Where do you save $$$

[luvs]

That goes back to my point...nowadays more people think of ice tea as something that comes already made! Just like pretty much anything else. And it's sad.

Here's a good one for you: people go out to eat and their kids order mac n cheese!! Or a grilled cheese sandwich!!

that (offering them imacaroni/cheese) stumps me. though kiddos have got thier preferences & that is a crowd-pleaser amongst many of them. better that than steak au poive 4 a 5-year-old, i suppose.

 

[Zhizara]

That goes back to my point...nowadays more people think of ice tea as something that comes already made! Just like pretty much anything else. And it's sad.

Here's a good one for you: people go out to eat and their kids order mac n cheese!! Or a grilled cheese sandwich!!

About the tea: It costs what? $1? I buy the cheapest tea bags at either $1 or $2 for 100 packs. I use a 2 quart water container with 2 bags, put it in the fridge and in an hour I've got tea. That's 25 GALLONS for $1 or $2

 

[pigskins]

About the tea: It costs what? $1? I buy the cheapest tea bags at either $1 or $2 for 100 packs. I use a 2 quart water container with 2 bags, put it in the fridge and in an hour I've got tea. That's 25 GALLONS for $1 or $2

Haha yes but it doesn't have a cool name or a picture of a famous person on it!! Or taste like sugar and not tea at all!!

 

[pigskins]

that (offering them imacaroni/cheese) stumps me. though kiddos have got thier preferences & that is a crowd-pleaser amongst many of them. better that than steak au poive 4 a 5-year-old, i suppose.

Right. I suppose when you look at most any kids' menu it's pretty much junk.

 

[taxlady]

Kids' menu, haha. When I was 5 I remember being in a fancy restaurant in Denmark. It was lunch and Danish open faced sandwiches. The waiter told me what was on the kids' menu and I didn't want any of that. His face was precious when I answered his question of what did I want - shrimp, smoked salmon...

 

[luvs]

i used 2 get steak & seafood & that when i was a tot, there wasn't a kiddo menu @ most places then. yay! i was a foodie then & a foodie now~
as an adult, i often order kiddo meals now when dining @ mcdonalds or the likes of.
lol!
the portions, they're sort of reasonable.

 

[PattY1]

That goes back to my point...nowadays more people think of ice tea as something that comes already made! Just like pretty much anything else. And it's sad.

Here's a good one for you: people go out to eat and their kids order mac n cheese!! Or a grilled cheese sandwich!!

I would much rather carry in a box of tea bags opposed to a gallon jug of tea.

Both of witch could be made at home so much cheaper! :scratchingmyhead:

 

[bakechef]

That goes back to my point...nowadays more people think of ice tea as something that comes already made! Just like pretty much anything else. And it's sad.

Here's a good one for you: people go out to eat and their kids order mac n cheese!! Or a grilled cheese sandwich!!

Brings me back to a time when we invited a bunch of people over for a movie night. When a couple of them saw me making chocolate chip cookies with a mixing bowl, they said, "you are REALLY making cookies?" I guess they expected me to be using a tube of dough or something.

 

[Zhizara]

i used 2 get steak & seafood & that when i was a tot, there wasn't a kiddo menu @ most places then. yay! i was a foodie then & a foodie now~
as an adult, i often order kiddo meals now when dining @ mcdonalds or the likes of.
lol!
the portions, they're sort of reasonable.

Plus you get a toy!

 

[CWS4322]

I just remembered this--for years I was a able to buy chicken (43# boxes), rice (40 kg sacks), veggies (carrots, beets, etc.) in 40# sacks from a local restaurant supplier (pre garden days). Unfortunately, the company went out of business a couple of years ago. Some will sell to people "off the street" and don't require you have a business #. As long as you can store the food, you can save quite abit buying from such places.

 

[CWS4322]

Another thing that we do is we tap our silver, sugar, red, and Manitoba maple trees in the spring. Obviously sugar maple sap is the sweetest, but you can make syrup from all of the others. We evaporate ours on the wood stove in a big stainless roaster or we use the forge outside while casting stuff. I've only made maple sugar by mistake. The Minnesota Volunteer magazine has a good article on doing this. The taps are easy to make and all you need are some plastic (vinegar) jugs. It's kinda a fun thing to do. I'm looking forward to when the sap starts running again. I've heard of people tapping birch trees, but the syrup is not very sweet (IMO).

K.

 

[CWS4322]

You can freeze sap for 12 months. My dad uses his turkey fryer (outdoor, propane one) to evaporate the sap he collects. I'm eyeballing that when he decides he needs to move to a condo or retirement home <g>.

 

[luvs]

Plus you get a toy!

my kitty gets that

 

[CWS4322]

The weekly flyers come on Fridays--one of my favorite sources of entertainment is the flyer for the store that sells "frozen pre-made foods." I can't get over that people buy individual serving size bowls of microwaveable oatmeal for $2.99/serving. Everytime that is featured in the flyer, I ROFL. But, it is indicative of the fact that a lot of people have never learned to cook and don't realize that it takes as long to "make" the oatmeal in the microwave as it would to make it from scratch on the stove, or yes, the microwave. I shake my head and laugh.

Well, oatmeal is on "special" this week for $2.29. A new item was added (or at least I haven't seen it before in the flyer). 6 microwaveable grilled cheese sandwiches (I bet that's not "real" cheese used) for $7.99. Wasn't a grilled cheese sandwich one of the first foods we all cooked growing up (besides canned corn <g>)?

