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Post by mountaingirl on Jun 21, 2008 11:50:19 GMT -5
With gas prices going through the roof and the unfortunate flooding in the mid west, I was wondering what creative ideas everyone had about making ends meet. We've all seen these current situations drive up the price of food.
Everyone's family is unique but I would like to find some ideas that might work for our family. Even if the ideas won't work for my family I'm sure there are families that it will work for.
1. We are still trying to grow our first garden and I'm not sure if we'll even get anything this year.
2. We are a family of 5 on a food budget of $400/mo.
3. Powdered milk around here is $3/gal which is more expensive than regular milk. I can run across the street to the gas station and purchase 3 gals for $7.00 and eggs are 2 doz for $3.
4. My husband has a digestive disorder where he can only eat leftover veggies and some leftover starches. Absolutely no leftover meat. He has to have freshly prepared food everyday. The specialist stated it takes him 3-4 times as long to digest his food than other people which makes him very ill sometimes. The kids and I do eat leftovers of all kinds.
5. Everyday in my DH lunch he takes 2 PB&J's and I cook him fresh meat when he comes home. What makes ends meet now is that M-W he usually does not get home until after we've eaten dinner. So we will eat leftovers, eggs, French toast, soup, etc. and I will cook him a fresh meal with meat when he gets home. Sometimes a chicken breast, or if it is sloppy joes or spaghetti then the kids and I can save it for leftovers.
6. My husband is a meat and starch kind of guy. He has to have meat and a starch every night.
7. We are extremely blessed in the fact that since my DH works out of the home, we don't have to pay for gas for the go to work/come home from work. He does drive all day long but his employer gets the gas bill.
8. I make our own bread except I'm still trying to get Italian Sausage/Brat buns down. I do alright with hamburger/sloppy joe buns.
Any suggestions that you may have I am extremely grateful for.
God Bless!
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Jun 21, 2008 12:48:41 GMT -5
Hi Mountanigirl,
I have a few ideas for but I am in the middle of a very important project right now. I will post either tomorrow or Monday.
tb
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Jun 23, 2008 16:49:16 GMT -5
Hi Mountaingirl,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you ... busy, busy, busy down here. Anyhow, I will address each specific point that you brought up.
1. Gardening. High fives on an attempt. I remember you sending us the photos of the June snow you all were blessed with. Uncooperative weather is one of the down sides to gardening. Don't give up. If you don't get a good harvest this year, try again next year. Between now and next spring try to save up a little cash to purchase some plastic sheeting. Keep it stored with your gardening supplies, then if another "freak" snow is forcasted you will be able to cover your seedings before the snow begins falling. The covering should help. Also, if you are feeling adventurous, you may try building a PVC pipe and plastic sheeting greenhouse for an EARLY fall garden. Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, brussel sprouts, and English peas prefer cooler temperatures.
2. Currently, we also have 5 living in our home and I feed us on about $400 per month also. With the rising food prices it has become a little more challenging, but I am still doing it. I do suggest that you inquire with your butcher as to when he puts the reduced for quick sale meat out. You can then make a point to shop very early on those days. Just make sure you divide out the meat portions and freeze them as soon as you get home, that way none of it will spoil before you cook it. Also,the first thing I've done is reduce the amount of meat we consume, as meat is the most expensive portion of any meal. I reduce the meat measurement by 1/2 in all casserole type recipes. You've said you husband prefers a meat and a starch every evening, mine does too. However, I am blessed that he has realized that with food prices where they are, we just simply can't have a hunk of meat with every meal. He and I have found a compromise - things like the following: casseroles (he still gets his meat and his starches, only they are mixed together) *Turning 1 roast into 3-5 meals (depending on size) by making: bbq meat for sandwiches & baked potato toppings; spicy shredded beef for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas; cubing some of it (about 1 - 1 1/2 c.) for beef tips w/ gravy served over rice or noodles (remember when the cubes are cut small, they not only cook faster but also give an ILLUSION of more). Since your husband can't eat leftover meat use a sharp knife and cut the roast up before cooking it. Freeze the uncooked portions until you are ready to make any particular dish.
