If You Had to Be VERY Careful Money-wise….

24

Replies

  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I'm not much of a frozen-veggie person, but what I try very hard to do is stick to seasonal produce. Blueberries in the middle of the winter are flown in from god knows where and the price tag shows it, as an example. I also follow sales quite closely and go as few times as posdible to the grocery store, in order to avoid buying something I don't truly need.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    When we were young and my mother and father had the monthly "which bills can we pay this time" conversations, my parents took up canning. We had access to applesauce, peaches, tomatoes, pickles, etc. from the shelves in the basement year round.

    Now is a great time of year to try it. It's harvest season! The equipment and supplies are not very expensive and you'll find a good amount of them on Craigslist, at thrift stores, and similar places. There's nothing bad about a used canning pot and no need to upgrade to pressure canning unless you want to do low acid things like wild meats.

    Here's a site with another way to get canning equipment cheaply: http://authenticsimplicity.net/2012/04/how-to-get-canning-supplies-for-cheap-or-free/

    Canning is not difficult. Happily, there are lots of free, well-written sources of information about canning online from local university Extension Services. Just google whatever you want to can, preserve, or freeze and the words "canning extension" and you'll hit lots of valid info. For example, googling "peaches canning extension" pulled up http://www.clemson.edu/extension/food_nutrition/canning/tips/28preserving_peaches.html
  • Hi O_M,
    Just a thought with the ED and empty cupboards - would it be helpful to buy a big, cheap bag of brown rice, then fill up jam jars and fill the cupboards with them? With some cheap cans of beans? Maybe it is a silly idea, but I too panic when food supplies run low so I understand that desperate feeling when seeing bare shelves!
    Hope it goes well.
  • heronh
    heronh Posts: 529 Member
    Costco. They have Soooo many healthy organic stuff for CHEAP especially the ones in the bay area. There is a meetup group in SF (I don't know if its still active) that pools together resources. Not everybody in SF have cars or costco membership or the space the buy in bulk so someone might drive and somebody might have the membership and they can split up bulk goods however they want.
  • derrickyoung
    derrickyoung Posts: 136 Member
    Brown Rice Chili

    Basicly follow your favorite chili recipe or idea but use brown rice instead of Ground Beef.

    4 or 5 dollars worth of stuff makes enough to last 4 or more meals
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I would be buying lots of bulk black beans and brown rice.

    A few (or just one pre combined) spices, add a protein of choice, and you're off to the races.

    Splurge and add jalapeños and sour cream or Greek yogurt on top.

    I used to make cheap chili all the time too, and shephards pie. Those are two that always amaze me how cheap they are to make.

    Chili: ground beef, lean, drained. Onions, can of black beans, can of tomatoes taco seasoning, whatever else you feel like adding.

    Shephards pie is like $10 tops to make and will feed you at least five times. I like to add tomato paste to the beef or ground turkey mixture for added flavor.

    These are excellent ideas. I live near a really cheap butcher in the Chinatown part of the city; their ground meat is dirt cheap. Thanks!

    Ok, so, avoid the market on clement, I forget the name but it's the big one near the fish monger. I got so sick from pork there. I'd head to the mission for pork.

    I'd cut the CSA, and just do my vegetable buying at the farmer's market at Civic Center. It's the same vendors as the embarcadero one for the most part, and majorly lower prices.

    I could get out of that market for $15 and have at least a week and a half of vege handled, including some splurges like mushrooms.
  • heronh
    heronh Posts: 529 Member
    Oh and if you need meds you can get it Costco even if you are not a memberv because its a pharmacy and their prices are so cheap. They even have pet meds as well as frontline and heargard cheaper than any online place.
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    This website 'poor girl eats well' has some great ideas...
    http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/

    Thank you!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    8
    I'm not much of a frozen-veggie person, but what I try very hard to do is stick to seasonal produce. Blueberries in the middle of the winter are flown in from god knows where and the price tag shows it, as an example. I also follow sales quite closely and go as few times as posdible to the grocery store, in order to avoid buying something I don't truly need.

    I should take more notice of sales and such. What a good idea.
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    When we were young and my mother and father had the monthly "which bills can we pay this time" conversations, my parents took up canning. We had access to applesauce, peaches, tomatoes, pickles, etc. from the shelves in the basement year round.

    Now is a great time of year to try it. It's harvest season! The equipment and supplies are not very expensive and you'll find a good amount of them on Craigslist, at thrift stores, and similar places. There's nothing bad about a used canning pot and no need to upgrade to pressure canning unless you want to do low acid things like wild meats.

    Here's a site with another way to get canning equipment cheaply: http://authenticsimplicity.net/2012/04/how-to-get-canning-supplies-for-cheap-or-free/

    Canning is not difficult. Happily, there are lots of free, well-written sources of information about canning online from local university Extension Services. Just google whatever you want to can, preserve, or freeze and the words "canning extension" and you'll hit lots of valid info. For example, googling "peaches canning extension" pulled up http://www.clemson.edu/extension/food_nutrition/canning/tips/28preserving_peaches.html

    Thanks for this great post. And I especially love the info on canning. I've been thinking of for a while, especially if I can't use my entire CSA delivery fast enough.
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Hi O_M,
    Just a thought with the ED and empty cupboards - would it be helpful to buy a big, cheap bag of brown rice, then fill up jam jars and fill the cupboards with them? With some cheap cans of beans? Maybe it is a silly idea, but I too panic when food supplies run low so I understand that desperate feeling when seeing bare shelves!
    Hope it goes well.

