My grocery envelope system

May 6, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

  We’re not the only ones who get paid once a month and I like so many others have had to learn how to stretch the budget. This month will be a particular challenge but I took stock of what I already have in the pantry and freezer and did my marketing for the rest of the month. I have about 2,00€ (that’s about $2.64 USA) until the beginning of June.  I doubt I will even need to spend that because I feel I have enough food to last the month and have guests over. I keep all my grocery money in this pouch and add the receipts. At the end of the month I review the receipts so I am able to know the best prices and then throw them away and start fresh for the following month. Any money leftover is rolled to the next month.  I use CASH ONLY for marketing.

For May I bought:

plenty of fresh vegetables; potatoes, onions, carrots, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, lettuce, mixed bag of lettuce, fresh spinach, zucchini, cucumber, parsnips, turnips, celery, limes… and probably something else  I forgot.

frozen vegetables (to use toward the end of the month) … Brussels sprouts, spinach etc.

2 packages of frozen fish – salmon & monk fish

1 package of ground beef

milk, cheese (several kinds including , Machego, Roquefort, Emmantal ), yogurt, butter, etc.

walnuts & almonds

dishwasher tabs, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, napkins, etc

I did buy an  ‘extra treat’ that was not on my list:  goat cheese (at our house it’s really a necessity) & 1 avocado and my total grocery shopping bill came to around 70,00€ or $92.40 USD… for the month of May.  I had only budgeted 50,00€ so I used  20,00€ from my personal allowance.  What else could I do? Today I baked bread because the baguette I purchased on my marketing day is now gone. Speaking of bread… You have to try this olive bread I baked…really… I will post the recipe and photos tomorrow.

Cleaning out the freezer I found BEEF

May 5, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

Slowly, I’m working through my pantry and freezer to use up what I already have. I opened the small freezer to the fridge I have in the basement and found 2 packages of beef! One package has 2 good cuts of steak and the other package has 2 filets off a round steak. Boy, was I glad! I was explaining to John about our May financial situation and shared with him how we needed to be very conservative this month in our spending. I was recounting some of the meat I know I have on hand mostly pork and chicken plus a small turkey which I will use for guests and I had thought I was completely out of beef. Imagine my joy & thankfulness to discover that I had some left! We do eat a couple of meatless meals a week using my fresh eggs that my wee hens gift to me every morning and/or legumes.
Gathering up the bits and saving the pennies. I love it!

Financial Priorities

Apr 17, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

John and I are able to get the American news here in Spain and sometimes it’s such an eye opener! We heard that some people say that in order to save money they should try to cook & eat a home a couple times a week. WHAT?! Did we hear that right? we thought it was the other way around… you know… eat at home with the special treat of going out to eat maybe once or twice a week. We know of people who eat out everyday and can’t get a hold of their finances, have debt and struggle financially. There seems to be a serious disconnect.

John & I actually go to restaurants here, maybe 3 or 4 times a YEAR. I realize that we’re probably pretty different in that regard but here are a few thoughts on the ‘why’ we make these choices.

1. We ask ourselves, ” would we rather have several meals and activities throughout the week, or have a good annual vacation?”  If going out to the movie theater costs $30 for 2 (admission & snacks), would we have just as much fun downloading a flick from the internet or even buying a DVD for our video library and making some popcorn at home?   We’re all different with different priorities,  preferences & budgets but we’d opt for a week long holiday/vacation, & save our cash for that.
2. When I go out to eat, I like it to be special, you know, to eat something that I can’t make at home myself.  I love a good (emphasis on good) Chinese restaurant or Mexican if I’m in the USA, but chicken and pasta or pizza I can make at home. If the on the west coast; Jack-in the Box tacos… don’t know what they are made of and probably don’t want to know… but they are a taste from our childhood! I couldn’t duplication them if I tried for years!
3. I actually like the challenge of taking basic ingredients and making a tasty meal. Nothing special, high tech or gourmet… just good food. I have kids who really can make some yummy dishes. Each with their own style… wow, so much to learn from them! One of my favorite dishes is a recipe from our daughter-in-law, Cheri, who has shared her recipe for enchiladas… super fattening & super good.
4. I like the ‘feeling’ of using my resources well and I don’t like the ‘feeling’ of waste.
5. Time is an important resource for me also and a good crock-pot meal will take less time putting it together than hopping in the car to bring home dinner and at a fraction of the cost.

