Pizza Pockets
1 recipe white bread dough, or frozen or refrigerated dough
Pasta Sauce
Dehydrated peppers, onions, and mushrooms
Cheddar cheese (optional)
I used the same sauce that I use for pasta, but only half as much. The leftover sauce can be used for pasta, or frozen and used another day.
Spread out the bread, and fill with sauce and cheese. Fold the dough like a burrito, pinching the edges. Bake for about 15 minutes, until browned.
The cheese keeps this from being a true food storage meal. There is such a thing as freeze-dried cheese, but I haven't dared try it yet.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Food storage meal #1: Pasta
Food storage meal number 1:
Pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce
1 jar Pasta sauce (I use Prego, which I buy on sale for about $1.25 a jar)
Dehydrated mushrooms, peppers, and onions
1 pound pasta. I buy this in bags when they are less than 70 cents a pound, or in the bulk bins at Winco for 73 cents a pound
Put the sauce in a saucepan, add the dehydrated food and cook until heated. Pour over cooked pasta.
Pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce
1 jar Pasta sauce (I use Prego, which I buy on sale for about $1.25 a jar)
Dehydrated mushrooms, peppers, and onions
1 pound pasta. I buy this in bags when they are less than 70 cents a pound, or in the bulk bins at Winco for 73 cents a pound
Put the sauce in a saucepan, add the dehydrated food and cook until heated. Pour over cooked pasta.
This is before it's cooked. It looks better afterward, I promiseSprouts
A neighbor gave me a jar and some seeds for sprouting for Christmas. I used to sprout seeds, but I was using cloth over the top of the jar to drain the water, and it doesn't work very well. This one has plastic canvas over the top, and it's a wide-mouth jar. It works beautifully.
To sprout seeds:
Put seeds in jar and cover with water. Soak for 12 hours if using large seeds, and 6 hours for small seeds. Rinse. Rinse 2 or 3 times a day until the seeds sprout and sprouts grow to desired length.
Sprouts are ridiculously good for you. They have vitamins, proteins, amino acids, and minerals. I keep seeds in my food storage because they are a good source of fresh food in case we can't go the the grocery store.
I usually sprout wheat because I have a lot of it. I put sprouts in bread, which gives it a nutty texture. They also go in soup, rice dishes, bean dishes, and can be eaten plain.
To sprout seeds:
Put seeds in jar and cover with water. Soak for 12 hours if using large seeds, and 6 hours for small seeds. Rinse. Rinse 2 or 3 times a day until the seeds sprout and sprouts grow to desired length.
Sprouts are ridiculously good for you. They have vitamins, proteins, amino acids, and minerals. I keep seeds in my food storage because they are a good source of fresh food in case we can't go the the grocery store.
I usually sprout wheat because I have a lot of it. I put sprouts in bread, which gives it a nutty texture. They also go in soup, rice dishes, bean dishes, and can be eaten plain.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Granola
After months of loving oatmeal, my kids have decided that granola is now the best breakfast food ever. Granola's price is way out of our budget, but it's really easy to make. I made a visit to the bulk bins at Winco, and only got as much of the nuts and craisins as I needed, so it turned out pretty inexpensive.
Coating:
1/3 cup oil
1/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C honey (may need more)
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
Granola:
4 cups oats
1 cup of chopped raw nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds)
Raisins or dried cranberries to taste
Mix dry and wet ingredients seperately, then combine. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about twenty minutes, stirring halfway through. Store in an airtight container.
This cost me under three dollars, and the girls love it. It is good with milk, or eaten plain. I especially love it, because it requires no fresh ingredients; it can be made entirely with food storage items.
Coating:
1/3 cup oil
1/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C honey (may need more)
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
Granola:
4 cups oats
1 cup of chopped raw nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds)
Raisins or dried cranberries to taste
Mix dry and wet ingredients seperately, then combine. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about twenty minutes, stirring halfway through. Store in an airtight container.
This cost me under three dollars, and the girls love it. It is good with milk, or eaten plain. I especially love it, because it requires no fresh ingredients; it can be made entirely with food storage items.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Honeyville Giveaway
I'm shamelessly pimping a website giveaway. Because I really, really want to win.
Honeyville Farms is giving away 3 sets of freeze dried food in #10 cans. Each set has six cans, and has a variety of fruit, vegetables, or potatoes.
The website for the giveaway is http://honeyvillefarms.blogspot.com/ and the giveawy is open until Monday.
Honeyville Farms is giving away 3 sets of freeze dried food in #10 cans. Each set has six cans, and has a variety of fruit, vegetables, or potatoes.
The website for the giveaway is http://honeyvillefarms.blogspot.com/ and the giveawy is open until Monday.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The meal method
I had a "duh" moment this weekend while looking for food storage recipes.
I came across several websites written by people who have a great method for beginning your food storage. Start by naming five meals that can be cooked with storeable items, and store enough ingredients to make each meal five times.
