I Wonder if This is Still Possible

I keep this link, and a few others like it, handy just in case of a major disaster. But I wonder if it is still feasible with the way prices have gone up. (Please note that this article was written in 2001 and no update has been done.)

Just for kicks I'm going to do a bit of "research" this weekend when I do my shopping.

UPDATE 8/30/08: I just returned from W****** where I do a majority of my grocery shopping. Based on my findings, this emergency list is not possible at $10 if you have no items in your pantry (ie. an odd can of tuna, or a can of veggies). My cost for this list as written below was $18.30. BUT if you live in an area that sells smaller packaging you may be able pull this off or at least knock a buck or two off the total. (Keep in mind your unit cost will higher but your aiming for total cost.) I will highlight in green were you may be able to cut some costs. Also you may be able to beg, borrow, or steal small scale items like salt/baking soda from family and friends if your situation gets to this point.

Taken from "Surviving on a Budget: $10 Grocery List" By Liss Burnell © 2001.

Shopping List:

• Baking Soda (article has a link to make your own)
• $ .48
• Eggs (assuming 1 dozen/change to 1/2 dozen)
• $1.64
• Flour (assuming 5# bag/some stores may have a smaller convenience store size)
• $1.94
• Fruits (purchase what is on sale--I "purchased" 1-banana, 1-peach, 1-nectarine, 1-apple)
• $1.26
• Hamburger (assuming 1# ground beef)
• $2.43
• Rice or Ramen Noodles(assuming a 1# bag of rice)
• $ .88
• Margarine (assuming 1# sticks)
• $ .68
• Milk (assuming 1/2 gallon/quart or smaller)
• $1.91
• Potatoes (assuming 5# bag-only size available/would definitely look for smaller bag or even go with canned whole potatoes)
• #3.97
• Salt
• $ .33
• Vegetables (assuming canned-1-corn, 1-peas, 1-green bean)
• $1.50
• Tuna (assuming 2 cans)
• $1.28

The Menu: ***Please note: original article has links to these recipes

• Scrambled eggs in a Biscuit
• Fruit Smoothie, Hash Browns
• Muffins, many kinds...
• Pancakes, Fruit
• Potato Pancakes
• Tortilla with scrambled or fried eggs inside
• Donut Muffins
• Rice Pudding
• Tortilla with anything you have on hand in it
• Tomatoes/onions/hamburg etc.
• Shepherds Pie (Hamburger/gravy over mashed potatoes/corn)
• Veggies in gravy over rice
• Baked Potato and Vegetables
• Scalloped Potatoes and Vegetables
• Oven Baked French Fries & Salad
• Vegetable Soup w/ or w/o Rice
• Tuna/ Pea Wiggle (serve over toast or biscuits or saltine crackers)
• Scalloped Potato/Tuna Casserole
• Popovers fill with: tuna pea wiggle recipe or gravy/veggie mix
• Chicken Pot Pie

Will update this over the weekend after completing my research! Items "purchased" will be store band products.

***** Just for reference: an alternative $45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6. As stated in HHW's article this menu more realistic as it does not assume you have any items already on hand. (Prices used are from 2006).

Thought This was Neat

While surfing the other night I came across a few blogs that where participating in this "program"--Menu Plan Monday. What a kewl idea!!

Altho I do plan a menu (sorta), I don't go to extremes. I have a basic idea of what I want to make for the 2 weeks I shop for and go from there. I work 12 hr days 5 days a week so I cook on sundays & wenesdays for the week. Becasue of my partners schedule and family commitments I usually try and make a nice lunch for her to pop in the microwave. Saturdays and Sundays I cook for the both of us and I try and make them extra special.

Just thought I'd pass this little gem along!!

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Mini-update on some changes I have made in the last few months: Have rearranged my side bar; added another affiliate program--Best Deal Magazine; added new widget to accomodate the many e-books I have come accross, some are free some are not; removed/eliminated SaveDay Progress I keep having to tap into the funds to get by due to foot/ankle injury.

