Cost Cutting Measures

[TheBajan]

This is a very interesting thread to me. I've never been a good coupon shopper and I'm envious of those who are. In addition to that, my ideal dietary needs are a bit unique and rather expensive. I'm still trying to find a way to cut costs and be able to eat healthy. Over the past 8 months I've gained more than 50 pounds due to compromising my diet in order to save money. All of the health issues that I had erased by eating healthy have returned and we don't have medical insurance so we really can't afford for me to end up in the hospital. It's particularly frustrating because I know that with the proper diet, my issues go away (so does the weight). There are not many coupons available for the fresh produce section and that's where I do my shopping. I do love the suggestions for stretching laundry soap and such items. Great ideas!

Thanks for posting!

[pamkev]

This is a very interesting thread to me. I've never been a good coupon shopper and I'm envious of those who are. In addition to that, my ideal dietary needs are a bit unique and rather expensive. I'm still trying to find a way to cut costs and be able to eat healthy. Over the past 8 months I've gained more than 50 pounds due to compromising my diet in order to save money. All of the health issues that I had erased by eating healthy have returned and we don't have medical insurance so we really can't afford for me to end up in the hospital. It's particularly frustrating because I know that with the proper diet, my issues go away (so does the weight). There are not many coupons available for the fresh produce section and that's where I do my shopping. I do love the suggestions for stretching laundry soap and such items. Great ideas!

Thanks for posting!

I used to be a coupon shopper then let it slide now I'm back doing it again and it's amazing what you can save. I got bandages this week for 50 cent with my coupons. The one I love the most are when they store has coupons on certain packages and then I have another coupon and they take them both this week I got sausage for 29 cents loved it. Pam

[Pandora]

eek - i totally forgot about that group Tobee... oops! :/ I'll have to give you some recipes to post (like my low carb, low sugar, almost 0 fat, high protein, oatmeal flour brownies) They're goooodd (or at least my entire family / in-laws think so) - dont knock 'em til ya try 'em :P

A terrific way to get fish / seafood if you live by the shore is to go to your where your nearest fishing boat charters are. They bring in the fresh catches of the day and sell them to the locals (unfortunately its against the law to purchase directly from the boats). You'll pay much less than what you do in the grocery stores and you know its as fresh as it can be. When we go to the OBX, we always bring a cooler and head to the fish monger who deals with the locals / daily catches. We stock up on tuna, mako shark, and other types of fish, then trek it home and use the foodsaver to store it in individual portions.

Speaking of the FoodSaver - I couldnt live without ours Love it (and it saves us a ton of $). For instance, last night I popped in the oven a pan of lasagna I had previously made a few weeks ago and froze. I took my huge cooking pot (like a canning pot) and made a ton of sauce, took tin foil pans and made 6 pans of lasagna (everything uncooked but the sauce) (6 servings each pan), then used the foodsaver. I put the rest of the left over sauce into small containers (enough for a dinner for our family) and once frozen, popped them out and vacuum packed them as well for when we want spaghetti. Makes for easy meal nights on those nights you dont want to cook / dont know what to make. Another thing I do is make much of our items from scratch vs. buying pre-packaged items. I can make a mess of muffins with no additives, preservatives, and very little fat (LARGE ones, like the size you get in a bakery) and freeze them (the ones I make freeze incredibly well) vs. paying $1.50 for a small pkg of artificial everything that makes only 3 muffins compared to mine.

@TheBajan - I dont know what diet restrictions you have but I do know that you can stretch many meals by adding beans (either whole or puree) while also making them very hearty / high in protein / low glycemic index. You are right though, eating healthy can be expensive - which is why its really great to plant a garden, even a small one done in containers can save lots of money. Our garden used to be 40 X 50 and jam packed, but I dont have the time nor inclination to weed it all this year, so instead I did raised beds (currently have 4) along with a few containers for cukes, squash and carrots. Works out great, and you can even do fruits / berries in containers as well.

[TheBajan]

eek - i totally forgot about that group Tobee... oops! :/ I'll have to give you some recipes to post (like my low carb, low sugar, almost 0 fat, high protein, oatmeal flour brownies) They're goooodd (or at least my entire family / in-laws think so) - dont knock 'em til ya try 'em :P

A terrific way to get fish / seafood if you live by the shore is to go to your where your nearest fishing boat charters are. They bring in the fresh catches of the day and sell them to the locals (unfortunately its against the law to purchase directly from the boats). You'll pay much less than what you do in the grocery stores and you know its as fresh as it can be. When we go to the OBX, we always bring a cooler and head to the fish monger who deals with the locals / daily catches. We stock up on tuna, mako shark, and other types of fish, then trek it home and use the foodsaver to store it in individual portions.

Speaking of the FoodSaver - I couldnt live without ours Love it (and it saves us a ton of $). For instance, last night I popped in the oven a pan of lasagna I had previously made a few weeks ago and froze. I took my huge cooking pot (like a canning pot) and made a ton of sauce, took tin foil pans and made 6 pans of lasagna (everything uncooked but the sauce) (6 servings each pan), then used the foodsaver. I put the rest of the left over sauce into small containers (enough for a dinner for our family) and once frozen, popped them out and vacuum packed them as well for when we want spaghetti. Makes for easy meal nights on those nights you dont want to cook / dont know what to make. Another thing I do is make much of our items from scratch vs. buying pre-packaged items. I can make a mess of muffins with no additives, preservatives, and very little fat (LARGE ones, like the size you get in a bakery) and freeze them (the ones I make freeze incredibly well) vs. paying $1.50 for a small pkg of artificial everything that makes only 3 muffins compared to mine.

