Easy Way To Save $ Per Month

[momatheart]

haha, it's a bit facetious but here's a way to save $$ each month: don't lose food in the back of your freezer! I cleaned out the freezer tonight and found 2 steaks (for a total of $21!!!) back there. I think those are going on the menu for later this week...

On a more serious note--planning meals in such a way that you make sure to use things up, or freeze them if you're not going to use them (like if you need fresh cilantro, either plan a couple meals that will use it up, or freeze it then REMEMBER that it's there and use it later). Or if you open a container of chicken broth, make sure to use all of it or freeze it before it spoils.

it takes time to plan meals in an "organized" fashion like that, but saves a lot of $$ in the long run.

Also doing stuff like going to Pick Your Own produce places during the spring/summer and getting strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, tomatoes, etc then freezing them for the rest of the year. This can save you bundles of money!

I too will try and plan a menu before going shopping. That does save a lot of money. When I first started doing that I was amazed at what little I actually had to buy.

I have also bought hamburger on sale in 4 pound amounts and browned it all and then made spaghetti and beef stroganoff I had meals for the next two days and I froze the rest for a later dates.

Thinking of doing once a month (OAMC) cooking.

[marniewon]

haha, it's a bit facetious but here's a way to save $$ each month: don't lose food in the back of your freezer! I cleaned out the freezer tonight and found 2 steaks (for a total of $21!!!) back there. I think those are going on the menu for later this week...

On a more serious note--planning meals in such a way that you make sure to use things up, or freeze them if you're not going to use them (like if you need fresh cilantro, either plan a couple meals that will use it up, or freeze it then REMEMBER that it's there and use it later). Or if you open a container of chicken broth, make sure to use all of it or freeze it before it spoils.

it takes time to plan meals in an "organized" fashion like that, but saves a lot of $$ in the long run.

Also doing stuff like going to Pick Your Own produce places during the spring/summer and getting strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, tomatoes, etc then freezing them for the rest of the year. This can save you bundles of money!

Excellent advice! I always end up throwing out "science experiments"!! I know I need to plan better. My problem is, every time I think I have things planned perfectly, my family will be more hungry and eat my "leftovers" for dinner! Or, I'll make just enough for dinner and lunch the next day, and no one will eat it and it sits in the fridge until I have to throw it out. I have a dh and 2 male teens living here. The 16yo is killing me with the food bill!

Some friends and I are doing a grocery challenge for this month - trying to spend only $287 for the month in food. (The idea being that the average family of 4 who qualify for food stamps, that is the amount that they would get. We're trying to see if it's even possible to live on that amount). Well, we have 13 days left in the month and I'm already at $274. But, since I don't separate the family food from the dc food, I'm going to add my food program reimbursement to the total spendable for the month, so I really have $63 left to spend for the month.

[Abigail]

What kind of container do you use to freeze items? At first I was using freezer bags, but they're expensive and we used them way too fast. Now, I've got these snap lids that are color-coated (not a big fan,but it was a Christmas gift to us) and they are freezer safe.

[SilverSabre25]

What kind of container do you use to freeze items? At first I was using freezer bags, but they're expensive and we used them way too fast. Now, I've got these snap lids that are color-coated (not a big fan,but it was a Christmas gift to us) and they are freezer safe.

I haven't found a solution I am totally happy with--right now it's mostly the Take n Toss type Gladware containers. They're a bit expensive, but reusable. I will use freezer bags for some things (meat--wrapped well and then in a bag). Blueberries get picked and frozen in the same reusable plastic buckets that I get at the picking place. Applesauce, strawberries, peaches, leftovers, etc mostly get frozen in the gladware stuff. It's freezer quality, I feel like it's okay enough. I'm pretty sure the ones I have now are labeled BPA-free, so I can feel better about it.

[legomom922]

What kind of container do you use to freeze items? At first I was using freezer bags, but they're expensive and we used them way too fast. Now, I've got these snap lids that are color-coated (not a big fan,but it was a Christmas gift to us) and they are freezer safe.

You can get bags in the Dollar Store. I re-use & clean mine!

[legomom922]

haha, it's a bit facetious but here's a way to save $$ each month: don't lose food in the back of your freezer! I cleaned out the freezer tonight and found 2 steaks (for a total of $21!!!) back there. I think those are going on the menu for later this week...

On a more serious note--planning meals in such a way that you make sure to use things up, or freeze them if you're not going to use them (like if you need fresh cilantro, either plan a couple meals that will use it up, or freeze it then REMEMBER that it's there and use it later). Or if you open a container of chicken broth, make sure to use all of it or freeze it before it spoils.

it takes time to plan meals in an "organized" fashion like that, but saves a lot of $$ in the long run.