    That's not silly at all .! I love it!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Costco. They have Soooo many healthy organic stuff for CHEAP especially the ones in the bay area. There is a meetup group in SF (I don't know if its still active) that pools together resources. Not everybody in SF have cars or costco membership or the space the buy in bulk so someone might drive and somebody might have the membership and they can split up bulk goods however they want.

    I never thought of meet up groups for this and other health related activities. Thanks!
  • kherrons
    kherrons Posts: 99 Member
    I just made spinach feta stuffed chicken from cleaning out my fridge.

    24 oz chicken breast cut into (6) 4oz portions
    90g fresh spinach
    2 oz feta
    50g chopped red onion
    4tbs light sour cream
    Spices

    Mix up the ingredients, spoon 1/4 cup onto cutlet (might have to flatten chicken with a mallet a bit), roll it. Dredge through 1 beaten egg and roll in 1/4c seasoned breadcrumbs. Repeat the remaining 5. Bake at 350 for 25min

    29 protein 6 carbs 6 fat 189cals.

    If it's just you, easily last for 2-3 days :) Seems doable with your current foods and coop share. The sour cream could easily be replaced with Greek yogurt.
  • kimberlyblindsey
    kimberlyblindsey Posts: 266 Member
    One more thing. I don't think I've ever been to a thrift store that didn't have a crock pot for sale. While its not a necessity, for cheap meals that taste good, nothing makes it all come together like a crock pot.
    ^^^And the little crock pots, enough to feed, 2-3 people are cheap; I think I paid $12. Sometimes I use the little one and reserve the big one for roasts and larger amounts of meat.
    Here's a link to Amazon one:http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33015Y-2-Quart-Cooker/dp/B0002CA3C6/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1407017519&sr=1-2&keywords=mini+crock+pot
  • kherrons
    kherrons Posts: 99 Member
    Oh and for reasonably priced groceries, I always stock up on 10 for $10 frozen veggies and best possible greek yogurt at the time. Always find the best sale in either chicken cutlets/thighs/tenders/breast and incorporate those into my weekly meals. Find a good deal on fish, usually at Sprouts farmers market down in the southwest region, usually get about 2lbs for $8-$10 which breaks into 8 4oz servings. And I always do bulk on grains and nuts, again looking for the best prices.

    And yeah, I agree on trying to score a crockpot :)
  • Eh, my mom always made this bubur ayam, and i saw her make it a couple of times. It's not very calorie dense, however. She was able to turn two handfulls of rice in an enormous pan of rice. You can probably find a recipe. Also, nasi goreng in bulk. Macaroni in bulk.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    How about salsa chicken you can make in the oven

    Chicken, rub with taco seasoning, cover with favorite salsa, bake, shred and put over rice or in a tortilla, top with sour cream and grilled onions and peppers..

    I just found some taco seasoning in my cabinet, so this is perfect! And I have everything you mention. Thanks a ton!

    You could add black beans, more protein, to this recipe and also use a crock pot, my hubby and my boys love this stuff!!
  • drummygurl
    drummygurl Posts: 19 Member
    I don't really have any useful information to add from myself, I spotted this topic in the boards and wanted to bump it to my topics to save those recipes for later. I want to try the salsa chicken and homemade chili.

    I am currently in a pinch and have to get caught up on some bills so I'm working a lot of overtime and trying to not buy anything my family doesn't need (it's me, the hubby and a 6yr old boy).

    I normally am quite frugal already, I am looking for additional ideas to get me through the next 4-6 weeks.

    From my experience, here is what I can add to help your situation: Clip coupons, those suckers are everywhere. The Sunday newspaper with inserts can be $1-$2.50 (I live on the border of 2 counties, one county's newspaper is $1, the other is $2.50, go figure). There are lots of those little machines at the store in the aisles that you can grab coupons from (if it's something I need or use a lot, I take a couple more). And sometimes, certain stores print out coupons at the register if you have their membership. If you have a printer, coupons.com is free to use.

    I take my coupons and I pair them with the sales. I shop at the grocery stores, the big name stores, the dollar stores, whoever has the best deals (I also live 25 minutes away from 2 cities in opposite directions so I try to make one car trip and stop on my way home from work or get stuff at a store when I'm already in the area for something else to save on gas). Walmart has ad match, so you can do that as well.

    Just today I spent $25 at the local Price Chopper and with my coupons, I saved $15. I got chicken breasts, baby back ribs, a few vegetables and fruits, canned beans, lunch meat, margarine, and a box of mac and cheese. I was amazed with myself. I always love it when I go to the store and I save more than 50% of what I spent. It's an awesome feeling.

