Taking a Fall Pantry Inventory

With Fall upon us and winter quickly approaching it is time to take stock of our pantry’s. This year promises to be a rough year for some, and with that in mind it is time to make sure that we have an adequate pantry to suit our needs.

Make a List

Start by making a list of what you would like to have in your pantry if you do not already have one. If you are not sure what to put on your list there are several sites around the internet that keep excellent pantry lists that you can simply personalize for your needs.

A couple of excellent sites with lists to check out are

Teri’s Kitchen

Menu’s for Moms

These should give you an excellent idea of how to start your list and what you might want to put on it. Be sure to think of items your family uses a lot as well as items you can use to make meals in a pinch.

The objective here is to make sure that you have enough food to last you through any difficult times and at the same time allow you the luxury of only buying items on sale. By shopping this way you can save money but you can also have a stockpile that can see you through if energy costs become to high, or someone ends up without a job.

Stocking Your Pantry

Once you have your list, set aside money each payday that can be used to complete your pantry. If you do not have much to spend that is ok, you can buy a lot of staples for not very much money.

Make sure to buy the essentials first, coffee may seem important at first, but making sure you have staples such as rice, beans, flour and vegetables can make sure that your family stays fed even in the leanest of times.

Shop the Sales

If you have more money to spend, then look for items as they go on sale, try to find coupons for these items to further reduce their price. By buying items for your pantry only when they are on sales you maximize your food dollars.

Because it is fall concentrate on the types of foods you will eat in the winter, stock up on beans,canned vegetables and other things you will use to make soups. Purchase oatmeal which is both economical and filling for breakfasts on cold winter mornings.

Planning for Emergencies

Planning for emergencies, power outages, storms, and the unexpected can take a lot of the stress out of your world.

Aim to have between one to three months worth of food stockpiled. This can take care of most emergencies, tide you over when bills get high and allow you to be careful about what you spend on food in the winter.

Know your Goals and Have More Success

There are a lot of expert opinions on how to properly set goals. I am no expert. However when I learn something through trial & error I like to pass my humble opinion along One huge mistake you can make when goal setting is being to vague.

Basically, if you don’t know exactly what your goal is, you won’t know if you’re meeting it.
Today an example of this occurred to me as I was doing laundry.  I realised that I sometimes over purchase second-hand items because they are a good deal. So I thought about my goal… *Save money on clothing*. I bet many of you have had a similar goal, but it may be too vague. This goal could be interpreted in two (or more) very different ways…

1) I want to get all of my clothing at a cheaper price (but not necessarily save money overall)

2) I want to buy second-hand & sale items to reduce my clothing budget

The first way allows you to continue to buy any item of clothing if it is ‘a good deal’ but you won’t save money~and may spend more

The second way defines your goal of reducing the clothing budget, so if you have spent it & you continue to pick up good deals…then you have not met your goal.

I am not saying you couldn’t choose to spend on clothing, but you would have to admit (at least to yourself) that doing so isn’t within the goals you have set.

The point is not how much you should spend on clothing, or that you can’t have the first goal. It is that to truly keep your budget under controll, you have to set goals & know what they mean to you

No Spend Challenge 3/24

I thought that I would blog about our efforts to spend no money except what is absolutely necessary for the next 5 weeks.

It seemed like an easy challenge when we first started, and then doubt started to trickle in – Will my husband really give up his chips and candy? Can we live without soda? Those were sort of no-brainers and in the end will not be so bad, but then came trickling in the thoughts, but we are running out of everything…. I need oatmeal, tamari sauce, onions, peanut butter and the list went on and on.

Then I stopped and thought about it, do I really need all of that? What can I make for menu’s this week that do not require some of those items? So that is my task today is to make menu’s for the week that use what we have on hand as much as possible, and do not require large amounts of purchases.

The other thing that makes this challenge tough but even more important is we are on a special diet here. No Gluten, no sugar, and for the most part no meat or dairy. We do eat some meat and dairy but since we have none now we will not be this week.

We have food probably enough to last for 2 weeks or more without buying anything but rice milk and fruit. So the challenge becomes working with what we have to create a menu. I also need to do a large amount of baking this week, to supplant the junk food tooth my husband has lately. I have been learning to do a lot more Gluten Free baking lately so that should not be so hard.

So tomorrow I will try to take the time to post our 2 weeks worth of menu’s based on what we have on hand, and what my shopping list for 2 weeks looks like. I do know there are something I will need to get, but I am going to try to keep my list down to a minimum.

If any of you would like to join us in seeing how much money you can put in savings in the next 5 weeks then you can either comment here on this blog, or you can sign up at the forums and post on this thread.

