Diaper Swappers

Carrie · 05-26-2006, 07:33 AM

It's great to see some more people want to join in! Mark and I had a talk about how we are food buying enablers and we went to the store and bought only stuff that was on the list and on sale. Well, maybe there were a few things we needed anyway that weren't on the list...but it was all on sale or we used coupons. We have enough dinners for this week and we only need to replenish a few staples. My big project for this weekend is to make bread to replace some very expensive and yummy bread we've been buying at Whole Foods. I think there is also a farmer's market here in town that I need to visit this weekend. We already buy dishwasher detergent and water filters at Sams so we're going to try and add a few more items that are much cheaper there. We have to be really careful though b/c sometimes the deals aren't that great or the food goes stale before we use it all.

Ashley I pm'ed you and deleted 40 messages, LMK if that doesn't take care of the problem. I haven't gotten any pm's in several days so I'm wondering if that is why.

Christina- I would love to move to Hawaii or at least visit. I do have a hibiscus plant that sort of makes me feel like I live in the tropics.

Tonya- 5 teenagers?! Dh is only now at 30 starting to change his teenage eating patterns. I can't imagine having 5 of him. I don't really like to mess with coupons either. I'd rather just buy stuff from the store where it is cheapest.

jjae- $400 seems quite generous if you have formula in there, too. I would love to get it around there without formula. We do get organic milk but at WM it is pretty cheap. And if I put more than 2 oz. in a cup they spit it all over the carpet so I guess they probably don't drink as much as they should.

Susan- I'm glad I'm not alone in that my kids will hardly eat veggies. They will eat peas if mixed with mac n'cheese. That's about it. We've tried ketchup (they weren't impressed), ranch dressing (they're allergic to it) and other dressings and such that did not do the trick.

So anyone else have frugal plans for the weekend?

jjaelovesenglish · 05-26-2006, 07:38 PM

I already have my meals planned out for the rest of the month. We make our speghetti sauce in a crockpot and freeze it and it makes about 4-meals and we buy frozen chicken and hamburger to freeze in bulk, but still trying to bring it down. How do I bring it down from 400? I don't even buy soda or alcohol anymore, and very little processed food. We live in CA and the price for everything is really high. It was almost twice as high as when we were in Kentucky.

FunnyMonkey · 05-26-2006, 08:34 PM

I forget every time I go there, but trader joe's is supposed to have great cheap wines, so you can splurge on wine w/dinner for $2.99 every so often

Also buy your coffee at costco - I think I paid $9 for a 3lb bag, they have grinders at the front of the store. It was shade grown too!

On the old ds, someone posted a link to coupons for "natural" type foods, if I find it I'll update, or maybe they will see this & post here?

twinsmomkatie · 05-26-2006, 09:02 PM

My crockpot is a big money-saver! Also, you can go to the library and get cookbooks on cheap eats . . . even gourmet stuff and Weight Watchers' stuff.

My kiddos are little, but they LOVE to eat veggies in muffins - I use whole wheat and they get to make them with me. It's a fun event! We cut the sugar down to about a third of what the recipe calls for, and we add in savory spices like thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage. Veggies include peas (our FAVORITE!), corn, celery, carrots - they all make great muffins!

Actually, you can put almost any type of leftover food into muffins - I read about this in The Tightwad Gazette and didn't really think so, but I've tried it (it was trash-bound if the muffins didn't work!), and we've been pleasantly suprised many times. DH won't touch 'em, though.

The girls also eat peas and corn frozen - right out of the freezer and onto their plate. I've also been known to put them in pudding pops - frozen (cooked) carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas - they're BEAUTIFUL pudding pops!

Ack, what am I going to do when they find out this is not "normal"?

Looking forward to some good ideas . . . I personally have a feeling it's all in the recipes.
Katie

SheilaJoy · 05-27-2006, 01:03 AM

Katie, you have some interesting ideas there! Not sure I'm brave enough to try some of em though.

Where do you go to get crockpot recipes? I know I plan to buy a book soon, but I haven't been able to find any online recipes that didn't seem...really gross. I just want to get online and grab a quick recipe, but I want something that's actually going to taste good.

keegans_mommy · 05-27-2006, 06:35 AM

We also don't buy soda and alcohol. We sometimes will buy a 1/2 gal. of ice cream but ONLY on sale.

We like to keep our receipts for our fav. grocery stores, then we record the prices of the items in a notebook and so when making a list of what we need, we can go through and get a close idea, almost exact in some cases, of how much money we will be spending. It's MUCH easier to "shop" at home first and keep within our planned budget than to try and do it at the store.

Also, we try to stay away from pre-packaged food, we HATE paying for packaging! Plus, you consume LESS nutrients with pre-packaged food than with whole foods.

Stick with whole foods, lots of fruits and veggies, a bit of meats to no meats and so on.

Carrie · 05-27-2006, 01:15 PM

We're thinking the alk-y-hol is on the chopping block. We don't have Trader Joes here, which sucks, 'cause 4.99 is the cheapest bottle of wine at Whole Foods (and it's good!). But really, what is the point, it costs money and we are drugging ourselves on purpose? I'm sure we'll still enjoy wine and beer on occasion, but just maybe not as a regular thing.

I Love the muffin and pudding pop ideas! Can you share your recipes? I need to get that Tightwad Gazette. I'll order it from the library.

Dh is making a spread sheet of all the items we regularly buy and the prices. We think we can reduce the spending on coffee by about half by buying it at Sam's.

I just got back from buying flour and yeast at Walmart and I'm going to bake bread this afternoon.

