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guitarnan
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 8:49pm | IP Logged
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I'm sure I'm not the only mom here who's feeling the financial pressure these days...
Reasons and politics aside, current events are, of necessity, causing me to take a hard look at our spending habits.
Please share a quick money-saving tip or substitution ("Instead of buying X, I buy/make Y"). I'll gladly consider all of your ideas.
And, to kick things off, here's a tip from me!
I keep a running list of the prices for the things I buy every week (cat food, canned diced tomatoes, pasta, cheese). On all shopping errands, I check prices for those few items - I instantly know if I'm looking at a bargain, and then I stock up.
For example, I know a large can of diced tomatoes costs $1.25 to $1.49 where I live. Last week, a grocery store chain had them for 88 cents! Needless to say, I bought several cans, juggled items on my pantry shelves and stored the extras for future use.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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joann10
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 8:58pm | IP Logged
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I'm looking forward to hearing suggestions from others. We have been stretched very thin ecomonically. Our biggest problem right now is gas prices...we are basically housebound during the week...cutting out non-essential trips almost completely.
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 9:03pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Joann, I feel your pain. I use GasBuddy.com to find the best prices, but those prices just keep going up and up. It's horrible.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 9:08pm | IP Logged
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A few years ago I started cutting boneless chicken breasts into halves by fileting them lengthwise. What would have been one large serving is now two smaller ones. I thought at first it would not be filling enough, but I find it is plenty of meat even for dh. A bonus is that since they are thinner, they cook much quicker, too. It really helps the budget to stretch a pack of breasts into double the number of servings.
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Theresa
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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I found that too Theresa. If I serve large pieces of meat the everyone has at least one (except toddlers that get their meat cut up and shared between them) but if I cut them into 2-4 pieces.. then you can take 2 or 3 pieces and still get less than one big piece.. and those that still need a full piece just have seconds of small pieces. And the kids think they're getting more because they get more pieces. And I like it because the pieces are less thick you have more seasoning per amount of meat.
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 10:34pm | IP Logged
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I water down all juices, lemonades, etc to 1.5 times the normal amount (I find doubling it makes it too watery and the kids object, but 1.5 they don't even notice). Not only does it make it go further, but it cuts the amount of sugar we consume.
In the same vein, I also add breadcrumbs and an egg to ground beef when making burgers or meatballs. It makes the beef go further.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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JodieLyn
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lapazfarm wrote:
I water down all juices, lemonades, etc to 1.5 times the normal amount (I find doubling it makes it too watery and the kids object, but 1.5 they don't even notice). Not only does it make it go further, but it cuts the amount of sugar we consume.
In the same vein, I also add breadcrumbs and an egg to ground beef when making burgers or meatballs. It makes the beef go further. |
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And it makes the BEST burgers.. dh's dad calls them meatloaf burgers.. but they hold together so much better than plain meat and have so much more flavor (add chopped onion, salt and pepper.. whatever really).
We consciously taught the kids to drink water. If you're thirsty you get water.. dh and I do this too. So that juices and lemonade and sodas and all that are only specially occation drinks.. now the special occation might be.. let's have lemonade this afternoon.. but it's rarely on hand.. if you're thirsty drink water.  And once they're used to that you'll find that they will notice that sugared drinks aren't all that satisfying when you're really thirsty and they'll go looking/ask for water instead.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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JodieLyn
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I don't know if it's really cheaper because I never have figured out the electric use for it. But I love making broth from a turkey or chicken carcass.. I either can or freeze it. And it's super simple since you just toss everything you want in and simmer for a while.. and it's mostly the bones and bits that you'd throw out anyway.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Feb 26 2013 at 11:10pm | IP Logged
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I actually stash chicken bones in my freezer (and have been known to bring home turkey bones on Thanksgiving Day, too!) so I can make broth. I just wait until I have 3 chickens' worth of bones and pull out my big stockpot...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Kristie 4
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Homemade bread- I save a fortune making my own (at least with Canadian prices). If we buy storebought bread my kids zip through it at least three loaves in a day. One of my heavy ones does the same duty!
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SallyT
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We drink water, no juice except on special occasions. My kids love milk, but I've had to ration it, especially for the boys, who would guzzle down a gallon a day each if I let them.
