Cutting the Cost of Food in a Crisis

Unexpected things happen occasionally in our lives that can throw us off like a pay cut or an unexpected bill. We may not have extra money in the budget to pay for it and we feel financially stressed. The grocery bill is one area that we can cut back in so we can free up money for other areas. There are some things we can do to cut costs.

1. Buy store brands. They may not taste as good or look as appetizing, but they are usually cheaper and the difference in cost can add up. You may also have to choose cheaper alternatives such as vegetable oil instead of canola oil, margarine instead of butter and imitation vanilla instead of real. You may have to give up your favorite cookies or crackers for a cheaper alternative. Realize that the goal is to feed you well balanced meals and save money. You will have to make some sacrifices, but you can still achieve the goal.
2. Cook by scratch. The time you spend in the kitchen making your own bread, tortillas, muffins, and meals will help to provide you and/or your family with nutritious meals that will taste good and cost less. Most people don’t want to eat oatmeal or peanut butter sandwiches every day, and would probably feel deprived if they did which would make it less likely that they will stick to the goal of eating for less. When food tastes good, and you have a lot of variety, people are happier. Why not enjoy your food more and save money in the process?
3. Shop sales. To maximize the amount of food you can purchase for the money you have, it is good to buy sale items each week that are lost leaders. Lost leaders are items that are greatly reduced to lure you into the store. Plan your menus around items that are on sale. Shopping carefully can provide a way to purchase twice as much food or more for the same money. Make a very detailed list and stick to it. Don’t go buy things on impulse.
4. 4. If you have limited funds, it may be wise to use the bulk food section in you local store. Foods they may cost more per pound at times, but you can buy limited amounts and only get what you need. For example, if you are making refried beans and want some cumin, you can purchase a teaspoon in the bulk food section for cents instead of spend a few dollars for a whole bottle.
5. 5. If you want to spend less on food long term, then buy things on sale and stock up. It will take a few months to get a good variety, but when you buy this way, you are buying your groceries at the lowest cost all the time instead of having to pay whatever the price is when you need something. For example, if you find butter on sale for 99 cents, buy it even though you may not need it at the time. You don’t want to wait until you need butter and then have to pay 3.50 for the same size package. Your pantry will be like your own personal store. When you eat what is on sale, and stock up what is on sale, then you can eat your regular items but only pay about half the price to do so.
6. Take advantage of local store markdowns. I found milk for 59 cents for a gallon once, and name brand yogurt for 8 cents each, and bananas for 10 cents a pound. Ask the grocery workers when they do their markdowns, and plan your trips around those times. There are wonderful bargains out there if you take the time to find out about them.

Prices are going up, so it is wise to do all we can to save money by buying things at their lowest price. When we free up money we normally spend on groceries, we can use it to pay unexpected bills or put in savings for a rainy day in the future.

Frugal Foods

Prices are rising and budgets are getting tighter. Finding ways to stretch the money we have is getting more important. Food is one area in the budget that is flexible. Finding less expensive alternatives can save us money that is needed elsewhere. There are some easy things that everyone can do which require little effort. There are three other basic things that can be done to eat for less. They are: buying things on sale, cooking from scratch and substituting with less expensive ingredients. Figure out which option or options will work with your lifestyle.

Below are some things that everyone can do which require little effort:

1. Eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.
2. Eat proper portions. No one needs 16 oz. of orange juice in the morning. One half banana or one half grapefruit is considered a serving. One or two cookies are a serving. When I make chocolate chip cookies, it is easy to eat more than a serving. I put them in bags of two and then put them in the freezer after they are cooled. Then they are ready for lunches or snacks in the future. This also reduces the temptation to overeat.
3. Eat less meat and more beans. A pound of beans is cheaper and healthier than a pound of meat.
4. Use your crock pot. Buy cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook them. Make chili or soup to use inexpensive vegetables like onions, carrots, etc.
5. Learn to use spices. Most things can taste good if they are spiced well.
6. Use your freezer. You can freeze leftovers for lunches another day or pancakes and waffles for a quick breakfast. You can stockpile food when prices are low and freeze until needed.
7. Stop buying soda. Water is healthier and much less expensive.
8. When using meat, use half the amount.
9. Eat oatmeal for breakfast. It is inexpensive, full of fiber and can lower your cholesterol. Try adding raisins, dried fruit or fresh fruit to add some variety.
10. Buy store brands. Many are guaranteed if you don’t like them.
11. Look for items that are marked down such as day old bakery items and meat.

