The Cost of Convenience

Anyone who's read this blog for awhile knows that I struggle from time to time with keeping my eye on the prize; to get out of debt. Occasionally, it's because I get frustrated, go out on a splurge, and do some serious damage. These are the easiest to see but its actually the convenience factor that does the most damage.

If you live on your own or even if you're cooking for two, it's difficult to keep up the enthusiasm for preparing meals from scratch (or even just preparing meals.) There are tons of new products coming out every year to make our lives "simpler," but do they really?

First, lets take a look at the cost break between some comfort foods.

Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
From Scratch Conveniently Prepackaged Nuke It
$.69 - Can of tomato paste $2.00 (on sale) Jar of Marinara Sauce $2.50 Stouffer's
$.89 - Can of tomatoes $1.00 (on sale) Spaghetti Noodles ($5.00 for two)
$.25 - Basil, Oregano, Bay Leaf $3.00 TOTAL
$.10 - Clove of Garlic
$1.00 - (on sale) Spaghetti Noodles
$2.93

The cost isn't that different between these two examples and I did choose to use sale prices for the prepared ingredients because honestly, I probably wouldn't buy it at any higher rate. You'll notice I also kept this to the bare minimum, no salad, bread, Parmesan, etc. I also didn't take into account that during the growing season I have access to free oregano and bay leaves in the yard (I can't get rid of them even when I try) and I grow tomatoes and garlic in the garden.

Mac and Cheese
From Scratch Conveniently Prepackaged Nuke It
$.25 - Margarine $3.00 - 2 boxes Annie's Mac and Cheese $2.50 Stouffer's
$.50 - Milk or Half n Half $.25 - Margarine ($5.00 for two)
$1.00 - Cheddar Cheese $.20 - Milk
$1.00 - Mozzarella $3.45 - TOTAL
$.05 - Flour
$1.00 - Elbow Noodles
$.05 - Homemade Breadcrumbs
$3.85 - TOTAL

This one is cheating a bit. I know I'll have leftovers from the scratch dish.

While the homemade always sounds more appetizing than the frozen dinner or even the "conveniently prepackaged," I have to argue for both sides. There are those nights that you get home late after a hard day and the last thing you want to do is cook. Be prepared for those nights just make sure its an exception to the rule rather than the norm. My great aunt taught me to always keep a box of Mac and Cheese in the cupboard just in case.

How Many Meals Can You Make Out of 1 Chicken Breast?

As a single person, its difficult to be inspired to cook a meal for one. One of my favorite ways to combat this boredom is to cook chicken breasts to leave in the freezer and fridge to pull out when I don't want to cook. Below are a few suggestions for the simple chicken breast.

Chicken Quesadilla - Take chicken slices and spread out in a tortilla. Add shredded cheese (any kind will do.) Then get wild with all the choices. Italian: Use mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. Club: Add bacon and blue cheese. Mexican: Sour cream, salsa, and olives.

Chicken and Pasta - Add Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, olive oil, and a bit of cream. (I cheat with a touch of sour cream for thickness.)

Chicken Shepard's Pie/Pot Pie - Use left over mashed potatoes, biscuits, croissant, etc., gravy or cream of mushroom soup, carrots, peas, and mushrooms.

Chicken Bento - Leftover rice (I tend to make a big batch over the weekend and keep it in the fridge to warm up.) and vegetables with a touch of teriyaki sauce. Heat in microwave.

Chicken Salad - Get creative. Anything goes.

What ideas can you come up with?

Cooking For One Versus A Family

If you are cooking for one or even two, you know how frustrating it can be. It's difficult to keep a variety of fresh meals in the house and eat everything before it goes bad. I have another confession to make to those that don't have to struggle through those daily frustrations of singlehood, we tend not to cook because its just as easy to graze on throw together food like a bowl of popcorn, peanut butter sandwich, or cheese and crackers. So when an opportunity to share cooking responsibilities comes up we jump at it.

I work at an office with a group of people that often eats lunch together. Today we discussed and decided to purchase groceries and prepare group lunches. This has great potential, but it also has the ability to get a bit expensive. I've agreed to participate in a moderate fashion at first. Tomorrow's big experiment will be salmon with asparagus. I'm going to keep track of cost and compare to both buying lunch and packing lunch.

If Its Not A Recession Why Is It So Difficult To Pay The Expenses

Forgive me for taking two months off, but my frustration level with my financial situation reached new heights. Its during those periods, when I go "off the wagon," that I get into lots of trouble. The good news is I didn't go out and spend lots of money. I did get the LASIK surgery so that's made a dent in my repayment plan. I also took a small vacation to Kauai, Hawaii, but thanks to generous parent of a friend and a flight certificate from United for a botched trip in December I only spent about $500.

