Dealing with leftovers

Leftovers ... Just the mere sound makes most people cringe. Re-heated food isn't the most favourable thing to eat for most people. A really simple trick to make reheated food taste good is: Adjust the seasoning. Most food goes bland when reheated, so by seasoning it you revive it.

To be honest, I am one of those people who doesn't like eating the same food over and over again (with the rare exception here and there). And yes, a minimum of 5 out of 7 times a week I cook and most of the time it is not what we had the day before. I guess it is no wonder my kids eat a lot of varied foods, they just don't know it any other way.

First, let's think what usually gets cooked too much of?

In my family it is rice, potatoes, vegetables (side dish), beans and lentils. Very often we also have a little bit of meat or chicken that for some reason did not find their way into our stomachs.

So, what can you do when you have cooked too much?

Potatoes
Whether they're baked, cooked or mashed, potatoes can be easely turned into a new meal with ease. In fact, they're just as versatile the second time around as they are the first: Baked potatoes can find new life in a soup, potatoes can be mashed (or mashed potatoes)and form the savory crust in a traditional shepherd's pie or you can turn them into potatoe croquettes. You can also fry left over potatoes, either with onions and garlic, and/or with spices to turn it into a new side dish. And let's not forget that you can always turn it with the addition of a few eggs into a Spanish omlet. I have been known to use left over potatoes and veggies for burgers.

Rice
Rice makes a great left over. When it comes to rice, the sky is the limit with salads, fried rice, croquettes and even desserts like rice pudding. Of course, you can add rice to soup or make a main dish (either with it or use rice as a side dish). Really easy is it if you just freeze it and use it another time.

Pasta
Now, left over pasta is actually the hardest for me when it comes to side dish leftovers. Freezing doesn't work well (not to my experience anyway). Of course, you can always whisk together some kind of sauce, but how many days in a row can you eat a pasta-and-sauce dish? Why don't you try making pies, casseroles, fittatas or pasta salads? Of course, you can always throw them into a soup  (I think you are getting the hang of it... yes, soup is a great way to deal with leftovers). All of those ideas are not just easy on your budget since you are using things up that you would throw out, but they are quick to make too.

Chicken and Meat
Don't just heat your main dish up over and over again. For me that is just such a big no-no. Take your left overs and turn them into (yep) soups and stews, salads, use them as sandwich fillings. Or how about shredding them up to use in tacos, buritos and Co? You can always mix them up with pasta or rice for some stir fry or pasta dish.

Beans
If you've got a cup or two of beans left over, you can always freeze them. You can always use them for casseroles, spreads, burgers, soups, Indian or other ethnic food. No matter what, beans can always be used up.

Veggies
Leftover vegetables work wonders in the kitchen. You can turn them into soups, and pies. Or maybe some burgers, put them into casserols or pasta sauce.

Bread
With all good intentions of making bread, I buy my bread. I pay a bit more per loaf, but buy bread that does not have any stabalizers or preservatives. That means that my bread goes stale VERY quickly. However, we hardly ever throw stale bread out. First of all, we simply toast it.

On Friday night we always do the traditional Shabath meal, which involve 2 loafs of Hallot (traditional braided bread). On Saturday morning I make French toast. Any left over is frozen and is reheated as needed/wanted in our toaster - it actually comes out fresh.

Other ideas that use up stale bread are croutons, bread puddings or making bread crumbs. If you have baguette or ciabatta left over you can make stuffed breads, or bruscetta, or a "student style pizza".

Left over pitta bread can be turned into something totally yummi by drizzeling some olive oil over it, add some garlic and herbs (in Israel we use Satar) and grill it for a few moments. Devine....

Fruits
Ok, this, as bread, is not something that you actually make, but sometimes you just have fruits kicking around that you just have no idea what to do with. The easiest is to just turn it into a smoothy. Add some water, milk or yoghurt and you have a good breakfast.
Another one is to just turn it into a muffins or cakes (here a simple fruit cake recipe )

Using left overs does not have to be borring. It is a very economical way of using up what you have anyway. And with a little bit of imagination and practice, you can turn your "blah" into "mmmm"


 

My first picture!!!!! And Glycerin

Dear all,

today I made the granola bars using the recipe of the Basic Granola Bars (told you I make them all the time). Today I added half a cup of "some sour berries" (not joking, that's what I have written on my container... but I think it is cherries), half a cup of sunflower seeds, 1 cup of choco chips and 2 medium sized eggs (instead of one XL egg - which has become the standard size in this country).

