Meal Planning For The Win!

 

In anything you want to be successful at, it begins with a plan, and that couldn’t be truer or more helpful when it comes to what we eat.  I like to plan my meals by first taking inventory of what I already have on hand.  Using up first what we have on hand not only saves us money, but it also curbs potential food waste.

 

My next part is to plan my meals expecting leftovers so I can cook once and eat twice so plan your meals with this in mind.  Leftovers allows for convenience so you are less likely to be tempted to order take out or run through the drive thru window on the way home because you are too tired to even think about cooking when you get home.

 

Meal prepping is also a key to meal planning success, either by preparing entire meals or components for making meals and placing them in the freezer.  I will often take a block of time and prepare several meals and tuck them away in the freezer so anyone can grab one and reheat it in the microwave.  Homemade soups or chili is another great item to keep in the freezer.

 

Making a list of favorite meals or meals you would like to be eating allows you to have ideas at your fingertips.  As a budget stretcher I include a soup, salad and bread meal at least once a week which makes for a quick and easy meal to prepare as well.  Brainstorming with your family for ideas of which meals they would like to see on the table takes a lot of the pressure off of you to come up with all of the ideas yourself.

 

Once you have taken an inventory of what you already have on hand and your list of good ideas for meal it is now time to come up with a plan.  Map out what you plan to prepare for the week and make a list of ingredients you still need to buy at the store.  Once that is done, check the store ads online, download any digital coupons that may apply and you are ready to shop.  Keep in mind as your are planning that you are using REAL food in your plan and steer clear of any overpriced and unhealthy ultra processed items.

 

Consider making a batch of muffins or scones from scratch instead of buying cereal to serve for breakfast.  Zucchini bread, banana bread or apple walnut bread made with a combination of all purpose and whole wheat flour plus dried fruit and nuts is a much better option than a sugar laden cereal and much less expensive too.  Leftovers are great options for lunches.  If you have children you can make your own “lunchables” with sliced chicken or ham, sliced cheese, grapes and a homemade oatmeal cookie.

There are many ways to tailor your meal plans to meet your needs and save you money.  We’ll be exploring more ideas in the coming weeks.

 

Let’s Get Real! With Our Food!

 

With the rising cost of groceries and the rise in food related health issues (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) it is definitely time to rein it in and eat a healthier and much more nutritious diet.  The best way to save money on your grocery bill and to improve your health and nutrition is to purchase only REAL food.  Nothing that is premade, pre-prepared, overly processed or ultra processed which culls out the majority of the grocery store, but don’t despair.  There is still plenty of good stuff to be had.

 

Whole ingredients lead to better eating.  When you are no longer purchasing the garbage foods, which ironically don’t have much in the way of quality or nutrition, you will be amazed at what you can actually afford.  Meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy, eggs, nuts, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats like butter, olive oil, coconut oil and olive oil.  Your food will taste better and you will feel better too and in the process you will save a lot more money.

 

Good food fills us up, gives us sustained energy and keeps us full while ultra processed foods are high in sugar, unhealthy fats and ingredients that don’t appear in nature.  They do not keep us full or satiated for long so we always feel hungry.  We want more and that leads to overeating and consuming too much stuff that our bodies were never designed to eat in the first place.  By ingesting too many carbohydrates plus chemicals, preservatives, additives, dyes and other unnatural ingredients we send our bodies into a tailspin.  Eventually we get sick.

 

For the price of a bag of potato chips you can buy a lot of potatoes.  For the price of a bottle of juice you can buy a lot of fruit.  For the price of a premade entrée you can buy a lot of meat.  For the price of a couple cans of chili you can make an entire crockpot full of delicious nutritious homemade chili.  For the price of a twelve pack of soda you can buy two gallons of whole milk.  Good food costs less money!  It really does.

 

Replace a bag of Cheetos with a block of cheese.  A couple slices of real cheese are far more sustaining than chips.  Replace fruit snacks with fruit – grapes, apples, bananas, plums, etc.  You won’t find the first ingredient in any piece of fruit listed as High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Replace expensive cracker snacks and Lunchables with peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread cut into fourths.  Make your own lunchmeat with slice pan grilled chicken breast, slice ham or canned tuna.  You’ll get far more bang for your buck with less sodium and nitrates.  The possibilities for healthy food exchanges are endless.

