Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen Finale and Giveaway!

Well friends, welcome back to the last installment of Saving Money in the Kitchen.  Here we go...

Dinner time!  What's on your menu?  Fast food, you say?  Honestly, we do not usually eat out just for the fun of it.  Usually the service isn't that great, the food is just OK, and for a family of six it is just plain expensive.  Nope, we usually are only tempted to eat out when mom does not know what is for dinner.  It is irritating, it is unhealthy and it is costly. 

But I struggle with menu planning.  Can anyone relate?  The planning part is not so bad really but the coming up with things to actually put on the plan, well, that is another story.  I waffle between feeling like I am boring my family to death to trying out long, fancy recipes that take a lot of time and they all turn their nose up in the end anyway.  So. Done. With. That!

I have a new solution!  You are going to love it!
I have just finished up my second round of cooking what someone else tells me to cook for a 13 week stretch.  I love it.  I just open the book and follow someone else's plans and recipes.  Easy!

My worn, well loved copy!

I have mentioned Rachel Master's cookbook, Supper's on the Table, Come Home before.  In this 253 page, spiral bound gem, Rachel gives you 13 weeks of 5 meals each with sides along with their recipes. To sweeten the deal she also adds a complete shopping list for each week- staples included!  AND to make it even better, a special dessert and one snack idea are included for each week with all the recipes AND ingredients list.  What else could you need?

It was written by a mom with kids for a mom with kids.  'Ya know what I mean?  None of that creame de 'la something, or fancy-smanshy, I cannot pronounce nor will my family ever eat recipes.  Just real life stuff, with real life ingredients.

These are good solid meal plans- a main dish, a veggie recommendation and often a bread of some sort or a fruit.  Did I already mention kid friendly?  I admit to having 3 out of 4 picky eaters.  I do not know how it happened, but yes, my kids are somewhat picky and opinionated about food.  Out of the 80 meals listed I only replaced about 5.  And they were pretty easy fixes.  Where split pea soup was listed, for example, I just changed it to pork loin. (sorry Rachel)  I simply marked out the ingredients for that meal on the shopping list and added my own.  Now when I shop, I copy the week's ingredients list, mark out all the things I already have on hand and go get the rest of what Rachel tells me I will need.

A no brainer.
And a life saver.

Could it get any better?
Well, actually it can!  Because at the end of the book are bonus recipes for everything from homemade mixes (we use the biscuit mix recipe all of the time) to holiday meal ideas and a even section on food allergies.

Why reinvent the wheel?
Actually, I did reinvent the wheel a little.  I admit the organizational side of me loves this concept, so I got out a notebook and the recipes I have that my family loves and made my own 13 week schedule, complete with shopping lists.  It is not nearly as well done as Rachel's, but it will do.  Now I do not have to menu plan for 26 weeks.  Yea me!

This cookbook makes a great gift for young people just starting out with cooking.  Because most recipes are not too labor intensive, it is an opportunity to learn how to ease into cooking.  Rachel gives start times for each portion of the meal, helping to get it all on the table at the same time.

Want one?  You can order a copy of Rachel's book, Supper's on the Table, Come Home from her website ~ for $15.00.

Or...

Rachel is going to bless one of my readers with their own copy for free!   Enter the rafflecopter below to win.  I know you will love it.  Thank you Rachel!

Looking for ways to save money?  Menu planning can be a great tool to keep you out of the grocery store too often, and keep you from those impulse items that end up costing us way too much.  Give it a try and see if it doesn't help!

Blessings,

This post is being linked up with Amy, At Raising Arrows!

This post in being link to Caroline at The Modest Mom!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- Opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by the publisher.  I did not receive compensation in any form for this review.  The cookbook offered is from the generous offer of Rachel!

Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen- Non food items

Welcome back to my latest Fun Friday series Saving Money in the Kitchen.

 We have talked about meat, breakfasts and lunches, mixes, staples and drinks...on to the "extras."  You know, napkins, paper towels, vitamins, toiletries, and don't forget the pets!  I know that many people have a separate budget for these items but we choose to keep them in the grocery grouping as that is where I buy most of that stuff.  It just makes it easier for me.  I found that the more categories I create in our budget the more complicated I make it for myself.  I do make a separate Walgreens run, but I will get to that in a minute.

