So one of the things some of my friends marvel at is my ability to stretch a penny into a quarter. I cut my teeth on stretching it to a nickle, learned to make it into a dime when I was an AmeriCorps member (any other AC alums out there?) and then when I got laid off from a job in Florida and launched my own practice/consulting group I turned that dime into a quarter, y'all!
When it comes to eating I often hear the argument that it is much cheaper to eat ready to eat foods...foods you basically just heat up and serve. But it's not. Ounce per ounce you are paying a lot more. And I'm not smart enough to factor in the added health care and decreased quality of life that some of those processed foods may bring (i.e. for me my blood pressure would be through the roof if I ate that stuff due to the sodium content!).
Friends of all financial means have often asked me to share with them some of my tips. This week I wanted to share with you what our meals will look like (this is primarily dinner focused):
(in disclosure, this *does* take some advance planning before going to the grocery store and assumes an established spice rack)
Purchased a whole fryer chicken on Sunday for $5.32 and here's how I'll use it:
Sunday Night:
Slow simmered the chicken in a pot of water along with celery, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger and italian seasoning (it's what I grabbed). Simmered for a couple of hours!
Pulled some chicken off, add a smidge of bbq sauce (Sweet Baby Rays, on sale 10 for $10)
Tossed a diced potato in some olive oil and curry seasoning, pan "fried" in 1/2 T of butter for 5ish minutes, baked at 350 for 20ish minutes
Added tossed salad with fresh strawberry slices
Total Cost:
Chicken: $1.50
Potato: .50 (cents y'all!)
Salad: $1
Misc. Seasonings: $3 (including onion, celery, carrot, spices, etc.)
Total dinner for two: $7 on the high end
Monday:
TACOS!!
Shredded some chicken and simmered in homemade taco seasoning (no salt!) along with half an onion and a quarter each of yellow and orange bell pepper. used some frozen corn from a catered meal I had awhile back and added jalapenos, smoked paprika, garlic and ancho peppers
Total Cost:
Chicken: $1.50
Peppers: $2
Taco Shells: $1.50 (half a pack)
Corn: .50 (cents) if I had to buy
Cheese and other add ons: .75 (cents) (cheese was on clearance y'all!)
Total Cost for two: 6.25
Tuesday:
My son has requested the BBQ again so see above, this time I'll make homemade baked french fries and some green beans.
Total Cost this time: 6.50
Wednesday:
Grilled cheese with shredded curried chicken (we make fancy grilled cheese)
Cost:
Chicken: $1.00
Cheese: $2.00 (we'll use a variety of cheeses)
Misc. Greens on the sandwich: .50 (cents)
Apple sauce (not sure, I make it by the gallons in the fall)
Total Cost for two: $5 MAX depending on apple costs and such
Thursday:
First day of summer vacation, we'll eat out
Friday:
Homemade pizza!
Sourdough pizza crust: 50 cents
Pasta Sauce (just as good as pizza sauce): 1.00 (organic and on sale !)
Pizza herb topping to make the sauce pop (salt free)
Chicken topping: $1.50
Bell peppers, mushrooms, cheese: $3
Total for two: $6
Fret not, I will still work that chicken for all it is worth by simmering on Sunday and making some delicious soup. We will be sick and tired of chicken by then so I'll freeze it for later. Sometimes I pressure can it as it's easier for a last minute meal.
So we ate almost all week on a $5 chicken for $30 for five meals for two people ($15/person or $3/meal/person) and it was all balanced, sodium free (or low sodium factoring in cheese, pasta sauce, etc.) and mostly homemade from scratch so I *know* what goes into it.
That's how I both stay on budget AND eat healthy foods. What are some of your favorite tips and tricks? In all honesty, I could have gotten this cost down a LOT more if I only used veggies on clearance.
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