Menu planning

 I've said before how difficult it is for me to menu plan before going to the grocery.  I thought I'd explain a little more about why I have such a hard time.  I do keep a list of items I really need from the grocery and I do go with a budget amount.  Mostly though I'm a discount bin cook.  I make meals around whatever I find in the discount bin or from items given to me by the food fairies.  Let me show you a few examples from last Friday's shopping trip. 

Barley.  Good for making my own beef barley soup or adding to any other type of soup if I want.  In a pinch I could cook some barley and use it in place of rice in a dish.

Jam.  This does not have to be used only on toast although it's good that way.  I can use it as a coating on a ham instead of pineapple.  I can mix it in a cake mix then use more as the frosting.  Jam can be used in many ways by substituting it for the sweet (sugar) part of any recipe.

Lime juice.  Use it for marinades and for a bit of extra flavor in a smoothie.

Olive oil.  Cook with it.  Flavor a salad with it.  Make soap with it.  Use for removing eye makeup. 

Beef stew.  Not what I really like but good for a quick lunch.  If it really tastes horrible..... let the furkid eat it. 

Salsa.  Use as is.  No chips?  Fry some potatoes and onions then pour this over top for a different type of potato dish.  Add it to chili or put it on a pizza instead of the tomato sauce.

Sour cream.  Ok, a question.  What happens to sour cream that's past it's use by date?  It's already sour so does it go good?  Make sour cream muffins or cookies.  Mix with a bit of miracle whip and some spices for a salad dressing over raw veggies. 

Eggnog and milk.  Use the eggnog for making custard or make a cake frosting from it.  Freeze the milk in small containers to use a little at a time.  Make a big batch of white sauce and put in the freezer.  Make mozzarella cheese. 

Meats.  Use any recipe. 

Vegetables.  Put into the freezer for use in small batches.

Food fairy boxes.  I never know what's going to be in them.  I find lots of creative meal ideas in boxes like this.

I save things like this too.  Good for adding just a little something extra to any recipe.

Ok, this is not food related but I wanted to show that I watch for bargains on other items in the discount bin too.  Computer paper discounted because of a torn wrapper is good. 

I've given you only a small sample of what I buy each shopping trip.  It's very difficult to plan menus before going to the store when I don't know what I will find.  I do my planning around what's in the pantry instead.  I'm also not afraid of making substitutions in recipes.  For example using jam instead of sugar or barley instead of rice.  I do come up with some really strange combinations.... but that's not always a bad thing.  Sometimes it results in a recipe I want to make more often.

Making room

I wanted to organize this drawer.  It's been bugging me for quite a while now.  I really don't like my stuff to be this disoranized.  I decided it was time to fix the problem.  I can't believe I let it get that disorganized.

Ok, I found this at a thrift store a few days ago. 

I found this at another thrift store.

 

Still one more from another thrift store.

I washed them thoroughly and this is what I did with them.

I have very little working counter space.  I like things to be handy but at the same time I can't have a lot sitting on the counter.  The space behind my sink had a way of catching large things that needed to be washed.  That was another problem for me.  I think I've solved both problems.  When I find time I'll paint them a pretty color so they all match..... maybe.  I kind of like them as they are too.

A day of bargain foraging

Have you ever heard of people foraging for wild foods to save money? Well Thursday was a day for foraging out bargains at thrift stores. I was supposed to be picking up garden supplies. Both garden centers we went to were closed.



Anyway, I did find a couple of good bargains. We went to 6 different thrift stores. My brother is looking for inside doors for his house. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I bought some books for $1 each. These are for my daughter.







At one store I found 5 t-shirts I can use for making some sport bras..... or whatever. I got sticker shock when I was told these were $3.50 each. I bought them anyway because they were cheaper than buying new fabric. These shirts look like they've never been worn or washed. I will wash them before using. The shirts are XL size which is about one yard of usable fabric. New fabric is about 6.99 a yard at Hancock.

I was really shocked and disappointed to see the extremely high prices in the thrift stores. I know they are trying to make a profit for the charity but this stuff is given to them free. Don't they know there would be more sales if the stuff were priced lower? While in one store I spotted a small stock pot I thought I would buy. It was priced at $38. What?! That's like paying for a new one. I put it back. While standing nearby I watched as 6 different people picked up the pot, looked at the price, shook their heads, and put it back.

We did stop at two Hancock stores while out. I bought elastic and a small piece of lace at the first one.

Then bought more elastic at the second one. This may seem like a lot of elastic but I have a lot of projects planned that need elastic. Little girl undies and Na Na sport bras need elastic. PJs need elastic. Little girl pant outfits need elastic. There are lots of places where it's needed. Strange but I didn't see craft stuff in any of the thrift stores. No yarns or fabrics or anything like that. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right areas.

Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out which blog to put a post like this. I decided to put this one here because it has more relevance to living frugal than it does a daily routine even though it could have been either. One of the things a frugal person does is "think ahead to the future" and plan for it. Elastic was a future need because I know I will be using it in lots of places. With my finances being much less these days and prices of things getting higher every day, it felt right to buy several yards now.

There are some (my SIL included) who only buy what is needed for the current project. That's simply a different way of living frugal. Both ways will save money if worked right. She has the advantage of their car so she can go when she wants. I don't own a car so I must plan for that. Hmm... that's called having a stash isn't it? I now have a stash of elastic. When I'm ready to start a little girl sewing project I already have what I need.