So here's the thing.  This seems to be an area that people really tend to overspend in.  I would suggest that you would be surprised if you separated and added up these type items from your grocery bills. Between what we think we need and the fun bottles and advertising, this area can KILL a budget fast!  Trust me.

Let's talk about how we save!

Napkins and paper towels.  Simply put...don't buy them!  About five years ago I decided that enough was enough.  It made me cringe to just throw money into the garbage like there was no tomorrow.  I found several packs of cloth napkins on sale and we use them solely.  I love them!  I personally use dark colors as they show stains less, but I do know that others use white so they can bleach them.  Do what works for you.  We use them until they get dirty and then they get thrown in the wash.  We have acquired enough that it is never an issue to run out.  If you are handy, get out your scrap cloth and make a set.  Same thing goes for paper towels.  Our family could go through some paper towels, I tell ya!  No more.  I purchased some cheap Walmart white dish towels and that is what we now use instead.   It may not seem like a lot, but again, I challenge you to add up the costs.  It may just shock you.

Dog food- Yes, we do feed our dogs.  No, we do not buy expensive brands.  I buy what is on sale and use coupons when I can.  I buy the largest size I can that lasts for the month.  I love my dogs, but they are dogs...I love my family more.  They are healthy (the dogs, that is.  Well, the kids too) and have not complained yet.

Shampoo, toothpaste and soap, oh my!  Oh my is right!  Those things are expensive.  Here's where it helps to not be brand loyal.  If you want to be loyal, but loyal to your friends, not brands!  I buy what is cheap, on sale and has a coupon.  Sorry folks, no fancy things here.  The point is to get clean, not win an award for fanciest products.  Because my husband travels we also use the soaps and shampoos he brings back from his hotel rooms and so often go months without buying extras.  And toothpaste...stop buying it!  No, I do not mean stop using it, but certainly stop paying money for it. Using coupons, especially ones that double, with on sale toothpaste as well as toothbrushes will result in FREE products.  You can't tell me coupons are not worth it sometimes.  Not to mention, if your family is going to a dentist twice a year you should also be given a new toothbrush every six months to supplement.

Vitamins- This is where Walgreens, or any drugstore, comes in.  In addition to the essential oils our family uses, we do take a lot of vitamins.  I buy them when they are buy-one-get-one deals, have coupons and earn "points" on a reward card.  It cuts the cost drastically and earns free money to be used the next time around.  If you do not know how play this little game, there are lots of websites out there that for free will alert you to sales and coupon match ups.  Again, it is worth it.

Tin foil, plastic wrap and other paper products.  We use very little of it.  I do keep tin foil around (usually) for the grill, but not for wrapping up stuff to just stick in the fridge.  Haven't used plastic wrap in a long time.  I did invest in some of those little plastic food covers, you know, like the ones our grandparents use.  You can often find them at the dollar store.  They fit over different sized dishes and work to keep food covered.  I have even heard of people using shower caps to do the same thing. Might have to try that!  Instead of all those plastic containers for food storage, we use mason jars and a few glass pieces that have lids.  Better to wash than to throw out.  And as for those paper plates, at one time I thought that was my answer for lunches with the kids since they eat at home every.single.day, but I realized it was just an expensive fix to try to save myself from washing dishes. Sure they are good for picnics, but I would save my money for something else otherwise.

 

And last but not least, cleaning products.  Most of you know where I stand on this, but let me revisit a few things for just a second.  I used to be queen with a capital Q of cleaning products.  I got them for cheap using coupons and sales and I stocked up on them.  With a little hounding (read here A LOT) from my oldest daughter, I stopped buying that stuff.  We now use natural ingredients and I promise, I am pretty sure my house is still as clean.  Most of those ingredients include essential oils and castille soap, (probably the two most expensive things I buy but they last forever), baking soda, and vinegar.  You can check out my  recipes here, here and here for the three I use the most.  Our laundry detergent is also one we make for much cheaper and LOVE!  It only takes a few minutes to mix up any of these and it will save you a ton of money.

