Day #1 On The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (GAPS)

The kids hated it and complained but I guess that is to be expected.  :-)

Menu:

Breakfast:
Chicken soup (chicken broth, sea salt, boiled chicken, boiled carrots, boiled onions)

Snack:
Chicken Soup

Lunch
Chicken Soup

Dinner
Chicken Soup
Carrots & Onions Sauteed In Olive Oil
Small Dish Of Homemade Yogurt For Dessert

DD #4 was nauseated during the night and threw up once she got up the next morning.  We later found out she had eaten about 3/4 cup of Bubbies sauerkraut out of the fridge because she was starving and couldn't stand the chicken soup.  I guess her poor little intestines couldn't handle the new bacteria so fast.  Either that or the fatty chicken broth?  Nobody else was sick and she hasn't shown any other signs of illness.  I would say it is too early for die-off symptoms.  She likes the sauerkraut though!!  That's good.  :-)  She detests the broth so I've got to figure out a way to flavor it so she will eat it.

Almond Flour On The Cheap

Almond Flour For $1.10 Per Cup

First of all, it needs to be understood that we have six children on one income, and can not afford organic food at this time.  We are trying to follow the GAPS protocol as best we can without removing all toxins through organic food.  We believe this is still WAY BETTER than the cheap, high-starch, Aldi-bought, American diet we have been eating.  There is absolutely no way we can afford fresh, raw, unpasteurized, organic almonds. Wish we could!  :-)

Almond flour online wholesale price:  $14.75/lb

Sam's has natural almonds (not salted, roasted, or coated and with no other ingredients) for $10.98/48 oz or $3.66/lb.  As you can see, 1 cup of ground nuts makes over a cup of flour.  In the future I am planning on soaking them, removing their skins, drying them in the oven, and then grinding them into flour.

How to make raw nuts crispy

Homemade Almond Flour Instructions

3 Days Until Lift-Off!

We are planning to start the GAPS diet this coming Sunday afternoon.

We've been gluten-free for years but I'm nervous about this specific carbohydrate approach.  My girls love carbs and crunchy snacks!  So far, I've...

...Made my first batch of yogurt with a heating pad and it came out great!!
...Purchased a huge roaster oven for cooking soups.
...Made chicken stock.
...Cleaned out all of the unacceptable foods from our kitchen.
...Made a notebook with all of the GAPS info in it.
...Read the GAPS book and Breaking The Vicious Cycle.
...Gotten over my fear of sauerkraut.
...Started a pin board with recipe ideas.

$17.72 At CVS

All of the above items were $17.72 with coupons and after extra care bucks at CVS.

Retail:
Razor $12.79
Razor Cartridges $16.99
Cepacol $4.99
Mucinex $16.99
400 Cough Drops $10
Advil Congestion $7.99
Delsym Kids Cough $12.00
TOTAL:  $81.75!!
Saved:  $64.03

Publix Coupon Deals For The Week

1 Plantar Fascitits Shoe Insert (reg 5.99)
1 Jergen's Lotion (10 oz)
1 Brilliant Brunette Conditioner
1 Frizz Ease Shampoo
1 Frizz Ease Dream Curl Gel
1 Tresemme Shampoo
1 Tresemme Conditioner
4 Chunky Ragu Spaghetti Sauce (45 oz - Aldi is 24 oz)
6 Echrich Smoked Sausage
4 Mini Grands Biscuits
2 Cinommen Canned Biscuites
2 (6-pack full size) Hershey Chocolate Bars (For S'Mores)
4 Quaker Oats  (18 oz)
1 Full Size Publix Apple Juice
1 Simply Orange Juice With Mango (Not from concentrate - 54 oz)
5 Boxes Playtex Tampons (Super - 18 ct)
2 Advil Jr. Chewables (24 ea)
2 Advil Liquigels (40 ea)
2 Natural Bliss Coffee Creamers
2 Unisom (reg $8.99 ea)
10 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers
Not Pictured:
2 Gallons Whole Milk
5 Snuggle Fabric Softener (Exhilerations Small Bottle)
2 Soft Soap Hand Soaps
4 Cambell's Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 Publix Brand Peach Yogurts
69 Total Items

Out Of Pocket Cost:  $216.44
-$150 Gas Cards
Bottom Line Cost For Groceries $66.44
Average Cost Per Item:  $0.96/ea

HOW????

3 Transactions At 3 Stores On 3 Different Days
Used (3) $5 Off Purchase Of $40
Used (3) $10 Off Gas Card If You Buy $50+ Of Groceries
Manufacturer and Store Coupons For Almost Every Item (southersavers.com)

How's A Mom To Be Frugal With 6 Daughters?