I decided to make pictures of it. They came out really bad :(  Here are the two that I think came out ok - but you'll be the judge of it.

Actually, my hubbi and I had a discussion earlier on about granola bars. He had checked at work some and saw that they were full of unwanted ingredients.
By chance I had bought some (yeah, I know) for convenience purposes (they are about 100cal each... takes the thinking process out). I had checked them and didn't see anything that was totally obvious. So, I gave DH the package and told him that theose are fine. There was however, one ingredients that I didn't know what it was "Glycerol". I thought it was some kind of sugar (it was right next to sorbitol). Well, we checked it out and turns out that it is Glycerin.

Now, before you jump the gun, glycerin is not dangerous for you (well, are we not relieved) but it is just something that is totally beyond me why people would choose to eat it. Here are just some foods you find it in: Mentos (sadly enough for me as I LOVE them), tortiallas (don't ask me why) and now, as I had to find out, granola bars... Oh, and usually you find it in soaps and medicines next to being used to make nitroglycerin...
Again, glycerin is something very usefull, but not something I wish to digest.

Shopping for "sales items" at your in-house supermarket

Today we ran desperately low on food and since we couldn't settle on either pasta or rice, we decided to get pizza - a true "once in a year" occasion in our family. I walked to the pizzeria, which turned out not only to save me time, but also cash. As I had to wait 10 minutes I decided to walk around the block instead of sitting and waiting (getting some well needed exercise in too). Sure enough I went past a local mini market that had a good deal on nachos (yes, yes, I know, talk about impulse buying and junk food). I remembered that I had quite a lot of tomatoes left in the fridge which I have to use up latest by tomorrow, so I decided to have Nachos with self-made salsa as "desert" (the recipe is posted).

My hubby loved the idea and we had our "junk food" meal. The left-over salsa, as well as the rest of the unused tomatoes, will be turned into a tomato sauce tomorrow.

I also went through our fruits (or better the sorry amount that we still have) and made a yogurt based smoothie.

Doing what I did with my "sales" items, anyone can do. Rather than throwing away food, that always comes with this guilty feeling (at least for me), you can turn those items that are facing a bleak future of rotting away in some trash hill into nutritious meals or snacks. You just need a little bit of imagination and a few basic recipes that can be adapted to whatever you have on hand (and I will post loads of them as time goes by).

Things you can seriously do without

Yesterday I was driving with my husband to a meeting. It was rush hour and I took a shortcut that he didn’t know. I actually commented to my husband that it is a good thing that we don’t have a GPS as this way I always learn about detours.

Following this line of thought I actually came up with a whole bunch of things that we could do without.

1. GPS Devices. Of course, this is how the whole thing started. I don’t believe in GPS devices and for the life of me don’t understand why we cannot use a road atlas.  I actually know Israel really well because when I moved here a few years ago I was constantly getting lost LOL. A road atlas costs about $20 in this country and is good for at least 3 years, depending on how much road work is going on.

But not just that, by getting lost, or having to take a slightly different way, I made some great discoveries – shops, restaurants, parks etc.

2. Microwaves. Now, if there is one kitchen item I really can do without, and do without, is the microwave. First of all, I read that it is not exactly the healthiest way to heat up the food. But regardless, I actually timed how long it takes me to heat up something on the stove top and in the microwave – and the difference was maybe one minute!!!

Next to the fact that you have to BUY a microwave (most people actually do have a stove/oven), you also have to get the right utensils to use the microwave. AND it takes extra space up in the kitchen.

True story, when I moved in with my husband he had a microwave. We lived together in his apartment for a year. We used his microwave exactly 3 times during that one year – to make popcorn!!!  Yes, you guessed right. We passed the microwave on to someone who thought that this is one kitchen item that he  really cannot do without.

