A lot of people have asked me how we can do it with just one income, a self-employed income at that. Well let me tell you it is not easy, or even fun some days, but the Lord continually provides. He has also given me the ability/hobby of loving to find the best deals and make things from scratch.
First you need to be organized about your shopping. I do my main shopping just once a month and I buy milk and fresh veggies to supplement weekly. It takes planning and a really good list.
Here is a typical shopping list for my family (there are 3 adults living here and one teenager that eats double what everyone else does, we also have people over (or take food there) at least 2 times a week.
Flour 25 lbs./ $8
Sugar 10 lbs./ $5
Salt $2
Yeast $5
Spices $5
Cheese Sliced 3/$6
Cheddar Cheese 6/$12
Mozzarella Cheese 3/$6
Pasta 6/$6
Ground Beef 3 lbs./$10 (I usually buy the cheap chubs)
Ground Turkey 5 lbs./$10 (again I buy the chubs for $2 each)
Toilet Paper (12 count Scott) 1 pkg. $6
Paper Towel 1/$2
Bar Soap 3/$3
Tuna 8/$5
Peanut Butter 2/$3
Frozen Veggies 5/$5
Canned Veggies 10/$5
Potatoes 10 lbs./$5
Veggie Oil $3
Margarine 2/$3
Cream Cheese 4/$4
Yogurt 4/$5
Chicken $6
Milk 4/$8
Fresh Veggies $20
Meat (roasts, stew meat) $20
Personal Products (shampoo etc.) $3
Dried Beans $3
Rice $3
Medicine Cabinet Items $5
Tortilla Shells 2/$2
Packet Seasonings $3
Baking Extras (pumpkin, chocolate chips etc..) $10
Canned goods stock up (above and beyond what you need each month) $20
Candy (just a little is nice to have) $5
Household Cleaning supplies to include white vinegar, baking soda, cider vinegar, borax, dish soap etc $12
That leave me usually with about $40 left over for whatever else I may need in the month.
You will notice I don't have laundry soap on there and I spend very little on shampoo.. that's because I make my own. It costs me a total of about $5 a month for what I use in cleaning supplies, however I am really paranoid about running out so there is always a bit extra around here, which means at some point I may take a month or two off from buying stuff and just put that money towards stock up on other things. You will also notice there are no bread products listed, I make my own, hence the need for so much flour each month.
I have also invested in flour sack towels which I use for everything except draining oil from fried foods and washing my windows, that is what the paper towels are for. Cloth napkins at the dinner table, cut down on the paper towel usage too.
To have this little of cost put into our food with all the people that I feed each month I tend to make lots of casseroles. They are cheap, filling and easy to make and people really like them for the most part. I also make bigger batches of things when I make them, and freeze leftovers. That way if I have a night that is too crazy or just don't feel well, we still stick to our budget because there is just something to heat in the microwave instead of ordering out.
I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any more questions or want more information on how we do it!
2 comments:
Love the idea of always making extra to freeze. We often get caught having to order out because Scott gets home so late or I'm just feeling really uninspired about dinner. I can't wait until we have a house with room for a deep freeze so that I have room to freeze leftovers. Can you help me with some casserole ideas to make and freeze before the baby comes? Lots of time for this, cause we won't have a deep freeze until February or March.
I plan to post some meals to do this with, all of which can be done with a vegitarian variations, without too much trouble. I just use beans a bit. There are lots of ways to do all of this!
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