Saving Money Without Coupons Par IV

Here are my final 2 big tips on saving money on groceries without clipping coupons.

• Meal Plan
  I know, I know. You're probably sick of hearing this one, but it really does work. My meal plan is based on three things. 1) What's on hand. 2) What's on sale. 3) What's in season.
  
  We shop once a week in order to take advantage of that week's big sales (like BOGO deals). I make my plan on Friday morning, so I can do my shopping on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I browse the ads of my local grocery stores, and check my pantries, freezer and fridge. I see what needs to get used up and build meals around those things. This week, I noticed that I have apples that are getting old (something very rare in our house of fruit-lovers), so I've planned to make stewed apples with the pork chops I have planned for Tuesday night. I've also planned to add them to the baked oatmeal I'm making for Saturday's breakfast.
  
• Not buy
  This one is the hardest for me. I grew up with my Depression-era grandparents. I was taught to always stock up on food, because you never know. I've had to learn some self-control. If something isn't in the budget, no matter how good a deal, it isn't in the budget. Period. If it's that important, I need to put something else back.

I still use coupons and take advantage of sales, but they're no longer my most important means of keeping in my budget. What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries?

Hamburger and Potato Casserole

This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes from his childhood. I made a few changes from the original to make it more health and budget friendly. Serve it with a salad or some green beans for a complete meal. This recipe makes enough to feed 2 adults, 2 hungry toddlers, and leftovers for lunch.

Hamburger and Potato Casserole


6 medium gold potatoes, cut into 1/3-1/2 inch slices (Any kind of potatoes should work, but we use golds.)
2 cups cooked ground beef (from the freezer) OR meat-free crumbles if you don't eat meat
1/2 pound (2 cans) of pinto beans or white beans, such as cannellini 
2 cans of tomato sauce - 14.5 oz each (I get organic tomato sauce from Costco.)
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 13X9 dish, layer potatoes, then meat and beans. Top with tomato sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. The heat from the casserole with melt it. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let it set and cool slightly.

Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"

What kid doesn't want cake for breakfast?

Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"

3 bananas, mashed
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
splash of vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats (I use "old fashioned" oats)
1/4 cup berries OR chocolate chips OR cinnamon chips OR raisins

Mix all of the ingredients, except berries/chips. (Batter will be fairly thin.) Fold in the berries/ chips gently and scoop batter into greased/ lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (15-20 for mini muffins).

They freeze beautifully, too.

Saving Money Without Coupons Part II

Here's part 2 of my saving money without coupons post.

• Cook more from scratch/ Use the freezer
  
  I lump these two together because making use of my freezer allows me to cook from scratch, even when I don't have a lot of time. Often, I can throw made-from-scratch meals into the Crock Pot and cook some spinach or make a salad to have a complete meal. Other times, I'll have the most time-consuming part of a meal ready in the freezer. Let me preface this by saying that we do not have a chest freezer. This is all done with the regular freezer that's on top of our fridge.
  
  When I was couponing, we ate more convenience foods than I'd like to admit. Not as bad as many Americans, but still. The lack of amazing coupon deals combined with my resolve to get crud out of my family's diet, especially with 2 young kids, lead me to get back to real cooking. I can make homemade "helper" for pennies, surprisingly cheaper than I could buy it even with coupons.
  
  My big money saver is broth. It's FREE! When I cut up vegetables, I toss the scraps into a gallon-size freezer bag and store it in the freezer. When I get a couple of bags worth of peelings and ends, I throw the contents into a pot and cover with water. I add some salt and pepper, and let it cook down for a couple of hours to release all of the flavor and nutrients. Then I strain it, and freeze 2 cup portions in freezer bags.
  
  Like I said, I like to have the most time-consuming part of the meal done with and hanging out in the freezer. Taco meat and shredded chicken are prime examples of this. We buy our meat in bulk. (Thanks, Costco!) I take 1-2 hours to do my freezer cooking from start to finish. I brown ground beef with salt and pepper and freeze some of it as it is and add taco seasoning (homemade, not from a packet) to the rest. I bag it and freeze it. On the nights we're having tacos, I take the bag out of the freezer (because I never remember to defrost it) and put it in a pan to heat up while I cut up tomatoes and lettuce. A full taco dinner is on the table in under 20 minutes!
  
  I boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pot with salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and onion powder. (While they're boiling, I'm browning the beef.) When the chicken is done, I put 3-4 breasts at a time into the bowl of my Kitchen Aid mixer and use the paddle attachment to break up the chicken. It takes about 30 seconds. After the shredded chicken cools, I bag it and freeze it in 2 cup portions. I use this chicken all the time! I use it in my Enchilada Zucchinis (recipe to come), and I add it to soups, pasta dishes, and quesadillas. I add some barbecue sauce to make sandwiches. The possibilities are endless.
  
  I don't have time to bake bread every day, so I make a few loaves and freeze them. When I get a great deal on produce, I bring it home, wash and prep it, and throw it in the freezer along with my pasta sauce, casseroles, crock-pot meals, homemade crustless PB&J (way cheaper than the name brand ones), and homemade meatballs.

Saving Money Without Coupons Part 1

There was a time, not too long ago, when I was a "coupon queen." In any given week, I would save $50 or more in coupons. Most weeks I even made money on purchases. $0.10 for a box of pasta, $0.25 for a box of crackers. Most of the time, it was cheaper overall to buy more items than the one we needed. It was a rush. The feeling was doubled when we'd give missionaries bags of food after feeding them a meal in our home or box after box of food and vitamins (money makers) with my mom, who distributed it among the people she knows who are in need. It was great to be able to bless so many lives and help my family in the process.

     Then the well of coupon craziness went dry. Everybody and their mother (including mine) started couponning. There were stupid reality shows about it. Manufacturers couldn't afford to give our as many good coupons, so , instead of getting $1 off something, we get $0.25 off. I'm not complaining, I promise. Manufacturers have to make money. I get that. However, it has made saving money on groceries tougher. I've had to go back to basics to keep us in budget. Over the next few posts, I'll share with you all some ways I've done that.

• Beans
  
  Dave Ramsey suggests eating "rice and beans, and beans and rice" to save money. Beans are FULL of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. A one-pound bag is anywhere from $1.25-$1.75. They're even more economical if you buy larger bags.
  
  Growing up, I never ate beans because my mother never made them. She didn't like them (and didn't know how to cook with them), so they never made their way to our table. My husband comes from a Southern family. Beans are a staple. Black beans, red beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans, lima beans (baby and large), and the list goes on. When we got married, he made beans and made me try them. Yes, I felt a bit like a 5 year old being told "Try it. You might like it." But he did it with the love and humor, not in a patronizing way. A crazy thing happened- I fell in love with beans! Now, one of my favorite lunches is brown rice cooked in homemade stock with black beans, and some red onion. Lentils take 25 minutes to cook and don't require soaking, so they're very popular in our kitchen.
  
  I credit this book with teaching me to cook with beans and lentils. I had no idea that beans can be used in so many ways! Now that I have Pinterest, I get new bean dish ideas all the time. They best part is that they taste REALLY good. I have a bunch of easy, delicious bean recipes in the works. I'm hoping to have a couple of them up by the end of the week.