Just curious who else is living super frugal

[lazy gardener]

Maybe someday I'll be able to do that. lol Once the kids are out of the house.

Still have one of those. 14 y.o. eats more than hubby and I combined.

 

[jas humbert]

So true, Lazy Gardener. I've got a 15 year old still at home (plus hubby and me) and teen boys inhale and groceries are gone. Like you, we don't make meat the star of very meal. We were very broke early in our marriage and once I made a pound of hamburger last a week (bean soup with a tiny bit of hamburger, spaghetti with very little meat in the sauce, etc). These days we are not so tight but I still make several dishes that are a little bit of meat and a lot of other stuff. I don't mind going vegetarian some nights but the boys are much happier with at least a little meat. Tonight we are having my version of huevos rancheros. - Some pam-type spray in a muffin tin, some tortilla pieces lining the muffin tin- break a small egg on top of torilllas- add cheese and salsa and bake at 350 until eggs are firm enough for your liking. I might add bacon or ham if I have it but they are good meatless too. I make those by the dozen when I have extra eggs and they are eaten in no time. They refrigerate or freeze well and make good snacks in the microwave .Very cheap for those of us who have chickens.

5 pounds of chicken might last all week because we don't eat chicken every night and I do cook from scratch some nights. Its just good to have things available for the nights I'm exhausted and tempted to eat out or pick up junk. I have fibromyalgia, a bad knee and a full time job and have to plan ahead when I can do stuff so I can rest when I need to.

Most of the time I have homemade single servings of things in the freezer. When I do cook from scratch, I divide things into servings right out of the oven and freeze some single portions before it ever hits the table. Same with leftovers. They usually get frozen right away with good labels. If I was having a bad night tonight, I could choose from a single serving of chicken and sausage gumbo,or lasagna, or beef stew or stuffed chickens breasts over rice, or homemade bean soup- all frozen. My kid can microwave and on a bad night he will warm up leftovers for everyone. I know I feel better when I don't give in and eat junky just because its easier and I'm too tired and I try to keep telling myself that on the tough nights.. .

 

[DreamsInPink]

Hmm, I'm not sure how well that would go over here. Bf does the bulk of the cooking. Cutting back on meat would make a huge difference in our grocery bill for sure. Right now, this month, things are especially tight... we had some unexpected expenses and we are only going to have about $150 for groceries... I have NO idea how we are going to make that work. I'll keep ya'll posted.. if I don't starve to death.

 

[jas humbert]

Dreams in Pink- I've been there and it is tough. I do like to cook and that helps some. Start with what you have. Most of us here have chickens. A couple of dozen eggs a week goes a long way if you use them in different ways. Use limited meat- easier for meat eaters to adapt to than no meat. Put the meat on top where it shows- like bacon sprinkled on top of a quiche or a good sized scoop of meat sauce on top of pasta. Try to figure out what people in the family do like the taste of so it doesn't seem so awful to have less meat. Flour is cheap and goes along way for biscuits, crepes, pancakes, Beans, rice, potatoes are much cheaper than meat. A nice thick bean soup with carrots, onion and a bit of bacon or ham is a hit at our house.

Instead of a chicken breast each for dinner, top a big baked potato with a big spoonfull of chopped chicken breast in a little bbq sauce and another spoonful of cheese, (salsa and sour cream are good too if you have it). One chicken breast then feeds 3 or 4 people. Add a salad from the garden or whatever veggies are getting ripe. .Don't throw anything out if it is still edible. Freeze bits and pieces of leftovers for homemade frozen dinners or to add to homemade soup.

Hang in there- better times will come.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Dreams in Pink- I've been there and it is tough. I do like to cook and that helps some. Start with what you have. Most of us here have chickens. A couple of dozen eggs a week goes a long way if you use them in different ways. Use limited meat- easier for meat eaters to adapt to than no meat.   Put the meat on top where it shows- like bacon sprinkled on top of a quiche or a  good sized scoop of meat sauce on top of pasta. Try to figure out what people in the family do like the taste of  so it doesn't seem so awful to  have less meat. Flour is cheap and goes along way for biscuits, crepes, pancakes,  Beans, rice, potatoes are much cheaper than meat. A nice thick bean soup with carrots, onion and  a bit of bacon or ham is a hit at our house. 


Instead of a chicken breast each for dinner, top a big baked potato with a big spoonfull of chopped chicken breast in a little bbq sauce and another spoonful of cheese, (salsa and sour cream are good too if you have it). One chicken breast then  feeds 3 or 4 people. Add a salad from the garden or whatever veggies are getting ripe. .Don't throw anything out if it is still edible. Freeze bits and pieces of leftovers for homemade frozen dinners or to add to homemade soup.