Does saving money take thought?  Yes.  Does it take time?  Yes  But so does anything else you do that is worth doing.  By making well thought out decisions and changes you CAN save money.  Give it a try and see if I am right.  If you can only do a few things at once, pick some that sound easy and start small.  You can add things as you go.  Rome was not built in a day.

I would love to hear how you are saving money in the kitchen and what changes you have made already!

Next week we are going to conclude our series with Menu Planning and one of my favorite cookbooks to help you get started.  Hope to see you back!

Blessings,


  This post is linked up with Caroline at The Modest Mom!   Linking up with Amy at Raising Arrows!

Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen- Drinks, mixes and Staples!

Welcome back!  Let's jump right in!

Sometimes our biggest money wasters in the kitchen are not necessarily the big ticket items like meat.  Sometime we can, as my mom says, nickel and dime ourselves to death on the little things.  Let's talk about some of those things and how they add up.

Packets of this and mixes for that!  Costly and not that good for you anyway.  Once again, you are paying more for the packaging than you are for what is inside, I promise. 
Remember- convenience= costly!

Taco seasoning- make your own!
Salad dressings- make your own!
Onion soup mix (my favorite)- make your own!
Ketchup and barbecue sauce (on my to do list!)- make your own!

Getting the idea?  Each of those things only require a few items that you probably already have in your pantry and are so much better tasting and better for you when made from scratch.  You can reason all you want that they only cost a few dollars, but trust me when I say it adds up quickly.  Buy large containers of things like spices, flour of your choice, vinegars and so on (use those coupons!) and whip up some magic in your kitchen.  You can do it!

And let's talk about drinks!  At the risk of getting pounded- juice is NOT that good for you.  Liquid sugar my nutritionist called it when I had gestational diabetes with my third pregnancy.  That and cokes are the two things she completely took away from me.  Until then my kids and I were big juice drinkers.  It's fruit, after all.  NOT!  If you want fruit, eat fruit.  So we have given it up completely.

HA, nope, not yet at least! ;)  Old habits die hard, after all.  But we have a one-glass-at-breakfast rule which saves a ton of money.  Check out the current prices for juice.  Ouch!  I buy natural versions, dye and high fructose corn syrup free, and only on sale.  If you find a good price, stock  up!  This is one area that coupons have helped me.  Then, limit the intake.

So what else do you drink?

Water.  Lots and lots of water.  We all have stainless water bottles that you would think are attached to us.  We carry them around the house and we take them wherever we go.  I just read a statistic a few days ago that said something like 71% of all people are dehydrated.  Not this family.  ;)

Specialty drinks. We do make Russian Tea and Hot Chocolate mixes from scratch in the winter as a treat.

Soft drinks.  ummm..."Hi, I am Michele and I was a coca cola addict."  And then diet coke. Ask any of my friends.  And just like any other addict, I have given them up and then gone right back to them.  This time around, since January, I gave them up again and this time I mean business.  Saving tons of money and my health.  Now, to just get my hubby off Mt. Dew!

Coffee and tea.  Don't worry,  I can see you shifting in your seat and getting defensive, so I will keep this short.  Walk away or keep it in check.  Again, it costs money to support our habits.  Easy for me to say since neither do I like, but money is money and if you need to save, sometimes we have to let go of the extras.

Milk.  Lucky for me I do not have a house full of big milk drinkers because it is costly.  But it is good for you and this is just one of those that I just close my eyes and try not to think about the price tag. 

And though I said I was done with meat, two quick things...
Don't beat your self up if you just cannot make a whole chicken stretch for three or four meals.  No biggie.  Can you do two?  Try just a main dish and a soup.  Even then, you are saving tons of money and have chicken broth to use as well.
Secondly, a friend pointed this out and I think it bears repeating- chicken thighs are an inexpensive alternative to breasts.  This is especially true of you are using the meats for things like soups and casseroles.  Don't keep buying the same thing and paying a fortune for it.  Try something new and see what happens.

