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Tip Store: Cooking: Menu Planning
Have an Oven Use Plan
We have all seen the benefit of menu planning to help with reducing waste and sticking to budget. When I was growing we combined that with planning our oven use. My mum was very reluctant to turn on the oven for only one food. She would make sure if she had heated the oven up there was something else to go in. So if the oven is on for a roast then dessert would be in there or a batch of scones could go in later etc. I try to menu plan with this in mind. For example, if I know I'll need some cupcakes by Wednesday, on Monday when lasagne is on the menu I can do the cupcakes. Sometimes it is possible to cook two days worth of dinners at the same time. Dinners that keep well for another day include quiche, lasagne, pasta bake, curry, casserole and sausages. They can be reheated in the microwave using much less power.
Contributed by Gillian Gilson
Contributed by Gillian Gilson
Save More - Track Your Food Costs!
We all know that tracking our spending helps us save money. So have you ever considered tracking your food spending? Food is the next biggest expense for most of us, next to rent or mortgage payments! If your budget seems to just keep blowing out, start to record every cent you spend on food. Every day for a month write down all the money you spend on food. Not just your weekly groceries, but that latte with the girls, the canteen money for the kids, the fish'n'chips on Friday night. I'm not saying you can't have these things. Just be aware that they are food costs and do have a huge impact on your Spending Plan. If you are trying to keep your food bill and your Spending Plan under control, you may decide that the $35 fish'n'chip takeaway each week just isn't worth it and can be a $15 homemade fish'n'chip dinner instead, instantly keeping $1,040 a year in your bank account!
Build aN Emergency Fund of Meals
Emergency funds are an integral part of our Cheapskates lifestyle. They help us cope when we have a financial emergency and stop us resorting to credit to get through. So for those MCBB (Mum Can't Be Bothered) nights, have an emergency stash of back up meals in the freezer to avoid the takeaway temptation that can costs thousands of dollars each year. I have a stash of basic pasta sauces (bolognaise is easy, freezes well and always popular) and homemade soups in meal and single serve portions that I keep in the freezer. They are easy to thaw in the microwave and all I have to do is cook some pasta and toss a salad or butter some bread and dinner is on the table. The MEF (meal emergency fund) can easily keep $2,600 a year in your bank account.
Freezer Meal Planner
Approximate $ Savings: $100
I have a freezer full of ready meals and ingredients but haven't found an inventory system that worked for me. I now stick a blank monthly calendar on the fridge for meal planning. Then I bought a sheet of blank whiteboard magnet and cut it into small labels. When I batch up meals for the freezer or buy meat etc. I write it on one of the labels and put them on the side of the fridge. When I meal plan I then just stick these to the day I want. Once used the label can be wiped clean for another use. All the little magnet labels on the side of the fridge are a great visual of how much food there is to eat in the freezer making me more likely to use things up. If you have a freezer with shelves you could stick these magnets in layers to show which shelf it is on.
Contributed by Emma Street
I have a freezer full of ready meals and ingredients but haven't found an inventory system that worked for me. I now stick a blank monthly calendar on the fridge for meal planning. Then I bought a sheet of blank whiteboard magnet and cut it into small labels. When I batch up meals for the freezer or buy meat etc. I write it on one of the labels and put them on the side of the fridge. When I meal plan I then just stick these to the day I want. Once used the label can be wiped clean for another use. All the little magnet labels on the side of the fridge are a great visual of how much food there is to eat in the freezer making me more likely to use things up. If you have a freezer with shelves you could stick these magnets in layers to show which shelf it is on.
Contributed by Emma Street
Keeping Track of Recipes - Another Idea
Like Megan Hall, I also have a lot of recipe books, and found it hard to remember which book a favourite recipe was in, particularly when there are similarly named recipes in different cookbooks (and even cookbooks with similar names)! So I got myself a good sized hard-cover notebook and made it into an index book for favourite and commonly used recipes. Now, of course, you can do it on your computer and print it out, reprinting if you wish from time to time after you've added sufficiently more to your lists. It took a while to set up, but works very well. I divided the book into sections: first, a list of all my cookbooks, giving each a short name as well i.e. you may have two or more cookbooks starting with "Healthy...", so you'll need a different short name to differentiate. I then divided the rest of the book up into sections, such as starters/entrees, soups, beef mains, seafood mains, cakes and baked goods, desserts, drinks, Christmas - however you want to divide up your recipes. Leave a sufficient number of pages for each section. Then I went through each cookbook, and listed the particular recipes into the relevant section/s of the index book, together with the cookbook name (short name) and page number. It makes it so much easier to find things. You can also add notations, e.g. Q (quick recipe), E (good for entertaining), or whatever you want. Any new recipe I try (and like) goes straight into the index book. No more searching - just use the index book!