Hang in there- better times will come. 

Thank you very much! I appreciate the encouragement. I do have chickens, but they aren't laying yet. Not for another month or so. We do have 4 more chickens in the freezer that we raised earlier this spring and had processed, so that will help. I don't know how my bf will feel about limited meat, but at this point, it's either that, or meat for a few meals then meatless the rest of the month. The good thing is, we don't typically eat breakfast or lunch really. Maybe something small midday, depending on what we are doing. We did just have a ham and we always freeze the ham bone and then use it for beans later... we are going grocery shopping tomorrow. That will be interesting. No ripe garden goodies yet, so it'll be pretty much whatever we can get cheap at the store. We are fairly big eaters, especially the teenage boy. And my bf is hard headed and set in his ways... which leaves me to be the one stressing over it all.

 

[lazy gardener]

Dandelion greens if they've not gone by. Soak for several hours, clean well, boil, dump the first boil water and then continue cooking. They are amazingly tasty. Cook your own beans from dry instead of buying canned. Mixing beans with dairy and grains gives a fully balanced protein. Do a google search for vegetarian meals featuring some of the stuff you have on hand. Impossible Quiche made with Bisquick, (but I just do a ratio of the ingredients of Bisquick when I mix it up in the blender. I'm too cheap to buy Bisquick or any of the pre-mix stuff, though I do have a stash of brownie and cake mixes... but I digress!) and topped with pepperoni is a huge hit in my family. Who doesn't like pizza? Super cheap meal. And in the summer heat, I love to cook it on the grill. If you eat breakfast and lunch, you'll be amazed at how much further your supper prep goes! And usually, breakfast and lunch are the less expensive meals of the day. There's a store near where I work that sells "older" produce and bread that is usually FRESHER than the produce sold at the store closer to my house. Visit the "day old" bakery thrift shops. Stuff there is still within the "sell by" date, and sells for 25% of what you'd pay at the grocery. Keep that bread refrigerated or frozen, and it will last an amazingly long time. Make your own master mixes. You can google search for just about anything: baking mixes, shake and bake, pudding, spice blends... Got a favorite recipe? Triple it, then measure out 1/3 of the dry ingredients, add the wet, and you're ready to go for this baking session, with enough left over for 2 more sessions! Home made Bisquick mix can be adapted for quick breads (banana, squash, and the like) very easily, and makes a super light loaf. Shop for meats on Sunday night. They are often marked down then. You can eat them the next day, or freeze them. Cheaper cuts of meat tenderize well when pounded, and especially when frozen with BBQ sauce in the bag. The acid works on the meat all that time till you cook it. Never throw out left overs, no matter how small. Dump those little smidgens into a casserole dish in the fridge. At the end of the week, add a bit of meat (if you haven't already) a bit of sauce, or even a can of creamed soup, and you've got an instant meal. Any cheap meal becomes gourmet with good bread. Get your family invested in the budget challenge by inviting them into the kitchen to cook. Food is better received when there's a mental investment in the process. My 14 y.o. cooked mushrooms to go on his Ramen last night! There's a first time for everything. No doubt his new girl friend likes mushrooms!!! Smart girl!

 

[DreamsInPink]

Thank you for all that... There is a lot of good information/advice there. Bf went shopping today. We'll have to wait and see how he did. I'm sure I'll be popping in and out here and there.

 

[LittleLakePhil]

Hmm, I'm not sure how well that would go over here. Bf does the bulk of the cooking. Cutting back on meat would make a huge difference in our grocery bill for sure. Right now, this month, things are especially tight... we had some unexpected expenses and we are only going to have about $150 for groceries... I have NO idea how we are going to make that work. I'll keep ya'll posted.. if I don't starve to death.

You can do it...just need to be a little creative...I've been through many times that were very tight.....it always amazes me how little money out takes to get by on when you have to.

 

[lindalouly]

Groceries always seem to be our biggest bill. Well we are feeding four strong and healthy boys. I cook everyday.... Mainly because even a trip to McDonald's is gonna be 30 bucks or more. I have yet to figure out how to cut the food budget. We just moved back in with my folks to try to save money sand be able to buy a house at some point. I am retraining myself the art of turning off lights. Watching the thermostat. And all that fun stuff... But even with the help of my folks my food bill remains outrageous. I've got to start looking up frugal dinners.

 

[lindalouly]

You can do it...just need to be a little creative...I've been through many times that were very tight.....it always amazes me how little money out takes to get by on when you have to.

I have a question for you. I just had the breaks and bearing done on my 97 suburban. The brake fluid was completely out and I didn't know. We filled it up and it's out again... Is that normal? Do I need to keep refilling it for a bit?