So it looks like I've got a fresh start or at least that's what I'm focusing on to counter the frustration factor. During my two month hiatus I've been checking into green alternatives to everyday living. I'm most interested in those things that save money which includes trying to eliminate prepared foods and cooking more from scratch. I also remember an article I read some time ago that discussed the cost of clutter. In an effort to cut costs I'm evaluating all the things I own. The first step was to donate an old mattress, box springs, and frame to a local non-profit that gives household items to low income families getting back on their feet either because of leaving everything behind in a domestic abuse environment, getting a first apartment after living on the streets, or helping fire victims. To keep up momentum I took a few clothes to a consignment store. Tomorrow I'll be pulling things out for eBay and a yard sale. It's also time to start menu planning again. I've been guilty of living at restaurants lately and not shopping enough.

In reading through my blog roll I ran across a posting that introduced me to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. Its a website that addresses the problem of throwing away an average of 1/3 of all groceries purchased. That's a huge waste of money as well as resources. The site provides suggestions on stocking a pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. It then provides dining suggestions and has a great tool that suggests recipes when you click on foods that you need to use up before it goes bad.

Goals for June:

• Hold garage sale
• Pay off 401k loan
• Catch up on expenses
• Earn an extra $200 to snowflake

Thanksgiving Is Only Two Weeks Away

We are entering what is considered one of the most stressful times of the year. Expectations are high, time is short, and finances are stretching, so how do you prepare? My family is working on redefining expectations while working together to discover what is truly important to each of us. It still gets a bit stressful. My great aunt has been the hostess for many holidays, but we are working on transferring the responsibility and workload to my mom and I. I've hosted a couple of Thanksgiving feasts, but this year will be at my mom's. We will also invite a few people that don't have a place to go for the holiday. Rather than expect her to take care of everything, the meal will be shared between a number of family members and friends. Mom will take care of the turkey and gravy. I usually get potatoes and rolls. My great aunt is in charge of pie (her specialty!) There are certain traditions we keep, but we also switch things up a bit to try new ideas and keep things fresh.

So how do we take advantage of Thanksgiving, switch it up, and utilize it for our frugal lifestyle?Use my family as an example and share the cost by asking family members to bring a dish or two. The bonus is you also get to share in the leftovers.

November and December see the most sales in the grocery stores because the competition is high to lure our grocery budgets out of our pockets. I tend to save more left over grocery money in September and October to prepare for two months ripe with stock up opportunities, specifically baking supplies and cuts of meat and poultry that lends itself to frugal meals that stretch to multiple meals. No Credit Needed has posted an example of a grocery store price book he uses to track bargains.

Take advantage of Thanksgiving leftovers to really stretch you grocery budget. Start planning the menu now so you know how much to put aside for which meal. Don't feel like you have to finish the whole turkey in three days. Freeze portions for later use.

Keep an eye on the stock market and search for bargains there too. While the fall is a great season for good returns (minus that black monday thing of course), its the move to cut loses before the end of the year tax deadline that is where to find the deals.

Dining Out on the Cheap

One of the first things to go when cutting expenses is dining out. It's expensive and is rarely a necessity. So what do you do when temptation strikes or you are meeting at a restaurant for a meeting? Plan and allow yourself a splurge every once in awhile.

While I was in college, I had a number of odd jobs, but the one I was at the longest was for a restaurant. Not only did it give me some great benefits like free soup and salads as well as 50% off any menu item, it also gave me a great education in food.

I learned about different wines and that the restaurant mark up is 100-200% on a bottle. Restaurants make the most profit off of wines by the glass. You can bring your own wine, but you will be charged a corkage fee so call ahead to find out how much. It can range from $10-$30 per bottle.

I also learned how to dine out on the cheap. I took full advantage of my discounts, but I also familiarized myself with all of the Happy Hour specials at the restaurants and bars around town. Sounds like a lot of bad bar food? Not at all. Many area restaurants offer a $1.95-$3.95 menus that include hamburgers, sushi, pasta, chicken Caesars, and hummus plates. The only requirement is buying a beverage for a minimum that is typically a soda pop or iced tea. (Free refills)

Another trick is to buy an appetizer instead of a main course. My friends and I have been known to make a meal of a side salad and split an appetizer. If we are feeling like treating ourselves, we may split a main course.

Finally, consider lunch instead of dinner. You can typically get the same menu but smaller portions for much better prices.

Doggie bags aren't just for the dogs. Ask for a box before you start your meal and take half of it home for another meal. Weight loss gurus have been recommending this for some time as a way to lose weight. It also is good for the budget. Restaurants justify increasing menu prices by giving you more food and larger plates. It gives the illusion of better value for the money. In fact, most people just waste the food by leaving it or they add to the growing weight problem by eating everything on their plate like we've been taught since childhood.