Contributed by Judy Dickinson
Contributed by Judy Dickinson
PORTION CONTROL IS SAVING MONEY AT MEAL TIME
Approximate $ Savings: $365+
I was forever throwing away perfectly good food that the children left on their plates. I found that I would save food and money by serving them smaller serves of each food. I learned that for adults and older children the serving I gave them was way too much. Give slightly less of each thing. They will not even notice. This not only helps in cost but in health too as it aides in not putting on weight. I also try to not have left overs so seconds cannot be had. When cooking things like peas I have worked out that one spoonful per person was the amount I wanted to serve so I would measure out the peas to the appropriate amounts of spoonfuls so there was no wastage. I also have stopped cooking the last two in the packet just because they are left over. I place them in the freezer and use them next time we have that for our meal and some out of a new box to make up enough. Just makes them last longer and therefore cost less. Over a year, even if you save only $1 per day then that's $365. Chances are you will save more.
Contributed by Fiona Holloway
I was forever throwing away perfectly good food that the children left on their plates. I found that I would save food and money by serving them smaller serves of each food. I learned that for adults and older children the serving I gave them was way too much. Give slightly less of each thing. They will not even notice. This not only helps in cost but in health too as it aides in not putting on weight. I also try to not have left overs so seconds cannot be had. When cooking things like peas I have worked out that one spoonful per person was the amount I wanted to serve so I would measure out the peas to the appropriate amounts of spoonfuls so there was no wastage. I also have stopped cooking the last two in the packet just because they are left over. I place them in the freezer and use them next time we have that for our meal and some out of a new box to make up enough. Just makes them last longer and therefore cost less. Over a year, even if you save only $1 per day then that's $365. Chances are you will save more.
Contributed by Fiona Holloway
Supermarket Planning
I feel your pain Lesley... - Meal planning does work - we all know it, but just need to do it...I usually work from a master list of recipes (but I do mix it up with seasonal fruit and veg). I do like cooking and sometimes like to try new recipes - the free supermarket magazine or Google search gives me a few ideas...but there sure are times I just want to get it over and done with. I keep it pretty simple through the week...Lots of fresh salads or nutritionally sound mixed frozen veggies, spuds in many forms and a variety of grilled meats - including frozen fish fillets. Sometimes I ask my husband and son to meal plan so I don't need to do that bit. They get involved, have a choice - and that's less I have to do! Any chance you could allocate a night after work to do your lap of the supermarket, so it doesn't eat into your weekend? I shop locally and buy seasonally. I've been trying to do a bigger shop fortnightly (i.e. meal plan for the fortnight) and smaller fruit, veg, dairy shop each week. Bulk meat when we need it. You could weigh up if it's worth the few dollars for a supermarket to deliver your order, then order it when you have a chance from home - or a lunchtime at work? We're encouraging our son to cook occasionally and part of that is understanding the nutritional and planning aspect of food and cooking...extending to tending the veggie patch! My husband occasionally cooks a simple meat and veg tea...it really isn't a big deal! I often plan a cooked meal, double it and freeze one. I need to remember to label it CLEARLY though. Sometimes I make two lots of one meal that can be made into another easily like spaghetti bolognese mince can be made into lasagne; savoury mince into shepherds pie; curry into pie fillings. When my son was very little, I would share cooking with a girlfriend once a week. We would make twice the quantity of a dish one night and we would swap the second meal so we could then have a night off! As the kids grew, we would eat together once a week, nothing too flash and take turns. We love our Friday night family tea. We have home made pizzas on Friday nights - really simple pitta pizzas - everyone can make them, they're adaptable with seasonal ingredients and you can trick them up to be rather spectacular, it's a night we don't have to plan another dish for, they're not too bad for us and they're yummy!! For school lunches/snacks: years ago I invested in stackable tubs - and every Sunday (sometimes the child gets involved) we get the tubs out and fill them with a mix of snacks for the week. Crackers, dip, jelly with fruit, mini muffins, yoghurt (decanted from a big tub)...he can choose if he's involved in the meal planning process...and the packed containers will keep well in the fridge, we just need to pull one out everyday. Pack them with a frozen brick and a sandwich or wrap and fresh fruit and veggie sticks...and occasionally a treat... I'm not a fan of freezing sandwiches for the week - so I do find myself doing the early morning kitchen dance...I haven't got an answer that yet...although if we have left overs, I pack then straight into a lunchbox for the next day! Good luck with it all.
