With the economy in the shape its in right now, everyone must learn to make the most of what they have. Its time to quit running here and there without planning ahead and making the most of the fuel in our vehicles, time to quit making last-minute choices for our meals, and time to start using our brain to greater capacity. In other words, its time to get back to the basics and that's what I'm going to talk about here for a moment.
Let's face it-our dollars aren't going as far as they did a year ago! Many folks are already living paycheck to paycheck, and with the budget being stretched beyond its limits nowadays, we must learn to cut back. One way to do this is by planning ahead. We know our children have birthdays, so let's keep our eyes open for bargains throughout the year, pick them up when they're on sale, and put them back for gift-giving. The same thing applies to many other areas, as well. Stock up on supplies whenever the price is lowest. If your budget won't allow you to stock up all at once, just purchase an extra pack of toilet paper, or an extra bottle of shampoo, and put them back in the storage closet. Forget they're there, and go ahead and buy it again when the sale rolls around the next time, and do the same thing. Before you know it, you'll have an extra 6 months worth of supplies stored away! I do this with many items, including canned goods. The key to this is rotating your "stock." When you purchase something new, put it behind what you already have on hand and use the oldest items first. You won't have to worry about expiration dates that way! It's not a bargain if you keep it so long it expires and is no longer usable!
Another way to save is to plan ahead with your meals. Sit down and make a list of your family's favorite entrees. You may have a dozen things listed, or you may end up with a list of 30 or more! Either way is fine. After that, sit down with another piece of paper, and plan your menus for a week or two (or even a month, if you want to!). Go through the grocer's sale papers and make a mental note of what is a bargain this week. Then go to your entree list and find those things that can be prepared with what's on sale. If there's a great buy on ground beef, then plan to use a lot of it. If nothing else, purchase extra and freeze it for the next week's meals. If chicken is on sale, do the same. It helps to freeze things in portion sizes, or even to cook ahead and freeze things for later use.
I like to make entrees ahead of time and freeze them for those days when I'm rushing (okay, yes, that's nearly every day, but you get my point!). If I'm making spaghetti sauce, I'll double up and then freeze a quart or two. Sometimes I'll even cook an extra box of spaghetti noodles and make a dish of baked spaghetti to pop in the freezer. That way I only need to pull it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator, top it with mozzarella the next day and bake it for an hour or so. Served with a salad on the side, it's become an easy meal for me to get on the table to feed a hungry family!
As the last of the summer produce goes through the markets, pick up some extra and freeze or can it. Broccoli can be cut into pieces, blanched, and then frozen (plunge into boiling water for 1 minute and then immediately put into ice water for a couple of minutes to blanch it). You can spread it out on a cookie sheet in the freezer, and then when its frozen, bag it in freezer bags, label and date it, and you'll have frozen broccoli when you need it. The same works for corn (yes, even on the cob), carrots, green beans, and many other veggies.
When planning your menu, think about what you can make for one night and then reuse the leftovers for another night. An example: I made chili the other night, and then took the leftovers and made it into a topping for spaghetti. I served the spaghetti on the plate, topped it with the chili, then put diced onions and shredded cheddar on top of that. Very good and very popular at a certain restaurant I love to go to! If I had had any more leftover chili, I could have made a chili pie out of it--pour the chili into a baking dish and top with spoonfuls of either thick cornbread batter or biscuit dough. Bake until the chili is hot and the topping is browned, and you have a delicious chili pot pie! There are many possibilities (don't forget the ever popular chili dogs!).
As you can see, it pays to plan ahead, especially with your menus. Don't just think about today, give thought to how you can simplify your life and your budget by planning ahead a bit. That's called Getting Back to the Basics in Life!
Hugs,Cynthia Robin
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Posted by gabbie427 on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 6:45 PM - Link
Wonderful post.
God's Blessings,
Amy Jo
Hello Friend !!
Posted by patintenn on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:07 AM - Link
You have made a very good point. On all things you speak of.
I am already doing most of what you have listed. I will check on the other items.
I am so glad to see you here posting again. I have missed reading your thoughts on such matters.
Love to you,
Pat
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Posted by Schatzi on Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 6:55 PM - Link
This weblog is a compilation of happening's here in my home. I include homemaking tips, recipes, and encouragement for the homemaker who realizes she is a God-ordained Keeper of her Home.