My girls and I prefer Secret brand deodorant

to any other kind because it works the best for us.
Strong enough for a man...gentle enough for a woman.

Here is how I purchased 20 Secret deodorants for $6 without being a coupon fanatic.

Steps:

1.  Filled out a price book sheet on Secret deodorant.  The cheapest I found was a 4-pk (2.6 oz) at Sam's for $6.98.  This worked out to $0.67 per ounce.

2.  Purchased 20 coupons ($1.00 off) on eBay for $1.49 (incl ship).  Cost per coupon was $0.07 each.

3.  Printed 2 Dollar General coupons for $5 off purchase of $25.

4.  Shop on Saturday (only day the $5 coupon is good) at two Dollar General locations.

5.  At store #1 purchased 14 Secret deodorants for $1.75 each, 2 pks of gum, and used $5 off coupon.  Total was $7.36.

6.  At store #2 purchased 6 Secret deodorants for $1.75 each, and other coupon deal items to reach $25 total, then used $5 off coupon.

Cost analysis:

$1.75 (Cost of 1.6 oz Secret deodorant)
+$0.07 (Add cost of manufacturer's coupon bought on eBay)
-$1.00 (Less manufacturer's coupon)
-$0.34 (Less store coupon $5 off purchase of $25 or more)
$0.48 (Total cost for 1.6 oz)
$0.30/oz (Less than half of the cost per oz of Sam's prices)

$0.30/oz is my new "lowest price" to be added to the price book.  All future drugstore deals and sales will be measured against this price.

Bloom Store Closing Sale!

Original Total From Regular Prices:  $632.16

Amount Saved From Sale & Coupons:  $444.65 or 70%

Total Spent Out Of Pocket:  $187.51
Number Of Items Purchased:  155

Average Price Per Item:  $1.21

Some Of The Items We Purchased...

8 Packages Of Size 4 Diapers ($2.00 per pack/$0.06 per diaper)

11 Packages Of Feminine Hygiene Products ($0.50 per pack)

7 Cover Girl Cosmetics ($1-$3 ea)

7 Cans Of Smokehouse Almonds ($2 per can)

12 Jars Of Peanut Butter ($0.88 per jar)

3 Containers Of Parmesan Cheese ($1.30 ea)

5 Boxes Of Quaker Instant Oatmeal ($0.42 per box)

10 Packages Of Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chips & Butterscotch Chips ($0.82 ea)

Other items:  2 Boxes Of Emergen-C, Ice Cream, Chocolate Candy, Jelly, Spices,

Shampoo, Salad Dressing, Cream Of Mushroom Soup, Poptarts, Pickles, Cheese.

95% Off At Publix

Purchased At Publix:

6 Bags Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables
4 Containers Friendship Sour Cream
1 Krazy Jane's Salt
2 Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles
2 Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cucumbers
3 Packs Borden American Cheese Slices
1 French's Worcestershire Sauce
2 Bottles T-Marzetti Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing
3 Yoplait Yo Plus 4-pk Yogurts

26 Total Items

Total Value Of Items:  $67.71

Less Items On Sale:  -$26.37

Less Manufacturer Coupons:  -$15.70

Less Store Coupons:  -$22.00

Total Out Of Pocket Cost:  $3.64

Average Cost Per Item:  $0.14 each!!

Saved 95% Off Regular Publix Prices

How???

1.  Used southernsavers.com and couponmom.com to find coupon match-ups to items already on sale (especially "buy one, get one free").

2.  Found the coupons online or in my stash for each item.  Was able to stack manufacturer and store coupons for most items.

3.  Made a list using couponmom.com and printed it off.

4.  Used a $5 off any purchase of $30 or more that I received in the mail for being a member of their kid's soccer club.

5.  Used a coupon for $10 off your purchase of a $50 gas card.  Gas card transaction is not included above because it was simply trading gas money for a card with the same amount of gas money on it.  : )

Salon Quality Hair Products For $1 Each!

On my weekly trip to Bi-Lo, I noticed a grocery cart parked at the front of the store with salon hair care products marked down to $1 each!  All of the above products were purchased for $27.00.  Truly a blessing for a mom of 6 girls!!  : )

Eat From The Pantry Challenge (March 2011)

During the month of March 2011,

our goal is to spend as little as possible

on groceries and eat from our pantry/freezer.

We've got quite a stockpile going

from couponing in Jan & Feb,

as well as a freezer full of meals

from my dear mother in preparation

for baby #6 joining our family in

just 7 short weeks!