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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Easy Cinnamon Apple Chips, Diaper and Formula Deals, Annie’s Mac and Cheese, Online Deals and More

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Quote of the Day  “It’s all about hope, kindness and a connection with one another.” ~ Elizabeth Taylor

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone, and don’t forget to give someone you love a big smooch today. Even if they are covered in fur. 😉

♥ Mavis & Lucy

*This deal post will be updated throughout the morning so be sure and check back for deals. * Amazon prices can change without notice. Please verify price before ordering. Amazon offers Free Shipping with a $49 purchase or Amazon Prime. {Sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30 day trial!}

Amazon Deals of the Day for 10/17/17

Available Kindle Books I think look interesting…

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Subscribe and Save Deals

Subscribe and Save prices reflect a 15% discount for ordering 5 or more items in 1 month.

Apple Pie Jam Bars– Enjoy these with a cup of tea in the morning and a scoop of ice cream in the evening–so versatile. {Pin for later}

Home and Kitchen Deals

Wowie Zowie, through October 19th you can score 40% off your Botanical Interests online seed order with code ENEWS40 at checkout. Now is the time to grab next years seeds baby!

Add on Items

*These are all Amazon Add-on Items and they will ship with qualifying orders over $25 and are eligible for free shipping on $25 orders with Amazon Prime {or will ship FREE on $35 orders without Prime}. 

Cinnamon Apple Chips– These are seriously the easiest healthy snack to whip up.  The are perfect in school lunches or as a quick grab and go snack.  {Pin for later}

Super Awesome Etsy Shop of the Day – BoxBerryErin where you’ll find super fun stationary. Want to have YOUR Etsy shop featured? Leave a comment HERE with the name of your shop.

Kid’s Stuff

Amazon has 30 Kids eBooks on sale for $1.00 each. Go HERE to see the titles available.

Get a 1 year subscription to Real Simple Magazine for $10.00

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

How Many Toiletries Can You Live Without?

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This summer, Mrs. HB and I went on a trip together. Over the course of that trip I realized that we were vastly different when it comes to packing. She brought over 110 toiletry items. I brought 14. I asked you to weigh in and it was all over the map. Some packed like me; some packed like Mrs. HB, some were somewhere in between. So it got me top thinking. What would my grandmother’s toiletry bag look like? Probably fairly simple. I suspect she’d have been closer to the 14 because back then there weren’t bazillion choices for everything, and times were just simpler!

These days there seems to two conflicting sides: the minimalist approach and the I-own-a-million-of-everything approach. I think a lot of people have been worn down by the constant barrage of health and beauty ads, so we’ve gone from simple to insane when it comes to toiletries. Do you have 3 things of mascara in your bathroom drawer? Multiple types of lotion? Scented? Unscented lotion? Differently scented? Face lotion? Sunscreen? Body lotion? What about eye shadow or shampoo or lipstick? Do you have a toiletry cabinet that is bursting at the seams?

If so, how do you tame it? How do you work towards minimalism where toiletries are concerned? Here’s what I do. You can take it or leave it, but it sure works for me:

  1. Use it up: I use every drop of something before I replace it. I squeeze every last bit of that toothpaste out and then tip those shampoo bottles out and drain every last drop. If I didn’t do that and I replaced them too soon, I’d find myself opening the new bottle when the old bottle still had some remnants. Then I’d end up with two bottles taking up shower space.
  2. Buy one of each: I have one tube of mascara. I have one bottle of face lotion. I have one tube of toothpaste. I don’t believe in buying multiple products that do the same job just for the sake of having options. Saves money and my clutter-hating sanity.
  3. Find products that can do the job of two: Speaking of buying multiple products, I double up when I can. I have bronzer than can act as blush and eye shadow too. There are lotions that have sunscreen and can be used on your face and body as well. See if a product you are using can do the double duty and then replace it with one product. Can your body wash act as shaving cream? Say goodbye to multiple products when one can do the job of many.
  4. Ignore the ads: I don’t follow trends. I ignore all of the ads I see for new and improved this or that. If something I am using is no longer working or the product I’m used to has been discontinued, then I’ll do a little research and find a new one. But if I bought the new and improved mascara every time one was released, I’d be buying 5 tubes every month!

There are a few tips I live by. What about you? What are you must-have toiletries you can’t do without? How would your bathroom cabinet compare to your grandmothers? How many tubes of mascara do you own right this second?

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

$250 a Month Food Budget – Groceries, Take Out and Date Nights October 9th – 15th

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I can’t remember what day it was but one day last week it hailed like mad. It hailed so much that the next day while Lucy and I were on our daily walk we came across this giant patch of frozen tundra. Seriously, how crazy is that? Snow is pretty much Lucy’s favorite thing {well, besides chewy sticks} and so of course she had to walk around and sample a bit of it.

Food. So. I wasn’t planning on last week being a no spend week but it just sort of happened. Mostly because I got a big wool shipment in and I was busy cutting and dyeing wool all week {and still am!}. That, and there’s the tiny part about me having no desire to leave the house these days. 😉 I do plan to go to Winco later this week though so at some point the fridge and pantry will get stocked again.

I made the best tuna casserole recipe.  If you are a lover of tuna casseroles {peas are a must!} you should really try my recipe. It rocks. And it’s great for leftovers the next day too.

