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Monday, September 9, 2024

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Stretching Our Food Dollars



My Frugal Kitchen ~ Stretching Our Food Dollars

I'm back with Menu Plan Monday instead of including it in my Frugal Friday posts this week. 

One way I save money in my kitchen during these times of higher grocery prices, is to avoid making some of my more expensive recipes. We have multiple options available to us and the main dish does not have to be meat. Foods such as eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and beans are all high in protein and inexpensive and sometimes healthier than meat.

If you want these hard financial times to have as minimal an impact on your grocery bill,  things need to change and the change has to come from you. We need to be prepared that these high prices might be here to stay.  So you can either absorb the extra cost into your household budget or you can change the way you shop.  

Sometimes our budgets can't absorb these extra costs. This is the time for us to be wise and think of what we can do with different ingredients by changing what we eat and adjusting what we spend. 

The grocery budget is one of the most flexible areas of the household budget.  We can pick and choose what to buy, which brands to buy and pick menus that are inexpensive for us to prepare.

Some things we do to save money on groceries include not stocking up on beef like we did in the days when it was more affordable. Ground beef is a dinner item we only indulge in occasionally now. And I stopped buying beef roasts years ago as I considered the price too high for my budget.

We don't need name band products and utilize generic brands when we can, although I do prefer Dawn dishwashing detergent. I'm fine with store brand tea bags, canned vegetables, generic ketchup (I used to only buy Heinz, not anymore). 

We also portion control our food since we have a dual purpose of fueling our bodies and losing weight. I first read about this tip from my late friend Barbara. She had made a roast in her crockpot and divided the meat into three ounce portions and froze them.  She was a single Mom on a budget, so I understand why she did that and we too have started portioning out our meals as it is so much healthier for us. 

This week I opened two of the 105 ounce cans, also known as a number 10 can, one was green chilies and the other was black olives. The green chilies were put into individual bowls and stored in the freezer while the black olives went into the refrigerator. 

Last Friday I made six sugar-free gelatin fruit cups. 


I also made an attempt at making my own yogurt again using this recipe. I forgot to add the yogurt starter until later and the yogurt didn't set up completely and I think that is the reason why. But, no worries, I will still use the thinner yogurt to make some ranch dressing and as a substitute for buttermilk in cornbread. Waste not,

want not.


How are you cutting back on your grocery bill?


The Dinner Menu


Saturday ~ A friend gifted me a zucchini this week, so I shredded it up and included it in my Fluffy Baked Omelet recipe. I also included some chopped tomatoes from the refrigerator. I served this with macaroni & cheese and  the last of this week's pinto beans. 


Souper Sunday ~ Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup


Chris Hyde of Olympia, Washington had retired, but felt lonely and so he decided to make and give soup away for free to his neighbors. He is still going strong one year later and has created the Facebook group, Souper Sunday. I thought it as a neat project and decided to borrow his name and have Souper Sunday today. 


Monday ~ Chicken Teriyaki, Butter Beans, Steamed Broccoli.

Tuesday ~ October Beans, Collard Greens, & Cornbread.

Wednesday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Steamed Broccoli. 

Thursday ~ Chili in either Chili Tacos or Chili Mac. 

Friday ~ Salmon Patties, Potatoes, Green Beans & Onions.

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Recipe of The Week

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup


Ingredients:


1 pound chicken breast

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 - 15 ounce can corn

1 - 15 ounce can tomatoes 

1 - 15 ounce can pinto beans 

1- 4 ounce can green chiles

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

10 ounces enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper


Toppings (optional)


Tortilla strips

Shredded cheese

Sour cream


Directions:


Brown the chicken and then add to the slow cooker. 

Place chicken in a crockpot.

Sauté onions in the same skillet and add to crockpot. 

Add the remaining ingredients except the toppings. 

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 6 hours. 

Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred. 

Place back into the slow cooker and stir. 

Serve and top with toppings of your choice.



Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 

How was your week? 

Did you manage your home, pantry or garden well this week? 

We would love to hear all about it in the comment section.


Belinda
Homemaker at Heart
Mortgage & Debt Free
~ Living within our Means ~
My Linktree

~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~
Proverbs 31:27




30 comments:

  1. Belinda don't give up on making yogurt. If I can make it anyone can. I have to use a yogurt maker though. I was lucky enough to find one without jars at a thrift shop so I had to come up with some. After losing a couple of my jars, I bought a shallow glass bowl to use. I don't like how weepy the yogurt gets when dipped into. I decided to bite the bullet and ordered a yogurt maker on sale. Then my sister called and said she'd found a new one at a thrift shop. The one I'd ordered hadn't shipped so I was able to cancel it. It's the same brand as my other one so the jars are interchangeable. We use plain yogurt instead of sour cream. We also make ranch dip with plain yogurt. Hope you have a good week! Sky

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sky. I eat yogurt just about every day, so if I can make it I would love to be able to do that. I will keep my eye out for a yogurt maker in my future. :)

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  2. Not to be smart but according to some commercials I've seen lately our economy is doing well and we are fine. Unfortunately I belong to a couple of Facebook groups where some are saying they can't afford food, eat more than one meal a day, and need the food banks. Not sure if it is where someone lives or the commercial is lying.

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    Replies
    1. I've seen those commercials too, Chery. It could be a little bit of both and dependent on each person's own financial situation too.

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  3. I feel like now is a good time to tell my Dawn story.

    Three years ago I found a deal on Palmolive at Target. They had 64 oz bottle on clearance for 1.78-2.44. There was also an ibotta deal for .75. At the time mine target cost was around 10 cent an ounce. I saw them multiple times and finally picked them up in 2 transactions as part of another ibotta deal. I bought 5 the limit for the ibotta deal. My price the deal was a total of around 6.