 

Need your own copy of the REAL Food Pantry List?  Is it time for you to revamp your pantry and your shopping habits?  How about what you’ve been cooking lately?  Could that use an overhaul too?  Stay tuned as more about that will be coming up very soon!

 

The Struggle Is Real And I Am Here To Help!

 

Since I last posted on this blog a lot has changed, not just for me, but for the world in general.  In reviewing my stats I see so many people still come to this blog every day and look at my old posts.  I can see that a lot of the posts you are looking at have to do with ways to curb costs, feed our families and stock the cupboards.  Although I am retired and an empty nester it appears that this blog is very much still relevant.  So how can I help you?

 

There are many topics I can talk about as far as finances, budgeting, thrift and frugality, making ends meet, etc., etc., etc.  What are you struggling with right now?  What are your greatest concerns?  What subjects interest you the most?  Is a weekly post something you would like to see on this blog?  Or more?  Less?  None at all?

 

I may not be in your shoes at this time raising a family and working a full time job, but I still may be relevant.  After all, you can learn a lot from your elders.  They have decades of experiences and wisdom from making mistakes and learning from them.  Let me know in the comments what you would like to see here and I will be happy to address as much as I can.  I look forward to hearing from you.

A Super Exciting Announcement!

 

Hello!  I have some great news!  Many, many, many of my long time readers from this old blog have been asking me to do a recipe book or a book on tips and tricks of thrifty living and that is what I’ve been working on, but with a twist.  I went through eleven years of recipes and articles compiling the best of the best into this project.  I even added some recipes that were not on the blog.  Not only is it a recipe book (with wipe off pages!), but it is also has a section called “Pearls Of Wisdom” with tips and tricks to save money at the grocery store, meal planning, school lunches, stockpiling, pretty much all things food related.

 

Additionally, it is a journal with areas to expand and add your own recipes, food related memories, meal ideas, whatever you want.  Places to tuck things like coupons and gift cards, recipes you might clip from a newspaper or magazine.  Plus!  A surprise ephemera pack is enclosed with each one to get you started so you can make this journal your very own.

 

I put my heart and soul into this journal along with a lot of thought.  Each journal is unique, no two are identical as far as the styling, but the information contained inside is consistent with each one.  Journals need to be tailored to the owner so that is what you will have, the opportunity to tailor this journal to meet your specific needs and requirements.

 

We have a three volume set of journals in mind, based on how well the first one does.  Volume one is based on all things food management related.  Volume two will be based on home management and volume three will be all things Christmas and other celebrations!

 

Right now we are doing a “soft launch”.  I am listing Thrifty Mom In Boise A Journal For Everyday Living Volume 1 available for sale on eBay with a lower introductory rate of $49.95 throughout the month of September for those of you interested in purchasing a copy.  The reason I chose eBay is so I can ship them internationally as I have a lot of readers outside the U.S. and I wanted them to have an opportunity as well.

 

I am ever so grateful for the chance to do this and it wouldn’t have been possible without the great readers I have.  Thank you for following along with me all these years and for the massive amounts of encouragement to do this.  I’m praying this goes well so I can offer the additional two volumes in the near future.  I hope you like it.  Happy Cooking!  Happy Eating!  Happy Journaling!!

 

All Done

 

This has been a hard post to write, but the time has now come to close the chapter on my blog.  It is hard to end something you've worked so hard on and put it to rest, especially after eleven wonderful years of sharing my life and meeting so many magnificent readers.  I am truly blessed and thankful to you for the stories we've shared, the encouragement we've given each other and the community that we've built here.

 

It all went by so fast!

As with anything in life things change.  My children are all grown and I no longer have anyone to parent or claim responsibility for.  I no longer do the Mom things I've been doing for the past 37 years.  I don't bargain shop for school clothes, shoes or supplies.  I don't give my children haircuts or pack their lunches in the morning.  There are no more extra-curricular activities, concerts, games and events, back-to-school nights or parent teacher conferences.