At the end of the day, don't deprive yourself a luxury now and then. Just plan wisely and make sure you enjoy every aspect of the experience.

Entertaining on a Budget

Saving money and living on a tight budget does not mean you have to give up entertaining. There is a new twist on an old idea that is becoming very popular, particularly during the fall and winter time. It's a soup potluck. Each person or family is asked to bring either a pot of soup, bread, desert, or beverage. Make sure there are two people bringing soup. This will help with variety as well as ensure there is enough for everyone. Soup is not only inexpensive to make, but can be made in large batches with extra to freeze for later meals.

Reinventing Leftovers

Being single I find it challenging to cook and not get tired of leftovers. One way I have found to fight blah meals is to cook a base like chicken breast, marinated steak, or ground beef and save leftovers in easy to use portions for other meals. To put the pieces together, choose a starch and a vegetable or two to compliment the base. Suggestions include:
Chicken
~ Pasta with mushrooms, and broccoli
~ Fried Rice with peas, bok choy, and carrots
~ Tortilla with tomatoes and peppers to make a quesadilla
Ground Beef
~ Potatoes with mushrooms, carrots and onions for a Shepard's Pie
~ Pasta with tomato sauce
~ Tortilla with olives, tomatoes, and lettuce to make a soft taco
Sliced Marinated Steak
~ Rice with bok choy, snow peas, and carrots for bento
~ Baked Potatoes with mushrooms and broccoli
~ Pita Bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and olives

It's Not Easy Keeping Momentum Sometimes

Fall can be a fantastic season... the changing color of leaves on the trees... trips to the country to pick up fresh veggies at the pumpkin field... starting back to school for parents and children. Unfortunately, it can also be an extremely difficult time. The days are getting darker earlier, the rain is coming down, stress is ramping up as the summer lazies become a memory.

Fall is a mixed bag because I find it a great time to get organized and set goals, but my hibernation instincts kick in as well. This week has been difficult to keep to my food budget. It may be due to being housebound with the ick. It definitely has something to do with a lack of menu planning. So how do you insure against a backslide?

First, let me use an example that I saw many years ago from the Cosby Show. Bill Cosby for those who are not aware has a PhD in Education, something that gives him a bit more credibility for family hour solve-it-in-20-minutes shows. The episode in question has Bill and Theo sitting on the bed in Theo's room discussing energy used to be successful in school. Bill's analogy is to picture a jet plane. A tremendous amount of energy is used to take off and land. It takes much less fuel to maintain its traveling altitude.

The same can be said for any endeavor we undertake. More energy is used to research, plan, create, and implement a project than it does to keep a project going. The question then comes up, is it possible to program an auto-pilot for those times that we need to take a coffee break? The answer is yes.

• Keep track of the menus that you've planned so you can reuse them rather than creating a new one each week. Make about 6-8 and rotate them.
• Put your savings on autopilot. If you have direct deposit, make sure you have a set amount put into your savings be it emergency, travel, retirement, college fund, etc.
• Sign up for on-line bill pay. Forget writing out checks and remembering to put them in the mail. Talk to your bank or credit union for more information.
• Consider DRIPs (Dividend Reinvestment Programs) to make your investments automatic. DRIPs are set up directly with large cap companies where you can invest a set amount each month directly with the company. The amount does not have to equal a full share and you are not charged a brokerage fee. The dividends you would earn off of the investment is then reinvested into the company's stock.
• Invest regularly in your retirement by signing up with your company's 401k program. If you have a company match, make sure you are maxing out your contribution they will match. This is like getting a raise without having to bother your boss.

Do you have other great ideas? I invite you to share them by posting a comment.

Holiday Season Challenge - Bulk Grocery Fund

During November and December, sales are popping up everywhere and not just at the malls. This is the time to stock up on groceries you will use throughout the year including baking items, turkey, roasts, dairy, entertainment foods, citrus, etc. Don't miss out on the savings. Start socking away some savings today to be able to take full advantage of those savings in the coming months.

Breaking the Habit of Eating Out Through Menu Planning

Now that the sticker shock of taking on a new debt by buying a car has taken hold, I have been looking at my debt reduction plan, expenses, and potential avenues for additional income to help keep me on my path to debt repayment.

I don't have to spend hours crunching numbers in order to figure out that I can easily spend less on my food budget with a little planning. I was easily spending $400+ per month on dining out. That's about $250 per month added to my credit card since I typically would only budget $200 for all food. I can say that this lifestyle ended about 6 months ago, but there is still room for improvement.

