Living Frugal, Not Cheap

And I suspect that it will be finished before the night is over. DH is home, and he's bored, watching tv and snacking. A lot. The milk is going faster than usual, but that's partly my fault since I've had a couple bowls of cereal this week, too.

I ran to the store yesterday to get green onions for the short rib dinner. They were part of the recipe for the rice and I forgot them Saturday. I also picked up a single sweet potato to make into chips later this week. Then, when I went ...

Fifty dollars doesn't go as far as it used to. I was surprised at how little food I brought home today. Part of that was a conscious decision to not buy a lot of vegetables because I have a lot on hand from my trip to the farmer's market two weeks ago when I stocked up on cheap winter vegetables. Here's a list of what I ought for the two of us and what it cost me.


lactaid milk 4.24
beef short ribs 7.30
frozen juice 1.38
frozen burritos 2x .34
...

I went through the online sale flyers for the two major grocery chains in my area. This is something I started paying more attention to in the last few months. I find it easier to spot the sales when I'm not overwhelmed by everything else in the store. The only downside is they don't list what the normal item price is, so often I can't tell how good the deal is until I compare the sale price to the original price on the store shelf. Also, one of the stores near me has a tendency to have a lot of ...

I've always had a little bit of a stockpile, because growing up I lived in places where it might snow overnight and leave you unable to get out of your house or driveway for a few days. So everyone had a few cans of soup or beans in the pantry just in case.

In more recent years various events have convinced me that a larger stockpile of food items and emergency supplies is not a bad idea. One January we spent 4 days in the house with no heat or electricity due to a bad ice storm. ...

In September I read about the $25 Grocery Challenge sponsored by the Illinois Food Bank to "highlight the struggle that families in Illinois face in accessing nutritious food." The challenge was to eat on $25 per person per week -- the amount that the state awards in food stamps.

In reading the blog posted by participants I was surprised to see how many thought this was difficult, unbearable, and frustrating. Many of them seem to have eaten bland and repetitious meals. ...