Eat Well, Spend Less with a $50 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway!

Nice giveaway! Thanks! We buy in bulk when possible. We shop often to avoid throwing away rotting produce. We coupon a bit. We do our best to avoid pricey convenience/processed foods. One of our favorite frugal meals is onion, garlic, carrots, celery and green lentils over brown rice. Inexpensive ingredients, nutritious and filling.

My favorite frugal meal is red beans and rice.

I shop Costco bulk and try to buy other items only on sale. I also participate in a veggie co-op twice a month to stretch our produce dollars.

I coupon and buy beef from a local rancher.

“Like” Kroger on Facebook.

. “Like” Kroger on Facebook@tcarolinep jessieKatie s

I try to pick recipes before going to the store and only shopping every other week or so to avoid buying things I don’t need. I also try not to shop when I’m hungry!

Thanks for the chance to win!

I check store specials and use coupons.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Making large recipes out of a few, fresh ingredients lets me eat well on a small, graduate student’s budget! I survive on leftovers! Thanks for the helpful recipes!

I shop at multiple stores and try not to buy anything other than necessities unless they are on sale and I have a coupon.

I coupon to save on toiletries so that I can splurge on local eggs.

I gave up on coupons. Nine times out of ten, if there’s a coupon for it, you shouldn’t be eating it anyway. After a while of making the rounds, I’ve memorized who has what cheapest, and I try to hit whatever store is on my way back from whatever errand I’m running, and then stock up on the things that are cheapest there. As a result, I go to the grocery store about seven times a week, and yet, I never make a special trip there, so I’m not burning any more gas in the process.

That’s one thing people don’t factor in: your time and gas. If you burned a gallon going there, then you had better have “saved” $4.00 in the process or it’s a net loss.

Same with coupons. The average home printer cost about 27¢ to print a page, so if you printed a 25¢ coupon, you just lost two cents. Print more than one per page, or even shrink them down to print 8 or more, if you can.

Cheers!

For feeding our family of 6, I’ve found that the best deals can be found at our local co-op. I buy most of our grains and beans in bulk there. We’ve also joined a local CSA. We get organic, fresh, locally grown produce for a fraction of the cost at the grocery store. And, it takes MUCH better!

I Liked Kroger on Facebook.

Couponing and shopping various stores to get the best deal.

I have a large garden and grow and can a lot of produce. We also buy in bulk whenever possible.

I like Kroger on fb

I save the most money by planning menus in advance using sales and items from the pantry and freezer. Planning ahead prevents the temptation to grab something quick somewhere else.

I like Kroger on Facebook.

I try to eat well and spend less by eating lots of eggs, using dried beans and soups, and eating lots of “mexican” style food which we have found to be very inexpensive where we live in Santa Fe!

Meal planning is a big help in eating well and spending less for our family – as long as I stick to it!

I liked Kroger on FB

We cut coupons, buy in bulk and also try and grow a lot of our produce. Our frugal meal is always one with hamburger. We’re from the mid-west.

I am working to incorporate beans more into our weekly menu, either as a supplement to, or instead of meat. Thanks for doing this giveaway!

I’ve learned to do more from scratch- eliminate the nasty food additives. Thanks! Buying in bulk- all those great things! jhales_ finance at yahoo dot com

I buy in bulk as much as I can – and I always shop around for a bargain! I am not afraid to splurge when it comes to healthy food for my family, though!

I like Kroger on FB-Mary Jaco

I shop multiple stores, use coupons only for things I need, buy from the bulk food items in the stores that offer them and also try to shop early morning to take advantage of clearance items.

I liked Kroger on facebook.

I “LIKE” Kroger on FB (Nicole Pitts)

I shop several stores and stock up on the specials.

We like to eat popcorn as a frugal meal and I make lots from scratch.

I am currently working on a price database for the stores that I shop and the most common items I buy so that I can pair my coupons with sale items for the best price possible. I am already a fan of Kroger on FB

I save by buying ahead when things are on sale–aka stockpiling, but not to the extreme! I do use some coupons.

I stockup when items are on sale, we buy in bulk, shop at a couple different stores (it is difficult to find all that is needed at only one store), where we live can be a bit pricey but since we live in So. Cal, there is a tremendous variety.