Cleaning up some files or something like that

Have been cleaning up my favorites folder trying to finish file transfers from laptop trying to find something, altho now I dont remember what I was looking for in the first place. But I did find these little gems to share:

Preparing Nutritious Meals at Minimal Cost. This PDF file is from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Published in 1999 it's a bit dated but still has loads of info. This report describes a sample of menus and recipes based on the Thrifty Food Plan (1999). Appendices 4,5 & 6 have menu planner, recipes, and menu lists that may be of some interest.

Thrifty Food Plan,2006, A bit of a "boring" read (for lack of a better word), but some interesting information. Included in this list for a reference point.

Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels, April 2008. See also Cost of Food at Home: US Average at Four Cost Levels for archival data.

Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty meals. Recipes and other useful information.

When I came accross this article I had to take a second look. Altho I use cost per pound I have always looked at food items in terms of cost per serving; it has always seemed more natural to me. Finding this article has helped re-affirm something I have done for a long time.

Cost Per Serving versus Pound by Ellen Lawson Ferlazzo; a different type of tool to cut your grocery bill.

"When you are exploring different ways to cut costs in your grocery bill, one of the things you start paying attention to is the cost per pound of various cuts of meat. You probably see some things that are selling for less per pound than you are used to paying but perhaps the cut of meat is unfamiliar and you are not sure whether something is a good deal or not. How do you compare two different cuts of meat? You want to look at the cost per serving rather than the cost per pound. If something is cheap, but you throw away a lot of bone and fat, then you're paying more per serving than you might realize."

Grocery Shopping is so Much Fun--Part 2

Now that the shopping is done let's see what the costs per meal/portion is.

(Just a note, due to work schedules and family commitments my partner and I very rarely eat more than one meal at home. Our lunch is actually dinner. If by chance we do eat twice at home, I have tried to schedule meals that have leftovers that's why the number of portions and portion cost is important to me. Our life is a bit hectic as I work second shift and my partner works for school district as a substitute secretary plus she cares for her six youngest nieces and nephews. That is why only one meal is scheduled at home I eat second meal at work, partner eats with nieces and nephews. Therefore I look at number of portions and their cost.)

Friday-Hamburger Helper=$1.50, 1lb grnd chuck=$2.63, 4oz shredded cheddar cheese=$.87. Total for meal=$5 (not incuding drinks)--Portion Total (3)=$1.67. The packaging says four portions but we usually only get three, but we don't eat anything else with this. The third portion becomes my lunch at work.

Saturday-Saucy Pork Chops=$1.72 ($4.20÷5 portions=$.86/portion), homemede parm noodles=$.63, corn=$1.12. Total for meal=$3.47--Portion Total (2)=1.74. Only leftover should be some corn which I'll throw into a soup concoction.

Sunday-Roast Chicken=$1.16 ($3.49÷6 portions=$.58/portion), doodle-bugs=$.20, green beans=$.98. Total for meal=$2.34--Portion Total (4)=$.73. There will be some chicken left which either becomes a one fill-in leftover meal and/or chicken salad for sandwiches. Carcass and juices and beans will become soup concotion.

Monday-Goulash=$6.63, mozz cheese=$1.73 Total for meal=$8.36--Portion Total (10)=$.84. There will be lots of leftovers for second daily meals or even another full dinner.

Tuesday-Chicken ($5.55÷3=$1.85) w/ broccoli ($.98) and ramen noodles ($.29). Total for meal=$3.12--Portion Total (4)=$.78. Since I'm making ghoulash on monday I don't think I'll be making this. Most likely I'll wait till next week to make this--stretching food budget.

Wednesday-Hot dogs/Rolls ($1.06), pan fried potatoes ($.50). Total for meal=$1.56--Portion Total (2)=$.78. Quickie meal since partner has to work in the PM instead of AM.

