Mo Monay Mo Problems....

i think that song is a total joke. if you have more money and proper money management habits, you will have LESS problems. what you may have more of is relatives coming out of the woodwork trying to get some of your fundage. but that's not a real problem. that's a "get caller id" problem.

every night i make a lunch for my husband to take to work the next day. and every night i sort of groan at the thought of having to get up to do it. i've been cooking, cleaning, crafting, planning, chasing, teaching, learning, and organizing all day. all i want is to relax, but my rest is inevitably broken up by the lunch-making.

i also want to make sure that i'm packing him a variety of nutritious, filling, energy packed foods. sometimes i get a little overwhelmed trying to pick the right combination of things.

that's a little compulsive, i know.

once i finish making his lunch (and i always do. he hasn't had to buy a lunch once in the 2 months i've been here) i feel a sense of relief. it's done, he has a great lunch for the next day, and i know we're saving a boatload of money. in times like these, with student loans like ours, that's so important.

i'm sure what i'm about to post is not new news for a lot of people. in fact, many of you might be able to one up me on money saving tactics. but here are a few of our food things that have worked for us and made it possible to reduce our food bill each month by over 30%.

*we reuse ziploc bags that haven't touched any raw/perishable food--namely we reuse our freezer bags, which i will get to next
*i buy meat in bulk and then wrap appropriate portion sizes individually and then freeze. for us that means 2 chicken breasts or thighs, 3 drumsticks, 1lb of ground meat, and fish gets wrapped individually. we wrap each "set" in saran wrap, then foil, then into large freezer bags. each bag is labeled with the type of meat in it. you can thaw under running water, the microwave, or in your refrigerator 2 days before you need the meat.
*we buy entire chickens. this is probably one of our biggest money savers. one entire chicken can feed us for a week when portions of it are mixed in to other meals and it costs less than $5. shredded chicken can go into enchiladas, pasta dishes, salads, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, soups, you name it. it can also be made into sandwich meat-- chicken salad sandwich, shredded chicken tossed in bbq sauce, dipped in buffalo wing sauce, etc. you can cook the whole in a crock pot, roaster, your oven, a smoker, a rotisserie, you name it.
*for meat, find ways to make use of less common, tougher or cheaper meats. chicken thighs are outrageously cheap. bone-in meat is also cheaper. tougher cuts are cheaper. for all of those things a little extra work (or cutting) leaves them just as delicious as their easier, more processed counterparts. tough beef doesn't even need more work-- it needs less!! find a great crockpot recipe. throw it all in the pot in the am, dinner is ready by the pm. amazing!
*buy in season. people have been talking about this for quite some time. look for fruits and veggies that cost less than $1 a pound. if you aren't sure exactly what produce you're looking at, write it down and go home and google it. find some recipes. expand your repertoire. right now squashed and sweet potatoes are in season. those are DELICIOUS, versatile foods. sweet potatoes can be made into breads and muffins. squash can turn into soup. both can be mixed in and baked with mac and cheese.
*go meatless. find a meatless dish at least once a week. focus your dish on lentils or beans or just pasta and sauce. meat is expensive. beans, especially dried beans, are so cheap it's insane. lentil soup is a great, filling, healthy meal. another plus side to eating less meat: less cholesterol intake. cholesterol comes from meat, so eating less meat could help your health!!
*once every 2 or 3 months, have a "clear the cabinets" month. use up EVERYTHING you possibly can in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. you might make it over a week before you have to go for your grocery run. that's a week of food you just bought yourself. for our family that would be about $70 every 2-3 months. that's $3-400 a year. warn your family that the meals might be a bit odd!
*save your discards. healthy veggie ends, peels, skins, and shells make amazing compost or the beginnings of an amazing homemade stock. you can also save meat bones for stock. just keep it all in a ziploc bag. as you cut up and use foods, take your bag, toss them in, and put the bag back in the freezer. when your bag is nice and full, make a 3:1 ratio of water to veggies, put it all in a stock pot, and simmer it down to half of the original water. hello delicious, homemade, low sodium stock.

i know that these things might not work for some people. i certainly don't expect everyone to have an intimate relationship with their kitchen. i kissed my pans as they came out of storage for heaven's sake. that can't be healthy! but if you can use even one or two of these ideas, that's awesome, and i'm glad i could help.

if you have other money saving thoughts about food, throw 'em in here!!!