Megan

I like Kroger on FB.

We buy when we have a coupon and things are on sale. We only buy bulk for things we absolutely going to use…. like toilet paper, bacon, paper towels, and milk.

like Kroger on facebook

Also, I like Kroger on facebook

I am a couponer for sure!

I liked Kroger on Facebook

I “Like” Kroger on Facebook as Selene Montgomery

I like Kroger on FB

I use coupons and shop sales. I try to shop the perimeter of the store the most, especially buying more produce that is in season.

I use coupons and buy staples at Costco!

I use coupons, but instead of running around to lots of stores, I like to price match at one place!

I plan our meals in advance, so as I’m prepared.
I live overseas, and usually head to the market for the freshest homegrown produce.
It’s customary in this part of the world to haggle with the market sellers – they expect it, and it usually pays off pretty well!

We have recently shopped at multiple stores…I think keeping that up would be great. And I want to get back to looking for coupons

Following @KrogerCo and @mandiehman on Twitter and Tweeted the giveaway, https://mobile.twitter.com/theluckyladybug/status/63300680554786816
theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

I loved to price match… all the week’s grocery deals (mostly produce) at one store!

I try to meal plan so I know what to buy and not buy things at the store that aren’t on my list. I also coupon a little, but am NOT a pro!

i like to shop at stores like target where i can match store coupons with manufacturers coupons. it has saved up hundreds every year.

I coupon a little, but mostly I make most my food homemade. My 100% whole wheat bread saves me a ton of money. I know it is healthy, and so much better and cheaper than the store bread.

I shop at multiple stores and use lots of coupons.

I use coupons and shop multiple stores.

I eat better, but I do not pay less. I haven’t really figured out that piece as of yet. I do shop multiple stores and I look for my staples on sale, but I pretty much buy organic and pay through the nose. I am always looking for tips…

I try to use coupons whenever possible & shop the sales.

I frequently use coupons and will occasionally shop at multiple stores when the deals are worth it. I never break down by category or am all that affected by where I live. My favorite frugal meal is combining pasta with veggies so that it’s a bit healthier but still affordable.

Liked Kroger on FB

Buy in bulk from Whole foods, saves money and packaging.

We grow our own fruits and vegetables and raise chickens for eggs!

“Like” Kroger on Facebook (gala ya)
galyettina(aT)earthlink(dot)com

I coupon and shop multiple stores. Thanks!

I like Kroger on Facebook (fb name Just Coupons)

I eat well and spend less through the use of coupons….i’ve cut my grocery bill in half!

Oh, this is the most important thing going on in my life right now!  You wouldn’t believe how many VHS tapes, 8mm tapes (don’t even remember if that is what they are called!) and a kazillion photos that are tucked away up on closet shelves.  I don’t even know how or where to start converting them.  Please help us as much as you can!  Thanks for doing this series. Surely there are many more photo moms out there who can use the help.  I can’t wait!  Have a blessed day! 

 A few months ago, I think on Meijer’s (big box store in the midwest) daily deal they had a vhs video converter, I think to DVD.  Normal price was maybe a bit over $100.  So, there is technology out there to do it.  It’s great if you have a ton of videos and can’t do it all yourself, but I think there are ways to do it, too.  Thanks for the story because it reminds me to continue taking small and long videos of all kinds of things, even mundane things, even when it seems rude or inappropriate.  I don’t think I have ever regretted being bold and taking pictures or videos, but I have regretted NOT taking them more (especially of my mother who hated to be in photos, we didn’t have nearly enough after she passed away last year.)  At this time, I am unable to put everything together in a neat format, but I at least take the pictures/videos and journal the stories in a book that I can roughly match with them later.  So keep on shooting!  I can’t wait to hear what advice you have next!  God bless!

Well written post with information from both sides.

Perhaps I have overlooked some of the conversation here skimming through, but I don’t recall seeing any conversation on genetic markers being a major contributor to reactions resulting from vaccinations.     

We decided to follow the Dr. Sears alt. vac schedule and at the time Merck was still producing the split MMR.  We felt a little pressure to move forward the split MMR after being told that Merck ceased production (never found out if this is true).  Each vax was given to dd#1 six weeks apart.  A week following the first vax dd had her first febrile seizure.  A week following the second she had her second febrile seizure, and as you could probably guess following the third she had her third.   Six months following the grand mal type of febrile seizures she was diagnosed with Myoclonus Epilepsy for which she showed no previous signs.

