My 2021 Challenge

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HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by HappyDaze »

alliesmama4 wrote: Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:09 pm Looks like we might have a shortage of beans in the coming months. I left a thread about it in the chat room. I do have a good supply of dried beans a few cans of chick pea. I like to keep them on hand but tend to use canned beans before I cook the dried beans.

Today I finished all of my cornbread stuffing. I had frozen some for later but decided to use it up to get it out of the way. I also ate the last of the green beans. I saved the last of the mashed potatoes for tomorrow. They were instant potatoes, Hungry Jack. I did not care for them. I prefer the Idahoan brand. I think that is the brand that Little Miss recommended? Tomorrow I am going to add some shredded cheese and onion and make a couple of potato pancakes out of it. Also, the chicken is starting to get the taste that chicken gets when it has been in the fridge for a few days. So, I plan on chopping it up and adding some BBQ sauce and make a couple of BBQ chicken sandwiches. It really was a tiny chicken about 2.4 lbs. Just right for one person. I have the carcass, bones and skin in the freezer to make soup one day. Also, I saved the pan juice from when I baked the chicken and it will be used to make chicken gravy the next time, I bake chicken.

I am working on pinching every penny I can in my budget. Food is one of the few areas in my budget where I can possibly cut corners. However, with the possible shortages and the cost of food going up it is going to be interesting and difficult.
Janet, thank you for sharing. I have an "envelope" of the Hungry Jack potatoes because I had a coupon for $1.00 off any Hungry Jack product - so they were free. Don't get the opportunity to use too many coupons anymore - but now and then I take advantage of a deal like that - free food is good!

I am also trying to compensate for the rising cost of everything by cutting corners in my food budget. Mainly, when I think I am "out of everything" and need to run to the grocery store, I am making myself go at least a few more days with what I have in the house. Makes for some "interesting" meals - but it is just me that I'm feeding - so who cares!
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

HappyDaze wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:20 am Janet, thank you for sharing. I have an "envelope" of the Hungry Jack potatoes because I had a coupon for $1.00 off any Hungry Jack product - so they were free. Don't get the opportunity to use too many coupons anymore - but now and then I take advantage of a deal like that - free food is good!

I am also trying to compensate for the rising cost of everything by cutting corners in my food budget. Mainly, when I think I am "out of everything" and need to run to the grocery store, I am making myself go at least a few more days with what I have in the house. Makes for some "interesting" meals - but it is just me that I'm feeding - so who cares!
Sheila, I agree. I try to use up what is in the house instead of going to the store to buy something. I try to work around the loss leaders and do not have menu plans except if it is something special. I know some people have a feeling like they want a certain food. I really do not find that to be a problem. I keep the basics and work from there. Sometimes I like to type in ingredients in on my computer and see what comes up as a suggested recipe. Good luck in keeping your food tasty and frugal when able.
Janet Alliesmama
HappyDaze
Posts: 4186
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:11 am

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by HappyDaze »

alliesmama4 wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 10:51 am Sheila, I agree. I try to use up what is in the house instead of going to the store to buy something. I try to work around the loss leaders and do not have menu plans except if it is something special. I know some people have a feeling like they want a certain food. I really do not find that to be a problem. I keep the basics and work from there. Sometimes I like to type in ingredients in on my computer and see what comes up as a suggested recipe. Good luck in keeping your food tasty and frugal when able.
Thank you Janet. The challenge I find it the area of food is that what I'm eating isn't always what I think I want - but hey, at least I'm eating. -)
"All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. After all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog."