We're making progress!

beckers1111 · 05-27-2006, 08:21 PM

Make sure you get the COMPLETE tightwad gazette...its about 4 in wide...and FILLED with great ideas...I get it from our library every few months and read it front to back...it seems like every time i read it I find something new....lol, its the same book.

Carrie · 05-28-2006, 09:31 AM

Oh thanks for reminding me. I forgot to order it yet! I made a batch of wheat bread bread yesterday and one this morning and both turned out O.K. Yesterday I forgot the salt so the taste is a little off. Today I followed the recipe right and let it rise a little longer and I have three mini loaves that are GORGEOUS. The 4 hamburger buns got a little too brown on the bottom from being the bottom of the oven, but hey, I'm learning. OK off to find my library card.

ChristinaLucia · 05-28-2006, 10:09 AM

I'm in!!! we spend a ton of money on food and now that I'm not working - it's a much bigger deal. I'm glad someone is doing this.

05-26-2006, 07:33 AM	#11
Carrie Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 690 Ratings: 8 Feedback: 100%	Re: Frugal Eating Support Thread It's great to see some more people want to join in! Mark and I had a talk about how we are food buying enablers and we went to the store and bought only stuff that was on the list and on sale. Well, maybe there were a few things we needed anyway that weren't on the list...but it was all on sale or we used coupons. We have enough dinners for this week and we only need to replenish a few staples. My big project for this weekend is to make bread to replace some very expensive and yummy bread we've been buying at Whole Foods. I think there is also a farmer's market here in town that I need to visit this weekend. We already buy dishwasher detergent and water filters at Sams so we're going to try and add a few more items that are much cheaper there. We have to be really careful though b/c sometimes the deals aren't that great or the food goes stale before we use it all. Ashley I pm'ed you and deleted 40 messages, LMK if that doesn't take care of the problem. I haven't gotten any pm's in several days so I'm wondering if that is why. Christina- I would love to move to Hawaii or at least visit. I do have a hibiscus plant that sort of makes me feel like I live in the tropics. Tonya- 5 teenagers?! Dh is only now at 30 starting to change his teenage eating patterns. I can't imagine having 5 of him. I don't really like to mess with coupons either. I'd rather just buy stuff from the store where it is cheapest. jjae- $400 seems quite generous if you have formula in there, too. I would love to get it around there without formula. We do get organic milk but at WM it is pretty cheap. And if I put more than 2 oz. in a cup they spit it all over the carpet so I guess they probably don't drink as much as they should. Susan- I'm glad I'm not alone in that my kids will hardly eat veggies. They will eat peas if mixed with mac n'cheese. That's about it. We've tried ketchup (they weren't impressed), ranch dressing (they're allergic to it) and other dressings and such that did not do the trick. So anyone else have frugal plans for the weekend? __________________ Carrie (28), wife to Mark (31), mama to identical twin cuties Ethan and Ryan (27 mo.)

05-26-2006, 07:38 PM	#12
jjaelovesenglish Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 7,053 Ratings: 184 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Frugal Eating Support Thread I already have my meals planned out for the rest of the month. We make our speghetti sauce in a crockpot and freeze it and it makes about 4-meals and we buy frozen chicken and hamburger to freeze in bulk, but still trying to bring it down. How do I bring it down from 400? I don't even buy soda or alcohol anymore, and very little processed food. We live in CA and the price for everything is really high. It was almost twice as high as when we were in Kentucky.

05-26-2006, 08:34 PM	#13
FunnyMonkey Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 383 Ratings: 5 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Frugal Eating Support Thread I forget every time I go there, but trader joe's is supposed to have great cheap wines, so you can splurge on wine w/dinner for $2.99 every so often Also buy your coffee at costco - I think I paid $9 for a 3lb bag, they have grinders at the front of the store. It was shade grown too! On the old ds, someone posted a link to coupons for "natural" type foods, if I find it I'll update, or maybe they will see this & post here? __________________ DS Feedback: http://www.kikifoxito.com/ds/forum/i...p?topic=5526.0 I've been BOO'd!!! Last edited by FunnyMonkey; 05-26-2006 at 08:36 PM.

05-26-2006, 09:02 PM	#14
twinsmomkatie Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Hampshire, Live Free or Die Posts: 1,430 Ratings: 128 Feedback: 100%	Re: Frugal Eating Support Thread My crockpot is a big money-saver! Also, you can go to the library and get cookbooks on cheap eats . . . even gourmet stuff and Weight Watchers' stuff. My kiddos are little, but they LOVE to eat veggies in muffins - I use whole wheat and they get to make them with me. It's a fun event! We cut the sugar down to about a third of what the recipe calls for, and we add in savory spices like thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage. Veggies include peas (our FAVORITE!), corn, celery, carrots - they all make great muffins! Actually, you can put almost any type of leftover food into muffins - I read about this in The Tightwad Gazette and didn't really think so, but I've tried it (it was trash-bound if the muffins didn't work!), and we've been pleasantly suprised many times. DH won't touch 'em, though. The girls also eat peas and corn frozen - right out of the freezer and onto their plate. I've also been known to put them in pudding pops - frozen (cooked) carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas - they're BEAUTIFUL pudding pops! Ack, what am I going to do when they find out this is not "normal"? Looking forward to some good ideas . . . I personally have a feeling it's all in the recipes. Katie __________________ Katie

05-27-2006, 01:03 AM	#15
SheilaJoy I grow people Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 4,322 Ratings: 163 Feedback: 100%	Re: Frugal Eating Support Thread Katie, you have some interesting ideas there! Not sure I'm brave enough to try some of em though. Where do you go to get crockpot recipes? I know I plan to buy a book soon, but I haven't been able to find any online recipes that didn't seem...really gross. I just want to get online and grab a quick recipe, but I want something that's actually going to taste good.