 

Over the years I've taught my children to cook, do chores, fix things, take care of animals, take care of themselves and all I know about budgeting and finances.  I've worked hard and given them the best start to their adult lives that I could and to instill a proper set of morals, values and integrity.  That part of my life is now completed.  I have done my job.

 

With that in mind my focus in life must now change.  There has been a shift in what I am now supposed to do.  I'm now a cheerleader, idea bouncer, listener and encourager.  I am no longer a parent, I'm just Mom.  It is a good place to be.

 

It is now time to move on.  The next chapter awaits as I settle into my new role.  It has been a good run and looking back I am so incredibly grateful for it all.  I've been blessed in numerous ways, no doubt about that.  But, don't worry, I won't be gone for good.  I'll still be around, it just won't be here anymore.  If you would like to continue to follow along with me, and I hope you will, I'll be over here and over here.

 

I want to give you a big hug and a huge heartfelt thank you for everything we've shared this past eleven years.  God Bless you now and long into the future.  I'll see you around.

 

Labor Day

 

Happy Labor Day Everyone! 

Enjoy a well deserved break.  I will be taking a break from this blog for a while.  If you care to, you may join me on my new blog My Tireless Retirement and keep up on my shenanigans over there.  

5 Inexpensive Nonfood Items To Add To Your Preps - Part 5

 

This is my last installment for this series.  If you've missed any of my prior post for part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 just click on these to get caught up.  How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items we've been discussing?  Let's talk some more about items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.

 

Feminine Hygiene/Bladder Control Products 

These are not cheap, by any stretch, however there are a multitude of store brand products out there that might just meet your needs.  I noticed Dollar Tree carries Modess brand products now so that is definitely an affordable option.  Along with disposable products I think it is a good idea, just in case, to have some reusable options stashed away such as sanitary and dribble pads.  Those can be homemade and there are a ton of options for how to do this on Youtube.  I recommend checking them out.  There is also the menstruation cup, but I have no experience with that so you might want to do some research first before delving in.

 

 

Diapers 

If you have children or grandchildren a stash of diapers is also a good idea, but again, not just disposable options but cloth diapers along with plastic pants.  Don't forget the diaper pins.  When I was expecting my first child my mother in law and I collected flannel baby blankets and adult shower blankets, made an hour glass shaped pattern (should be able to find one online) and sewed a gob of cloth diapers which is all I used with my boys.  Disposables were not in the budget.  This is still an excellent option and should be considered.  A couple dozen cloth diapers could make a huge difference if there ever ends up being a diaper shortage like we've seen with formula.  Not at all beyond the realm of possibility.

 

Socks/Shoelaces 

Extra socks stashed away is another good idea.  You have to take good care of your feet and when your feet are cold, you are cold.  Warm dry comfortable socks are a must.  Warm fuzzy socks to sleep in are also nice.  And something you may not think of is to keep extra shoelaces on hand.  Nothing more irritating than breaking a lace and trying to walk in a shoe that just wants to fall of your foot.

 

First Aid 

Putting together a decent first aid kit can be quite expensive, especially if you buy one already made up, but it is quite possible to make one up without breaking the bank.  I put mine together in sections buying band-aids, tape and bandages at the dollar store.  I made my own sling using muslin from my fabric stash and just kept building up from there.  The dollar store and Wal-Mart are good places to pick up ointments and antiseptics, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol and prep pads.  Walgreens and CVS too.  Watch the sales and pick up what you can.  My first aid kit is in a plastic shoebox I picked up at Wal-Mart for a dollar.  I added tweezers and a pair of the Fiskars school scissors that we already had on hand to the box. Look around your house first to see if you have extra items you can get started with and then fill it out from there.

 

Seeds 

A selection of vegetable seeds is another great options even if you do not currently have a garden spot.  You can grow a lot in a box, bag or bucket and let's face it.  There is nothing better than eating your own homegrown produce.  I have a nice selection of seeds, only things I know I am willing to eat, and I rotate them out each year buying new to replace what I use.  You can vacuum seal them to help retain their freshness, but don't be afraid to try planting old seeds that are past their date.  More often than not they'll still grow.

 

That is it for now.  Let me know if you have any interest in me continuing with this series or any other particular prepping information for that matter.  Also, I want to hear what you've been doing since this series started.