Contributed by Jane B.
Contributed by Jane B.
FAMILY MEAL SWAP SAVES ON TAKEAWAY
Approximate $ Savings: $1,500 - $2,000
Often on a Friday we would have takeaway. With a family of seven that became quite expensive. At $30 a week, if we did it for a whole year it would cost us at least $1,500 a year, if not more. Instead I teamed up with my sister and mum and we have organised our menus. Once a week (usually a weekend) we each do a big cook up and then swap a meal each. Buying bulk, as we all know is cheaper, but having a group where you can swap meals is even better. We get a variety of meals that we sometimes may not even know how to make and we don't have to eat our same meal all the time. Friday nights when we don't fancy cooking has now become an exciting night discovering what is in our freezer and who cooked it. It has saved us $1,500 worth of takeaway and we have also saved time and money by cooking in bulk.
Contributed by Katie Dean
Often on a Friday we would have takeaway. With a family of seven that became quite expensive. At $30 a week, if we did it for a whole year it would cost us at least $1,500 a year, if not more. Instead I teamed up with my sister and mum and we have organised our menus. Once a week (usually a weekend) we each do a big cook up and then swap a meal each. Buying bulk, as we all know is cheaper, but having a group where you can swap meals is even better. We get a variety of meals that we sometimes may not even know how to make and we don't have to eat our same meal all the time. Friday nights when we don't fancy cooking has now become an exciting night discovering what is in our freezer and who cooked it. It has saved us $1,500 worth of takeaway and we have also saved time and money by cooking in bulk.
Contributed by Katie Dean
The Double-Up Meal Plan
Approximate $ Savings: Will differ from family to family but I would say $50 per fortnight!
I draw up fortnightly menus - well, one week's and put it on repeat the second week. There will be dinners for Monday to Sunday - which I cook as a double batch on week one, freezing for week two. That way there is no wasting of veggies etc. that will go off, and I get a whole week off from cooking dinner every second week! It definitely saves time and money. If I make things like hamburger patties or rissoles I use all the mince and freeze the rest for easy dinners and lunches. Just add whatever fresh vegetables you want to round out the meal. And lastly - instead of buying cold meats, I will buy a whole chicken, cook it and break it up into small portions for the freezer to use for lunches. That alone saves about $20 a fortnight. You can do the same with a roast beef too; it saves at least 50% of the cost of deli meats for sandwiches.
Contributed by Sibylla Stephenson
I draw up fortnightly menus - well, one week's and put it on repeat the second week. There will be dinners for Monday to Sunday - which I cook as a double batch on week one, freezing for week two. That way there is no wasting of veggies etc. that will go off, and I get a whole week off from cooking dinner every second week! It definitely saves time and money. If I make things like hamburger patties or rissoles I use all the mince and freeze the rest for easy dinners and lunches. Just add whatever fresh vegetables you want to round out the meal. And lastly - instead of buying cold meats, I will buy a whole chicken, cook it and break it up into small portions for the freezer to use for lunches. That alone saves about $20 a fortnight. You can do the same with a roast beef too; it saves at least 50% of the cost of deli meats for sandwiches.