This chain is very popular, I guess there is a demand for it, but what does this tell us about society?

 

[balloon]

Speaking of oatmeal, I think right there you're saving money by purchasing this as a breakfast food compared to cereal. The cereals are so expensive. Oatmeal is a lot cheaper and also healthier.

 

[bakechef]

Well, oatmeal is on "special" this week for $2.29. A new item was added (or at least I haven't seen it before in the flyer). 6 microwaveable grilled cheese sandwiches (I bet that's not "real" cheese used) for $7.99. Wasn't a grilled cheese sandwich one of the first foods we all cooked growing up (besides canned corn <g>)?

This chain is very popular, I guess there is a demand for it, but what does this tell us about society?

Grilled cheese is what I make when I am too tired or don't feel like cooking. A microwaved grilled cheese sandwich just seems so wrong!

 

[CWS4322]

Grilled cheese is what I make when I am too tired or don't feel like cooking. A microwaved grilled cheese sandwich just seems so wrong!

I wonder how the bread stays crisp when nuked...I couldn't believe that there is a market demand for microwaveable grilled cheese sandwiches...what, in 20 years, a house won't include wiring for a stove (I know in Bangkok homes don't come with ovens...).

 

[joesfolk]

I wonder how the bread stays crisp when nuked...I couldn't believe that there is a market demand for microwaveable grilled cheese sandwiches...what, in 20 years, a house won't include wiring for a stove (I know in Bangkok homes don't come with ovens...).

My SIL is from Vietnam. She says although her mother sometimes cooks most folks just walk up and down the street eating from various booths. Of course she came from a relatively well to do family but she says this is what most folks do.

As for the whole eating grill cheese or mac and cheese in a restaurant thing, I kind of get that. From a nutritional standpoint it almost makes sense. If you let your kids eat that out for a treat and don't keep it in the house you are probably better off but of course it is ridiculously expense as compared to home made.

 

[CWS4322]

I have been self-employed since 1987. When the market tanked in 2007/2008, my annual income took a substantial dive (75%). I had enough of a cushion to get me through 2 years, but I never thought that I would need more than that. I should add that I don't usually get paid until 30 days after I deliver the end product to the client. This makes for tough budgeting. And, the net 10/30 has been stretched out to net 10/90.

I still eat well--I buy on special, I eat a lot more "vegan" dishes, dehydrate mushrooms, fruit, etc. when I can pick them up on special. Make my own bread, bagels, pitas, crackers, etc. I spent $80 on groceries today. Have laundry soap, shampoo, and those things, so this was all food. Combined with what is in the pantry and freezer, these groceries, including the milk--I froze some of it, have to last me until mid-late February--invoice went out today, hopefully the government clerk responsible for submitting it won't let it sit in his/her in-basket for 30 days. The self-employed don't count in the unemployment stats. Banks classify us as "non-employed" (unfortunately, Revenue Canada doesn't share this view). Life is hard when you fall through all the cracks re: assistance (no unemployment insurance for the self-employed) in today's economy. And, hearing that it won't turn around until 2015 is not inspiring.

So what did I buy? ground beef (on special), 2 roasting chickens (99 cents/pound), rice, dry beans (garbanzo, black, white navy beens), pasta, milk, eggs, and, treat to myself, avocados. I have lots of stuff in the freezer and pantry (tomato sauce, tomatoes, veggies, butter, etc.).

Now the challenge is to plan a month of menus using what I have on hand <g>. Any thoughts on recipes that can stretch these ingredients to last 30+ days?

K.

 

[blissful]

... more "vegan" dishes, dehydrate mushrooms, fruit, etc. when I can pick them up on special. Make my own bread, bagels, pitas, crackers, etc. I spent $80 on groceries today. Have laundry soap, shampoo, and those things, so this was all food. Combined with what is in the pantry and freezer, these groceries, including the milk--

So what did I buy? ground beef (on special), 2 roasting chickens (99 cents/pound), rice, dry beans (garbanzo, black, white navy beens), pasta, milk, eggs, and, treat to myself, avocados. I have lots of stuff in the freezer and pantry (tomato sauce, tomatoes, veggies, butter, etc.).

Now the challenge is to plan a month of menus using what I have on hand <g>. Any thoughts on recipes that can stretch these ingredients to last 30+ days?

K.

CWS--times are tough all over. Sorry.
Menu planning.
Portion the proteins out in 4 oz portions/per person, chicken, beef, eggs...fish? Spread that across the month equally.
Add vegan meals in between, rice/beans, corn--salsa--tortilla wraps?
Add bread or pasta to each meal to fill you up.
Eat veggies and fruit each day in some way.
Eat granola or oatmeal w/fruit/nuts and milk each day for breakfast.
Take your multi-vitamins and drink water each day.

Pasta w/tomato meat sauce, lasagna, mac and cheese.
Fried potatoes with ground beef.
Chicken soup, chicken sandwiches, roast chicken, chicken and rice.
Corn bread with beans. Gazpacho w/onions and avocado garnish.

Save $$? Make your own soap and laundry soap. Grow herbs in pots in the house for variety in your cooking in winter, grow them and veggies in the garden or in pots outside in the summer. These things help in the long run for a small investment of time and $$ but not too much in the next 30 days.

Hope those ideas help a little. Do you think with what you have on hand, you'll be able to plan out the month with enough food for your household?

Here's an inspiring blog about two people eating $1/per person per day.
Archive September | On A Dollar A Day
I in no way have been compensated for the information or providing the information, except in gaining from shared knowledge.