This post has absolutely NOTHING to do with writing, but rather, to do with a fantastic book I've discovered and a website community I belong to called
Simple Savings. In these hard economic times, a website like this is invaluable and I wanted to share my recent story when I applied the basic principals of "the rules" in The $21 Challenge book. Although I spent more than $21, it was still a significant savings for us.
My hubby and I had been shocked at how quickly our Visa bill had sky-rocketed, and with him being the sole bread-winner with me at home with the children, we needed to find some money from somewhere, or rein some back in somehow.
I've always shopped on a tight budget for groceries, it's what you do on a single income, but then I wondered if with the help of the book, I might be able to do better. So I set about a quick stock-take of the freezer, pantry and garden and planned a fortnight of meals from there. I was shocked at how easy it was, even without a freezer bursting with meat. We've eaten well, (if a little unconventional at times!) and best of all, I managed to save us $130 for the fortnight!
Here is the list of our meals for your interest.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Meat and coleslaw sandwiches
Dinner - Baked Potatoes with Bacon/Cheese sauce and a side of coleslaw
THURSDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Leftover dinner from Wednesday
Sandwiches for the children
Dinner - Pancakes
FRIDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Baked beans and egg on toast
Dinner - Pumpkin soup and homemade Pizza bread
SATURDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Pumpkin soup and cheese toasties
Dinner - Chicken wraps and oven fries (both homemade)
SUNDAY
Breakfast - Bacon and Eggs
Lunch - scrambled eggs
Dinner - Thai chicken soup and homemade pizzas
MONDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Soup and toasted Sandwiches
Dinner - Smoked chicken pasta
TUESDAY
Breakfast - Toast and cereal
Lunch - Left over pasta
Dinner - Spaghetti Bolognase
SNACKS (home baking): Popcorn, orange loaf, biscuits, cheese crunchies, fruit, chocolate slice
2ND WEEK - much the same with the exceptions below
WEDNESDAY
Dinner - Shepherds Pie (left-over Bolognese)
THURSDAY
Dinner - Fried rice with Chicken
SATURDAY
Dinner - Pancakes
SUNDAY
Omelets and homemade chips
TUESDAY
Sausages, Mashed potato and vegetables
SNACKS - As the week previous
So, there we go. Most of the meat we had in the freezer and the meat which was there, I stretched for two days worth of meals - either for lunch or dinner - and everything else, I made with my baking supplies. The only things I needed to buy was milk, bread, fruit and vegetables.
We ate well, had extra money to pay bills and I loved knowing what I was to cook for dinner that night. It also had the added benefit of reducing the"what am I going to do for dinner?" stress, making for a much more harmonious home! Think we'll be doing this every couple of months!