This will give you 25 days of food storage.
When you have the first 25 days, name five more meals, and store enough to make each meal five times. Then store enough to make each meal ten times each. That would be 100 days of dinners in your food storage, which is more than three months.
Ideally, you would eventually have enough to make thirty meals twelve times each, or fifteen meals twenty four times each. If you add enough for breakfast and snacks, that's a full year of food storage.
Why did I not think of this?
I came across several websites written by people who have a great method for beginning your food storage. Start by naming five meals that can be cooked with storeable items, and store enough ingredients to make each meal five times.
This will give you 25 days of food storage.
When you have the first 25 days, name five more meals, and store enough to make each meal five times. Then store enough to make each meal ten times each. That would be 100 days of dinners in your food storage, which is more than three months.
Ideally, you would eventually have enough to make thirty meals twelve times each, or fifteen meals twenty four times each. If you add enough for breakfast and snacks, that's a full year of food storage.
Why did I not think of this?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Homemade oatmeal packets
My kids eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every single day. When my little one wakes up, the first word out of her mouth is often, "O-meal?"
I buy the oatmeal packets when they go on sale. They are one dollar per box, or ten cents per packet. They eat three or four packets per day between the two of them, so we use three boxes per week. This means that I spend $156 dollars per year to feed my kids breakfast, plus the milk we put on the oatmeal. This isn't a lot, really, for breakfast for an entire year. I was pretty sure that I could reduce it significantly, though. Plus, those packets only go on sale every few months, and what happens if I run out before then? I don't have the room to store a full year's worth of boxes of oatmeal packets, so then I have to make it on the stove. Making oatmeal on the stove is cost-effective, but it is a lot less convenient.
During the caselot sales in September, I bought fifty pounds of quick oats. I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do with them, but I knew I'd figure something out. I definitely wasn't prepared for how much room fifty pounds of oats takes up; I used three and a half five-gallon buckets to store them all.
I paid $18 for the oats.
Today, I went to the Honeyville Farms store in Brigham City. I paid $23.70 for cans of freeze-dried blueberries and strawberries. I then sat down to make homemade oatmeal packets.
Oatmeal packets:
1 3 pound canister of quick oats
take two cups of these oats and put them in a blender until they are powder
Add 1 cup of sugar
2 T salt
Add fruit; raisins are cheapest, but other freeze-dried fruit works well.
Shake the container until the oatmeal is mixed. Add the oat powder and shake again.
Optional add-ins: powdered coffee creamer, powdered milk, cinnamon
To use: boil 1/2 cup of water and add to 1/3 cup oatmeal mix.
I made about 100 ounces of this in two large oatmeal cylinders, one with strawberry and one with blueberry mix.
Cost: before adding fruit, a canister of this mix costs me under a dollar. After I added the fruit, the price went up to about three dollars per canister. Each canister will make approximately 32 servings. The same amount of oatmeal in packets would cost about twice that amount.
I love this method because it saves money, it leaves out the preservatives and artificial flavoring, it allows me to make exactly as much oatmeal as my girls want to eat, and it means we can choose our flavors. I've always wished I could buy the blueberries and cream oatmeal all by itself. This way, I don't have to be the first one to open the box to get my favorite flavor.
I buy the oatmeal packets when they go on sale. They are one dollar per box, or ten cents per packet. They eat three or four packets per day between the two of them, so we use three boxes per week. This means that I spend $156 dollars per year to feed my kids breakfast, plus the milk we put on the oatmeal. This isn't a lot, really, for breakfast for an entire year. I was pretty sure that I could reduce it significantly, though. Plus, those packets only go on sale every few months, and what happens if I run out before then? I don't have the room to store a full year's worth of boxes of oatmeal packets, so then I have to make it on the stove. Making oatmeal on the stove is cost-effective, but it is a lot less convenient.
During the caselot sales in September, I bought fifty pounds of quick oats. I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do with them, but I knew I'd figure something out. I definitely wasn't prepared for how much room fifty pounds of oats takes up; I used three and a half five-gallon buckets to store them all.
I paid $18 for the oats.
Today, I went to the Honeyville Farms store in Brigham City. I paid $23.70 for cans of freeze-dried blueberries and strawberries. I then sat down to make homemade oatmeal packets.
Oatmeal packets:
1 3 pound canister of quick oats
take two cups of these oats and put them in a blender until they are powder
Add 1 cup of sugar
2 T salt
Add fruit; raisins are cheapest, but other freeze-dried fruit works well.
Shake the container until the oatmeal is mixed. Add the oat powder and shake again.
Optional add-ins: powdered coffee creamer, powdered milk, cinnamon
To use: boil 1/2 cup of water and add to 1/3 cup oatmeal mix.
I made about 100 ounces of this in two large oatmeal cylinders, one with strawberry and one with blueberry mix.
