Blog
How to tell when food has gone bad
One way to save money is to not throw food in the garbage. Adjusted to our 2008 economy, an average family of four tosses out $1,039 annually, regardless of income, ethnicity, education, and other socio-economic factors.
Make time for family meals…and save money, too!
I love to talk about family mealtime – it reminds me of happy memories of my childhood and all the conversations we shared around meals! I didn’t realize then how important our time together was, nor how much money we saved by eating at home. It’s true, though, families can save money by eating at home. When you eat out or use processed foods, you buy labor as well as the food.
Skillet lasagna highly recommended!
If you haven’t tried the skillet lasagna recipe from the Spend Smart. Eat Smart website, I highly recommend it. Here’s why I like it:
Fred’s Community Sandwich saves money for the whole gang
My husband started a ‘community sandwich’ option at his worksite. He takes a week’s worth of ingredients for sandwiches (deli meats, sometimes cheese) on Mondays. It’s stored in the frig in the break room and anyone can use the ingredients to make a sandwich. They pay $1.00 per sandwich. Every week he buys a couple of different deli meats (pepper turkey is the most popular). Someone else brings the bread and other fixings. They take the money out of the sandwich ‘kitty’ to fund the ingredients each week. This started as a ‘trial’ run that has helped my husband save money and is so much easier then packing a lunch. Many of his co-workers are appreciating the cost savings and healthier eating as well.
Needs versus wants applies to food
Recently, I did an educational program on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. for employees at a local public health department. A dietitian in the group shared a way her family could save money on milk: “Get my family to drink more water and not always drink milk.” Some in the group seemed surprised that a dietitian would make that suggestion. What did she actually mean? Her point was that she wants her family members to drink the amount of milk they need nutritionally, but not necessarily more than that.
Yes, You CAN Freeze Sandwiches
Last week after a program, I offered to leave some of the sandwich samples for the staff. One of them commented that they had a bunch of other snacks and that the sandwiches might not get eaten. I said, “Well, you can take these home and freeze them for another day.” The look I received was that of total shock. “You can freeze sandwiches?” was the reply. The individual was just sure the bread would be all soggy and the overall quality so bad that you would never want to consider it. But, the quality isn’t diminished. It’s time to use the freezer and save a few dollars…
Food Gifts: Give of your time and talent, save dollars
This holiday season there are many reasons to make gifts of food. The gift is more personal, you can save money and control nutrition for those on specialized diets—and, you really do give a bit of your heart.
Can a Vegetable Garden Save You Money?
That’s the title of an article by Cindy Haynes, Extension Horticulturalist. Her answer was “yes” – if done correctly. She goes on to quote a book about $64 tomatoes.
Feed 50 People for $50!
Need recipes that will feed a crowd (e.g. a club, relatives, or a post-event gathering) for $50 or under?
June Featured Recipe-Vegetable Fried Rice
I’m ready for some sunshine and warm weather so I can work and play outside. This means that meals have to be extra quick and easy. Vegetable Fried Rice is one of my “Go To” recipes. It’s super easy, costs about $.70 a serving, very versatile and I almost always have everything I need.
How much do YOU spend on food a week?
Last week I showed a group of nutrition professionals features of the SpendSmart.EatSmart web page including the Cost of Food at Home calculator. You put in the number, age, and gender of your family members and the number of meals eaten away from home. The calculator then tells you how much your family would spend at the grocery store according to the low-cost food plan.
The Basics of Kitchen Organization
In the last few days, I’ve been reading a lot about organizing kitchens and how kitchen organization relates to saving money. The three common themes I found are listed below:
