Leanne Ely is our resident expert in Food, Kitchens, and Menus! She is helping us with our Financial Clutter by providing us with great tools in the kitchen. If you thought menu planning was not for you, think again - Leanne makes it easy. It is amazing how much money can be saved at the gorcery store by spending just 15 minutes planning at home first! Check it out.
Food For Thought: A Few Tricks Up Her Sleeves!
Dear Friends,
If you're going to FACE the music, so to speak, you need to know
where to go to come up with the money to throw on to some of your
debt. I can think of no finer place to do that than the grocery
store.
I learned a few tricks and some great treats to make that didn't take
much time. I gave myself a few rules for groceries (like I'll never
pay over .10/ounce for dry cereal, for example) and I stuck with
them. That helped me cut grocery store dollars way, way down and gave
me the much needed boost I required to be able to put money into
something else, other than food. It was amazing how drastically I cut
my costs!
One of the places you can do that is with those packaged mixes. I am
particularly fond of taco seasoning mix, although less fond of the
cost and the MSG that is inevitably in there. I still use it on
occasion, but I've also made this mix before and it's terrific and
easy to make:
Taco Seasoning:
1 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin (I actually add an extra tablespoon-we love cumin)
4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place.
When you're using for Mexican dishes, use about 1 tablespoon or so
per 1 pound ground beef, or chicken or beans. More if you like the
extra flavor.
There was a time when I actually fed my family of four for $100 a
MONTH. I didn't do it with coupons (I used some, but not many), I
didn't do it going to grocery store outlets out in the boonies
(although I've done that too). The consistent way I was able to buy
groceries so inexpensively was due to my PLAN: I had a menu for the
week, I had the appropriate groceries and I cooked. Just that simple!
If making a menu and grocery list is just too overwhelming for you,
go to my website for a sample menu with healthy recipes and an
accompanying itemized grocery list, http://www.menumailer.net
Here are a few more homemade package mixes to help you have money.
Noodle Mix
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Combine ingredients and store in a sealable container or zipper
topped plastic bag. This will keep for 2 months in the pantry,
however, I would personally store in the fridge because of the
cheese; plus it will last longer. Mark the date on the zipper topped
bag with your Sharpie pen. This recipe doubles and triples well.
To Use: combine 1/4 cup mix with 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4
cup milk. Toss with 8 ounces pasta (cooked).
Homemade Shake and Bake
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and store in a sealable container or zipper
topped plastic bag. This will keep up to 4 months in the pantry,
depending on the humidity (you may just want to keep it in the
freezer). This recipe will also double or triple well.
To Use:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place one cup mix in a plastic bag.
In a bowl, mix an egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Dip chicken pieces one at
a time in the milk mixture, then shake one at a time in the plastic
bag.
Place on a baking pan and bake for appropriate time (depending on the
chicken you're using-as a little as 20 minutes or up to an hour for
bigger, bone-in pieces).
Homemade Flavored Rice Mixes
4 cups uncooked rice (I always use brown rice)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients together and store in a zipper topped plastic
bag or sealable container. This will keep up to 4 months if stored in
a cool, dark and dry place. With brown rice, you may want to keep it
in the freezer.
To Use: Mix 1 cup mix with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower heat,
place lid on rice and simmer till liquid is completely absorbed,
about 20 minutes or more. Check if you need to. (I would add an
extra half cup liquid for the brown rice)
Variations: to make Vegetable Rice Mix, substitute an envelope of
vegetable soup mix.
To make Spanish Rice Mix, substitute 1/2 cup Taco Seasoning (see
recipe above) for envelope of onion soup.
Love ya,
Leanne
Food For Thought: Grocery Shopping 101
Dear Friends,
One of the most miserable places on earth is the grocery store at 6
o'clock every night. Here you will see women standing in line with
hungry, cranky kids buying overpriced, ready-to-eat food for their
dinner. They might have a gallon of milk too, or maybe even some
toilet paper, but one thing is for sure: they're unprepared, stressed
out and all they want to do is get out of that long line, get home
and get everyone fed.
It does not have to be that way and there are very simple solutions
(baby steps!) to getting out of this awful rut and getting a grip on
the food in your house. One of the first things to do is make a
shopping list.