Buying things on sale can save you a lot of money. For example, if you can buy mayonnaise on sale for $1.00, you can get three or four for the price that you would pay for one. Buy as many as you can eat before the expiration date. Be careful not to over buy, or you will end up wasting food even if it is a good price. Eat what is on sale by planning your recipes around the sale ads. For example, if chicken is on sale for a good price, choose recipes to eat that use chicken such as fajitas, chicken enchiladas, spaghetti with chicken, chicken and rice casserole, chicken noodle soup, etc. If broccoli is on sale, make stir fry, broccoli cheese soup, broccoli and rice casserole, etc. Don’t buy things that you don’t like or won’t eat just because they are on sale. Take a can opener in the car with you and buy one can of what is on sale, and make sure you like it before you buy more.

Cooking from scratch is another way to save money on food. Find recipes for basics such as bread, tortillas, muffins, biscuits, rolls, bagels, crackers, etc. Learn to make your own cakes instead of buying a mix. If you make your own food, you will know exactly what is in it and it won’t be full of preservatives like packaged versions. Cooking from scratch doesn’t take that much more effort in many cases. Making your own French fries tastes better than the frozen or fast food version. There’s nothing like the smell and taste of homemade cookies.

If you don’t have a lot of time to cook by scratch or don’t want to take the time to buy things on sale, you can still do some things to lower your food budget. Try to find recipes that are less expensive to make. For example, instead of making lasagna, make spaghetti. Instead of tacos with meat, use refried beans. Instead of making enchiladas with chicken or beef, make them with rice and beans. Instead of cold cereal, eat hot cereal. Bananas are cheaper than strawberries; carrots and onions are cheaper than cauliflower and broccoli.

Food is one of the most flexible areas in the budget. Buying things on sale, cooking from scratch and using less expensive ingredients can help lower your food budget so you can free up money that is needed for something else.

Santa’s Secrets to Saving

Enjoy Christmas without having anything to pay for when it is all over. You can spend less and still have a great holiday. By following some simple steps, you can enjoy your holiday and have it paid for.

1. CREATE A BUDGET: Figure out a reasonable budget that you can afford without using credit cards. You don’t want to be paying for Christmas months after the holiday it is over. Set the money aside in a savings account or in an envelope specifically marked only for Christmas. Use only what you have set aside. Stop when your money runs out.
2. DECIDE WHO YOU WILL GIVE GIFTS TO: Once you know how much money you have to spend, determine who you wish to buy and make gifts for. Consider a family gift instead of individual gifts. Draw names out of a hat instead of giving a gift to everyone at work. If you can’t figure out what to do for someone who has everything, donate money to charity in their name.
3. PLAN CAREFULLY: Estimate costs for each person and gift and stay within your budget. If the estimates are more than you have to spend, cut back by making necessary changes so it will be within your budget. For example, instead of sending expensive gift baskets, buy baskets on sale and make your own baked goodies. Copy ideas from companies who sell baked good for Christmas or check out a book from the library about different gifts you can make from the kitchen. Remember, the true meaning of Christmas is about giving from the heart and not just from the pocketbook.
4. SEND GIFT CARDS: There is a greater chance the recipient will like what you give if you send a gift card. They can easily be mailed in a Christmas card. Save yourself hours of shopping, money for gift wrap, long lines at the post office and extra mailing costs.

If you do decide to send gifts, take advantage of free gift wrap at stores. Send gifts well in advance to pay less on postage and avoid long lines at the post office.

Buy ingredients at Thanksgiving time when flour, butter, sugar and other baking items are priced very low. Do Christmas cooking ahead of time and freeze items. Consider doubling your dinner recipes and freeze meals so they will be available later in December when things get busy. Instead of spending the money to go out for fast food on a busy day, eat a healthier meal from the freezer.

If you are having a Christmas party, consider doing a potluck. Besides saving money and time in the kitchen, you can try a variety of different foods that people bring.

Keep all receipts in a folder. You will be able to find them easily this way if you need to exchange or return anything.

The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. With careful planning, you can enjoy it regardless of the amount of money you have to spend.

Hints from a Garage Sale Guru

Many Americans are feeling the “pinch” with rising prices of food and gas. Money doesn’t go as far as it used to. Because of this, more and more people who choose to go to garage sales instead of buying everything in retail stores. Besides finding tremendous bargains at a fraction of the original cost, you can also feel good inside knowing that you are helping the earth by recycling when you purchase used items instead of new.

