Large families and groceries… (& hard boiled eggs)

I have a small family…..just dc age 5&3, dh, and myself.  I do spend more on groceries this past year having decided that processed foods was not good for us and we were sick all the time.  I wish we could afford all organic and nothing processed, but we’re not there in the budget yet….hope to start a garden eventually knowing the start up cost will be the main expense.  My one friend who buys ALL her meat at whole foods, all her produce organic, and and only Ezekiel bread says it’s better to spend more on groceries now and not pay the doctor later.  I agree with her, but can’t afford such a diet. 

Since changing our diets we do make most meals from scratch….the veggies/fruits that I don’t buy organic I buy at discount stores….Asian market or Aldi’s.  Instead of chicken breast, I now buy organic free range chicken (would like to have our own chickens, but can’t have them in our surburban HOA neighborhood)….I make chicken broth and freeze in 2 cup glass containers and use the broth in hearty soups.  We eat alot more beans and rice.  Canned beans is our new “fast food” where frozen dinners used to be.  Usually I make beans in the crockpot and make extra to freeze for another time.  I make filling soups with diced tomatoes, chicken broth, greens, carrots, potatoes, and beans.  I now buy Ezekiel bread at the health food store, but my kids get one piece instead of two since it is more filling.  My new goal is not wasting veggie scraps, but starting to make veggie broth with them.  We buy our oats, dry beans, quinoa, and brown rice in bulk.  DH recently discovered a homemade microwave popcorn secret….1/4 cup popcorn kernels, 2 tsp of oil,  salt to taste……put in a brown paper lunch bag, fold over twice, staple 3-4 times, and microwave till done.  (DH believes Alton Brown is right that the staples won’t catch fire so has made this our new snack food, I”ll let you know if there is fire though, LOL.) This is much cheaper than microwave popcorn and much easier than stovetop popcorn. 

This is just my start to saving money on a healthier diet.  Hope to get our grocery bill down more though. 

Oh, I have to add a comment about the children who are always hungry and what to do about it.  Honestly, we’ve got a few that go in phases and one that is nearly always hungry (oldest boy, not quite 7). 

1. Make sure they have a waterbottle and are drinking water. 

2. Set meals and snack times so they know food is always coming.

3. If they are still hungry after eating the food on their plate from a meal they can have seconds if there are some. This means they must eat the 1-3 bites of each food they are given whether they like it or not (amount based on age), before having more of what they like.  After seconds we move to #4 below – 

4. We try to offer at least one of the following for relatively free access each day:  apples (we go through about 10lbs a week), carrots, cooked beans, whole wheat bread with peanut butter or pb and j, pretzels, salad, baked potatoes, rice. 

Oh, and when I boil my eggs, I make sure they’re room temp. (mine always are because I never refridgerate them.)  After they’re done I run cold water over them and let them cool.  Then I crack them while they’re UNDER the water.  I’ve boiled eggs gathered that day and had no problems at all this way.

Misty,

I haven’t really poured over everyone else’s responses, so forgive me if I repeat. We do not have a large family, but I am a very conscious shopper and hate spending more money that I absolutely have to on food.

Here are some ways I’ve found to cut our costs (I’m sure these are repeats of others.).

1. The first thing I ever made from “scratch” was our laundry soap. I’ve been doing it for three years now, and I can’t even tell you how much money we’ve saved. I have made powdered and liquid, but prefer the powdered because it takes up less space. Only three ingredients are involved in either recipe, and they’re both very simple. Here are the recipes: Powdered and Liquid.
2. I also make my own cleaning products using recipes from the Penny-wise blog. The only cleaning product I find I need to buy now is furniture polish. I suppose I could use lemon oil, but to me it’s more expensive for the amount of wood furniture I have.
3. Baking. Yes, it takes time and I had to develop a love for it; but baking from scratch really does cut costs. You can buy grains in bulk for VERY cheap and grind them yourself. If you don’t have a grain mill, you can buy flour in bulk for much cheaper than a regular 5lb bag. Always keeping plenty of baking soda, baking powder, xanthan/guar gums (we are GF) on hand saves me unnecessary trips to the store. I try to set aside one evening per week to bake our sandwich bread, quickbreads for snacks, and homemade waffles or pancakes.
4. Speaking of breakfast, you can make your own (much healthier) waffles and pancakes and freeze them yourself to pop in the toaster for a quick and easy breakfast. Make sure you cool them first before freezing or they will be mushy. Also, you can make your own flavored, instant oatmeal and save loads of money over buying the boxed packs of flavored oatmeal.
5. I also make large amounts of beans at a time in my crock pot. I have 2 crock pots, so I fill both up with beans, allow them to cool, then transfer them about 2 cups at a time into freezer bags. I usually put half the beans through the food processor to make “refried” beans and freeze those in bags too. If I ever need a quick dinner, I toast some corn tortillas until crispy, cut a hole in the tip of the refried bean bags, and “pipe” it on to the tortilla. Adding some cheese on top and baking turns it into a very cheap bean and cheese tostada for lunch or dinner. With the whole beans, I use them for soups and other recipes that call for a can of beans.
6. Broth. I have been making my own broth from chicken and beef bones for a long time, and it saves a lot. I like to add salt, sage, a bay leaf, a few carrots, celery, and half an onion to the water for flavor. Then I let it simmer for about 12-24 hours. Check the water level during cooking and keep the pot full. You can freeze the broth in whatever portions are convenient for you and use later when recipes call for broth or just to add flavor to rice or whatever.
7. A garden. We tried this year, and our part of the country is experiencing a drought. Just got our first drops of rain the other night…first time in almost 6 months. Crops and gardens everywhere are dying, so I didn’t feel too bad about it. I know during a normal rainfall year a garden will be another money saver for us.

I encourage you to really take some time and check out the Penny-wise blog. The topics and subjects listed on the right side are full of information, recipes, and tips on saving money. 

Hope this was helpful,

Lindsey

No Robin I did not think you were boasting, I was just thinking you were very blessed to be in that position – and it is nice to know that these things can be done, so that those of us who may like to try in the future know who to call, lol. I did not read your email in the way you think, I just thought how wonderful it is that with the right circumstances a lot can be done. Plus God’s Grace is there without a doubt, but the hard work such a life entails is massive, and you and your family are making the most of what God has put in your path. You were not boasting – you were sharing. Linda

These threads always encourage me to try harder in the kitchen/laundry room, etc.  We don’t eat out much but I do think that what I cook/serve my family could be more nutritional.  Only if dh thought the same…they’re are things he would just not want to give up or add.  He’s actually pretty fit, but still has a aversion to the terms “organic,” “whole foods,” “raw.”  Ugh.  Maybe someday.

Robin,

I would love your ice cream cone recipe. That is one of our favorite summer time snacks.

-Rebecca