3. Electronic Book Readers. Why not just read a real book?!? First of all, you need to buy the device and then buy e-books. I can see that it will get rid of the space problem at home, but honestly, just go to the library, the books there are for free. Where I live, even signing up is for free!!! In Germany you have to pay an annual payment of EUR 5, which is also not a lot.

I take my kids once a month to the library. Ok, they are 2.5 and 1.5 years old, so I usually choose the books that we take home, but they really look forward to going. We sit in the library, I read books to them, they love pulling them out and making a mess… which I don’t have to tidy up afterwards LOL.

But honestly, going to the library is one of those cost efficient leisure time activities that you can enjoy with your kids. This way you may also implant the love of reading in your children’s life. Oh, and as a side effect, they may not even want to spend that much time in front of the computer (my space/Facebook or whatever other popular trend is taking them in their grip).

4. Tanning Salons. Now, if there is money waster, this is really high up there on the list. It totally is beyond me why anyone would pay for something that you get 100% for free just about every day of the year??? And I won’t even go into the health issue!!!

5. Internet on Cell Phones. Yes, although it is available, why do it? First of all, it is expensive. And where would you use it? At home? Don’t you have a more comfortable alternative you’re your computer? While traveling? Ok, I am not even suggesting that you do it while driving in the car, but what about when you are on the train or bus? One option is to just read a book, relax, do a crossword…

6. SMS Another one of those senseless money wasters. Granted, SMS is quite a useful feature if you really have to contact someone urgently but cannot get hold of him in any other way (too late, no answer). I don’t understand why I have to spent loads of money on conversations that go something along the way of “See you later” “ Sure, where” “You choose” “No, you choose” “No you choose”… you get the picture. Totally mindless. And what fascinates me is that once it was the teens that where SMSing senselessly, now, it is just about anyone.

I don’t have a plan for the SMS service. I just pay whatever I use. Yes, sometimes I send about 4 per month, most of the time I send out 1 or 2.

7.  Wii, Xbox, PlayStation and the like. I remember that when I was a kid I really wanted one of those Gameboys. My parents were very adamant about not getting me one. I hated them for about 2 month, played on my friends’ one during the spring trimester (I was in boarding school), and when we came back from summer holiday I had but forgotten that I really wanted one. A few years later (erm, over 15) I remembered the whole episode as one as my brother-in-laws (who was 17 at the time) got a PlayStation that he REALLY WANTED AND COULDN’T DO WITHOUT.  And he has hardly ever played with it…. (this was a few years ago). Still collecting dust at my in-laws.

Ok, I have to admit that I really like Wii Fit and actually used my sister’s a few times. I even considered getting one. BUT it is quite costly, sport is not really that high up on my agenda at the moment (way, way, way too tired at night), and I am sure that with my two kids the “Stepper” of the Wii wouldn’t last too long…

What can you do instead? For any function that is mimicking something (playing guitar, dancing, sport) go do the real thing!!! (Except the shooting stuff, of course). And for all the other things, just find a hobby, read, meet up with friends (not on the Net).

8. Health Clubs. Why pay a lot of cash to go to a gym? You want to walk/run? Do it outside! The weather doesn’t allow it, go to your nearest mall (not something done in this country, as the malls are quite small, but then we have good weather most of the year). If you live near a beach you get free swimming resources. Maybe you have some free exercise equipment available for you. If not, grab some bottled water, cans or use your own body weight.  

9. Bottled Water. Now, here is a total money waster. Although water is not for free 100%, the stuff that you get out of the tab is really cheap. You can get yourself a reusable bottle (like a sports bottle) and hey presto.

Granted, there may be places, where the water you get out of the tab is undrinkable, so bottled water may actually be not negotiable.

10. Disposable Bags. In my household we use containers (plastic, jars, dishes) and when we finish we just wash them and reuse them. We have some disposable bags, but hardly ever use them. Not only is it more cost efficient, it is also better for the environment.