Thursday-Chicken ($5.55÷3=$1.85) Broccoli ($.98) Casserole ($1.18 shredded cheddar cheese+miracle whip). Total for meal=$4.01--Portion Total (6)=$.67. Leftovers will be used for second meals or my work lunches.

Snacks=$5 Drinks=$21 Misc=$2 Total Meal Costs=$22.86 ------------------------ Actual Total Food Cost for Week=$50.86 (based on the assumptiom I will have some product left multiple use packages).

That leaves $27.87 of food product to utilize next week.

By looking at my food cost in this way I am hoping to show what, when and where I can cut more cost. One things I am trying to do is to make my own side dishes to compliment the main course. That issue all depends on how well we like my experiments. I guess only time will tell.

Grocery Shopping is so Much Fun

Spent two hours last night figuring out our menu for the next two weeks, what needed to be purchased, an looked to see if by chance any bargains where available at the 2 other "local" stores. Walmart prices were the lowest.

So off to the store we went. Took our youngest nephew; he and partner browsed other parts of the store while I hunted for the best prices in grocery section.

Goals I set for this trip--STICK TO MY LIST and COMPARE UNIT COSTS FOR BEST PRICE!!

Overall I think I did ok--I originally made a two week menu but due to poor planning on my part I only was able to tweak one week. Plus as I thought more about this one week menu I realized that much of what I will be making will have leftovers. My partner and I are good about not wasting anything so I decided to see how far I could safely stretch this menu. My goal was no more that $80 for food products.

So here was the menu I came up with starting with Friday (3/9/07):

FRIDAY--Hamburger Helper (leftovers taken for my lunch at work)

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-box Hamburger Helper, shredded cheddar cheese

SATURDAY--Saucy Pork Chops, homemade parm noodles, veggie

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-porkchops (2-4), pasta, parm cheese, powdered milk, veggie

SUNDAY--Slow-Cooked Roast Chicken, Doodle Bugs, veggie

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-whole chicken, potato flakes, veggie

MONDAY--Ghoulash, Indian Fry Bread

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-1 lb grnd beef, elbow macaroni, 2 cans tomatoe soup, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, shredded mozzarella cheese

TUESDAY--Chicken w/ Broccoli and Ramen Noodles

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-chicken breast (2), frozen broccoli, ramen noodles, shredded cheddar cheese

WEDNESDAY--Hotdogs and Pan Fried Potatoes

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-hot dogs, rolls, canned potatoes, onion

THURSDAY--Chicken Broccoli Casserole

INGREDIENTS NEEDED-chicken breast (2), frozen broccoli, miracle whip, eggs, bread crumbs, shredded cheddar cheese

So my overall shopping list looked like this: 1 lb elbow mac, 2 tomato soup, SWP, 2 onions, 2 6pk ramen noodles, cheddar cheese (compare prices), 2 frozen broccoli, frozen corn,3 packs of hotdogs (BarS is the cheapest), rolls, 2 can potatoes, pork chops (4-6 depending on size and cost), 1 lb ground meat, Hamburger Helper, whole chicken, potato flakes, chicken breast (compare prices), Miracle Whip, mozzarella cheese (compare price), parm cheese, powdered milk, milk, soy milk, bottled water, diet soda (3 cases), 12 pk regular soda, bread, margarine, Special K, Oscar Mayer bologna, 12 oz chocolate chips, pretzels, drink mix.

Almost everything bought is store brand, there are a few exceptions as I have tried the store brand and did not like the quality or taste. As for beverages, this is a sticky situation, I do not like water!! All I drink is soda altho I can stomach some drink mixes. My partner drinks water but only bottled!! So as you can see we do spend alot on drinks but we have tried to compromise by using store brand.

All told I budgeted $80,,,and the grand total (minus cat food)= $78.75 (44 items sold @ $1.83/item.

Now I'll have to see how well this streches into two weeks.