I came across a very interesting blog last week, where a young couple, Christopher and Kerri, challenged themselves to eat for $1.00 a day each for 30 days as a way to bring attention to the consumerism, food waste, and poverty. They blogged about their experience at the One Dollar Diet Project. I read through all 30 days, where you can read about their daily “menus” where they only spent $1.00 a day each, and how they felt each day eating a very limited menu-a lot of peanut butter, beans and rice and very low cost homemade dishes. You can start by reading about their experience by starting with Day One.

Could you eat for $1.00 a day? I don’t think I could, at least not right now. I would like to get my food costs down, and have been “cheating” by not bringing my lunch to work and eating out a little too often. Reading through their blog, it really made me want to cut back on how much I (and the family) spend on food.

I have also been reading the Early Retirement Extreme 30 Day Makeover, where Jacob talked about grocery shopping on Day 3. He spends (or recommends about $50-$75 per person per month, or about $1.50 to $2.00. That’s still pretty low!

I participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance this past week, hosted by FFB at Free From Broke in the “Don’t Go Broke Over the Holidays Edition”, which included my article “10 Tips for a Financially Stress Free Christmas”.

My favorites from the COPF:

Best Coupon Sites for Online Shoppers at the Digerati Life

Bailouts Hurt Our Standard of Living at Mighty Bargain Hunter

Striving for a Mortgage-Free Life at Go to Retirement

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What do you do with the leftover turkey and carcass from Thanksgiving? Make turkey gumbo, of course! More than just turkey soup, its a great way to use all of the turkey with little waste, and is a great alternative to turkey sandwiches.

This recipe was originally printed in the Times Picayune (the local New Orleans newspaper) a few years ago, and my family and I have been making it almost every year since. I lost my original copy of the recipe, but luckily one of my family members had it written down. It is called “turkey bone gumbo“, due to the fact that it gets its incredible flavor from the delicious stock made from the leftover turkey bones, but it could also be called turkey sausage gumbo.

Hope you enjoy!

Turkey Bone Gumbo

For the stock (should make about 8 cups):

1 turkey carcass
3 ribs of celery, cut into 4 inch pieces
2 med. onions, quartered
Enough water to cover the carcass (should be about a gallon)
2 tsp. of salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns
3 bay leaves

Place the carcass in a large pot. Add the onions, celery, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for two hours. Remove from heat, and skim off ant oil or fat that has risen to the top. Strain through a large fine mesh strainer. Save any meat that has fallen off, and pick off any remaining meat that is left. Save the onions and celery for use in the recipe as well.

For the gumbo:

3/4 cu. vegetable oil
3/4 cu. all purpose flour
1 1/2 cu. chopped onions
1 cu. chopped bell pepper
1/2 cu. chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional-if too hot)
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, chopped
8 cups turkey stock
1 1/2 lbs. turkey meat plus any leftover from making the stock
Onions and celery leftover from making stock (chopped)
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 tbsp green onion, chopped

In a large pot (cast iron, if available) combine the oil and flour to make a roux. Slowly and constantly stir the mixture about 20 to 25 minutes, until it is a dark brown (chocolate) color. (Note-many people find making a roux difficult-if you burn it you have to start over, here is a good tutorial on making a roux) Add the salt, cayenne, bell pepper, onions and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage and cook for another 5 minutes, again stirring frequently. Add the stock and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the turkey meat and reserved onions and celery and cook for 15 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions.

Serve in a bowl over rice.

Enjoy!

Image by JaseMan

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When I was younger, I was quite the picky eater. I did not eat pasta until I was about 10 or 12, and salads, eggs, and a few other things until I was about 18-20. (Maybe college turned me into a hungry student-I don’t know) Over the last 10 or so years, my taste buds have really expanded, and nowadays I eat just about anything, and am willing to try just about anything. One thing I have discovered over the last few years, is that eating at ethnic restaurants can be quite a bit cheaper than your standard, run of the mill fare, and usually even cheaper if you get something to go-since you aren’t paying for beverages and don’t have to tip on the total bill. Here are some of my favorite places to get ethnic cuisine these days, usually at prices only slightly higher than fast food combo meals.

Chinese

- The old standby, but one I still like. You can usually pick up a couple of meals to go for $12 or so.

