It's Harvest Time!

I have been enjoying a fantastic bounty! As you may or may not know, I have been working with my mother on her garden and enjoying part of the bounty. This weekend I picked another 4 cups of raspberries which are set to become jam, lettuce, peppers, snow peas, and the first tomatoes of the season. Through a bit of swapping with the neighbor, I also have some wonderfully sweet yellow cherry tomatoes.

No reason to let excess go to waste. Now is a great time to pickle, freeze, and make preserves for later in the year. Check your local paper for recipes or the local extension office for classes. Better yet, spend some time with an older relative or friend to learn techniques, split the work load, and share to rewards. Do you have a bounty to share? Consider swapping with neighbors or co-workers. (I picked up a big zucchini for zucchini bread from a co-worker.)

My Field Trip to the Convenience Store

Anyone with any frugal sense knows know not to shop at a convenience store. However, there are some times when the convenience is worth the extra money. I was pleasantly surprised on two counts today although one of them was bitter sweet.

First, I have another confession. Occasionally I crave junk food, usually in the form of frozen pizza or chips. On my field trip, I discovered my secret treat to be on sale. My frozen pizza was $1, which is a rare price in the grocery store let alone the high priced convenience store. The lesson here is... always keep an eye out for bargains no matter where you are. There may be a diamond in the rough just waiting to be discovered.

My second surprise was to discover that the receipt coming out of the Debit/Credit card machine had a space for the clerk to initial that they checked ID. I've never seen that before and commented to the clerk with glee in my voice. Unfortunately, the clerk replied that most people don't actually follow those directions. She then tore off her receipt from mine and stuffed it into the till... without asking to check my ID. Bittersweet frustration.

Cutting the Food Bill and Enjoying the Season's Bounty

For those who don't know, I live in an apartment with no deck or patio, which is a first for me. I've always had space to plant a couple of pots for fresh tomatoes, but I chose to give that up for the convenience of location. The first growing season I lived here I really missed the taste of home grown tomatoes. I got spoiled and just couldn't find the same interest in bland store bought tomatoes. The farmers' markets in my area are great, but I was looking for something a bit more economical and a way to satisfy my green thumb.

A little creativity, a bit of negotiation, and I'm set. I'm swapping weed pulling and gardening skills for produce and home cooked meals. My first victim, err gardening partner is mom. She has great vision, but volunteers with a lot of groups so her time is limited. So far I've been able to harvest some English peas that were so sweet I couldn't cook them. I split the pods and ate them right out of the shell. Next, I pulled some rhubarb that I'm freezing for crumbles later in the season. Last week, I picked raspberries and lettuce. Yum!

After visiting a friend to see her chickens and her raised beds, we were commiserating about all of the work a yard takes. Her environmentally conscious son is home from college and has kitchen duties, but while he and his friends visit the chickens, they're not particularly in love with weeding. My wheels started turning again and we agreed to swap produce and some homemade Carbonara for help taming her front beds. I think she's getting the short end of the stick.

Finally, last weekend I was having a girls weekend and again yard work came up as a topic of conversation. Cher is an IT guru and is raising two children so her time is stretched already without adding the chores on top. This time negotiations included Phillipino home cooking and hopefully some homemade egg rolls. I think I'm going to have to work harder in the yards just to work off these fantastic meals!

Do have some spare time to swap chores with a friend? Gardening, painting, computer work, start the conversation and see where you can take it.

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.

Knowing When Food Is Freshest Will Save Money!

Shopping at Farmers' Markets is becoming the "In" thing to do. Stopping by a road side stand to pick up fresh berries while on a road trip adds to the flavor of travel. Going out to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin is all part of the fall experience. What may not be as obvious is the money we save by participating. Eating food that is in season and at its freshest helps the local economy by supporting farmers; it saves fuel because fruits and vegetables don't have to be flown in from other countries; and it limits the amount of chemicals that have to be used to force fruits and vegetables to ripen.



Not sure when fruits and vegetables are in season? Check out the Center for Urban Educations Sustainable Agriculture site where they have a chart for Fruits and Vegetables.

While you're at it, consider picking up extra and saving it for later. Most Fruits and Vegetables can be frozen or canned for later use. My family also makes a batch of apple sauce and jam to store for the year. I can't tell you the last time we purchased either item at a store.

Apartment Living Doesn't Limit Your Ability To Grow Your Own Food

Between the price of food skyrocketing, the interest in fresh food that actually tastes like I expect it should, and continuing scares of salmonella in tomatoes, I have been looking into gardening options. For those that live in a house, it may be a challenge if you're not into yard work, but for those of us that live in apartments it provides a lot more challenges.