Contributed by Sibylla Stephenson
A Different Take on Meal Planning
Approximate $ Savings: 40% or more off meat
I do not plan my meals and then go shopping for the needed ingredients. I go to the store and see what meats are 40-60% off, as the sell by date is that day or the next, and plan my meals around that. As meat is the most expensive item on the menu, this saves money. I stock up on sale meats and put them in the freezer and plan meals around that. I also stock up on staples when they are half off during weekly store sales. I know the half off sales are just to get you in the door, so you can buy other things. However, if you stick strictly to getting the half off items, that you actually use, you have successfully Cheapskated. This weeks special was "Ritz" crackers, which my kids love and the store brands just aren't a substitute. Being 50% off, they are cheaper than store brand, and much better. You do have to build up a little bit of a grocery budget surplus in order to stock up when sales hit. However, you will save a lot of money by stocking up on staples during sales, rather than buying them at regular price as needed. Having said that, never stock up on "junk food", snack foods, as (this has been proven) you will simply eat more of them faster and not ration them.
Contributed by Jeannie Tanner
Editor's note: Jeannie's reference to building up a grocery budget surplus is what we Cheapskaters refer to as our "slush fund". It's the left-over grocery money, that we put aside to use for building our stockpiles and stocking up on those too good to pass by specials. Having a slush fund means you don't need to ever go over-budget to stock up, and you'll be able to do so and stay on budget. Cath
I do not plan my meals and then go shopping for the needed ingredients. I go to the store and see what meats are 40-60% off, as the sell by date is that day or the next, and plan my meals around that. As meat is the most expensive item on the menu, this saves money. I stock up on sale meats and put them in the freezer and plan meals around that. I also stock up on staples when they are half off during weekly store sales. I know the half off sales are just to get you in the door, so you can buy other things. However, if you stick strictly to getting the half off items, that you actually use, you have successfully Cheapskated. This weeks special was "Ritz" crackers, which my kids love and the store brands just aren't a substitute. Being 50% off, they are cheaper than store brand, and much better. You do have to build up a little bit of a grocery budget surplus in order to stock up when sales hit. However, you will save a lot of money by stocking up on staples during sales, rather than buying them at regular price as needed. Having said that, never stock up on "junk food", snack foods, as (this has been proven) you will simply eat more of them faster and not ration them.
Contributed by Jeannie Tanner
Editor's note: Jeannie's reference to building up a grocery budget surplus is what we Cheapskaters refer to as our "slush fund". It's the left-over grocery money, that we put aside to use for building our stockpiles and stocking up on those too good to pass by specials. Having a slush fund means you don't need to ever go over-budget to stock up, and you'll be able to do so and stay on budget. Cath
10 Serves with One Chicken
Approximate $ Savings: $20
I buy one large chicken at Woolworths for $9 - $10. From that one chicken I make up five meals for two people (ten serves). With one breast I slice it up and have roast chicken and plenty of veggies (2 serves). With the other breast I make chicken soup with yellow split peas, vegies and curry powder (2 meals each - 4 serves) and serve with crusty roll. I make a curry chicken dish with one of the legs and have it with rice and veggies (2 serves). Finally I make 2 chicken and salad sandwiches with the other leg (2 serves). It works out to be a very economical way to make use of one chicken for two people.
Contributed by Bridget Sherry
I buy one large chicken at Woolworths for $9 - $10. From that one chicken I make up five meals for two people (ten serves). With one breast I slice it up and have roast chicken and plenty of veggies (2 serves). With the other breast I make chicken soup with yellow split peas, vegies and curry powder (2 meals each - 4 serves) and serve with crusty roll. I make a curry chicken dish with one of the legs and have it with rice and veggies (2 serves). Finally I make 2 chicken and salad sandwiches with the other leg (2 serves). It works out to be a very economical way to make use of one chicken for two people.
Contributed by Bridget Sherry
Menu Window Shopping
As things are getting tighter and tighter restaurant meals are out for us but we've found a way around it we go to the window of a restaurant we'd like to visit (or their website) check out the menus and pick what we'd like to order and then come home and I make the meal myself! I'm learning to cook new things and saving heaps and we don't feel like we're missing out. My teenage son even said my "McMum" quarter pounder was better than Macca's lol and my partner is sold on the fact that he can "order" anything and not worry about the cost!