I wish that this issue weren’t so cut and dry.  While genetic testing is available to all, we now know that my dd#2 has this disposition as well and we will be holding off on a few vaccines for her and spreading out the others further apart.   This is based on medical recommendation not simply our own decision.  DD#1 based on medical recommendations will not be receiving the booster for the MMR. 

Someone mentioned to me recently that there was additional research published last spring that suggested the MMR should be pushed back until a child is seven years old, but I haven’t been able to find that info.  If anyone has a source for this info could you please post.  TIA!   

As always Katie, a well written article.

As a selective vax/delayed vax/leaning toward no vax, I can honestly say that I’ve never given anyone any grief about vaccinations, no matter where people stand. In my experience, I’ve felt like I’m the one who has to argue my point, or be made to feel like a fool in the doctors offices.

It’s a parenting decision, much like breastfeeding, circumcision, co-sleeping and the like. These decisions were not made lightly, or without a lot of research.

We’re on a selective/delayed vax schedule for a number of reasons:
- I don’t like the fact of injecting a newborn with as many as 4 to 6 vaccines. If they were to have a reaction, how in the world would you know which vaccine was to blame?
- aluminum/mercury/preservatives — once again, chemicals that I don’t want injected into my child.
- the way some vaccines are made are in direct violation of my Church teaching. (check out Children of God for Life for more info). Unless there are alternatives, we will be steering clear of those.

Katie did a great job of laying out facts, and encouraging us as parents to be informed.

As a child, my parents choose not to immunize me, and I can tell you that it was a nightmare going into the doctor’s office. I would be there for something completely unrelated and the doctor would be haranguing me for not having my shots – it wasn’t my decision then.  I could get them now, but after my sister got arthritis after getting some of hers I’m kind of reluctant.
Vaccines are an issue I vaccillate back and forth on. I live in a country where I am required by law to vaccinate, and, to be honest, I’m kind of glad I don’t have to make the decision. The only one I really would like to avoid with a coming baby is a tuberculosis shot at 4 days.
It’s a tough subject.

Great article! I love hearing from someone who goes as natural as possible but still weighs the options on vaccines.  I have to laugh and shake my head at some who have complained about “how they have been made to feel” for vaccinating. Some have blatantly written things that are demeaning to those who choose NOT to vaccinate.

My oldest two were fully vaccinated until about 4 years ago. Then I started actually researching vaccines. My third is partially and as long as I cannot get vaccines that do not have aborted fetal cells covered by insurance, they will NOT be fully vaccinated. I simply cannot afford the cost of the ones that are free of aborted fetal cells and I cannot in good conscience FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY utilize those vaccines.

I take HUGE issue with an advertisement that uses an irrelevant story to sell something. a heartbreaking story of the 5 week old? Yes, but that is technically false advertising. It bothers me and makes me trust the CDC and drs. even less when these scare tactics are used.

Thanks for the well-written article!  I’m also in the middle of “deciding” what to do about vaccinations.  By 3 year old has had all of her vaccinations (on the recommended schedule) my 14 month old has them until 6 months and selectivly at 6 months and none since…I’m leaning towards no vaccine.  However, with that being said, I believe it is the PARENTS’ responsibility to decide what, if and when for their own children — government stay out of this!

Well done, Katie.  I appreciate your transparency and good question asking.  This dialogue is totally welcome and worth the few who can’t handle it.  

We have vaxed, delayed, and not vaxed, and one of the biggest problems I have with this issue is not with individual parents who have every right to make the choice for their child, but with Big Pharma and the government communicating that vaccines basically have no risk.  
If anyone tells you anything has zero risk, start researching and asking questions.  And follow the money…  Also, there is a difference between neglectfully not-vaxing an already unhealthy child and intentionally choosing to withhold/delay vax based on balanced research when you’re making multiple choices to build their immune system naturally.  I feel like these two extremes and everything in between get lumped into the same category.    

Thanks to all for great food for thought.