Have a clear idea of what you want before you go to any garage sales. Make a list of items you want or need and take it with you. This will help to avoid wasting money by purchasing unnecessary items. Be very selective when you go. When buying clothing, check for stains, check zippers, and count buttons on clothing. Make sure electronic items work by plugging them and testing them in before you decide to buy. Look for missing pieces when looking at puzzles and games and see if there are chips in glassware. Don’t buy something just because it is inexpensive. There are many quality items out there. Even though things are inexpensive, they add up quickly. You don’t want to clutter up your home by purchasing unnecessary items. The real purpose of going is to buy what you need and want at a fraction of the price. Leave the great bargains that you don’t need for someone else to enjoy.

Prices may be higher than you want to pay. Don’t be afraid to bargain if you feel the price is too high. I don’t feel like I am trying to take advantage of anyone when I ask them if they would be willing to go down in price. They can always say no or choose a lower price that is acceptable to them. If they are asking a very fair price, then I personally wouldn’t try to bargain down the price. You can always walk away if you don’t feel comfortable about the cost. The greatest bargains can be found towards the final hour of the sale. By then, people are more willing to get rid of their treasures and some may make everything free just to save themselves from having to haul it away.

When going to garage sales, one of the hidden costs that people don’t always think of is the cost of gas. There are things you can do to keep gas costs lower. First of all, go through the sales and determine which ones you want to go to. Areas with more than one garage sale may be more worth the time and money to go to. Avoid driving long distances just for one sale. There will always be another sale in the future and you may end up spending more money than you save. One gas saving option is to carpool with friends and take turns driving or split the cost of the gas. You get time to visit as well as getting great bargains. Drive the most economical car you have. This is a time when you want the best gas mileage. Map out your stops and check times so you are not doing a lot of waiting or driving back and forth. To determine just how much you spend on gas, fill up the tank before you go. After you are done, fill the tank with gas again. The amount you spend the second time will be the amount you have spent to go to garage sales.

Going to garage sales can be a fun adventure as you get great bargains and make your money stretch. Be careful though, because you might just get hooked and skip going to retail stores in the future!

Buy it or Bag it

Is it really worth the cost to make your own lunch, or is it just as cost effective to buy lunch? For adults, there is no question that bagging it is less expensive and healthier. You could buy an inexpensive burger and fries for about the same cost as making your lunch, but there may be negative long term consequences for your health. Another option is to take leftovers for lunch. You can make your food stretch further, as well as saving the time making your lunch the next morning. For kids with school lunch, there are so many variables that the choice of how to provide lunch for your kids depends on what is important to you. Here are ideas to help you decide which is better for you.

Having kids eat cafeteria lunches is more convenient. It costs about $1.50 per day per child to eat school lunch if they are in elementary school and about $1.75 per day if they are in junior high and high school. Teenagers are more likely to spend more money than that since most don’t seem to like cafeteria lunches and may choose to eat elsewhere. It is important to ask yourself if your child will even eat the lunches at school. Some of our kids would rather skip lunch than have a cafeteria lunch. It is a waste of your money if they aren’t eating it. Are the lunches healthy enough for your standards? Do they get the nutrition they need or are there too many high-fat, fried foods? Let’s say you have 4 kids. Two are in elementary school and two are in junior high school. The weekly cost would be about $32.50. How much would it cost to make lunches? There are many variables to be considered. I did an analysis of prices in the most expensive grocery store in town. I used regular prices, not sale prices for the analysis. I could have saved $5 or more on the items I priced if I had used the store’s sale prices. If you buy individually wrapped items, the cost would likely be more than the cost of the cafeteria. On the other hand, you could save money if you make homemade bread and cookies or buy things on sale or at the least expensive store in town. It is also important to remember that younger children usually eat smaller portions. By sending half as much as is sent for older kids, your money will stretch further. And, if your kids like peanut butter and jelly every day of the week, then you could save even more! Kids never seem to have enough time to eat a big lunch at school, so you need to be wise in determining the amount to send.

This list includes groceries to make two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, two egg salad sandwiches and one tuna sandwich per child for the week. It also includes a daily drink, fruit or vegetable and a snack. All prices are regular store prices, not sale prices.

Expensive Store-Name Brand (ESNB): These groceries are all name brand items bought at the most expensive store in town. They are not sale prices. I could have saved over $5 with the regular sale prices on these name brands the day I shopped.

Expensive Store-Store Brand (ESSB): These groceries were bought at the most expensive store in town. Some of the store brands do not taste as good as the name brands, but are priced more reasonably if you are not as picky about name brands.

Homemade (HOME): When food is homemade, it usually tastes better and has fewer preservatives. You know exactly what is in your food when you make it. You can also buy juice concentrate and put in containers or use powdered drink mix or water to save even more.