Yeah, you've heard it before and you somehow you think you don't need
to do this: you think you know what you need. But let me ask you
this? How many trips do you make each week to the store? The answer
should be ONE. Even an extra trip to pick up a gallon of milk is too
much--it's not going to go bad, so why not stock up? Now don't go
emailing me explaining your space limitations. Obviously, if that is
truly the case (and you've eliminated the "science project" leftovers
taking up valuable space in the fridge) you have my blessing. But for
the rest of us SHE's, once is absolutely enough. I cannot emphasize
how important this is. Staying out of the store will help us keep our
finances in order, give us more time to do the things we want to do
and is a critical FLYing lesson.
The way to do this is to have a plan. It doesn't need to be
elaborate, just a simple grocery list that coincides with what your
family eats (a menu for the week), what you're running out of and how
much you need of everything. If you're opening a can of tuna for
lunch, put tuna on the grocery list--even if you have more in the
pantry! And even if you don't pick it up this grocery trip, you have
at least made the connection that you'll need it in the future, it's
written down and it will be remembered when it is finally time for it
to be bought. This is how you keep your pantry perpetually stocked.
At this point I have to address the warehouse store. This is NOT a
good place for SHE's to spend their time or their money. I have yet
to meet a SHE who can go into one of these places with a list and not
come out with at least five other purchases because they were "good
deals". SHE's love a deal--believe me, I know! I have more than once
called up a friend to gloat over the good deal I snagged. There are
always exceptions to the rule (again--hold those emails!) but for the
most part, it's a slippery slope and if you don't want to fall down,
you must avoid places like those like the plague.
Here are some signs you've got a problem with warehouse stores:
- your purchases are stuffed under beds in your home because you don't
have the space.
- you're lying to your husband about what you spent.
- you're hiding your purchases.
- you're nervous when it's time to check out hoping you have the money
to buy all the stuff.
- you feel guilty about it.
Of course, this can all apply to any store. Warehouse stores are the
places that I happen to know from personal experience that you can
completely whack out your family's household budget for months
because of impulse purchases. And that's what the whole economy of a
warehouse store is based on. They're counting on you to overspend and
impulse buy and to thank you, they charge you a membership fee once a
year for that privilege!
So get your menus together (need some help? I've got one for a week's
worth of healthy dinners--with the grocery list--all ready to roll on
my website, http://www.menumailer.net ). Keep a running list (I have
a cheap notepad with a magnet on my fridge and a pen in the knife
drawer) and write it down as soon as you use it, and above all else
spend a little extra time on the list before you leave the house. The
time spent on the list will pay off big time, because you won't be
running out the door to grab a can of tomatoes for a recipe because
your perpetual grocery list has you covered. As this becomes a habit,
you will be FLYing in the grocery department of your life, too! It
will become easier, you'll spend less time and you'll be confident
that you have what you need when you need it.
Like FlyLady always says, You can do this! Baby steps!
Love,
Leanne
Food For Thought: The Perpetual Pantry
Dear Friends,
I've said many times that having a well-stocked pantry is a gal's
best friend. I have taken that principle a step further and now keep
what I call a Perpetual Pantry. A pantry so well-stocked, I can go
there and find the ingredients I need to make a number of quick
pantry meals. And in this 21st century, we'd all be foolish not to
acknowledge that our freezers are just an extension of that pantry. I
include my freezer in my Perpetual Pantry.
Having cans of artichoke hearts that you bought on sale sitting in
the back of your cupboard when no one in your house likes artichokes
doesn't work. Likewise, buying food on sale that you hope to somehow
figure out a use for is ultimately wasteful. This is just clutter and
it's gotta go (there are food banks and charities that will happily
take what you have if it's worthy of consumption).
To make your own Perpetual Pantry, it must reflect what is consumed
in your home. Our family doesn't eat canned soups--consequently,
there is no canned soup in my pantry. You may eat canned soups (and
that's fine!) so you need to include what you eat in your pantry. I
know that is a big "duh" but I've had so many emails from people
asking me what they need in their pantries. FlyLady sent out my basic
pantry list (which you are more than welcome to use), I would suggest
you copy it on a Word doc. and customize it to fit your food
parameters. That's how you get your own pantry going.
Following a few simple guidelines (baby steps!) will help you
customize and design your own Perpetual Pantry. To start off, you
need to be able to find what you need when you need it so putting
like items together with other like items (put all the tomato
products together in one area, for example) will get you going in the
right direction.