I read thru the example page of the children hurt by vaccines and it has not changed my mind about them–Vaccines and illnesses cant be lumped together, you need to take it on a case by case basis. First, many stories were about the flu, and the sad fact is that the flu sometimes kills and it would be impossible to erradicate as it mutates alot, you would always be having to get new vaccines annually and even still, no guarantee that a new strain wont get you that year. The next large group had to do with whooping cough and infants. Something they dont tell you is that immunized children still carry the disease, all the vaccine does is keep its severity down, so it hits the immunized children like a cold that drags on. My youngest daughter got whooping cough because many of the immunized children in her brothers class had this nagging cough all month….she went with me to do school pick ups. Luckily she was 16months old and still nursing, so first she was big and healthy and second after her coughing spitting up thing every hour, I would then nurse her, and breastmilk is assimilated fast, so she would get nutrients before her next cough/throw up jag. It was a tiring month. While she was not immunized, the carriers were. It is the small babies in danger of this one, but by the time their immunizations are complete, they are old enough to get thru it. It is sad, but they can still catch it from immunized kids, so choosing not to immunize for whooping cough is not endangering anyone else. I choose immunizations depending on risk/need. My youngest daughter was immunized for tetnus when she was 2, because we live in the country on a property that was a horse property. She wasnt at risk before that age, and she was then old enough to handle the vaccine additives and toxins better. I just finally successfully got her exposed and contracted chicken pox, and she is 13, I was beginning to think we wouldnt be able to have her get it. She is on the couch with a fever, achiness and spots. But, it would be bad to get it when pregnant, for the unborn baby, so she should have it now. I think it will be impossible to find exposure to measles, so she will get vaccinated for MMR in a few years, again, for protection because she will be a mom some day. If We were to travel to certain countries, I would research and decide if any vaccines were warranted, like diptheria, and if her tetnus booster needs to be a dT, at this point, I would be fine with that. 

Sometimes I wish I was of my mother’s generation never knowing to question, got the vaccines, had no ill effects and lived marvelously in the clouds. I feel like there really is no right answer in this issue. I don’t want to subject my child to the risks of vaccines, but I want them to benefit from herd immunity (which I do believe in as far as the argument if almost everyone is vaccinated there’s no one to get sick and give it to my kid), but it’s pretty messed up to ask someone else to subject their kid the risk. Also in super hypocritical fashion I don’t want to be hanging out with unvaccinated people in the event they do get something they can give to me (I’ve had 6 MMRs in my life and ALWAYS tested with a low titre, hence the additional shots).  It’s just a hideous circular argument of no choice is really safe. UGH!!! My preemie is fully vaccinated though on a modified schedule. My full term baby is fully vaccinated. I didn’t feel good about it, but I decided at least I can have rage against the system if something goes wrong, but I can’t live with letting my baby die of something as stupid as measles or pertussis when I could’ve prevented it. We did have local outbreaks of both those diseases.

I originally planned to do a selective schedule.  I wasn’t going to do pertussis, because it isn’t all that protective.  (The recent outbreaks have all been in vaccinated kids — and they’re beginning to say the vaccine defends against a different strain than the one currently in circulation!)  And I wasn’t going to do polio unless I heard of an outbreak or we planned to travel, since there have been no outbreaks in the US in 20 years.  And we can’t use any that have aborted tissue in them.

But then I talked to my husband about it, and he was adamant that we don’t do any.  He knows two kids that developed severe autism immediately after their vaccines.  Later I came to agree with him as well, after reading all those stories on the Think Twice website about babies with severe reactions.  The worst were always those who received their vaccine (usually pertussis) and screamed at the top of their lungs till they finally fell asleep that night.  In the morning, they would be dead … and the cause of death would be written down as “SIDS.”  Terrifying.  We may give our kids some vaccines later, especially if they do not get the childhood illnesses they should, but for now, our son is fully unvaccinated and our new baby will be as well.

I object to the idea that I am coasting off the herd immunity of others.  I would prefer that others not vaccinate either, unless they have a specific risk.  That way, my children could get their usual childhood illnesses while young, instead of having to choose between a vaccine or risking complications from getting it when they’re older.  In cases where we really needed to build up a herd immunity — like if there were an outbreak of polio or, God forbid, smallpox — I would get the vaccine for my kids like everybody else.  I did not make a choice that I wouldn’t be happy with everyone doing.

