I've been on my own now for four years, a single parent turned "empty nester", and living on a disability pension. Here are my tips.
When I shop for meats, I buy large roasts on sale: pork, whole chickens, sausages, ground meats, etc. These are cut to meal sized portions and plunked into freezer baggies with spices; Thai, Mexican, Italian, you name it! I label the baggies and toss them in the freezer.
I've done the same buying cartons of egg-whites when they are marked down. Mix-up spices, chives, etc, pour into butter sprayed muffin containers, bake, cool and put into baggies. Of course, the freezer is next!
My farming is in containers and small garden patches. I have celery and cabbage from rooted previous purchases (eaten first of course), carrots, cucumbers, eggplant and yellow zucchini. Yum! This year I got a bag of lovely large tomatoes from friends.
Foraging is something to take advantage of, and I do! Wild apples and pears from a couple of old trees in a field where I walk my dogs. The apples are tart and together they make a wicked sauce, into my freezer in small containers of course.
Life is all about challenges, but I make the best and have a good time with what I've got!
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Do you think that you don't eat out much but can not figure out just where you money is going? It's time to do an experiment to find out just how much you are eating out, how much it is costing you and how much you could have saved by making that meal at home.
I have a restricted diet. I admit sometimes it get boring to eat the same type of food so I have been trying to change it up some lately. Summer is the perfect season to get fruits and veggies, but even frozen things can be fresh.
One way to lower your food bill is by shopping at several stores, but not just grocery stores. If you are fortunate enough to have a bakery outlet store in your area, you can find great deals on everything from bread and buns to tortillas and cakes.
Don't shop on impulse. Skip impulse food buys. Stop & consider the size of your family. Will this product go to waste by not getting eaten?
I have 3 boys who already eat a lot. I've found a few ways to "stretch" foods to help with our grocery bill.
My family drinks 1% milk. My husband accidentally bought whole milk. My children complained that it was "thick" and they didn't like it at all. I diluted it with water and they were able to drink it.
I found a site at the US Dept. of Agriculture called the recipe finder. If you're trying to stretch your food dollars this is an excellent place to find recipes.
It's summer, grow stuff! You don't need a garden. I grow vegetables in containers outside my back door.
A good way to cut down on your grocery bill is to eat more recipes containing beans, grains and rice instead of meat. Beans, grains and rice are much less expensive per pound than most kinds of meat.
I know how hard it is to get the food budget under control. I have made changes over time, some have worked well, some are so-so.
I have gone to the library used book sales and have purchased some Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. They are older ones, but have good recipes for great meals, desserts and ways to stretch a budget.
