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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
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Due to a payroll change at my husband's job, we need to slash our monthly budget at least $300 a month by August of next year. We're hoping to get a new budget plan set up by January 1, so we can use the extra money to build up our savings and prepare for the new baby.
So, I've been trying to read some stuff from the Tightwad Gazette and came across the Pantry Principle. I figure that some of you out there have to be Tightwads who follow the Principle and you might be able to give me a little advice. I've started putting my price-book together (and was amazed about what good deals on baking staples you can get at Aldi).
My problem is storage. We don't have very much cabinet space, and our kitchen has a small five-shelf pantry that barely contains our weekly grocery supply and what few staples I already keep around. I know I will need more space if I am going to try cooking more things at home from scratch and buying things in bulk when on sale. I went through my kitchen cabinets and cleaned out a big box of big pots and baking pans I never use and will never use anytime soon. That cleared up some storage space; and I'm going to get a cheap shelving unit to put in the garage.
I figure that things like extra paper towels, toilet papers, and cleaners can go in the garage, but I'm ignorant about some of the food items like extra flour, sugars, oils, and condiments. Are there certain things I should avoid putting in a non-temperature-controlled garage? I don't want things wasted because they froze or got too hot. And do you buy air tight containers to keep flour, sugars, and pastas in to keep them fresh and bug-free?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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SusanJ
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 2:10pm | IP Logged
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I love the Tightwad and I shop primarily at a co-op so I definitely buy bulk. I have four closets three of which are very tiny. The fourth closet houses the washer and dryer so there isn't much extra space there. I basically have a five-shelf pantry as well and it is needed to store basic kitchen equipment. So, space is definitely at a premium, here.
I recommend a major kitchen declutter project if you haven't undertaken such a thing recently. After some hard thought I was able to get rid of lots of tupperware (we now store a lot more stuff in Ziplocs which we wash and recycle), and some pots and pans (example: I had six skillets of various sizes and realized that I only needed four. I may cut back even further soon as one has sat unused in my small pantry for four months). We installed this shelf from IKEA and we were amazed at how much storage that freed up. Be creative about storage in the kitchen.
Can you buy a chest freezer? This allows bulk purchases of meats and veggies and garden surplus. (I know the Tightwad doesn't like buying a cow, but we are picky about meat quality so it does save us money). I also use the freezer to store grains. Flours, beans, rice, etc. all goes in there and I replenish my smaller kitchen storage as needed. I also use the freezer to bulk cook. Next week I'm having a soup week (this was dh's idea). I planned ten soups and made a huge shopping list so that it's worth my time to go to a really cheap but out-of-the way produce store. Then I'll cook two soups a day and freeze them in meal-size portions in ziplocs so they lie flat. This will result in forty meals for my family. They thaw in thirty minutes which is enough time to whip up muffins or a salad or something. This saves a lot of money in grocery trips and being tempted to eat out after a long day. It also saves lots and lots of time.
Be creative about unconventional storage locations. We've put canned goods in boxes under our bed. When we first bought our chest freezer it was in our bedroom because that was the only room with space!
Good luck! This can be really fun if you have the right attitude about it.
Susan
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 4:28pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Susan, for the tips. Unfortunately we can't afford a chest freezer and have no place to put it (our townhouse is very full and I haven't even gotten out the baby stuff yet). Plus, my husband doesn't like meat that has been frozen. I will have to get creative about my storage, and I have decluttered quite a bit in the kitchen (although I need some newspapers so I can wrap up some coffee cups, saucers, and chip/dip trays that never get used).
I may have to look into the frozen soup idea. I'm just now starting to incorporate soup into our dinner menu, and I was hoping to make a few pre-frozen meals for those rushed nights and for especially after the baby comes (and all the grandparents leave).
We'll just have to see how much space I need once I start stocking up. I am tempted to buy some containers at the Dollar Tree to hopefully preserve some stuff longer.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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JodieLyn
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you can sometimes get food grade storage buckets from places like bakeries.. they get their frostings in them for instance. Getting new lids is fairly cheap.. it's the bucket that is the highest cost.
think of out of the way spots.. under beds or other furniture.. in corners of closets etc.