OK, that's all for my Friday ramblings for now.  Two more weeks planned for this series and then I promise I will give you a break.  Until then, I challenge you to make one change in how and what you buy and  see what happens.  Then come back here and tell us how you did.  We want to know!

Happy Friday Friends,


This post is linked up with Caroline at The Modest Mom!

Fun Fridays-Saving Money in the Kitchen with breakfast and lunch

Welcome back!  So glad you are sticking with us as we find more ways to Save Money in the Kitchen!

 

Last week we talked about one of my favorite subjects- Snacks and Desserts!  This week we are on to two of my least favorite subjects as far as the kitchen is concerned- breakfast and lunch.  Sad, but true!  I am not a huge morning person so breakfast just does not excite me and as far as lunches go, well, there have been times that lunchtime alone could have driven me to send my kids to public school.  Seriously!  The thought of putting money in their hands and having someone else feed them has tempted me many a time.  I mean, I already cook dinner for them every night- what else do they want? ;)  Why, lunch, of course.

 

But let's start with breakfast since it is fairly easy.  And let's look at the villain of the day- CEREAL!

I know, that is harsh, but hear me out.  It is processed.  It is sugar laden.  It is dye saturated. AND IT IS EXPENSIVE!  Very expensive.  And we are s-l-o-w-l-y weeding it out of our lives.  If there is one area in our diet that I have to struggle with my family over, this would be the area!  They love cereal.  And I used to be the queen of cereal.  Stack coupons with sales and you can sometimes get it at a fairly cheap price.  But, we have become a twice a week, cereal eating gang, and not very interesting cereals at that!  My goal- shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell, is no boxed cereal!  Most boxes of cereal cost $3-4.  If you only go through one box a week that is $12-15 a month just on cereal.  And we KNOW that no family goes through just one box a week.  Honestly, before I was convicted about the health reasons not to consume so much, I simply just could NOT justify spending so much money on cereal.  It bugged me!  Still does. 

 

So what does one eat instead?  Now, THAT'S a good question.  For those of you who know me or have followed the blog for a while, the first answer should come as no surprise-

 

MUFFINS!  Yes, we have a thing for muffins.  They are cheap and easy to make.  Always double the batch when you make them and freeze the extras.  Pretty soon you have a wonderful assortment to pull out of the freezer at least once a week.  My tip- don't wait til morning to make them.  Yes, it smells good in the morning, but most of us just don't have time for that.  Make them the night before and move on!  Or spend one Saturday a month making several batches to freeze.

 

 

PANCAKES AND WAFFLES!  We do this at least once a week as well, often on Saturday when dad makes them for us!  The key here to to make more than you can eat and freeze the extras!  Then you can pull out frozen ones and toast them in a minute.  Saves you money from buying in the freezer section of the grocery store and are much better for you.

 

 

EGGS!  Eggs are inexpensive compared to many breakfasts foods.  If you are blessed to have your own chickens, well, just don't tell me as I will covet them!  Scrambled eggs, french toast and breakfast casseroles are easy to whip up.  We even do a breakfast casserole overnight in the crock pot that we love!  Great for when company comes too!

 

BISCUITS AND FRUIT! Another quick thing to make.  I keep a homemade biscuit mix in the fridge that all I have to do is add milk to.  No need for expensive canned ones.  Mine may not be as pretty, but they are healthier and cheaper! 

 

OATMEAL.  Notice the lack of an exclamation.  That is purposeful.  Y'all, I do not like oatmeal.  Gag!  But luckily my kids and hubby do.  It is healthy for you and cheap.

 

OK, you get the idea.  Again, the key to saving money is to stay away from convenience food.  You pay for it.  Don't fall into that trap.  I know, you don't have a lot of time in the morning.  I understand, I am busy sleeping, remember.  Make things ahead of time and become best friends with your freezer.  Your budget will thank you.