Contributed by Lisa Hampton
Contributed by Lisa Hampton
Menu Plan Calendar
I love doing menu plans, but because I like to know what we have had in previous months, I keep a calendar each year (one with big squares) especially for my menu plans. I then have all my months together. I also like to write down if it was a new recipe, where it came from and a out of 10 rating, so I can repeat it if it was popular.
Contributed by Kaye, Albany
Contributed by Kaye, Albany
What's for Dinner - It's a Surprise!
Approximate $ Savings: $30 a week
We have a weekly "surprise meal day" at our place, which involves creating something out of all the bits and pieces in the fridge and pantry. Food never goes to waste - last nights leftover chicken becomes tonight's chicken pasta or pizza - that way we don't feel like we're eating the same thing, and we're using up our leftovers in the process. Having a surprise meal just once a week has cut our weekly grocery bill by around $30 - hard to believe, but we are not buying as much food, we are not throwing out perfectly good food that hasn't been used and we are not tempted by takeaway. Might I add, our weekly rubbish bin is never full - not buying what you don't need means there's less waste - a great way to help the environment as well as your hip pocket!
Contributed by Glenda, Wonthaggi
We have a weekly "surprise meal day" at our place, which involves creating something out of all the bits and pieces in the fridge and pantry. Food never goes to waste - last nights leftover chicken becomes tonight's chicken pasta or pizza - that way we don't feel like we're eating the same thing, and we're using up our leftovers in the process. Having a surprise meal just once a week has cut our weekly grocery bill by around $30 - hard to believe, but we are not buying as much food, we are not throwing out perfectly good food that hasn't been used and we are not tempted by takeaway. Might I add, our weekly rubbish bin is never full - not buying what you don't need means there's less waste - a great way to help the environment as well as your hip pocket!
Contributed by Glenda, Wonthaggi
Magnetic Freezer Inventory
We recently bought a magnetised whiteboard and attached it to the freezer section of our fridge. We list all the contents of the freezer so we know at a glance exactly what we have. There are no forgotten items stored for months that were eventually thrown out. It saves on waste and is very efficient and works a treat in our house.
-Contributed by Cheryl, Sunbury
-Contributed by Cheryl, Sunbury
No More Boring Dinners, This Family Has Plenty of Variety for Less $$$
Approximate $ Savings: $30 per week
I tired of trying to decide what to cook for dinner each night. We seemed to be eating the same meals each week, and it felt impossible to find meals that the four of us all liked. So I sat down and wrote out a list of all the meals that we all like. Then I divided it into categories, such as chicken, beef, lamb, fish, pasta based, egg based, rice based and vegetarian (some meals are in multiple categories.) I took it one step further by writing an approximate cost next to each meal. Now, I write out a weekly meal planner. I jot down the days of the week and then make notes of things like the days I'm home late from work or my husband is out for a function. Then, I pick meals from my list and slot them in. I chose one or two from each category, so we're getting a good variety of vitamins etc, and I'm careful to only chose one of the more expensive meals a week. If I know that I'm going to be home late from work, I make sure that I have an easy to prepare meal for that night. I also allow for one 'leftovers' and one 'scrap-up' meal a week. (Scrap-up usually involves an omelette or risotto using all the odds and sods in the fridge). I always know what meat to defrost the night before, I'm only shopping once a week, and only buying food needed for the planned meals, and we're throwing out a lot less food. As my husband said just last week, we're eating better than before, and saving money whilst we do it! I've been doing this for a few months now, and it's a brilliant time and cost saver. I also took note of where we don't have much variety (i.e. in the lamb section) so I'm experimenting with new recipes to pad out that category.
