First on the agenda is to report on how our eMeals planning is going. I mentioned last week what our grocery bill came out that week. It was a little higher than I would've liked, but we also got some items from this week's list. This week our groceries came out to $39 (plus $4 for a bad-day Ben and Jerry's remediation). Bringing our average total to about $60 per week. Not bad! I'd say those eMeals are working. :)
Now onto today's topic: "Sell By" and "Best By" Dates
Expiration dates are a huge key for those who need to get the most out of their money. If we don't pay attention to when food goes bad, we could end up wasting money, and wasting money goes against everything this blog stands for. But "Sell By" and "Best By" dates aren't expiration dates...are they?
"Best By" dates are merely for the the grocery stores to keep rotating their stock (and to help them know what items sell and at what rate). They are also the suggestions of manufactures stating the item will have their guaranteed flavor up until that specified date. Eating items after their "Best Buy" date usually isn't dangerous and sometimes you won't even notice a taste difference.
"Sell By" dates, however, that are found on dairy and meat products are good for guidance when discerning how long an item will be good for. The item will be good PAST the sell by date, but for how long depends on which item.
My favorite resource on this topic is a website called Still Tasty. On this site you can search just about any food item cooked/uncooked. It will then supply you with optimum storage conditions (will it freeze well? will it survive humidity?) as well as estimates for how long an item will last based on where you store it (pantry, fridge, freezer). It even mentions the temperatures it assumes your freezer and fridge are set to in order to provide proper estimates. Not only is it detailed and user friendly, Still Tasty states the sources it uses to bring you these estimates (many of which are government certified sources).
Along with the website they have an iPhone app, for $2, that will even alert you when your food is going bad based on when you bought it. For now, my husband and I have it fairly under control with our meal plans, so I didn't buy it but I could see how it would be very useful if you don't have each food item assigned to a meal (though I recommend that you do).
Either way, if you're ever unsure about an item in your pantry/fridge/freezer, or if you're looking to properly store items...Still Tasty is the best and most reliable resource I know.
Dinner: Time Saving Tips
While this blog is about money saving tips, there is also the need for time saving tips. In our day and age "time is money" can seem like a very applicable statement so in light of this, let me offer some tips that are working out well in our household:
Last week I mentioned that we would actually begin using eMeals, and we have. We've been using their Family Plan meal plan and making it stretch over a two week span, rather than their 2 person meal plan. We only shop for half of the meals on the eMeals list this week, and next week we finish the others. Three to four different meals per week, leftovers the other times. This is an attempt to save time, more than to save money because we only have to cook half the time. Normally I would freeze the leftovers so we could cook one week and relax the week after, however my husband is not a fan of the freezing leftovers concept. So, we have reached a compromise.
So far we have been cooking one night, and eating the leftovers the very next day. Some people may not like the repetition being right in a row, but it works for us. Since our dishwasher still hasn't been installed yet it's been working out to cook one day, wash dishes the next. And may i say, if you don't have a dishwasher I so HIGHLY recommend this system. Dishes no longer pile up like crazy, nor do we feel like dinner prep/eat/cleanup time lasts forever.
Last night, for example, was our 'wash the dishes' night because Wednesdays are our busy nights. However the recipe for our dinner tonight called for marinating the chicken overnight. Instead of having to have cooked two meals in one night, my husband washed the dishes while I cooked the chicken and made the marinade. And tonight, we get a free lazy day. How wonderful!
Other eMeals Benefits:
-every meal plan comes with 7 dinner menus (sides included) and recipes, as well as a grocery list ordered by store department...saving time even in the grocery store
- not only do you have a meal plan but you also have the recipe available to anyone so either my husband or I can cook dinner, depending on who gets home first. (whereas when I made the meal plan, I cooked because I knew where the recipes were)
-the meals a wonderfully planned to make use of all the items you buy. For instance one recipe only calls for half a pineapple...good thing recipe number 7 calls for the other half of that pineapple!
I can't comment on the saving money part as we're only on the first week of the month, but I can say we spent only $75 this week on groceries, and about $15 of that was for groceries that will last us the month or will go towards next week's grocery list. To us, that's right about on target with our budget...I'll let you know how it goes come the end of the month.
