I'm trying to get our food costs back down to the $100 per week mark for our family of six. Over the last few months it has steadily increased and I want to get back into our previously frugal lifestyle to pay off the mortgage ASAP.
So far I've pulled together the following list;
Only using fresh herbs which have been grown in my garden - reading Sara's blog made me realise that there is no excuse not to have all of my herbal needs provided from the garden.
All greens to come from my garden. Currently growing enough kale for our family and some to spare each week for others. Lettuces are coming up like mad.
Shopping at the end of the day twice a week for the 'get rid of it' specials.
Look at what things I like to eat, can I make a substitute cheaper? Well here's one I want to try
From Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall.
Tupperware Chorizo
750g pork mince
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp sea salt
1½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
50ml red wine
Freshly ground black pepper.
Bung the lot in a tupperware container and mix well. Leave for 24 hours then make into meatballs and use in place of chorizo.
Return to making all my own bread and pasta. I get four loaves of bread from $2.50 worth of flour. If I add seeds and grains it costs a bit more. Four loaves of nice bread from the shops would easily cost me $10 or more.
Cook double the amount of food and freeze half for the days like today when I'm not feeling well (sniffle, sniffle, sneeze all the time being very aware of my pelvic flaw)
Think about dumpster diving. Can I do it? Anyone interested? I got thinking about this after reading a post on the Down to Earth forum. I do have the mental image though of being chased by the law and them yelling
"Quick, quick, follow that person who keeps stopping to sneeze!"
3 comments:
:-),
Sure hope you sneeze your way outta there even with the pelvic flaw...
Increase the amount of pulses in the diet. Lentils and beans can be used in a lot of types of meals to make the meat stretch a bit further even if your family doesn't like them by themselves.
Make yoghurt.. $3.75/L for BD milk.. $6.00 for 500ml of BD natural yoghurt make my world a happier place.
Serve meals rather than have the serving plates on the table. In many cases if the extra food is put away before the meal starts people are a lot less likely to push for more.
Kind Regards
Belinda
That's a good plan Belinda. Due to Husband being Chinese we have always tended to place the dishes on the table rather than plate up and serve. Might see how that works.
I make yoghourt every two days and yes, it's a huge saving.
I "need" to dumpster dive/skip dip almost as much as "need" another holiday in Paris....it touches my very soul!
I do "scab" from the road side big rubbish days but where to find a dumpster that I could get near is another tale. They all seem to be behind high walls and locked gates.
See if you can find that French film called The Gleaners...Les Glaneuses...the plp there are experts, picking up off the floor once the vegie market is packed up for the days etc.
xxxx
coffeee
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