Charles M. Schultz
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

HappyDaze wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 3:45 pm Thank you Janet. The challenge I find it the area of food is that what I'm eating isn't always what I think I want - but hey, at least I'm eating. -)
You are so right.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I have been using up the last of my Thanksgiving dinner. Yesterday I had the last of the cornbread stuffing for lunch and dinner with some chicken and the last of the green beans. I had put it in the freezer for later but decided to eat it to have more storage space. Finished the last of the green beans yesterday. Today I made potato pancakes with the leftover mashed potatoes. I added chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, an egg and used gluten free Italian bread crumbs as a binder. Next time i will leave out the cheese. You really could not tell it was there so a waste of taste and calories. Plus, the cheese could be better used somewhere else. I was hesitant to use the Italian bread crumbs thinking it would be too much spice but it added a nice subtle taste. I chopped the remaining chicken up and added BBQ sauce. Also, I had a small amount of canned corn that needed to be used up. I have enough BBQ chicken and potato pancakes for lunch tomorrow. I will need to find a veggie to go with it. Also finished the last of the canned cranberry sauce.

A while back I had baked a spaghetti squash. I love having it in the fridge for a quick meal. Just put some in a bowl and add whatever to make a quick meal. I have been adding pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese and nuke it. Sometimes I would add some chicken and once a few pieces of pepperoni chopped up. I have another spaghetti squash in the fridge that needs to be cooked soon and I plan on using Thai yellow curry and coconut milk with it. I have been using up other things in the fridge to prevent wasting. So far so good.

Due to the possible bean shortage, I double checked my pantry and I have a nice variety of beans and lentils. My freezer is full. My pantry looks good for the basics so I should be able to get through the month of December without buying anything except for eggs and butter and maybe some fresh veggies.

Compared to some rough patches I had in the past I am doing very well. When I bought my first house, I had a can of tuna fish and a few other basic things like cheese, eggs, milk, pasta, bread etc. I had lived with my parents so I did not have anything to bring with me from a previous home. I had to wait a week before getting a paycheck to buy groceries. I used the can of tuna fish to make a casserole that I ate for dinner 4 night in a row. I also made 2 tuna salad sandwiches to take to work. That was back in the day when you actually got enough tuna fish to work with. So, looking at what I have now is really good and I feel confident I can make some good meals with what I have on hand.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

Nothing important going on here. Starting to decorate for the holidays. I am making meals with what I have on hand. Since this is just the first day of December everything is going well.

Tomorrow Teddi has his usual grooming appointment. For a little dog that stays in the house 95% of the time he can really look grubby and smelly in 4 weeks. While he is at the groomers, I have to kill time so I will go to Ruler down the road to pick up eggs and butter. They both are on sale. Eggs .99 cents a dozen. I plan on buying 4 dozen and butter $1.99 a pound. I will buy one pound. I have butter in the freezer, but I know I will need more before the end of December. So, I will grab some while it is on sale. Teddi will need baby carrots soon. They are usually .99 cents to a little over a dollar depending on where I buy them. Also, will gas up my car for the month. The food items are coming out of my $15.00 cash slush fund. I am trying to go through the month without having to make grocery purchase using my debit card. Things are really looking good towards the end of the month for me to only use gift cards at Walmart for a curbside pickup. I have been working at my usual sites and not requesting gift cards for Amazon just Walmart. I will need $35.00 for a free curbside pickup. Right now, I have $37.00 to request in gift cards. However, I am going to let them ride for a while. My goal is to see how much I can accumulate and use for groceries in 2022.

I dropped Misfits Market this week. They had sent me an email that the carrier that was supplying me has dropped their contract and they were looking for someone else. I live in a rural area and the last time the box was left by my mailbox on a country road. I was lucky that I saw an email that it had been delivered because we do have that one jerk that used to steal my fruit. I have a long driveway so it would be easy for someone to stop and snatch it and I would not see them. I had to drive my car to the mailbox to get the box. I had a hard time getting it in the trunk of my car. So, I decided with that kind of service and winter coming it was best to cancel. I do have a lot of food in my house so things should be ok for a while and hopefully by the end of December first of January I will be ordering free food from Walmart or at least partially free food from Walmart. It depends on the cost of food by then.
Janet Alliesmama
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