 

Now, the dreaded lunches.  This was once such a problem at our house that I came up with a weekly lunch schedule and did not deviate from it.  Monday- Pizza, Tuesday- sandwiches and so forth.  I was tired of cooking, tired of trying to decide what to fix and even more tired of four kids having four different opinions on what we should have.  While they are older now and slightly less opinionated and therefore we do not follow the strict schedule, we do tend to repeat the same basic things. 

 

PIZZA!  We do make or have homemade pizzas once a week for lunch.  I have a simple recipe that makes a large enough pizza for the kids for lunch AND  makes one or two personal size ones to freeze.  I layer them between wax paper and then freeze in a baggie.  Then, when I do not want to take the 10 minutes to make the dough, I just pull out four of the personal sized ones and pop them in the oven.  I keep these on hand all. of. the. time!  Who would have thought that homemade pizzas would be a time saver but here in our house they are lifesavers!

 

SOUP! We do this about once a week as well.  Choose your favorite, simple recipe, make ahead and freeze.  Better for you than the canned stuff.  Since I cook a whole chicken almost weekly I will often just make chicken and rice or chicken and noodle soup the day after deboning a chicken.  We use brown rice that takes longer to cook so I make it in batches and then freeze 1 cup servings in baggies ready to just dump in the broth.

SANDWICHES! That same chicken also makes good sandwiches.  Processed meat is expensive, don't go there.  Even PB&J is cheaper.

MAC AND CHEESE!  What kid does not like mac and cheese?  Elbow noodles are a dime a dozen.  Just add a little milk and butter and a cheese of your choice and you are on your way.  Dye free!  Yes, it took my kids a little while to get over not having it from a box. But, yes, they did get over it.

LEFTOVERS! Sorry, but you know I had to go there.  I do not particularly love leftovers either but I refuse to let good food go to waste, so we do eat leftovers several times a week.  Usually there are several things to choose from and the kiddo who gets to the kitchen first when called gets first dibs.  I am fair like that.

Sure, it is easy to grab convenience food from the grocery store, but I am here to tell you, coupons or not, those foods are one of the fastest ways to run up your grocery bill.  Don't think so?  Look at your  last grocery receipt and add it up.  You will be surprised what convenience costs these days.  Staple items like flour and sugar can be bought in bulk.  Cooking from scratch and eating real foods, ones God made- not man, really will save you money!  And your health as well.  Bonus!

So, what are you fixing for breakfast and lunch at your house?

Hope to see 'ya back next week for more money saving tips!

Until then, blessings,

Linking up with Amy from Raising Arrows!

Linking up with Caroline at The Modest Mom!

Fun Friday- Saving Money on the Kitchen, snacks and such!

Welcome back to the second in my new Fun Friday series-

 

If you have just joined me you might want to start by reading the kickoff post on budgeting and last week's post on meat to catch up.

 

A quick word about meat before moving on.  I want to give you another real life example.  Last week I bought a medium sized pork roast for $8.17. (beef roast would work just the same) 

 

 

 

I popped it into the crock pot and we had pulled pork sandwiches for dinner, a family favorite.

 

 

The next day, the kids and I had pork sandwiches for lunch as well.

 

On Tuesday, the pork got pulled out again and served as stuffed baked potatoes.  (We did add veggies, I promise!)

 

 

 

Plus I froze enough meat to have pulled pork sandwiches again next month and my husband has enough for a few lunches. (he makes a wrap to take to lunch each day)

 

So that is three dinners, one big lunch and several smaller lunches for my hubby.  Depending on how you calculate it, that is at least $2.00 a meal or under! 

 

All this to say, do not be afraid of buying larger pieces of meat because of the price.  By the time you divide it up you will save money and time!  A win-win situation.

 

OK, on to snacks. 

 

We still have a snack time at my house.  I could blame it solely on the 5 year old, but that would not be quite fair.  Regardless, snack foods are expensive.  And they are loaded with bad-for-you-stuff!  You know, the stuff you cannot pronounce!  On our journey to eliminate dyes and high fructose corn syrup from our diets we have had to chosen to give up much of that stuff.  (Please remember- it does not have to have color to have dye.  Even your favorite cinnamon rolls from a can you pop open have dye in them.  Ask me how I know!)  So snack foods- yep, full of it! They are, after all, marketed for our kids and the theory these days seems to be the brighter the better.  Plus the cost- well, do not get me started.  Because they are in cute single serving sizes the prices are hiked way up!  Convenience is costly friends.

