Another Money Saving Wednesday…Let’s talk food
I have been working this week to finish a cook book so I can get it off to the printer. I have been immersed in thoughts of food and getting this project completed. Unfortunately, that has meant for several night I have not had dinner ready and by 7:00 my sweetheart was asking if he should go get hamburgers. So..today we are going to focus on money saving ideas when thinking food.
1. Freeze meals. I used to do this all the time when I had kids at home with music lessons, basketball, football and volleyball games, band concerts, you know. I would make a casserole, lasagna, meatloaf or a dozen other dinners and make enough to freeze a spare. When you run for hamburgers because you have been too busy to plan ahead it costs big bucks. Even eating off of the 99 cent menu will cost more than preparing a meal.
2. Freeze desserts. The same thinking applies here. If you make cookies or a pan of brownies freeze half. Now when you are out of goodies for lunches you can run to the freezer and have it covered. The key to getting your family to accept taking a lunch to work or school (thus saving money) is to keep those lunches interesting, so have back up desserts on hand.
3. Freeze leftovers. I know you have all cleaned the fridge and thrown away leftover. Try freezing them. Left overs are great for lunches on the weekends, snacks after school and midnight snacks when kids are pulling an all-nighter before a paper is due. Kids will be thrilled if you pull out left over pizza for a snack.
4. Do your grocery shopping at night. You can often get good deals on bakery, produce and meat if you shop late and ask if they have anything they are about to mark down. Get the kids in bed, leave dad or grandma to babysit and shop late.
5. Ask about close out items. Often stores close out items making room for a new one they feel will be more popular with customers. In some cases the can size is changing, labeling is changing, there are many reasons. You often see shelf sticker that say “last chance” . There is nothing wrong with these foods so watch for them.
Back to my recipes! Happy Shopping
I like to use the 7 1/4″oval Corningware dishes with lids to make leftover meals. Even though there are no separaters in these oval dishes, I put portions of leftover food in each one: some meat, some vegetables, something starchy like rice, noodles, or potatoes, and put it in the fridge or freezer, depending on when I plan to use it. Then anyone can put it in the microwave for a few minutes and have a complete meal. At some meals, only a vegetable will be leftover. So, I portion it out, and likely the next day or so, some meat and a starchy complement will be left over. Then I will add those portions. There are usually one or more “TV” dinners ready to be reheated in the fridge or freezer using this method.
I love this idea! I am going to have to check these out.
Hey Carolyn–this is your cousin. I stumbled upon all that you are doing and am very impressed.
I do have a hint–When freezing meals, freeze them in foil-lined casserole dishes, then take them out of the dish when frozen. That way you can reuse the dish, especially if you are the super organized type that freezes several meals. When ready to bake, take the foil package out of the freezer, replace it into the casserole dish, thaw and bake. This works especially well with crock-pot meals. They will freeze to the configuration of the pot while in the foil. For meat, I take out the package the night before (don’t tell the manufacturer) thaw all night then bake it the next day. Other meals will cook just fine from the frozen state having started in the morning.
Keep up the good work!