Cost: before adding fruit, a canister of this mix costs me under a dollar. After I added the fruit, the price went up to about three dollars per canister. Each canister will make approximately 32 servings. The same amount of oatmeal in packets would cost about twice that amount.
I love this method because it saves money, it leaves out the preservatives and artificial flavoring, it allows me to make exactly as much oatmeal as my girls want to eat, and it means we can choose our flavors. I've always wished I could buy the blueberries and cream oatmeal all by itself. This way, I don't have to be the first one to open the box to get my favorite flavor.
Meals for the next two weeks(ish): 12-11 to 12-23
Went to the grocery store today; first trip in ten days. I was hoping to make it fourteen days, but we ran out of cheese three days ago, and I ran out of non-cheese meal ideas.
Grocery total: $42.92. I will get at least twelve meals out of this, using what I have in my food storage already.
Four dollars of the total was on stuff that I really didn't need at all; I bought a package of treats, and a block of swiss cheese just because we like it.
Meal plan for the next twelve days (items I bought today are in bold and italicised):
Sat: Taco salad: tortillas, cheese, ground meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, and olives, if there are any left over from another meal already
Sun: (meal with family.)
Mon:. BLT: homemade bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, miracle whip. Fruit salad: oranges, canned pineapple, whipped topping
Tue: potato pancakes with eggs and leftover fruit salad
Wed: baked fish with sweet potatoes and salad: lettuce, tomato, oranges, orange dressing
cook an elk roast for three meals
Thurs: Empanadas (recipe TBA)
Fri: pulled elk buscuits, side of salad or fruit, whichever is left
Sat: Stroganoff: elk, mushrooms, sour cream, onion, pasta, beef bullion
Sun: baked oatmeal with bacon, or eat with family
Mon: Chicken and rice soup
Tue: chicken quesadillas: tortillas, chicken, salsa, sour cream, spanish rice
Wed: creamed tuna on bread with side dish TBA
Thurs: freezer meal
Grocery total: $42.92. I will get at least twelve meals out of this, using what I have in my food storage already.
Four dollars of the total was on stuff that I really didn't need at all; I bought a package of treats, and a block of swiss cheese just because we like it.
Meal plan for the next twelve days (items I bought today are in bold and italicised):
Sat: Taco salad: tortillas, cheese, ground meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, and olives, if there are any left over from another meal already
Sun: (meal with family.)
Mon:. BLT: homemade bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, miracle whip. Fruit salad: oranges, canned pineapple, whipped topping
Tue: potato pancakes with eggs and leftover fruit salad
Wed: baked fish with sweet potatoes and salad: lettuce, tomato, oranges, orange dressing
cook an elk roast for three meals
Thurs: Empanadas (recipe TBA)
Fri: pulled elk buscuits, side of salad or fruit, whichever is left
Sat: Stroganoff: elk, mushrooms, sour cream, onion, pasta, beef bullion
Sun: baked oatmeal with bacon, or eat with family
Mon: Chicken and rice soup
Tue: chicken quesadillas: tortillas, chicken, salsa, sour cream, spanish rice
Wed: creamed tuna on bread with side dish TBA
Thurs: freezer meal
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Menu 12-1
Ran to the store for milk, tortillas, sausage, and mushrooms. Revised menu for the next week or so:
Wed: elk roast and au gratin potatoes
Thurs: french dip with leftover elk and canned fruit
Fri: mashed potato soup with sausage
Sat: pasta alfredo with mushrooms and italian chicken
Mon: bean burritos
Tue: tin foil dinners
Wed: baked oatmeal and sausage
Wed: elk roast and au gratin potatoes
Thurs: french dip with leftover elk and canned fruit
Fri: mashed potato soup with sausage
Sat: pasta alfredo with mushrooms and italian chicken
Mon: bean burritos
Tue: tin foil dinners
Wed: baked oatmeal and sausage
Monday, November 29, 2010
Menu 11-25
Menu for two weeks beginning November 25
1. (Thanksgiving Day) Pizza and ravioli
2. Thanksgiving dinner
3. Thanksgiving dinner
4. leftovers
5. turkey a la king
6.Clam chowder (freeze some)
8.Elk roast and potatoes
9. mashed potato soup
10 elk roast french dip, with canned fruit or veggies (use whatever is in the fridge) or potatoes au gratin
11.bean burritos and rice
Only a week and four days out of this shopping trip, but I don't dare plan any more because we will run out of milk by then. I do have a few more recipes that I can use without going to the store; but when we run out of milk, I shop. I have to, because that's the one thing this family has a really hard time doing without.
1. (Thanksgiving Day) Pizza and ravioli
2. Thanksgiving dinner
3. Thanksgiving dinner
4. leftovers
5. turkey a la king
6.Clam chowder (freeze some)
8.Elk roast and potatoes
9. mashed potato soup
10 elk roast french dip, with canned fruit or veggies (use whatever is in the fridge) or potatoes au gratin
11.bean burritos and rice
Only a week and four days out of this shopping trip, but I don't dare plan any more because we will run out of milk by then. I do have a few more recipes that I can use without going to the store; but when we run out of milk, I shop. I have to, because that's the one thing this family has a really hard time doing without.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Chicken and Rice Soup
I don't really like soup much. I am finding, though, that it's one of the cheapest meals to make, and it's pretty easy too. Shawn and the kids love it, so I'm making soup a lot more often lately.
