Comments on: FAQ: How to Cut the Food Budget and Keep the Food http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/ Encouragement for a Simple Home Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:41:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: TheRoosterChick http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-9574 TheRoosterChick Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:58:44 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-9574 Great tips! It really helps me to shop at discount grocers (Aldis/Save-A-Lot), shop alone, and plan my meals for the week. Great tips! It really helps me to shop at discount grocers (Aldis/Save-A-Lot), shop alone, and plan my meals for the week.

]]> By: Jen http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-7869 Jen Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:26:04 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-7869 I love the idea to just take all the local ads with to Walmart!!!! I know sometimes people are against spending money there, but I cannot keep my family eating healthy and spend 2x as much and get any debt paid off. Sometimes when you have two little ones (or three or four or five!) close in age like mine that are 17 months apart, you have to do a mass shopping spree and only one in-and-out of the carseats. I buy at farmer's markets and our local farmers even sometimes just put tables out at the ends of their driveways with honor boxes on them for you to pay in. I love the idea to just take all the local ads with to Walmart!!!! I know sometimes people are against spending money there, but I cannot keep my family eating healthy and spend 2x as much and get any debt paid off. Sometimes when you have two little ones (or three or four or five!) close in age like mine that are 17 months apart, you have to do a mass shopping spree and only one in-and-out of the carseats. I buy at farmer’s markets and our local farmers even sometimes just put tables out at the ends of their driveways with honor boxes on them for you to pay in.

]]> By: Christine http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-7788 Christine Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:53:39 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-7788 So glad I found your blog!I enjoy reading it and find it very helpful. Thanks So glad I found your blog!I enjoy reading it and find it very helpful. Thanks

]]> By: TGIF Round Up: No spend summer edition | Frugal Living Tips & Money Saving Ideas | Living Well on Less http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6996 TGIF Round Up: No spend summer edition | Frugal Living Tips & Money Saving Ideas | Living Well on Less Thu, 28 May 2009 22:54:11 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6996 [...] me to try a limited cash budget myself, answers some questions about how she manages to buy healthy foods without going over budget during her no spend [...] [...] me to try a limited cash budget myself, answers some questions about how she manages to buy healthy foods without going over budget during her no spend [...]

]]> By: Sally Parrott Ashbrook http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6989 Sally Parrott Ashbrook Wed, 27 May 2009 22:54:55 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6989 Dona--I would suggest that you get inspired for ideas one of two ways---either choose the starch that's going to be in your meal (as that's a mental block point for a lot of us who have to avoid wheat or gluten) or choose a theme (Mexican food, crockpot, etc.) for your meal, and build from there. Or combine the two--like saying you want rice and Mexican food, in which case you can create a simple Tex-Mex kind of soup with rice in it or with brown rice tortillas. Making those choices gears your mind up to think about what you can have rather than what you can't, in my experience. (I can't eat gluten, soy, dairy, or eggs.) This method is also great if you need to use up stuff you have (you start with "chicken and rice," and your mind or your Googling give you ideas, at least if you're willing to be adventurous. Lately, as our farmer's market is gearing up again, I've been on a roasting kick. Once a week, I roast a whole chicken (I use up leftover chicken in stuff like enchiladas), and on other pans in the oven, I roast vegetables to go with the meal. The chicken is stuffed with a lemon or two and herbs. The vegetables are tossed with fresh or dried herbs (chives, rosemary, garlic, etc.--whatever makes sense) and oil. I can use up nearly whatever vegetables I get from the market this way---from radishes to carrots to onions to squash to tomatoes (okay, I think you get the idea ;)). Because the roasting caramelizes the vegetables' outsides, they get sweeter and mellower. It's a delicious and easy meal to throw those together; if I want an extra green vegetable, I just make a salad. Grilling is another easy idea, as Rachel said. Besides the obvious things, one of our favorite things to grill is a side dish of sliced yellow squash and zucchini (which, by mid-sumemr, any farmer will be nearly giving away for the abundance of them then). We dust the squash with seasoning salt, brush on olive oil to keep it from sticking, and roast it alongside whatever else we've stuck on the grill. Makes for a fabulous, reasonable-calorie side dish that's inexpensive. I can think of a bunch of other suggestions but don't want to hijack the post. I should probably just write a blog post about it! :) <abbr><em><em>Sally Parrott Ashbrook´s last blog post..<a href="http://aprovechar.danandsally.com/?p=672" rel="nofollow">The Moments</a></em></abbr></em> Dona–I would suggest that you get inspired for ideas one of two ways—either choose the starch that’s going to be in your meal (as that’s a mental block point for a lot of us who have to avoid wheat or gluten) or choose a theme (Mexican food, crockpot, etc.) for your meal, and build from there. Or combine the two–like saying you want rice and Mexican food, in which case you can create a simple Tex-Mex kind of soup with rice in it or with brown rice tortillas. Making those choices gears your mind up to think about what you can have rather than what you can’t, in my experience. (I can’t eat gluten, soy, dairy, or eggs.) This method is also great if you need to use up stuff you have (you start with “chicken and rice,” and your mind or your Googling give you ideas, at least if you’re willing to be adventurous.