All in all, eMeals is so much easier. It may take the joy and accomplishment from coming up with your own recipe or meal plan, but there's always room for tweaking it to feel accomplished, and room for making your own ingredients (dressings, marinade, sauces...) instead of just buying it because it's on the grocery list. Basically, it leaves the creativity up to what time you have available, and for me...the best creativity comes when I do it because I want to, not because I feel like I have to. :)
Last week I mentioned that we would actually begin using eMeals, and we have. We've been using their Family Plan meal plan and making it stretch over a two week span, rather than their 2 person meal plan. We only shop for half of the meals on the eMeals list this week, and next week we finish the others. Three to four different meals per week, leftovers the other times. This is an attempt to save time, more than to save money because we only have to cook half the time. Normally I would freeze the leftovers so we could cook one week and relax the week after, however my husband is not a fan of the freezing leftovers concept. So, we have reached a compromise.
So far we have been cooking one night, and eating the leftovers the very next day. Some people may not like the repetition being right in a row, but it works for us. Since our dishwasher still hasn't been installed yet it's been working out to cook one day, wash dishes the next. And may i say, if you don't have a dishwasher I so HIGHLY recommend this system. Dishes no longer pile up like crazy, nor do we feel like dinner prep/eat/cleanup time lasts forever.
Last night, for example, was our 'wash the dishes' night because Wednesdays are our busy nights. However the recipe for our dinner tonight called for marinating the chicken overnight. Instead of having to have cooked two meals in one night, my husband washed the dishes while I cooked the chicken and made the marinade. And tonight, we get a free lazy day. How wonderful!
Other eMeals Benefits:
-every meal plan comes with 7 dinner menus (sides included) and recipes, as well as a grocery list ordered by store department...saving time even in the grocery store
- not only do you have a meal plan but you also have the recipe available to anyone so either my husband or I can cook dinner, depending on who gets home first. (whereas when I made the meal plan, I cooked because I knew where the recipes were)
-the meals a wonderfully planned to make use of all the items you buy. For instance one recipe only calls for half a pineapple...good thing recipe number 7 calls for the other half of that pineapple!
I can't comment on the saving money part as we're only on the first week of the month, but I can say we spent only $75 this week on groceries, and about $15 of that was for groceries that will last us the month or will go towards next week's grocery list. To us, that's right about on target with our budget...I'll let you know how it goes come the end of the month.
All in all, eMeals is so much easier. It may take the joy and accomplishment from coming up with your own recipe or meal plan, but there's always room for tweaking it to feel accomplished, and room for making your own ingredients (dressings, marinade, sauces...) instead of just buying it because it's on the grocery list. Basically, it leaves the creativity up to what time you have available, and for me...the best creativity comes when I do it because I want to, not because I feel like I have to. :)
Homemade Food and Craigslist
One of the best ways to save money and increase quality, is to make/bake/cook/mix it at home. No more prepackaged anything, is our goal.
I've tried my hand at homemade pesto sauce, seasoning mixes, tomato sauces, pizza dough, and so on. Even my husband has made a Chipotle knock-off burrito which is becoming his new staple lunch of choice. No more $10 burrito, hello $2 burrito. And next in line is homemade salsa and (now that we have a breadmaker) homemade bread).
It builds satisfaction, decreases cost, and creates fun challenges. Any premixed/cooked item whether in the grocery store or at a restaurant, we wonder how easy it would be to just make it ourselves. Yes, it does take more time out of our day so we experiment on the weekends, make what we can, and store the rest for during the week (thank you rubbermaid and pyrex storage containers).
The only downside we've run into with this whole Homemade Experiment...are the dirty dishes. Oh the dirty dishes are so many! While I've lived fairly happily in an apartment without a dishwasher for a couple years, this whole "make everything at home" thing is exhausting! Not to mention, it's also discouraging. I avoid cooking sometimes simply because of the dishes it will add to our already dirty pile. :(
So I finally gave in. I was now on the forefront of our search for a dishwasher (which my husband had been on board with even before finding our apartment). For $75 we purchased our very own, brand new never been used, dishwasher! Yup...brand-new....and for $75. Thank you Craigslist and the seller who never installed this dishwasher before they ended up moving. Now my husband is tasked with building an enclosure, and our plumber is finally coming to install it this week. Yay!!!