I love the website The Prudent Homemaker. She has awesome recipes, most of which are made with food storage items, and all are inexpensive. She gave me the idea to try a chicken and rice soup, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. Shawn and the girls liked it, too.
A couple of weeks ago, I bought about ten pounds of chicken and cut it up. I cooked it and cut it up, and froze it for use later. I used some of it for this soup.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Put chicken (cooked or raw) in large pot and cook or brown. Add
Chicken both, at least one can or two cups
Then add the veggies; I used corn and potatoes. Carrots would also be good.
Add one and a half cups of rice and three cups water.
Add spices; pepper, salt, basil or oregano
Cover the pot, and let it simmer for at least half an hour. You will probably need to add more water.
I love the website The Prudent Homemaker. She has awesome recipes, most of which are made with food storage items, and all are inexpensive. She gave me the idea to try a chicken and rice soup, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. Shawn and the girls liked it, too.
A couple of weeks ago, I bought about ten pounds of chicken and cut it up. I cooked it and cut it up, and froze it for use later. I used some of it for this soup.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Put chicken (cooked or raw) in large pot and cook or brown. Add
Chicken both, at least one can or two cups
Then add the veggies; I used corn and potatoes. Carrots would also be good.
Add one and a half cups of rice and three cups water.
Add spices; pepper, salt, basil or oregano
Cover the pot, and let it simmer for at least half an hour. You will probably need to add more water.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
It's not easy
The thing about saving money is, it's sometimes exhausting.
When you cloth diaper, you have to wash the diapers every other day
When you bake bread, you have to....bake the bread
It requires more actual cooking and preparation to make meals, as well as more forethought.
On a related note, we spent sixteen dollars eating out this weekend. Some of this was planned; we met family members for lunch. That's fine, and it was fun. The problem was that I didn't pack enough snacks, so by the time we were headed home that night, we were hungry and had to stop. Next time; more and better snacks. It's cheaper than Arby's.
With term papers and projects, and Shawn is sick again, and the rest of the normal pressures of life, it's been a little bit harder to find the time to do some of the things I do to save money. The thing is, I still like it. I don't want to go back to store-bought bread and disposable diapers. I like that we're eating better because I'm planning meals; I don't want to eat frozen pizza. I hope this attitude lasts through the semester.
When you cloth diaper, you have to wash the diapers every other day
When you bake bread, you have to....bake the bread
It requires more actual cooking and preparation to make meals, as well as more forethought.
On a related note, we spent sixteen dollars eating out this weekend. Some of this was planned; we met family members for lunch. That's fine, and it was fun. The problem was that I didn't pack enough snacks, so by the time we were headed home that night, we were hungry and had to stop. Next time; more and better snacks. It's cheaper than Arby's.
With term papers and projects, and Shawn is sick again, and the rest of the normal pressures of life, it's been a little bit harder to find the time to do some of the things I do to save money. The thing is, I still like it. I don't want to go back to store-bought bread and disposable diapers. I like that we're eating better because I'm planning meals; I don't want to eat frozen pizza. I hope this attitude lasts through the semester.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Beans and Rice
No leftovers. The bread is currently in the breadmaker and won't be done for two hours. What to do for lunch...
I cooked up some rice, and melted a little bit of cheese over the top. Then I put this on top of black beans, and sprinkled tortilla chips over the top. The girls loved it. It cost, like, sixty cents. I need to remember this one.
I cooked up some rice, and melted a little bit of cheese over the top. Then I put this on top of black beans, and sprinkled tortilla chips over the top. The girls loved it. It cost, like, sixty cents. I need to remember this one.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Mashed potato soup
I got this recipe from a coworker a few months after Shawn and I were married. It's pretty easy, it's really cheap, and Shawn and the girls really like it. It's also versatile; you can use sausage or ham instead of bacon, leave out the onion, leave out the cheese, add vegetables....
5-6 potatoes (it's easiest if the potatoes are already mashed. Some days I make extra mashed potatoes, and save the rest to make this soup the next day)
Crumbled bacon
Onion, diced and cooked, or onion soup mix
salt and pepper
grated cheese
If the potatoes aren't mashed, cut them into chunks and put in a pot with just enough water to cover them. Boil them until they are soft. Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to mash them in the water (you may want to drain off some of the water first, if there is a lot left in the pot). Add bacon, onion, and salt and pepper. Heat through. Top with cheese.