I have three children and they have all been vaccinated differently. My older son who is 12 had all vaccines until he was 6…he has food allergies, excema, learning differences and random swelling in his hips that completely immobilizes him that his doctor said was caused by the chicken pox vaccine relocating into his hip joints..kind of like arthritis. My second son, he is 10, had vaccines until he was 6 months because I stopped when his brother began having all those problems. My daughter has had no vaccines. She is 8. She is in perfect health, has never even been on antibiotics because she never gets sick. She is by far the healthiest child I have and I don’t know if it is because her immune system hasn’t been ruined by all those vaccines or if she is just lucky. I don’t have the answers for everybody, I just had to do what I thought was best for my kids. My poor oldest son will have to live with these problems for the rest of life and I feel pretty crappy about that. I must admit though, I will give each of my children the meningitis shot as they reach the age of 11. Their Dad has a job that exposes him to the possibility of bringing home that disease and I think the vaccine for that is worth it. 

I have 2 children and a third on the way.  I vaccinate.  I worked for a pediatrician for several years and we were happy to work with patients who want to space out their vaccinations.  I see no problem with that.  But I can tell you I’ve seen first hand the results of kids who weren’t vaccinated.  During a flu outbreak we had several patients who were hospitalized and they had not been vaccinated.  The flu vaccine does not prevent the flu but does ease the symptoms and every patient that came in that had been vaccinated was able to go home and recover in a few days rather than be in the hospital for over a week.  In all my time giving vaccines I only saw one reaction.  It was in a 12 year old girl and she had a few hives around the injection site.  It quickly disappeared and did not cause any more problems.  I will continue to vaccinate.  The risks of not being vaccinated are too high.  I would much rather risk my child possibly getting a slight rash at an injection site than exposing them to the risk of hospitalization and all other risks.  I can tell you the pediatrician I worked for was very willing to listen to a parents wishes.  He also took great care in researching each vaccine before giving it.  It was not a quick decision to add more vaccines to the list.  Those that are recommended are such for a reason.  As for the autism issue, I am saddened for those that this disease has affected, including my own family members.  But a lot is not known about what autism even is.  The research correlating it to vaccinations is bogus.  I think it is more likely that the children simply start slipping into the autism around a certain stage of development that correlates with the ages that vaccines are given.  A sad coincidence. 

Yes, I was aware that some vaccines contained them including the chicken pox vaccine.  But, what I was unaware of was that you could find manufacturers that created them without culturing them in aborted fetal tissues or “human diploid” cells as they call them.  I typically tell doctors that even though I have some health concerns about vaccines, I do have some ethical concerns about them as well. 

Amber,
It is so TELLING that your daughter got whooping cough from a vaccinated child. Just gives some proof to other comments here, that vax’d kids actually are unsafe for un-vax’d kids, probably more than the reverse. Phew.

Not so sure I even WANT to know anything about the blue plague! We humans have an amazing way of messing up our world, so sad.

Thanks for sharing your story, and I’m so very glad that your family is well and on the mend! Bet you had some sleepless nights with coughing daughter…

I’m married to a pediatrician. He is one of ten doctors in a practice that refuses to see unvaccinated children although they do see patients on the Dr. Sears schedule.

Their reason is malpractice. About 3 yrs ago they had an unvaccinated patient come in with whooping cough. A newborn contracted the disease in the waiting room and died. They were sued and lost.

Also this idea that pediatricians get kickbacks is usually not true. Most practices lose money on vaccines because they expire before the entire order can be used. This is especially true for practices that are small.

What a wonderful find for you! And you picked the right business to be in – there are so many people, seniors and boomers – who need your help with this!

I didn’t think there was a vaccine for scarlet fever, it’s just strep, right?

That’s funny you mention the “pox party”. I vividly remember being in 5K…years before the chicken pox vaccine, and being the first among my peers to get chicken pox. While I was still quite sick, my mom took me to school and other moms brought their kids and had them drink water after me so they could go ahead and get it before they got any older. It was the strangest thing to me!

Tabatha is correct. Any “tetanus” shot offered in emergency rooms or anywhere else is actually the Tdap booster shot.