A Penny Saved

Photo borrowed from Lincoln Pennies

 

I come from a large German/French family and we express our love through food (really good for my arse).  In fact it is how we handle stressful situations, how we console one another and how we celebrate.  Some may consider this maladaptive, but to me it simply translates to more time on the elliptical. What can I say? But I digress. 

As we are not rolling in money (who is these days?) I am also very frugal. I think a lot of people equate being frugal to being cheap. That is not the case. I love fine things, and I love fine food. Since I quit my job I have been even more inclined to pinch pennies. One of the best ways I know how is though our grocery budget.  Maybe I’m insane, but I actually find it fun. The better the meal I can make with less money, the longer I can stretch between grocery shopping trips (I actually hate that part), the bigger the thrill I get. It’s like getting a good deal on shoes, but the marathon version. 

Meal Plan

Before I ever hit the grocery store I write a list of the dinners I would like to make for about two weeks (a month if I am being really good). We are serious carnivores so I always start with the meat item, and then fill in the sides after. I also plan on using some of the leftover meat to make secondary meals. For example this week i roasted a chicken, then made the leftover meat into tortilla soup. This saves time and

I focus on dinners first, and then assume leftovers will cover about half of the subsequent lunches, lastly I plan for traditional lunch items to fill in the rest. We aren’t big breakfast eaters so I usually keep yogurt, bananas, string cheese, nuts and toast on hand for morning and afternoon munchies

Write a Grocery List

Go meal by meal down your list and make sure you have all of the items necessary. Prepackaged items add up fast so I try to make as many items from scratch as possible (I’m not crazy; I’m not making my own ketchup- but I can easily wash my own salad, cut my own vegetables, season my own meat etc.) 

Buy in Bulk

I love Costco and Cash and Carry. Buying meat, veggies, dairy and canned goods in bulk saves us a bundle every month. I spent about $100 on meat this week and that will last us over two weeks (dinner and leftovers for some lunches).  Most items (except fresh veggies) can be frozen so they can be kept longer. Just be sure to separate bulk meat into meal size portions before freezing.  

Eat (and Drink) at Home

My husband and I use to eat lunch and dinner out several times per week. It’s easy, quick and instantly gratifying after a long day. It also adds up rapidly and could easily cost us over $50 per day. I enjoy cooking, but even if you don’t, I would really encourage you to pack lunches and try “semi-homemade” cooking. There are a lot of great cookbooks out there (try Rachel Ray) that are quick, easy and better for you than eating out. 

My husband and I use to get Starbucks almost every day (my vice). This equated to easily over $8 per day, times that by 5 days per week ($40), times 4 weeks in a month ($160), times 12 months = $1,920. That number literally makes my stomach turn. 

We recently purchased a Keurig machine and I LOVE IT (I should make note that I do not work for Keuirg, nor are they incentivizing me in any way). The pre-portioned cups cost about $0.60 each. I know that it would cost less to make a pot of brewed coffee, but with the amount we usually pour out, I think the cost evens out. We still get Starbucks when we are traveling, or when we want a “treat” but, we are saving a TON and don’t feel deprived. 

Love cooking? How do you save money? Interested in starting a Keurig fan club with me?

-M