I would also prioritize the items.. for instance.. you may save a great deal more money by getting canned goods on sale than flour.. so perhaps flour (that takes a lot of space to store) is one not to store.. but other things.. specialty items that maybe only really go on sale once a year or so would be a much better choice for the limited space.
Also work on figuring out your stores sales for items you use.. like if peanut butter goes on sale once a month.. you only really need to stock it for a month for the money savings to hold (because you can buy it every time it's on sale)
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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Nov 29 2007 at 2:47am | IP Logged
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I don't know if you meal plan but this is what's working for me. I hate meal planning and prefer to be spontaneous, but that doesn't work so well when homeschooling--I'm too tired, and we eat badly! But how to meal plan and still take advantage of specials? It seemed like when I would try to plan meals, the ingrediants would be so expensive I'd have to rearrange it all anyway as I shopped.
When I shop, I buy mostly things on special--especially meat, I only buy it when it is a very good price. If you buy the "bulk pack" and split it up when you get home it is much cheaper. (I do not have a big freezer either but I certainly cram stuff in my small one!! Often flat in ziplocs stacked on top of each other). When I go home, I review all the stuff as I unload, and plan meals for a few weeks to a month--or however long the food will take me. I still have to run to the store for fresh milk and vegis, but I would have to that anyway as we go through the milk and have a small fridge. So I plan the meals first I have everything for, and make notes on my plan every 4 or 5 days of what vegis need to be picked up fresh.
I try to keep in stock the stuff I know I use constantly, or use for favorite recipes. I pick that stuff up as it goes on sale. I also do not have a big kitchen--no pantry at all. Clearing out unused pots and etc. should help a lot. I bought a "pot rack" for over my stove for hanging most of my big pots. I store things in the basement sometimes. I do not notice that temp. makes a difference with most things, as long as no danger of freezing--in general cooler temperatures are better for storing food anyway. Light makes a difference--you do not want things in front of a window or with the sun hitting it. If there is a danger of freezing you don't want to store any fresh vegetables or fruit, but things like flour, sugar, rice, etc. would probably be fine. You could put it in an insulated cooler to protect it (which may be sitting in the garage anyway!). I don't buy flour, sugar, etc. in bulk because it is a fuss to bother with, special containers and etc. And grains CAN get buggy, even with the best of containers, when they sit too long. But I guess it would depend on how much baking you do! I do some, but not everyday. Also potatoes--the huge bags can seem cheap, but if they sprout and mold it's just to waste. Same for carrots and etc., sometimes you actually save money by just buying the few that you need. I buy smaller bags and store them in the fridge.
I manage to keep our grocery bill around 400/month but it isn't easy. Especially as my boys are starting to eat more!! That includes everything, shampoo, often stamps, diapers, etc. I do notice that my cart is mostly full of "fresh", non-prepackaged stuff--and I am often amazed at the quantity I get for the price paid, after following another customer who paid the same amount for 1/4 the stuff. I've even had checkers comment on this! You PAY for convienence!! But I do not cook real complicated things or spend hours in the kitchen.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 29 2007 at 1:32pm | IP Logged
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Barbara,
We did this about 2 years ago. It is a challenge, but the fruits and satisfaction of living simply and within your means are plentiful. It does take some time and a learning curve, be patient with yourself in tackling one area at a time. There's just no way to overhaul everything at once and still maintain sanity. I found that focusing on one aspect - tweaking, organizing and mastering that one thing, then moving on was best for my family. BTW, we did this eating mostly organic, and though my kitchen is small, I do have a large pantry and a garage to use.
First, to answer your questions. Most condiments and sugar have a fairly good shelf life. I do NOT spend much in the way of container storage, preferring instead to bag sugars, flours, pastas in freezer ziploc bags that can be re-used. These stuff into spaces easier than a hard plastic container would. White flour will be fine in storage for up to a year as long as you bag it to protect it from moisture and bugs. I don't use white flour much. We stopped buying bread and bread products, instead investing in a bread machine, grinding machine and wheat berries and we make all of our own. That was just a lifestyle choice of ours, but I mention it because if you have wheat berries, they will keep INDEFINETELY as long as they are kept dry. Great, cheap investment. Wheat flour, is another thing entirely. It MUST be kept in the fridge (only for 2 weeks before it goes rancid) or freezer (a month or two.) Only buy wheat flour as you need it then.
