Brunch on a Budget
Welcome back!
When I think of brunch, I think of elegant food and mimosas. I also think about how expensive it can be to host a brunch in your home. I recently had the pleasure of having my mother and her boyfriend to brunch at my house. I love to entertain, but it can be pricey.
I was delighted at the thought of having my mother over for the first time since I had moved into my new home. However, the dread of how much a brunch meal was going to cost set in. Rather than freak out about the situation. I decided that I would spend as little as possible and still have a wonderful brunch. Brunch is supposed to be a mix between lunch and breakfast foods.
I started my planning with by looking online for traditional brunch menus. I searched many websites so I could get a well rounded idea of what to serve. After I had a good idea of what kind of food I wanted to serve, I looked up some brunch recipes. I took stock of what I already had in my pantry and went from there. I found some wonderful recipes on the Food Network website. Not only were some of the recipes inexpensive to make, but they were sophisticated. From these recipes, I made a shopping list.
Once I got to the grocery store, I priced out everything I would need. I chose generic or store brand goods where I could. I spent less than $15 on my whole meal! My brunch, looked beautiful and tasted delicious. It looked as if I had spent a fortune. I simply took everything I had bought and put it in nice serving dishes. My table looked beautiful.
We all had a wonderful time. My guests were very impressed with all of the yummy foods that were available. I will include my menu for those of you who are interested. As always, continue to enjoy entertaining in your home, just remember it does not have to be expensive to do.
Brunch Menu
Fluffy scrambled eggs with a dash of seasoning salt
Cinnabon cinnamon rolls from Pillsbury
A cheese filled coffee cake (store bought)
A container of “mini muffins” which included blueberry, lemon and bananna nut (store bought)
A bag of frozen blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
Fried potatoes with onion
Coffee
Tea
Orange Juice
Milk
The End of the 24 Hour Society?
As President Obama said, last week in his press conference, Americans are loosing jobs at an alarming rate. Stores are closing like crazy. I am amazed to see even bigger chain stores closing in my area.
We have become an around the clock society. So many stores offer 24 hour services, as opposed to 10 years ago. We have come to expect, that certain mega-retailers and drugstores will be open at all hours of the night, just incase we need something.
However, as the jobless rate goes up. and payroll gets harder to cover for many business’ large and small, will we start to see a decline in the 24 hour store? When I started to thing about this concept in depth, which I had never really done before. I was amazed at how expensive it must be.
A store that is open for 24 hours, 7 days a week must incur some serious costs. Payroll must be outrageous. If you thing about it, the store must be staffed at all times, usually with more than one person. Almost all 24 hour stores have a manager on duty, at all times. Managers are payed more than regular staff and are therefore more expensive.
Then I thought about,how much the energy costs of keeping your doors open at a 24 hour store must be. Heat, or air conditioning, lights, and water? That kind of usage must really add up quickly. Especially for a mega-retailer such as Walmart.
Taking all of these thoughts into account, I wonder, with the downturn in the economy will the 24 hour store survive? As we all know, retail sales are down sharply for the country. People are not out shopping. Which I would think would certainly effect the over night crowd that frequent 24 hour stores.
I am grateful for the store that stays open for 24 hours in times of sickness or emergency. However, I think that with stores being open constantly are slowly changing our society. We are able to do things like shop whenever we’d like that we were not able to do before now.
So, what does this current depression have in store for the 24 hour shopper? I guess only time will tell. Until then, covet your ability to feed your 2 am. fix for that Heath Bar or be thankful that you can buy junior diapers at 4 am.
Don’t Waste What You Have, Eat your Leftovers
Not to waste is not a new concept to America, just a forgotten one. Survivors to the first depression learned a very valuable lesson, don’t waste anything. Take for instance my grandfather, who is a survivor of the great depression, he saves everything. One day I was in my grandfather’s den, and I noticed that he had a stack of used carbon paper. I asked him why he was saving used carbon paper. He replied that it could always be used again.
Grandpa may be a bit on the extreme side of not wasting but, he’s got a point. Get the most out of what you do have. I am amazed at how much stuff we as a society throw away. It is true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Instead of throwing things in the garbage, such as clothing or furniture, donate it if possible. There are plenty of needy people out there.
One of the best ways not to be super wasteful is to realize how much food you actually throw away. When I actually started to look at how much food that I was throwing away on a weekly basis I was shocked. My most common food that was thrown away was left-overs. I always put away dinner that went uneaten and took dinner home from restaurants that was uneaten as well. I always had the best intention of finishing my leftovers but, it never happened.