5-6 potatoes (it's easiest if the potatoes are already mashed. Some days I make extra mashed potatoes, and save the rest to make this soup the next day)
Crumbled bacon
Onion, diced and cooked, or onion soup mix
salt and pepper
grated cheese
If the potatoes aren't mashed, cut them into chunks and put in a pot with just enough water to cover them. Boil them until they are soft. Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to mash them in the water (you may want to drain off some of the water first, if there is a lot left in the pot). Add bacon, onion, and salt and pepper. Heat through. Top with cheese.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Menu
Did a little "combat shopping," as Shawn calls it, at the grocery store equivalent of Black Friday. Spent more than I meant to, which isn't good. I did get a lot of good prices of food storage items, which is good. I'm going to see how long we can go without shopping again, except for turkey, cranberries, and cool whip for Thanksgiving.
Also, thanks to generosity of Mom and Ted, we have a really big bag of potatoes and a freezer shelf full of meat. That will help the grocery budget stretch even further.
Saturday: French dip and eggs
Sunday: Mashed Potato soup
Monday: Barbecue chicken and potatoes
Tuesday: Chicken stir fry with carrots, green pepper, onion, rice
Wednesday: Elk crock pot roast with mashed potatoes. Save some roast
Thursday: Frozen enchiladas
Friday: French dip with leftover elk, homemade bread, au jus, canned fruit
Saturday: omelettes with mushrooms and toastSunday: dinner with family
Monday: fettucine alfredo with mushrooms and green pepper
Tuesday: baked oatmeal and eggs
Wednesday: taco soup
Thursday: ???
Friday: Thanksgiving with family
Saturday: Thanksgiving with family
Sunday: leftovers
Monday: Chicken or turkey and dumplings
Also, thanks to generosity of Mom and Ted, we have a really big bag of potatoes and a freezer shelf full of meat. That will help the grocery budget stretch even further.
Saturday: French dip and eggs
Sunday: Mashed Potato soup
Monday: Barbecue chicken and potatoes
Tuesday: Chicken stir fry with carrots, green pepper, onion, rice
Wednesday: Elk crock pot roast with mashed potatoes. Save some roast
Thursday: Frozen enchiladas
Friday: French dip with leftover elk, homemade bread, au jus, canned fruit
Saturday: omelettes with mushrooms and toastSunday: dinner with family
Monday: fettucine alfredo with mushrooms and green pepper
Tuesday: baked oatmeal and eggs
Wednesday: taco soup
Thursday: ???
Friday: Thanksgiving with family
Saturday: Thanksgiving with family
Sunday: leftovers
Monday: Chicken or turkey and dumplings
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Crock pot chicken and pasta
We got a recipe for chicken cacciatore years ago from Shawn's boss, and the family loves it.
We cut up and cooked the chicken yesterday while making fajitas. This morning, Shawn put a handful of chicken in the crock pot with a jar of Prego (purchased a long time ago during a great sale), and chopped mushrooms. Then I cooked a pound of pasta, and made a loaf of herb bread. It's an easy, relatively inexpensive dinner that everyone loves. Plus, there are awesome leftovers for lunch!
One of these days, I'll remember to grab the camera before we eat so I can post a picture
We cut up and cooked the chicken yesterday while making fajitas. This morning, Shawn put a handful of chicken in the crock pot with a jar of Prego (purchased a long time ago during a great sale), and chopped mushrooms. Then I cooked a pound of pasta, and made a loaf of herb bread. It's an easy, relatively inexpensive dinner that everyone loves. Plus, there are awesome leftovers for lunch!
One of these days, I'll remember to grab the camera before we eat so I can post a picture
Monday, November 8, 2010
How we saved money today
No cheese on the fajitas.
We had only a little bit left, and we decided that it would be better to use it on the omlettes in a couple of days. I considered running to the store just for cheese, but then at least three other items that I should pick up came to mind, and I know it would have turned into a twenty dollar trip. So, no cheese.
We had only a little bit left, and we decided that it would be better to use it on the omlettes in a couple of days. I considered running to the store just for cheese, but then at least three other items that I should pick up came to mind, and I know it would have turned into a twenty dollar trip. So, no cheese.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Why I cloth diaper
I love cloth diapers. I realize that there are those who believe that statement means that I am crazy. I agree that CDing is not for everyone. It is for me, for a lot of reasons.
1. They're cute. Really cute
I have diapers in about a dozen colors, including a cow print, and they come in dozens more. You can get them personalized, you can get them embroidered, you can get them with monkeys or flowers or stripes. They match her outfits and her dresses, so I never have to worry about diaper covers. The diaper is always cuter than the cover.
2. Snaps. Boo, like a lot of kids, loves to remove any article of clothing that she can remove. She started doing this when I was still using disposables, and it created some big messes and embarrassing moments. Her cloth diapers all fasten with snaps, which make them toddler removal-proof
3. Diaper rash: Boo had horrible diaper rash all the time with disposables. She still gets it, but not nearly as often
4. All that hippie/granola mom stuff:
Landfills: a diaper takes roughly 500 years to decompose in a landfill. It's nice to feel that I'm contributing less to that waste. Dumping human waste in a landfill is illegal in all 50 states; this includes waste in diapers. This means that every time we throw away a poopy disposable, we are actually breaking the law. If you look at a diaper box, it says to shake the diaper into the toilet before throwing away. I've never met anyone, including myself, who does this. I do with cloth (and it's not nearly as gross as you think).