@TheBajan - I dont know what diet restrictions you have but I do know that you can stretch many meals by adding beans (either whole or puree) while also making them very hearty / high in protein / low glycemic index. You are right though, eating healthy can be expensive - which is why its really great to plant a garden, even a small one done in containers can save lots of money. Our garden used to be 40 X 50 and jam packed, but I dont have the time nor inclination to weed it all this year, so instead I did raised beds (currently have 4) along with a few containers for cukes, squash and carrots. Works out great, and you can even do fruits / berries in containers as well.

Excellent suggestions! I have had a FoodSaver for almost two years and I have never used it. Not even to learn how to. Your suggestion for the lasagna is wonderful. I do enjoy a variety of beans. I have wanted to plant a garden for a couple of years and we have decided on a mix between container gardens (I have already started) and raised beds. We haven't started those yet and this late in the season we probably won't be ready until the fall so it looks like next Spring for that. My ideal diet is 85% raw vegan and excludes all processed, dead food and dairy products from cows. It means that almost everything with a shelf life is off limits. It means no artificial colors, preservatives, refined sugars, flours, etc. So if I want a slice of bread, I grind the wheat berries to make the flour to bake the bread. So much is added to our food in the name of extending shelf life or altering the appearance to make it more appealing that is harmful to us. (I'm starting to get preachy) so...

.... thank you for your suggestions. I'm afraid I'm getting off the topic of this thread so I'll close now.

The Bajan

[tobee43]

eek - i totally forgot about that group Tobee... oops! :/ I'll have to give you some recipes to post (like my low carb, low sugar, almost 0 fat, high protein, oatmeal flour brownies) They're goooodd (or at least my entire family / in-laws think so) - dont knock 'em til ya try 'em :P

A terrific way to get fish / seafood if you live by the shore is to go to your where your nearest fishing boat charters are. They bring in the fresh catches of the day and sell them to the locals (unfortunately its against the law to purchase directly from the boats). You'll pay much less than what you do in the grocery stores and you know its as fresh as it can be. When we go to the OBX, we always bring a cooler and head to the fish monger who deals with the locals / daily catches. We stock up on tuna, mako shark, and other types of fish, then trek it home and use the foodsaver to store it in individual portions.

Speaking of the FoodSaver - I couldnt live without ours Love it (and it saves us a ton of $). For instance, last night I popped in the oven a pan of lasagna I had previously made a few weeks ago and froze. I took my huge cooking pot (like a canning pot) and made a ton of sauce, took tin foil pans and made 6 pans of lasagna (everything uncooked but the sauce) (6 servings each pan), then used the foodsaver. I put the rest of the left over sauce into small containers (enough for a dinner for our family) and once frozen, popped them out and vacuum packed them as well for when we want spaghetti. Makes for easy meal nights on those nights you dont want to cook / dont know what to make. Another thing I do is make much of our items from scratch vs. buying pre-packaged items. I can make a mess of muffins with no additives, preservatives, and very little fat (LARGE ones, like the size you get in a bakery) and freeze them (the ones I make freeze incredibly well) vs. paying $1.50 for a small pkg of artificial everything that makes only 3 muffins compared to mine.

@TheBajan - I dont know what diet restrictions you have but I do know that you can stretch many meals by adding beans (either whole or puree) while also making them very hearty / high in protein / low glycemic index. You are right though, eating healthy can be expensive - which is why its really great to plant a garden, even a small one done in containers can save lots of money. Our garden used to be 40 X 50 and jam packed, but I dont have the time nor inclination to weed it all this year, so instead I did raised beds (currently have 4) along with a few containers for cukes, squash and carrots. Works out great, and you can even do fruits / berries in containers as well.

yeah!!! and is was actually YOUR idea

your fish idea was excellent when we were in the keys for a few months. i would go to those boats!!! actually, i found that trick out from the locals like you guiding me along the way.

you are the queen of cooking, saving and all around best person for money saving tips and sips. although, i'm not going to short change myself and i will start posting some yummy cheap recipes that can be used for different meals on different days.i use many whole grain items, as well as many fruits and veggies as possible. fish when i afford it. baked grilled, fried (sometimes).....

asparagus on grilled garlic toast with melted asiago cheese...stuffed onion, stuffed tomatoes...stuff em!!!! LOL!!!

a preview:

stuffed eggplant with mushrooms over bow ties
baked ziti/penna pasta clean out your freezer with old meats laying around
roasted chicken and how to use the left overs for 3 more meals that people will actually eat!
mac and cheese specially for those that won't eat it
skewed cheap meats and so on and so forth

i actually cook with a lot of fruits grilled....like grilled watermelon when cheap enough

[Tater]

I look forward to the recipes, sounds yummy!! We do have a large garden every year (1/4 of an acre) and we do a lot of canning in the fall. We live in a farming community so we can barter with our neighbors for things we need. Coupon clipping and watching the grocery ads for the best deals has saved us a lot of money. The cost of groceries is just outrageous. We have a bread store here that sells aunt millie's bread. Wednesday everything is half priced. I stock up and freeze.

I agree that it's fun to save money. I also took someone's suggestion and just took cash on our last grocery shopping trip. Wow, that made a big difference! My mom retired last year and has started clipping coupons. Sometimes we go shopping together and trade coupons. My sister thought we were nuts until she saw the amount of money we saved.

My husband and step son love to hunt and fish. One morning I went down to the freezer, and there were five dead squirrels (hair and all) in there. I drew the line there. They just did it to freak me out! It worked!