Goodbye & Hello

I've finally decided what to do.

As of today Journey to Frugal is ending. Though this blog will stay up for a while, I will no longer be posting new material to it. And some of the posts from here will be transferred to a new location!

Instead, I am posting on my new blog. I'm really excited about this new blog. I think it will give me the flexibility I've been looking for.

Before I leave completely, I do want to say thank you to all those who have stopped by for a visit. You've been a real encouragement.

But now, please, come visit my new home! I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Reflecting

Life has settled down. The crisis which took me off the web for about 7 weeks has now passed. My father became very ill, was hospitalized and finally passed away on November 19. He is much happier now living in Heaven with God.

Our lives are beginning to recover and find our new normal. But, all this has also caused me to reconsider many things, including my blog. I'm not sure where I'm going to go with this. I enjoyed blogging, but I'm not sure it is where I truly need to spend my time. I've also reached the conclusion that my real passion is not the journey to living frugally. Seeking the best deals and saving money on everything kind of went out the window while I was traveling back and forth to the hospital every other day. I was far more concerned about caring for my Dad. Caring for my family just seems to be more what I'm about. Living frugally is a part of that, but it is not always the primary focus.

So for now, I may post occasionally, but I suspect this blog will be changing in the near future.

At the moment, I'm considering what I would call a blog that focused on the broader theme of caring for my family. Suggestions are welcome.

Short Break

I will be taking a short blogging break for the next few days. I have a family concern which must be attended to and will not have time to update.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Your prayers for wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Free Admission to Children's Museums

I first found out about this deal at Coupon Cravings.

The Association of Children's Museums has partnered with ParentsConnect Local (GoCityKids) to offer children free admission when accompanied by a paying adult at participating children's museums as part of ParentsConnect Local's Deals & Steals program September 29-October 26, 2008. Nearly 130 museums nationwide are participating.

Participating Museums in Maryland include:

• Chesapeake Children's Museum (Annapolis)
• Discovery Creek (Glen Echo)
• The Children's Museum of Rose Hill Manor Park (Frederick)
• Port Discovery Children's Museum (Baltimore)

For information on museums nationwide visit GoCityKids.

Thoughtful Thursday: Links that Make Us Think

Many ways to use a pumpkin @ MoneySavingMom

When I'm a Little Old Lady @ OwlHaven

What I Hope @ RocksInMyDryer

What's Your Beef Night @ WeAreThatFamily

Cheap Mocha Latte

Back in our DINK (double-income no kids) days, I got accustomed to drinking mocha frappocino by Starbucks, almost every morning. It started with an occasional visit to the Starbucks near our home, then hubby found the bottled version at BJs and surprised me with a case of them. Before long it was a habit, an addictive habit.

Then, we had kids. What had been a wonderful induglence, I quickly realized was a luxury that just didn't fit the budget. So, I found a cheaper version... this time it was adding International Delight's Chocolate Caramel creamer to my home-brewed cofffee each morning.

Then, we moved. And I could no longer find my beloved creamer. None of the stores in our new town carried the flavor I loved. I made several reqeusts at several local stores, but to no avail.

So, I came up with a new plan:
1 cup coffee + 1 splash of whole milk + 1 squirt of chocolate syrup =

One mocha-latte

My version is really good and a whole lot cheaper than buying Starbucks, even the bottled version. It works for me.

Maryland Monday - Flour

Maryland Monday is a new series on grocery prices in the Maryland area. Each Monday I'll post the price of a common grocery item from a variety of Maryland grocery stores. I hope this helps you to find the best prices in your area and keep your grocery bill as low as possible.


This week's grocery item is flour. The prices listed below are the best price per pound at that store for the store brand unless noted otherwise:

All Purpose Bleached Flour

• BJ's (Westminster): $7.99/20 lbs (Gold Medal) = $0.40/lb
  
• Food Lion (Eldersburg): $1.89/5 lbs = $0.38/lb
  
• Giant Food (Westminster): $2.29/5 lbs = $0.46/lb
  
• Martin's (Eldersburg): $2.34/5 lbs = $0.47/lb
  
• Martin's (Eldersburg): $11.29/25 lbs = $0.45/lb
  
• Safeway (Eldersburg): $4.99/10 lbs = $0.50/lb
  
• Shopper's (Eldersburg): $2.19/5 lbs = $0.44/lb
  
• SuperFresh (Westminster): $4.49/10 lbs = $0.45/lb
  
• Wal-Mart (Eldersburg): $2.42/5 lbs (Gold Medal) = $0.48/lb
  
• Weiss (Westminster): $4.49/10 lbs = $0.45/lb
  

See more of Maryland Monday here.

Be sure to vote in the poll (left column). Which item would you like to see in the next Maryland Monday grocery comparison?