Though our lives have changed in leaps and bounds to a greener and frugaler life from what we were last year at this time – I still have this feeling we could do more. Much more. Here are some ideas I can think of, many that scare me and challenge me – but ones I think are attainable. These are not things we have done (yet), but goals for ways I’d like to continue improving our lives.
Here’s what I’d like to do NOW to reduce the grocery bill (and eat healthier):
- Stop buying store-brand cereal (currently buying in large bags) = make our own cereals (any recipe recommendations?)
- Stop buying granola bars (expensive and too much packaging) = make our own granola bars or snack on fruits/veggies instead
- Stop buying cow’s milk (David already drinks almond milk, I’d like to make the switch too) = make our own almond milk
- Stop buying chips/crackers/snack items = snack on fruits/veggies
- Stop buying Kool-Aid & lemonade (buying sugar-free now) = drink only water and iced tea (cheaper to make, can make organic)
- Reduce amount of meat eaten = only buy 10 lbs. of ground beef a month (approx. $40)
- Stop buying individual packaged items (already reduced now, but sometimes I have an impulse to buy them) = no pop tarts (eat toast/bagels), no applesauce (eat my mom’s homemade or buy large jars), no string cheese (slice our own to snack on), etc.
- Make my own frozen pizza = set aside a weekend (currently we don’t buy frozen pizza, but pizza is David’s favorite, so I’d like to have several on hand to make)
- Make my own frozen waffles = do it! Have all the ingredients, just need to do it (we don’t buy frozen waffles now)
- Stop buying orange juice (we found out the plastic isn’t recyclable) = learn to make my own or find a cheaper/organic way (to use our own reusable pitchers)
- No Minute Rice = Eat Real Rice!
Future grocery goals:
- Stop buying bread/buns = make my own!
- Stop buying cake mixes = make my own!
- Learn how to can = take a weekend trip home to learn from mom!
- Buy all loose teas to make iced tea/hot tea
- Buy all local/organic spices (use what I have, then when they’re out start buying)
Susan said,
July 19, 2007 @ 8:14 am
Megan, I got your email and I can help you with some of these things. We will have to get together in August and I will teach you and share with you my experiences. Bread is not hard to make–actually, you can be very creative. Homemade cake is yummy! Makes the boxed ones tastes like cardboard. Fresh, non-irradiated and organic spices are so much tastier than the ones in the bottles! You will go from being a regular cook to one that will have a gourmet flair!! Lots of different rice out there to try. Great flavors! I can help you with pizza also, just connected with a chef from MI and he gave me great ideas for pizzas -haven’t tried them yet-how venturesome are you on flavors? Got some great granola bar recipes–easy to make. Sorry, can’t help you on the almond milk. I have had it but have never attempted to make it. Applesauce is also not difficult to make…. hope this helps…will connect with you soon…
Aileen said,
July 19, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Hi Megan,
I came across your blog recently and have really enjoyed reading about your goals and idea. We share a lot of common ideas. Anyway, I felt compelled to share some information pertaining to this post. In The Naked Chef cookbook by Jamie Oliver, he gives recipe for pizza dough and tells you how to make it, partially cook it, and freeze 3 of the 4 pizzas you make for future meals. I have not actually tried his method, but it sparked my interest years ago when I initially read it. Hope this helps or inspires you.
PHP MySql Programmer / Developer said,
July 21, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Interesting thought that you would want to make your own almost everything. If you do not work and do not have children than you might have the time. I work tons of hours and do not have the time to make anything.
We do budget. Costco and other warehouse outlets help us save money.
vintageremedies said,
July 23, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
I came across your blog thru a comment at walk slowly live wildly. I think you’re off to a great start. I often give lectures and seminars on this very topic and some of the best hints I have are:
It is more a matter of making it habit then carving out time. In fact, I can make my own freezer foods, pop them in the freezer and feed my family homecooked, healthy meals in minutes. It is just careful planning…
try to join a CSA (you may already have seen this at the farmer’s market)
join a food co-op (We have a group of about 10 families that order from Something Better Natural Foods. They have bulk foods with discount prices and less packaging)
make it yourself (like you planned). I am a work from home mom, homeschooling mom and still somewhere a wife, Christian and umm.. person
You’re off to a great start mama!
jess
http://vintageremedies.wordpress.com
Megan said,
July 27, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Thanks to everyone for your comments –
Susan - Can’t wait to learn so much from you!
Aileen - Thanks for the tip, I checked the book out from the library and am going to attempt it tomorrow!
Developer – Well, I am going to try – my goal is to have this stuff figured out by the time I do have kids. Once you get used to it I think it comes easier.
VR - Thanks for the encouragement! I think it is doable – my goal is to start “freezer meals” and stock up – it’s easy now with just the 2 of us, to make a meal and eat half/freeze half – or spend a Sat. cooking for the next few weeks.
mosaik said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
If you are going to make homemade muesli/granola, I can recommend this recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/85566
I eat tonnes for breakfast and it fed me for a week. Very filling too.
Developer, I’m going to disagree with you. I work fulltime including overtime shifts on a regular basis and have 2 young kids, am pregnant and I don’t find that making homemade stuff eats into my free time. The time taken for this recipe was the 2 minutes to add the ingredients to the list, the 2 minutes to throw the ingredients together when I was already in the kitchen waiting for something else to finish, and then I did the baking part while I was doing the breakfast routine one morning and preparing lunches. Then it took 2 minutes to put it into a container.
Everybody has time – but its the inclination part that’s hard. Sometimes you can’t fit it in in one go. However there is absolutely no reason why you can’t break the job up. Hmmm, maybe I can get the spare room sorted out this weekend. The reality is that I am procrastinating like crazy because I don’t want to!
Homemade Granola Bars « That’s Swell said,
August 9, 2007 @ 8:12 am
[...] I decided to make myself busy and finally start making a few things from scratch I have said I [...]
NittyGritty - A Project of Low Mileage Food » Guest Post: Homemade Granola Bars said,
August 24, 2007 @ 4:53 am
[...] I decided to make myself busy and finally start making a few things from scratch I have said I [...]
Almond Milk Aftermath « That’s Swell said,
September 20, 2007 @ 9:15 pm
[...] was trying so hard to just switch to drinking almond milk, that we made ourselves. But alas, we have gone back to [...]