Search Results for: blog food rationing and practicing portion control

Fall Home Bargains

I love the fall. It has to be my favorite season of all. The weather is crisp but summer, the afternoon sun has that warm glow reflecting off the colorful leaves, the fall festivals, hay rides and farmers markets are in full swing, and you expect the smells of apples and cinnamon every where you turn. Getting our home ready for fall is one of my favorite things to do. It just seems to warm up the whole place and makes me feel like snuggling my kids and trying out a new recipe, such as pumpkin whoopie pies. It also … Continue reading →

Dried Beans for Frugal Living

Incorporating dried beans into your family’s diet can save you quite a bit of money. You can use the dried beans to make nutritious meatless meals or to add valuable and inexpensive protein to many traditional dishes. At just pennies per serving, using dried beans makes a lot of sense. I used to be intimidated by dried beans. I wasn’t exactly sure how to prepare them or how to use them, but using dried beans is pretty easy. While most modern recipes call for canned beans, you can substitute your own cooked dried beans in any recipe. Just keep in … Continue reading →

Eating Out is Out of Style

It seems that more and more Americans are now realizing that eating out can get expensive. A new report by the NPD Group, which is a group of market researchers finds that Americans are now eating out much less than they did just a few years ago. The weakened economy has more people avoiding restaurants in favor of preparing meals at home. One thing that is interesting about this report is that it shows that when people do eat out, they are favoring restaurant chains instead of independent mom and pop shops. There is a perception that chain restaurants are … Continue reading →

How to Cook from the Pantry

Cooking from the pantry can save you time and money. Don’t know what to cook for dinner tonight? Need some dinner ideas when you don’t want to go to the store? Have to stretch the budget for a few more days? Use the following advice and resources to help you cook from your own pantry. Taking an Inventory First, figure out what ingredients you have to work with. Sometimes it is helpful to start with the more substantial items such as the type of protein (chicken, beef, beans, eggs) and go from there. Eyeball your shelves, fridge and freeze and … Continue reading →

With Food Prices Getting Higher, Taking Action is a Must

I don’t know if you have noticed, but food prices are higher than they have ever been, and all indications are that they will continue to go even higher. There are several reasons for this: Increased cost of fuel to transport food Increased world population leading to a high demand for food Smaller food harvests on many essential foods, including corn, grain, and peanuts Recessed economy leading to lower food stock in stores as retailers strategize to reduce their waste and cost of doing business Decreased value of the US dollar. While naturally, there are fluctuations in food prices from … Continue reading →

Pre-Packaged Preparedness Kits

One way to cut down on the time and planning it takes is to purchase already packaged preparedness kits. There are a few different companies, and they each have a variety of kits that you can purchase to suit the needs of your particular family. What types of preparedness kits are available? You can food supply kits, water kits, food storage kits, kitchen processing items, medical and first aid kits, power charges, shelter kits, navigation kits, and cooking supplies. Food supply kits are the most popular for purchase because they put all of the food that you might need for … Continue reading →

Don’t be Intimidated by Canning

As a New York City girl born and raised, I never thought that I would even consider doing something such as canning produce. Didn’t that go along with prairie skirts and living on a farm? Now I know better. When we were blessed with an abundance if inexpensive organic apples, I learned fast. Canning isn’t as hard as it might sound. And despite my fears that I would do it wrong and give myself and my family food poisoning, it all worked out and was pretty easy actually. There are two big things that you need to know about canning. … Continue reading →

Stocking the Pantry on a Budget

Stocking your pantry with basic food can really pay off. Not only will it save you money, but it will leave you prepared in the case of some crisis that prevents you from purchasing food right away. Having a stockpile of food is always a good idea. We are currently in the process of trying to build our stockpile back up. We’ve had a number of things happen that have reduced our stockpile to very little, such as cooking from the pantry, losing storage space and giving away about half of our stash to a family that needed it more … Continue reading →

Food Rationing and Practicing Portion Control

When it comes to food, portion control can be a touchy subject. No one wants to think about restricting themselves or their family from food. But sometimes it is necessary to do to make ends meet. If you find yourself in this situation, there are several strategies to employ in order to get through. First, let us talk about the reasons that you might desire or be required to practice portion control when it comes to meals. You might find yourself with a reduced income due to a loss of a job, you might have an unexpected expense that makes … Continue reading →