The Dollar Diet

Choose a blog

We have a winner for our crock pot cook book giveaway.

Submitted by AmyDunn on 03/01/2011 - 11:42

Congrats to BabyBarber, who has won the crock pot cookbook giveaway here on The Dollar Diet.

I'll be mailing her a copy of Stephanie O'Dea's "More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow."

Thanks to everyone for entering. And many, many thanks to all of you who have followed along on the blog during February.

Day 28: It's over and our wallets are fatter for the effort!

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/28/2011 - 11:54

We've made it.
Barring any impulsive behavior today, my family and I will have successfully managed to live a relatively normal life without spending a single extra dime in the month of February.
I'm pretty proud of that.

How much money have we saved?
That's been the question many of you have asked over the course of the month. And a question I've pondered myself. Until today, I really hadn't kept track.

Read More

Day 27: One day left

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/27/2011 - 18:08

 

It's Day 27 of our self-imposed moratorium on spending! Just one more day and our little experiment in anti-consumerism will end.
We've already started talking about what we'll do on March 1.
There was a unanimous vote for a pizza to celebrate. And I will make a quick run to the grocery store to get some fresh fruit, bread, milk and a few other items to carry us through the week.
To tell you the truth, I've kind of enjoyed my furlough from deal matching and coupon cutting so it will take me a few days to get back into the swing of things.
The first big purchase we'll make is likely to be a replacement for my now-dead laptop. Mr. Dollar Diet has been doing some research and has a stack of sales circulars to go through to see what kind of deal we can get.
Other than that, I don't foresee us going wild in the aisles of our local retailers.
On Monday, our very last day of no-spending, I'll be tallying up how much I think we have saved during the month. Is it a true savings or merely a delay in buying? Stay tuned.

Day 26: Menu planning when the cupboard is bare

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/26/2011 - 15:40

 

 

With just three days left in our frugal February, we don't have much left in the pantry and freezer.

Well, let me clarify.

We have more left than I thought we would have, but our meal choices are limited because of other necessary ingredients that have long since been used up.

For instance, as I was mixing up last night's blueberry pancakes I realized I needed two more eggs to complete the recipe. Oops. Good thing I had invited my mom over for dinner already so I didn't feel too bad about asking her to bring a couple eggs along with her.
Read More

Day 25: Friday night date nights

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/25/2011 - 18:24

 

Today's Friday, which, in a normal month, means date night for Mr. Dollar Diet and me.
Our daughter heads over to Grandma's house for their weekly sleepover and we indulge in a little take-out at the end of a long week.
This just might be the thing I have missed the most in February as we've challenged ourselves to stop spending for the entire month.
Cooking on a Friday night is not my idea of a good time.
Tonight, with company in the house, we'll turn date night into family night.
Blueberry pancakes are on the menu. Followed by some serious games of Bananagrams.
It will be fun.
But next Friday night, when we're solidly into the month of March, we'll return to regularly scheduled programming. I'm voting for pizza and a movie.
 
 
 

Don't forget: Enter to win a crock pot cookbook

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/25/2011 - 12:41

Time is running out to enter to win a copy of Stephanie O'Dea's "More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow" crock pot cookbook.

You must go to my original post here to enter.

Comments left on this post won't do you any good.

The deadline to enter is noon Sunday, Feb. 27. Good luck. I'll post the winner on Monday, the last day of our 28-day experiment in extreme frugality.

Congrats to the winner of our recycled juice pouch purse giveaway

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/25/2011 - 12:25

Congratulations to Amy P., the winner of The Dollar Diet's contest to win a recycled juice pouch purse.

My daughter and I made several of these earlier in the month in response to a birthday invite she had received. With no cash to spend, we crafted a super cool handbag made from empty juice pouches we had set aside. If you missed seeing our final product, you can check it out here.

Amy chose to have her bag finished with decorative fringe so I'll be getting that out to her during the first week of March.

Congrats, Amy. And thanks to everyone who entered.

Day 24: My favorite frugal blogs

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/24/2011 - 09:45

Over the course of this month, some of you have asked where I get my frugal inspiration.

While nothing can replace a frugal friend in the flesh, my fellow frugal bloggers are often a close second.
Over the years, I've gotten some of my best ideas from frugal blogs.
The problem is the sheer volume of blogs out there that specialize in thrifty living.
For a time, I became so hooked on reading frugal blogs, I had little time left to actually be frugal.
That's when I started trimming my list.
 
I now limit myself to just a handful of blogs that I check daily and another handful I check in on periodically.
Though some of my favorite blogs overlap, all of them fall into three basic categories: 
1. Deal blogs that provide info on the latest grocery and internet deals as well as up-to-date coupon info.
2. Idea/tip blogs that offer basic how-to information on saving money.
3. Day-in-the-life blogs that illustrate how families live frugally. 
 
Here are a few of my favorites:
Read More

Day 23: House guests, again!

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/23/2011 - 16:32

As I write this, I have house guests enroute. Again.

My oldest son and his fiance are coming to visit while he's in town for a business conference.

They'll be here with us in the waning days of our no-spend challenge.

Oh my.

Day 22: Three weeks down and a bit of frugal fatigue

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/22/2011 - 17:22

We're into the home stretch on our 28-day experiment in living off the consumer grid.

With just one week left, I'd be lying if I said it has been easy.
Read More
Cars View All
Find a Car
Go
Jobs View All
Find a Job
Go
Homes View All
Find a Home
Go

Want to post a comment?

In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. Click here to register or to log in.

About this blog

Amy Dunn, a journalist for 14 years, works part-time for The News & Observer's online edition. Her full-time job is saving her family money. She clips coupons, shops at thrift stores, makes her own laundry detergent and sets her table with cloth napkins. She and her husband pinch their pennies in Apex, where they have lived since 1993. They have a 12-year-old daughter, a 20-year-old son in college and a 23-year-old son launching his own frugal life in Wilmington.

Advertisements