 

So our solutions-

First, fruit!  We try to keep our fruit basket full.  You never know what fruit you will find in it though because I buy what is on sale.  While some of that pricing is for seasonal reasons, some grocery stores just seem to alternate willy nilly what is less expensive.  Just buy what is on sale, it will keep your kids from getting bored!  And keep them healthier!

 

Our second line of defense- frozen cookie rolls!  The more, the better!  Each time I make homemade cookies I freeze at least one if not more cookie dough rolls.  Just wrap them in foil, label with cooking directions and store them all in a large plastic bag in the freezer.  That way, when you need cookies it is an easy task.  By doing this just a few times at first, you will build up a stash that only requires the extra mixing time once a month or so.  Think of it this way, most recipes will make 2-3 dozen.  If I make them all, I will eat them.  After the kids are long gone from the snack table a mom just feels the need to clean the plate, right?!  By only making a dozen at a time, I am saving my waist line and storing extra dough for the next week.  I even do this with the round snicker doodle dough.  The kids love it!

 

Next up- popcorn.  We use to save popcorn for family movie night, but I found that the kids really enjoy the treat and it is healthier than most of the other stuff out there.

 

There are chips and stuff out there that are not so bad for you, but they tend to be expensive.  I just do not buy them regularly.  If you feel your children cannot live without them, then I encourage you to at least buy in bulk and put them in serving size baggies for your kids.  Do not pay someone else for a few minutes worth of work you can do yourself.  It is just not worth it.

 

Other ideas- cheese squares (again, do it yourself), crackers, muffins, veggies and Popsicles.  Yes, even Popsicles.  I would have NEVER let my kids eat the ones out of the freezer section just for a snack, but since we make our own now and I know what is in them, there is no reason to save them just for special occasions. Remember, the idea is just to tide them over until dinner, not nourish them for the day.

 

And speaking of special occasions- cakes and other fancy desserts cost a fortune.  Make your own.  You will create fun family traditions in your kitchen and save money.  We typically do a special dessert on Fridays, but if that is not doable for you choose another day.  By limiting dessert to once a week it is reserved as a treat and fighting childhood (and parenthood) obesity.

 

Cooking from scratch saves money.  Really!

 

So that's it for that subject.  Again, the key is homemade.  If you can make it, do it!  I assure you it is cheaper and way better for you.  Chips and other processed foods are over rated and a habit we could all afford to take a break from.

 

You can do it!

See 'ya next week for a look at breakfast and lunch food,

 

 

 

Linking up with Caroline at The Modest Mom today!

Also linking up with Amy at Raising Arrows!

 

Fun Fridays- Saving Money in the Kitchen

Welcome to the first week of

Saving Money in the Kitchen.

  I am so excited to get started on this series.  It has been brewing in my mind for a while now, but several of your questions and emails prompted me to get it out of my head and onto the paper.  Thank you!

Yes, my monthly budget for groceries really is between $400-$450 for our family of six.  I aim for $400, but depending on what our month looks like- company, parties, holidays etc. - it can be a little more.

I will try to take each week to concentrate on a different aspect of how I save money in this particular area of our budget.  None of this is rocket science.  Most of it is probably not even new to you.  But sometimes we just need a reminder or a gentle nudge to get started.

Consider this your NUDGE!

Here we go!

Let's start with meat, as that is often one of the most expensive items in your cart at any given time.   I do get most of my meat from the commissary, but you can use these same ideas anywhere.  Let me preface this by saying, this is not organic meat.  I know, I know.  Trust me, it concerns me too, but that is one place I just have not changed over yet.  It is our goal after our summer move to buy local organic meat in bulk, but that is simply not where we are at right now.  Hopefully soon.  Until then...

