Well in my last post I mentioned that there have been a lot of bills recently and that I need to cut expenses. I decided to to do some online research. Something I have been doing frequently recently looking for thrifty ideas and lifestyles.
So Pinterest here I came. So many different things pinned with 5,10, 15 or whatever ideas to save money. Well let me tell you folks I just hate clicking on those to find it takes me to the blog and then that the article is only a list of links to posts by other people on their blogs! Originality Guys!
I know it is only right to give credit where credit is due, but please I want to know what the author thinks of these ideas. What works for them. What they don't agree with!
Often the various links given have all more or less the same sort of advice. Inevitable as there are only so many ways we can reduce things such as grocery bills.
What is very obvious to me is what I have already started doing and that is planning ahead and not doing impulse buying. In my case I have been guilty of being maybe busy knitting and just not planning ahead so at the last moment I don't even know what I shall cook!
I also buy ingredients with the best intentions and then never get around to making the meal. Then it gets to the expiry date and that is sheer waste! Organization that is the key! So here I will make a list of my own with what I need to do to economise based on my experience in the past few months.
1: Organization!
Do a meal plan. Not a rigid day by day thing but an idea of meals for the month, or at least a week. Maybe I will make pizza on Wednesday instead of Saturday or do a roast on Tuesday! You get what I mean. The important thing is to have the ingredients available.
2: Make a shopping list!
Work out the ingredients I need beforehand! I always seem to forget something! My DH calls me a "chittara scordata" (Scordare is a way of saying forget and a guitar that is scordata needs tuning for those who are curious!) His way of saying I am always forgetting things! (As if he remembers them!)
Stick to the shopping list without impulse purchases.
3: Cook meals from scratch. This one I am doing fairly well on. I rarely used package foods anyway.
4: Avoid using canned foods. I must take the time to cook beans, chickpeas, lentils myself instead of just opening a can. Again that goes with planning ahead but I can also freeze them ready cooked if I have freezer space.
5: Take the meat out of the freezer and cook the stuff!
We actually have our own beef and although it is tough it has a great flavour. I always forget to remove it in time and that means I have to substitute something else, often canned meat! One of the best things I have bought is a thing to grind raw meat. The cuts that were too tough cook beautifully as polpette or hamburgers!
6: Avoid buying soft drinks.
I have stopped drinking any kind of alcoholic drinks and don't buy them, but lemon or peach tea, lemonade etc can be costly and are also bad for us. Drinking water is better. I should also start making tea in the summer again and letting it cool instead of buying all those bottles. Less plastic to recycle that way as well!
7: Check expiry dates and use things up! Mozzarella cheese that is you I am looking at! I always forget. I should freeze it before it expires. Organization!
8: Cut down on buying ice cream!
Really one of the biggest things this month! It has been so hot and ice cream seemed the only thing nice to eat. I actually have 2 ice cream makers! Get them out girl and make some. I would even know what goes into it! Lol! Also make some lemon granita. We have our own lemons and I never make the stuff!
9: Use up leftovers.
Waste not want not. That is what I was taught as a child and I really need to remember again. Left over food can be served up as ingredients in other dishes.
Too much gets just thrown out otherwise.
Well that is it for now. I will stop at 9 because it is a number I like! When the weather gets cooler I will start baking bread again and maybe some cakes. I will continue trying to find other ways to save on food bills while still producing good food to eat. Actually the meals will probably be far better than usual!
Recipe books here I come!
What other suggestions do you have?
We have 3 adult children plus my dh and myself. The men eat a lot of food, they aren't overweight, they just eat a lot. One way I save money is I make my own "healthy" (I never, ever call them that) cake mixes and make a large sheet cake every day. I leave it in the middle of the kitchen under a cover. This really cuts down on the guys opening the fridge and helping themselves to, say, a large hunk of cheese that I was going to use for dinner. Doing this has saved me quite a bit of money. I make cakes like, spice, apple, carrot, bannana, etc. I have the fruit, nuts and veg grated or pureered in the freezer. I take out the fruit about an hour before I bake. I've been doing this for two years and the cake is always gone by the next morning and my dinner ingredients are almost always there when I need then,
ReplyDeleteRosemary
Great idea, thanks for sharing! When my son lived here food seemed to vanish more! He is very tall and thin but very active! I must make something and take it over to his house! As soon as it cools a bit, too hot to bake at the moment!
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