    Just an idea if you can spare the time for it. I really don't have a lot of spare time so I try to give myself a set 30 minutes or hour during the week (usually Sunday is easiest).

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    Thank you OP for appreciating my post! I really hope things turn around soon for you, but its always nice to know how to eat when times are hard.

    I second poor girl eats well, as well as cooking with clara on youtube (depression era recipes, simple to prepare)

    If all else fails, a microwave baked potato and a can of soup is a mighty fine meal. :)
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    WOW. Thank you all so much! I went to take a nap and woke up to find great advice galore! Thanks so much for taking he time. I really was worried about how I was going to eat well and be full!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    I haven't had tofu, but I really like it. i often freeze it and reconstitute it so it's chewy. Thanks for the tip!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    I make tacos regularly! I buy a pack of 100 tortillas from Costco for under $3 (but they are pretty from other places)... Fill them up with chicken (1oz per taco, so one breast goes a long way), tofu, beans or grilled zucchini/bell pepper... Then top with mixed lettuce and a few dashes of hot sauce. Super yummy, low calorie and economical :smile:

    I adore tacos! Thanks!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    I just made spinach feta stuffed chicken from cleaning out my fridge.

    24 oz chicken breast cut into (6) 4oz portions
    90g fresh spinach
    2 oz feta
    50g chopped red onion
    4tbs light sour cream
    Spices

    Mix up the ingredients, spoon 1/4 cup onto cutlet (might have to flatten chicken with a mallet a bit), roll it. Dredge through 1 beaten egg and roll in 1/4c seasoned breadcrumbs. Repeat the remaining 5. Bake at 350 for 25min

    29 protein 6 carbs 6 fat 189cals.

    If it's just you, easily last for 2-3 days :) Seems doable with your current foods and coop share. The sour cream could easily be replaced with Greek yogurt.

    That sounds fantastic. Thank you!!!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Brown Rice Chili

    Basicly follow your favorite chili recipe or idea but use brown rice instead of Ground Beef.

    4 or 5 dollars worth of stuff makes enough to last 4 or more meals

    Chili seems like a great idea, because you can throw all kinds of things in. Thanks!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member



    Ok, so, avoid the market on clement, I forget the name but it's the big one near the fish monger. I got so sick from pork there. I'd head to the mission for pork.

    I'd cut the CSA, and just do my vegetable buying at the farmer's market at Civic Center. It's the same vendors as the embarcadero one for the most part, and majorly lower prices.

    I could get out of that market for $15 and have at least a week and a half of vege handled, including some splurges like mushrooms.

    Oh I know just the market you mean! Ha! There is a smaller one, just a tiny butcher shop down the street that hasn't steered me wrong (so far). But I'll take your advice on New May Wah.

    Sometimes a farmer's market has been coming to the Richmond. I should check it, and the Civic Center one, out. Thanks!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    I don't really have any useful information to add from myself, I spotted this topic in the boards and wanted to bump it to my topics to save those recipes for later. I want to try the salsa chicken and homemade chili.

    I am currently in a pinch and have to get caught up on some bills so I'm working a lot of overtime and trying to not buy anything my family doesn't need (it's me, the hubby and a 6yr old boy).

    I normally am quite frugal already, I am looking for additional ideas to get me through the next 4-6 weeks.

    From my experience, here is what I can add to help your situation: Clip coupons, those suckers are everywhere. The Sunday newspaper with inserts can be $1-$2.50 (I live on the border of 2 counties, one county's newspaper is $1, the other is $2.50, go figure). There are lots of those little machines at the store in the aisles that you can grab coupons from (if it's something I need or use a lot, I take a couple more). And sometimes, certain stores print out coupons at the register if you have their membership. If you have a printer, coupons.com is free to use.

    I take my coupons and I pair them with the sales. I shop at the grocery stores, the big name stores, the dollar stores, whoever has the best deals (I also live 25 minutes away from 2 cities in opposite directions so I try to make one car trip and stop on my way home from work or get stuff at a store when I'm already in the area for something else to save on gas). Walmart has ad match, so you can do that as well.

    Just today I spent $25 at the local Price Chopper and with my coupons, I saved $15. I got chicken breasts, baby back ribs, a few vegetables and fruits, canned beans, lunch meat, margarine, and a box of mac and cheese. I was amazed with myself. I always love it when I go to the store and I save more than 50% of what I spent. It's an awesome feeling.

    Just an idea if you can spare the time for it. I really don't have a lot of spare time so I try to give myself a set 30 minutes or hour during the week (usually Sunday is easiest).

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

    This totally helps. I feel for you, since all I have to feed is me (okay, and my pug). Lean times are hard. You have all my support and good thoughts!
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Thank you OP for appreciating my post! I really hope things turn around soon for you, but its always nice to know how to eat when times are hard.

    I second poor girl eats well, as well as cooking with clara on youtube (depression era recipes, simple to prepare)

    If all else fails, a microwave baked potato and a can of soup is a mighty fine meal. :)

    I had an….incident….with a microwaved potato. It wasn't pretty.