Buy whole chickens in large quantities whenever you find them on sale.  Be on the lookout for .99 and even .79 sales!    Stick it in the crockpot with some water, onions and spices and you are on your way.  After it is cooked and de-boned I freeze Mr. Chicken into 2 cup portions to be used later.  Think soups, casseroles, burritos, enchiladas, and chicken salad.  Depending on the size of your chicken you can usually get 3-5 meals out of one chicken.  If said chicken cost you $5-$6 you have stretched your money by a ton.  $1.50 per serving is a bargain!  Don't forget to freeze the broth as well.  I have not bought cans of chicken broth in forever!!!

Split your chicken breasts in half!  Usually the breasts you buy are NOT a standard healthy portion. Trust me on this one.  In a world of super sizing we kid ourselves in what a portion really is. Get out a kitchen scale if you don't believe me.  By slicing the breasts in half we double what we have and are eating healthier.

Buy large cuts of meat when they are sale.  Turkeys are cheaper at Thanksgiving.  Hams are cheaper at Easter.  Buy several to stock up!  Once cooked they can be used for multiple meals.  Case in point...I got our Eater Ham for $14.00 on sale.  We ate ham for three meals, froze one 2 cup portion and two 1 cup portions of diced ham for homemade pizzas or casseroles, and three packages of ham slices to use later. That is nine meals... at a fraction of the cost!

 

Let's chat ground beef for a second.  We do not eat a lot of red meat, but we do like a good hamburger occasionally, tacos and meatballs even.  But ground beef is expensive.  Ground turkey, not so much.  So for about half our meals that call for ground beef, I substitute ground turkey. Sometime I will use half and half.  Easy!

Go meatless once a week!  Here is one that I do not do as well as others because I have picky eaters who do not care for beans.   (except CJ, of course!)  But, by buying beans in bulk rather than cans and cooking them yourself you WILL save!  Another way to do this is to cook soups.  There are plenty of recipes out there for meatless soups that when paired with rolls or some homemade bread make a hearty meal.

Eat breakfast for dinner once a week.  I started this at our house because the kids thought it was fun.  Since then, I have realized it is also cheaper.  From everyday staples like waffles or pancakes to french toast and even breakfast casseroles, you can save money with breakfast food.

Buy pork chops.  I realize pork is an off limit food for some, but if it is for you consider buying it more often.  Pork chops are less expensive than chicken and I think sometimes we just forget they are an option.

OK, I know this one is not meat, but I am going to slip it in since I have mentioned bulk buying...

Buy side dishes in bulk.  We do this in our house primarily with potatoes.  A 10 pound bag is cheap when on sale.  When we were growing them ourselves, it was even cheaper...and made me oh so happy!  (You can grow potatoes in large buckets, bales of straw and even large trash cans.  Do not let space alone be your excuse for not growing them.  It is easy and your kids will love it!) We can get a lot of side dishes out of one 10 pound bag of potatoes!  Homemade french fries, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns!   I figured out the savings once of that one bag of potatoes compared to what it would have cost me to buy bags of the frozen equivalents and the difference was about $14.00.  Never mind the health benefits.  We also buy brown rice on bulk!

So there you have it.  Told you it wasn't rocket science.  And no coupon cutting was even involved. This month we spent right at $100.00 on meat.

Come back next week and I will break down the $400.00 even more for you and focus on the dreaded snack foods!

Questions?  Ask away!  More money saving ideas?  Please share!

Until then, Happy Shopping!



Linking up with Caroline at The Modest Mom today!

It's Budget Time!

To get ready to kick off a new Fun Friday series on Saving Money in the Kitchen, I thought I would start with a little background on our budget.  I have mentioned it before, but wanted to break it down a little more for you. Please keep in mind, I am no expert at this.  We have read a lot of books, taken a few classes, read some more and been encouraged by several friends.  (Check out Dave Ramsey and Crowne Financial for a starting point.)  The following is a mixture of all and is what works for us.  I encourage you to do your research, pray about what God would have your family do and take the plunge if you have not done so already.  Budgeting has blessed us and allowed us in return to bless others...I only wish we had started at the beginning of our marriage.