You'll want to keep the shelves divided into categories of food, too.
Put the cereals and grains (rice, pasta, oatmeal, dried beans, etc.)
together on one shelf or area. Place baking stuff together on another
shelf. The object is to organize it so it makes sense to you. Think
grocery store layout on a small scale. Same goes for the freezer: put
all the meats together, juices together in the door, veggies, ice
cream, etc., and next thing you'll know, you'll be able to FIND
stuff!
That doesn't mean you need to be a perfectionist and start lining
stuff up in alphabetical order! It does mean that you'll need to
spend a little time in your cupboard and in your freezer--but do it
in 15 minute bites--set your timer and have fun with it! You want to
be able to smile every time you open your pantry doors knowing what
you have in there works for your family. Your Perpetual Pantry is the
key to you being able to put breakfast on the table, make dinner
every night and pack your child's lunch.
You've seen the bumper sticker, "he that dies with the most toys
wins". Well for SHE's it could be "SHE that dies with the most
stashed food wins". This is not the goal at all: the goal is get the
food you need in there so it will SERVE you and your family. Your
well-stocked pantry doesn't mean crammed to the gills so that you
need to post a sign that says "Beware of falling objects".
Learning how to grocery shop is the first step to having a Perpetual
Pantry (I covered that in my other Food for Thought: Grocery Shopping
101). The second part of that equation is keeping the food easy to
find (as mentioned above) and also rotating your food so your older
stuff is getting used first.
FlyLady challenged us one week to eat out of pantries and freezers
for a week. Maybe you will want to do that again as you get your
pantries in order and establish your Perpetual Pantry.
I have included a pantry meal that has bailed me out more than once
when I've needed it. See if you have this stuff in your pantry and
enjoy the freedom that a well-stocked pantry (and freezer) offers.
Remember--your pantry doesn't have to be the equivalent of a
scavenger hunt! You can do this! :-)
Love,
Leanne
Food For Thought: 11 Kitchen FLY Sense
Dear Friends,
Getting yourself out of financial hot water requires that the
spending be curbed. One of the best places to really get your budget
in line is with food. With the exception of the mortgage, it's
probably your biggest expense. And unlike your mortgage, you have
control over the food money going out every month. Having a good
financial mindset (to be money-conscience; not a tightwad) gives you
the freedom to put your money toward your debt and obtain freedom
from financial bondage.
Here are 11 Kitchen FLY Sense that will help you with that goal.
These are all tried and true money slashing ideas tried by me
personally and I promise, these tips were instrumental in helping me
get to the place of being debt-free.
- Be a Bounty Hunter. If your grocery store has a sale on ground
beef (for example) and it's a great big package, buy it any way, and
cut it up into sizes you'll use. Use the freezer quality zipper top,
plastic bags. You're going to go to all this trouble, you might as
well have something quality to eat when it's time to thaw!
- Bigger isn't Better. Not necessarily anyway. Don't automatically
reach for the biggest package at the grocery store thinking you're
getting the better deal. Compare prices and watch for the price per
ounce or unit, on the price tag.
- Make Mine a Markdown. Check the back of the store for a markdown
shelf. Not all stores have these, but some do. My market deep
discounts dented cereal boxes and I save a small fortune that way.
Watch the dented cans though--I'd pay retail just to avoid any
problems.
- Count your losses. Loss leaders (the cheap stuff they advertise on
the front of the flyers they send out every week) are designed to get
you into the door. That's fine, buy those things, but watch for the
end cap displays in the store. They're usually NOT the loss leaders!
Just regular merchandise. Don't be duped into buying it.
- Grocery store smarts. Give yourself this quick test before leaving
the house. Do I have my list? (go back and read Grocery Shopping 101
if you need to!) Is this a bad time to shop? (avoid rush hour and
prime time at the grocery store) Can someone watch the kids? (no
explanation necessary) Am I hungry? (you know what happens when
you're hungry and you're shopping for food!). If you've passed the
test, go to the bathroom, tuck your list into your pocketbook and GO!
- Spice it up. I use a LOT of spices when I cook--if you ever used
any of my recipes you know that. But I DON'T buy them at the regular
grocery store or I'd go broke. Instead, I get them at a discount
store, like Wal-Mart for $1.00 each.