Then I got smart, looking at how much food was actually being thrown away was upsetting. I worked hard to pay for that food, not throw it away. I started to eat my leftovers in my fridge religiously. Not, only was I not wasting but, my grocery bill went down because my food was lasting longer.
My pledge to start eating my leftovers in my fridge, changed the way I did my monthly shopping. I realized that whatever I cooked, I was going to eat until it was gone. I started to cook food that kept well for a few days and was as tasty tomorrow as it would be when I cooked it. Chili, stew, soup, and casseroles are great leftovers.
You can even make leftovers fun. Have a leftover night. Leftover night is where you cook all of the leftovers at once. When other time can you eat Chinese, pizza and pasta at the same time. It can actually be really fun. We used to do this when I was a kid and I loved it.
I won’t say that I don’t throw any food away, I do, but it is a lot less. I hate to throw food away. I recognize how lucky I am to even have food. Really try to eat your leftovers. However, a word of caution, be careful how long you keep leftovers. Know the shelf live of things, and usually as a word of caution don’t eat leftovers that have been in the fridge for more than a week.
Austerity Guide to Menu Planning – Menu Planning 101
I’ve discussed how to save money at the grocery store before. One of my biggest tips is to plan meals BEFORE you go to the store. When you plan your meals, extras will not find their way into the cart as easily. There are some out there who are meal planning pros, and others who are not so hot at it. Menu planning is so essential to saving money, that I chose some of the best menu planning sites that I have come across. The sites range from expert advice, to directions of how to begin making a meal plan.
Learning How to Make a Meal Plan
Ehow has set up a page that gives step by step directions to setting up a menu ahead of time. The page is laid out very simply and the directions are very easy to follow. I think this is a great starter for those of you who are unsure of how to go about planning a menu.
Menu Planning Instructions From Ehow.com
How to Make a Few Items Work Throughout the Week
Mill Musings is a blog written by another budget conscious blogger. I chose this blog because it illustrates how a few items can last through out the week. In the sample menu that is shown, certain ingredients are used many times during the week, but they are done in a unique and tasty looking way. I also liked that this menu incorporated pictures of the made food.
Menu Ideas for Everyone
Budget 101 is a wonderful website for many different types of services for those who want to get a good deal. I chose this website for the more experienced menu planners or those who want to give planning a try. I like this site because it gives many different types of menu options, whether it be vegetarian or simply feeding 2 people. This is a wonderful database for budget meal planning.
A Wonderful example of a Pro menu planner
The hillbillyhousewife is another great sight for planning meals. I was really impressed at how organized her meal plan was. I was also happy to see that her meal plan was extremely healthy and filling. I think that this is a wonderful example of how to plan a menu. I also like her use of a grid at towards the bottom of the page, which clearly lays out all meals and snacks. I use this technique myself.
Menu, tips and full layout of meal planning
Menu Planning Service
Dine without whine is a menu planning service. Some people out there are just not planners. I am not necessarily saying that this is a good option to save money, because this service does cost money. However, it could be a good start for beginners to see how menu planning is done, or for those who simply do not have the time.
Menu plan is essential to saving money in the grocery store. Sit down have yourself a cup of coffee, get yourself a pen and paper and start planning. I always like to include some of my favorite foods for the week. Don’t plan your menu so cheaply that you don’t like what you put on it. Buy food that you and whoever you are feeding likes. Once you know what you want to eat, start you list for the store. It is much harder for unneeded extras to work their way into your grocery cart when you have a list in hand. Happy Planning!
The Austere Dinner Party, Yes it can be done!
I love to entertain in my home, and since the recent economic depression, many people believe that the days of doing dinner parties are over. I say, quite the contrary. I have hosted more dinner parties in the past 6 months than in the past year. When my husband and I wanted to get together with friends and family, we used to meet them out at a restaurant. Those days are long gone. The prices in restaurants just keep going up. Now the get together spot is usually in someone’s home.
Many think that entertaining is too expensive, but it is not if it is done correctly. There are plenty of inexpensive meals to serve at a dinner party. The one-pot dishes seem to be the least expensive to make. These can range from chili. to lasagna, to chicken in a wine sauce. If you are going to be having a dinner party, watch the sales fliers after you have planned a menu. Get you ingredients on sale. The beauty of a one pot meal is that in most cases, a loaf of french or Italian bread makes a great side dish, and is very inexpensive.
Whenever I entertain, I always try to put out finger foods before the dinner. I have found that this part of the meal tends to be the most expensive. When it comes to appetizers, I shop at stores like Aldi, for crackers and cheese and other tidbits. Keep in mind when buying this part of the meal that this is not meant to fill your guest, but only wet their appetite.