Also doing stuff like going to Pick Your Own produce places during the spring/summer and getting strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, tomatoes, etc then freezing them for the rest of the year. This can save you bundles of money!

How do you freeze fruit & veggies:confused::confused: I tried to freeze a banana once...It may have been fine for a banana milkshake, but it wasnt good for anything else!

[SilverSabre25]

How do you freeze fruit & veggies:confused::confused: I tried to freeze a banana once...It may have been fine for a banana milkshake, but it wasnt good for anything else!

Bananas aren't usually the best for freezing unless you mash them first and use them for banana bread or something.

Blueberries-can freeze as is and then toss into pancakes, muffins, smoothies, whatever. Frozen blueberries is one of my DD's favorite snacks. Strawberries can be cut up, mashed first into sauce, or made into freezer jam (which after tasting homemade freezer jam you'll never want to go back to store-bought stuff!!!). Again, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, pancakes, muffins, sauce for pancakes/waffles/french toast, whatever you want to use them for. Cherries need to be pitted first, then can be frozen as is or chopped up first or made into jam or whatever.

Peaches need a bit of prep--they need to be blanched in boiling water and have the skin removed, then sliced and frozen. Apples need to be cooked down into applesauce or cooked apple chunks. Tomatoes need to be cooked as well, I think (I haven't done tomatoes), but don't have to be actually canned if you're going to freeze them.

Other veggies can be frozen too--zuchinni is best shredded first, then frozen in useful portions (use a muffin tin and make sure you know how much you put in each, then when they're frozen pop them out of the tin and put them in a freezer bag). Peppers--cut 'em into strips and freeze them on a cookie sheet then put into a freezer safe container. Squashes--cook and freeze in chunks or mash and freeze in muffin tins.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. You can freeze just about any fruit/veggie, though. Fresh herbs, too. Anything you're curious about, just Google "Freezing [veggie/fruit]" and you should get results telling you how. A lot of it does take some prep before you can freeze, but it's WAY worth it in the cost savings the rest of the year. Plus, when you can buy the veggies at the peak of their freshness (and support a local farm/orchard while you're at it!) and freeze them, then they taste WAY better and you save TONS of money.

[marniewon]

Bananas aren't usually the best for freezing unless you mash them first and use them for banana bread or something.

Blueberries-can freeze as is and then toss into pancakes, muffins, smoothies, whatever. Frozen blueberries is one of my DD's favorite snacks. Strawberries can be cut up, mashed first into sauce, or made into freezer jam (which after tasting homemade freezer jam you'll never want to go back to store-bought stuff!!!). Again, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, pancakes, muffins, sauce for pancakes/waffles/french toast, whatever you want to use them for. Cherries need to be pitted first, then can be frozen as is or chopped up first or made into jam or whatever.

Peaches need a bit of prep--they need to be blanched in boiling water and have the skin removed, then sliced and frozen. Apples need to be cooked down into applesauce or cooked apple chunks. Tomatoes need to be cooked as well, I think (I haven't done tomatoes), but don't have to be actually canned if you're going to freeze them.

Other veggies can be frozen too--zuchinni is best shredded first, then frozen in useful portions (use a muffin tin and make sure you know how much you put in each, then when they're frozen pop them out of the tin and put them in a freezer bag). Peppers--cut 'em into strips and freeze them on a cookie sheet then put into a freezer safe container. Squashes--cook and freeze in chunks or mash and freeze in muffin tins.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. You can freeze just about any fruit/veggie, though. Fresh herbs, too. Anything you're curious about, just Google "Freezing [veggie/fruit]" and you should get results telling you how. A lot of it does take some prep before you can freeze, but it's WAY worth it in the cost savings the rest of the year. Plus, when you can buy the veggies at the peak of their freshness (and support a local farm/orchard while you're at it!) and freeze them, then they taste WAY better and you save TONS of money.

There's nothing better than "fresh" (frozen) corn on the cob in the middle of winter!!! YUM! And I agree about the jams. I've made freezer jam before and absolutely loved it! I was going to make it last year, but couldn't find a recipe for one that didn't use so much sugar (apparently the sugar helps 'set' it?).

[SilverSabre25]

There's nothing better than "fresh" (frozen) corn on the cob in the middle of winter!!! YUM! And I agree about the jams. I've made freezer jam before and absolutely loved it! I was going to make it last year, but couldn't find a recipe for one that didn't use so much sugar (apparently the sugar helps 'set' it?).

Oh yeah, fresh corn! MMMmmm, forgot about that. That's another one that doesn't need much prep in order to freeze.

Yeah, jams need a lot of sugar to set properly. But, if you're using good fruit and using REAL sugar, at least you know that it's not full of chemicals and other crap like normal jam (which has just as much, if not more, sugar)