#1 Grocery-Saving Tip for Thrifty Moms
Use it up. The perishables, that is. Each week I try to make a meal plan based on two things: what’s already in the fridge and what I plan to buy on sale at the grocery store.
A quick inventory check on the fridge tells me I have spinach and eggs to use now. On to the freezer. My freezer stash is organized as such: meats at the bottom, veggies in the next bin up, then breads, and miscellaneous clearly visible on the top shelf. I then rotate the meats to keep newer ones on the bottom, and place the oldest (if it’s not too old) in the fridge to thaw out.
Now for the meal planning. If I cannot think of a way to use the food items I have just selected, I simply pair a couple of them (such as the spinach and eggs) and type them into a recipe website search. I’ve just never had much luck with using random recipes from books or magazines, so I get the job done by strictly using the websites that allow me to sort by rating- and then I only use the top-rated ones that are quick and simple. Sure, it’s fun to be adventurous, but my family of food critics puts my cooking under a wee bit of pressure.
Sometimes I simply cook up and/or freeze what needs to be used. Saute and freeze the spinach, boil the eggs for snacks, peel and freeze the bananas, brown and freeze the meat…you get the idea. Whatever you do, just don’t throw away food!
Now, I’ve got to tell you, as a stock-piling, saving, couponing mom, the follow-through on this advice is not always easy. Organizing and cooking that fridge and freezer full of “deals” can be a job- but it’s so worth the savings!
Just found your blog. Great post! Thanks for the tips!
“Waste not, want not!” So true! A friend once told me of how she over shopped and ended up throwing away a chicken and some burger. I could have wept! Honey – that’s what freezers are for! Great post!
Great tips! One of my friends gave me an idea that’s worked really well at my house: Keep an EAT IT!! list on the outside of the fridge, listing perishable foods, so that you can see what you have without holding the door open and you don’t overlook things in the back corners. The trickiest part is remembering to cross things off the list when you use them, but once you get the hang of it this is a great time-saver.
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I freeze banana without peeling. They are great in muffins, bread, smoothies, etc.