Cherry Clafoutis

Jan 12, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    1 Comment     Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, recipes

My Cherry Clafoutis

Last weekend I hosted a dinner party/committee meeting here at our home. As I planned my menu I was looking through this wonderful French cookbook that our kids Anita & Neil gave to me for Christmas.

Here are some of the reasons I like this recipe:

1. It’s easy
2. it can be prepared early in the day
3. it’s not too sweet
4. it’s creamy & luscious

Cherry Clafoutis

¾ cup of thick cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ cup of milk

3 eggs

¼ cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 Tablespoon of kirsch (cherry brandy)

1 lb of cherries ( Used 1 jar of pitted cherries drained)

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°. put the cream in a small saucepan. Add the vanilla and heat gently for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat, add the milk and cool.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar and the flour then stir into the cream. Add the kirsch and cherries and stir well. Pour into a 9″ round baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top. Dust with confectioners sugar when ready to serve.

Serves 6

It’s super easy, yummy and very french.

Meal #3 from chickens

Jan 6, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    7 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, recipes, saving money

Stewing Chicken Backs

Meal #3 is made from the backs of the chicken. I usually make rolled tacos with this meat but this time I’m trying out a recipe from this OLD cookbook I bought at a yard sale about 35 years ago. It was originally published in 1948 with a revision in 1965. It doesn’t use ingredients one would often find in today’s cookbooks; like: chocolate chips or canned soups and they are generally simpler. This is exactly how the recipe reads and in red font I will add my changes

Tamale Pie

1 cup cornmeal~I will use polenta

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion

1 green or chili pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 ½ cups of cooked tomatoes~I will use canned tomatoes

2 cups ground cooked fowl~I’ll leave my  chicken in bits…not ground

1 teaspoon salt

Dash cayenne or chili pepper.

Cook cornmeal, water & salt in top of double boiler 45 minutes. ~I’ll cook mine on the stove not double boiler.

Chop onion and pepper and fry in hot oil.

Add tomatoes, meat, salt and cayenne or chili and cook until thickened.

Line a greased baking dish with half  the mush, pour in the meat mixture, cover with the remaining mush and bake in a moderately hot oven (375°F) about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Serves 6-8~ this we’ll be eating for several meals. John will find this for breakfast with an egg on top!

I’ll use ½ of the chicken broth from the cooking of the backs to make a cream of broccoli soup which is made with the broccoli stocks in the fridge (I throw away as little as possible) + some water I used to cook broccoli. I added a potato to thicken it, seasonings and will finish with whole fat cream.

The old FABULOUS cookbook

3 chicken backs = this amount

skirt steak from the freezer

Dec 14, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

I think that skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat. It cooks quickly and is tender. It’s nice in tacos too. I like my beef quite rare so it’s a 5 min. meal. It does take a few minutes to pull off the silvery membrane that it is encased in but it’s easy to do.

In my efforts to eat and empty my chest freezer, I’m accomplishing my goals of : using what I have and still staying on my diet.

Being on the DUKAN diet  is very easy for me. The meat protein is very filling and I rarely if ever need to snack in between meals.  I can make the side dishes for John, I have potatoes, rice and pasta  + frozen veggies to complete the meal for him.

A better sugar/ Christmas cookie

Dec 13, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    5 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, recipes

Instead of the  regular sugar cookie, try this one which is tender and soft. They’re a big hit in my circles.

Sour Cream Cutouts

1 cup of margarine or butter

1½ cups  of  sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of sour cream

2 t. vanilla extract

3 ½ cups of flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

In a mixing bowl butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add sour cream & vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll on a heavily floured board to ¼- inch thickness. Cut with your favorite cookie cutter and bake for 10-12 minutes @ 350°.

Frost and add Christmas sprinkles if desired. * I made these year round.