11. Plasma Televisions. My sister has one, my parents have one, my in-laws have one. We don’t. We have one of those old fashioned TV’s. Since we don’t watch that much TV anyway it doesn’t really make such a difference. And I cannot complain about the TV quality.

12. More than one TV. Why have more than one TV? Totally beyond me. Why have a TV in every room? There are places that have a TV in the Bathroom/Toilet!!! Get real. Make watching TV a family event. If you have one TV only everyone learns to negotiate. Kids, never mind what age, don’t need their own TV. You want to have control over what and how much they watch. And the last place you want a TV is your bed room. Talk about intimacy killer.

13. Cigarettes. I am not just talking all the health risks associated with it, and that it smells like hell (and your cloth, your skin, your hair, your house). But every time you lighten a cigarette you actually burn money. Not a very clever thing to do.

Gift Ideas that will not make you go bankrupt

Pessach/Easter is near. And if it is anything like where I live you HAVE to get presents. This year we decided to get our kids one present that they have to share. The only other person to receive a present from us is our nephew. Anyone else will just have to do without.

Honestly, I think it is a disgrace that we live in such a consumption-focused society that we HAVE to buy something. And you have so many occasions – next to birthdays, which I think are the only occasions that may call for more expensive presents, you have any religious holiday,  Valentine's Day, Mother's/Father's Day, anniversary… I am sure that you will find a lot of occasions where you just HAVE to give a present to someone.

I personally love to buy gifts for my children. But I usually buy it on deals. And I carefully choose the presents. Very often it is something as simple as a coloring in book or stickers that I get at a local "everything for 1 Shekel" (which is the equivalent of about 30 cents). They love it and no-one can honestly say that my kids are poor or have nothing to play with.

You've probably heard it before: you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone.  Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received.

When I was a child my mom used to tell me that she rather receives a single rose that was carefully chosen then a large bouquet that was bought in haste and without thought. And this is the key, everyone appreciates our time and love more than anything.

So, before you go out and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on presents (per occasion or per year), STOP!  Read through the list of inexpensive gift ideas, maybe there is something that you think could work for you or you come up with something else. I would love to hear any new ideas, so, please, do post them.

• There are hundreds of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $10, you just have to be a little bit imaginative
• Home baked bread, include recipe
• Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar
• Home baked cookies
• Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
• Baking pans and supplies
• Muffin mixes with muffin pan
• Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns
• Pretty glass jar filled with candy  
• Gourmet coffees with a personal coffee cup
• Teacup with box of herbal tea
• Special coffee cup filled with candy
• Set of Turkish coffee cups with Turkish coffee
•  Set of dish towels and dish cloths
•   Serving bowl or platter
• Decorative napkins and napkin rings
• Basket filled with kitchen gadgets
•  Specialty cookbook
•  Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes
•  Craft supplies
• Child's artwork, framed
•  Collage of special photos
• Gel pens and pretty stationary
• Pretty box for keepsakes
• Makeup tote
• Makeup brush set
• Nail polish kit
• Special soaps and bath puff
• Puzzles
• Board games

These are things that are under $10 in Israel. The list may change according to your location. Again, remember, it is  really not about the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something special.

How not to save money

This morning I innocently went through my posts when I stumbled across an article on one of my newsletters about frugal living (hey, you always need to know what your competition is up to ;o) ). I nearly fell of the chair!!! The author claimed that it is a good idea to cut down on your education if you are in financial distress, unless you have a scholar ship or your health insurance depends on it (must be something American). Well, if there is a bad advice I have ever read, this must be the one.

You should NEVER save on the expense of your education. I am not talking about those little workshops that show you how to make jewelry (unless you are planning on making a living out of it) or the likes. Hobbies are not essential, but education that will enable you to get a better paid job in the future is and should never be saved on.

OK, granted, you cannot afford to be a full time student - try getting a good deal on a student loan, or try studying part time (most courses allow for that) so that you can work more hours. Try saving in other areas, such as going out or hobbies (do you really need to be a member of a sports club? Maybe going for power walks or runs works just as well for you). You want to meet up with friends? Invite them over to your place and do a pot-luck dinner party (i.e. everyone brings along something). You don't know what to do (I cannot believe you are asking me this), dig out some of your old board games, play spin-the-bottle or something of the like. You will see how much fun you will have.