Homemade food + dishwasher = saving money, saving time, increasing quality, and no more dreading the dirty dishes. This is how you spend money in the right places and get what you want at a bargain price.
I've tried my hand at homemade pesto sauce, seasoning mixes, tomato sauces, pizza dough, and so on. Even my husband has made a Chipotle knock-off burrito which is becoming his new staple lunch of choice. No more $10 burrito, hello $2 burrito. And next in line is homemade salsa and (now that we have a breadmaker) homemade bread).
It builds satisfaction, decreases cost, and creates fun challenges. Any premixed/cooked item whether in the grocery store or at a restaurant, we wonder how easy it would be to just make it ourselves. Yes, it does take more time out of our day so we experiment on the weekends, make what we can, and store the rest for during the week (thank you rubbermaid and pyrex storage containers).
The only downside we've run into with this whole Homemade Experiment...are the dirty dishes. Oh the dirty dishes are so many! While I've lived fairly happily in an apartment without a dishwasher for a couple years, this whole "make everything at home" thing is exhausting! Not to mention, it's also discouraging. I avoid cooking sometimes simply because of the dishes it will add to our already dirty pile. :(
So I finally gave in. I was now on the forefront of our search for a dishwasher (which my husband had been on board with even before finding our apartment). For $75 we purchased our very own, brand new never been used, dishwasher! Yup...brand-new....and for $75. Thank you Craigslist and the seller who never installed this dishwasher before they ended up moving. Now my husband is tasked with building an enclosure, and our plumber is finally coming to install it this week. Yay!!!
Homemade food + dishwasher = saving money, saving time, increasing quality, and no more dreading the dirty dishes. This is how you spend money in the right places and get what you want at a bargain price.
Meal Plan Savings
Between the craziness of life and a few bumps in the road, this blog hasn't been managed as much as I would've liked. Still recently married, life is still in adjustment mode and with that comes experimenting that can occasionally end in failure.
A few weeks ago we hit one of those experiments that failed. I enjoyed this money saving concept and only bought what groceries I could get on sale. Great, right? Not entirely. We ended up having some food go bad because we had some miss matched food and had no real plan of how to use it all.
It's a common mistake, I know. But it's a mistake that, when you're on a tight budget, is the hardest mistake to swallow. It's the mistake that makes you want to stop trying. Well we didn't stop trying to save, but I was discouraged from this blog. However, we have bounced back.
I once heard it said that "failure is the manure of life." Yes it stinks, but it also allows growth to blossom where it falls. That's exactly what happened. Throwing out food that went bad hurt, but it was enough to kick us into a routine that wouldn't set us up to do that again. Before every shopping trip we now go through the grocery store circulars, and match the sale prices with recipe ingredients. This time, we have a plan.
It may take more effort up front, but it also makes life easier during the week when we're trying to figure out what to eat for dinner because we already have it planned out. But, we are also signed up for (and have been we just, haven't been using lately) eMeals. Every Wednesday I get 7 dinner meal recipes, cooking instructions, and an organized grocery list emailed to me for a very minimal subscription fee.
Lately we've been meal planning on our own, but only ever planning a main dish...eMeals plans out your main dish and pairs it with a side dish as well. You better believe next week, we'll actually make use of eMeals. Intentional buying, means no more wasted food, which means spending money wisely and that is the entire point of why I write what I write.
For those of you interested in this subscription I'll teach you a little secret to save even more money on the eMeals subscription (instead of $4.80 a month, it's now $2.40 a month). Go to google and search "Groupon emeals" because 70% of the time there is a Groupon in some region of the US for 50% off. Not all the time, but before you pay full price, always check to see if you can save a little more. ;)
A few weeks ago we hit one of those experiments that failed. I enjoyed this money saving concept and only bought what groceries I could get on sale. Great, right? Not entirely. We ended up having some food go bad because we had some miss matched food and had no real plan of how to use it all.