Inexpensive Store-Name Brand (ISNB): These are name brands bought at the most reasonably priced store in town.

Inexpensive Store-Store Brand (ISSB): These are store brands bought at the most reasonably priced store in town.

Cafeteria (CAFÉ): Lunch purchased at school cafeteria

	ESNB	ESSB	HOME	ISNB	ISSB	CAFE
2 Loaves of Bread	4.98	1.78	~1.00	4.38	1.58
2 lbs. carrots	1.49	1.49	.79	.79	.79
1 bag apples	2.99	2.99	1.99	1.99	1.99
Eggs for egg salad	2.29	1.49	1.29	1.29	1.29
Tuna	.79	.59	.49	.71	.49
Mayonnaise	2.49	1.89	1.67	2.18	1.67
Peanut Butter	2.69	2.19	1.29	2.13	1.29
Jam	2.49	1.99	1.90	2.42	1.90
Drink/Juice Boxes	6.98	5.00	~2.00	6.06	5.20
Chips or Cookies (2)	2.99	1.79	~2.00	2.89	1.62
Total	30.18	21.20	14.42	24.84	17.82	32.50

Figure out what really matters to you. Is your time or money more important? Is the quality of the food and nutritional value more important than the best value for your dollar? Saving ten dollars per week using store brands instead of name brands adds up to $520 per year. If you send homemade lunches, shop at a less expensive store, or shop sales and are more cost conscious, you can save over a $1,000 per year. It can really add up. Think of all the things you could do with that extra money. Not only are you saving, you also gain the opportunity to earn a return on the money saved. By experimenting and finding out the appropriate balance you will be happy with your decision.

Divide Before You Devour

After making a batch of hot chocolate chip cookies, it is very difficult to eat only two. Frequently the whole batch is eaten soon after it is cooked! I have learned that by putting them in sandwich bags after they have cooled and then freezing them, I eat less and have cookies for lunches in the future. This same process can be used for chips, store-bought cookies or other snacks. If you divide them into single portions when they are opened and put them away or freeze them right away, they are out of sight and out of mind. Having these portions prepared ahead of time makes sack lunch preparation much less stressful. I have done this same thing with dinners. Divide before you devour. If I find that I have more than I need for the night, I put the extra into one serving containers and either put them in the refrigerator or freezer for lunches the next day. We make pizza bread and after they are cooked and cooled we divide before we devour. They freeze well and when put in lunches in the morning they are defrosted by lunch time. To make them, you can use your favorite bread recipe you like or use frozen bread dough (see recipe below). After the bread has risen once, separate it into about 3 or 4 inch balls. Roll each ball flat and place shredded cheese and pepperoni on top. I prefer mozzarella cheese, but I have used all kinds. You can also substitute the pepperoni with Italian sausage, cut up ham, turkey, chicken etc. Just make sure the meat is cooked ahead of time. Be creative. Vegetables do not work too well because they are too moist. After you put your choice of meat and cheese on top of the rolled dough, roll up your pizza bread like you would cinnamon rolls, and seal the edges by pinching the dough together. Let them rise for about 30-45 minutes and then bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. You can serve them for your meal and then freeze the extras in sandwich bags. It is a nice change from peanut butter and jelly. Just freeze and it really makes lunch making a breeze. You can use the same process when you have extra muffins, cake, etc. Leave out the amount you think is a good for your family and freeze the rest. Below is my favorite bread recipe that I have used for many years. The dough is excellent for kids to play with because it isn’t too sticky. I usually don’t need flour on the counter when rolling it out. I usually make a batch and divide it in half to make nice rolls for dinner and let the kids play with the rest and make what they want. Everyone is happy that way! They make rabbits, alligators, teddy bears and all sorts of things and keep busy while I make my rolls the way I want.


FRENCH BREAD

Dissolve 1 pkg. Yeast (about 1 tablespoon) in ½ cup warm water. Add 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Cup quite warm water, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 heaping Tablespoon shortening. Add about 4 cups flour. Let rise until doubled. Shape and let rise. Bake bread at 350, rolls at 375 until brown. Rub butter on top after baking while still hot if desired.

I ALWAYS double this recipe because that way I only have to get the 1 cup measuring cup and the Tablespoon measuring spoon dirty.

Everyone can use a little bit of convenience in their lives. Instead of paying someone else to do it by buying prepackaged items, why not do it yourself? Besides getting more mileage out of your work, it also makes your food stretch and your money last longer.