My husband and I started writing down all our expenses this year starting January 1st- we have a notebook just for this. I tape a business size envelope inside the back of the notebook cover to quickly stash our receipts.
So, January was a great month of great deals at Giant Eagle (double coupons!). I was able to do some stocking up. Add to that the Freezer Cooking Day I joined in on and we’ve had an easy February. I’ve done very little grocery/ household shopping. Very little. In fact, it looks like I’ve spent about $97.00 on groceries this month so far (for a family of 4).
Being creative…
I shared a different Twist on a Taco that was delicious and I used items from my stock/freezer. I want to share another taco combination that I tried out.
I used some frozen taco meat I had in the freezer, a bag of the microwavable Old El Paso Fiesta Rice, Kraft cheese and Ortega Whole Grain Taco Shells (note, I didn’t have any lettuce on hand). Just fill your tacos normally layering in your desired order.
These were DELICIOUS! I had at least 2 for lunch and a couple more later on 😉 The Fiesta Rice really made it extra-special.
Planning ahead…
My stockpile is dwindling and my freezer is getting down a bit too. Though we are still doing good on freezer items.
I’d really encourage anyone to spend part of a day doing some meal-prep cooking. You could drag out your crockpots (I have 3- not all the same size) get your rice cooker if you have one (I do, got it New! for $5 at a garage sale) and let those items do the cooking for you.
But even if you don’t have all that, you can just brown a few pounds of hamburger, mix up some taco meat, bake a whole chicken…etc.. This past week I used one of our snowed-in (no school days) to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker and then I deboned it before bedtime. I save the broth for future homemade chicken or vegetable soups and the shredded chicken for cream of chicken sandwiches, chicken soup or maybe I’ll make another pot pie 🙂
Personally speaking…
During my daily devotions I’m reading in Proverbs right now and came across these verses that I’ve read countless times before but I felt it really applied to these past couple of weeks of enduring snowstorm after snowstorm in our area (and we may be getting another one this Sunday/Monday). Though I don’t advocate hoarding, I do believe in being prepared when we are able to do so. By being diligent in my coupon use and deal matching I am able to stock up on items we will use when the prices are at their lowest. Sometimes FREE! Can’t be that with a stick, can you?
Proverbs 6:6-11
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall they poverty come as one that travelleth, and they want as an armed man.
My point is this, I plan and prepare for what my family needs as best I can when the timing is best. When the bad weather struck, I didn’t have to fret about driving through it to pick up more groceries. We were prepared.
Tracy Zdelar
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