It's a common mistake, I know. But it's a mistake that, when you're on a tight budget, is the hardest mistake to swallow. It's the mistake that makes you want to stop trying. Well we didn't stop trying to save, but I was discouraged from this blog. However, we have bounced back.
I once heard it said that "failure is the manure of life." Yes it stinks, but it also allows growth to blossom where it falls. That's exactly what happened. Throwing out food that went bad hurt, but it was enough to kick us into a routine that wouldn't set us up to do that again. Before every shopping trip we now go through the grocery store circulars, and match the sale prices with recipe ingredients. This time, we have a plan.
It may take more effort up front, but it also makes life easier during the week when we're trying to figure out what to eat for dinner because we already have it planned out. But, we are also signed up for (and have been we just, haven't been using lately) eMeals. Every Wednesday I get 7 dinner meal recipes, cooking instructions, and an organized grocery list emailed to me for a very minimal subscription fee.
Lately we've been meal planning on our own, but only ever planning a main dish...eMeals plans out your main dish and pairs it with a side dish as well. You better believe next week, we'll actually make use of eMeals. Intentional buying, means no more wasted food, which means spending money wisely and that is the entire point of why I write what I write.
For those of you interested in this subscription I'll teach you a little secret to save even more money on the eMeals subscription (instead of $4.80 a month, it's now $2.40 a month). Go to google and search "Groupon emeals" because 70% of the time there is a Groupon in some region of the US for 50% off. Not all the time, but before you pay full price, always check to see if you can save a little more. ;)
A Good Education Is Worth Every Penny
One thing that is always worth one's money, is a good education.
We should all pursue learning and the best education we can afford...and I'm not just talking about those who are grade school or college age. No, we should never stop pursuing opportunities to learn no matter how young or old we are. Thankfully there are countless opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, and some for very affordable prices.
The library is a good place to start. So long as you can read, you can learn more about nearly any subject for free (or for mere pennies if you forget to return the books on time). But books are not the ideal learning material for many people, myself included. I learn much better when I can hear a voice, and better yet see demonstrations. While books are nice, I simply don't grasp the concepts as much as I would in the classroom. So for those of you who like, and/or are accustom to, lecture style learning don't fret for I have found us another free solution. :)
The new frugal favorite of mine (and my husband's) is using an app called iTunes U. If you haven't heard of it, either get the app now on your mobile device or simply access it through the iTunes Store. On here you can access FREE lectures from numerous colleges and universities (some even in video form) from nearly any university course topic.
My husband has put a hold on pursuing his postgraduate degree due to life adjustments, however he has not put a hold on pursuing his education. He enjoys using iTunes U to listen to several courses from a variety of well known seminaries allowing him to not only continue learning but also to gain a diverse education.
Me? My recent favorite is working on that growing culinary hobby of mine by listening to Science and Cooking from Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science. The science behind culinary techniques is absolutely fascinating, and the videos allow me to watch the demonstrations of some world renowned chefs!
Learning and increasing one's knowledge is absolutely worth every penny, but when you can get such high quality education for free? Well, to pass that up would be foolish.
We should all pursue learning and the best education we can afford...and I'm not just talking about those who are grade school or college age. No, we should never stop pursuing opportunities to learn no matter how young or old we are. Thankfully there are countless opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, and some for very affordable prices.
The library is a good place to start. So long as you can read, you can learn more about nearly any subject for free (or for mere pennies if you forget to return the books on time). But books are not the ideal learning material for many people, myself included. I learn much better when I can hear a voice, and better yet see demonstrations. While books are nice, I simply don't grasp the concepts as much as I would in the classroom. So for those of you who like, and/or are accustom to, lecture style learning don't fret for I have found us another free solution. :)
The new frugal favorite of mine (and my husband's) is using an app called iTunes U. If you haven't heard of it, either get the app now on your mobile device or simply access it through the iTunes Store. On here you can access FREE lectures from numerous colleges and universities (some even in video form) from nearly any university course topic.
My husband has put a hold on pursuing his postgraduate degree due to life adjustments, however he has not put a hold on pursuing his education. He enjoys using iTunes U to listen to several courses from a variety of well known seminaries allowing him to not only continue learning but also to gain a diverse education.
