Bear Chow
01-31-2008, 01:11 PM
Our company has a newsletter. In which I offer household tips. This one got a pretty good stir going so I figured it might help someone out here. Don't nail me for thr grammatical and spelling errors.
Budgeting for the belly
How much do you spend each day to eat? How much time is wasted discussing what you are going to eat? Having to make concessions and excepting the fact that you just didn't plan anything, causes consternation, frustrating and can make you go broke in a hurry.
The average family group eats the same ten things every cycle with 1-2 variations. Example is we like Chili but it's a whole different meal when served on top of rice. So don't worry that you can't come up with anything, start talking to people pull out some cook books, barrow recipes, try something new. I personally like to begin saying, "Were going to have," and open a cookbook and read whatever page were on. Many pages have been ripped out of several cookbooks. There your books if you don't like the meal get rid of the page.
Ok take a blank piece of paper and right down the days of the week for two weeks. Think about this for a minute and underline the tuff days. Julie got to go to volleyball practice; Tommy's got a basketball game. Plan these days accordingly. I like crock pots on these days. Prepare your favorite stew in the morning or even the night before. Toss it in the pot set it on low. 5:00pm when you get home your ready to eat and by 6:00 you can be on your way to practice or class or even get in a movie without shelling a bunch of money to some snotty waitress.
Sunday morning after payday every two weeks make a list of what you want to eat for the next two weeks not including that night. It's an easy decision, because spaghetti for next Wednesday doesn't sound too bad. And tonight the first night and only the first night you’re eating out. Call and get a pizza delivered.
After you have the meals picked out. Start a second page that lists the ingredients. If your computer savvy type them in and save it somewhere. Simple text files are great. Don't go making some elaborate database. This system develops itself. Start consolidating the items Wed. and Thurs and next Tues. need a pound of hamburger each. Looks like I need three pounds. Now that you have your list of ingredients look around the house for necessities. Dish soap, sandwich bags everyone's due for a new toothbrush. Write this on your list. Add freezer bags, aluminum foil and peanut butter and jelly and one extra loaf of bread. Worst comes to worst you won't starve to death.
It's time to go to the store. Be strong you've got your list. Buy what’s on your list. Only the list, must stick to the list don't deviate from THE LIST. As you approach the checkout line get ready for sticker shock. It's going to be big and normally you don't feel the pain because it's five dollars here, 10 dollars for this 15 dollars for that. Ring your items out two grocery carts what am I thinking, let out a disbelieving ugh when the tellers asks for XXX dollars. Go ahead pay the lady; believe it or not you just saved of money, time, decision making and gas for that matter.
Go home put everything away. Go ahead and divide the meat because you got a great deal on three pounds that your going to separate into three one pound bags. Place the list of each meal with the days of the week on the fridge.
For the next month tell yourself its set in stone. That's what's for dinner that's what we're eating. Even days you get home late or you have to get somewhere quick. Don't cop out don't quit. Two weeks from now you'll have money in your wallet you didn't realize was there. All donations will gladly be accepted.
Some extra tips:
Write down the name of the cookbook and page number next to each meal so you don't have to remember.
Sundays are great for shopping between 10am-12noon. That’s when they mark down all the meats. Look for the yellow labels. We almost always eat the 90/10 meat at better prices than 70/30.
Frozen vegetable work out much better than cans.
I have come to trust cookbook serving sizes. The problem is I eat more than I should.
One side effect of this process is, their nothing to snack on. In fact by the second week it will look like you are completely out of food, but everything you need is right there.
Because we don't buy snacks we get a bag of apples and a bag of oranges. There much better than a bag of potato chips.
Guess what's for lunch. Leftovers, yum yum.
For those of you with children that need to pack a lunch. Purchase lunch meat, small packs of crackers and some juices and your good to go. Just buy enough for two weeks when they eat it up their on PB&J time. Don't forget to add that after school snack seems every kid needs one. Pre-packaged snacks are great we love applesauce. The prepackaged size keeps you from dirtying plates and eating more than needed. Heck dinner is going to be here soon, no reason to spoil it. Same rules apply for breakfast.
If anyone has any doubts, try it. But I can tell you, I feed a family of 6 health eaters for $250 every two weeks. That includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, laundry detergent, paper towels and those toothbrushes everyone needed.