I also feel that depending on the guests that are coming, it is okay to ask a guest to bring something. I would not recommend asking someone that has never been over to your home before. The pot-luck dinner is back in a big way. A pot-luck, for those of you who don’t know is when each guest brings something do the dinner. I often ask guests that I know will be big alcohol drinkers to please bring a bottle of their favorite drink. I find that I save a lot of time and money this way.
As for setting my table, I set it based on the occasion, obviously. I have invested in some neutral colored cloth dinner napkins, which I bought on sale. I love my dinner napkins because they go with everything and they add a really nice touch. I also went to my local resale shop and purchased some inexpensive table cloths. I always keep my eye out for candle sticks when I go as well. I picked up a lovely pair of silver candle sticks at my local resale shop about two years ago, I use them constantly to entertain.
When it comes to setting a table, it can be done on a austere budget, but it doesn’t have to look like it. Use your imagination. Take for instance, I held a Christmas dinner and I did not have anything to decorate my coffee table with, so I cut a large piece of leftover wrapping paper into a funky shape and put that on my table and then put my hors d’oeuvres on top of it. It looked great!
Keep your dinner parties fun and relaxed, and people will want to come back. Just remember that a dinner party does not have to be super expensive. Dinner parties allow you to do what you want when you want, and you are not rushed like you can be in a restaurant. So, relax and enjoy!
My Latte Factor
Photo from Flickr
I am a latte junkie. They know me by name at my local Starbucks, which is sad, when I really consider it. They actually have my coffee pre-made and waiting for me. Yes this is true. But recently with the economic downturn, I started to really think about how much my latte addiction was costing me. When I added it up, the cold hard truth was there. I could not believe how much money I was spending at Starbucks. At the rate I was spending I might as well have bought stock in the company.
The realization of how much money I was actually spending was truly a wake up call. I thought of all of the things that I could do with the money that I was spending instead of drinking my money. I was so shocked by the realization of what I was spending per week, that I decided to quit Starbucks cold turkey. I told the girls to stop having my latte ready for me. I was done. At first I frequented Dunkin Donuts, because their coffee was much cheaper, but I was still stuck with that latte factor. I knew that I had to do better.
Quitting Starbucks was so hard, especially in the late afternoon, when I was ready for that second pick me up. I stayed strong and stayed away. Soon, I started to drink the coffee that my office provided, I never realized it before but they were brewing Starbucks coffee. Ah, that sweet, sweet taste of Starbucks. Soon I stopped buying coffee all together, what was the point? There was perfectly good coffee at the office, which was free. As an office of serious coffee drinkers, they bought good coffee.
After I left my job to go back to school, I had the dilemma of getting my morning Starbucks fix. I resisted temptation and I did not go back to that delicious trap. But I had to find a substitute. The school has a cafeteria, where if you buy a cup of coffee, you get free refills all day. That was a good deal, seeing that the original cup only costs $1.25. The only problem was that the coffee was awful. I realized that I was going to have to find some way of bringing my own coffee.
I invested in a coffee maker that I found on sale, and a good thermos as well. Soon, I was back in business. I would fill my thermos and be good for the day. I had never really bought coffee at the grocery store, why would I bother, that’s what Starbucks was for. I found that I could buy Starbucks coffee and grind it fresh right in the store for about $7.00! That’s the price of 2 lattes! The coffee was delicious and the pound lasts a really long time.
I went cold turkey about a year ago, and I am still going strong. I stopped by Starbucks a week ago because someone gave me a gift card. I ordered my usual latte and the price had gone up. I was shocked that I actually paid that price for a cup of coffee! I didn’t want to go back, even though I had a gift card.
When I think about it, there is little value for money, when you consider the alternative of just making your own coffee and taking it with you. I will use the rest of the card so that it does not go to waste, I have been shocked strait. I do miss the creamy taste of a mocha latte from time to time, but my waist does not. I have tried to recreate the taste but, I haven’t had any luck. I came across a video of a woman named Renee who runs another frugality blog, she came up with this recipe to substitute her latte factor. It looks pretty good, I have yet to try it, so if you do and it’s good let me know.
What’s your Latte Factor? What do you regularly spend money on that you can cut out of your life to save money. Add it all up over year and see how much your Latte Factor is really costing you.
10 Ways to Feed Your Family For Less – Shopping for Groceries with Austerity
It seems to many that feeding a family is becoming increasingly more expensive. However, all is not lost. With a little tweaking and habit change, a good deal of money can be saved. I have seen these tip work in my own life. I spend less on food than I did five years ago and my family dynamic has not changed.