Me? My recent favorite is working on that growing culinary hobby of mine by listening to Science and Cooking from Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science. The science behind culinary techniques is absolutely fascinating, and the videos allow me to watch the demonstrations of some world renowned chefs!
Learning and increasing one's knowledge is absolutely worth every penny, but when you can get such high quality education for free? Well, to pass that up would be foolish.
Once a Week Pizza Night
My husband and I decided that we would do a pizza night, once a week. While we share many favorite foods, there are others that we completely disagree on (ie olives...bleh!). Pizza is a wonderful option where we can split a pizza and do different toppings.
Problem is, ordering pizza every week is not a budget friendly option. Buying a pre-made pizza from the grocery store is one way to save on money, and grease. But, what we are trying tonight should save even more money, AND we can get the exact toppings that we want.
Last night I broke out that wonderful KitchenAid to save the most money possible and make homemade dough. Okay, well not entirely the cheapest possible. I added a special ingredient that wasn't required, but sure will be yummy. The homemade dough went from costing about $.50 to about $1.50 just with that special ingredient...but I seek quality, not just cost.
Better yet, cooking pizza once a week allows me to do a one time dough cook for the entire month (making 4 batches at a time), then we just stock up on our toppings when they're on sale. We save money, we save time, and as a wonderful bonus there's less dishes to clean. :D
Problem is, ordering pizza every week is not a budget friendly option. Buying a pre-made pizza from the grocery store is one way to save on money, and grease. But, what we are trying tonight should save even more money, AND we can get the exact toppings that we want.
Last night I broke out that wonderful KitchenAid to save the most money possible and make homemade dough. Okay, well not entirely the cheapest possible. I added a special ingredient that wasn't required, but sure will be yummy. The homemade dough went from costing about $.50 to about $1.50 just with that special ingredient...but I seek quality, not just cost.
Better yet, cooking pizza once a week allows me to do a one time dough cook for the entire month (making 4 batches at a time), then we just stock up on our toppings when they're on sale. We save money, we save time, and as a wonderful bonus there's less dishes to clean. :D
Stocking Up The Kitchen
The past couple months my husband and I have been wonderfully taken care of prior to the wedding as friends of ours gladly provided shelter and food for us as we adjusted to moving into a new area and saving for our future. Because of this, when we moved into our apartment...our kitchen/pantry was empty. We basically had to start from scratch.
So earlier this week we took a trip to Costco (a wholesale grocery store) to stock up our pantry. Since I've spent many hours reading blogs over the past weeks about all the wondrous money you can save by making simple homemade items (like pizza dough) I felt justified in buying massive staple items in bulk. The only stipulation is that we make use of them all.
What We Got:
25 lbs flour
10 lbs sugar
24 cans tomato sauce (to be seasoned ourselves)
1 lb yeast
3 gals Olive Oil
2 gals Vegetable Oil
5 lbs Brown Sugar
10 lbs Brown Rice
10 Boxes of Pasta
2 lbs Powdered Creamer
5 lbs Baking Soda
2 lbs Baking Powder
and other misc (non-staple) items
So after a huge dent in the wallet we now have our kitchen so entirely stocked...and stocked for a good 6 months to a year! It hurt to pay that cashier over $200, but we slept easy knowing that we would have spent much, much more restocking those very items every month for twelve months.
So earlier this week we took a trip to Costco (a wholesale grocery store) to stock up our pantry. Since I've spent many hours reading blogs over the past weeks about all the wondrous money you can save by making simple homemade items (like pizza dough) I felt justified in buying massive staple items in bulk. The only stipulation is that we make use of them all.
What We Got:
25 lbs flour
10 lbs sugar
24 cans tomato sauce (to be seasoned ourselves)
1 lb yeast
3 gals Olive Oil
2 gals Vegetable Oil
5 lbs Brown Sugar
10 lbs Brown Rice
10 Boxes of Pasta
2 lbs Powdered Creamer
5 lbs Baking Soda
2 lbs Baking Powder
and other misc (non-staple) items
So after a huge dent in the wallet we now have our kitchen so entirely stocked...and stocked for a good 6 months to a year! It hurt to pay that cashier over $200, but we slept easy knowing that we would have spent much, much more restocking those very items every month for twelve months.