Taking the time to plan a menu will help to not only stick with my budget, but also cut back on the amount of food that goes bad before I have a chance to eat it. For instance, I know that tomorrow I will need to cook some chicken breasts for dinner so that I can use the leftover to make a sandwich for lunch on Wednesday. I took two out of the freezer and put them in the fridge last night so they will thaw in time. When I sat down to make out a menu this last weekend I looked for ideas that would incorporate the chicken and came up with a few ideas including:

• Chicken Quesadillas - sliced chicken and cheese grilled in a tortilla with salsa and sour cream.
• Chicken and Couscous - sliced chicken cooked with couscous, broth, broccoli, and mushrooms. It also makes for great leftovers for lunch
• Chicken Bento - cooked rice with sliced chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and teriyaki sauce.
• Chicken and Sun dried Tomato Pasta - sliced chicken with mushrooms, sun dried and fresh tomatoes, peas, Parmesan, and a touch of white sauce (butter, wine, cream or sour cream)

None of these ideas take a lot of time or energy to make. Having precooked chicken breast is a great staple to use for throwing together simple and healthy menus. Make sure that you make extra to freeze for later meals or take for lunch.

Small Batches, Big Savings

A frequent question I find when reading all of the wonderful blogs out there is “How do you keep the grocery bill cost down?” A few weeks back, the Oregonian published an article written by Leslie Cole, called “Small Batches, Big Rewards.” In it Ms. Cole interviewed Laura Ohm about her system of incorporating small batch preserving as part of her meal making routine. The idea is to take advantage of all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables during their peak season and when they are least expensive and save them for later. Now, I’m not a big “canner” or “preserver,” but I am big on saving money and this article had some great tips on how to do that. First, you will need to stock up on some supplies such as canning jars and freezer bags. Then follow Ohm’s simple “preserve-as-you-go” guidelines. Remember to keep it simple; keep it small; incorporate it into your everyday or once a week meal preparation time; and eliminate any unnecessary steps.

* “Think about how you cook.” There is no reason to make anything you aren’t gong to eat.
* “Stock up.” You will need 1-quart freezer bags, permanent-ink markers, stock-pot, jars, canning supplies, sugar, kosher salt, etc. It is better to purchase these items when they are on sale than when you are “inspired.”
* “Mind you time.” Be aware of how much time you have before endeavoring to start a project you can’t finish. Also, be aware of the freshness of your vegetables. Do you need to freeze them tonight, or will they last a day or two?
* “Eliminate unnecessary steps.” If you don’t need to peel it, don’t. Skip the ice-water bath to cool vegetables if running them under cool water will work just as well.
* “Piggyback tasks.” While you washing vegetables for the evening meal, wash enough to freeze for later. If you’re already boiling water, use some of the water to blanch the vegetables for freezing.
* “Remember the payoff.” Opening your freezer to find vegetables at their peak versus buying them when they are hothouse ripened and mealy will remind you that it was all worth it!

“Laura’s Preserving Favorites include:
Freezer
Berries of all types – Pre-freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer into a freezer bag
Plums – halved and pitted
Rhubarb – trimmed and diced
Whole cherry tomatoes and Whole Roma tomatoes – cored and squeezed to remove seeds
Corn – sliced off the cob
Raw, sliced Zucchini
Shelling peas and Green Beans – blanched
Sugar snap peas – blanched (add 1 teaspoon baking soda to blanching water to preserve color)
Bok choy, Spinach, and braising greens – blanched and drained

Pickles
Fennel
Carrots
Asparagus
Green Beans
Beets
Whole Chiles
Spring onions and shallots

From the canner
Berry jams
Fruit
Diced tomatoes
Tomato sauce”

Written by Leslie Cole and Published Tuesday, July 3rd in the Food Day Section of the Oregonian.

Breakfasts, Lunches, and Menus Oh My!

Well, I did it. I went to the grocery store with my list in hand and purchased items for breakfasts, lunches and some dinners for the upcoming week. I got nervous when I came home because it didn't really feel like I had enough groceries to make it through the week. My budget was only $35. I came in at $32 but this also included 4 12-packs of Coca-Cola (my one remaining vice and they were a steal). After being inspired by I've Paid For This Twice Already, I sat down and wrote out a menu for the week. Yes, I realize this should have been done before I went the the grocery store, but I've never done this before and I'm learning. I am glad to report that all meals are accounted for.

Labor Day weekend is a fantastic time to stock up on items that can be used for lunches. I picked up English muffins which will work with peanut butter for breakfast and for pizza bread for lunch; a rotisserie chicken for dinner, sandwiches and quesadillas; and crackers since I have a habit of making lunch out of tuna, cheese, and crackers.

I realize that I need to pick up some freezer container so I can save portions of casseroles and other dinners for future lunches. I also have some dead bananas in the freezer waiting to be made into Banana Nut Bread for future breakfasts.