I'm not sure I'd store any food in the garage if heat might be an issue. I'd use it to store non-food items only, and maybe you can clean out a hall closet? to use as part of your pantry and keep some of the hall closet things out in the garage?
Here's what I did. First, as others mentioned and as it sounds like you have already done, a brutal, and I mean brutal re-org of the kitchen. If you have closets you will be using for storage, clean those out as well. Get rid of excessive plastic storage, extra pots, unused appliances (keep only those that are truly necessary for day to day function,) extra dishes and those million and one plastic cups that seem to reproduce within the cabinets.
Then, really think about how your kitchen functions. I have hardly any counter space, but I knew that cutting back meant making my own rather than buying convenience,so I set up a bake center in one small area of my kitchen. This area has the mixer, flours, oils, sugar, bread machine, spices, etc. It is convenient then to work in that one area on all things baking. I set up a dinner prep zone in one cabinet containing food prep bowls, casserole dishes, grater, cutting boards, knives (I have small boys - no sharp objects down low!) You get the idea - think of how your family functions and organize your kitchen to meet those needs because cutting back means you will be in the kitchen longer and your kitchen will need to be streamlined to remain as functional as possible.
You must operate with a menu. Make a plan and shop your plan. If you want an excel copy of my monthly menu template, pm me. Plan b'fast, lunch, snacks and dinner. Post it. There is no question about lunch this way in my house, my kids know we eat what is on the menu, and if they want something different they can petition to change the menu. Spend a lot of time thinking on things to go on your menu. This took the longest, but was worth the time spent. I plan out a monthly menu on a seasonal basis - spring, summer, autumn, winter. That way we can take advantage of seasonal produce (I incorporate that into my menu) and it allows for some variation. Plan frugal, simple meals, with the more elaborate meals on the weekend for when dadddy is home. We eat meatless three times a week. Beans are a great substitute for beef in chilis and soups. In addition to your menu, make a list of super easy, super quick meals to make in a pinch - spaghetti is a no-brainer, but eggs and bacon, pasta and stir fry veggies and those things work well on this list too. This list will be a budget saver when the day has been "one of those days"  and you're really tempted to just take the whole family to Sonic!!! If you have a list, and have the few items in your pantry, you can fall back on one of these instead of going out for fast food. It really does help!
Now, for specifics with food purchases. We had to cut expenses at the same time we were moving toward healthier eating habits. This made the challenge even harder, but the same principles really apply - common sense purchases, fewer or no convenience foods. Learn to make it yourself if your family really likes it - things like raisin bread for breakfast, yogurt, snacks, etc. But, like I mentioned earlier, pick one thing at a time to work on. I thought stocking up was going to be a saver, and I do stock on things that are on sale, but I found by far the biggest savings for me was one of discipline. I shop weekly, shop my plan, and ONLY purchase those things I have on my list.
HTH this helps a little Barbara. I do sympathize with where you are. It is daunting at first. I found that focused prayer to Our Lady and in particular meditating on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt really helped me. How she must have had to pare down to essentials quickly to make that move. I pray for her spirit of simplicity. Sending prayers to you as well.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Kristie 4
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Thank you Jennifer. Your post blessed me tonight as well, as I look to shopping for our twice monthly shop on the weekend, and all the extra goodies for Christmas on our meager budget.
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Jenn Sal
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| Posted: Dec 05 2007 at 7:45am | IP Logged
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I was so happy to come across this post! This week I pulled out an old copy of the TG and I'm getting ready to start my price book. It doesn't seem fun, but I need to cut costs in the kitchen. As I was reading the posts, I thought of a cookbook that is for seasonal cooking and gives you the shopping list. Saving Dinner, by Leanne Ely. Shopping seasonal helps cut costs and she has a variety of soups and crock-pot meals. One of my concerns is to not cut out healthy eating by cutting back on cost. The sound of making my breads, yogurt, etc. is wonderful, but I just know I can't commit to that right now. Does anyone have any of thier favorite cookbooks, recipies, ets, that are healthy and economical?