Lately, as our farmer’s market is gearing up again, I’ve been on a roasting kick. Once a week, I roast a whole chicken (I use up leftover chicken in stuff like enchiladas), and on other pans in the oven, I roast vegetables to go with the meal. The chicken is stuffed with a lemon or two and herbs. The vegetables are tossed with fresh or dried herbs (chives, rosemary, garlic, etc.–whatever makes sense) and oil. I can use up nearly whatever vegetables I get from the market this way—from radishes to carrots to onions to squash to tomatoes (okay, I think you get the idea ;) ). Because the roasting caramelizes the vegetables’ outsides, they get sweeter and mellower. It’s a delicious and easy meal to throw those together; if I want an extra green vegetable, I just make a salad.

Grilling is another easy idea, as Rachel said. Besides the obvious things, one of our favorite things to grill is a side dish of sliced yellow squash and zucchini (which, by mid-sumemr, any farmer will be nearly giving away for the abundance of them then). We dust the squash with seasoning salt, brush on olive oil to keep it from sticking, and roast it alongside whatever else we’ve stuck on the grill. Makes for a fabulous, reasonable-calorie side dish that’s inexpensive.

I can think of a bunch of other suggestions but don’t want to hijack the post. I should probably just write a blog post about it! :)

Sally Parrott Ashbrook´s last blog post..The Moments

]]> By: Rona http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6949 Rona Tue, 26 May 2009 03:49:57 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6949 We don't use coupons either. I like to purchase fruit, vegetables and meats that are on sale. We usually spend around $350 bi-weekly. I like to shop at "Fresh & Easy", "Sam's Club" and "Vons's". My husband is a diabetic and I'm a pain sufferer. I don't like alot of prepared foodsin the house. We don’t use coupons either. I like to purchase fruit, vegetables and meats that are on sale. We usually spend around $350 bi-weekly. I like to shop at “Fresh & Easy”, “Sam’s Club” and “Vons’s”.
My husband is a diabetic and I’m a pain sufferer. I don’t like alot of prepared foodsin the house.

]]> By: Heather@WoolandFlax http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6947 Heather@WoolandFlax Mon, 25 May 2009 23:58:33 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6947 We're also on a special diet (no corn, soy, or tomatoes) and a very strict budget, so I understand the challenge. I'm looking forward to referring back here often! <abbr><em><em>Heather@WoolandFlax´s last blog post..<a href="http://woolandflax.net/raising-boys" rel="nofollow">Raising Boys</a></em></abbr></em> We’re also on a special diet (no corn, soy, or tomatoes) and a very strict budget, so I understand the challenge. I’m looking forward to referring back here often!

Heather@WoolandFlax´s last blog post..Raising Boys

]]> By: Elizabeth Sue http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6941 Elizabeth Sue Mon, 25 May 2009 01:36:34 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6941 We are moving towards eating a whole foods and not processed stuff. I am glad to hear about another frugal person who doesn't live on "coupon food." We tried eating whatever I could get cheap with coupons and I gained 30 pounds and my husband gained 45. It didn't help that we stopped exercising but that is for another post altogher. Thanks for the great tips! <abbr><em><em>Elizabeth Sue´s last blog post..<a href="http://wifehappens.blogspot.com/2009/05/spend-free-summer.html" rel="nofollow">Spend Free Summer</a></em></abbr></em> We are moving towards eating a whole foods and not processed stuff. I am glad to hear about another frugal person who doesn’t live on “coupon food.” We tried eating whatever I could get cheap with coupons and I gained 30 pounds and my husband gained 45. It didn’t help that we stopped exercising but that is for another post altogher. Thanks for the great tips!

Elizabeth Sue´s last blog post..Spend Free Summer

]]> By: SoBella Creations http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6938 SoBella Creations Sat, 23 May 2009 21:51:13 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6938 Williams Sonoma has a great Beef Stew Recipe. It is hearty and you will have leftovers. And you use fresh veggies. A favorite of my family. Chili is also a great budget recipe. <abbr><em><em>SoBella Creations´s last blog post..<a href="http://sobellacreations.blogspot.com/2009/05/smilebox-scrapbooking-ecards-and-more.html" rel="nofollow">Smilebox ~ Scrapbooking, Ecards and More</a></em></abbr></em> Williams Sonoma has a great Beef Stew Recipe. It is hearty and you will have leftovers. And you use fresh veggies. A favorite of my family.

Chili is also a great budget recipe.

SoBella Creations´s last blog post..Smilebox ~ Scrapbooking, Ecards and More

]]> By: Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship http://smallnotebook.org/2009/05/22/faq-how-to-cut-the-food-budget-and-keep-the-food/#comment-6935 Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship Sat, 23 May 2009 06:38:31 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=1279#comment-6935 I have a lot of good bean ideas - very frugal and healthy - at my site. Kudos to you, I don't know if I could do this...and I do have room to stock up on food! <abbr><em><em>Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship´s last blog post..<a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/05/22/kitchen-stewardship-why-do-it/" rel="nofollow">Kitchen Stewardship: Why do it?</a></em></abbr></em> I have a lot of good bean ideas – very frugal and healthy – at my site. Kudos to you, I don’t know if I could do this…and I do have room to stock up on food!

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship´s last blog post..Kitchen Stewardship: Why do it?

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