*Stretching 1 chicken into three meals by boiling and deboning it. I then make things like chicken and dumplings, chicken noodle casserole, chicken & rice casserole, chicken vegetable soup, spicy chicken tacos or enchiladas, chicken spaghetti, chicken pot pie. Again, since your husband can eat only freshly cooked meat, cut up and divide the chicken and then freeze the portions - 1 leg, thigh, wing = one meal; 2nd leg, thigh, wing = second meal; 2 breasts (great cut into thin strips for chicken fajitas) = 3rd meal; back & neck are boiled down for additional chicken stock which can be frozen or canned.
*Ground hamburger meat. Freeze it in 1/2 lb. portions for spaghetti w/ meat sauce, beefy noodle casserole, beef-n-potatoes, dirty rice, shepherd's pie, beef pot pie, chili w/ beans, etc. If we do have hamburgers or salisbury steaks I stretch 1 lb. into 5 servings by adding bread crumbs or dry oatmeal w/ an egg.
*Sausages. Again, I reduce the serving sizes by serving it sliced thin (remember that illusion thing) in bbq sauce; w/ cabbage or kraut; sausage w/ peppers & poatotes; sausage w/ pasta; insted of placing a whole sausage on a bun cut it in half length wise.
*Hotdogs. Although I prefer not to feed my family hotdogs for various reasons, we have been in the financial position where we were forced to eat them pretty regularly. My rule of thumb was one wiener per person. They were turned into meals like: beanie wienies (2-3 cans pork-n-beans w/ sliced hotdogs [could also use sausages, for 5 people I'd use only 2 sausages], diced onions and other spices); hotdogs mixed with mac&cheese, add a few diced oinons and bell peppers; sliced hotdogs in bbq sauce served on a roll w/ onion and sweet pickle slices.
*Steaks. One can often find steaks in the "reduced for quick sale" bin. A "steak and baked potato" supper is extremely rare at our house. However, I will thinly slice one steak into strips for fajitas or pepper steak served over rice. I will cut a large steak into 5 portions and make swiss steak in the crock pot, I serve this with garlic buttered noodles.
*Pork. Pork chops/steaks seem to be the most economical cut of pork in our area of the country. We don't eat much pork but, when we do, I stretch it into meals like: cubed pork & rice casserole, spicy shredded pork for taco & burritos.
*Lamb. I never purchase lamb as it is VERY expensive where I live.
*Seafood. One would think that since we live in the gulf coast region, seafood would be inexpensive. Not the case. Again, we eat seafood only a few times per year because it is so expensive. However, when I do cook seafood, again, I try to stretch it by reducing the serving size and adding a filler such as rice or potatoes.
The key here is mixing meat with "stretchers", rice, potatoes, pastas, stuffing, & vegetables.
Not only can you purchse meat from the "reduced for quick sale" bins, but my local grocer also has bins for dairy (I freeze the cheese & yogurt until I'm ready to use it), baked goods, canned goods, baking goods, etc.
Couponing. I have visited many, many, many blogs where ladies save a TON of money by using coupons. Keeperofthehome has a couple links on her blog for some great coupon saving ideas. (for me personally, couponing has not been as great a saver as it is for some, but that is because I only buy "staples" never pre-prepared or pre-mixed anything.)
I make just about everything from scratch. Here's a list of things I never purchase (I make all these from scratch at home): any type of pre-prepard foods (hamburger helpers, seasoned rice mixes, cake, brownie, cookie mixes etc.), cold cereals, condiments (salad dressings, ketchup (only because we grow tomatoes), bbq sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, chutneys, tarter sauce, etc.) frostings, seasoning packets, sodas, chips, crackers, candy, etc. See if your library has the book Make A Mix Cookery by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover. It has tons of "make your own mixes" recipes. Also, www. cooks.com and other on-line recipe sites have recipes so you can make your own condiments. (most are made from, eggs, vinegar, milk, sugar, spices, etc.)