Furnishing An Apartment
Recently having been married my husband and I had the wonderful joy of furnishing an apartment together. We were fairly lucky, however, that we had most of the items necessary to furnish it...even after my husband gifted nearly all his furniture away.
Not many can say that their first apartment together was so nicely furnished (in that it looks like all the furniture was acquired at the same time) for so little money.
What We Acquired in the Past Months:
Couch and Loveseat: $100 on Craigslist
Shelving Unit: $2 at a garage sale
Coffee Table (currently holding our TV): Hand-me down from a friend
Bed, DVD Shelves, Nightstand light, & Entertainment Unit: On loan from a friend who doesn't currently need them
Total Cost: $102
Collection of Items Acquired Over the Years:
2 Bookshelves, Dinning Room Set, and Desk: hand-me downs from an aunt moving across the country
Computer Chair: Gift from long ago
Vintage Treasure-like Chest: $20 at a flea market
Bathroom Shelves & Dresser: Hand-me down from family
Nightstand (that closely matches the dresser): $20 on craigslist
Foldable End Tray: Picked up on the side of the road only needing some wood glue
Kitchen Shelving Unit: $10 at a garage sale
Standing Lamp: $40
Nightstand/Desk Lamp: A gift from long ago
1 Large and 2 Small Matching Canvas Paintings: $45 at Marshalls
Other Paintings: Created/gifted by my artistic mother
Weber Grill and Patio Furniture: Picked up on the side of the road (grill is fully functional!)
Total Cost: $135
So believe it or not, a nice one bedroom apartment where everything matches and is nicely coordinated, can really only cost a grand total of $237...if you're patient...and lucky.
Not many can say that their first apartment together was so nicely furnished (in that it looks like all the furniture was acquired at the same time) for so little money.
What We Acquired in the Past Months:
Couch and Loveseat: $100 on Craigslist
Shelving Unit: $2 at a garage sale
Coffee Table (currently holding our TV): Hand-me down from a friend
Bed, DVD Shelves, Nightstand light, & Entertainment Unit: On loan from a friend who doesn't currently need them
Total Cost: $102
Collection of Items Acquired Over the Years:
2 Bookshelves, Dinning Room Set, and Desk: hand-me downs from an aunt moving across the country
Computer Chair: Gift from long ago
Vintage Treasure-like Chest: $20 at a flea market
Bathroom Shelves & Dresser: Hand-me down from family
Nightstand (that closely matches the dresser): $20 on craigslist
Foldable End Tray: Picked up on the side of the road only needing some wood glue
Kitchen Shelving Unit: $10 at a garage sale
Standing Lamp: $40
Nightstand/Desk Lamp: A gift from long ago
1 Large and 2 Small Matching Canvas Paintings: $45 at Marshalls
Other Paintings: Created/gifted by my artistic mother
Weber Grill and Patio Furniture: Picked up on the side of the road (grill is fully functional!)
Total Cost: $135
So believe it or not, a nice one bedroom apartment where everything matches and is nicely coordinated, can really only cost a grand total of $237...if you're patient...and lucky.
The Beginning
Having recently taken Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course (which I highly recommend if you haven't taken it already) my husband and I have laid out plans for our financial future. It's wonderful having a goal and a direction, but living it out gets a little tricky sometimes. So, I think, why not make it a fun challenge?
I have long enjoyed fashion, have a growing love for cooking, and LOVE a bargain. While my bargain hunting is nothing new to me, having financial goals in mind only ignites this passion all the more. It went from a fun side hobby, to a lifestyle challenge I willingly accept.
Please understand, this is not a blog about how little money I spend...anyone can do that. Simply live off of Ramen noodles and run your thrift store clothing into the ground if that's your only goal. No, one of my greatest joys is to find unique ways to make my money stretch far but only in ways that you wouldn't notice my frugal spending if I didn't tell you. In other words I find it a fun challenge to spend less, without sacrificing quality.
So feel free to read in on my endeavors as I spend money only where it counts the absolute most. :)
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