- Contributed by Sarah, Warradale
I tired of trying to decide what to cook for dinner each night. We seemed to be eating the same meals each week, and it felt impossible to find meals that the four of us all liked. So I sat down and wrote out a list of all the meals that we all like. Then I divided it into categories, such as chicken, beef, lamb, fish, pasta based, egg based, rice based and vegetarian (some meals are in multiple categories.) I took it one step further by writing an approximate cost next to each meal. Now, I write out a weekly meal planner. I jot down the days of the week and then make notes of things like the days I'm home late from work or my husband is out for a function. Then, I pick meals from my list and slot them in. I chose one or two from each category, so we're getting a good variety of vitamins etc, and I'm careful to only chose one of the more expensive meals a week. If I know that I'm going to be home late from work, I make sure that I have an easy to prepare meal for that night. I also allow for one 'leftovers' and one 'scrap-up' meal a week. (Scrap-up usually involves an omelette or risotto using all the odds and sods in the fridge). I always know what meat to defrost the night before, I'm only shopping once a week, and only buying food needed for the planned meals, and we're throwing out a lot less food. As my husband said just last week, we're eating better than before, and saving money whilst we do it! I've been doing this for a few months now, and it's a brilliant time and cost saver. I also took note of where we don't have much variety (i.e. in the lamb section) so I'm experimenting with new recipes to pad out that category.
- Contributed by Sarah, Warradale
Foody Mag Addict Comes Clean
Approximate $ Savings: $120 plus. per year
Over the past few years I became seduced so many times at supermarket checkouts and in newsagencies by the beautiful glossy food magazines that I think I was an addict! There are so many on display that I could buy at least one per week of the monthly issues. None of them cost less than $5 per issue and some are as expensive as $12. My new years resolution in 2008 was to stop buying them. I have not bought one magazine for the last year but have subscribed on line to Taste.com.au which gives me access to just about all of my favourite foody magazines and all the back issues as well for free. Taste sends me a regular email with beautiful pictures, recipes and access to the magazines I used to spend a fortune on, browse through and then have difficulty storing. If I only purchased the cheapest magazine each month in the past I have saved $120 this past year but the reality is more like $300! If I find a recipe I like I can print it from the site or even copy it down for free.
Contributed by Karen, Dapto
Website: www.taste.com.au
Over the past few years I became seduced so many times at supermarket checkouts and in newsagencies by the beautiful glossy food magazines that I think I was an addict! There are so many on display that I could buy at least one per week of the monthly issues. None of them cost less than $5 per issue and some are as expensive as $12. My new years resolution in 2008 was to stop buying them. I have not bought one magazine for the last year but have subscribed on line to Taste.com.au which gives me access to just about all of my favourite foody magazines and all the back issues as well for free. Taste sends me a regular email with beautiful pictures, recipes and access to the magazines I used to spend a fortune on, browse through and then have difficulty storing. If I only purchased the cheapest magazine each month in the past I have saved $120 this past year but the reality is more like $300! If I find a recipe I like I can print it from the site or even copy it down for free.
Contributed by Karen, Dapto
Website: www.taste.com.au
Good Taste
I thought I would share a fantastic Australian website for recipes. The site is www.taste.com.au, and it is basically an archive for all the recipes that have been published in major food and cooking magazines such as Super Food Ideas, Australian Good Taste, Delicious and Notebook. You can search for any recipe you like, or browse their recipe collections and you can also rate the recipes you have tried. If you sign up as a member (for free) you will also get a weekly email newsletter and can enter competitions. I cannot recommend this website highly enough! It gives you access to all the recipes from popular food magazines for free - if you are like me and love food and cooking mags, you will save a fortune!
Contributed by Bonny, Deception Bay
Contributed by Bonny, Deception Bay
Thousands of Free Recipes
Try www.recipezaar.com which has a search engine for thousands of recipes, which you can search by recipe name or by ingredients. Just select the 'ingredients' search and type in frozen strawberries. I tried it myself and found heaps of recipes for frozen strawberries: smoothies, desserts, sauces and more -and the most popular recipes have 5 star ratings. Happy cooking!