I do far more meat-and-rice dishes than I used to -- for a while we were trying to go paleo, but oy, the price of protein food! So when I buy a big pack of chicken on sale, it's chicken-and-rice. That helps stretch the amount of meat I buy.
Our grocery also did a big sale run on Progresso canned soups not too long ago, with a fairly deep discount. We have not eaten much canned soup for years, but I did stock up on these, not only for quick hot lunches in winter but also because a couple of cans of lentil soup and some rice is a fast Lenten dinner on nights when we have choir practice or scouts and I haven't had time to start something early in the day.
My freezer is full of chicken carcasses -- I really need to make soup!
I make "pizza" a lot for my kids for lunch -- I make a dough of whole-wheat flour, a little salt, some olive oil, and water spread it out on a baking sheet, and cover it with cheese. It's basically like firecake that they ate at Valley Forge, with cheese, but my kids love it, and it saves on bought bread. I need to get back in the groove of making my own bread -- that's a wagon I get on and fall off repeatedly.
Sally
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CrunchyMom
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SallyT wrote:
| I do far more meat-and-rice dishes than I used to -- for a while we were trying to go paleo, but oy, the price of protein food! So when I buy a big pack of chicken on sale, it's chicken-and-rice. That helps stretch the amount of meat I buy. |
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We still try to limit our grains, too, and still avoid wheat for a variety of reasons, but I have added rice back into our diet. I use it a lot to stretch ground beef dishes, like tacos.
Black beans and rice is another meal we missed a lot while experimenting with cutting back on grains and legumes, but it really is something we all love. I cook a big pot of beans with some cloves of garlic and add lots of cumin. We serve that over rice with a little grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Very affordable and satisfying.
We, too, only drink water and milk, and we've rationed milk to only 2 gallons a week. We drink raw milk and send our order into the farm for six weeks at a time, so if we run out, we are out. It is basically enough for the boys to have it at one meal a day and maybe a few other times as a treat plus mom and dad's coffee
It wasn't really "quick" though it was just one dedicated afternoon, but I spent Friday sewing patches onto the boys' play blue jeans. I did 5 pairs on Friday afternoon! They look so much better, and the boys have been thrilled to not have their knees hanging out, even though they'd never complained. It was free since I had some scraps about that were suitable.
Also, if you want to make a good, inexpensive chicken stock/soup without having bought pieces to save bones and such, you can often request chicken backs from the butcher or farmer. It isn't something they put in the display case, but it is usually something they have in large supply and will sell inexpensively. My butcher used to sell soup bones for beef as well, though I get mine when I buy a quarter cow these days.
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JodieLyn
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The slicing pieces of meat smaller works in soups and sauces and such as well. If you chop up the meat smaller you still get the flavor and a bit of meat "in every bite" but you can put less in the dish.
Potato also works well in a small dice for extending things like taco meat.. the potato takes on the taco seasoning really well and softens up so that you don't notice it so much.
buying herbs in bulk.. I get herbs for a fraction of what you buy in the little bottles in the grocery store. that makes is so much easier.
oh.. sometimes things that have a higher or more intense flavor you can use less of.. for instance sharp cheddar over a mild or medium cheddar.. if you catch them on sale and the same price... you can use less of the sharp cheese in the same dish and get the same flavor. get the spicy breakfast sausage for making sausage gravy and add extra spices and you get good flavor in the gravy with only a small amount of sausage.
I keep evaporated milk on hand.. if you do run out of milk (and aren't getting special kinds) you can sub it by using equal parts evap milk and water.. it's probably not cheaper but not having to run to the store because you've started something and don't have milk is cheaper. Which reminds me.. you can sub water for milk in things like pancakes. half or all of it.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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SallyT
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Lindsay reminds me that I've been happy to add beans back into our diet as well. I make all kinds of bean soups, plus a cheesy baked beans recipe (adapted from an old Moosewood recipe) that includes chopped apple, with powdered mustard and chili powder. Sounds weird, but is really good and filling as a main course.
Sally
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Servant2theKing
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Prices for ground beef in our area are sky high! Thanks to dd' s example, I've been substituting ground turkey, which tends to be less than half the price, sometimes 1/3 - 1/4 the cost of beef if it's on sale. Dd also shared a tip for making ground turkey taste more like ground beef ~ cook it until it gets crispy, almost on the verge of seeming overdone!
For years now we've used smaller portions of meat, eating mostly soups and casseroles, and have never really missed it. Our family has always enjoyed salmon patties, but we've found we can make a delicious salmon rice casserole using much less salmon!
I use lots of seasonings to boost the flavor in our meals (helps distract from the lack of meat) ~ we always buy in bulk, either at the local Amish store or stores like Sams or GFS. It's so much less expensive to buy spices and seasonings in larger quantities!
Save cuttings from vegetables for soups or stock.
When we finish packages of anything that produces crumbs (crackers, cereal, bread, etc.) I store the crumbs in the freezer to use with various recipes. Savory type crumbs go in casseroles or patties, sweet crumbs in yogurt or rare desserts.
We use old pump soap bottles for liquid hand soap. We put 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soap in the bottom and fill the rest of the way with water. A large refill bottle lasts for months!
Bars of soap last longer if stored outside the package which helps them harden ~ less likely to turn to mush and get wasted.
I used to think it was excessive when relatives who survived the Depression washed plastic bags or foil to reuse them ~ lately, I find myself embracing their "Waste not, want not" mentality more and more!
Going through my Mom's old recipe box and typing up family recipes revealed how simple older recipes were, most used just a few basic ingredients. Old family recipes can help foster frugality!
For example, my G-ma's recipe for homemade egg noodles simply calls for eggs, flour and salt! G-ma often made a Depression era dish she called rivvle soup (sp? ~ no one ever wrote it down ~ the recipe was passed down orally) ; diced potato & onion in salted water, and rivvles of egg and flour dropped by spoonfuls into the boiling pot ~ one of our family's favorite comfort foods! I tend to add dried parsley and garlic powder or granulated garlic to homemade noodles or rivvles, but otherwise the recipes are the same as they were four generations ago (probably more).
Ds, a trained chef, once shared how French cuisine originated with peasants who cooked for royalty, employing frugal cooking methods and ingredients they used in preparing their own meals. We can certainly learn a great deal from cooks of the past!
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mom2mpr
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We live rurally and every time I needed to take a kid to an activity I would think of the things I "needed" while out and shop. And I usually buy more than i need. I have gotten better at just taking kids to their activities and NOT going to the store. It has really helped my budget.
I grocery shop once a week, BJ's once a month, and only occasionally need to buy outside my meal planning.
It is kind of "free-ing" to not have to come home tired and hungry and unload and put away all the "stuff." Time after time after time.
Just an idea that has been working for me the past few weeks.
Also, gas buddy. I almost always fill up when ds goes to his Latin tutor as gas is super cheap that way.
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CatholicMommy
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We do almost everything that is listed above :)
One thing we do that is not yet mentioned: the only thing we "throw away" is toilet paper, which we use for blowing noses too (my son takes a new package of tp; removes one roll and tears into 2-squares each, filling a paper bag to store under sink; and filling an old diaper-wipe box to store on the shelf for actual use).
SO - cloth napkins; dedicated cloths for cleaning (some of these are my son's old diapers); cloth feminine cloths...
no paper towels, no napkins, no Kleenex, no diaper wipes. (the box we have came from a family I had in daycare years ago)
It BARELY adds to the laundry, and seriously saves on money (and promotes usefulness!).
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jawgee
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When I use ground beef for a meal, I stretch it by adding approximately a cup of cooked lentils to the meat. If I am cooking a sauce or adding a seasoning, the lentils pick up the flavors quite well. Lentils are so inexpensive and they add some fiber. Most importantly, the kids don't even seem to notice. 
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Erin
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A couple of changes I've recently made, not sure how applicable they are to outside of Australia though.
Electricity - I've rung around for competitive prices and found a company who is 15% cheaper than our previous supplier.
And yes for years we have unplugged from power points, put computers on standby, turned off unused lights/fans etc
Phone- Shop around for competitive bundle deals here too. I rang the phone company, said, these are my needs, what are your best deals?
Reward Cards - Our local supermarkets/chain stores have reward card systems, points for every dollar spent. Finally I went online and signed us up. Every dollar will help.
Finances - Dh is an accountant, for years at the end of every quarter he enters details into a spreadsheet of how much we spend. Food, clothes, education, insurance etc etc each have their own categories He said we needed to cut way back, which I can do but I need a dollar figure.
So he gave me one, cut groceries and clothes/school supplies in half. Working on that
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Quick money-saving tips/substitutions