Vietnamese

- I have been a big fan of Pho, a Vietnamese beef-based soup (see photo above), for quite a few years. You can get it in all kinds of variations, but I usually just stick with the sliced beef version. For around $6, or about $1 more than an extra value meal, I can get a big, hearty bowl of soup that leaves me just as full but tastes much better.

Indian

- There aren’t too many Indian restaurants where I live, but I am a big fan of tandoori chicken, basmati rice, and curries. Some can be quite spicy or hot, but very tasty.

Central/South American

- Different than Mexican, south or central American do have similar themes, like rice and beans, but you probably won’t find the American version of the taco. Central American cuisine incorporates other delicious items such as plantains, and one of my newly discovered favorites, the baleada, a flour tortilla filled with beans, and sometimes egg, meat, avocado, and cream.

Experimenting with different cuisines can be beneficial in two ways, you can discover great new food, and you may save money as well.

Image by VirtualErn

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Bringing your lunch to work can save you quite bit of money. If you save $5 to $6 a day x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year, you can save $1250+ per year. But have you considered the non-monetary or indirect monetary benefits of brown bagging it?

Save time

Instead of spending an hour fighting crowds, you can easily eat your lunch in 20-30 minutes (or less), and have 30 minutes plus to do other things, such as:

• Read- Catch up on your reading, whether books or on the ‘net.
  
• Work more- Work on that project if you have a tight deadline, and if your employer allows it, you might even get paid for it.
  
• Make phone calls- Work or personal calls
  
• Run errands- Pick up your dry cleaning or run to the grocery for non-perishables, and you won’t have to cut into family time later.
  
• Take care of other personal business- Like paying bills, scheduling appointments, etc.

Save gas

While you may be within walking distance of places to eat, a lot of people hop in the car every day to go to lunch, probably sitting in traffic.

Reduce the chance of wasting leftovers

How many times have you run across something in the fridge that would have been great to take to work for lunch, but has now been there a little too long. Even if you are careful, this can happen on occasion. Bringing leftovers reduces the chances of this happening.

Improved health

Unless you pack a lunch bag the size of a knapsack, you probably will eat healthier and consume less calories than if you go out to eat.

Avoid afternoon drowsiness

An added bonus of not consuming so many calories is that you will likely be more alert than if you stuffed yourself at the all-you-can eat Chinese buffet again.

The environment

Even though big macs no longer come in the styrofoam container, your homemade packed lunch will likely produce less waste, you can re-use your brown bag or grocery bag, or use tupperware over and over again.

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This past weekend, I cranked up the BBQ grill (charcoal, of course) and grilled up chicken breasts, tuna steaks, beef round steaks, some bratwurst, boudin, and hot dogs for the kids. Basically, in about 2 hours, I cooked enough food for the main courses or base of about 10 adult servings, with about 4-6 servings left over for lunches, etc. I also threw some corn on the cob and eggplant slices on the grill as well. While I didn’t cook 10 entire meals on the grill (although if you read The Barbecue Bible by Steve Raichlen, it is possible to do) I did save a lot of time for my wife during the week, as all she had to do was reheat or do a quick prep with the cooked meat, and whip up some veggies; as well as saved money since: 1.) We planned our menu for almost the entire week-so no take-out, etc., and 2.) the chicken and tuna were both purchased on sale, the others relatively cheap anyway.

Here was the main dishes of our planned menu:

Sunday- Tuna steaks

Monday- Bratwurst

Tuesday- Chicken

Wednesday- Beef fajitas

Thursday- Grilled chicken salad

There were leftovers from the fajitas, as well as bratwurst that I ate during the week for lunch as well. Now of course, some of these items are not the healthiest, such as sausage, but I believe moderation is the key to everything, so indulging myself from time to time is not a big deal. (Plus, I really like sausage.) You can make this healthier by sticking to chicken and fish, grilling more veggies, etc. But for a change of pace and to keep your meal preparation time lower during the week, cooking outside on the weekends is a pretty good way to go if you ask me.

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Gas prices are have gone through the roof over the last few weeks, and food prices are rising as well. Sam’s Club and even Costco are talking about rationing rice. There are quite a few ways to save money on gas while driving; here are 30 ways to cut your food bill and associated grocery shopping costs as well.

