The Glade 4.0

Yes, the roommate route is one I am no longer ruling out. I'm just throwing all scenarios out there on the table. I'm going to try to re-evaluate my expenses soon and start axing. Also gonna see if I can lighten my dad's burden a little.



Yeah, this thought has come to mind several times in the past actually. This house is not all that marketable right now, unless someone is desperate. I'll have to bring this point up when I am discussing things with my folks.



Keeping the house in some form or fashion is what I am shooting for. If I absolutely must move out, however, I would rather it go to my brother, as his is a money-pit.

Ok so I tried the buying in mass quantities ideas today.

I avoided the whole foods section altogether, and bought as healthy and inexpensively in the normal foods as possible.

I don't think I got enough for an entire month, but I do think 2 weeks is reachable. It will of course require some self-discipline and control on my part (which is never a bad thing anyway), but I think I can do it.

Generally, I bought a lot of "Lite" soups and canned beans, which have reduced everything in them.
Also got baked snack foods + salsa.
As far as other dinners, I got a couple boxes of whole grain spaghetti and reduced bad stuff pasta sauce (one prepared package of spaghetti + sauce can last me for 2-3 days).
Also bought carrots and fruits for snacks, and thin-sliced lunch meats + whole grain bread to bring to work.
Beverages, water and those little packets of fruit juice coolers for something with flavor (only 3% sugar per packet and like 30 calories = $2.11 per box of 10). Also got a jug of the Lite Arnold Palmer mix.
As an extra, I got some sweet potato fries, which are supposedly good for people trying to watch their blood sugar.
For sweets I got low fat foods like York Peppermint Patties (the small ones), and Swedish Fish. Since I just don't crave sweets like I used to, I don't tend to over-indulge on these.

Total bill = $102.

And it would have been even less had I not bought some canned good for a food drive happening at work this coming week. But eh, it's for a good cause, so I ain't belvin' about it.

As far as the $100 month thing goes, I'm really gonna have inquire with some folks as to how this is possible. Meat is generally out of the question, due to spoilage, and ground beef or chicken is the cheapest stuff to buy in large quantities.

You can buy a whole chicken for like $5-$6 and roast it in the oven. For the first day, eat roast chicken with like mashed potatos and some sort of veggie. The next day, use leftovers for cold chicken sandwiches. Then boil the carcass in a pot of water, remove the bones and add egg noodles (and celery, onions, carrots, seasonings if you like) and you've got soup. So thats like 4 days right there on less than 20 bucks for the chicken, bread, noodles, and veggies.
Another fav is the taco soup...brown some ground beef and pour it in a pot with some taco seasoning (I like to add a packet of powdered ranch seasoning as well for zest), a can of beans (pinto or black, I use black), and a can of stewed tomatoes. Let it simmer for a few minutes then serve with tortilla chips and sour cream and grated cheese if you like. That's another meal that can last a couple days (and you can freeze leftovers) thats well under $20.
If you have a crock pot, pot roast is another good one as well. Long, slow cooking means you can use a cheaper cut of meat, pile in the veggies, and use leftovers for sammiches and stuff. This is also a meal under $20 that lasts for days and is freezable in tupperware containers provided you put enough juice in it.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Ah, so buy the meat in bulk still, just cook it all within a few days and freeze leftovers for various types of dinners?

Pretty much. I'm sooooo like you in the grocery/food department and this has been a learning process for me.
I like to arrange the meats in order of what can safely stay in the fridge for longest raw (without freezing) before cooking.
For example, the whole chicken would get cooked the second week since it can sit in the fridge for a few days before cooking.
Ground beef needs to be cooked right away or frozen. I am a BIG fan of the ziploc freezer bags that come with the pump to get the air out. Just make sure you put in small portions and flatten them out so they thaw faster. I usually do that with the ground beef.
With other cuts of beef, you can actually put the meat in the ziploc with its marinade, pump the air out, then put in the freezer. The liquid helps keep the meat tasty and as it thaws, it marinates! yay!
I know most people like fresh chicken, but I just really like buying the bags of Tyson raw, frozen chicken breasts and chicken tenderloins. You can take out what you need and you do not have to thaw before cooking. There are so many ways to serve baked chicken...you can bake it plain, with BBQ sauce, teryiaki sauce, etc and serve it over a bed of rice with steamed broccoli or other veggies, etc. You can even bake it plain, cube it up and serve with pasta and broccoli....soooo many variations.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Basically, buy some chicken, beef, pork, etc and then buy veggies and grains and staples around it...it actually turns out cheaper per meal (and INFINITELY more satisfying) then all those cans of soup and ready made stuff.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

