It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:
I want to make the freezer jam you rave about all the time and I wanted to know can I use other fruits? If so, how do I prepare like grape or peach freezer jam the way you would? Every time I follow your directions it all works out:). I love your blog and don’t know what my days would be like without a few minutes with Mavis. You really make me feel like I’m not crazy- just normal :)) Keep doing what you do because it’s a poor woman’s therapy 🙂
~Thanks, Laura from Trinity, Alabama
First, thanks, Laura! I love hearing feedback like that from faithful readers like YOU!! Thanks for hanging with me! Next, here are the recipes for some easy freezer jam for strawberries, raspberries and peaches. Grape is a different ball of wax because it requires grape juice, so it’s made differently. But those 3 should get you started. We love them all!
Hi Mavis! Looking to re-home 6 hens that are producing 5-6 eggs/day. We have sold our house here in Gig Harbor and need to be out of the house in a less than a month. We are moving to an apartment and will not be able to take them with us. Thank you!
~Ria
Calling all chicken lovers in the Seattle-ish area!! Can anyone near Ria that can take in some hens ASAP?! I can connect you to each other and you guys can work out the details to hopefully get her hens a new home!
I have a family of five, two teen boys, a preteen girl, myself and my husband. I am a home school mom, with no income other than my husband’s. Honestly we have literally $100 a month to spend on groceries. I do the best I can. Do you have a go to list for me to take to the grocery store? Any hints will be helpful.
~Jennifer
I don’t have a set list because my menu changes so frequently. I will say this, when we were spending $100 a month, we lived on a lot of processed foods because I could double coupons and get food for crazy cheap as well as rice and beans, because I could could buy them in bulk, they were filling and the beans provided protein! To save big on my budget, I cook in bulk, preserve as much as possible, coupon, and eat less meat! Here’s my list of pantry staples I always have on hand. Here are The Best Foods for Eating Well on a Tight Budget. Also, here’s a few tips on How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half! Or you can see my series on 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month for even more money saving tips!
Hi – Trying to find the name of the product that will remove mold from my roof. I thought I read it on here once and can’t find it–I believe a reader recommended it to you…thanks!!
~Amy
It’s called Wet and Forget. You just mix it with water, spray it on and forget about it. After about a week {depending on the severity of the issues!} you’ll see improvements to mold, algae and stains. I also loved it because it’s not harmful to the environment, so that’s an added bonus!
Why is your site called $100 a month?
~ Darla
Well the site began when I decided to see if I could feed my family of 4 for $100/month. I started it so my mom and a couple friends could keep up with that crazy goal. And then I did it. I spent under $100 a month for a full year. And then I did it again. And people started paying attention and the site grew and grew. Along the way, the coupon craze died out and my desire to feed my family less processed food took over, so I’ve spent about an average of $160/ month the past few years. Still awesome, but not quite $100 a month. You can see my latest year-end budget post HERE. And here’s a quick glance at my food budget through the years:
In 2008 I spent $9,768 on groceries. An average of $814 a month.
In 2009 I spent $7,584 on groceries. An average of $632 a month.
In 2010 I spent $5,004 on groceries. An average of $417 a month.
In 2011 I spent $1,198.64 on groceries. An average of $100 a month.
In 2012 I spent $1,195.67 on groceries. An average of $100 a month.
In 2013 I spent $2192.32 on groceries. An average of $182.69 a month.
In 2014 I spent $1907.34 on groceries. An average of $158.95 a month.
In 2015 I spent $1798.07 on groceries. An average of $149.83 a month
In 2016 I spent $2059.07 on groceries. An average of $171.59 a month
Have a question for me? Submit them HERE and I’ll try to answer them.
~Mavis
Mrs Hillbillly says
Rita this is Mrs Hillbilly . I could take 2or 3 of your hens .
tia in boise says
Ideas for eating cheap (for Jennifer or anyone else).
*get to know your store’s managers–dairy, meat, cheese….). they can let you know about good deals and tips for saving food.
*check out the clearance section and FREEZE.
*buy when there is a super-sale and FREEZE or stockpile.
*potatoes are super-cheap, good for you, and you can do a lot with them.
*our go-to cheapo meal is cheesy noodles (boxed pasta–that’s another inexpensive staple–cooked then add some powdered garlic, little salt, and shredded cheese). we usually have a can of green beans along with it. (it’s what we’re having tonight!)
Jennifer says
Jennifer,
I can understand the challenges of having such a small amount to feed a family of 5. Do you have a cell phone or access to apps like Ibotta, Checkout51, or Mobisave? Have you signed up for Savingstar via computer? These are apps that pay you for buying certain items.
Savingstar is probably the easiest as many of the items are items that have coupons with them. Many of them are General Mills items and there are always great coupons and sales for them. Some of the offers last for months. You link your store loyalty card and for most stores, it simply puts the money in your account when you buy the item. I can’t remember how much it takes to cash out.
Ibotta is great because it’s available at every store I shop at except Aldi’s. Same principal, you buy the item, take a picture of your receipt on the app and the money is put in your account. Some of the items are weird and I would never buy, but there are often offers like “25¢ for any bacon, eggs, butter, bananas, carrots”, etc… Things you probably buy on a regular basis. Checkout 51 is the one I use the least, but it’s still worth a look. Mobisave deposits right in your PayPal account and has plenty of “15¢ off celery, milk, cereal”, etc…
I just thought that if you were able to make a little money while buying things you were already going to buy, it would help you. I know there are other apps to use, but these are the 4 I have experienced success with.
Fwiw, I am due for my quarterly cashing out of my apps and I have over $100 in them. My grocery budget is right at $400, so that extra $100 means a lot.
Toni says
Produce stalls at farmer’s markets sometimes have seconds. At the end of the day, go to the vendor and you can ask to have (example) all of the remaining seconds for X dollars – try half of what the total of the reduced prices already add up to. Bushels of seconds apples were marked as 7.50 each. They weren’t rotten, just marked, not perfectly shaped or small. There were 3 bushels left. I offered $10 for them all and he accepted. I dried some, made apple sauce (froze it rather than canned) and we had lots fresh. Don’t try this with peaches or other stone fruit unless you can test one first – I bought a crate of peaches and ended up with expensive compost.
Mavis hasn’t mentioned it for a while, but dumpster diving at produce stores can be rewarding – or asking your produce manager for chicken scraps.
Good luck. I think you must have a lot of good ideas yourself.
Mary Kerns says
I live in Port Orchard and could take the hens. I have 5 hens and 2 roosters and lots of room for them.
Emily E. says
Jennifer, does your family have a garden or are you able to have a garden? If not on your own property, perhaps a plot at a community garden and the experience could be incorporated into your homeschooling lessons? Veggie stir fry, salads, and soups are good inexpensive ways to supplement your meals. Or do you have any neighbors/friends that garden that you could barter weeding or child care for a basket of veggies? Maybe start a coupon trading club with some friends or a church if you’re involved in one? Often churches or community centers provide community dinners and you could volunteer as a family and then stay to enjoy the meal. I’m sure you’ll get lots of great suggestions from Miss Mavis’ site!