3. If you are fortunate enough to be able to purchase milk and eggs so inexpensively, thank the Lord and keep doing it.
4. Husband's digestive disorder. Although I am not a doctor OR any other sort of degreed professional, I do know that of all the foods humans consume, meat is the most difficult to digest. With a disorder that takes 3-4 times longer to digest food than the normal human, if I were your husband, I'd seriously consider reducing the amount of meat I consumed. When food sits in our digestive tract for a prolonged period of time (for whatever reason), it litterally begins to rot (dark, damp, 98.6 degrees of consistant heat). This rotting forms gases (bloating & cramps) and all sorts of harmful toxic bacteria. That toxic bacteria could cause some very severe health problems later on in your husband's life. Has your husband's physician suggested any sort of pro-botic enzymes to aid in your husband's digestion? Pro-botic enzymes are the healthy flora bacteria that help to break down food in the digestive tract and they also eat the unhealthy toxic bacteria. I'd also reccomend that he eat his meat during the last half of his meal. The reason is because since meat is so difficult to digest any food eaten after the meat, sits behind it waiting for digestion. Get the more easily digested foods down in the digestive tract early on and maybe some of the pain associated with his disorder will be reduced. Also, there is a math soultion here as well. He fills up on the other vegetables thus, only wanting a small portion of meat - better for his digestive condition and better on the grocery budget.
5. I commend you for preparing your husband's meals fresh for him when he arrives home even though it is late after you and the children have already eaten. This is a wonderful way to show him how much you care for and love him. However, I can imagine that at times the need to prepare two meals each evening has been very hectic. For this, I suggest that since you and the children can eat leftovers that you cook only once per evening. Cook a nice meal for your husband on Monday, you and the children eat the leftovers for supper on Tuesday. On Tuesday you cook a meal when hubby arrives home and you and the children eat it for supper on Wedneday, etc. etc.
I hope some my suggestions are helpful to you. I also hope some of the other ladies will share their money saving ideas.
tb
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keeperofthehome
Senior Member
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...She will do him good & not evil..."
Posts: 840
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Post by keeperofthehome on Jun 23, 2008 21:42:09 GMT -5
TB ~ Wow!
I have certainly learned a lot from all the posts on this thread. Again all I can say is WOW!
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Post by mountaingirl on Jun 24, 2008 16:23:13 GMT -5
Thank you tbhas6 you have given my some new ideas.
Some of the things that you mentioned I already do. Most of the time the kids and I will eat leftovers, so I'm really only "cooking" one meal per night. To keep costs down at least one night a week is breakfast night where I will make scrambled eggs and toast, or pancakes, or french toast, etc. My kids really enjoy this and it keeps the food bill down so I don't mind cooking 2 meals on that night. Plus my 10 yo loves to help cook so it helps me out a lot.
Usually I will thaw out a chicken breast for my DH and prepare it for him when he comes home when we have breakfast night.
One dish my entire family really likes is homemade chicken strips or chicken nuggets. This meal too is really inexpensive. I simply cut the chicken into small strips or small pieces use a breading of eggs, flour, and seasoning and then fry. By cutting the chicken into smaller pieces and adding the breading it gives the illusion that there is a lot of meat on the table. I usually also serve this meal with some type of potatoes and veggies.
My DH and I have already had the conversation about cutting down the amount of meat that he eats but he won't have it. He has had this condition for about 8 1/2 years now and he has learned how to deal with it. He figures that since he had to give up his all time favorite, dairy that he is not giving up meat. With his new job it gives me the opportunity to enjoy a few meatless meals once in a while. I do enjoy meat but I also enjoy not having it sometimes.
I am thinking about running to the dollar store to find some plastic containers to make some of my own condiments. We too make almost everything from scratch but I would love to start making our own condiments.