Day #30… the end of this challenge & I DID it!

Dec 11, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    4 Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, recipes, saving money, Spain

HOORAY! I did it and I was able to save all but 10€ of my grocery money for (hopefully) a celebration trip with my  husband in May 2012. I’m a planner… I’ve learned that fun & relaxation just does not  happen… I have  to plan for it and create it! In any case… I was able to serve meals for 30 days using my pantry and freezer contents + the 10€ for extras.  It really is a sense of accomplishment! Ok…Will I stop here? Yes & NO. I still have a lot in the freezer… why buy more? I think actually that I’ll continue to eat out of the pantry & freezer and TRY to get to the bottom of it. It would be so great to see it empty! In fact this will be a good project for me… to pull one thing out of the freezer each day and ‘work with it’!

The last 30 days I spent: 9,84€

I have left: 0,16€

Tomorrow I’m having some ladies over from church to show them how to make some cut-out Christmas cookies. These are not your ordinary sugar cookies, but a wonderful sour cream pastry that are tender. They are a hit around here! I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

I’ll serve the cookies and this coffee to my church friends:

Mocha-Mint Coffee

6 cups freshly brewed coffee
4 squares (1-ounce each) semi-sweet
baking chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 peppermint sticks or candy canes
Pour the hot coffee into large
saucepan and stir in the chocolate. Heat
over low heat 5 minutes or until chocolate
is melted, stirring occasionally. Pour
the milk into a microwave-safe container
and heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes,
or until hot (or heat in another saucepan
over medium high heat until hot, not
boiling). Add milk and extract to the
coffee chocolate mixture; stir until well
blended. Carefully ladle into 8 mugs.
Garnish each serving with a peppermint
stick. Yield: 8 servings.

Day #27~3 more days and the PARETO PRINCIPLE

Dec 8, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge, saving money

December 8th, 2011 and I still have 2,74€ of the original 10€ for the 30 day period.

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle suggests that we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. We’ve been in the same house for over 11 years  if you’re anything like me you have entirely too many clothes and other possessions. I’m willing to bet that you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time, and the ratio of use is probably similar with your other possessions. Instead of storing a bunch of stuff you don’t need, take the clothes to a consignment shop, garage sale or sell  your ‘stuff’ on eBay or Amazon.com. I’m working on this in my own life and I want to keep only the stuff that I use/like.

..

Day #26 Only 4 days left for my grocery challenge

Dec 7, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, Bobbie's Store, Grocery Challenge, saving money

  “A penny saved is a penny earned.” -
  —  Benjamin Franklin

“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.
  —  Socrates

Proverbs 24:3-4
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 27:23
Know well the face of your flocks; and pay attention to your herds.

Proverbs 10:4
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.

Here’s an idea to track your spending:

The most important thing is to carry around a little notebook. Every time you get money whether it’s from a paycheck or a garage sale or picking up change from the ground;write it down. Every time you spend money whether it’s paying bills or buying coffee or paying bus fare write it down. Try keeping track of every penny that enters or leaves your life.

Tracking your spending helps to demystify money you begin to perceive it as a tool. You gain a sense of power & you no longer feel that money controls you, but that you control your finances. Your awareness of your money habits is sharpened, allowing you to make changes to improve your situation. This is an essential money skill, and it’s easy.

This exercise may lead you to change spending habits.

Here are some pointers:

• Be careful with transactions that are easy to forget. Some transactions cash transactions, online transactions, transactions without a receipt  are quickly forgotten.
• Get a receipt for everything. It’s easy to forget were you spent your money on just 24 hours later. Make a habit of putting all your receipts in one place so that you know where to find them.
• It’s best to process your transactions daily. I find this easiest but some prefer to do it weekly. Takes minutes!
• Make it a routine. If you get into the habit of tracking your spending, it becomes second nature.
• As always, do what works for you. No one system is perfect for everybody. The important thing is to track your spending.

This process paints a picture of your spending habits as they actually exist, not as you think they exist. You can use this information to create a budget. Or, at the very least, to serve as snapshot of where your money goes.