Paul N. Kelemen
Budgeting for the belly
How much do you spend each day to eat? How much time is wasted discussing what you are going to eat? Having to make concessions and excepting the fact that you just didn't plan anything, causes consternation, frustrating and can make you go broke in a hurry.
The average family group eats the same ten things every cycle with 1-2 variations. Example is we like Chili but it's a whole different meal when served on top of rice. So don't worry that you can't come up with anything, start talking to people pull out some cook books, barrow recipes, try something new. I personally like to begin saying, "Were going to have," and open a cookbook and read whatever page were on. Many pages have been ripped out of several cookbooks. There your books if you don't like the meal get rid of the page.
Ok take a blank piece of paper and right down the days of the week for two weeks. Think about this for a minute and underline the tuff days. Julie got to go to volleyball practice; Tommy's got a basketball game. Plan these days accordingly. I like crock pots on these days. Prepare your favorite stew in the morning or even the night before. Toss it in the pot set it on low. 5:00pm when you get home your ready to eat and by 6:00 you can be on your way to practice or class or even get in a movie without shelling a bunch of money to some snotty waitress.
Sunday morning after payday every two weeks make a list of what you want to eat for the next two weeks not including that night. It's an easy decision, because spaghetti for next Wednesday doesn't sound too bad. And tonight the first night and only the first night you’re eating out. Call and get a pizza delivered.
After you have the meals picked out. Start a second page that lists the ingredients. If your computer savvy type them in and save it somewhere. Simple text files are great. Don't go making some elaborate database. This system develops itself. Start consolidating the items Wed. and Thurs and next Tues. need a pound of hamburger each. Looks like I need three pounds. Now that you have your list of ingredients look around the house for necessities. Dish soap, sandwich bags everyone's due for a new toothbrush. Write this on your list. Add freezer bags, aluminum foil and peanut butter and jelly and one extra loaf of bread. Worst comes to worst you won't starve to death.
It's time to go to the store. Be strong you've got your list. Buy what’s on your list. Only the list, must stick to the list don't deviate from THE LIST. As you approach the checkout line get ready for sticker shock. It's going to be big and normally you don't feel the pain because it's five dollars here, 10 dollars for this 15 dollars for that. Ring your items out two grocery carts what am I thinking, let out a disbelieving ugh when the tellers asks for XXX dollars. Go ahead pay the lady; believe it or not you just saved of money, time, decision making and gas for that matter.
Go home put everything away. Go ahead and divide the meat because you got a great deal on three pounds that your going to separate into three one pound bags. Place the list of each meal with the days of the week on the fridge.
For the next month tell yourself its set in stone. That's what's for dinner that's what we're eating. Even days you get home late or you have to get somewhere quick. Don't cop out don't quit. Two weeks from now you'll have money in your wallet you didn't realize was there. All donations will gladly be accepted.
Some extra tips:
Write down the name of the cookbook and page number next to each meal so you don't have to remember.
Sundays are great for shopping between 10am-12noon. That’s when they mark down all the meats. Look for the yellow labels. We almost always eat the 90/10 meat at better prices than 70/30.
Frozen vegetable work out much better than cans.
I have come to trust cookbook serving sizes. The problem is I eat more than I should.
One side effect of this process is, their nothing to snack on. In fact by the second week it will look like you are completely out of food, but everything you need is right there.
Because we don't buy snacks we get a bag of apples and a bag of oranges. There much better than a bag of potato chips.
Guess what's for lunch. Leftovers, yum yum.
For those of you with children that need to pack a lunch. Purchase lunch meat, small packs of crackers and some juices and your good to go. Just buy enough for two weeks when they eat it up their on PB&J time. Don't forget to add that after school snack seems every kid needs one. Pre-packaged snacks are great we love applesauce. The prepackaged size keeps you from dirtying plates and eating more than needed. Heck dinner is going to be here soon, no reason to spoil it. Same rules apply for breakfast.
If anyone has any doubts, try it. But I can tell you, I feed a family of 6 health eaters for $250 every two weeks. That includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, laundry detergent, paper towels and those toothbrushes everyone needed.
Paul N. Kelemen