- Take Stock. You'll read about stocking your Perpetual Pantry later
this week. But you must watch it when you're in that "stocking up"
mood. Will you really use it or will it go bad? I bought spaghetti on
sale once at Big Lots for 10 cents a package and by about the 20th
package, there were little bugs in them! eeewww! Stock up, but don't
hoard.
- Go Bananas. If your bananas get a little too ripe, freeze them
with the skins on. Later, peel them with a knife and throw them in a
blender with a little milk, some other fruit and some protein powder
and you have a quick, power breakfast. Or just let the kids eat them
as is for a delicious snack -- especially in the summer.
- Menus aren't just for restaurants. You MUST plan your meals. No
plan spells disaster--you know that. If you need some help, go to my
website for a week's worth of dinner recipes complete with a grocery
list http://www.menumailer.net
- Rubber Chicken. This is the mother of all dollar-stretching
recipes. You take one measly, little chicken and turn it into three
great meals (get it? rubber chicken?). It's on FlyLady's site,
http://www.flylady.net Click on Food for Thought and you'll find all
kinds of good recipes. There are other recipes that stretch like
that, too. I will share some others later.
- My Freezer, My Friend. In this day and age, the freezer is an
extension of the pantry. Use it wisely! Get rid of the freezer burned
garbage and feed it regularly with stuff you'll use. For example,
does your family love your world famous meatloaf but you don't make
it often because it's time-extensive to make? Make TWO or even three
next time, cook them off and freeze them (again--freezer worthy bags
only). And here's another nifty tip, use a Sharpie pen (the only pen
that will hold up in the freezer without running) to mark the date
and contents (you must do this--you WILL forget) on the freezer bag.
To avoid losing your Sharpie, keep it tucked into the freezer bag box
and don't tell a soul it's there or you will lose it for life.
- Drop the Drive-Thru Mentality. Yeah, it is easier just to grab
something to go and you might not want to cook. But it's costing you
your family's financial freedom, not to mention health. It's the
little things that add up and rob you blind. And don't fall for
the .99 menu either--it's all fat, cholesterol and those 99 pennies
could be going toward a bill that needs paying off. You deserve
better than that.
To FLY means you have to let go. This is the stuff that holds us
down, that keeps us from being airborne. I used to be in huge debt,
had next to nothing income-wise and an IRS problem that almost made
me wish I had the mafia after me instead! But getting my house in
order (this was CRITICAL) gave me room to chip away at the financial
problems, one baby step at a time, using the brain God gave me.
Today, I am debt-free.
So go for it! You can do this!!
Love,
Leanne
Food For Thought: Filled Pantry = Security and Peace
Dear Friends,
If you are living in tight quarters and feel you can't afford a
pantry, start a massive decluttering plan and start looking. If
you're smart and creative, you can always pull a rabbit out of your
hat. During the Y2K madness, I had cases of canned goods under my
bed, the kids beds and dressers (this was before FlyLady--I know
better than to have stuff under my beds now--LOL). I pulled stuff out
and rotated with stuff from the cupboards. So it wasn't the most
convenient. It worked, though.
Even if you have no pantry space, you can easily make pantry space out
of almost anything--like the linen closet. What do you do with the
linens? Here's where you need to declutter. First, only two sets of
sheets per bed. Why should we store several sets of sheets anyway?
That's crazy. They never get all used. You will have one set obviously
on the beds, put the other set (folded very spare and flat) and store
it in-between the mattress and box spring. The case of too many
sheets solved!
The next issue to deal with is towels. At my house, we have 8 towels.
Two per person. I use big hooks in the bathroom and everyone has
their own hook, with their own towel. The second towel is hung on the
back of everyone's door. Towels are dealt with. Beach towels go in
plastic storage containers and go into the attic--this is a seasonal
item. Keep kitchen linens in a drawer in the kitchen (clean out and
declutter to make room!) Dining room linens--tableclothes, napkins,
runners, etc., can all be stored in a sideboard or buffet in your
dining room. If not, find a drawer for them in a dresser somewhere. If
you have too many for A drawer, it's time to declutter!
As you can see, there is obviously no need for a linen closet anymore
and a pantry is born. And in my old farmhouse, there isn't one so
that's a moot point, but in your house if you have a linen closet and
no pantry, and you really want one, you can now have one. Plus, you
get extra FlyLady points for all the decluttering! ;-)
Leanne Ely, C.N.C.