Thank you!
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Dec 05 2007 at 1:56pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the tips everyone. I cleared two boxes of stuff from my cabinets. And once I get a hold of some newspaper I have some dishes to box up and put in the garage. And I actually have some space in an upstairs double-wide linen closet.
I've almost got my price list together. It has been a real eye opener. I live in the Chicago suburbs, and the main stores that I go to are Jewel and Ultra Foods. I did a quick tally and realized that I could save at least $40 a month just by only going to Ultra Foods (except for one or two items). And I realized that I can save even more by stocking up on some stuff at Aldi. We're going to try Aldi's meat and dairy products next week, and if they pass my husband's taste test, then we'll save quite a bit more.
The TG scoffs at planning meals more than a day in advance and only shopping to re-stock. That may be the maximum way to save money, but I don't know how practical that is for my family. I do try to plan out about a week in advance, just to make sure we have some variety. And I'm working on developing and adapting a lot of "from scratch" recipes to cut down on the number of prepackaged items we buy. And I've come across quite a few recipes I want to try in Tightwad Gazette II.
I'm very interested in investigating seasonal eating, and luckily my library has two books by Leanne Ely (actually four but I don't need to know about Holiday or Low-Carb cooking at this point). I'm also trying to use less: detergent, paper towels, water, electricity, etc. I'm hoping that between the price list, pantry principle, more home-cooking, and using "less" we'll be able to hit our target budget.
In the next three weeks, I plan to stock up my pantry and get a few more items to help cut long-term costs. I talked to my oldest daughter about some of the changes ahead (and I'm sure we'll have to discuss it again and again when there are fewer pre-packaged junk foods in the cupboard). I'm hoping to have everything in place and start buckling down on January 1st.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
Box of Chocolates
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Dec 08 2007 at 7:45pm | IP Logged
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I am a longtime fan of TG/Amy D. and have been using her system for years. No other book makes me laugh or makes frugality sound as much fun as Amy does. My copies of the Tightwad Gazette are much worn and much loved.
When we were extremely short on storage space, I kept a lot of extra canned goods in "under the bed" cardboard storage boxes under our livingroom couch.  I had food stashed all over the house. Anywhere that is out of sight works.
Her meal plan (one night at a time planning) works best for her because they shop at *a lot* of stores (her dh was home a lot and did most of the shopping and she doesn't homeschool her 6 children) and they play the "use it up before it goes bad because we bought it post-dated" game.
I have found that what works better for hs families who don't shop at a million stores (3 or 4 total is all we do and we never go to all in the same week) is 30 meals cooking or some version of planned meals, which I learned from Gentle Spirit magazine. I've had a hard time keeping up with 30 meals cooking in the last few years. What I do instead is to type up as many regular meals that most everyone likes (worked out to be about 25, I think), and printed them 3 or 4 under each day of the week in my kitchen cabinet. I put the fastest meals on the days where we are the busiest. My master grocery list is based on the foods we use routinely and the meals on this list. Then I can look and see what needs to be used up and then choose a meal from that list.
One of the aspects of the Pantry Principle I didn't understand initially is not being afraid to overspend just a bit in the beginning when the deals come. Amy D. is right, though...buy when its on sale and buy 4-6 mos. worth if you can. In a couple of months, it will pay off BIG when you are spending below budget week after week because all you need are perishables. When you set your budget for groceries, after the first few months, set aside a certain portion for stocking up. I put aside 1/4 of our budget for stock ups every payday, and only spend it when I find a deal (incidentally, I also use this money when we buy 1/4 cow or bushels of apples to make into applesauce). This way, in the future you can make those purchases of 20 jars of Peanut Butter without going overbudget.
Hope this helps.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Topic: Pantry Principle Help Please!!