We try to make all that we can from scratch for three reasons. 1. It usually costs a lot less. 2. We keep an eye on how much soybean we take in because of all of it's side affects it can have when you take in too much. Most of the processed foods/mixes have soy in them. 3. My DH can actually manage his health better if he doesn't have to deal with all of the perservatives.
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Post by keflavik on Jun 24, 2008 16:50:06 GMT -5
To make ends meet, you have to look at your overall lifestyle. Yes, food does make a major dent in the wallet but, in what other ways of life can you save money? (By the way, great ideas tb!) Do you go to town for "this and that" 3-4 times a week? Try making one trip with a list and do all the errands then to save gas. Are you buying brand new clothes or shopping the thrift stores and garage sales? In the winter, do you set the thermostat to wear a sweater or shorts? Do you pay for water? Look to see if you can save by sharing bath water with the kiddies or using it to water the garden. Is that cable bill an absolute necessity? Are you getting a daily newspaper and never reading it because you don't have the time? Same with magazine subscriptions. Can you raise the deductibles on your insurance premiums and get a better rate? Do you have the room in your house to store items that are bought in bulk and cheaper like toilet paper. Do you use cloth napkins? Paper products are an extreme waste of money in my opinion including plates, cups and towels. (I use a rag to wipe up spills) Can you make your own cleaning products? These are another big money loss. If you have little ones are you buying baby food? Why? Make your own for a fraction of the cost and it's healthier. Use cloth diapers. Are you paying monthly for a vehicle that sucks gas too? Would it be wiser to sell it and get a "beater" to do the job with better gas mileage? Do you have a side hobby that you might could make a little cash by selling? One really has to look at all aspects with a critical eye and see if there may be another less expensive way of going about it. I often think of what the pioneers might have had to do to get by and that gets the creative juices going. My mother's favorite saying when I was growing up was,
"Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do. Or do without."
Hated it then but it has saved me a lot now. I think, as a society, we are terribly spoiled with the abundance of "stuff" that it clouds our mind and judgement. We need to use wise discernment to make our money go farther.
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Jun 24, 2008 18:44:45 GMT -5
Keflavik,
Great recommendations. Have you and your husband been listening to Dave Ramsey's radio program? (hee, hee). Sounds a lot like some of his advise. I'd also like to add to your suggestions:
cell phones - My husband's employer pays for his but not mine. Since my husband works out of town all the time AND we live in a semi-rural area, hubby insists that I carry one. But I REFUSE to pay $40-$60 on a monthly plan. So I have what my children refer to as a "ghetto phone" - the pre-paid kind. I simply load $20.00 on it about once every three months. I purchased the phone for $60.00 three years ago soooo, so far, including amortizing the cost of the phone, that comes out to about $8.34 per month. (note: I do not give my cell number out as an alternate number - only my husband and children have it & if they call my cell, the calls lasts generally less than 2 min.)
My teenager has his own "ghetto phone" which he pays for himself - that's right...I also refuse to pay for my children's cell phone usage. We have a land-line at home that mom & dad pays for and he is welcome to use that at no charge.
If people looked at cell phone, cable/satellite t.v., magazine subscriptions, newspaper subscriptions, 2nd car payments, clothes dryer usage, etc. as an annual bill, they might be more inclined to forgo those luxuries. For instance:
Family Plan for 3 cell phones ($90.00 per mo.) = $1,080 per yr. Cable/Satellite t.v. service ($65.00 per mo.) = $780 per yr. 4 mag. subscriptions ($15.00 ea. / renewable at various times) = $60.00 per yr. Newspaper subscription ($8.00 per mo.) = $96.00 per yr. 2nd car payment ($375.00 per mo.) = $4,500 per yr. Extra insurance for 2nd car pymt ($50.00 per mo.) = $600.00 per yr. clothes dryer usage ($13.00 per mo.) = $169 per yr.