Frugal Herbal Remedies

For thousands of years man has been searching for ways to cure the common cold, ease pain, and reduce inflammation and infection. Even before there were modern day drugs man had remedies for nearly everything that were just as potent and in some cases even more potent than the drugs we know now.

Natural herbal remedies can be very frugal, while easing the suffering in a gentle way, but you do need to read up and know what you are doing. Some herbal remedies are very potent and without help it can be easy to overdose on them, just because they are natural does not always make them harmless.

I am in no way a doctor, nor am I an expert in herbalism if you have a serious condition please consult a qualified professional this information if for your knowledge only.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, lets look at some herbs that can save you money.

For sleep

• Chamomile: Very gentle, and easy on the stomach chamomile will relax you with out making you dopey or sleepy. Mild pain reliever and is good for inflammation and cuts.
• Valerian: Used to induce sleep and relax the muscles, also very good for anxiety, menstrual pain and severe insomnia.
• Hops: Great when mixed with Chamomile half and half, this is used relax and induce sleep. Good for headaches and tension, this can be taken in tea or used in your bath.
• St Johns Wort: A well known mild anti depressant this Herb can also help you relax and sleep. Also good for PMS and anxiety

Herbs for the Immune System

• Echinacea: Widely known for its immune system boost this herb is an antiviral, which will help fight colds and other viruses. It may also help with chronic fatigue and and yeast and bladder infections.
• Goldenseal: This is the partner to Echinacea and is an excellent anti-bacterial. Taken with Echinacea these two herbs make a powerful combination for fighting colds and the flu.
• Siberian ginseng: Considered to be a powerful immune system booster Ginseng is also widely known for its energy boosting properties.

Chronic Pain

• Omega 3 fatty acids: These are anti-inflammatory compounds and a useful in combating chronic pain when taken on a daily basis.
• White Willow Bark: this contains the same compounds as aspirin does making it a very effective anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.

Many of the herbs described above can be grown in your own garden, bought in a regular grocery store, or taken from the wild, making them cheap and effective. There are literally hundreds if not thousands more herbal remedies available for the person who has the patience to search for them, and learn how to use them properly.

5 Tips to Survive a Recession

With layoffs, rising prices and uncertainty everywhere we are all looking for ways to save a few dollars. Learning to trim your costs will help your bottom line, and might just make it easier to get thru that looming layoff on the horizon.

Shop with Smarts

• Always plan a menu – planning a menu allows you to know exactly what you need when it is time to go shopping. A menu also cuts
  

  Rushing while shopping leads to overspending

  down on multiple trips to the store during the week, because you have planned ahead and know what you need.

• Always use a list- For the same reason as a menu, lists are an important part of your shopping trip. Be sure you have a complete list, and be sure you stick to it. My rule of thumb is if it is not on the list and we do not really need it, it does not go in the cart.
• Never go to the store when you are rushed or hungry- Going to the store when you hungry or in a hurry is inviting trouble. Nothing tempts you to overspend more than the smell of fried chicken or pizza, and when you are hungry it is even worse. Hurrying thru the store keeps you from checking your list carefully and price checking brands before you purchase. Go shopping on a full stomach and you have plenty of time to make your choices.
• Clip coupons – Every little bit helps, so if you can find coupons for items you buy then by all means use them. Even better yet, check around for stores that will double or even triple your coupons. Look for free after rebates, and buy one get one free deals, there is nothing like getting paid for shopping.
• Limit trips - Try to not go to the store more than once a week, not only are you tempted to spend more, but you also waste gas. This is where it is so important to plan your menu carefully, and make good lists. Keep a list on the refrigerator and insist that the family uses it. Ask them to write things on the list they use up or are almost gone.

Savings adds up

• Start a change jar – I love my change jar, and the taller it grows the more I enjoy it. The great thing about change jars is they are unexpected savings deposits, and usually the deposit is a lot more than you realize it is.
• Pick up those pennies – This goes along with the change jar, why not pick up that spare change, and add it to your change jar. It might seem like nothing but over time it adds up.
• Change in aluminum cans - No amount of money is petty especially when you start pooling it all together. If you have any opportunities to collect aluminum then save them and turn them in. The same thing goes for anything really what can you change into extra cash?
• Never use change put it in your jar- One of my favorite habits has been whenever I use cash, I put the change in my pocket. I do not spend it when I hit the next store, so by the time I get home I have a fairly good sized pocket of change. All of that extra change then ends up in my change jar and depending on how much shopping with cash you do, this can add up to a lot.
• Round up in your check book – a trick I learned from a friend long ago, it is one of my favorites. It is similar to the change in your pocket trick but instead whenever you write down a debit or check in your checking book, when you deduct it you always round up, $1.15 becomes $2. You do not miss the money and I can tell you from personal experience this money adds up fast. If you write the actual amount in your register, you can still balance the books at the end of the month, you will just always come out with an extra balance which can either stay there or go into savings at the end of the month.
• Cut extra off your grocery bill by doing a bit of extra cooking -Then put that extra in savings. We often forget how much money can be saved by using what we have on hand and spending a bit of extra time in the kitchen making our own.
• Take a babysitting job – Or mow lawns, mend clothes, clean houses, write articles, blog or…. well you get the idea. There are many things you can do to make a bit of extra money, use a bit of your creativity and hard work, and then put the profits in your savings account.

