Waste Not Want Not

 

   On Sunday I cooked up a spiral sliced ham and we had a wonderful meal of ham, mashed potatoes and green beans.  Monday, although I was sick with a bad head cold, I got 2 marked down pork roasts into the crockpot and later added some fresh spinach to it at the end to make Kalua Pig.  I served this with rice and some fruit.  

   Jeff and I had leftovers and ham sandwiches for a few days and enjoyed that immensely.  I then divided up the rest of the ham into 3 bags of ham slices and 2 bags of ham cubes.  I also divided the leftover Kalua Pig into 2 meals sized portions for 2 people.  We will use these as quick meals, to add to potatoes and for sandwiches in the coming months.

   In addition to not wasting food, I also am stocking up on some items ONLY when they go on sale.  For instance, I am having Jeff pick up two 2 lb blocks of cheese for $4.99, $2.50 frozen pizzas, and four boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios for $1.49 after sale prices and digital coupons.  This way I am not wasting money by paying higher prices on things when I know, based on past experiences, that these items will cycle through on sale every few weeks.  Sometimes, like on the pizzas, the sale price this week is lower than it has been for months.

   It is so important, now more than ever, to try and save as much money (and even time) as possible.  I really like the cook once and get multiple meals out of things.  It saves me time, energy, and money.  It is also great to have premade meals on hand so that you just have to add the side dishes on those days when you are too tired to cook, sick or even tempted to go and get fast food. Jeff and I figured it out that we save $16 to $40 every time we do not eat out and eat at home, and that is not even adding up the cost of gas since we have to travel for about half an hour to go to our favorite restaurants.  I really do prefer our homemade meals for the most part.  I know what is in them and they are seasoned the way we like it.

   As for the rest of our groceries, I am buying more and more basics.  I like the versatility that the basics give me in being able to create homemade breads, treats, casseroles, other meals, etc..  We tend to eat seasonally, which also helps us get the best prices and nutritional values.  We've cut back on our meat portions, which is also saving us money.  Jeff was hesitant at first about that money saving strategy, but is onboard now.  Change is hard. 😉