I'm Freaking Out

[buffy871]

Next year my roommates are moving to California and I'll have a lot less money. This is really freaking me out because I'm a waitress and it's hard enough to budget tips as it is. I'm trying to find a way to be able to stay in our house instead of moving into an apartment.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, where drastically reduced income forced you to suddenly learn to be frugal?

With the budget the way it is, I'm looking at $40 a week for me and my husband for groceries. I work about 60 hours a week, so spending tons of time cooking isn't an option. I'd appreciate frugal recipes that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less, or crockpot meals. I love noodles and rice.

[frugalwarrior2]

Get new room mates you have a year. $40. x4=$160. per month is plenty for 2 people. Bulk cook and divide for freezer.

[shoiji]

I second Frugalwarrior2. Start getting the word out that you can take in new roomates starting ? date.

In the meantime you can also try paying down any debt you may have. Look at all the services you may have such as cable, internet connection, phone, and see where you can cut down.

Try to calm down. You have more than enough time to plan ahead.

[buffy871]

Thanks for the replies. We have a new roomie lined up, but we're cutting down from 5 incomes to 3, possibly two if my step-daughter loses her job, which is looking likely. We're planning without her income. There will be 4 adults and a baby in the house.

I've already thinned down the bills, except for the food bill. When I looked at how we eat, I was appalled. I try to get bargains and usually don't pay full price for anything besides food. We're spending way too much on food though.

I plan to quit eating out. I've heard of bulk cooking, but I don't really know how to freeze it. I've tried it before, and I ended up with a bunch of freezer-burned food. I just put it in baggies and froze it.

How do I freeze food so that it stays good? Is there a trick to it?

[Nada.Leona]

How do I freeze food so that it stays good? Is there a trick to it?

Air. You don't want any air in your baggie with your food. Put the food in the baggie, then lie it flat on the counter. Squeeze out as much air as you can. I do this by sealing off the bag til there's only about 1 inch open, and then squeezing the food flat in the baggie. Fold it over if you have lots of room. Then seal the bag and freeze it flat, if you can. Works like a charm.

[buffy871]

Thanks. Are those vacuum sealer's worth the money? Or are they a waste?

[Josephhgoins]

Buffy, I use the ziploc hand model. It was only about $4 for the pump and the special ziploc bags are pretty economical too.

Only problem is sometimes the bags will get a pin hole in them and let in air. I just check my routinely and use the stuff with air in them before they get freezer burn.

[frugalwarrior2]

YES,I sqeeze the air out. and lay flat on cookie sheets to get flat. Stack whatever it is after taking the tray. Sorry i didn't mention it,to me it's a give as I've done it so long. Your going to make a meal plan and hang it on the fridge so people know whats for dinner and what's available. That way you can avoid freezer burn also. I also prefry hamb crumble and freeze. I grab hanfuls for fast spaghetti and nachos. I make a whole loaf of french toast and put it on a cookie tray to cool then freeze. Put ind. pieces in toaster. Do about the same w/ waffles.
I make multiple pies and freeze when ing. are on sale and freeze goodies off the clearance rack.

I also always suggest couponing videos on u-tube. How to organize,clip multiples,maximize w/ sales and store coupons (called stacking).

Anything you can do,bit by bit to maximize dollars by dropping spending should encourage you. Soon you can get a freezer stockpile going and you can take a night off. Also make sure the darn kids aren't continuosly freezer shopping/cooling themselves w/ the freezer or not closing it properly. That would FORmERLY be a prob. here.

[buffy871]

Thanks. Those are good suggestions. I neglected to say that the 20 each per week will have to cover food, medicine, clothes, emergencies, and anything else besides household bills and gas. I think we can do it, it's just going to require alot of thought.

[Saule]

Be sure you are using heavy enough baggies - the freezer bags - for your frozen stuff. The sandwich type will not protect the food adequately. Be sure you eat what you freeze.

Do you think you might try baking your own breads, cookies, etc? That can save quite a bit of money over buying ready made. I note your time issues, and you might check thrift shops for a used bread machine. They really make baking bread easy.

Hsvve you checked out ethnic markets? I save at least 50% on fruits and vegetables by buying at the ethnic markets rather than at the supermarkets.

[buffy871]

I was using sandwich bags. Mabey that was part of the problem. I get all the free bread I can eat from work. My boss is awesome. I haven't looked into the ethnic markets. I'll check that out.

Thanks for all the help. I'm not nearly as nervous. I've spent the last couple days eating really frugally, and I've enjoyed it. It's not nearly as daunting as it seemed like. I'm suprised how much money I was wasting when it seems like what I've been cooking doesn't take any more time than waiting in line at the restuarant.

Please give more suggestions. This is really helpful.

[Siebrie]

Can stepdaughter help out, even if it is just to fill the freezer, to get you going on the new budget? Maybe she can not afford the groceries, but she could help out browning the meat, etc.

[Liane]

Inventory what you usually buy. Go to different stores and make a price book. Ex. Acme peanut butter-$1.99. Date it and then you can figure out when the things you use all the time are the lowest price and stock up. Have a chop day. Use a knife , little chopper or food processor and chop up onions, carrots, peppers... Freeze them in small portions. When it comes time to make a dinner and you are dead tired, some of the work is done. You don't even have to defost them. Buy in bulk. Meat, toilet paper, pasta, beans... You can save a lot by doing this. Be careful with your coupons. Use them before they expire, try to use them to get the lowest price around. Don't forget to shop the drug stores that have food. They take coupons too. Farmers markets can be great, but expensive. If you can grow a garden. It doesn't have to be big and once planted it does not take much effort to maintain. Borrow The Tightwad Gazette series from the library. Tons of ideas in there are sooooo helpful. Use the food you have before it goes bad. It doesn't help you if you get great deals and the food expires or wilts before you use it. Don't worry, it may seem overwhelming. You can do this. Baby steps and you will have great success.

[sunshine]

Place chicken breasts in crockpot - top with 1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup. . . cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred and serve over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes.


Mix a can of tuna (drained ) with 1 egg, 2 T minced onion, a few crushed saltine crackers, and spices to taste ( we like chili powder, salt) Make into 4 patties and fry in a skillet, spayed with oil until brown on both sides. . . .serve on burger buns with coleslaw as a side.

[buffy871]

I'm going to try freezing. In the meantime, I started looking at where we're wasting money. I quit buying fresh fruit and veggies until the day I need them, because they were mostly going bad when I shopped once a week.

I've never been one for dollar store shopping after an incident with rice and weevils, but I'm going to start shopping there for canned items. Our only ethnic market is extremely expensive. (It's a small town).

We've been eating less meat and more pasta, rice, and frozen and canned veggies. I don't really miss the meat, because I have a lot of spices.

I tried some store brands, but the only one that I like is Food Club.

Thanks for the suggestions! This is going really well.