My garbage can never gets full. I don't even take it to the curb every week. This is a nice change
It takes a cup of crude oil to create a diaper.
I like the feel of cloth. The cotton and microfiber feel much better than plastic. They're soft--cloth diapers are sometimes called fluff--and they don't contain the sodium polyacrylate and dioxin that are present in disposables.
Most brands are made in the USA, often by WAHMs (work-at-home-moms), and are sweat-shop free.
5. Fewer trips to the store: this is where a lot of the money saving happens. I used to go to Target at least once, usually twice a month on a diaper run. I'd end up buying a bunch of stuff, some I needed, some I really didn't need. I do this much less often now, and save at least forty dollars a month just because I don't put myself in a position to spend. Add in the gas and wear and tear on the car, and it adds up.
6. The cost: if you only CD one child, and you don't use expensive brands of diapers, the savings aren't as great as the websites and some CD advocates want you to think. I used to use Target brand diapers, at about 14 dollars a box. I went through a little more than two boxes a month, at a cost of about 32 dollars. Add wipes, and I spent about 44 dollars a month diapering my daughter. In 15 months, this equals 660 dollars.
In the same 15 months, I have spent approximately 600 dollars CDing. This includes the diapers, laundry detergent, slightly increased utility bills, wet bags, repairs to a few of the diapers, a clothesline to dry them on, and a few packages of disposables to use as backup. This isn't much less than I would have spent on disposables, but I shouldn't have to buy any more diapers--at all--until Ivy potty trains. Some of the purchases, like wet bags and the clothesline, are multifunctional and will be useful even when I'm done diapering.. I'll also make back some of my investment by selling the diapers when I'm done with them.
I made a few costly mistakes along the way; buying a laundry detergent that didn't work, spending over one hundred dollars on a brand of diapers that I really don't like and don't use unless I have to. Were I having another child, the savings would be great because I already know what to do and what not to do. My final cost evaluation will come when Ivy potty trains. For now, I'm satisfied that the diapers are saving enough money to be worth it.
7. I like it, okay? It's not for everyone, and that's fine. Disposables are handy things, and I completely get why someone would use them exclusively. I just choose not to. I hope that anyone with a baby or having a baby will give just a moment's thought to the idea of cloth diapering. Even if you don't choose it, at least consider it an option.
1. They're cute. Really cute
2. Snaps. Boo, like a lot of kids, loves to remove any article of clothing that she can remove. She started doing this when I was still using disposables, and it created some big messes and embarrassing moments. Her cloth diapers all fasten with snaps, which make them toddler removal-proof
3. Diaper rash: Boo had horrible diaper rash all the time with disposables. She still gets it, but not nearly as often
4. All that hippie/granola mom stuff:
Landfills: a diaper takes roughly 500 years to decompose in a landfill. It's nice to feel that I'm contributing less to that waste. Dumping human waste in a landfill is illegal in all 50 states; this includes waste in diapers. This means that every time we throw away a poopy disposable, we are actually breaking the law. If you look at a diaper box, it says to shake the diaper into the toilet before throwing away. I've never met anyone, including myself, who does this. I do with cloth (and it's not nearly as gross as you think).
My garbage can never gets full. I don't even take it to the curb every week. This is a nice change
It takes a cup of crude oil to create a diaper.
I like the feel of cloth. The cotton and microfiber feel much better than plastic. They're soft--cloth diapers are sometimes called fluff--and they don't contain the sodium polyacrylate and dioxin that are present in disposables.
Most brands are made in the USA, often by WAHMs (work-at-home-moms), and are sweat-shop free.
5. Fewer trips to the store: this is where a lot of the money saving happens. I used to go to Target at least once, usually twice a month on a diaper run. I'd end up buying a bunch of stuff, some I needed, some I really didn't need. I do this much less often now, and save at least forty dollars a month just because I don't put myself in a position to spend. Add in the gas and wear and tear on the car, and it adds up.
6. The cost: if you only CD one child, and you don't use expensive brands of diapers, the savings aren't as great as the websites and some CD advocates want you to think. I used to use Target brand diapers, at about 14 dollars a box. I went through a little more than two boxes a month, at a cost of about 32 dollars. Add wipes, and I spent about 44 dollars a month diapering my daughter. In 15 months, this equals 660 dollars.
In the same 15 months, I have spent approximately 600 dollars CDing. This includes the diapers, laundry detergent, slightly increased utility bills, wet bags, repairs to a few of the diapers, a clothesline to dry them on, and a few packages of disposables to use as backup. This isn't much less than I would have spent on disposables, but I shouldn't have to buy any more diapers--at all--until Ivy potty trains. Some of the purchases, like wet bags and the clothesline, are multifunctional and will be useful even when I'm done diapering.. I'll also make back some of my investment by selling the diapers when I'm done with them.
