Living on a Coupon: frugal living

Showing posts with label frugal living. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2013

CUT YOUR GROCERY BUDGET IN HALF - PART 2: CREATING A MENU!

MENU PLANNING

READ:

PART 1 ~ LIVE HOMEMADE

Creating a menu is extremely important to help stay on budget. Our house is crazy busy, I'm sure many of you can relate! I remember the days of coming home....staring into the pantry....having the kids ask "What's for dinner?"......staring into the pantry....and then thinking just order pizza or we will grab something on our way to baseball practice. NO MORE! For the past 6 years we have been making a menu, we started out with just a week at a time and as our stockpile grew I was able to create one for the entire month.

I use a huge chalkboard (I made with poster board & sticky chalkboard squares all from the dollar store) which makes it easy to change things up. If a store has a killer deal on fresh bell peppers that week, then I will want to change the menu for a day and make stuffed peppers that week to use the fresh produce.

Making a menu a week ahead can be challenging, so the thought of a month can seem insane! Don't worry, I'm going to show you the steps I take to get this done. Pretty much, what I am couponing for this month will be what makes up the menu for next month. Unless what is on sale needs to be eaten that month. When you see killer deals on meats STOCK UP!! This includes discounted meats.....buy them, there is nothing wrong with them. When I find them I buy what I can and toss in freezer! Don't just buy for that week, buy for future months because you don't know when the next killer deal will be! Buy as much as you can afford, when it comes down to a meal the meat is the most expensive part! When you can buy a whole fryer chicken for $5 or less STOCK UP...When drumsticks or thighs are $.69 lb STOCK UP....When hamburger is less than $2 lb STOCK UP!!! I think you get my point! :)

Ok, now to the menu: I keep several lists. Lists help me keep track of what I have on hand and makes sure I use it all up as efficiently as possible. Remember: the key to having a stockpile is to save money....so we don't want to be buying menu items if we have something on hand that we can substitute and make work.

STEP 1: The favorites list

Sit down with your family and make a list of the favorites. One thing about the favorites is you know you usually always have the ingredients on hand.

My kids would eat tacos every night it you let them, so I try to make sure we have tacos of some sort each week. This keeps their favorite in the menu yet changes it up so it's not boring.
Keep this list handy so each month you can make sure to have great favorites to fill the menu.

STEP 2: Meat list

Make a list of dish ideas for each meat. I keep this saved to my computer so I can refer to it when making the menu. This helps remind me of what I can make and prevent the blank stare of "what can I make with hamburger. You can refer to my Stockpile Cookbook for ideas I have shared in the past.....Here are some examples from my list:

CHICKEN - malibu chicken, tacos, casserole, BBQ, soup, chicken sandwiches, enchiladas,
BEEF ROAST - crockpot roast, enchiladas, french dips, philly cheese steak, shish kabob,stew
HAMBURGER - burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, spaghetti, stroganoff, Salisbury steaks, soup

Start putting these main dish items onto your menu

Make sure you are making the menu on something that can be erased....Computer, whiteboard, chalkboard....You don't want anything set in stone just yet!
When I am having a hard time thinking of ideas or just want some new ones I head to my favorite cookbooks, Pinterest and meal planning sites.

I love that I can type in what meat I have and it will give me dish ideas.

I like to make meals that I can re-purpose the leftovers. Helps stretch the budget!

Meaning, if I am making a beef roast....I'm going to freeze the leftovers and later in that month we are going to have tacos, stew, french dips or maybe philly cheese steaks if I find a great deal on cheese!
This way I just got 2 meals out of that one roast.

I also like to make double batches and freeze to make the next time that much easier.

Meaning, I will make a double batch of spaghetti sauce and freeze half
Cook up an extra pound or two of taco meat and freeze makes for quick taco salads or tostadas.
If I'm grilling chicken thighs or breasts, I will cook extra and freeze for quick chicken salads, enchiladas or soups!

STEP 3: Sides list

Next, make a list of the sides you have on hand.

For me this includes Stovetop, Rice or pasta mixes, boxed potatoes.....

Start pairing these sides with what you have listed as the main dish.

Planning to roast a chicken.....have Stovetop with it
Don't have enough chicken breast for the whole family to have one?....chop it up and add to a pasta mix with a bag of frozen veggies and you have a whole meal!
Or use a rice mix to add bulk to a soup made with leftover meat.
Plan to use boxed potatoes with a dish....but if a killer deal on fresh russets comes up replace with those and save the boxed for a backup!

For the veggies, I just list salad, roasted, steamed or grilled

I only list how I plan to prepare them based on the meal I'm making.
Then when the sale ads come around for that week I buy the fresh veggies that are on sale and pair them up with a dish.
If the weekly ads do not have very good produce deals I fall back on what canned or frozen veggies I have.

EXTRA TIPS THAT KEEP ME ON TRACK:

At the beginning of the week I go to the store to get all the produce, bread & milk I need for the week.

This way I have no reason to stop by the store (unless for couponed items) and have impulse quick dinner buys!

I pull all the meat I plan to use that week out of the freeze and put in the fridge to thaw.

By doing this I make sure I stick to a menu instead of reverting to take-out because I don't want the meat to go bad.