    The only problem was that I am also pretty commited to
    Dawn. At the time I had 2 large bottle of blue Dawn and 3 10 oz bottles of the power Dawn in the grey bottle.

    I have not bought any dish soap since then. I am happy to say what I did was sell 2 bottles and I remember that brought my cost really close to 0. I then wrote down everything I use Dawn for...car washing, dishes, spot treatment, homemade shower scrub, general cleaning spray, window cleaner, floors, desnunking the dog and now I use it for homemade power wash. Then I started experimenting. I still have 1 small bottle of Dawn and just filled my sink bottle one last time with the rest of the Palmolive.

    Bottom line I used the Palmolive for car washing, general cleaning, pretreat and shower scrub. I used it for dishes and used, I believe, more for greasy dishes. Anytime anything needed to soak I used it. It was fine. Not great.

    But you need to use the blue Dawn for desnunking and power wash.

    And yes I would do it again, it cost less then .03 an ounce. Plus I still had a backup.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a fantastic deal you got, Amy. I love Dawn and prefer it when washing dishes. I like the smell of Palmolive though and would definitely consider using it for cleaning as you do. I've heard others talk about the homemade power wash in the Everything Frugal Facebook group. I need to try it soon,

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  4. I often use a pork roast just like I used to use beef and it is equally delicious. I can stew using cubes of pork instead of beef and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Since I can often find sirloin steak for the same price as roasts these days I would just as soon have a small serving of steak and make it a special meal and it is way cheaper to buy that steak than a big roast and easier to portion out and freeze.

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    Replies
    1. Very good tips, Lana. We do enjoy a pork roast occasionally too. We used to eat pork chops a lot growing up, but not now. I don't know why though as we enjoy all of that. An I don't make steak at home because I don't feel like I can cook it to be decent. I save it for special occasions out, but really should try it sometime at home. And you're right, a steak would be cheaper than a big roast.

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    2. America's Test Kitchen
      How to cook a steak
      Technically with Lan Lam
      (Google it)

      This method makes a great steak, as good as grilled, if the steak has some fat. It is so simple and quick that we rarely bother with the grill for steak anymore. And it does not smoke up the kitchen.

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    3. Thank you, Lana. I’ll be sure to check that out. I would love a good steak cooked at home.

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  5. I am still stocking up on different foods but only when the prices are at their lowest, which is no longer very low. This week I needed nothing at the grocery store but there were some good buys on things I use regularly, so I bought them and added to the pantry.
    I am trying to limit food waste, so we are not necessarily eating what we want every meal, as much as eating what I have on hand.

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like you've made some good adjustments, Anne. I'm with you on the food waste, we try to eliminate it as much as possible.

      Delete
  6. I just spoke to my sister on NJ. I was complaining about eggs
    Being 4 dollars a dozen, when she told me well there 8 a dozen here.
    So even eggs are not affordable now.
    Milk for her is almost eight dollars a gallon too.
    My gardens did not do well this year,storms, severe flooding, hurricane.
    So I didn't get to can or freeze much.
    Going to be a expensive winter.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so sad. I am floored by the price of eggs right now. Hopefully they will come back down sooner rather than later. I was looking at grocery prices in Canada and am shocked by their prices too. I feel for people who are struggling with high food prices and trying to prepare for winter.

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    2. I just read there is a problem with eggs again so be prepared.

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    3. I buy eggs locally and pay a consistent $3 a dozen. My supply has been interupted by racoons and fox. So we use substitues for baking. Applesauce, soy flour and the like. I think eggs prices are staying unfortunately.

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    4. I have to wonder if the egg prices are staying high too, Amy. Using applesauce and soy flour is definitely a good way to substitute for them.

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  7. Thanks for the tips on saving money on food. Your soup recipe sounds yummy too. I'm looking forward to cooler weather so I can make more soups and stews and such as they aren't as expensive, and I don't usually have to make sides. Cheaper and easier works for me. :D
    Hope you have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Soups are definitely easy and cheaper and you can clean out the refrigerator. 😂

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  8. Agree 100% - we just have to relearn how to shop.
    Your menu sounds wonderful

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  9. Great advice all around! I'll add my tip on a ground beef alternative. I started using soy crumbles instead of beef. I always buy them on sale because they can be pricy but the texture and flavor is the same and there's no waste. I usually add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to give it a beefier flavor. There's no grease, no prep, lots of protein, just add to chili, spaghetti or other recipes at the last minute. Cooking too long can make them mushy. We also like what I call a "loose cheeseburger," just heat a small bowl of crumbles in the microwave with the aforementioned Worcestershire sauce, melt a slice of your favorite cheese on top and scoop into a warm roll. Yum!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bobi. Your loose cheeseburger bowl sounds delicious and low carb. Any tips on where you buy or save on the soy crumbles? I've been looking at the price increase steadily on the Morningstar Farm products at Walmart. The garden veggie burger used to be under $3 for 4 of them, but now are up to $6, easily.

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    2. I buy mine at either a discount grocery store, we have a GO (Grocery Outlet) where I can often get a bag for $3 or less. Also I have a grocery store that often runs "Buy $20 get $10 off instantly," in fact last week I got 4 bags of Morningstar Farms items for $2.25 each by doing that. Food Lion also runs good specials on Morningstar Farms items too and if I pair a sale with a 'Shop & Earn' on frozen foods, that works out well for me. I also really like Gardein veggie meats too. Not sure if any of that helps you. I'm lucky in that I live in a supermarket wonderland with lots of stores to shop. ;-)

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    3. That is all terrific information, Bobi. Thank you. We have Food Lion here too, so I'll b sure to keep an eye on their sale ads to get in on that good deal.

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  10. Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. I like your meal plan for the week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Bless. Thank you for returning the favor. :)

      Delete

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