Making Meals save you money

• Eat meatless meals more often – Meat is the most expensive item in your menu with the possible exception of Dairy. Americans eat far too much of both. Learn to substitute other much cheaper sources of protein for your meat.
• Go completely vegetarian – Just like above only GO all the way. You can eat healthy without meat, there are plenty of sources of protein in cheaper eggs, beans, and grains.
• Learn to do without cold cereal – Cold cereal is one of my pet peeves, how can an item that is made with such cheap ingredients become so terribly expensive? And why is it that Americans think it is such a necessity? Cereal is overpriced, not that nutritious and completely unnecessary, there are plenty of foods out there that will not leave your family feeling deprived, and cost pennies compared to cereal.
• Cook for 2 and eat it again - Making double the amount saves you time, and it saves you money, especially when you cheat and use half the amount of meat! You can either eat it in a couple of days or you can freeze it and have it next week.
• Make it from scratch – Not everything is cheaper from scratch, but many things are. Salad dressings are simple to make, and can be made for pennies. Cakes, cookies and treats will be much less expensive and more nutritious make at home, of course if you can visit the day old store and clearance rack at your local grocery store, be sure to take advantage of that too.
• Search for recipes that will feed your family for under $5- There are many frugal recipes that are bare bones, and will easily feed your family a filling meal for well under $5. Look for recipes that contain fillers such as rice or beans, avoid recipes with high priced ingredients instead find recipes that make use of seasons for their flavor. A little bit of seasoning can go a very long way.
• Grow your own food – Last year I read a newspaper article about a family that opted to not have a vegetable garden that year because of the cost. HUH? There really is no better way to stretch your budget than purchasing a few seeds and growing a lot of produce. Plan for produce that you use a lot of, and that you can freeze for winter for best impact.

Don’t use up your Utilities

• Insulate doors and windows -  While this may seem like a no brainer, I cannot tell you how many people miss this one. Those strips of self adhesive foam will cost you around $2 to cover one door, and block drafts that can drive you power bill up. Use a piece of bicycle tube to tack to the bottom of your door for a door sweep to block drafts from coming under your door.
• Use power strips – Power strips are cheap, and they will save you money on your power bill every month that you would not have thought. When Appliances are not being used turn the power strips off, this stops what is called phantom power loss which can account for up to 40% of your power bill.
• Hang clothes to dry – Ok so everybody knows this one, but does anybody realize how much money that hanging your clothes will save you each month? For a family of 4 or 5 you can expect to save between $20-$30 a month.
• Turn off lights – Seriously…. it is ok to nag your kids, I have an eight year old that rarely ever forgets to turn out a light as she leaves the room now. She has even managed to turn the light out on mom when she walks out!
• Replace incandescent with fluorescents – These have become much cheaper now, and are worth investing in. Want to save even more? Look for LED lights coming soon, you will even find them on the Internet now if you look. Still a bit expensive but you will make up what you spend quickly since these use a fraction of what even fllurescents use.

Entertain in the cheap

• Have a family game night – Entertaining does not have to cost a lot of money, having fun is about being with the ones you love. Get out that monopoly game, pop some popcorn, and have fun like you used when you were a kid.
• Stop buying magazines, newspapers and books, go to your local library – Everybody loves to read, but the great thing is reading can be free, go to the library look at the news online, and borrow magazines from friends, who probably will be glad to get rid of them.
• Have a take out party – Does your family love pizza, chinese or tacos? Have a take- out party once a week.  Make your families favorite fast food, and see if mom can do it “right”!
• Look for free things to do in your area – Most areas have an abundant amount of activities that you can do for free. Parks, gardens, museums, lakes, or trails. Go for walks, take bike rides, or go for a swim in the summer. Watch for events in your local newspaper and on the bulletin of your local store.
• Look for discount and free coupons for things you love to do – There is a time and a place for everything, and not everything has to be free, but if you look hard cheap is easy to find. Dollar matinees still exist, and most smaller amusement parks have at least one day a year where they are free or greatly discounted. Our local amusement park is $2 on Wednesday, we take a sack lunch and our swim suits and go early to beat the crowds.

Yes we are in the middle of a recession, but life does not stop, we just work a bit hard and a whole lot smarter.

pic by: ralphbijker