Spring into Savings - April Frugal Chatter

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone, happy Sunday.

I am so tired wishing I could have a relaxing day but there is so much to get done. Wishing I could push some of it off to during the week but since we are on time of use Hydro this is not an option.

Good news is I already have the dishes done and kitchen cleaned, but now I have to go mess it up again and do prep work for this week. I think I am going in circles.

[saundyl]

Inquiring Minds want to know!!!

Do you challenge yourself with your budget, have your tried to lower certain expenses and succeeded?

If so, how & what did you do!

So far my challenge to myself has been to actually put money into my savings. Or to put an extra 25 or 50 onto a debt.

I'm still tracking my spending and such to make a proper budget - adjusting as i go. I've noticed some months I do very well and am under my grocery budget and others i go over....However the months i go over are the months we go south and i buy cheaper products out of town. I also tend to have the money "budgeted aside" to go over because i know when we plan to travel. The months after we travel south are my months under.

[saundyl]

I struggle with what to do with leftover roasts. I don't have a meat slicer and so far everything I've tried has been a giant bust.

But TURKEY....I love making turkey! I can stretch that into ssssooooo many meals. I buy the biggest turkey I can get my hands on and can usually get 5-7 meals, plus stew out of it.

My bf chops up leftover roast and fries it with bbq sauce and we have bbq roast or bbq roast pork sandwiches quite often.

I tend to chop it up, add a can mushroom soup onions and serve it with egg noodles and peas.

[Giseledta]

chicken- 1 meal roast chicken
sometimes a lunch the next day. bones goes used for chicken fried rice- put bones ect into crockpot, make broth, all teh little bits,and its amazing how many little bits there are left, are the perfect amount to make a nice chikcen friend rice.


roast beef- supper one night, hot beef sandwiches, and sometimes a lunch or 2.


pork - pork roast one night, next night toss teh rest of the pork into the crockpot, add bbq sauce- pulled pork sandwiches.





other question. yes, my budget is a game. I budget for the amount it should be-- example - hydro- then tmy goal is to lower it the next month ..... I consider even a 5.00 lowering a win. over a year thats 60.00....... win win.
groceries- I am activly working at lowering it all the time. but increasing the quality of food/meals/ lifestyle we have. i could lowerit and we eat rice 7 days a week. or i can look at ways to lower it and still keep a nice life.
example- chicken one night, 2 night s later, use leftover bits of meat for a chicken stir fry,and the broth ect for a chicken fried rice- voila chinese food night. an I used up the chiken,and prob cleaned out the fridge of bits and bobs of veggies- a win win .

[saundyl]

A Personal Finance blog (canadian budget buinder) shared this today - its a magazine but its free and apparently it comes with coupons for milk bread buter etc. http://magazine.ingredientsetc.ca/subscribe/indexe

[Angela273]

dh and I spent about 2hrs baby-proofing and cleaning in the living room this morning. LO has gotten much more mobile and faster lately. He is 7 months old. He can crawl, pull himself up to standing, sit himself up, and he cut his first tooth this week. He has been one busy little boy...and a little cranky.

[SassyAshley]

Question of the day:

We have talked a bit about using left over roasts, chickens, turkeys. But are there any other items you like to make extra of to have for left overs?

Do you have any cook once eat twice meals your family enjoys (besides ones using roasts, chickens or turkeys)?

[Insane]

Trying another asparagus recipe today. I love asparagus but no one else does. I'm just going to keep feeding it to them until they like darn it! LOL

I have tons of cook once eat twice type of meals. My favorite website for that sort of thing is onceamonthmom.com

[LuvToUseCoupons]

Hi Ladies .

[SassyAshley]

Have you tried roasting it? My mom roasted it with olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, I know eat asparagus. My Step mom just boils it and I will now eat it but roasted is much better.

Trying another asparagus recipe today. I love asparagus but no one else does. I'm just going to keep feeding it to them until they like darn it! LOL

I have tons of cook once eat twice type of meals. My favorite website for that sort of thing is onceamonthmom.com

[SassyAshley]

Hi LuvToUseCoupons

Hi Ladies .

[Insane]

Have you tried roasting it? My mom roasted it with olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, I know eat asparagus. My Step mom just boils it and I will now eat it but roasted is much better.

That's what I'm doing in the oven right now! LOL

[SassyAshley]

As mentioned before we love to make extras of side dishes. There are so many things that can be done with leftover pasta, rice, potatoes (mashed, boiled, baked). Also left over veggies always get mixed into something.

More so in the summer we do alot more cook once eat twice meals as we do not have AC and for the last couple years have not had a bbq (we are really hoping to get a new one this year) so there are many days we cannot cook in our house so we have to get super creative.

Question of the day:

We have talked a bit about using left over roasts, chickens, turkeys. But are there any other items you like to make extra of to have for left overs?

Do you have any cook once eat twice meals your family enjoys (besides ones using roasts, chickens or turkeys)?

[Natalka]

Question of the day:

We have talked a bit about using left over roasts, chickens, turkeys. But are there any other items you like to make extra of to have for left overs?

Do you have any cook once eat twice meals your family enjoys (besides ones using roasts, chickens or turkeys)?

It's not something I would usually do - but the ones I can think of are:

When I make cabbage rolls, I make a big roaster, so we have them for three days, usually.

Chili - I try to make it for two meals, but most times they like it so much they eat most of it up, sometimes there's enough for son for lunch the next day.

Chicken or pork rib soup - usually it's for two days. The soup is usually day one, the meat used in another meal the next day, along with leftover soup.

[Caseythegoalie]

Good morning!
I've been up for three hours already lol and getting lots done.
Sitting down with a coffee now to check the accounts.
I've got to compile a pantry clear out menu as we leave for vacation next week hurray!
Anyone care to share their meal plan for the week?