I made a few costly mistakes along the way; buying a laundry detergent that didn't work, spending over one hundred dollars on a brand of diapers that I really don't like and don't use unless I have to. Were I having another child, the savings would be great because I already know what to do and what not to do. My final cost evaluation will come when Ivy potty trains. For now, I'm satisfied that the diapers are saving enough money to be worth it.
7. I like it, okay? It's not for everyone, and that's fine. Disposables are handy things, and I completely get why someone would use them exclusively. I just choose not to. I hope that anyone with a baby or having a baby will give just a moment's thought to the idea of cloth diapering. Even if you don't choose it, at least consider it an option.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
How i saved money today
I went to a baby shower for my sister-in-law and impending niece. I love to crochet a blanket for each of my nieces and nephews before they are born. It's a gesture of love and of welcome to each of them, and it makes me happy to think of our newest tiny little family member snuggled up warm in a blanket.
It's also a relatively inexpensive gift. I can buy the yarn for a baby blanket for between four and twelve dollars, depending on the size and how good the yarn sales are. It's time intensive, (REALLY time intensive) but whenever I watch TV, I work on a blanket, so it turns wasted time into productive time. I love doing it, and I plan to keep the tradition alive.
It's also a relatively inexpensive gift. I can buy the yarn for a baby blanket for between four and twelve dollars, depending on the size and how good the yarn sales are. It's time intensive, (REALLY time intensive) but whenever I watch TV, I work on a blanket, so it turns wasted time into productive time. I love doing it, and I plan to keep the tradition alive.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Shopping for the week
We needed a few things, so I went to the store for them.
First of all, I spent about twenty five dollars more than I intended to spend. Part of this was the fifteen dollar container I bought to use as a breadbox for all the homemade bread I've been making. Still, I did buy a few things that weren't on my list.
To keep myself on track, I'm posting a list of all the meals that I can make with what I have on hand, and when I plan to make it.
Spent:55.00 (including breadbox)
Things I purchased are in bold
Saturday: BLTs
Homemade bread, tomatoes, last of the lettuce, bacon (freeze 1/2 of the bacon)
Sunday: Fajitas
Chicken, onions, olives, tomatoes, salsa, tortillas, green peppers, sour cream
Monday: Chicken cacciatore
Chicken, pasta, Prego sauce, mushrooms, homemade herb bread
Tuesday: Omlettes
eggs, cheese, green pepper, toast
Wednesday: Shepherd's pie (make two and freeze one)
ground chicken, potatoes, onion, cream of chicken soup, can of corn, cheese (if any is left over)
Thursday: Chicken and rice soup
chicken, rice, carrots, broth, onions, with homemade bread
Friday: Mashed potato soup
potatoes, onion, broth, bacon
Saturday: French toast
Bread, eggs, milk, bacon
Snacks: bread, apples, halloween candy (the kids), ice cream (adults), raisins, graham crackers, peanut butter
So, eight days of meals and snacks for 55 dollars. I also bought milk, a treat, and bananas, which the girls like to eat with lunch. Let's see how we do this week resisting the temptation to buy any more food.
First of all, I spent about twenty five dollars more than I intended to spend. Part of this was the fifteen dollar container I bought to use as a breadbox for all the homemade bread I've been making. Still, I did buy a few things that weren't on my list.
To keep myself on track, I'm posting a list of all the meals that I can make with what I have on hand, and when I plan to make it.
Spent:55.00 (including breadbox)
Things I purchased are in bold
Saturday: BLTs
Homemade bread, tomatoes, last of the lettuce, bacon (freeze 1/2 of the bacon)
Sunday: Fajitas
Chicken, onions, olives, tomatoes, salsa, tortillas, green peppers, sour cream
Monday: Chicken cacciatore
Chicken, pasta, Prego sauce, mushrooms, homemade herb bread
Tuesday: Omlettes
eggs, cheese, green pepper, toast
Wednesday: Shepherd's pie (make two and freeze one)
ground chicken, potatoes, onion, cream of chicken soup, can of corn, cheese (if any is left over)
Thursday: Chicken and rice soup
chicken, rice, carrots, broth, onions, with homemade bread
Friday: Mashed potato soup
potatoes, onion, broth, bacon
Saturday: French toast
Bread, eggs, milk, bacon
Snacks: bread, apples, halloween candy (the kids), ice cream (adults), raisins, graham crackers, peanut butter
So, eight days of meals and snacks for 55 dollars. I also bought milk, a treat, and bananas, which the girls like to eat with lunch. Let's see how we do this week resisting the temptation to buy any more food.