I keep a little notebook with all of our categories written in it. (There are 18.) Each one then has the amount written at the top of the page with how much money goes into that category each month.  Each time we spend in that particular area, I enter the date, what we spent and the remaining amount available.  Similar to the envelope system many use, but on paper instead.  Yes, you can use any computer program to track, but I am a paper kind of gal!  The exceptions are: Allowances (ours and the kids), clothing and entertainment.  For these particular categories we do withdraw money and put in envelopes.  I have found it is just easier to keep up with.  Of course, any money left over in a category gets pushed into the next month's balance.

Groceries	$400.00
4/1 Kroger	176.95                                                 $223.05
4/1 Commissary	102.39                                                 $120.66

Our other categories include:
Groceries
Gas
Home Maintenance
Vacation
Savings
Dry Cleaning
Gifts
Car License/Tags
Car Maintenance
Homeschooling
Utilities
Haircuts
Pets
Rent
Lessons (piano, dance)
Tithe
Insurance
Phones

Each category has a set amount of money assigned to it that does not change from month to month.  Therefore if you do not have an expenditure that month your money will begin to add up in that category.  So when your car needs new tires, a ha, you have enough money sitting there waiting. 

Things like car problems or house maintenance problems are no longer panic moments for us because we set aside money each month for those things.  Vacations are easier to plan when we know how much we are able to spend before we ever go.  When it comes time to buy new curriculum for our year, the money is waiting.  You get the idea.

How did we decide actual dollar amounts?  Some were easier than others.  Take car maintenance for example.  We have two cars and are still currently upkeeping the car our oldest daughter is driving.  We figured out how many oil changes etc. each would need in a year, added it all up and then divided by 12.  There is the amount you should put away each month.  Do it for every category and you are ready to go! 

Honestly, the hardest category for me was the gifts one.  It forced me to write down every person I buy for and every occasion and assign a dollar amount to them all.  It was an eye opening experience for me and really made us reevaluate some areas.  It also now forces us to be super diligent about spending.  When figuring this one up, you can't forget little things like Easter, Valentine's Day, weddings, baby showers and on and on!  Let me forewarn you friends, this can be a major budget breaker!

One lesson we learned quickly, as your categories start to build up you have the tendency to accumulate a lot of money in your checking account.  As you accumulate more money you are more likely to spend it.  You know, "Hey, look what my bottom line says! I have lots of money left to spend!"  To avoid that temptation, categories that are not necessarily monthly occurrences for us, like maintenance categories and gifts, are transferred automatically to a separate account.  Then when we spend from those I just transfer the money back over to our primary checking.  Again, works for us.

Yes, my husband and I get allowances right along with the kids.  You didn't think I would breeze past that one, did you?  It is basically slush money to spend on whatever comes up that often does not fit perfectly into a category.  Snack at work, treat for the kids, whatever.  Or how about the going away gift at work you had not planned for, or sport pictures you forgot about.  Or the extra fun activities your child gets invited to and you want to help pay for them.  This is the money that tends to get eaten up the quickest at our house.

And that brings me to what started this whole post in the first place- the Grocery Budget.  How sad is it that one of our biggest categories is Groceries?!  I mean, really, that makes me crazy!  Some day I hope to grow most of our own food, but until this military moving family settles down, we are stuck paying others for our food.  It stinks, but one has got to eat.  In an effort to cut that category down as much as possible, I have worked hard!  And THAT is what I want to share with you this month for our Fun Fridays series!

I hope you will join us!  See 'ya on Friday!

Planning and resting

Taking today off, my friends.  My 15 year old daughter has been sick for over 6 weeks now and after multiple visits to various doctors she has finally been diagnosed with mono.  We are NOT having fun at our house right now.  Her temperature is up and her spirits are down.  She is tired and so is mom.

So we are taking a few extra quiet days to rest and regroup.

And plan!  Yes, I am busy writing 5 new posts for you.   I will be kicking off a new Fun Friday April series called Saving Money in the Kitchen by posting next Wednesday on Budgeting! 

See 'ya next week!
Have a blessed Easter,