I'll comment on this from my perspective:

Canned soup and Canned beans are not cost effective. Making a broth is really easy, and it will last you way longer (and is way cheaper and healthier) than any canned soup. Canned beans are a lot more expensive than dried beans, especially because when you go by weight you're paying for a lot of water. Hit up the dry beans aisle, and make up stuff for your own bean soups.

Whole grain spaghetti and pasta sauce are great, there are also some protein enriched pastas that are quite healthy. As you say, these can last a long time. You can stretch them by getting diced roasted tomatoes, and making your own sauce...

Diced roasted tomatoes, corn, onions, garlic, and a touch of cream make a great sauce.

Lunch meats are often more expensive than "making your own", either by getting lean ground meant and making small hamburger patties, getting a whole chicken, roasting it and slicing it, or getting some cheap seven or flank steaks, and stripping and pan roasting them to make a philly cheese steak. If you buy a family pack, and then trim and cook on the weekend, you can make enough "lunch meat" to last the whole week, and usually for less than a pack of luncheon meat.

As for sweet potato fries, just get whole sweet potatoes, slice, blanch, and then roast- cheaper, and better for you by a long shot. Either that, or just bake them in the microwave for a great, healthy lunch.

For sweets, I personally wouldn't buy much at all if you're really trying to cut down on your budget. Same goes for beverages. Water and home brewed herbal iced tea are your best options there- get some packages of herbal teas, brew it over strong and then dilute 1:1 with ice water, and you've got tea for the rest of the week. Use a green tea blend to get a little caffeine and some nice anti-oxidants.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Some good suggestions for next shopping trip.

Thanks again, folks!

Didn't you say you live near where you work, that it takes you 1-2 minutes to drive there unless you get caught in football traffic? Why not walk to work? Walking is great exercise and you would save on gas too! Maybe you could even share a car with your brother, if that would work out. Would be a easy thing to do if you lived in the same house. That would cut lots of expense! (edit: also, is moving back in with your parents an option? Then maybe you could fix the house up and sell it, and use the money to go to college. There are lots of Associates degrees that might help you find a better job)

Also, getting multiple jobs is a win win..(edit: after rereading some posts...I have a question. Are there no jobs, or jobs you would rather not work? I don't know WV so not sure, on second thought, if getting a second job is feasible)

1. More income
2. Less free time to spend money
3. Less time at home (if you decide to live with your brother, you wouldn't see each other to drive you crazy)
4. Sometimes leads to more opportunity for other jobs (networking)

lots of great ideas here! I've worked the multiple jobs and it can be done, not the funnest times, but you do what you gotta do.

Good luck!

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Raw meat, poultry, and fish can last for months in the freezer if you package it properly. Hell, veggies too for that matter. The trick is to remove as much air as possible from the packaging and seal it airtight. This prevents/minimizes freezer burn. Sometimes the food comes already pre-packaged in airtight plastic individual servings...I have some chicken breasts and some cod fillets like this. Otherwise, for fresh meat, LK's suggestion for the bags with the airpump is a good one, but you can make do with regular freezer bags if you carefully squeeze out the air. (they make fancy appliances that do this, but they are on the spendy side for the appliances and the special bags) This way you can buy meat when its on sale, re-package each cut in an individual bag, and then stuff your freezer. Since you live by yourself, invest in a lot of smaller bags and package up your food in individual servings. And if you do get freezer burn? Make soup, and you won't taste the difference. Just be sure to put the date on your food when you freeze it. (TIP: if you see ice crystals, you didn't get all the air out. Ice means the water in your food is sublimating out. All freezer burn is is really slow freeze drying. But this is OK if you plan on eating the food in a relatively short amount of time.)