Go through your stuff and see what you can sell online - you don't really need four black bags and seven pairs of blue shoes, never mind what you tell yourself. You will also be surprised to see how many things still have the label on. If you bought it more than two month ago, chances are you won't ware it - so try to get a refund at the store or sell it.

What about your car? Is it essential? Could you live with public transport (I have two small kids and where I live, public transport is not a feasible option for us - although, before I had kids I took the train and a bus to work)? Or maybe a smaller car would do just the job - meaning you would get some extra "right-now" cash in, as well as saving on insurance payments (and maybe even fuel).

Don’t buy books, go to the library. Saves money and space in your home.

Don't save on health and life insurance - you will pay much more in the end, but by all means, see if you can get a better deal.

And for those of you who have kids, do they really need a play station? Or an X-Box? Or the latest version of Tickle-me-Elmo? Next to saving money on getting unneeded toys that will be laying around in latest a week anyway, your kids will learn that you don't get everything you think you need. If they don't learn this lesson now they will pay a hefty price later on. And trust me, even if they tell you "I hate you" or "I wish David’s parents were my parents", they don't mean it.
Instead of cramming their rooms with toys (kids usually have way too many toys anyway and still claim to be bored most of the time) do something with them. You will see, they will love it (even those grumpy teens) because they are spending time with you and this is after all what family is about, isn't it?

Frugal Living and Clutter

What's the connection, you may ask. Why should I bother telling you my two cents worth why clutter is everything but frugal? Because there is a direct link - you'd be surprised.

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am not exactly the most organized person on this planet. And, yes, my husband and I have suffered a few times from "CHAOS" - Can't have anyone over syndrome (definition by Flylady - www.flylady.com). This doesn't mean I try to keep the clutter to a minimum.

In today's world at least 90% of us have too much stuff (I am talking about the countries that are defined as developed/western/industrialized/rich - could someone please enlighten me what the current politically correct phrase is). And still we always seek more. OK, and now to the whys (yes, there are more than one reason):

1. In order to "organize" your clutter, and trust me, there is no way you can organize clutter, you need storage space - boxes, shelves, cupboards etc. They all cost money. If you don't have clutter, you don't have to waste money on storage equipment.
2. Of course you also need the place for it. Just imagine you could rent a smaller space (or buy something smaller). I am not necessarily talking about the amount of rooms you need, that may actually be fixed, but the square meters. Of course, you may not want to go for a smaller space (unless you really have to save money), but it is much nicer to live with space, then to have all walls filled with shelves, cupboards and the like.
3. Since clutter cannot be organized you may not know what you have or don't have. So you just go out and spend money unnecessary on stuff you actually have.

Here is a true life example. When I moved in with my (now) husband, I found that he had purchased at some point or the other several liters of floor cleaner (different brands). I don't know if they had been on sale or if he had forgotten that he owned them, but there you had it. Now, when we moved places (twice) we actually took them with us - and I am allergic to two of them!! At some point I just through them out - we were not going to use them up anyway, and my husband, bless his cotton socks, had just bought a new type, as he thought we had run out!!!

So, how do I try to keep our clutter down? First of all, I go through my cloth twice a year and sort out what I still like and wear and what can be donated (I don't through clothing away - just because I don't like it anymore doesn't mean that someone else can't enjoy it). I then make a list of those things that I need. I hardly ever impulse shop on clothing - well, not for me anyway.

Another thing I do is that I stopped purchasing books - well, I reduced it to nearly 0. What's the library for anyway? Like this I also don't waste money on books that, in the end, I find out that I don't like it. I just return it and get something else.

I am not telling you to declutter your home in one go - you'd go crazy, will be disillusioned and just give up - hating yourself and me in the process. Not even to do it a bit every day. But if you go to one area once a week, work on it for, lets say, an hour (or even half an hour if that is all the time you have), you will be clutter free in a few month.

And the stuff you may not want anymore could either be given away to charity shops (blessing someone else with it) or turn it into cash by selling it online, in a yard sale etc.