I do the simple prep work on Sunday to make the weeks meals easy

Shred all the cheese I will need
Make one huge salad to last all week
Completing the little things like this will save you so much time when you get home from work!

Now that I have shared with you how it is that I create my menu....I will show you what's on the menu!

At the top of the website in the menu bar you will notice a new permanent page on Living on a Coupon called "Monthly Menu"

At any time you can see what is on my menu for the entire month. If you would like the recipe for any dish you will find them in the "Stockpile Cookbook".

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

CUT YOUR GROCERY BUDGET IN HALF ~ PART 1, LIVE HOMEMADE!

Living on a Coupon isn't just about saving money with coupons; its about living a frugal happy & full life! The number one way I do this is by choosing to live a homemade lifestyle. I'm not talking Little House on the Prairie and you DO NOT have to be Suzy Homemaker to do this. Living homemade means less money being spent at the store, getting more bang for your buck all while getting the best quality possible!

By going homemade I have cut my families grocery budget by more than 80%. Before making these lifestyle changes we were spending anywhere from $800 - $1,000 a month in processed yuck I called groceries. I still coupon, I have just changed my style of couponing. I now focus on toiletries and kitchen staples like bread, condiments, milk, sugar, flour, nuts, grains and other main ingredients that will allow me to make my families favorites a healthier way.

I start off by preserving our favorite produce when it is at its peak. By doing this I am able to purchase it at the cheapest price yet enjoy it throughout the year. I personally only can/freeze the items I know we will for sure eat throughout the year. This way I am not wasting my time or resources preserving produce that will just take up space.

For me this includes freezing corn, canning pickles, strawberry freezer jam, canning salsa, pumpkin puree & applesauce to name a few. The top of my cabinets are lined with all my favorite cookbooks I have collected from yard sales, thrift stores & cookbook clubs. I also use meal planning programs like Meals by the Week because they keep my menu fresh and help me plan a menu based on the sales at my stores & what I have on hand. Of course, we also have the web to find new creative recipes & I don't know what I would do without Pinterest!

These resources help me stay creative with my monthly meal planning and makes sure I don't use the excuse of "I don't know how" when it comes to making something homemade. I save a fortune by making some of my families favorites homemade....not to mention we stay away from processed preservative filled versions which makes me happy. Some of the best ones are homemade noodles, flat bread, chocolate syrup & caramel

I do not buy prepackaged snacks; Fruit snacks and other snacks targeted at kids have as much sugar and "yuck" as a candy bar. I wouldn't buy a box of candy bars for my kids to snack on so why would I buy a box of fruit snacks. I like to shop at my local market to buy dried nuts & fruits to make our own snack mix. I buy raw oats and make our own flavored oatmeal. I also choose to buy plenty of fresh seasonal fruits & vegetables as well as saltine and baked crackers to have on hand. Staying away from the prepackaged snacks makes my budget very happy! Plus, it teaches my kids to make good choices that will stick with them into the future.

Another great way to cut your budget is to cut down on the portion size! I always thought I needed to be cooking for an army and always want to make sure my family gets plenty to eat. Though, what I quickly noticed was that my family was getting plenty to eat and I ended up with way to many leftovers. Just by cutting down the amount of hamburger I cooked for one meal from 4 pounds to 3 saves me on average $3 a dinner! I can feed 6 people on 3 chicken breast just by cutting them in half to make them thinner. This helps keep the portions under control and helps me make sure we always have a well rounded dinner consisting of a protein, starch & vegetable. By doing this my family gets plenty to eat, doesn't cost me as much and nobody notices that I have cut the amount of meat down.

Don't waste your money buying canned beans. Buy dry beans, cook in bulk and freeze them. Then, when you want to make beans all you have to do is warm them up and season. When I find a crazy good deal I stock up and freeze milk, butter, yogurt, cream cheese, bread, brick cheese and lunch meat. Stocking up and Freezing these items are essential to staying in budget. They are always expensive and for me is where I spend the most money. I make sure I follow my price point guide to make sure I am getting the best deal and go crazy! My kids enjoy baked goods so when I bake cookies I make a double batch and freeze them. Same with muffins and cupcakes; this way when I have company or a few extra kids spending the night I can quickly pull out what they want with no fuss and no mess.

My Homemade lifestyle doesn't stop in the kitchen! I also choose to make my own cleaning supplies & detergent. I love making my own products because they are clean of added chemicals, more gentle on my families skin and most of all extremely cheap!! Even with coupons usually the best price you will get on laundry detergent is $1.99 for 32 loads (60oz) which breaks down to $.06 a load. Or I can make my own homemade laundry detergent that is scent free & clear of added chemicals that only cost $1.76 for 480 loads!! That breaks down to less than a penny a load!! Some of my other favorites are homemade Febreze, Shout, Ice Packs & Swiffer Wet. Get those recipes and more HERE.

I allow a budge of $160 a month and that is for EVERYTHING! So, by making my own cleaning supplies means I have more money to spend on quality organic products, produce, milk & meats that I want to feed my family without a struggle. Healthy living doesn't have to break the bank, you just have to make adjustments in where your money is going to make it happen!

Sorry for the lengthy post, there is just so much to share! This is the first of a series I plan to share with you on how I live a frugal life without skimping on quality.

Next week, I will share with you how I create an entire month menu at one time!

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