Money Well Spent?
One of the things I find most challenge when it comes to being frugal with groceries is finding the balance between money well spent and money wasted.
As many of you already know, I’m currently on a mission to make use of money we’ve already invested in food, so that it doesn’t go to waste.
While I’ve been menu planning to this effect, there is another aspect to this that I’m starting to look into.
In the past I have tended to purchase in bulk in order to save money. This might be purchasing a bulk number of items when at a good price or buying in a bulk size to get an overall cheaper “unit price”.
This works well when everything is going well.
It doesn’t work so well when the wheels fall off the wagon and stuff gets left languishing in the cupboard or freezer.
After Christmas I’m going to do an audit of what I have left and actually plan to make use of what we have. Right now life is starting to get busy and I need to be mindful of what I can and can’t manage right now. It’s also a little overwhelming right now because we really do have too much stuff on hand. Another 6 weeks of doing what I’ve done for the past 3 and we should see a little bit of a dent in that stuff.
However, there are a couple of things I already know I have way too much of:
1. Bread Mix
This comes in a large bag and I don’t usually make bread over the summer. I’m trying to take advantage of the cooler weather now to use this up. The kids are enjoying home made bread, particularly as it’s been a while since I’ve made any.
2. Milk Powder
When I’m making yoghurt on a regular basis, we go through milk powder quite quickly. This has gone by the by in recent times and I have quite a bit on hand that I picked up at a particularly good price. So, I’m going to focus on using as much of it up as possible in the coming weeks.
We don’t drink it but I do use it in cooking.
I’ll let you know how I go using these 2 items in the coming weeks.
LAST WEEK’S GROCERY SHOP
I ended up spending $84.55 in last weeks grocery shop. That’s the most I’ve spent since beginning this challenge. However, it was all “real” food (with the exception of toilet paper - we don’t usually eat that! 
). I’m looking forward to the garden reaching a stage of supplementing our diets again as fruit and veg has become a large expense once again.
I currently have $203.85 saved in my “grocery surplus” fund which I’m going to transfer to our “holiday fund” and begin again with my $130 per week cash amount.
THIS WEEK’S MENU PLAN
I’m not feeling particularly creative this week so my menu plan is rather uninspiring but here it is:
Monday - Quiche (didn’t end up making one over the weekend).
This goes well with homemade potato wedges and I’ll make enough that DH and I can have some for lunches a couple of times through the week.
Tuesday - Spaghetti Bolognese
Like it or not, we have a lot of mince to get through as well as some frozen grated vegetables so I think this, along with tacos and lasagne is going to feature prominently for a while. The kids love it and it’s easy for them to eat so it works well as a family favourite.
Wednesday - Take Away
I have a hair appointment and then need to pick kids up from various places in town around 5.30 so we’ll take the easy option this night. It’ll be a hot chook, chips and salad so not too expensive as far as Take Aways go.
Thursday - Chops
The joys of being a sheep farmer. Plenty of chops. LOL.
Friday - Homemade Pizza
Saturday - Tacos
Sunday - Toasties
We like to go simple on a Sunday.
For what it’s worth, that’s where I’m at with groceries for this week.
I know some of you are joining me in the challenge to use up what food you’ve already paid for. Feel free to share how you’re going in the comments section below.
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I’m not 100% sure of what I have in the freezer at the moment - I know there are a couple of items in there that should really be used up - they just got thrown in the bottom basket and forgotten. I’d better look up “safe” freezing times for meat first though!
With all your mince you could also do shepherds pie. Cook up several meals worth of the mince with whatever you add (onions, carrots, whatever…) freeze in meal size portions, (in ovenproof dishes if you have enough of them), then when you want a shepherds pie just thaw out the frozen ovenproof dish, add mashed potato and brown it in the oven. The same shepherds pie mix can also be used for a family sized pie. Just make fresh pastry on the day.
I’m finding myself incredibly frustrated in the kitchen at the moment. Heidi’s refusal to eat any food that touches is really making life a little difficult. I spoke to her special ed. teacher about it and she said just to let it go for the next couple of months and then tackle the food issue again when everything else settles down.
So night after night after night Heidi gets a plate of plain pasta or two minute noodles and then that is all her sister wants to eat also. Grrr Kids!
Isn’t it amazing how much money can be saved if we all just took stock of what we already have on hand? Just a few days ago my hubby was preparing a “grocery list” of items he thought we needed, only to discover at my insistence that we have everything we need to fix meals for an entire week and that we don’t need anything from his list. Except for milk, which we always seem to run out of.
Thankfully, I’ll be doing the shopping for the Thanksgiving holiday while he is at work today, so I’ll be able to be much more frugal than he would normally be.
Does your money include meat? I am finding it extremely hard to keep below $150 per week for two adults and a child, and we are fairly frugal I thought!!!
Could you use the bread mix in any way to make a pie crust? I was just imagining some sort of pie with your mince and bread mix crust…
Jason - I’m really lax when it comes to “safe” freezing times. I’m a bit more fussy with fish and chicken but other meat I’ve had no problems with. Of course, everyone needs to make their own decisions on what they feel is okay in this area. I just tend to make sure I cook it well.
River - good idea although my kids have started to get funny about mashed potato mixed with their meat. Little rotters. With pastry would work though.
Marita - ours have been going through a painful stage of late too. Grrrr…. Especially the 4 year old.
Lin - particularly if you could see how much food I seem to have on hand!!! Utter craziness!!!
Jeanie - My general budget includes meat, yes. I did actually buy corned beef last week but at the moment I’m not buying meat because we have too much on hand that needs using up. I do buy my meat in bulk though and get lamb at a discounted rate which helps. With all the price increases, I think $150 sounds reasonable. I’m thinking that’s what I’ll budget next year (currently $130) for our groceries and while we do have 2 extra children, they’re probably offset by me being able to access cheaper meat.
I must get together with you and find out exactly how you are going about this. It sounds like something I need to try,
Hi Jodie,
We always have leftover pieces for lunch the next day!
I use my bread mix to make pizza dough - my children get their own to add toppings as they please
Bread mix could also make bread rolls, which you could freeze and use later!
My daughter also learnt to make “atomic bombs” in home economics at school.
They are hollowed out bread rolls, filled with a filling of your choice - we love ham, cheese and capsicum/pineapple. Or leftover bolognaise sauce is great with a cheese topping. Then you just put the top back on, wrap in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
As for the powdered milk I use it for everything (my children don’t mind the taste). You could use it to make milkshakes as the fruit/flavourings will hide the taste if your children won’t drink it plain! Alos makes great iced coffee (using decaf instant coffee)!
Lis
xx
I found you via Entrecard, and I’m very pleased I did … your blog is packed with incredibly useful advice. As the economy continues to worsen, we too are planning to rein in our grocery spending … I look forward to learning more about how you do that.
This is a fabulous post, and I began changing my food buying habits and be more conscience to eating leftovers or even cooking more mash potatoes, making a bigger meatloaf and then making Shepard pie with the leftovers. (it works, adding veggies to the base). Then I got crazy about all the free cosmetics and soaps I didn’t use and went to waste along with perfumes I started, didn’t finish and then left laying in closets..now I use everything to the end..I’ve become a nut and I love it.. You never know how much you waste until you really dig down and work at being waste conscience.
My best, Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
Wow, I should start planning my week like that too. I never plan what I’m going to have for supper, I just eat whatever that comes to mind when I step into the kitchen towards dinner time. You’re quite well organized, huh. I admire that
It’s such a pleasure to see my ad for ParentalInstincts.com on your blog today … it looks good!