The biggest thing to remember is, the store is not your friend, they are there to extract as much money out of you as possible. This does not mean one needs to be unfriendly but keep in mind, you are in charge when it comes to shopping. Never be embarrassed to put items back, keep a running tally of the cost of the grocery bill, or buy generic. The grocery store is in business because you are a paying customer.
I want to share my best ways for grocery shopping on a budget. I want to stress that I eat well and that I do not go without when it comes to food. Food is a need, not a want. And although I stick to these ten tips I do occasionally break them, every once and a while a small splurge is allowed.
These are my top ten ways for saving money at the grocery store:
Where to Shop
Choose where you shop. Believe it or not price does differ depending on the the store. Aldi is a great place to start, it’s no frills approach does pass down to the consumer. I personally have shopped there. Their food is good quality and is considerably less than your average grocery store. Another place to save is Wal-Mart. Yes, I am not a huge fan of them but when it comes to sticking to a budget, that’s the place to go.
Coupons
Coupons, yeah they seem like a pain, but they do actually save you some money. Wait to see if the local store has double-coupon days, where you coupon now counts for double savings. Don’t cut coupons for food you don’t eat. Just because the coupon came in the Sunday newspaper, does not mean that you have to purchase that item. Also read the fine print on coupons, some are sneaky, by requiring you to buy a larger size, or double of that product.
Sales Flyers
Watch the sales ads, if the item can be frozen and the price is great, get a few and freeze them till you need them. Meat is a great example of this. I wait till chicken breast goes on sale, I look for the bag that has 6 or 7 breasts in them. I don’t eat it all at once and the bag lasts for about a month. This can also be done with vegetables and fruit. I have heard that this can also be done with milk, but I have not tried it.
Store Brand Generics
Generic does not always mean low quality. I am brand loyal on certain items, Oreos, Jiff Peanut Butter… but overall most generic brands are made in the same factories as name brands. Be brave try it. There are differences in some cases, if you don’t like the generic brand try adding some spices to it, really give it a shot if you don’t like it. In the long run you will be amazed how much money could be saved this way. Also, a word to the wise, no one will know the difference when you put it on the dinner table.
Make a List
Make a list. I cannot stress this enough. Go in with the mindset that the only things that go on in the basket are things that are on the list, no exceptions. Leave a pad of paper on the refrigerator, when you run out of something, write it down. Make sure to include household items on you list as well, like toilet paper, and cleaners. In not taking a list to the store, something is always forgotten. This forgetfulness will prompt another trip to the store, which stores are counting on. How many people actually go back to get an item they forgot and only buy that item?
Set a Budget
Set a budget, and stick to it! Keep track of what you are spending while you are shopping, bring a pocket calculator or use one on you cell phone if it has one. Don’t be embarrassed this is a tuff economy, never be ashamed of looking out for yourself and your family. If the calculator is not your thing, try rounding up on prices to the nearest dollar and keep a running tally in your head. I find that this works for me and I always come in under budget.
Plan Your Meals
When making your list think ahead and plan meals, every meal. In doing this, nothing is forgotten at the store and you don’t overspend on things that won’t get eaten. I plan all of my meals when I go. I also plan lunches to take with me during the work week. If you do the math, in most cases it is so much cheaper to bring a planned lunch from home than to eat out. I also know how to allot the food for the week, I know not to eat all of a favorite food when I first get it, it has to last through the week.
Don’t Go Hungry
I know this seems obvious, but it’s true, eat before you go to the store. Hungry people alway buy more, myself included.
Grocery Shopping Only
If you shop at a super-center type grocery store, stick to the food section. Stores with this type of set up depend on you walking through the store, resist the urge. There is a reason the shampoo is on the opposite side of the store.
Don’t be Afraid to Say No
If you are over budget at the check out, don’t be embarrassed to put items back. You are the consumer, you have a choice. It is not a done deal once things are in the grocery sac. I have done this many times. I have come across the rude, nasty and angry doing this, but remember, YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER! The person behind the checkout does not have a job without customers like you shopping. I must honestly say, I see a negative reaction less frequently as the economy worsens. I also find that if you are up front with the cashier and tell them what your budget is and to let you know when the hit it, the checkout seems to go more smoothly. Overall, don’t be embarrassed, you have a right.
Final Thoughts on Saving at the Grocery Store:
I have learned these tricks over time and I have visibly seen my grocery bill go down. My husband and I can get everything we need to eat for the week for about $60. We both eat very well. We do not starve. Clever shopping will fill your cupboards and your tummy. Go out and look for a deal, remain in control of your shopping experience, and plan ahead. Happy Shopping!