Your Eating Habits and at Home

Grow Your Own- No, that’s not what I mean . Grow your own vegetables and herbs (which are quite expensive if you go by weight), and fruit if you live in a place you are able to. Don’t have a big yard? Try building a square foot garden.

Drink less milk, soft drinks, and alcohol- You don’t have to stop drinking any of these, but try cutting back a little. Your waistline will thank you as well as your wallet.

Go Fishing!-If you live near water, try to catch your dinner. This can be a great activity to do with kids as well.

Try meatless meals- Cut meat out of your dinner lunch or dinner menu several times a week.

Eat breakfast for dinner- Make omelettes for the family one night during the week and serve everyone for a few dollars.

Skip a meal on the weekends- Have a large breakfast on the weekends, then have an early dinner, and skip lunch. It won’t hurt most of us.

Plan your meals carefully- Plan out your dinner menu ahead of time, and include the leftovers, if any, in your planning.

Plan your meals based on what’s on sale- Check out the ads for your local grocery stores before you plan your menu to incorporate the sale items.

Eat less junk food- Cut back on salty and sugary snacks, switch to fruits, vegetables, and other healthy alternatives, which are usually cheaper.

Don’t waste food- Keep an eye on your perishables, and if you find yourself throwing out food, cut back on how much you buy or freeze things before they go bad.

Experiment with simple or exotic cooking- Buy a cookbook or two, and look for easy, simple meals which don’t cost much or have a lot of ingredients. Experiment with foods from other cultures, which frequently don’t use as much meat as we do here in the U.S. either.

Don’t use the vending machines- The cost of items in vending machines is usually 2 to 3x as much as you can get it yourself.

Bring your lunch to work- Brown bag it to work or bring leftovers. This can cut down on wasting food as well. Bring your own drinks from home, or drink water.

Split entrees with your spouse or significant other- When eating out, try splitting an entree. Many restaurant’s portions are so big, you end up with leftovers.

Buy a freezer- Investing in a freezer can allow you to freeze things before they spoil, batch cook for future meals, and stock up on perishables such as meat and chicken when there is a good sale.

Before Shopping and At the Store

Make a list- Make a list based on what you need, and stick to it. You will spend less money by doing this.

Buy in bulk- Anything that won’t spoil before you use, buy in bulk. Be sure to check the unit pricing, but 9 times out of 10 it will be cheaper to buy in bulk. If you can’t use it all when buying in bulk, try to split it with a family member or friend.

Buy what’s in season & local- This applies especially to fruits and vegetables, but can apply to seafood and other items as well, depending on where you live.

Shop the sales- Check out the weekly flyers for the best deals, and shop around if you don’t have to drive too far out of the way.

Buy whole cuts of meat- Buying a whole chicken or larger cuts of beef or pork are normally cheaper than individual cuts and smaller packages.

Don’t buy non-grocery items at the grocery store- Save your non-grocery purchases for trips to Walmart or the pharmacy, or other discount store. The markup on these items is usually high at grocery stores.

If you don’t clip coupons start- If you don’t clip coupons, start. By combining them with items on sale, you can get the most bang for your buck. Don’t use them for items you wouldn’t normally buy, however.

Search the net for coupons too-Search the Internet for online coupons at places like smartsource.com, as well as the myriad of grocery coupon sites.

Try generic or store brands- These are frequently quite a bit cheaper than name brands, and often taste just as good. Experiment with them to make sure you like them.

Stock up on sales- When you see a really good sale, stock up on that item for future use. Be sure you are going to use it all, of course.

Look for mark-downs- Check out the meat department for markdowns, where they lower the price on meat (and sometimes other items like dairy) when it is getting close to its “sell by” date.

Don’t go shopping hungry- We have all heard this one before, but it is true. You are more likely to buy more if you go food shopping hungry.

Don’t bring the kids-Kids are always going to want something, whether it is a toy, candy, or spider-man popsicles. This will keep you from buying things that aren’t on the list. (Spider-man popsicles are usually on my list though)

Watch the register- Keep an eye on the register while your groceries are being rung up to make sure you are getting the right price on the things you buy.

Check your receipt-Take a quick look at your receipt to make sure you didn’t get overcharge or double charged, or the store didn’t forget to put something in your basket.

What are your best tips for saving money on food and grocery shopping?

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