Contributed by Bernadette, Greensborough
Contributed by Bernadette, Greensborough
Recipe Research
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of things you could do with frozen strawberries. For some great inspiration, type in "recipes" in Google and lots of great recipe sites will come up. One that I really like is www.recipezaar.com because people from all over the world contribute to this site and it has a very active forum and most of the recipes have been rated and commented on. Taste.com.au is another good one. Strawberry Coulis (sauce) is very simple to make. Cut up the strawberries, mix with icing sugar (or any type of sugar) push through a sieve and you have a basic Strawberry Coulis. Variations to the theme: add a liqueur or a bit of fruit juice or some rum. Add any liquid a little bit at a time until you are happy with the consistency. From there you can use the Coulis in many different ways like swirl through yoghurt, pour over ice-cream, serve with pancakes, add to milkshakes, serve with cake and a bit of cream, and the list goes on. You are only limited by your imagination. It makes cakes and desserts look very special. You could also pour the coulis over a pavlova or mix through the topping of cheesecakes and so on. There are too many uses for frozen strawberries to list here. Your best bet would be to look up recipe sites on the internet. You could also use the strawberries in a home-made face treatment if you wanted to. Once again, do a bit of research on the Internet. Hope this helps.
Contributed by Debra, Valley View
Contributed by Debra, Valley View
Plan Around Crockpot and Pantry
A really tasty recipe for the crock pot is chuck steak or gravy beef, cut into chunks, (fat removed of course) a tin of tomatoes, and a packet of French onion soup mix. Peel potatoes and place into the bottom of the crock pot, place steak on top, and cover in the soup mix and tomato. Cooked on slow all day, it smells and tastes incredible. I serve it with steamed vegies and bread to mop up the sauce. Yum! I also meal plan; once per week I work out what we are eating each day for the next week, using what we have in the cupboard first. I make a list and stick to the list when I do the shopping. I save heaps of money on food this way. I found if I don't meal plan, I buy too much and the pantry starts to look like we could survive Armageddon on what is in the cupboards alone. Like most of you, I work full time, and thinking of what to cook each night can wear a little thin. The planning takes away the guesswork, everything you need is to hand. Takeaway is a real treat in our house, we only eat it maybe once or twice a month. If you have a chicken processing plant near you, they usually have a shop where you can get all types of chicken relatively cheap. As an example, I can get a box of 20 chicken rissoles for $10. We eat a lot of chicken, teenage daughter will not eat red meat, and I can buy the months chicken for around $70, It usually averages at $4.50 per meal for a family of four big eaters.
Contributed by Jenny
Contributed by Jenny
Bulk Cooking Pays Off in Savings
Approximate $ Savings: around $50 per week depending on your current expenditure on food/takeaway, around $4 per fortnight on electricity and gas.
Cook one big dinner and put extra into freezer containers to save LOTS. Not only do you not have to eat the same meal the next night, you can use it as a 'bank' so that you don't have to cook as many nights saving on your energy, time & gas/electricity costs. You defrost your meal in the fridge which reduces the amount of electricity your fridge needs to keep cool, then cook in the microwave which is more energy efficient than cooking the meal on the stovetop. Too Easy!
Contributed by Belinda, Shepparton
Cook one big dinner and put extra into freezer containers to save LOTS. Not only do you not have to eat the same meal the next night, you can use it as a 'bank' so that you don't have to cook as many nights saving on your energy, time & gas/electricity costs. You defrost your meal in the fridge which reduces the amount of electricity your fridge needs to keep cool, then cook in the microwave which is more energy efficient than cooking the meal on the stovetop. Too Easy!
Contributed by Belinda, Shepparton
Master Menus and Shopping List Make Grocery Shopping a Breeze
When my family was still growing and at home I used to make out a menu for the week (breakfast, lunch and dinner), taking in consideration everybody's tastes. I'd then go to my master copy (shopping list of everything I buy) that is taped on the inside of my pantry door, which is also set out isle by isle from the supermarket. I get myself a coffee sit down and from this list and by checking the pantry and fridge write my grocery list out for the week. I never doubled up on anything or went down any isles unnecessarily therefore reducing the risk of impulse buying and saving time and money.
Contributed by Jeanette, Gorokan
Contributed by Jeanette, Gorokan
Menu Plan a Month Ahead and Shop for Specials
Plan out a month ahead for all meals and that way you can shop ahead for specials that you see when moving around. This way you can be spontaneous by being able to buy a product ahead of time IF ON SPECIAL and still save money. This is a manageable item according to budget set.
