Food

By -

I know I have talked alot about groceries so far...and HOW does that add up? Simple.

One of the first things you do, when you want to save money, is to track where you are currently spending it.

We spent $300 a month eating out...I know. UGH! That is $4,000 a year! All that money and nothing to show for it!

Eating at home can save that money...so saving at the grocery store was the next logical step. $375 a month at the grocery store is another $4,500. By trimming $275 or so a month off my grocery store spending I save another $3,300!

See how easy it was to save $7,300? That is about 1/5 of what I needed to save on this mission!

Don't get me wrong, we DO still eat out.
1) I use my Tupperware Business to run a challenge for my team where they can earn a big dinner out with us every quarter...and then I get to deduct it on my business taxes, LOL! It also creates a fun sense of team and accomplishment for them - which is really priceless.
2) Hubby has a credit card that has "perks" - which can be traded in for $25 restaurant gift cards to places like Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, etc. He had enough points to get 23 gift cards!
3) More gift cards: we ask for those as gifts as it is easy to pack if we haven't used them when we move.
4) There are places like MyPoints, etc where you can earn gift cards by doing simple things like answering surveys, clicking links, etc. I don't do these as I think they take too much of my time for the payoff.

To stretch a gift card, we go on days where the restaurants let kids eat free or for just $.99 and then we order water. A place like Chili's that does the 2 for $20 (appetizer, 2 entrees and one dessert for $20), with a free kid's meal is a great bargain and we usually have a leftover box!

Getting back to the grocery stores for a second...I will be sharing ideas for creative meal solutions. I learned a LOT from being in the restaurant business for almost 20 years and from having a professional chef for a Mother and Father! Our going joke used to be:
What is today's soup? Cream of Yesterday's Special!

Until Next time...my challenge to you is to log your own expenses and see where your cash is going. You can't fix a leak if you don't know where the hole is
:)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cookie Recipe #21 - Butter Rich Spritz

By -
Image
Cookie Exchange Parties are SO MUCH FUN - for a few simple reasons:You get together with your friends You make only ONE kind of cookie and finish your holiday baking, after swapping out You get new recipes You often have snacks or games! That being said, I do one every year - in December, about 2 weeks before Christmas. (You can read about it HERE or see a TV segment I did on it http://youtu.be/-iUR7GlAiQw ). I thought it would be fun to have a collection of 30 fun recipes to try - one a day in November - so you can be prepared for that holiday baking! Today's recipe idea comes from Book Cooking. net Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sift together the flour and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks,...
Read more

Chili Dog Casserole

By -
Image
I know this sounds strange -- and yummy at the same time, LOL You need to know the family history to "get it". We are part German, part English, part Irish and part Tennessee Hillbilly. Seriously. Did you ever see that black and white movie of Gary Cooper's called Sergeant York? Yes, my family comes from the Dyer/Yorks -- same family. Some of the "family recipes" are too far out there for even me to try... But this is a pot luck favorite. SUPER Easy and SUPER Easy to make healthier. We choose the middle of the road option, LOL You need:  1 package hot dog buns (8 ct) 1 package hot dogs 2 cups chili (or 1 can) 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese "fixins" That's it! You could do gluten free or whole grain wheat buns, turkey or tofu dogs, vegetarian chili, vegan or light cheese, you get the drift. We do white buns, cut them up and place in the 9x13 pan, like you see here: Then you dice up the hot dogs ...
Read more

Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop!

By -
Image
Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop January 21 - 26, 2012 Hosted by Planet Weidknecht and Going Crazy!!Wanna Go?? It's been three weeks since you've made all those resolutions.It's said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so you've probably already broken your New Year's Resolutions. I say - FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS ! Let's have a giveaway hop instead! The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!
Read more