Is frugal living just for the poor?

Frugal living is for people who need to save money, who have no money to spare etc. Honestly, I don't think that people who claim that frugality is just for that have really understood what it is about. You can be really rich, shopping only at the most expensive shops and still live frugally.

Frugal actually means being economical, avoiding waste and/or unnecessary expenditure - this can be money or anything else which you use/consume, that could be goods or time. But it is also the resourcefully of using up things you already own. Anyone can do that. From the ones that don't know how to finish the month to multi-billionaires.

On a more personal note, I don't think that living in a way where I don't waste food is being cheap. There are so many people who go hungry to bed, and I am not talking about far away countries, but here in our own country. So, think twice about buying too much food that you just will be throwing away. Rather take the money that you would waste otherwise and give it to a good cause.

How to distinguish between what you need and what you want

Have you ever found yourself "needing" something that, when you looked back, was a total waste of money? Maybe it is because when it comes down to it, we loose sight of what a need and what a want is. So, let's just look at what those two things are: A need is something you have to have, a want something that you would like to own.
Fairly straight forward and we all know it, isn't it? Of course it is... until we get to the store. Then we get really creative. Quick trip to McDonald's? Well, you just can't argue the fact you HAVE to eat. Those adorable shoes are definitely a need - you can't go barefoot, now, can you? Oh, and what about those power tools that you saw on sale? Having those would save you tons of money as you can do the repair at home yourselves. Yeahhhh right!!!!

If you add up all those cleverly defined "needs" you get to quite a big lump of sum that could have been put to better use - like paying off debt or putting it towards an emergency fund.

But seriously, if you have a better understanding of what a true need is, you may be able to catch yourself before you commit the crime. Basically, a need is something that you need to survive. And when it comes down to it, there are four basic needs that we have to survive:

• Food and water to maintain your health - fizzy drinks, tea and coffee are actually luxury goods. And if you have small children you also need to have milk.
• Someplace to sleep, that has a roof that doesn't leak, makes you ill or anything like that. A car seat or a bridge are just NOT an option, although, sadly enough, there plenty of people in our society that do live like that.
• Clothing to be appropriately dressed - that does not include designer clothing (although there are people who do believe that they are), 10 pair of shoes etc.
• Basic health care and hygiene products. You have to take care of yourself.

Everything that goes beyond this – Spa treatments, a large house with a garden, take out meals every day or fancy restaurants visits, and yes, cigarettes are no needs. They are wants. If you have the money go for it - if not, cover your true needs first. Treat yourself according to your level of income, but don't get yourself into unnecessary debt to get what you cannot afford. Life is, after all, meant to be enjoyed.

How to save both money and time at the supermarket

Now that hard times have hit us, everyone looks for ways to save some cash. Most of us think that saving equals giving something up and with this we see us suffering, losing out etc. But saving money is something that we can do easily without the bitter taste that we thought we would get with it.
Many expenses are quite set. You want to save on your mortgage, energy/water bill? Not impossible, but not something that you can influence virtually every week (or even daily). You can easily save money on your grocery bill – and save time at the supermarket too.

Welcome to your in-house supermarket
This one is really easy. Just check what you have in your cupboards, fridge and freezer. You’ll be surprised what you find there. I did this earlier on as I had to come up with something for super (my hubby, who usually does the shopping is ill… so we are living off the food that we have at home). I came up with quite a variety of veggies that I would have to chuck away in a day or two, Tofu, and some staples (for me staples include peanut butter, sweet chilly sauce and coconut milk) to make tofu and vegetables in a peanut-coconut milk sauce. It is sort of Thai, and we didn’t have to phone for take out. When you go shopping in your own kitchen you can dramatically cut your grocery bill!

Plan your meal
Planning your meals will make preparing your meals hassle free - you just have to look at your meal plan to know what you are making. But even better, you will also know what you need to buy. So you are less likely to impulse buy.