Contributed by Lorna, Annerley
Contributed by Lorna, Annerley
Disguising No Name Products with Brand Name Products
To save money using no name brands when your family is conscious of "brand name" products, try topping up the name branded containers with the new no name product. I have been doing this for twelve months with our coffee, tea and sauce bottles (washing well between refills) and my family have not caught on as yet, in fact my husband has been raving about how good the coffee is tasting....even though it is at least two dollars a jar cheaper than our previous "named" brand.
Contributed by Stacey, Springwood
Contributed by Stacey, Springwood
Don't Lose Your Menu Plan
I find that if I post my fortnight's plan on a forum like the Cheapskates forum, if it gets lost I can find it again.
Contributed by Linda
Contributed by Linda
Fortnightly Menu Plan Puts Dinner on the Table
I've been trying to follow a fortnight menu plan - it's not fancy at all. I just work out a rotation of meat, vegetarian, chicken, vegetarian, fish, meat, vegetarian and plan the dish to go against each one. Meat can be a roast, casserole or pasta dish, chicken can be apricot chicken, enchiladas, casserole, schnitzel etc The fish dish is boring - my kids love Tuna Surprise (the surprise is actually finding any tuna - thanks Cath!) and vegetarian dishes are usually things like toasted sandwiches and soup, quiche, rice patties, omelettes etc At least now I get home and know what I'm going to prepare. It's made a big difference to how we eat and to the grocery bill - cut down on takeaways drastically.
Contributed by Anne
Contributed by Anne
A Sunday Night Planning Session
I absolutely love having a meal plan. Each Sunday my partner and I get together and choose a few of our favourites and write them on the whiteboard next to their corresponding days. That way who ever remembers to, can take out the meat of the day, and which ever one of us gets home first can start preparing without the frustration of thinking what to have when you're tired and worn out, which leaves less of a chance to fall into the 'Oh bugger it, let's just get take out' routine. And you don't seem to waste as much.
Contributed by Melissa
Contributed by Melissa
Shopping/grocery
I make a list of 2 weeks worth of meals and list them on a piece of paper on the fridge. I then do the shopping and buy all I need for all the meals. That way when I get home from work I can just look at the fridge and pick one that I feel like cooking that night. It's flexible and it's saves heaps as you don't keep going back to the shops in between and picking up things you don't really need. I've gone from a $120 a week shopping bill to $150 a fortnight. Also I am using all the food I actually buy. Much better :)
Contributed by Heather, West Beach
Contributed by Heather, West Beach
Seasonal Menu Planning
Build your menus around fresh stuff that is really cheap this time of year. Pumpkins, squash, onions, apples and potatoes are in season right now. You won t have to look far to find excellent recipes for pumpkin, potatoes and apples. Try www.allrecipes.com or www.masterfoods.com.au for some really tasty meal ideas.
Tomato Paste
When buying tomato paste, buy the large economical bottles and freeze tablespoons and use as required. This has saved half opened bottles getting lost in the fridge and growing extra things.
Contributed by Carolyn, Burekup
Contributed by Carolyn, Burekup
Buy in Season
Buy fruit and vegetables in season. Learn what fruit and vegetables are in season at the different times of the year. Within reason, it is usually the time when prices are at their lowest. Growing your own also helps and you also know what you are getting. A truism for home growing is that when your f & v are cropping, the prices at the shops will be at their best (from the purchaser's viewpoint). Even so, there are many advantages to growing your own, not just financial.
Keep Your Cool
Keep a cooler bag in the boot of your car when you are shopping. Transport all your frozen and refrigerated food items home in the cooler bag to keep them 'food safe'.
Good Grocery Money
Spending your grocery budget on good food will cost you less than junk food and 'convenience' meals and will save you on medical bills, vitamins and diet programs.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead and know what you're going to buy so your grocery shopping trips will be short and sweet -- less than 30 minutes if at all possible. If you linger longer, it will cost you. Market surveys indicate shoppers spend an extra 50 cents each minute for every minute over 30 spent in a supermarket.
Plan Your Menu
Plan your week's menus around the weekly grocery sale ads. Take full advantage of the store's loss leaders, those items the store has priced below their cost in order to get you into the store.
Weekly Menus
Plan your week's menus around the weekly grocery sale ads. Take full advantage of the store's loss leaders, those items the store has priced below their cost in order to get you into the store.