Beef cuts will always be a bit on the expensive side, chicken is cheaper (but getting a bit more expensive, especially for breasts), but pork is usually fairly inexpensively priced. Stock up when its cheap, repackage it for freezing, then take it out as needed. Plan a bit, and you can take tomorrow night's dinner out of the freezer and thaw it in your refrigerator overnight and while you're at work. This can take a bit of getting used to, since you will be giving up a bit of spontaneity that you are used to...but that level of spontaneity can be expensive.

If you don't already have a cheapy indoor electric grill (like the George Foreman grill...base model is like 20 bucks), get one. You can take a frozen chicken breast straight out of the freezer, wet it in the sink, throw on some seasonings, and throw it on the grill for 8 minutes, and it tastes great.

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Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Rodahn,

Do not buy Pasta sauce. Make your own. Spend 30 to 40 bucks on a good stock pot and a set of spoons just for this purpose.

You can make several gallons of pasta sauce and freeze it until you need it. I usually make a pot of sauce and it will last me one to two months. And that is for a family of five, and occasionally dinner guests.

Also when you make your own you can cut down on the sugar and a few of the other ingredients when you are monitoring what you eat.

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

As to the price of meat issue that Colphax brought up: Just shop the sales. There's usually some cut of some meat really cheap, whether it's ground beef, chicken, pork, or whole beef. Usually it will be some sort of "family pack". Buy, and plan meals accordingly.

I save a lot by shopping the sales, and planning my meals around that- I get the fliers from each of the local stores each week, and look through and plan a meal based off of good sales going on that week. Amazing how much you can save that way.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

For the family packs, if it's not pre-frozen, I split them up into meal-sized portions (e.g., 2-3 chicken breasts per ziplock), then freeze them. That way, I can pull out only what I need to thaw for a specific recipe. That way, I can take advantage of the sales or bulk pricing, without having to cook it all up right away.

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When he's underwater does he get wet? Or does the water get him instead?

Rice and beans. Thousands of ways to make them but the cheapest is to buy bulk, cook a pot up, add whatever veggies and spices you like, especially the veggies if they are about to go bad anyway.

Stay away from specialty rices and gourmet beans unless they are on a huge sale. There usually isn't enough variety in taste to make it worth the effort and price.

While it can be, don't make this an everyday meal. It remains tasty an desirable when it isn't. Too much of anything spoils it for you.

Pinto beans and white rice sell by the 10 and 25 pound bags, if you have cool dry storage they last for a very long time.

It also makes a cheap hearty pot luck dish if you make a bunch in a a big pot. Usually gets eaten too because people recognize rice and beans and will usually go for them over something they don't know.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Exactly. I do the same with ground beef.... Split off a chunk to use to make hamburgers/pasta for the week, and then freeze the rest in half pound bags int he freezer to pull out as needed.

Works great with any meat, assuming you have the freezer space. And if you don't, get a small spare freezer, it's worth it.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Buy whole chickens and cut them up yourself, it's cheaper than buying precut pieces. Invest in a Food Saver vacuum sealer and a slow cooker. You can buy meats in bulk and vacuum seal for the freezer in however large servings you want. The slow cooker can cook anything you want while you are at work and its ready to eat when you get home and/or freeze for later. Ziploc makes some inexpensive freezer containers that are reusable and are great for soups, stews, chili, and sauces to put in the freezer.

As for the living arrangements, I'm going to suggest roommates (brother or others, doesn't matter) and scheduling repairs as you can afford them. If it was me looking for a place to stay, I don't think I'd be too concerned about a bit of brick work needing to be done or some carpet being torn up. As long as I had use of the kitchen and bathroom and my bedroom was usable, I'd be happy.

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"

The dried bean suggestion is a good one. They are much cheaper dried. All it takes is planning to get then ready.

Also watch out for the pre-packaged dry soup mix. For example I was buying a split pea soup mix, but my favorite brand was discontinued. I grabbed a bag of dry split peas for 57 cents, and made up the soup with my own herbs and spices and the usual sauteed veggies. It was better than the pre-packaged mix that sold for $5.99!

Beans and rice are a good and healthy way to eat cheap. There are many different kinds and many ways to fix them. Warning if you get to be my age, you may need this:

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Memento Vivere

I have local knowledge.
That sandbar was not there yesterday!

Incidentally, if you cook beans (or anything else) in a cast-iron pot over a long duration, it will significantly increase the iron content.

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Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

I never thought about that. Huh.