I also made a batch of fig and hazelnut biscotti {with out the hazelnuts}. Those were good too. Although I would advise against eating 3 in one day. Freeze the extras if you must, but do make them. My mom found an inexpensive container of dried figs at Trader Joe’s last month and there are just enough figs in there for 2 batches of this biscotti.

Hawaiian chicken. I basically cooked some chicken thighs and poured about a cup of that pineapple finished sauce I brought home from my parents place and poured it over rice.

I also made a batch of our favorite baked macaroni and cheese, 2 soups and tacos with homemade tortillas last week for dinner.

Monkey Boy brought home a pizza one night.

And I also pulled a bunch of onions, carrots, 2 squash and oodles of green tomatoes from the garden yesterday as well.

With 7 days of rain in the forecast and cooler temps on the horizon I decided to go ahead and pull my tomato plants and squash vines. I have a ton of palm sized green tomatoes sitting on the counter and I’m not sure if I’m going to can a batch of green curry sauce with them or try and find a tomato chutney recipe. Maybe you have a really great green tomato recipe you can share with me? 😉

Life. Sometimes it’s a thrill a minute. Other times you just sit at home all week in your own little cocoon and drink copious amounts of tea all day, and play with your dog.

Balance. That’s the key to life.

~Mavis

Total Spent Last Week $0

Total Spent in January on Groceries $202.99
Total Spent in February on Groceries $143.94
Total Spent in March on Groceries $183.35
Total Spent in April on Groceries $205.67
Total Spent on Groceries in May $248.60
Total Spent on Groceries in June $147.47
Total Spent on Groceries in July $293.63
Total Spent on Groceries in August $117.29
Total Spent on Groceries in September $172.91
Total Spent on Groceries in October $56.82
************

Total Spent in January on Take Out, Date Nights, and Bakery Treats $42.19
Total Spent in February on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $118.45
Total Spent in March on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $25.29
Total Spent in April on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $62.50
Total Spent in May on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $54.52
Total Spent in June on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $119.15
Total Spent in July on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $12.45
Total Spent in July on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $0
Total Spent in August on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $212.67
Total Spent in September on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $132.50

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Awesome Deals on Toys, Honey Caramel Corn Recipe, Keeping Your Pumpkins Fresh, Online Grocery Deals and More

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Quote of the Day “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Hello Monday! Lucy the snuggle puggle is still deciding if she’s ready to get up this morning. It’s trash day today though so maybe I can convince her to go for a long walk and see if there are any treasures sitting on the curb just begging to be picked up.

Ahhh the start of the new week. So many possibilities!

Have an AWESOME day everyone, and stay out of trouble. 😉

♥ Mavis

*This deal post will be updated throughout the morning so be sure and check back for deals. * Amazon prices can change without notice. Please verify price before ordering. Amazon offers Free Shipping with a $49 purchase or Amazon Prime. {Sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30 day trial!}

Amazon Deal of the Day for 10/16/17 – Up to 40% off Preschool Fall Favorites

Go HERE for more {today only} toy deals

Available Kindle Books I think look interesting…

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Subscribe and Save Deals

Subscribe and Save prices reflect a 15% discount for ordering 5 or more items in 1 month.

In the mood for caramel corn? Try my recipe for Honey Caramel Corn. It’s supper easy to make and way better than store bought! Get the recipe HERE or Pin it for Later.

Home and Kitchen Deals

Get a 1 Year Subscription to Martha Stewart Living Magazine for just $5.00. It’s a good thing! 😉

Add on Items

*These are all Amazon Add-on Items and they will ship with qualifying orders over $25 and are eligible for free shipping on $25 orders with Amazon Prime {or will ship FREE on $35 orders without Prime}. 

If you are a pumpkin-carving type of family, the key is to Keep Carved Pumpkins Fresh until the big day–which is easier said than done when the days are still pretty warm in most places.

Super Awesome Etsy Shop of the Day – WanderingCandle where you’ll find Handcrafted Soy Candles, Wax Melts, and Incense. Want to have YOUR Etsy shop featured? Leave a comment HERE with the name of your shop.

Kid’s Stuff

Shop Now at Zaycon Fresh

Zaycon Foods is now taking orders for their upcoming events. Below are their offerings and prices in my area.Go HERE to find out what is available in your area.

  • Fresh 93/7 Super Lean Ground Beef $3.79/lb X 40.00 lbs $151.60/case
  • Fresh 80/20 Ground Beef $2.79/lb X 40.00 lb $111.60/case
  • Fresh Boneless Applewood Smoked Ham $3.49/lb X 20.00 lb $69.80/case
  • Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs $1.69/lb X 40.00 lbs $67.60/case
  • Fresh Whole Chickens $1.59/lb X 35.00 lbs $55.65/case
  • Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb X 40.00 lb $67.60/case
  • Wild Argentine Shrimp $7.99/lb X 20.00 lbs | $159.80/case
  • Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets $7.49/lb X 25.00 lbs | $187.25/case
  • Kansas City Strip Steaks $8.49/lb X 14.00 lbs | $118.86/case
  • Angus Ribeye Steaks $9.99/lb X 14.00 lbs | $139.86/case

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Recipes Garden Frugal Canning Chickens Travel