Annual Total = $7,285 per year OR $607.08 per month
Keflavik is right, we all must learn to look at our over-all style of living. Whenever my husband and I consider taking on a monthly payment such as cable t.v., I always pull out the calculator and figure up the annual cost - so far, we've consistently decided all those seemingly small chunks of money are best applied to some other long-term goal.
tb
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Post by twobabiesforme on Jul 4, 2008 15:50:51 GMT -5
Have you considered Angelfood Ministries to help reduce your food bill. We checked them out and now purchase from them before I do my grocery shopping. Couponing is a great way to reduce your food budget.
Everyone else has had some great suggestions as well.
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Post by onsite on Sept 2, 2008 12:17:02 GMT -5
I thought about trying angel food but haven'y yet.
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Sept 2, 2008 14:27:28 GMT -5
I know many families who have used Angel Food ministries to help reduce the grocery budget - and they have been very pleased. Hillbilly housewife web-site actually has monthly menu ideas using the food items from Angel Food ministires. www.hillbillyhousewife.comtb
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Post by nikmom on Oct 15, 2008 21:51:14 GMT -5
our state doesn't have angelfood. but I have heard of Project Share. Does anyone have their website?
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Oct 19, 2008 11:22:54 GMT -5
It is my understanding that Project Share is done on a local site-by-site basis.
You may try a google search of Project Share along with your city or county name. example: project share tulsa ok
tb
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jalynn
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Posts: 512
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Post by jalynn on Oct 19, 2008 13:06:11 GMT -5
A friend of mine who lives in Tn. told me about a story on the tv show Inside Edition that has surplus groceries in alot of states & all still have at least 6 mos. shelf life. I went to their website....InsideEdition.com then to andersonscountrymarket.com & it has a listing of store locations...there's one within an hour of our home so next payday we'll be checking it out. They say alot of the things are "promotions" w/logos & after the promotion time has passed they can't sell products w/that logo on it so it goes to the surplus markets. Ours is run by an Amish community so they also have cheeses,etc. It showed pix of the market & they're a full service store. I'm anxious to see what they have...check it out online. Like TB I always cut a roast into seveal meal size portions & freeze...I get free "dog" bones at the butchers & boils for beef stock...then treat all the neighborhood dogs to a "treat"! I freeze the broth. I also by the huge bag of chicken legs & thighs at Walmart for $3.90 for 10# but they have broken bones & lots of fatty skin on them...I clean & cut all I can then boil the skin for broth...I can usually get 6 0r 7 meals from them...I always have afew sandwich bags frozen with little pieces to use for chicken salad, ham salad, etc..I even do roast or beef salad...I use the beef tongue for that...I boil a beef tongue in water w/a bay leaf for a couple of hrs. or until the outter layer of the tongue splits open...then you peel it & the meat is really good...my family loves it...tastes like roast..I'll slice & serve w/rice & gravy or dressing then make the beef salad w/mayo,sweet relish, onion powder& a little salt....mix & it's sandwich spread! If you can get past the "knowing " it's a tongue you'll do fine...the butcher usually has them...we buy a beef from DH nephew every yr. so well take all the "extra parts"...! You can also make a casserole from any meat ...I used to fry beef liver to almost done stage then put in a baking dish sprinkle w/just a lilttle flour then layer w/sliced onion then thinly slice potatoes & flour again then add enough milk to cook in...it's kinda like scolloped potatoes but the family loves it that way...I've used ham & pieces of chicken that way too....hope it helps....!
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jalynn
Senior Member
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Post by jalynn on Oct 19, 2008 13:10:21 GMT -5
Oh, I forgot....does DH like eggplant? When I was first married many yrs. ago we ate eggplant instead of meat...it has the same nutritious values as meat...not the expense thought...they're easy to grow too...
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Post by mountaingirl on Nov 3, 2008 22:52:37 GMT -5
DH is getting better about having less meat at the table. He is also very open now to deboning a whole chicken while it is raw and freezing it in pieces. I can also using the bones to make my own chicken broth.
He doesn't like eggplant but he is getting into more soups. God is great and has been working on our entire family.
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