Inspired by a posting on Wisebread by Linsey Knerl called "The Ultimate Green Workout," I began to examine ways to supplement my food budget. When I had a deck it was easy. I'd invest in large planters and grow cherry tomatoes, herbs, and peas. Hanging baskets are great for cucumbers and zucchini.

Today, I have a bigger challenge. I have no outside space and no deck or patio. So with determination I began to brainstorm ideas.

• Look into Community Gardens. For a small fee you can "rent" a small plot to plant.
• Family members and friends are often in need of help in the yard. Consider a labor swap for gardening benefits.
• Talk to landlord about planting an edible landscape. It's environmentally friendly to utilize garden space for food rather than high maintenance lawns or shrubbery.
• Check out Gleaning. Gleaning has a long tradition in farming communities where groups go out into fields after the crop has been picked to pick remaining produce that was missed. You can find information on Gleaning groups on-line, at local food banks, and Granges.

Take Advantage of Holiday Savings

Holidays are a great time to save money on groceries. Ham, pineapple, asparagus, strawberries, butter, breakfast sweets, eggs, and entertainment items, now is the time to push your grocery budget and stock up.

Unfortunately, I've never had any success freezing ham. It oozes water, becomes mushy and just doesn't freeze well. Instead, I'm looking for smaller portions to use in sandwiches, omelettes, casseroles, and soup. My favorite dish is an adapted spaghetti carbonara, a pasta with a parmesan, cream sauce, peas, and panchetta. Panchetta is an italian style bacon.

This is also the beginning of the growing season. California strawberries are at their best, big, juicy, and flavorful. Not only am I picking some up for breakfast and snacks, but I'm also getting some to freeze for smoothies later in the year. Stawberries also bring homemade jam to mind, but I admit I'd rather just eat them fresh.

Other items to think about picking up include:
For the freezer ~ butter. rolls, baked goods, and fish.
For next easter ~ baskets, easter grass, plastic eggs, and paper goods.

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.

Costco - Land of Opportunity or Budget Buster?

I have the unique responsibility in my office to be in charge of the Costco run. My office is fairly generous because it supplies things like butter, cream cheese, brownies, and other items that help employees prepare lunch. I try to plan my trips and limit my purchases. Living on my own, its not easy to stockpile, but with some careful planning, I can take advantage of deals I find.

I buy prepackaged chicken breasts to keep in the freezer. It may not be the most economical way to buy chicken, but the convenience of cooking two up and keeping them in the fridge for a week of meals is invaluable.

Prepackaged meals are usually high in fat and calories not to mention more expensive than cooking from scratch, but if the choice of dining out or throwing something in the microwave it may be worth the purchase. I keep a few easy comfort foods in the freezer to prevent unnecessary fast food temptation at bay.

Solid Pack Canned Tuna is a good staple to have around for sandwiches, salads, and casseroles. Solid Pack may be appear to be more expensive, but its better quality and more cost effective if purchased on sale. I try not to spend more than $1.00 per can.

Chips are inexpensive and I can divide the bag out into convenient snack packs using sandwich bags.

Don't fall for the huge packaging. If you aren't going to use the item within a year, it may be a waste of space. One way to help fight this excess is to go shopping with friends, co-workers, or family members and splitting an item. While I don't need 12 cans of broth, I can easily store 6 and split a pack with a co-worker.

Check prices and cost per units. Just because Costco sells it doesn't mean its a bargain. Get familiar with the items you regularly purchase and don't be afraid to research items that look appealing. Impulse buys will kill a budget and many Costco purchases are made because you never know if the item will still be in stock on the next trip. Use the 24 hour rule. If you didn't plan on purchasing the item, don't. Go home and sleep on it.

Finally, take a set amount of cash with you. Don't take checks, credit, or debit cards. Its easy to justify a "few more dollars" if you have that possibility. Remind yourself you don't have to spend the whole amount either.

Paper or Plastic - Neither Cloth

If you're looking for a way to cut your grocery bill consider alternatives to paper products.
The only paper product I purchase is toilet paper. (I'm just not willing to take on alternatives.)
Kitchen towels make great napkins and they're bigger than normal cloth napkins as well as cheaper. My family reuses them through a few meals unless they're particularly soiled. I don't buy Kleenex either. (Well, maybe when I have a really bad cold.) Hankies are easy to wash and environmentally friendly. Just make sure they have a decent thickness. Paper towels are a waste of money. Keep old kitchen towels for cleaning up spills. Cut up old t-shirts for dusting, polishing, and cleaning rags.

This posting was inspired by Being Frugal. To see more ideas, click here.

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.