!
I know cruel mean mummy, but oh so morally right mummy!
So we walked back in, with me explaining about taking without paying and that he had no money so couldn't have them. Then I made him give them to the lady and say 'sorry'.
She however looked at me at little surprised at first, until I explained how he had taken them and we hadn't paid for them. Then she smiled and said 'thank you'
I have no idea if he understood what we did, but at least I can hope he might.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Lost
And sadly I do not mean the tv show that is all the rave at the present moment.....!
I mean Alex, who managed to dissappear today at the shopping mall for 10 minutes!
The ladies in one of the shops were very helpful indeed and I am very grateful to them.
To begin with I ran around looking for him and I was fine, but when I actually had to ask someone for help then the horror sets in and you loose it!
When found he said 'I was trying to get Grandad a box of chocolates for his birthday', we had been talking about that just before we went into the shop he wandered from.
All ended well and he was very good for me after that, even sat and smelt the flowers in a gift shop while I paid for our purchases.
Shame the flowers weren't real!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Christmas Shopping
Finally my brother informed me of what my SIL wanted for Christmas.Even luckier for me was to see an ad on the tv last night for everything she wanted at half price from the wonderful shop Briscoes.
So I scootted on over there today and had a ball.
- I got everything for Claire at 50% off
- I got 1 thing for Steve at 50% off
- Another 2 things for him at 30% off
- I picked up a little something for Ben at 30% off
- Oh and I also picked up a little Christmas Tree for the caravan for $16.99 because it was 60% off (we want to put our presents under the tree in the caravan)
I needed everything I picked up and it was even better to get the things I needed with extra off.
Don't you just love it when you get a great bargain and it is also everything you wanted in the first place!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Cost Saving
Monday, January 21, 2008
Shopping
So I have a small suspicious feeling that Steve is happy with the house even though we haven't had the LIM report from the council. Think he was happy with the Builders Inspection because he let me go out and buy this.....
this
and this
and I don't think he would have if we weren't getting the house.
Man how I love doing up a new kitchen, ok it has it's moments but gives a girl something to do, and this is just my sort of thing designing and planning.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Patience
I received the biggest compliment any mother can ask for today.
I got told I was very patient with my children and that the man was amazed that I stood my ground.
I told him it was either that or I killed them!
What happened you ask......
We; Ben, Alex and myself, went to Pak n Save (supermarket) to get some essentials. I had to move a trolley out of the way to get to the trolley I needed that would sit both the boys in, makes life easier that way, anyway Ben decided that in fact we needed the trolley I had moved.
So I started heading into the shop and he was still standing outside with his trolley.
This is where the first stand off between mother and son occured, and eventually he moved into the shop but still with the trolley.
I patiently explain that I only need 1 trolley, the one I had, and that he can put his trolley over to the side so someone else can use it.
"But mum" is the reply I get
So I stand my ground, off to the side so as not to block the door in totally, and again explain to Ben that I have the trolley I want and could he please come with me.
He still stands his ground saying he wants this trolley. So eventually I help him to sit in his trolley but still stand by my trolley.
So there you have a 4 yr old sat in his trolley crying and me stood off to the side watching him. Several people did comment about the boy crying in the trolley and where was the mum? But were happy when I pointed out that he was with me, I got lots of smiles then.
Eventually, after about 10 minutes, I wasn't going anywhere and I had all the time in the world, I managed to get Ben to agree to get out of his trolley and into mine.
This done we headed into the shop and finished our shopping.
As we are leaving so the man that watched all this from the stand out the front where he is promoting "Save the Children" commented that I was so very patient and he was amazed that I stood my ground for so long.
I just told him that I had to be and that sorry I couldn't support his cause but that I had 2 kids he could have if he wanted more to save!
I got told I was very patient with my children and that the man was amazed that I stood my ground.
I told him it was either that or I killed them!
What happened you ask......
We; Ben, Alex and myself, went to Pak n Save (supermarket) to get some essentials. I had to move a trolley out of the way to get to the trolley I needed that would sit both the boys in, makes life easier that way, anyway Ben decided that in fact we needed the trolley I had moved.
So I started heading into the shop and he was still standing outside with his trolley.
This is where the first stand off between mother and son occured, and eventually he moved into the shop but still with the trolley.
I patiently explain that I only need 1 trolley, the one I had, and that he can put his trolley over to the side so someone else can use it.
"But mum" is the reply I get
So I stand my ground, off to the side so as not to block the door in totally, and again explain to Ben that I have the trolley I want and could he please come with me.
He still stands his ground saying he wants this trolley. So eventually I help him to sit in his trolley but still stand by my trolley.
So there you have a 4 yr old sat in his trolley crying and me stood off to the side watching him. Several people did comment about the boy crying in the trolley and where was the mum? But were happy when I pointed out that he was with me, I got lots of smiles then.
Eventually, after about 10 minutes, I wasn't going anywhere and I had all the time in the world, I managed to get Ben to agree to get out of his trolley and into mine.
This done we headed into the shop and finished our shopping.
As we are leaving so the man that watched all this from the stand out the front where he is promoting "Save the Children" commented that I was so very patient and he was amazed that I stood my ground for so long.
I just told him that I had to be and that sorry I couldn't support his cause but that I had 2 kids he could have if he wanted more to save!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)