Make a list
When you go shopping, make a list and try to group them like they do at the supermarket. First of all, you are less likely to impulse buy (I still impulse buy, but those things are not wasted. Usually it is things that are on sale or have good deals on - and I ALWAYS impulse buy things that we eat anyway). But more importantly you will save time. Just imagine, you go through your list, thought you have everything that you want from the meat section just to see that when you pack your fruits and veggies (which happens to be at the other end of the supermarket) that you forgot the onions, or what have you not. Now you have to go back. And of course, this doesn’t just happens once, but several times.
If you don’t know the set up of your supermarket, take the five minutes and just write down the set up. You will save much more starting from the next time you go shopping.

Check unit prices
Don’t take the supermarkets word for it, larger packages are not always cheaper per serving then smaller packages. Check to make sure.

Eat before you go
Going shopping when you are not hungry, will, according to several studies, make you less likely to buy on impulse, especially things that you normally won't buy anyway.

Make your own food
Convenient, pre-packaged foods carry a hefty price and health tag. For instance, making your own sandwich is not only cheaper, but also healthier. Want to buy “shake a cake” or something similar – trust me, making your own cake from scratch is just as easy, you don’t have to subject your body to all these nice ingredients like fillers, artificial colors or stabilizers, as well as being much cheaper.
It really doesn’t take much to make your own soups, cakes, cookies, breakfast bars and muffins and international foods (like pasta sauces, Thai, Mexican etc.). And sure enough, you will find many ideas in this blog as time goes by.

And yes, for those who really have the time, patients and opportunities there are coupons, price book, checking for so called loss-leaders (items that a shop wants to get rid off, because it just doesn’t sell well), buy in bulks or shop during off-hours if you can. But these are not must dos or have tos to cut your time and grocery bill.

Bulk buying

The other day the inevitable happened - we ran out of bread. This is something that happens about once a month. Simple reason: we don't eat much bread, so we don't buy it every week - there is just no need for it.
As I was looking for an open bakery (of course it happened late) I saw that just down the road from where I live there are two new ones. One next to the other, door to door. And they are in fierce competition with each other. The one had really good deals for both bread rolls and pre-sliced bread. The prices there are soooo amazingly good that, even if I would have paid the normal price for one loaf , I would have paid about a third to half less of what I normally pay. The deal they had was for three loafs and I paid less then I usually pay for one!!! I decided to stock up on bread and put two loafs into the freezer. I also stocked up on some bread rolls and bought the obligatory pitta bread (a staple in my family), that we also had run out of.

Bulk buying is one of the ways to live frugally - or so it is being claimed. This may be true if you have a large family or have a lot of freezer space. I know a family that owns a large fridge-freezer plus a separate super large freezer (the kind you see in shops). That may work for them, but first of all, I don't have the space where I live nor are we a super large family. So, buying in bulk is not for everyone - unless you really don't mind stocking up on one or two things and eating it until it runs out.

But there are a few things that I do find useful stocking up on. And they are things that don't take up too much space or that I now I will use up in maximum 6 to 8 weeks. For me, that would be things like coconut milk, flour and sugar, certain types of meat, beans, tofu.

When it comes to meat, I bulk buy when there are good deals on. I usually buy chicken breast, chicken legs and minced meat. Those are real staples in my family. Once a while my hubby makes schnitzel, or I prepare some of the chicken breasts in marinades, the chicken legs are rubbed with various spices and are cooked in the oven, and the mincemeat is turned into various styles of meat balls, sauces, sloppy Jo's, chili con carne etc. Everything that we prepare is then packed and thrown into the freezer.
This may sound like a lot of work, but usually we don't need more than one evening and our meat dishes are sorted out and I have enough to invite guests and little to prepare.

I never bulk buy things like fruits and veggies. We just throw them out in the end. I also don't stock up on things that I don't use up that quickly - like soap, washing up liquid etc. Made that mistake and we are washing out son since his birth for the first 15 Month with the same bottle of shampoo (and then our baby girl too when she joined us)!!!! And there was another one (same shampoo ... hey it was a good deal: buy one get one free) waiting in the cupboard!!!!

So, bulk buying may be something that works for you if you know what your stables are and if it makes sense. But if you find yourself starting to hate the very thing you bought or eating the same type of food over and over again, you should really re-think it.