Quesadilla dinner FAIL
I wanted to make another meal out of what I had on hand, and I had limes on hand, so I decided to make lime chicken quesadillas. I've made these before, and they were pretty good. The difference this time was that I had no tortillas.
Learning to make tortillas has been on my to-do list for a long time because we eat so many of them, so I gave it a try. It was awful. They were a terrible consistency, they didn't taste good, and they got too brown in the oven. To make the dinner worse, we didn't have any salsa, and I forgot to cut up the tomatoes, so there was nothing fresh to hide the taste.
Oh, well. We did salvage the middles of the quesadillas, and that will make good nacho topping.
Learning to make tortillas has been on my to-do list for a long time because we eat so many of them, so I gave it a try. It was awful. They were a terrible consistency, they didn't taste good, and they got too brown in the oven. To make the dinner worse, we didn't have any salsa, and I forgot to cut up the tomatoes, so there was nothing fresh to hide the taste.
Oh, well. We did salvage the middles of the quesadillas, and that will make good nacho topping.
Frugal chicken dinner
Food is the place where we could save the most. Our food budget has nearly doubled in the last six years. Part of this is the increase in food prices, part of it is the doubling of our family size. A lot of it is that we aren't happy with what we have on hand any more. I find myself going to the store for two or three things, and then picking up half a dozen more. This needs to change, so I am focusing on using what I can keep on hand to make meals.
I made a simple chicken a rice dish yesterday. It wasn't the exceptional dish that my mother and aunt make on occasion, but it was good, and filling, and relatively inexpensive, and usually have every ingredient on hand.
Chicken and rice casserole
2 chicken breasts
I bought a box of chicken at lee's for 1.50 a pound last month. Lee's is my favorite place to buy frozen chicken; it's not fatty, and the pieces don't stick together
2 cups rice
from food storage
1 can cream of chicken soup
I bought this two years ago for 45 cents a can
1/4 of an onion, sliced
I always have onion in the fridge
Cheddar cheese
Found for 1.69 a pound at Smith's
I defrosted the chicken, then cut it into large pieces. I poured rice over it, then about four cups of water. Add the onions, and the cream of chicken soup, then stir. Bake at somewhere around 375 for half an hour, covered. I did not cover mine, because I'm out of aluminum foil and won't be buying any more soon. After half an hour, uncover and add cheese if you want.
This recipe is better if you add onion soup mix, but I was out. When I add the onion soup, I don't add cheese.
I made a simple chicken a rice dish yesterday. It wasn't the exceptional dish that my mother and aunt make on occasion, but it was good, and filling, and relatively inexpensive, and usually have every ingredient on hand.
Chicken and rice casserole
2 chicken breasts
I bought a box of chicken at lee's for 1.50 a pound last month. Lee's is my favorite place to buy frozen chicken; it's not fatty, and the pieces don't stick together
2 cups rice
from food storage
1 can cream of chicken soup
I bought this two years ago for 45 cents a can
1/4 of an onion, sliced
I always have onion in the fridge
Cheddar cheese
Found for 1.69 a pound at Smith's
I defrosted the chicken, then cut it into large pieces. I poured rice over it, then about four cups of water. Add the onions, and the cream of chicken soup, then stir. Bake at somewhere around 375 for half an hour, covered. I did not cover mine, because I'm out of aluminum foil and won't be buying any more soon. After half an hour, uncover and add cheese if you want.
This recipe is better if you add onion soup mix, but I was out. When I add the onion soup, I don't add cheese.
Who I am
I am a wife and a mother of two who suddenly finds that living on very little is crucial.
I've always thought of myself as frugal, as has my husband. We lived on very little as college students and the first year after we graduated. Since then, though, our expenses have been creeping up on us, and suddenly living on what we lived on four years ago seems impossible.
I no longer have a choice. My husband lost his job on November 1. We are awaiting word from Utah State University on his graduate school admission. If he's in, he'll most likely start receiving pay again at the end of January. It will be at least six hundred dollars a month less than he is receiving now. While a small loan will help make up some of that, I'll be in school during the spring and won't be working to supplement our income until April, at the earliest.
All of this means that I now need to live frugally again. Very frugally. I started this blog to help me do that; to track expenses, to evaluate my spending habits, and to share and hear about ideas for saving money. I think it will be fun.
I've always thought of myself as frugal, as has my husband. We lived on very little as college students and the first year after we graduated. Since then, though, our expenses have been creeping up on us, and suddenly living on what we lived on four years ago seems impossible.
I no longer have a choice. My husband lost his job on November 1. We are awaiting word from Utah State University on his graduate school admission. If he's in, he'll most likely start receiving pay again at the end of January. It will be at least six hundred dollars a month less than he is receiving now. While a small loan will help make up some of that, I'll be in school during the spring and won't be working to supplement our income until April, at the earliest.
All of this means that I now need to live frugally again. Very frugally. I started this blog to help me do that; to track expenses, to evaluate my spending habits, and to share and hear about ideas for saving money. I think it will be fun.
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